Thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC! While this had an interesting premise, I did unfortunately have to do a soft DNF on this story. I found myself unable to connect with the characters - would absolutely love to give this author another shot! This just may not have been the read for me.

This is far from a perfect book, but it sure was fun! I'm a sucker for a coffee shop romance, what can I say?

Was it messy? Yes! Was it toxic? Yes! Was I somehow still invested in Jordan and Noemie? Yes! I was engaged throughout the story (I read 90% of it in one sitting) and even though I couldn't get behind the characters' decisions a lot of the time, I needed to know how things panned out for them. Honestly, this book was more of a drama than a romance, but I wasn't mad about it. I appreciated the way the novel touched on themes of identity, trauma, and complicated family dynamics, in fact I wish the novel had spent more time dealing with these themes.

On a more critical level, the plot and characters felt undeveloped. While a variety of character flaws were exposed throughout the novel, there was very little growth (if at all) for either of the leads. Likewise, so many different plot elements were introduced and none of them felt fully fleshed out by the end, which lead to several plot holes. The prose also felt pretty clunky at the start and while it improved a bit as the novel went along (or perhaps I just got used to it) I think it could be refined a bit. It didn't flow and didn't feel natural a lot of the time and I found quite a few typos. I think it would have benefitted from another edit or two! I also didn't love the way the story leaned so heavily into stereotypes, particularly negative ones. It felt a bit reductive to me.

Overall I think the premise was great but the execution was lacking. As is, it's a fun time, but if you don't enjoy toxic relationships and buckets family drama, or can't put aside your inner editor, I'd recommend passing on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, which is why I’m rating it so highly. However, I do think the author could have maintained the overall themes without making Naomi such a jerk at the end. (Spoiler alert!)
That said, I really appreciated the variety of themes the book explored—family dynamics, trauma, identity, and more. The author handled these heavy topics with a subtlety that felt authentic and thoughtful.
As for the characters, I have to admit that Jordan came across as a bit daft at times. But by the end, I found myself rooting for her, even if her decisions were occasionally frustrating. You start to understand why she is the way she is, which adds more depth to her character.
And while Naomi did own up to her behavior, I still feel like her actions could have been handled differently. For instance, I think it would have made more sense if she had gone on that date with Felix in an effort to conform to family expectations—trying to force herself into a more "acceptable" identity—rather than how the situation actually played out.
Overall, though, this was a compelling, emotional read, and I appreciated the nuanced storytelling and relatable, if flawed, characters.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. This one is a 2.5 star read for me, as some parts were really great and engaging while others were tough to get through. To start, I really enjoyed that this book is super Canadian, complete with a glossary up front so you're really getting the history, context, and dialect. The mix of languages and slang were nicely done, so there were unique character voices and also a lot of depth there. I also would normally enjoy a messy queer friend group going through it, but this cast of characters just felt so unsupportive and sabotage-y and out to get each other that they had no redeeming qualities to show why they're close knit in the first place. This romance was also tough, as even though it's filled with some good ol yearning and tension with some forced proximity, it's also completely strung together with intentional lies and deception and betrayal (and zero communication!) - so it's hard to really root for anyone.

⭐️3.5⭐️ Rounding up! I want to thank NetGalley for this ARC! I will admit I was not the intended reader I just requested the ARC because the cover & title were cute! I did not fully get invested until I was 70% in & then I could not put it down! I enjoyed the complexity of the FMC’s and overall enjoyed the book!

P.S. When you read the book description and it says slow burn, believe it. It is indeed a SLOW BURN.

brief summary:
jordan works in a coffee shop and needs to hire a new worker after firing the last one. noémie used to be a regular and is from a rich family and one day she shows up and asks for a job as her dad has cut her off. jordan was instantly attracted to noémie but thought she was straight so thought nothing could happen. when jordan's roommate moves out, jordan can no longer afford any decent apartments so noémie offers for her to move in.

this book was messy and had a lot of miscommunication which felt very unnecessary. i liked noémie for the most part but the secrets and everything just made it difficult. i wish there had been less back and forth as it felt like i was reading the same scene over and over again. but it was largely enjoyable and it was a quick read.

"French Pressed Love" by M.C. Hutson is a sapphic romance filled with drama, tension, and unexpected love. The story follows Jordan, a stressed coffee shop manager, and Noémie, a high-maintenance customer, who are forced into a shared living situation. Their slow-burn relationship is intense and messy, which some readers enjoy for its angst, while others find it frustrating. The book offers strong LGBTQ+ representation and pop-punk nostalgia but has a polarizing romance dynamic. Overall, it's a dramatic and fast-paced read that will appeal to those who enjoy emotionally charged love stories.

Overall, I loved this book, however, the slow burn was a little too slow for me and the ending was somewhat predictable. I would personally have preferred it if the build-up tied in more with the ending and was different to what I expected but nevertheless, I still really enjoyed and would love to read more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and MC Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. Sapphic representation? Check! BIPOC rep? Check! Cross class romance? Check! Hot butch barista with a motorbike and a bad reputation to cover up her trauma history reps? Check, check, check.

