A Café Au Lait Kind of Love

The Coffee Loft: Fall Collection

by D.E. Malone

Owner Ginger Giatti is good at two things: drawing customers into The Coffee Loft and turning them into repeat visitors with a delightful drink menu and down-home hospitality. She’s living her dream except for the overly friendly, dog-loving patron who keeps nudging his way into her life. If he wasn’t such a loyal customer, she’d tell him to take his parade of pooches to another establishment in Greenhaven.

Cal Donner loves showing off his adoptable mutts on The Coffee Loft’s patio almost as much as he loves it when Ginger throws a smile his way. She’s warm and funny, and he can’t help but wonder if the foam hearts she draws in his café au laits are the real deal. Her only fault—he’s pretty sure she’s lukewarm on dogs, but no one’s perfect.

When a wicked storm leaves The Coffee Loft in the dark, Cal comes to the rescue. It’s the type of feel-good story Ginger knows will look good on her application for a prestigious business grant, and she needs Cal’s help. Trouble is, Cal will only cooperate if she agrees to be his date—to the Paws Cause fundraiser dinner. Will their date be a doggone disaster, or will the night be the first step toward fur-ever?


Welcome back to The Coffee Loft, where a new round of stories has been brewed especially for you.

Those of you stopping by to visit again, we’ve missed you. The feeling of home is the same that you loved before. If it’s your first time, prepare to be swept off your feet.

While our menu hasn’t changed, we think you’ll be pleased with the fall favorites we’ve added. Fans of pumpkin spiced lattes, peppermint mochas, and rich, chocolaty cocoas will not be disappointed. This multi-author collection of stand-alone sweet romcoms is filled to the brim with the swoons you love and adore.

From sweet kisses to grand gestures and matchmaking surprises, each mug and story will be filled with everything you crave. So come on in and let us serve you with that happy ever after you’ve come to expect.

Mark your calendars—Cover Reveals coming this Fall!

Don't miss the first season of The Coffee Loft. Available now!

Genres: Autumn, Romance, Closed Door Romance, Contemporary

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2024

About the author

D.E. Malone writes sweet contemporary romance and is the author of the Hearts in Hendricks and Blueberry Point romance series. She also writes for the middle grades as Dawn Malone, and her work has appeared in Highlights for Children, Pockets, the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and other magazines and newspapers. She loves traveling to places off the beaten path which inspire the small-town settings in her stories. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, hiking, volunteering with shelter dogs, and continuing her never-ending quest for the holy grail of bakeries.

Reviews

[McKenna Johnson]

ARC Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5’s

Another Coffee Loft winner! This one was excellent. It flowed so well and kept my attention the whole time. This cute little description shows how much there is to love here.
🤍 Description:
Coffee, Rescue Dogs and Romance Don’t Mix…Until They Do
I really enjoyed the main characters. I liked the Coffee Loft owner Ginger. Her no nonsense, kinda grumpy and surly attitude was truly enjoyable for me. Mix that with Cal and his sunny personality, love of dogs and confidence was perfect. The way the animals and pet were highlighted in this book was so fun. I love a good pet sidekick and this one had lots of them.

☕️ Oh the puns…
“thanks a latte”
“you mocha me want to come here every day.”
“Chai love you lots”

Fun Tropes:
🤍 Small town romance
☕️ Grumpy sunshine
🤍 He falls first
☕️ Standalone
🤍 Rescue dogs
☕️ Fall vibes

No Spice- Closed door romance

🤍 Quotes:
“She had three pups who have already been adopted. They were the Coffee Crew. She’s Lola Latte. Her pups were Mocha, Brew, and Frappe.”

Thank you to the author D.E. Malone for the advanced electronic copy of the book!

[Tanvi]

I loved this book.

The writing is perfect, the characters are great, and the furry friends are an added bonus.

Oh how I held my breath when Ginger and Cal were finally coming closer. I loved how patient Cal was and how much Ginger grew up during the book.

Though I feel that the book was the perfect length, I still want more of them. I am on my way to check out Dawn's other books now.

