His Coffee Shop Crush

His Ever After #1

by Elle Waters

an alternate cover edition can be found here

Sometimes your coffee shop crush makes a great cup of joe, and sometimes he turns out to be the love of your life.

Jack reluctantly leaves Manhattan for small-town Connecticut to focus on finishing the overdue fourth book in his bestselling middle grade series. The local coffee shop is the perfect place to buckle down and meet his deadline, except for the distracting presence of barista Pete, who's even hotter than the coffee.

When Jack and Pete’s budding friendship quickly turns to flirting, Jack finds himself inspired to finish his book and get to know his sexy coffee shop crush more intimately. But Pete isn’t only a barista, and when they discover that their lives are already intertwined in an unexpected way, can their new relationship survive revelations from Pete’s past?

His Coffee Shop Crush is a steamy, small-town romance with a guaranteed happy ending.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, M M Romance, LGBT, Novella, Contemporary Romance, Gay

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2023

About the author

Fueled by chocolate and canned wine, Elle Waters writes smutty small town romance with guaranteed happy endings. She lives with her family in Connecticut. Sign up for her newsletter to hear about her next release!

Elle loves to hear from readers at elle@ellewatersauthor.com.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

His Coffee Shop Crush is book one in the His Ever After series by Elle Waters. This is my fist book by this author and I am in love. This was a sweet, sexy, feel good, small town romance that is sure to make you want to curl up on the sofa with your favorite tea.

Jack is thirty two years old. He’s the author of a well known, middle grade adventure series. Jack is on book four in the series and has already asked for one extension. He’s stuck. The words just aren’t coming. So his agent offers up his cottage in the little town of Rosedale, Connecticut, for a change of scenery and hopefully some new inspiration. The very first day, Jack packs up his laptop and heads to the town’s cute coffee shop. And that’s where he saw him, the cute barista.

Pete is twenty eight years old. He’s been in Rosedale for six months now. When Pete’s life fell apart in New York in a major way, he escaped to Rosedale and fell in love with the beautiful town. He loves his job at Hot Brew, the town’s coffee shop. The last thing Pete is looking for is getting involved with anyone but as soon as the new guy walked in, he was smitten.

One of my favorite things to happen between the two main characters is a hidden connection. I loved this one. Both of these two were so instantly smitten with the other. Both tried to hold back but you know how that goes. But, at the same time, Jack absolutely needs to make his deadline this time and Pete is still dealing with his past.

This was just a feel good, warm and fuzzy romance that made me feel all the swoons. I love this sort of story and can’t wait to continue with the series. Actually, I’m told that if I get the box set, there is another quick little extra included on this couple so I’m in. I also have another unrelated book on my to read list by her called His Christmas Love Song that I’m excited to read. This was a wonderful book and now I can’t wait for more from this author!

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was super cute. Small town, insta-ish, hurt-comfort, and short.
A mixture of lust and love at first sight is always a bit tricky, especially when it's a short book. But it's told so beautifully here. I love how the two main characters dance around each other and try to play the friendship game … because.
I really like how they tried not to end up in bed right away, even after they decided they wanted more. The chemistry is shown really beautifully.

“I wanted to kiss you the first time I laid eyes on you.”
Wow. Jack swallowed, suddenly nervous. Pete wasn’t fucking around. This was real. He was acutely aware this might be the last first kiss he’d ever have. 🥰🫠🥰

And a nice side effect is that now I really want to read the books Jack writes—I mean, they sound sooooo good.
A series I will definitely continue reading, because the supporting characters are also interesting and I like the author's writing style.

[Drache.... (Angelika)]

Dnf 59% just before the first sex scene.
No rating, I got this for free on Smashwords.

Overall sweet mm romance, a bit bland, a bit insta.

Again, me nitpicking (not the reason for my dnf, though) ... I'm not a fan of people driving after they shared a bottle of wine on their date. Isn't it the rule, if you drive you don't drink.. or when going out to eat many allow themselves one beer or one glas of wine, but half a bottle of wine seems dangerous to me. Nothing romantic about that in my opinion.

Dnf because I feel if I don't care anymore when they are about to have sex for the first time, then it's better to jump ship.

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super sweet short story about two guys who are really into each other and genuinely put in the effort to make their relationship work ❤️

[Ed Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me four days to read this short book. It’s not a bad book it just didn’t grab my attention and keep it. I’m really busy right now so it could be me and not the book. Instant love doesn’t usually bother me, but I just wasn’t feeling the connection from interest to in love.

[Virginia Cúneo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot started off OK, but then the MCs went from flirting in a fun way to being in love in the space of two days (literally). Not only was the romance unbelievable, but the MCs were also completely flat.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/17/2023)! 🎁

[Jonny_Jinx · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet refreshment

This is my first sampling of Elle Water's books, and I found it cute and sweet.
The trope was of the "I've been badly burned by love / I like you as you are now" type. A meet-cute trope was thrown in for good measure, along with a touch of angst added by the nasty, earlier lover.
All in all, it is a fast-paced read with a sure touch of heat and with an HEA, of course.
I have endured all sorts of errors, awful grammar, and a good deal of mistakes like typos in the past dozen books that I have read, so I was relieved to find only two mild typos here.
Highly recommended as an entertaining novel, albeit one that won't tax the reader.

