I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Cappuccino Mugs and Fire Fighter Hugs by Katie O'Connor Series: The Coffee Loft Series
Published by Snarky Heart Press on February 21, 2024
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 218
Source: the author
Format: E-galley
My Rating:
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Blurb:
Drinda McKenzie is struggling to stay afloat. She’s just bought into in the famous Coffee Loft franchise. People in Cherry Lake are reluctant to take a risk on her shop and if they don’t start coming by, she’ll lose her life savings. Her favorite customer is a kindly matchmaker who thinks her grandson is the perfect man for Drinda. Too bad an outgoing guy like Ford would never be interested in a wall flower like her.
Ford Langhammer is busy enough as it is, but when his grandmother keeps thrusting the lovely Drinda into his life, he’s tempted to fall for her matchmaking schemes except he’s a little wary of women after his last disastrous relationship. When his boss assigns him to help with Cherry Lake’s Valentine’s Ball, he’s stuck in close proximity with Drinda. She’s entirely too quiet and shy for him. They’ve got nothing in common, but he can’t stop thinking about her.
Will the magic of Valentine’s Day join forces with an inveterate matchmaker and bring Ford and Drinda together, or will their difference over how to run the Valentine’s Ball make them died in the wool enemies forever?
My Review
I loved the idea of this series and have already read one last month, Wake Me Up Before You Cocoa, by an author I’d read before. This one was from a new author to me. I liked the idea behind the story, and the small town had a lot of cute characteristics and fun characters. But there was so much going on. I felt like there were a lot of things that came between the two and at times it seemed like the part in the synopsis about them them working together on the Valentine’s Ball was in the background.
Drinda’s store and what she’d done with her little part of the franchise was really unique and even though I don’t drink coffee, I think I’d have enjoyed visiting her store for the baked goods! There was a mention of how she had mugs on the wall that people could buy, but it was just talked about at the beginning a few small details and then we didn’t hear anymore about it. I’d have liked maybe for that to play into the story more? There were also some things that seemed just out of place or like they didn’t fit exactly at times.
And while I wanted to love the couple, I did love Drinda for sure, the fact that Ford wanted a stay-at-home wife and so wouldn’t consider any woman with a job? Yeah, I know these are sweet romances, but that’s just so old fashioned, and even if he did kind of come around in the end, those are the types of guys that most women I know would not be interested at all from the first moment the guy said that.
On that note, I think one couple we meet in the story is from a book that the author has set in this same small town, and I might like to go back and read it! So not a bad story overall, just wasn’t super perfect for me.
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The cover and title look so fun. And I like the concept of the series with the Coffee Loft franchise, I looked up the series and saw it’s a bunch of different authors writing in the same series. Too bad this one had a bit too much going on. Drinda sounds like a likable character, but that is bit odd Ford was specifically looking for a stay-at-home wide and wouldn’t consider any women with a job. That is fun the author has set another book in the same small town.
It’s a fun series, and this one had a lot of potential, just some things that did not work for me.
I love the coffee loft and concept of the series. Sounds like Ford needed to have some personal growth.
I mean, he did have a little by the end. But it was just because it was her I think, and to me it should be more than that.
Hmmm… based on your review, I don’t think this one is for me. I would be very frustrated with Ford and not find him worthy of an HEA. lol.
Yeah, it was only okay for me. But the story had a lot of potential, so I might give the author another try!