A review by kbonvie
Peter Pumpkined Out by Kacie West

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved this story.  It was a fun take on the old story of Peter Pumpkin Eater  merged with the loose idea of the TV show “Undercover Boss.”  It was a great way for the main characters to meet.  For the main male character to get a dose of reality and grow from his lack of inexperience.  It’s also a great fall read and since it’s only 162 pages it’s not overwritten.

I loved the MMC Peter Caruso.  He is what I think of as a typical CEO that has no idea what the minions did below him that make the company successful and run the way it does.  He is the CEO of the family business that grew to the largest IPA brewery on the East Coast.  However, Peter went to school and became the CEO without having to work his way up.  I loved the hard lessons he learned when Peter was challenged by one of his truck drivers.  It’s always refreshing to see someone at the top of a company eat crow.  Peter indeed needed the dope slap of reality.  And a beautiful snarky bartender gave him that.

This book actually has one of the best “meet cute.”  When Peter meets Cara she has no idea who he is and she just gives him all the snark calling him out for being late and criticizing the CEO. I loved Cara. She was a strong, smart, independent female bartender working to put herself through law school.  She didn’t hold back her thoughts when it came to the CEO and that made Peter want to change as a person and as a CEO.  

I loved the character development with both Peter and Cara because it is her opinion of him and the way he runs the company that makes Peter want to change. It’s Peter pushing Cara to take the internship at the brewery that helps Cara grow as well.  The more time they spent together the harder they fell for each other.  This book was just so good.  It gave me the feels I was hoping for.