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Pumpkin Spice Meltdown
Natalie has high hopes for her move across the country to start a new life with her boyfriend. Those plans hit a snag the moment her flight lands and she finds out he is married. Now devastated and wishing she owned more elastic-waist pants, Natalie does her best to get off her great-aunt's couch and put the pieces of her life back together. But the world is hard, and the couch is soft.
During one of her meltdowns, she is reminded that she volunteered to host her family's BIG Thanksgiving get together. That's the last thing she wants to do right now, but she would rather give up coffee forever than let her sister-in-law host instead of her. All she has to do is swallow her feelings and schedule her mental breakdown for the weekend after Thanksgiving. It's a completely logical flawless plan. What could go wrong?
A picture-perfect Thanksgiving should be possible with careful planning and the help of an annoying family friend who is unfortunately kind of hot. She's determined to show everyone that she has everything under control even when nothing seems to go to plan.
Pumpkin Spice Meltdown is a cozy low stakes romcom that's as sweet and comforting as a PSL.
During one of her meltdowns, she is reminded that she volunteered to host her family's BIG Thanksgiving get together. That's the last thing she wants to do right now, but she would rather give up coffee forever than let her sister-in-law host instead of her. All she has to do is swallow her feelings and schedule her mental breakdown for the weekend after Thanksgiving. It's a completely logical flawless plan. What could go wrong?
A picture-perfect Thanksgiving should be possible with careful planning and the help of an annoying family friend who is unfortunately kind of hot. She's determined to show everyone that she has everything under control even when nothing seems to go to plan.
Pumpkin Spice Meltdown is a cozy low stakes romcom that's as sweet and comforting as a PSL.
334 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2024
13 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 17, 2024
This is a very cute cozy romance story.
October 9, 2025
Had to DNF at 91% .
Honestly I hate that I made it so far in this book before I quit. But I realized suddenly that I was literally counting the minutes and life is way too short for that.
My issues:
First off, what kind of woman dates a man for 3 years, finds out he’s married, and doesn’t immediately find a way to tell the wife? 3 YEARS!? You guys were in a relationship and talking about moving in together for 3 YEARS and you just allow him to say “I’m married” and then ghost you. And you lay down and take that? No confrontation or google stalking the wife? Nah. Grow a backbone.
Two, if you want to read an ENTIRE novel about a woman’s meticulous plans to put together a Thanksgiving meal; down to every single purchase she makes, and her budget, then this story is for you. 🙄 It was not for me. I am not a type A person. I am not a planner. That shit is NOT fun for me and it was NOT fun to read. I kept thinking it was just going to be a chapter or two but 91% in and I was fuming.
I couldn’t do it. 2 stars because it is very well written grammatically and planned to a type A tee… I hope she stuck it to Jenny in the end. It was the only thing I was holding out for. But when she saw her ex and his wife in the grocery store and hid from them and then cried on the floor… I was out. So so out.
Honestly I hate that I made it so far in this book before I quit. But I realized suddenly that I was literally counting the minutes and life is way too short for that.
My issues:
First off, what kind of woman dates a man for 3 years, finds out he’s married, and doesn’t immediately find a way to tell the wife? 3 YEARS!? You guys were in a relationship and talking about moving in together for 3 YEARS and you just allow him to say “I’m married” and then ghost you. And you lay down and take that? No confrontation or google stalking the wife? Nah. Grow a backbone.
Two, if you want to read an ENTIRE novel about a woman’s meticulous plans to put together a Thanksgiving meal; down to every single purchase she makes, and her budget, then this story is for you. 🙄 It was not for me. I am not a type A person. I am not a planner. That shit is NOT fun for me and it was NOT fun to read. I kept thinking it was just going to be a chapter or two but 91% in and I was fuming.