I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Randi Sampson]

A Café Au Lait Kind of Love is part of The Coffee Loft: Fall Collection. This is a multi-authors series with each story featuring a Coffee Loft shop, but all can be enjoyed in any order or as standalones.

If you love fall vibes, coffee and furry friends--- this is most certainly the book for you. Cal has been bringing the dogs he fosters to Ginger's coffee shop for some time when the story begins, and while he's drawn to her, they really don't know each other much beyond that... until a storm comes through. He saves the day, and they find themselves getting to know one another. They had a really sweet chemistry that I enjoyed, but she's definitely a little more hesitant to let him in. I really enjoyed these characters--- and all the furry friends too. Truly, the animals were one of the main stars of this story! This story felt very much like sipping a warm drink on a fall day--- cozy and satisfying!

A Café Au Lait Kind of Love is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Shanna Johnson]

I don't know what is more adorable, this story or the sweet little animals in the book. At first I wasn't sure about the couple because they seemed too different to work, but quickly they started to form together into a really precious couple that I love. It was such a great read that I'm glad to have had the chance to enjoy. I love how this story had such a strong influence and theme around rescue animals, it's something that has always been an interest to me and I love it so much!

[MaryEllen]

Ginger and Cal are nearly opposites but are attracted to each other. One big difference is that he's bold and leaves her notes to let her know he's interested. She's kind of skittish about fating and romance, and he is patient.

The characters were realistically written, and their story was engaging.

This is my voluntary review of a copy I received from the author.

[Lisa Mandina]

The whole dog fostering aspect of this story was just so good! I adored Cal for that so much! I wanted to play with all the dogs he fostered, as well as the ones he went every day to help walk at the shelter as well. I liked Ginger, although her aversion to the dogs at first was a little hard for me, a dog lover, to connect to. She wasn’t against dogs, just got easily irritated by them licking her or drooling on her. And yeah, I get the drool. I’ve been annoyed by dogs that do that as well.

But I did like Ginger too, loved how she was with her cat, and even how she was with all her customers and how she ran her Coffee Loft shop. It was very understandable why she was so afraid of getting into a relationship, or trusting a flirty outgoing kind of guy that Cal seemed whenever he was hanging out at her shop. And for as much as she wasn’t a dog person to start, the fact that she was so welcoming and set out a bowl for whenever he brought his dogs showed she really did have a good heart.

The little bit of a break up over a misunderstanding towards the end was kind of a bit much, but with her past and all, it was easily understood. Even if it was a funny misunderstanding when all was said and done. This is my first book by this author, and I look forward to reading more by her in the future. The little town where all this took place was cute too, and I don’t know if she sets her stories in the same town, but I’d enjoy visiting it again!

Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.

[Bernadette Cinkoske]

A Cafe Au Lait Kind of Love is a clean, heartwarming romance. I love Ginger who is great at business but shies away from love. Ca; is a hunky sweetie who loves dogs and is both a volunteer and a foster parent for the local animal rescue. I enjoyed the Coffee Loft reviews that began each chapter and the notes Cal left for Ginger. I also enjoyed watching Ginger learn to love Peaches. Rescue animals and the no kill shelters that care for them have my heart. (I am on my eighth rescue dog.) There is just so much to love in this book that I did not get much else done today! You do not want to miss this amazing, well written romance!

[Shauna Jones]

Can one small choice lead to love?
This is a sweet book mixing a coffee shop, a cat, dogs needing a home, a hurt woman, and a patient man. Ginger is the owner of a Coffee Loft and decided to welcome patrons to bring their dogs to the shop’s patio even providing a water bowl for the animals. Now Cal is a regular always with a different dog and always the center of female attention. Ginger is drawn to him but leery after a bad marriage. When a storm hits and Cal plus dog steps into help the attraction grows but sensing Ginger’s hesitancy moves slowly to act on his attraction. Adding in illness, a animal shelter in need and a misunderstanding of huge proportions and you have a fun read.

[Darla Marie]

I really love how DE Malone writes. Some authors sentences seem to be short and choppy sometimes but hers flow very well. This was a cute slow burn romance. And the pets!! The only thing I wish this had was a chapter marker that showed whose POV you were starting in on. I know you can get that sense after reading but yeah haha. But I really recommend this for anyone who loves a good clean romance.


