4 star
Such a cute story setting and characters. I love that the book didn’t feel like it was trying too hard. Sometimes small town romances can just be over the top or end up feeling cheesy. I thought Hazel was relatable and Noah was a perfect book boyfriend.

I only took a star away for the simplistic writing style.

Otherwise, it is a perfect beach read or end of summer romance.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. This is the second book in the Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore and it is just as cozy and fun as the first one was. Highly recommend.

Oh the sweet transition from summer to fall-my favorite time of year. The feeling of endings and beginnings, coziness and less business and more time for reading books just like this.

Hazel is the reserved, quiet girl who runs the local bookstore. She’s weeks from turning 30 and realizes that she doesn’t want to spend the last but of her 20s doing the same old same old. Noah is the town social butterfly who has a crush on Hazel but doesn’t know how to tell her so when he learns of her plan to make the most of her last few weeks before her big birthday he decides to step in and help her, and of course she falls just as hard for him along the way. Along the journey Hazel finds mysterious dog eared pages in certain books in her store that she takes as clues towards nudging her further out of her comfort zone, but who would dare to vandalize precious books in order to do so? I loved that little mystery despite the damage to the books lol
This was a super quick and fluffy read with maximum steam and I loved the references to the Pumpkin Spice Cafe but this can totally be read as a stand-alone. I can’t wait til October for the next book in the series.

Read this if you like: small town cozy vibes, opposites attract, forced proximity or when he falls first.
Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

🤝 Friends to lovers
🏠 Small-town
💘 Reformed Rake

Hazel, small-town bookworm that she is, is turning 30 at the end of the summer. And with that comes a host of worries about whether she's played it too safe with her life. Noah's a new transplant in the town of Dream Harbor, and he's worried that he's played it too risky with his choices in life. The two spend the last 6 weeks of summer chasing clues left by a mystery person and growing closer with each adventure.

This book was a solid little rom-com, and perfect for reading at this time year! I liked it more than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, the first of the series. It felt like the character development was better in this one, and the grand gesture was *chefs kiss*. Plus, there's a running gag about Hazel's middle name that had me laughing every time. And there's cinnamon rolls, which are never a bad idea.

Verdict: Favorite book ever? No. But was it a fun filler for me? Absolutely.

This was one of those books that already started out good, but ended great. Hazel is a character that most girls can identify with. she’s insecure with herself and the things she hasn’t done and wants to change that. Noah is your dreamboat kind of sex on a stick if you know what I mean, character. I love him though he’s so much more and he shows that even in the cool kids can be insecure. Watching the two of them bring out the confidence in each other was just magical. This is such a fun series.

What a great second book to the series! I enjoyed The Pumpkin Spice Café, but wow, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store exceeded ALL my expectations. This is another cozy romance with fall vibes but the plot was so much better. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Hazel and her feelings towards turning 30 (I’ve was there last year) and Noah is just the sweetest. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them & am anxiously awaiting to read the Christmas Tree Farm!

I loved “The Pumpkin Spice Cafe”, so I was excited to find there was more to the series and I could continue to read about other “Dreamers” in the coziest small town!

Noah and Hazel’s story was a treat to read, it really brought to life the end of summer carefree vibes turning into something more serious and not fleeting.

This is a cute romance book, but the characters have a lot of depth and growth. It makes the book both and easy read, but a satisfying one!

The gangs all back for this second installment of the Dream Harbor series. I discovered this series recently when I thought I was getting into a Halloween cozy mystery. On that note, this is not a traditional G/PG-rated cozy mystery though. Way too much spice and is definitely a romcom, cozy mystery with quite a bit of steam! I just wanted to mention that for those that are more interested in the traditional kind of cozy mystery with just a “wee bit of steam” (as my GR friend, Srivalli would say ).

This installment focuses on another one of Dream Harbor’s residents and business owner, Hazel, who owns the bookstore that is next door to Jeanie’s café from the first installment. Hazel, whose 30th birthday is looming in the very near future, is feeling like her life is desperately missing something and time is running out for her to do something about it. She decides that she wants to spend the next two months of the summer and her 29th year just having fun. It’s then, while straightening up the bookstore, Hazel notices that someone has highlighted a sexy section of one of the books in the romance section. She immediately suspected it was probably one of the members of the smutty book club. Lol😂 That smutty book club and its lascivious members are funny and a good source of humor.