I couldn’t do it. 2 stars because it is very well written grammatically and planned to a type A tee… I hope she stuck it to Jenny in the end. It was the only thing I was holding out for. But when she saw her ex and his wife in the grocery store and hid from them and then cried on the floor… I was out. So so out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2025
Pumpkin Spice Meltdown
2.5 ✨
2.5 ✨
October 9, 2025
3 ⭐️ Not my favorite book ever but ok
October 8, 2025
I really wanted to enjoy The Pumpkin Spice Meltdown, but Natalie made it nearly impossible. Her constant back-and-forth with Brian felt more exhausting than romantic, and the "enemies to lovers" trope was so forced it lacked any real chemistry. I kept waiting for more insight into her ex-fiancé—especially since he clearly shaped so much of her baggage—but it was barely addressed. The missed emotional depth and overdone tension left me more frustrated than invested. Disappointing overall.
October 21, 2025
this was a cute book it was predictable but it was a quick book and the narration was good I did as an audiobook
it's about Natalie who moves across the country to a New Life to be with her boyfriend who she finds out at the airport that he's married.
she's devastated and she ends up staying with her great aunt at the retirement center and she meets Charlotte her other close friend and they're called the grandearies I thought that was a cute name for the two of them.
Charlotte has a grandson named Brian who ends up being Natalie love interest I should say and he's kind of rough in the beginning but he ends up having a great personality.
I love loved the grandearies they were awesome and supportive and they gave very good advice it also talks about the rest of her family she was supposed to host Thanksgiving this year but of course now she doesn't have the place shares I thought of so she has to try to find a new place or allow her sister-in-law who she doesn't really care for Jenny host and to find out about that situation later I was surprised and ended up finding her and during person
I liked her her co-worker Lisa she helped her out a lot along with the granderies and Henry he's an older man who works with Brian and owns the building and he has a wonderful personality and he ends up helping out in other ways too it's cute how the relationship develops between Natalie and Brian it's been the banter is funny and he's pretty patient with her when she ends up having her meltdowns at one point she ends up seeing her ex and here is what his wife and local grocery store and she actually leaves her cart and goes home and lays on the floor and kind of cries it's kind of funny it does show you how relationships affect people and I love the ending I would say it's a solid four maybe a 3.8 or 3.9 but I rounded it up to a 4.
it's about Natalie who moves across the country to a New Life to be with her boyfriend who she finds out at the airport that he's married.
she's devastated and she ends up staying with her great aunt at the retirement center and she meets Charlotte her other close friend and they're called the grandearies I thought that was a cute name for the two of them.
Charlotte has a grandson named Brian who ends up being Natalie love interest I should say and he's kind of rough in the beginning but he ends up having a great personality.
I love loved the grandearies they were awesome and supportive and they gave very good advice it also talks about the rest of her family she was supposed to host Thanksgiving this year but of course now she doesn't have the place shares I thought of so she has to try to find a new place or allow her sister-in-law who she doesn't really care for Jenny host and to find out about that situation later I was surprised and ended up finding her and during person
I liked her her co-worker Lisa she helped her out a lot along with the granderies and Henry he's an older man who works with Brian and owns the building and he has a wonderful personality and he ends up helping out in other ways too it's cute how the relationship develops between Natalie and Brian it's been the banter is funny and he's pretty patient with her when she ends up having her meltdowns at one point she ends up seeing her ex and here is what his wife and local grocery store and she actually leaves her cart and goes home and lays on the floor and kind of cries it's kind of funny it does show you how relationships affect people and I love the ending I would say it's a solid four maybe a 3.8 or 3.9 but I rounded it up to a 4.
November 11, 2024
Positives: I loved how thorough the writing was, the details of the shopping scenes made me feel very immersed into the story. A lot of the book was full of very mundane situations but honestly I loved that about it.
Negatives: There were so many frustrating parts. I understand that the book is called Pumpkin Spice Meltdown, but honestly I think she could’ve pulled off her Thanksgiving vision if she would’ve fixed things instead of crying about it non-stop. Also, even with 27 people coming to Thanksgiving, I think she could’ve knocked those goodie bags out in a day and I think they could’ve fixed those picture frames. Finally, I wish she would’ve confronted her married ex-boyfriend and ruined his marriage for being a cheater, instead of being a little cry baby chicken and running out of the store without her groceries. The never ending self sabotaging made it lose a star for me, but other than that it was a super fun read!