I received an ARC for my honest review

[Patricia Hampton]

I love these coffee series stories and this one did not disappoint. A very cute story of opposite attraction. Love the chemistry that cal and ginger develop. Furbaby rescues was a nice bonus to have. Cal is sweet and patient with ginger though out the story leaving her notes that he is thinking about her. Ginger develops through out the story. Great character development highly recommended

[Melissa]

This is a sweet romance. Ginger and Cal are both wonderful people with big hearts. I enjoyed their story. Ginger deserves a HEA and it was good seeing her open her heart again. Cal and his parade of foster pups were just what she needed.

[Maaike Nota]

Sweet coffee infused small town romcom with rescue dogs, is there anything else you need?
Ginger owns a coffee shop that’s very popular and gets great reviews. She been thinking about with branching out or just changing things up a bit as she would like to give back more to the community.
Cal is a foster dog dad hero and is very happy that Ginger allows dogs onto the patio so he can enjoy his cafe au lait there every day.
They secretly like each other of course but Ginger has reservations because of a bad divorce. Cal wants to give her space and take it slow and is a bit clumsy about that perhaps.
I loved the addition of the rescue dogs, eventhough my heart is still broken and I don’t know if it will ever feel a little bit better again, this is an amazing thing to do and who knows I’ll be able to to one day.

[Julie Carpenter]

What does a woman with a heartbroken past and a man who helps foster dogs have in common? The Coffee Loft, of course! This is another delightful read in The Coffee Loft series.

Ginger and Cal are two characters who are so kindhearted and are full of goodness towards others. It was sweet reading their story and watching them orbiting closely around each other, to finally crashing into each other's orbits and finding happiness and love. When they finally break through those barriers and discover their mutual attraction and feelings towards each other are reciprocated, there's a bit of a hiccup. I wanted to yell through the pages of my book to tell them to hold on and don't jump to conclusions. But of course that doesn't quite work, does it? Lol! But never fear! They have great friends in the book who help them through this moment and give them great advice that leads them to having a sweet second chance.

The animals were a sweet addition to this adorable book.

Content: Clean.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Lissa]

I adored Cal & Gingers feisty, sweet, caring, loving, swoony story!!

[Jane litherland]

Oh Cal , he is so doggone in love with Ginger and her iced coffee. He drags all the dogs in her yard..literally . But she loves her pussy cat best. She has an outside patio where he likes to sit for a visit . But her friend Merris has her forced to admit , he goes for her company and he’s so smit….Legit! Even when there’s a summer storm brewing , he can’t keep away. He brings a new rescue dog with him each and every day. Today’s is a big one , she has to say. Cafe au Lait is nice with ice. The storm doesn’t desist and Cal is forced to assist in a rescue when the loft is plunged it darkness. She thinks this feel good story will help her secure her business grant. And Cal is only happy to help … with one proviso …. She’s to be his date for the annual Paws Cause fundraiser dinner. He already knows he’s onto a winner. Both of them have insecurities and vulnerabilities and it’s nice to discover what they come to mean to each other. He’s a shy guy who’s misunderstood because he is more outgoing than he feels deep inside he should, she is reeling with feelings but chooses to hide inside for fear of rejection ,putting up her barriers of protection. They’re two beautiful souls who belong together, to share sweet affection. To make one complete whole . Cal Donner and his Ginger Giatti have a rapport so nice and sweet , who can ask for more? A real treat. Its slow burn chemistry is something to adore , given an encore . Their ultimate goal.A sweet salutation at the Coffee Loft station , a salvation! Every port in a storm? The women they may surround him but they don’t astound him , he’s only got eyes for her , the one he’d like to call home. Ginger is his only vice , his sweetness and nice. His sacrifice. This is one cute slow burn romance . None of this agony and drama and angst. Just a wholesome and sweet little story all about a couple’s romance. They find a love they can be sure of. And animal magnetism ? Save that for their fur babies whether it’s her cat, his dogs no ifs buts or maybes. Everyone is in for a treat , when in this Coffee Loft they take a seat . A really home from home meet and greet with many a treat to feast your eyes upon and eat. The kind of Love you can be sure of and rely upon forevermore . Encore!!! Bravo! Brilliantly written , I was surely smitten with this cute couple . The ideal candidates for love at the Coffee Loft . A place you can be sure of . Find the best seat in the house , or on the patio. The veranda, or upstairs to sample their wares. Each Coffee Loft franchise has one redeeming quality a good cup of Coffee or Tea whatever the case maybe , and made with a Love that is plain to see.

