Coffee People

by Ashley Claire

Sarah’s small town coffee shop, Daisy Ridge Coffee Co, is more than just her business- it’s her heart and soul. A place where flowers decorate every table and the customers are just as unique as the drinks she crafts. As a self-proclaimed introvert, Sarah takes pleasure in the simple a good book, cuddling with her cat Trixie, and watching classic rom-com movies.

But when the equivalent of a human americano walks into her shop, Sarah finds herself intrigued by him. That is, until she learns that Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome is actually the one in charge of building a major coffee chain right down the road from hers. Sarah refuses to let something she built from the ground up be destroyed by a soulless coffee conglomerate. Even if it means sacrificing her heart to do it.

Ethan never wanted this life. Taking over his late father’s construction business was a duty, not a dream. Ethan’s only goal is to keep it afloat until one of his younger brothers can assume the mantle as head of the company. His latest project? A coffee chain set to open in Daisy Ridge.

He’s ready to get in, get out, and move on– until he meets Sarah, the gorgeous woman who has the unfortunate job of owning a competing coffee shop. Ethan’s drawn to her, but when their meet-cute takes an unexpected turn, Ethan realizes that she might just be the spark his life was missing. And he’ll do whatever it takes—including pretending to be someone else—to get her back.

Genres: Romance

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2025

About the author

Ashley Claire is a cliché millennial Disney adult and hardcore Swiftie. Residing in hell.. Oops, I mean sunny Arizona, she is the mother of two amazing kids and married to her best friend. She has always been an avid reader with a passion for books. Ashley started her journey teaching high school and eventually moved on to be an editor and content writer for many years before deciding to drop everything and risk it all by writing her own stories and novels.
Ashley enjoys coffee, nerds gummy clusters, and pickles. She loves planning and hosting book clubs, and hopes everyone finds a group of bookish friends to share life with. The more book clubs in the world—- the merrier!

Follow along for updates on what Ashley has planned next!
Instagram: @ashleyclairebooks
Facebook: ashleyclairebooks
Website: www.ashleyclairebooks.com

Reviews

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC READER ✨✨

Brew yourself a cup, because Coffee People is about to caffeinate your soul—coming May 13th!! ☕️✨

I’m giving this book a steamy, creamy, frothy 5/5 (with a caramel drizzle on top)!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve dipped my toes into a few indie romances before, but this one hit different—it made me laugh-snort, happy cry, and clutch my chest like I’d just seen a dog in a tiny sweater 🐶🧣

Sarah, the FMC, felt like my long-lost bestie 💁‍♀️, and don’t even get me started on Ethan—sir, your bed chemistry (cue Sabrina Carpenter’s “bed chem” playing softly in the background) was smooth, sweet, and just the right amount of spicy 🔥. It was tender! It was swoony! It was “DM the author in all caps” GOOD. 🥵💌

The slow burn?? Chef’s kiss. 👨‍🍳💋 Instead of diving headfirst into insta-love territory, Sarah and Ethan actually got to know each other—like, friends first?? In this economy?? It was so refreshing and made the romance all the more satisfying 🥰.

And CAROL. Oh, CAROL. My leopard-print-wearing queen 🐆. She is my spirit animal and I will defend her with my life. If you don’t fall in love with Carol, I will assume you are a black coffee, one sugar with no soul. ☕️

Huge congrats to Ashley—this book was like a cozy café hug with just enough sass and spice to keep me buzzing ⚡️. Pre-order it, scream about it, tattoo the release date on your planner (or forehead)—Coffee People is the indie romance we’ve been waiting for!! 📚❤️

[Jenessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and swoony, this perfect small town coffee centered romance will have you kicking your feet, laughing as you read, and tearing up at the utter romance of it all.

Sarah runs the coffee shop in her small town, and she loves it. She's a homebody who loves the quiet life that comes with living in Daisy Ridge. But it all gets messed up when her sister, Jess, forces her to go on a double date and she meets Ethan.