Negatives: There were so many frustrating parts. I understand that the book is called Pumpkin Spice Meltdown, but honestly I think she could’ve pulled off her Thanksgiving vision if she would’ve fixed things instead of crying about it non-stop. Also, even with 27 people coming to Thanksgiving, I think she could’ve knocked those goodie bags out in a day and I think they could’ve fixed those picture frames. Finally, I wish she would’ve confronted her married ex-boyfriend and ruined his marriage for being a cheater, instead of being a little cry baby chicken and running out of the store without her groceries. The never ending self sabotaging made it lose a star for me, but other than that it was a super fun read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2025
Getting a text that the man you’re moving in with—after packing your whole life and selling everything—is married? Insane. Kudos to her for navigating it all and getting her life together. With her family’s support—and the help of the man she couldn’t stand at first—she turned a terrible situation into a beautiful new beginning. It wasn’t anything special and didn’t quite give off the cozy fall vibes I was hoping for, but I still enjoyed the listen. Love an enemies-to-lovers story!
November 15, 2025
I liked a lot of it. The romance and the cast of side characters mainly. But the protagonist wasn't my favorite.
November 22, 2025
Quick read, just lacked substance in the characters.
November 29, 2025
it's a Thanksgiving Rom Com, and very sweet. I want a great aunt who let's be sleep on her couch and attend her water aerobics class!
November 10, 2025
This was cute but also pretty cheesy. I appreciated that it’s a Thanksgiving romance, since there isn’t many of those and I wish there were more to choose from.
December 21, 2024
I rarely enjoy cozy reads, but this is so cute and feels like a warm hug. Why does it only get 50 ratings?
October 9, 2024
All the sweetness of a PSL, Apple Crisp Macciato and an iced chai combined! This book has a main character you can love, relate and root for! It is a quick read and is perfect for spooky season girls who want a little more season and a little less spooky. And it is near iimpossible to read without cracking a smile, and being overwhelmed with laughter. If you're looking for THE fall release of 2024... THIS IS IT!
October 10, 2025
This did nothing for me but I finished it so it’s more than 1 star. No chemistry between those characters and Natalie needed to touch grass desperately
October 5, 2024
Ok! So here is my honest review- I want to preface this with I am not typically a romance or comedy book reading kind of gal- I prefer escapism into Fantasy or to challenge my brain with some sort of moral questioning deep thought novel. HOWEVER, little did I know how I need a book like this in between to help tether me.
So! First let’s start with the writing. The cadence of the writing is great. We move through the story at a great pace and just as things start to seem to be slowing, they pick back up again which was great for keeping me engaged in the story! Kate’s dialogue is witty, real, and damn funny. The scenarios are so relatable. I appreciate the characters all seem like people that exist.
Second- the story!!! Y’all we have all been through hell in life at some point and if we haven’t, well- just give it some time. This book doesn’t shame the emotions that come with absolute devastation and it is a realistic view of the process of recovery. I love the supportive family aspect and it’s so whatever the opposite of toxic is. The funny it’s bits and quirks and inside jokes amongst friends, family, and lovers- absolutely endearing.
Overall, if you’re looking for something to make you feel better about life while still offering insight and introspection- this story is perfect. It could be one of the better Hallmark Holiday movies- hope they get their hands on it! Thank you, Kate Minty, for helping me realize I need breaths of fresh air like this in my TBR list!!
So! First let’s start with the writing. The cadence of the writing is great. We move through the story at a great pace and just as things start to seem to be slowing, they pick back up again which was great for keeping me engaged in the story! Kate’s dialogue is witty, real, and damn funny. The scenarios are so relatable. I appreciate the characters all seem like people that exist.