[Kirby]

I'd actually never heard of The Coffee Loft series before picking this title up, but D.E. Malone is always one of my favorite clean romance authors, and I was excited to dive into another one of her titles. These titles are all under the heading of the same series, but each can be read as a stand alone which I appreciated as I didn't end up feeling like I was missing out on anything by just reading this one.

A Cafe Au Lait Kind of Love is a sweet and heartwarming romance set during the fall season that features an upscale coffee shop, a slow burn romance, and a plethora of adorable, furry legged friends. Wrapped up with D.E. Malone's traditional cozy writing, this was such a pefect read for a chilly fall day and truly reads like a made for TV movie come to life on the page.

While there was so much to love within these pages, I think my favorite parts personally were the opposites attract romance, and the emphasis put on pet fostering. I'm more of a cat person than a dog person, but I loved how important Cal's canine friends were to him, and the lengths he goes to see them each find their new forever home. Ginger's cat Daisy was also a scene stealer, and I adored all the passages she played a role in.

With a realistic timeline, a sweet plotline, and characters that truly came to feel like old friends, this one was a definite winner in my eyes, and I can't recommend it enough.

Final Rating: 4/5.



Thanks so much to D.E. Malone for allowing me to read and review this title!



I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the author as part of her street team. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

[Tammy Lunsford - Escape to Books By Tammy]

Can a cat lover become a dog lover? Ginger runs The Coffee Loft. Although she has nothing against dogs, she will immediately tell you that she is a cat person. Cal Donner loves anything with four legs, but his heart belongs to rescue dogs. He is a dog rescue's hero, as he will foster any time it is needed. He comes to The Coffee Loft every day with his dog, Ridley, who looks more like a small pony. Every chapter that went by I fell a little more in love with Cal. Any guy who loves animals this much would have to be a perfect mate. There were some humorous scenes involving these crazed animals.

I enjoyed the fact that this book covered two tropes with opposites attract and grump vs. sunshine. The thing that was most unique was that the sunshiny character was Cal, which is unusual as the man is usually the grump in these romcoms. Ginger was not really a grump, but she definitely was not a glass half full kind of gal either. She was very serious, focused and a little guarded.

The furry friends and sweet budding romance made this book a pleasure to read. My heart almost melted when I saw a mommy dog named Lola Latte with her three puppies, Mocha, Brew and Frappe. The Hearts Fur Love Dog Rescue tugged on my heart strings just as much as the human side of this story.

Thank you to the author for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Megan | Reads Alotl Books]

This is another adorable coffee story, that also includes adorable pets. Cal spends spare time volunteering to foster and rescue dogs and find them new home and uses by uses the Coffee Loft as a place to meet new potential adopters.
Ginger is the owner of the coffee loft, who has been hiding herself and fears after a failed marriage. She allows Cals to bring his foster dogs to the coffee patio, but she doesn't allow herself to think about him....until a microburst changes her mind.