I don't want to give anything else away, but if your a Gilmore girlie, a bookish nerd, someone who prefers the finer things in life like lattes and literature, then you'll love this one 😍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

[Cassidy | weloveamagicalread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book feels like watching the best rom-com. If you love Taylor Swift, cats, coffee, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, or You’ve Got Mail, you will fall head over heels for this story. I truly cannot put into words how happy this book makes me. You’ll just have to read it to find out for yourself. ✨

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do I tend to like low-stakes romance books? No. Did I eat this up? Yes.

I was able to alpha read this and had SO much fun with Ethan and Sarah! Sarah is a little naive and judgmental at first but I love her growth throughout the story! Ethan is just perfect so no notes there.

This is a really cute small town rom com with pop culture references (not too many, don't worry), lots of coffee, and quirky side characters that you will fall in love with! Carol is amazing and you will also be obsessed with her.

Sarah and Ethan's relationship is so cute - I loved the secret identity and emails. And when Sarah realized who he was *woof!* I also love a good fck it moment and it's even better because it's her not him ;)

If you're looking for a cozy romance definitely add this one to your list right now!

[ashley_hockeymomsreview · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think Gilmore Girls and Hallmark! A small town, locally-owned coffee shop that has a big, bad Starbucks being built! Memorable characters (LOVE Carol and her unique, spunky, animal print-wearing self) and a ssslllooowww burn with just enough payoff. Ashley teases more books and how all of the characters are related to this first story, and honestly, put me down for a preorder! Nice, easy read with plenty of 90’s and 2000’s references to keep me happy! Throwing in “10 Things I Hate About You” at the end… perfection. Great first book, Ashley! Congratulations!

[Haley Corbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coffee People gets released May 13th, and you don’t want to miss this one!

I’ve been anticipating this book for months now. It was 100% worth the wait. I finished it in about 24 hours, because I couldn’t put it down.

First and foremost, everyone needs a Carol in their life. End of story.

Second, Ethan may actually be the male version of me. From the ever changing coffee orders, and having no idea what he wants to do with his life. His situation is SO relatable.

You can expect:
-Slow Burn
-You’ve Got Mail inspired (who doesn’t love that movie?!)
-Small Town
-He falls first
-Forced Proximity

I loved everything about this book, and I’m looking forward to reading about Jess in Flower People, next!

[Megan Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite comfort read! I relate so much to Sarah that I am 100% sure we would be fast friends in real life. This was such a fun read - made me laugh, squeal in delight and feel all the feels!! I can’t wait to read more from Ashley!

[Torre Smilko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this at a cute bookstore in Arizona. Saw this was a local author and I enjoy supporting local authors. Cute and whimsical story around a coffee shop. Good filler

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing book! I loved every second of it! I can’t wait to read Flower People!

[Luan Topham-Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, highly recommend and can’t wait to read the next one 😊

[Alexis Beckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a fun, cute read!! i loved every second of it

[Madeleine Berges · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up!

This was a sweet book! It is a spicy hallmark/Gilmore
girls type book! It was such an easy quick read that one can get lost in Daisy Ridge for a few hours!

Sarah + Ethan both have the cutest chapter headers I. The book!


Read this if you love
❤️coffee
❤️spicy hallmark
❤️Gilmore Girl town vibes
❤️instant attraction
❤️pop culture references
❤️small town coffee shops
❤️sisterly banter/relationships
❤️quick reads

Thank you to the author for an eARC of the book!

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! Not super memorable, but loved the You Got Mail parallels and small town romance :”)

[Amanda Abromovitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I think I have a massive crush on the girl whose life I’m currently destroying.”

This book was so adorable and so much fun! The pop culture references are SO good! It’s like a 90’s- 00’s girl dream romcom. The epitome of a cozy romance and it is full of the best beverage ever, coffee!! I swooned over Sarah and Ethan and couldn’t put it down. Sarah owns a small town coffee shop and Ethan is a working for a developer coming to town to build a Starbucks so you can only imagine how that goes over! The slow burn, rivals to lovers vibe just hit right and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this one!
I can’t wait for Flower people to find out more about Jess’s story!