Second- the story!!! Y’all we have all been through hell in life at some point and if we haven’t, well- just give it some time. This book doesn’t shame the emotions that come with absolute devastation and it is a realistic view of the process of recovery. I love the supportive family aspect and it’s so whatever the opposite of toxic is. The funny it’s bits and quirks and inside jokes amongst friends, family, and lovers- absolutely endearing.
Overall, if you’re looking for something to make you feel better about life while still offering insight and introspection- this story is perfect. It could be one of the better Hallmark Holiday movies- hope they get their hands on it! Thank you, Kate Minty, for helping me realize I need breaths of fresh air like this in my TBR list!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2025
Cute Thanksgiving cozy read. 3.75⭐
Natalie and her family are a little EXTRA about Thanksgiving get togethers, and so when her life is spiraling out of control, she doesn't want to lose face and pours all of her energy into faking normalcy and creating a perfect Thanksgiving for her massive family.
Brian gets roped into helping the downtrodden Natalie by his grandmother, and while they are initially indifferent/mildly antagonistic to each other, they soon become kind of friends.
The shift to being interested in each other happens a little suddenly -but I liked how they took time to date and get to know each other.
I also like how Natalie doesn't just 'get over it's to move the plot along faster. She gets done, gets up, gets upset, gets on with life, has a setback, and does her best.
I liked how Natalie was a competent person at work, and kept her head and showed her new boss that she was an asset. She also was careful not to take advantage of Lisa and her help, which I found refreshing.
The major thing that annoyed me:
The big lead up to her family was great, but then the end was rather abrupt. Suddenly it was Thanksgiving and we get almost nothing about the day itself and the family fun. We get a short but meaningful 'I'm not quite ready", and then the next page is a suuuuuper short epilogue at Christmas time (less than a month later?) showing them agree to officially together status.
An extra few pages would have been better.
Natalie and her family are a little EXTRA about Thanksgiving get togethers, and so when her life is spiraling out of control, she doesn't want to lose face and pours all of her energy into faking normalcy and creating a perfect Thanksgiving for her massive family.
Brian gets roped into helping the downtrodden Natalie by his grandmother, and while they are initially indifferent/mildly antagonistic to each other, they soon become kind of friends.
The shift to being interested in each other happens a little suddenly -but I liked how they took time to date and get to know each other.
I also like how Natalie doesn't just 'get over it's to move the plot along faster. She gets done, gets up, gets upset, gets on with life, has a setback, and does her best.
I liked how Natalie was a competent person at work, and kept her head and showed her new boss that she was an asset. She also was careful not to take advantage of Lisa and her help, which I found refreshing.
The major thing that annoyed me:
The big lead up to her family was great, but then the end was rather abrupt. Suddenly it was Thanksgiving and we get almost nothing about the day itself and the family fun. We get a short but meaningful 'I'm not quite ready", and then the next page is a suuuuuper short epilogue at Christmas time (less than a month later?) showing them agree to officially together status.
An extra few pages would have been better.
November 23, 2024
I am so glad I read this story in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. The atmosphere was absolutely spot on. We follow Natalie, a woman who thinks her life is going according to plan, but gets an abrupt rude awakening when her plan to move to another state to live with her boyfriend goes spectacularly up in flames. Now she is starting over from scratch in a brand new town. Thankfully Natalie has an adoring great aunt to support her. Natalie does her best to act like she landed on her feet, in spite of the emotional turmoil and mounting stress of planning a large Thanksgiving family gathering. The story is filled with many intimate glimpses at the holiday traditions of Natalie's family. These traditions are what define the holiday and add such a cozy touch. The traditions described gave me a strong feeling of nostalgia for the Thanksgivings of my childhood but also gives me a lot of creative fuel to make my own family's Thanksgiving more special. I enjoyed the slow romance between Natalie and Brian. Their initial conversations felt a bit cringe but it grew to be a hallmark of their relationship and endearing in its own way. Finally, Natalie's conflict with an adversarial family member, Jenny, resolved in the way I hoped it would, giving me all around warm, fuzzy feelings by the end of the book.