Cals feelings for Ginger throughout the book are very sweet, she thinks he’s more of a playboy. After an interview, she realizes she was wrong and there’s a lot more to cal than she thought. She tries so hard to make peace with her past and truly trust Cal. Cal recognizes Ginger's potential and all that she brings so the community. He wants her in his life...especially after she decides to take a chance on a dog and not a cat.
Will they be able to figure out their feelings while working together on special project or will things blow up? Go read to find it. This was a sweet and quick read that put me right into the Fall season...despite it being in the mid 80's where I live

[Leann Arave]

The coffee loft series is a multi author, clean romance, easy read, collection of books. They can all be read as standalone stories as the only connection is, they have to do with coffee and usually small towns. This story is about Ginger, who owns a coffee loft. She is continually looking for ways to make her store better and to help the people around her. One of her frequent customers is a good looking man named Cal. He comes to her patio with a dog most everyday. Cal is a big advocate for the local animal shelter and fosters dogs looking for a new home.
The story is charming and obviously if you’re a dog lover, it will be a great read for you. I think probably the most exciting part was during the storm at the beginning of the story. The characters are enjoyable, but I thought the storyline was just a little bit weak. Quite frankly looking back on it, I don’t really remember what it was about except helping dogs. There was some light sweet romance, and it was a quick afternoon read. Not great, but not bad.

[Coffeenbooks]

- Reverse grumpy/sunshine
- Dog dad
- He falls first
- Small town romance

I adored this book. It was so clever to use reviews as the chapter headers. I enjoyed reading those as they gave insight to the cafe in whole.

Regular customer Cal has secretly admired coffee shop owner Ginger for a while. However, she maintains a very cool demeanor to him. So he brings in his rescue dogs to try to warm her to him. This does the opposite as other women are drawn to the dogs and Ginger sees this as a ploy Cal has enacted for female attention.

It isn't until Cal helps Ginger out after a storm rolls through, causing damage to the Coffee Loft. Ginger starts to see Cal as a nice guy, but she is hesitant to give him her heart. Luckily for her, Cal is a very patient man..

Such a cute, sweet romance. I adored watching Ginger learn to trust her heart and Cal showing her what true love looks like.

[Esther Johnson]

This story is so sweet, your coffee won’t even need any added sugar.
Ginger owns a local Coffee Loft and loves the way she can support her community by offering a welcoming environment to everyone, including some four legged patrons on the patio.
Cal is a ruggedly handsome customer who brings his foster dogs to the Coffee Loft to meet new people and bring attention to their need for adoption. And because Ginger is there. And the coffee is good.
But hurt from a previous relationship has Ginger keeping everyone at arms length, especially the handsome local foster dad who is charming and is constantly drawing attention from the women around him.
A sudden storm throws them close together and Cal’s kindness prompts Ginger to consider him as more than just a customer.
Follow along as these two navigate their new love. Sweet kisses, some laugh out loud moments, and puppy and kitty snuggles are some things you have to look forward to.
This book will have you smiling for days.

[Vivian]

A sweet slow burning love that includes a cat and dogs, coffee and a small town story, what more can you ask for?
As with other books by D.E. Malone, this book transport you to the charm life in a small town. Ginger is the owner of a cozy coffee place where Cal comes daily with his foster dogs and unbeknownst to Ginger her coffee place is also where he meets prospective dog parents for his dogs, why is this information important? Because Ginger figures out that she actually have feelings for Cal when she starts getting jealous of the women he meets with there.
Ginger and Cal are very different one to the other and at beginning didn’t seem like they could work as a couple, mostly the doubts came by Ginger side, but slowly she figured out that they were perfect for each other.
This was a sweet book to read but at the same time one you cannot put down, one that will warm your heart with the realization that second chances are possible.

[Valri Western]

I loved everything about this story! The location, the characters, even the weather! Ginger is skittish when it comes to a relationship and just wants to run her coffee shop. Rave reviews about her place keep her going. She loves her customers, her employees and her shop! Cal and his furry rescue pets are throwing a wrench in things, however! Cal is "movie star gorgeous" and makes her uncomfortable by bringing all those mutts around to her outside patio! I fell in love with Cal from the start! He knows the Ginger misunderstands him. He's fairly introverted while she thinks he's the "life of the party" and a player. He just wants people to adopt the pets that he brings around. When they have a "moment" during a storm, maybe things will turn around - Cal can dream! I loved the animals, the way Cal tried to play things cool and how much Ginger grew during the story!