*Small town
*You’ve got mail vibes
*Cinnamon roll MMC
*He falls first


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so sweet and fun! i can’t count how many times i laughed out loud while reading. i can imagine myself in a little coffee shop just like this! ethan is seriously the sweetest guy and i loved how hard he tried to catch Sarah’s eye! this book was seriously a feel good read and it’s just what my heart needed - lots of laugh, lots of love and lots of coffee.

[Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah is my spirit animal. Ethan is everything you want in a guy. And I just want to sit and have coffee with Carol. This story and these characters are so easy to fall in love with. Definitely give this one a read!

[AC_BadDecisionsBookClub]

This was a cute debut novel featuring coffee, pop culture references, small town vibes, and quirky side characters that will make you laugh! This was a sweet and cozy read that kept the vibes light and the coffee piping (or iced, whichever you prefer). Coffee People started out feeling like a P&P retelling with You've Got Mail and Gilmore Girls elements mixed with an early 2000s romcom movie with miscommunication, banter, annoying family members/friends, and instant attraction. I'm so happy I got to read this book early as an ARC! I absolutely love the formatting of this book with the adorable chapter headers, cute character art, and the coffee recipes placed at the end! Ashley's writing style is very straightforward and gives us good insight into her characters thoughts and actions while being easy to follow. There is a really cute and punny flower theme permeating this book, and I loved picking out all of the references and cackling when I found a new one! I laughed, I raged at characters, I giggled at dialogue, and I had a fantastic time whenever Carol was on page!

Carol is fabulous and who I want to be when I grow up! Ethan was such a cinnamon roll and so down bad (I know, I know, but it is the utter truth) for Sarah from the jump! I was very happy for him and proud of him when he finally stood up to her snap judgment of him! Sarah was smart and savvy and a much better sister than I would have been in her shoes 😂 And the spice when they finally consummate their love/hate was great! I do have to say that I despised Liam from the start, and he just kept getting worse, which was the point! 😂 I also really disliked Jess in every interaction, so the next book will be interesting to see how it develops her character and improves on her attitude and entitlement because I seriously wanted to scream almost every time she was on the page. Her entitlement and brattiness and Sarah condoning or letting her get away with it all drove me a bit bonkers.

On to the serious stuff. I think that there are definitely things that Ashley can and will improve on as she continues her author journey, between some phrasing, repetition, and a few minor plot issues and inconsistencies, and I can't wait to be here to see it happen! This was honestly a great start to what I think will be a good author backlog. I have faith in her storytelling ability and the protectiveness and utter attentiveness she gives to her characters and trying to develop them in a way that the reader can fully grasp and understand their motivations and actions and have it come across the way that she is intending! I am very excited to see what Ashley does next!

[jensbooknookclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

This was the cozy read I was looking for and i didn’t disappoint. It has all the small town vibes wrapped in a warm hug paired with a yummy drink from the local coffee shop. I liked the dynamics of the characters and how their backstories aligned so well even though their current paths are conflicting. I love the FMC energy and her feisty side, I can definitely relate!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Sarah owns and runs the only coffee shop in the small town of Daisy Ridge, she’s poured her heart and soul into it to make it a success. But she just found out the town approved for a Star$ to open in town. This is devastating news as this will put her out of business. To cheer her up her sister Jess insists she joins her on a blind date tonight.

The date is not going well, her and this Ethan couldn’t be any more different. He’s just not her type but after the movie at dinner and a few drinks Sarah starts to get a glimpse of him, maybe he’s not so bad after all. They actually are kind of hitting it off and have plans for another date.

Ethan made a big mistake! He had the chance to tell Sarah why he’s in town but he didn’t. He’s been nervous and having a hard time all night. Telling her he’s running the star$ project that will potentially put her out of business didn’t seem the way to win her over. And he wants to win her over as this may just be the girl of his dreams.

But gossip in small towns travel fast and before Ethan can tell Sarah why he’s in town, she finds out. Needless to say the second date didn’t go well it ended with her leaving him stranded at the star$ job-site.

Check this adorable story out to see how Ethan wins Sarah back and if they can save her coffee shop.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

Sarah: “Don’t you dare dream about me tonight, I still hate you!”

