Review: Espressologist by Kristina Springer

What can be better on a cold, wintry day than a warm "cuppa" something glorious. I'll admit to being a little crazy about spiced cider and wassail. In fact, when I first started graduate school in Northern Idaho before heading off to grad school full time, I had monies awarded me that could only be spent in campus "food courts," and developed a pretty nasty habit of a caramel apple cider each day from Seattle's Best. I have some variations that don't cost me as much money (or calories), but I sometimes can't resist nipping into a local Starbucks for a lovely cinnamony-goodness filled cup.

Having said that, I couldn't resist reading this short book by Kristina Springer, when I saw it posted at the local library. The cover alone put a smile on my face, and felt like a perfect read for a snowy night.

Synopsis: Jane Turner is in high school, but working part time at her local coffee shop in her hometown of Chicago. In her job she sees the regular customers, with their specialty fraps, caps, and lattes. With mouth-watering descriptions of combinations and flavors I've rarely heard of, let alone tasted, Jane develops an even more delectable talent; Jane becomes a match-maker. Taking the drink combinations of her patrons, Jane quickly sums up the personalities and interests of the customer. From this, she begins pairing up love-lorn customers that she has grown to love, and finds that she has some pretty good success. As her boss gets wind of her talent, Jane becomes a local superstar. The interesting twist to this story is though, that Jane can somehow pair others, but can she see her own drink/combo pair?

Review: This was an extremely quick read; one that I picked up, and in a few, short hours had finished. Although this genre feels predictable, I thought this twist on a YA version of chicklit to be fun and quirky. Honestly, I cared about Jane and her friends, and wanted to see their successes and joy. With lovely descriptions of drinks that paired with equally funny descriptions of people, I can say that this was a fun read that I could easily recommend to anyone looking for a fun, quick read. For more information see: The Espressologist.

I've admitted my guilty pleasure drink on a cold night. What's your favorite?

*This review comes from a library copy of the book.