December 5, 2024
3.75 stars
This is mostly a sweet romance but does have a consummated love scene - tastefully done. There are a few instances of mild language. I'm stating these things upfront for those who care.
I loved Natalie's relationship with her great aunt Lindy, and loved Lindy's good friend, Charlotte. I also loved Lisa, Natalie's assistant/ work friend. Natalie and Brian (Charlotte's grandson) start as sort-of enemies, only because she's embarrassed and believes he's resentful that Charlotte is putting him on the spot to help her. There is some nice banter as they come to know each other and develop an attraction, and there were some touching moments.
What knocked down the rating for me was not feeling grounded in the location - the city and state. Even a fictional city in a state. I kept going back to the beginning chapters thinking that I had missed the information, but if it's there, I never found it. In film and TV, there is the "establishing shot" to orient the viewer. I floundered without knowing where I was.
Ms. Minty has a clear love of Thanksgiving which made the book perfect for this time of year! I'll be interested to hear about her next book.
This is mostly a sweet romance but does have a consummated love scene - tastefully done. There are a few instances of mild language. I'm stating these things upfront for those who care.
I loved Natalie's relationship with her great aunt Lindy, and loved Lindy's good friend, Charlotte. I also loved Lisa, Natalie's assistant/ work friend. Natalie and Brian (Charlotte's grandson) start as sort-of enemies, only because she's embarrassed and believes he's resentful that Charlotte is putting him on the spot to help her. There is some nice banter as they come to know each other and develop an attraction, and there were some touching moments.
What knocked down the rating for me was not feeling grounded in the location - the city and state. Even a fictional city in a state. I kept going back to the beginning chapters thinking that I had missed the information, but if it's there, I never found it. In film and TV, there is the "establishing shot" to orient the viewer. I floundered without knowing where I was.
Ms. Minty has a clear love of Thanksgiving which made the book perfect for this time of year! I'll be interested to hear about her next book.
October 26, 2024
Omg this was the perfect fall book from the front cover all the way thought the book. The way I fell in love with characters and was laughing along with them like they were real people honestly blows my mind. I started watching Gilmore Girls for the first time this year and this book absolutely gives me the same cozy vibes. The first chapter I was feeling so bad for Natalie and her sucky situation but I knew she could turn it around. She was a girl on a mission. She planned to make the best of her situation and plan the perfect thanksgiving for her family. There was definitely some bumps in the road but she got so much accomplished. I loved Natalie and Brian’s relationship. The way it changed so much had me laughing. Lindy and charlotte were so sweet I hope I’m just like them when I get old lol. Such an amazing book that gave the perfect amount of comedy, romance, real characters and fall vibes. I will definitely recommend this one to all of my friends.
October 21, 2025
I had to DNF this book at 22% as it wasn't believable. Natalie moves across the country to move in with her boyfriend and upon landing discovers he is married. Trying to recover from her heartbreak she is reminded she is supposed to be hosting the family Thanksgiving. She meets her Aunts, best friend's grandson, who is grumpy and not thrilled that his aunt has volunteered him to let Natalie rent an apartment in a building he is renovating. These two have not gotten along, there have been no thoughts that either one finds the other attractive, or any indication at all that either of them are even thinking romance and out of the blue she trips hauling items to her apartment, right into his arms and they kiss. What? Nothing led up to this and it seemed forced and out of place. At least give us some thoughts in their heads that they secretly like each other or have been secretly lusting for one another, but nope nothing. I wanted to love this and maybe I could have continued but why?
November 11, 2024
2.5 STARS: The beginning was great! Really enjoyed the plot and characters. The middle is when it started to go down for me. 1) It seemed like Natalie was dumb 2) The relationship between Natalie and Brian seemed forced - didn't really fit or seem like it would naturally work that way 3) The relationship romance was too much - more than a Harmark movie. I would have liked so but not to where you knew it would never be like that in real life. 4) Natalie saying "so" ALL the time started getting to me. By close to the end after said metldown, the story seemed to be enjoyable and not so forced or unrealistic.