Ethan: “Having you in my dreams is better than not having you at all.”

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Enemies to Lovers
* She Owns a Coffee Shop
* He’s Running a Development Project in Town
* Setup on Blind Date by her Sister
* He Falls First & Hard
* You Got Mail Vibes- Scheme to Win Her Over
* Slow Burn w/ Mild Spice
* Small Town - Daisy Ridge

🌼☕️🧡🌼☕️🧡🌼☕️🧡🌼

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJyPEuixM...

[Barb Feinberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who usually lives in the fantasy genre, I wasn’t sure what to expect diving into Ashley Claire’s romance debut, but Coffee People absolutely won me over. This book is just so funny. I’m not someone who laughs out loud easily (even with movies), but Ashley’s humor is exactly my kind of humor.

The characters are well-rounded, unpredictable, and so much fun to follow. And I swear, her signature line needs to be “you take me so well”... I now want it in every Ashley Claire book forever. The playlist she made for the book adds such a fun, immersive touch to the reading experience. I had an absolute blast reading this one, and I can’t wait to get to know the rest of the characters better as this series continues.

[Anisha Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coffee People is the perfect blend of heart, humor, and caffeine — a romcom that had me hooked from the first page to the last. Set against the backdrop of a vibrant coffee culture, it introduces a cast of characters you can’t help but root for, especially Ethan. He’s charming, layered, and absolutely swoon-worthy — the kind of romantic lead that makes you smile long after the book is closed. Cozy, clever, and full of character, Coffee People is a must-read for romcom lovers and coffee enthusiasts alike.

Also Ashley… I had no idea you can write 🌶️🔥🌶️ like that! 👏🏻👏🏻

[Brooke Scudder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a perfect cozy read. I love how the story felt so genuine and relevant. It was such a perfect story that had me “kicking my feet” and it all just felt so relatable. I really loved all of the details put into this book and the themes that are connected throughout. I really look forward to reading the next one.

[Danielle Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the absolute pleasure of being an ARC reader for this book!

Love the banter between the characters, and the simplicity of this read that made it easy to come back to!

Excited to continue on to Flower People and see how the relationship of her sister continues on.

Was an excellent read and would definitely recommend to book clubs, or quick vacation readers!

[Cassandra J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for the ARC! I absolutely ADORED this book!

Get ready to snuggle up with this debut by Ashley Claire, with a you’ve got mail inspired story. Coffee people is the sweet love story I dream to live. Sarah has the 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 coffee shop, Ethan is the big bad corp guy… or is he?

[Tyler Hancsak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was so cute and cozy. Congrats Ashley on your debut!

The only think knocking it down from 5 stars was how our FMC reacted to the whole situation. I wanted her to be angrier, I wanted her to be SEETHING. This mega chain coffee shop would normally destroy a local business, and she got over the news very quickly in my opinion.

Overall, this was a great story and a total swoon worthy romance!

[Leslie Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book alone caught me, being such a Coffee Person. It is fun, the FMC is sassy, the coffee they are making makes me want to go brew up some goodies, the way they fall is chef's kiss. It is just cute and funny and spicy and GREAT! Loved this read so extremely much!

[Megan Pfaffenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book with great characters!! If you want a lighthearted read with a Hallmark vibe and a bit of spice, this is the book for you. I fell in love with the town of Daisy Ridge and the quirky characters that live there. I particularly loved the relationship between Sarah and her sister.

Can’t wait for the next book of this series!

[Megan Maes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The CUTEST! Had me laughing and swooning through almost the entire thing! Can’t wait for the next book in the series!

[Maddi Stallard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was realllly cute for me! It had just enough drama to keep me interested and I was rooting for the couple all the way through! Great summer read!!

[Savanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

So darling & so proud of Ashley for creating this beautiful world! It felt like nostalgia & a hug in a yummy cup & I only wish I had more time getting to know Ethan & Sarah. Such a sweet read!

[Jaime Limon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this meet cute so much! Easy very fun read! can't wait for book #2 in the series.