[Paige]

DNF at 67%

Just not holding my attention. Been sitting untouched for nearly two weeks

12.2.23

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very, very bland and based on a coincidence so stupid that I absolutely cannot put up with it. As readers, I believe we deserve better.

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ale áno, bolo to milé, malé mesto, milá romanca, len trochu príliš presladené na mňa 🙂

[Monika · Rating 2 out of 5]

**2.5 Stars**

This wasn't a bad story but everything was so rushed it made my head spin. It's unfortunate because the potential was there to be better than it was. I accidentally read His Birthday Wish first but it didn't matter these are definitively stand-alones.

● Contemporary
● Small town
● Insta-lust almost love
● It all felt way too rushed
● Had some trouble getting a grasp of it all
● Some angst
● Some drama
● Likeable MCs... Pete & Jack
● Satisfying enough ending
● Sadly, I think this will be the end of this series for me

[Unusable Booklore · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I chose to read this, I did so relatively blind to meet a requirement for a reading prompt.

Because of this I hadn't really read the synopsis and had no idea what I had picked up. I got to follow along with the story trying to guess what was happening along with the characters.

Not a tough read, not terribly deep, I appreciated that it strayed from conventional norms.

Over all cute, sweet, and something that I enjoyed, even if it didn't actually meet the requirements of my prompt.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book after reading the two that follow it. As this was a pre-story to the two books, I read with great interest the character development for the series.

It is a love story, and it's charming, low angst and might be best read after one of the two books (his ever after series) that at the time of this writing are published. In this prequel, the two main characters do not realize that there is a hidden connection between them that involves their professional lives. It's that connection that when reveals, allows a more durable and faster developing relationship because of the bonding they had previously not known they shared.

Some other reviewers posted that the book was too fast in the development of the love between the two men, but I believe knowing the contents of the two sequels, puts this story in a special space with some of the latter books providing that contextual knowledge. In this book, Jack, the author, is not revealed as a trust-fund beneficiary, and PJ is not revealed for his significant backstory.

The geography and people of Rosedale are as much a part of the story as the main characters.

This is a fun, fast read that just feels good when you finish.

[Michael Adam Reale · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review of My Coffee Shop Crush by Elle Waters

My Coffee Shop Crush is one of those deceptively light romances that sneaks up on you with its emotional intelligence. Elle Waters takes a familiar setup — the cozy café, the slow‑burn glances, the caffeine‑fueled flirtation — and infuses it with a sincerity that makes the story feel lived‑in rather than formulaic.

What stands out most is the chemistry. Waters writes attraction with a gentle, observational touch: the micro‑hesitations, the awkward sweetness, the way two people orbit each other before they dare to collide. It’s not melodramatic; it’s human. The banter is playful without being forced, and the quieter moments carry a surprising amount of weight.

The coffee shop itself becomes a character — warm, aromatic, and grounding — a space where vulnerability feels possible. Waters uses it as a stage for emotional risk‑taking, and the result is a romance that feels both comforting and genuinely earned.

If you enjoy:

• soft, character‑driven romance
• cozy settings with sensory detail
• protagonists who grow through connection rather than conflict
• stories that leave a warm afterglow


…then this is a delightful, low‑pressure read with real heart.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forse il problema sono io che mi ostino a leggere novelle credendo - e sperando - di concluderle in poco tempo visto che il tempo è qualcosa che ultimamente proprio non ho e poi resto insoddisfatta perché ovviamente una novella non ha tutto lo spazio di manovra e di espansione che ha un romanzo vero e proprio.

Questa novella in particolare racconta di Jack, scrittore in pieno blocco creativo residente a New York che, su suggerimento del proprio agente, cambia aria e finisce a Rosedale in Connecticut per ritrovare l'ispirazione e finire finalmente il suo romanzo. L'ispirazione alla fine la trova quando entra all'Hot Brew Cafè e dietro il bancone trova Pete, un artista scappato da New York in seguito ad una brutta delusione sentimentale.

Sicuramente delle due novelle lette nel mese di ottobre questa è stata la migliore, ma c'è stato quell'elemento di instalove che mi ha un po' disturbata e in generale i due protagonisti proprio non sono riusciti a prendermi e a farmi sentire coinvolta nello sviluppo della loro storia.

[Damien Kade · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚His Coffee Shop Crush - Elle Waters
5/⭐️

So, here’s the thing. I did not expect to pick this book up. It was free on Amazon and I snagged it before the title was cute! And then I saw that it was an M/M romance. Couldn’t pass it up. Then I started reading it.

This has got to be the cutest and sweetest book I have read all year. I mean I fucking loved it. I loved Jack and Pete together. Even separate they were just so wonderful to read about. The intense feelings they have for each other was just icing on the cake.