Sadly though I didn’t really like any of the characters. The friendships fell flat. I never saw any proof that the MC and LI actually liked each other, despite the MC telling me on a fairly regular basis. The character I liked best turned out to have been lying for almost the entirety of the book, and despite that there was still a neat and tidy ending.

It took 60% of book for me to want to know what was going to happen next and I only got that far because this is an ARC and I felt like I ought to finish it.

Still it’s a whole book, that the author has clearly put a lot into, and I feel like that should be celebrated.

This book was a difficult one for me to get into, and I really really wanted to love it. A coffee shop sapphic romance! I was very excited for this one and it started out well enough. I enjoyed meeting the characters at a moderate pace and feeling like I was actually getting to kind of know them. I was also a fan of the romance for most of the book right up until the last 25% or so of the book, and things happened that just kind of ruined it for me at least, I know other people have really enjoyed it and the writing is, in my opinion, well done. Just sadly not as much of a book for my tastes as I was hoping it would be.

I did receive an eARC of this from NetGalley but chose to leave this review on my own terms.

The drama, the tension, the banter. I loved it all. So well written and an excellent slow burn. I really enjoyed the coffee shop setting and liked seeing the roommate to lover dynamic play out. Such a quick read and definitely recommend.

I promised myself that in 2025 I would DNF any book I am not enjoying, no matter what. No excuses, life is too short to do anything you’re not loving. I wasn’t enjoying the dialogue and I felt like the character interactions were inauthentic. Thank you for the opportunity and I’m sorry it didn’t work out.

I picked this up because the cover is gorgeous, but that's where my enjoyment ended. The writing was rough, the story were hard to get through, and the characters were extremely toxic. I finished it, but it was a struggle. Definitely not for me.

This was not really my cup of tea (pun not intended). I originally sat down to read this for a cute lgbt romance, but some of the themes were triggering and I felt like the romance kind of became unhealthy further into the book. I didn't feel as connected to the characters anymore, and wasn't really as excited to sit down and read anymore. The writing style was easy to follow, but some wordings and references kind of threw me off.

Not my cup of tea, the style of the book was not for me but the love story was sweet nonetheless. I did love the nods to Toronto and that’s probably what brought my rating up! I do want to try reading other books from the author.

How could I describe this book? A rollercoaster of emotions, angst, and tension-filled romance that keeps you hooked. If you love messy, complicated love stories with characters who challenge each other in all the best (and worst) ways, this book is for you.

Jordan Alexander is stuck—financially, emotionally, and in a job that barely pays the bills. Enter Noémie St. Pierre, the ultimate nightmare customer whose privileged attitude rubs Jordan the wrong way. But when Noémie’s charmed life suddenly crumbles and forces her to get a real job, she and Jordan become unlikely roommates. What follows is a beautifully frustrating, slow-burning romance filled with misunderstandings, jealousy, and undeniable chemistry.

Jordan is guarded, independent, and wary of love, while Noémie is a spoiled rich girl learning what it means to struggle. Watching them challenge and slowly open up to each other is both painful and incredibly satisfying.

This isn’t your typical romance—Hutson doesn’t shy away from the messy, complicated nature of attraction, especially when it comes to exploring sexuality and self-discovery.

Just be warned—you might never look at your morning coffee the same way again.

After reading reviews and feedback for this book I do not believe it would be in my best interest to read it due to some themes present and therefore I can not leave a sufficient review.

People seem to either love or hate this. I gotta say I loved it up until we find out what Noémie did. I think this kind of betrayal shouldn't be forgiven and I felt really bad for Jordan when they inevitably got back together. Also I feel like Wayne is a shit friend and Jordan deserved better than him and Noémie. So even though this didn't really stick the landing for me I immensely enjoyed reading this book. I got super invested and couldn't put it down so huge probs to the writing. I think I'll check out the author's other work following this.

It was interesting to see two different lived experiences of unaccepting families. When perspective from an underprivileged family and the other perspective from a family of means. It's also pretty typical to have messy connections with exes and to be in community with them so I like that that was included. I did find myself annoyed with the characters constantly being referred to as broken or unlovable. I was also annoyed by the concept of the bet it doesn't really seem like it was necessary as a plot point.

Butch main, and that is the pov the story is told from. Although I have read many books with “butcher” mains, they tend to be chivalrous and providers rather than like this…… but at 30% in I’m not sure enough of this character to describe them, except to say I am interested in more. I didn’t like the sister, but we aren’t supposed to. To be honest, I didn’t like most of the secondary characters. It’s not that they weren’t well written, just not likeable.
It’s great to be exposed to different cultures, although I am glad the whole book wasn’t written in the style of the sisters dialect. It was understandable (and a glossary was provided!) but I had to focus.
I’m a bit torn by this novel. The story or conflict between the mains keeps the tension going. As I said the main is a bit more butch, (self identified as a pretty stud!) and of the style - “physical with someone you can have to forget someone you can’t” than I am used to reading. Not always likeable….. (The last 2 comments may be related,)
The physical scene didn’t work for me. That is purely personal taste. Again, not an issue with the writing, or me. I think that is where my issue with this book comes from. There were aspects of people’s behaviour I didn’t like, so didn’t enjoy reading that, but enjoyed the rest. It certainly felt like a fresh voice! 3.5.