The Cosy Croissant Café follows the classic enemies-to-lovers trope with Betty and Miles at the heart of the story, told entirely from Betty’s perspective. After losing her home to developers, Betty moves into her sister’s cottage—with her trusty pony Pumpkin in tow—only to discover it’s already been promised to someone else: Miles, her sister’s husband’s best friend and someone she’s been harboring a serious grudge against since her sister’s wedding.

Betty is dealing with an event in her past that clearly affects how she interacts with the world—and with Miles, who ends up taking the brunt of her emotional defenses. While the premise had great potential for sparks to fly, I found that the chemistry between the two fell flat. The dry humor between them was fun at times, but their eventual connection felt more abrupt than believable. One moment they’re arguing, the next they’re kissing, and I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing in between.

Betty is quirky and bold, while Miles is buttoned-up and goal-focused—great ingredients for a dynamic pairing, but for me, the slow burn was too slow, and when things finally did heat up, it felt sudden and a little unearned. Honestly, I spent most of the book feeling more sympathy for Miles than for Betty.

I also struggled a bit with the supporting cast. There are clearly returning characters from previous books, and while I’m sure longtime fans will enjoy seeing them again, I found myself confused by who was who and what business they were tied to. Nicknames like “the mermaids” weren’t really explained, which left me feeling a little out of the loop.

All in all, this was a cozy, easy read with charming touches and light humor—but if you’re picking it up for a swoony romance, you might find it a bit underwhelming.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher, One More Chapter, for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.