[Rochelle]

Delightful top-notch romance! Ginger and Cal are both cautious with love for their own reasons. A coffee shop and some adorable pets help to break the ice and a tentative friendship forms between them. With beautiful moments of vulnerability and some fantastic chemistry, this story is filled with sweet, heartfelt emotion as the couple works through the ups and downs of a new relationship. I highly recommend this (and all D.E. Malone's books) for those who enjoy clean, uplifting romance.

This book is part of a series. I haven't read them all but the ones I have read, including this one, can stand alone. I love the fall setting and the warm, cozy feels of this story and the series. The "reviews" of the Coffee Loft posted before each chapter is a creative touch. I received an advanced copy of this story. A positive review was not required.

[Koren | the_blue_eyed_bluestocking]

☕️ In 'Cafe Au Lait,' a slobbery Coffee Loft patio meet cute leads Cafe owner and cat lover, Ginger, to start seeing regular and dog lover, Cal, in a new way. I love when we get a lot of the Coffee Loft itself, and it is the source of trauma and triumph in this story. I loved the dog friendly patio leading to not only meeting Cal, but to opening Ginger to pursue ways to do good in her community by supporting a struggling shelter. It definitely doesn't hurt that a cute guy keeps trying to catch her eye so patiently, allows her lots of freak outs, and just keeps showing up being a good guy.

You can expect a he falls first, friends to more, workplace romance. This one had a very realistic quality, and I loved it!

I received a complimentary copy of the author's story to read and review. All thoughts contained here are my own.

[Barbara Hackel]

Another wonderful entry in the Coffee Loft series! I particularly liked the inclusion of shelter dogs in the story. Cal was a generous supporter of the shelter for all the many ways he volunteered to help there. Ginger, a devout cat fan, was supportive as well by her welcoming dogs at the Coffee Loft all along. But I enjoyed how Cal's thoughtful deeds inspired her to also offer community support both in helping the shelter and helping shape and support a career for a young woman working at the coffee shop. Community, helping others, and kindness are vital for us all. Nice to have an author feature those attributes in a fictional work!
Great characters, fun with dogs, good pacing...just wish it were a real place I could enjoy and support!

[Dana Porter]

This latest gem from the Coffee Loft series features a romance between two adults a little more settled into their lives and careers. Ginger owns the Coffee Loft shop in Greenhaven and enjoys her independence and the safety of not dating. Cal owns his own software consulting business, loves dogs, enjoys the Coffee Loft, and is waiting for an opening to get to know Ginger better.
I empathized with Ginger’s desire to both stay where she was safe and be in relationship with someone who cared about her. I swooned over Cal’s patience with her throughout the story. Read it for yourself, and discover how special Cal and Ginger are.

[Debbie Walker]

What a sweet, sweet book! Ginger and Cal have feelings for each other but neither of them is bold enough to make the first move. Ginger has been hurt before and hesitant about getting into a new relationship. They slowly build a friendship and discover just how much they have in common. There are some bumps and misunderstandings along the way but I’m so glad they got through all of that and found their way to an HEA! I absolutely loved the involvement of the animals and the animal shelter in the story, and it was really fun reading the Coffee Loft reviews at the beginning of each chapter. Great story!!

[Samantha Ball]

This was the first book I read from the Coffee Loft Series, and it won’t be my last!

Almost right from the beginning, Cal’s character pulled at my heartstrings. I admired his love for volunteering and how hard Ginger worked to make her coffee shop an inviting destination for coffee lovers. I loved that Cal fell first and that it took Ginger a while to figure it out. I loved that this slow-burn romance kept me turning the pages and routing for that happy ending.

I loved how the author included animal characters in the story. Daisy surprised me, Peaches was adorable, and Ridley was a big sweetheart. 

The quotes at the start of every chapter were a great addition, too.

[Angela Hodge]

Love for furry friends

A Cafe Au Lait Kind of Love by DE Malone, part of The Coffee Loft Series, is a sweet slow burn love story but more importantly it’s about the heart of a volunteer.

I really loved this story about Cal and Ginger! Both are lovable characters, she’s a self proclaimed cat lover and he volunteers with the local animal shelter. This story has all the fall vibes, a bit of angst, some sweet kisses from humans and pups and lots of coffee! I can’t recommend it enough!