Honestly, I think I may actually love this pov writing style as well. I haven’t read many books from this perspective and usually I’d turn it down, but, this was beautifully written. I will definitely be getting more books from this author.

I do recommend others read this book, simply because it was a very soft and sweet romance. Something about having a crush on a cute barista man is just delightful.

GO READ IT! You will love it!

[Kate Maistrenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredibly sweet, passionate, romantic, and just right ✨
Love at first sight told over about 170 pages — exactly what you need for a light and satisfying summer read~ All the events unfold during this very season.
The book is a standalone, but there is a continuation of the story of the main characters and the people around them :)

I enjoyed reading how two adults go through that fresh stage of falling in love — with ✨their✨ person. How they face life’s challenges or misunderstandings together.
The story is told from the perspective of one man, then the other — it’s lovely to see both sides, which makes it all the more heartwarming~

[Theodore · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF @ 31%

A bit too fluffy for my tastes. I did enjoy the connections between Jack and Pete, both not knowing that they'd already been professionally working with each other for a bit now, but I wish there was more conflict here keeping them apart. The insta-ish affection they had for each other was fine, but needed to be balanced by an equally strong reason for separation. Sure "keeping things professional" was a perfectly valid reason to not get together, but it was also very boring (hence why I'm DNF-ing).
2.5 stars rounded up mainly because there wasn't anything particularly wrong with the story and I suspect that plenty of people would find this fluffy romance enjoyable.

[Jack Harkness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icelandic yogurt, paisley tie, succulent, local sausage, wubbie, Hawaiian shirt, Cristal, a gallon of coffee, 1.8 million

This is referred to as a novella, but it reads like a full-blown story. And like the rest of the books in the series, this is great! While we know there's more to their relationship than this book, Jack's and Pete's beginnings are well-told here. We also see Kingston and Sergio before their own dating phase. Other Springdale denizens we meet are Meadow, Melissa, Che, and Trish.

I enjoyed this very much and highly recommend it!

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story line. Jack is a writer of a popular middle school series but he has a writer's block and the deadline for his new book has been and gone and his editor sends him out of Manhatten to his country home in Connecticut. Coffee is a must and when Jack goes to a coffee shop the barista is a handsome, sexy guy Pete.
I loved the story line and the two main characters and their friendhip that turns into a love story. I love the twists and turns and the small town setting and it was just such a well written story.

[squee me · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing earth shattering - a bit saccharine, with everything almost too good to be true (both MCs, the perfect small town, the serendipity of their relationship, the insta-lust-to-love, virtually no hurdle to HEA, a very perfect secondary cast), plus a very one-dimensional villain. But sometimes I'm in the mood for an easy read. There are a few moments of vulnerability that are nicely done. Pete is a bit more three-dimensional than Jack, but I did like both characters and their romance worked. For a less than 200 page book, this gets the job done.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

More emotion, more human and realistic than I expected from the title. This was my first book by Elle Waters and I was immediately taken by both Jack and Pete, and loved the twists that had brought both of them to this place and time in a small town where they could find the HEA that neither was actually looking for. Just the right amount of angst and sex, nothing gratuitous, just a heartfelt LOVE story.

[Lewis Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short and sweet book with just the right flow to be able to read in a consecutive block. Elle Waters writes some amazing small town romances with guaranteed happy endings. I loved this book as it is a sweet and simple book with one of my favourite tropes that I preach needs more representation, coffee shop. If I chance come across another book by Elle Waters I’ll be sure to pick it up for a read!

[Melinda Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack and Pete

This was a great story about two people falling in love. Pete has escaped an awful relationship but is gun shy about anyone new. Jack meets him in the coffee shop while trying to write and make a deadline, and pretty much falls in love at first sight. Fortunately, Jack is smart and willing to go at Pete’s pace. There are side issues and characters, but this is a sweet, romantic story with a great HEA.

[YonnoMaus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This really wasn't bad. I just wasn't super engaged throughout. I probably would've enjoyed it more on one of those times when I want a quick fun read. But at the time I read, it turned out to not be what I really wanted. If I do ever find myself in that mood, I might come back and read other books in that series, but for now I'm not adding anything to my list.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick low angst read.

I did enjoy this one, but it wasn’t one of my favourites. I felt Jack and Pete’s relationship was a little bit rushed and too much time was focused on Pete’s ex.

Overall it was a quick read, with insta love and no drama.

[lori forsyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book

Awesome read it's fun with lots of love!!! The book pulls you in right from the beginning and I found myself right beside them drinking my Chai and bantering right with them at hot brew!!!
Thanks Lori

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜💜💜💜💜

This is a modern queer romance, part of “small town” series that are each stand alone stories. I thought this was a cute story about a writer with block on his latest story and the barista who catches his heart rather quickly! This was a great afternoon read!
💜💜💜💜💜

[Edward Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming romance

Very skilfully crafted with unexpected twists and turns. A lovely unexpected romance. I could not put it down. It made me cry and realise that romance does exist.