As autumn settles over the charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon, ushering in cool, crisp breezes and a stunning show of color, everyone at Torte is keeping warm by whipping up a bevy of fall treats and spicy lattes. Jules is nearing her due date, and the whole town is abuzz—placing bets on when the twins will make their grand debut. Helen and the team are working on a secret surprise baby shower, complete with cupcakes, cookies, and a feast fit for royalty, or maybe just a mother-to-be.
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| September 2026; Minotaur Books; 978-1250461896 audio, ebook, print (304 pages); cozy mystery |
The Pumpkin Vice Cafe is book 23 in Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop Mystery series. I have read one other book in this series, book 20, Killing Me Soufflé. Apparently, I have another book from the series floating around on my Kindle. I enjoyed this one so much that I will have to go looking for that.
It might just be the beginning of fall in Ashland, but they are already having snow! For a southern gal, that seems so foreign to me - I had trouble thinking that this was a fall book and not a Christmas book.
I don't recommend reading this book when hungry. There are so many food descriptions! I know she runs a bakery, but I still think food was featured a whole lot more than maybe it needed to be. There is a section in one chapter where she goes into great detail about making turnovers. If you are going to walk me through your technique step by step, then give me the recipe at the end of the chapter like Joanne Fluke does in her Hannah Swansen series. It was like reading a food blogger's post - I always click "jump to recipe," and I found myself flipping past the description.
Outside of that, I loved the book. The characters are all great. They are just quirky enough to make a fun cozy mystery without being so over-the-top that they don't feel like real people. I would like to hang out with them.
Since it has been several years since I read Killing Me Soufflé, I didn't remember any of the characters. Though parts felt familiar, I actually didn't remember reading that book until I went to write this review. So if you haven't started reading this series, you can start with this novel and not have any problems.
I mentioned in the previous review that I would keep an eye out for new books in this series. I apparently didn't do a very good job, but I really do want to start reading this series more regularly.
The mystery was intriguing, with enough people with motive to kill to keep you guessing. But it really was hanging out with the characters that I loved the most. It was fun to plan the wedding with Lance and spend time in the bakeshop - though I highly recommend picking up some book snacks before you start reading.
Buy The Pumpkin Vice Cafe at Amazon
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of the how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
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