September 4, 2025
This was a cute quick fall read. I loved Aunt Lindy and Charlotte more than I did Natalie the FMC. I loved the concept of the story, because most of us have pinned our hopes on a guy only to find out he was married the whole time. I liked Brian and how witty and also caring he was. The 3rd person storytelling was a little harder to get into, I normally don’t mind it, but feel like a dual POV would have been better. I also wish the author had put in a face to face meeting of Natalie and the married ex. She should have been able to greet him and his wife and at least say something, not just run away and no one know. Other than that it was a good cozy read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2025
My Review: This was such a cute fall contemporary rom-com. It was such a light lead, the plot was easy to follow and the pacing was great. I loved following Natalie through her Thanksgiving shenanigans. The main characters are a little older than my typical reads, but it didn’t bother me at all. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The romance was a nice little added touch with the grumpy x sunshine trope thrown in a little.
My Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️/5
Tropes: holiday romance, grumpy x sunshine, rom-com, forced proximity, opposites attract, enemies to lovers adjacent (strongly dislike to liking lol)
Triggers: mentions of cheating/adultery
My Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️/5
Tropes: holiday romance, grumpy x sunshine, rom-com, forced proximity, opposites attract, enemies to lovers adjacent (strongly dislike to liking lol)
Triggers: mentions of cheating/adultery
November 28, 2025
This book was so cute! It’s the perfect Thanksgiving book if you are ever looking for one around this time! Natalie is such a quirky FMC and after meeting Kate Minty, I low key thought I was reading a book about her and it made me love this book even more! She is seriously a gem!
Lindy and Charlotte are what I hope me and my best friend act like when we get older! They are spicy and I loved them! Brian and Natalie were so stinking funny together “Listen, in order to understand the motives of a killer, you have to get inside their brain.” That whole scene sent me, I was laughing so hard and I’ll never not be able to look down at my feet when I answer the door for someone ha ha!!
Lindy and Charlotte are what I hope me and my best friend act like when we get older! They are spicy and I loved them! Brian and Natalie were so stinking funny together “Listen, in order to understand the motives of a killer, you have to get inside their brain.” That whole scene sent me, I was laughing so hard and I’ll never not be able to look down at my feet when I answer the door for someone ha ha!!
November 4, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed Pumpkin Spice Meltdown. I think we’ve all been in a similar situation and ended up in the fetal position on the floor. The main character is quirky, hilarious and I want to be her when I grow up. I love the Grand Dearies. Everyone needs a pair of loving, understanding, shopping extraordinaire 80 year old. The story is great and kept me interested and wanting to come back for more. The only thing I can think of to improve it would be to have a sequel or a spinoff. So get working on it, Kate. 😀
October 9, 2024
This book was everything I wanted from a cozy fall romance. It was sweet, sentimental, and just the right amount of funny. The characters felt like real people; the dialogue was clever; Natalie's breakdowns were completely relatable. Natalie and Brian's story was everything I hoped it would be.
While romantic comedies have never been my genre of choice, I'm glad I can say I read Kate Minty's first book the day it came out - and I can't wait to read her next one.
While romantic comedies have never been my genre of choice, I'm glad I can say I read Kate Minty's first book the day it came out - and I can't wait to read her next one.
November 21, 2024
Yes, if you’re in the mood for a thanksgiving themed romance.
No, if you want more than a closed door coupling.
This one wasn’t for me. Neither of the characters were likeable. Brian is so rude to Natalie. He either calls her dumb or stupid at least 3 times. There’s this huge build up to Natalie’s over the top Thanksgiving event and we finally get to the day, and get just the highlights. No scence, just Natalie later recalling it.
No, if you want more than a closed door coupling.
This one wasn’t for me. Neither of the characters were likeable. Brian is so rude to Natalie. He either calls her dumb or stupid at least 3 times. There’s this huge build up to Natalie’s over the top Thanksgiving event and we finally get to the day, and get just the highlights. No scence, just Natalie later recalling it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews