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A review by mspilesofpaper
Pumpkin Spice and Poltergeist by Ali K. Mulford, K. Elle Morrison
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Pumpkin Spice & Polstergeist is the autumnal/spooky equivalent of a Hallmark movie with a touch of Gilmore Girls.
Maple Hollow is a small town, reminiscent of Girlmore Girls' Star's Hollow, with paranormal citizens and a bunch of humans. Of course, all paranormal citizens do not hide and just use the town's theme Halloween/Fall, and the excuse of good costumes, as an explanation of why there's a pumpkin-headed monster walking around or why Frankenstein is the mayor. You have to ignore all logic to accept this and do not ask too many questions about it either or the entire explanation will fall apart.
The sapphic romance is pure instant love and instant lust for each other. There's no actual depth to it, just like there's no actual depth to the characters. They all fall neatly into some stereotypes, which fits the Hallmark movie vibe. (The lack of depth isn't limited to the side characters, it is ALL characters.) Jordyn is a white sapphic witch while Harlow is a white bisexual human. Jordyn's ex is also white. All mentioned characters are white as long as they are humanoid/humanoid-passing. The monsters are the exception as there's a green Frankenstein monster, the pumpkin-headed monster, and the swamp monster. If you are looking for a BIPOC character, you will be deeply disappointed.
Overall, it's a very fast-paced story (no wonder with barely over 200 pages) that is very predictable (especially the murder mystery). At times, it is noticeable that the book was written by two authors because the writing style is different enough and some chapters just feel like they don't connect well to each other. Yes, there are funny moments and if you are looking for a sapphic cosy romance that you can read in a few hours, you won't be disappointed, but it isn't something to write home about. It's just ... ok, hence the three stars.
Maple Hollow is a small town, reminiscent of Girlmore Girls' Star's Hollow, with paranormal citizens and a bunch of humans. Of course, all paranormal citizens do not hide and just use the town's theme Halloween/Fall, and the excuse of good costumes, as an explanation of why there's a pumpkin-headed monster walking around or why Frankenstein is the mayor. You have to ignore all logic to accept this and do not ask too many questions about it either or the entire explanation will fall apart.
The sapphic romance is pure instant love and instant lust for each other. There's no actual depth to it, just like there's no actual depth to the characters. They all fall neatly into some stereotypes, which fits the Hallmark movie vibe. (The lack of depth isn't limited to the side characters, it is ALL characters.) Jordyn is a white sapphic witch while Harlow is a white bisexual human. Jordyn's ex is also white. All mentioned characters are white as long as they are humanoid/humanoid-passing. The monsters are the exception as there's a green Frankenstein monster, the pumpkin-headed monster, and the swamp monster. If you are looking for a BIPOC character, you will be deeply disappointed.
Overall, it's a very fast-paced story (no wonder with barely over 200 pages) that is very predictable (especially the murder mystery). At times, it is noticeable that the book was written by two authors because the writing style is different enough and some chapters just feel like they don't connect well to each other. Yes, there are funny moments and if you are looking for a sapphic cosy romance that you can read in a few hours, you won't be disappointed, but it isn't something to write home about. It's just ... ok, hence the three stars.