However, because of the mood that Hazel is in and the state of what she perceives as her boring life, Hazel feels like the passage was some kind of message to her when, on cue, in walks <s>stud puppy</s> local hottie fishing tour guide, Noah, who, by the way, has been secretly crushing on Hazel for a while. Noah is enlisted to help Hazel find out who is highlighting sexy passages in various steamy romance books and leaving them around the bookstore for Hazel to find. As to be expected, Noah ends up helping with a lot more than finding out who’s marking up Hazel’s books. Hazel is determined to have a “friends with benefits” fling (something she has never had with any of the men she has slept with) and then there is the age difference that makes her uncomfortable. Good grief!!! The man is only five years younger, that is not a big deal and if the roles were reversed, no one would think anything a man being five years older. Anyway, of course, Noah is all in for a fling with a townie, since he is infamous for only sleeping with tourists since coming to Dream Harbor about a year earlier.

This was a cute and funny story that was a cozy and silly mystery as well as a hot and steamy romcom. The pacing and storyline were a perfect read for a lazy, Labor Day weekend. I liked how the same set of ensemble characters were all back for this installment. I also loved the quaint and friendly character of the small-town environment of Dream Harbor. Having relocated from my hometown of Los Angeles to a small town in NoCA earlier this year, I have often had the same feeling as I frequent the shops and businesses on Main St (about 6blks long) in the historic district of downtown Rio Vista, CA. While there isn’t a bookstore, there is a café that does make amazing cinnamon buns and while it’s a little early right now, I am told they do make pumpkin lattes. However, they don’t start doing them until the Fall Festival later this month (this place has a festival practically every month).

Anyway, I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.9 that I will be rounding up to a 4star rating. I want to thank NetGalley and Harper 360 for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #Harper360 #TheCinnamonBunBookStore

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it was so worth the wait! Some things to know if you've also been eagerly anticipating The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore:

1. I think a lot of readers were expecting this to be a fall read- it's more of an end of summer read, but still perfect for reading this time of year!
2. You should read The Pumpkin Spice Cafe first- there's a lot of side characters who you'll want to know. If you read it a year ago, just read a brief recap, you'll be fine.
3. You definitely want to listen to the author's playlist while reading- it's perfect.

I adored this read and I'm absolutely in love with Hazel. As a responsible, but not always fun person, I resonated with her so much! I am also a sucker for books about books, so this being set in a bookstore that has weekly fresh cinnamon buns? Perfection. I was beyond delighted to jump back into Dream Harbor and Laurie Gilmore is officially an auto buy author for me!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC of The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, from HarperCollins 360 and NetGalley, the second book in Laurie Gilmore's Dream Harbor series. Having loved The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, I couldn’t wait to dive back into this charming small-town world.

In this installment, we follow Hazel, the delightful manager of the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore. As she nears her 30th birthday, Hazel starts receiving mysterious secret messages hidden in highlighted pages of romance novels. These messages are the catalyst for Hazel to confront the feeling that she missed out on her wild twenties. Determined to make up for lost time, she turns to Noah, the town’s gorgeous fisherman known for his adventurous spirit and good times.

The chemistry between Hazel and Noah is electric, making this a perfect opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers story. Noah, who’s had a crush on Hazel for ages, isn’t exactly known for commitment, while Hazel isn’t usually one for spontaneity. Watching these two navigate their growing attraction while embarking on little adventures—and solving the mystery of who’s behind the secret messages—was pure fun.

Laurie Gilmore definitely kicked up the steaminess in this book, and I was here for it! Hazel and Noah’s journey is both sweet and spicy, making for a satisfying read.

What a cute and fun book! I truly loved Noah and Hazel’s story! Plus, I love this little town so much! Reading this book was the perfect way to ring in Fall!

Oh. My. Goodness.

This book held my attention from start to finish - it was captivating. The mystery, the romance, the spice, the small town, everything was perfection! I think I liked this one even more than the first one in the series, such a great little story!!

I really enjoyed this slow simmer romance. As always, the characters are so enjoyable and almost seem like old friends. This was a unique and cute plot with clues leading Hazel and Noah on a summer adventure. But what starts out as a casual few weeks, ends up being a whole lot more. With lots of laughs, some lows and highs, the two find the confidence to believe in themselves and each other. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a charming story! I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the overall plotting and pace. I do feel that the book could have been a bit shorter - it seems there was some filler content. But other than that, I enjoyed it.

This book would’ve been 150 pages shorter had Noah and hazel just talked. About anything. And didn’t beat around the bush. I loved returning to Dream Harbor but. I hate the miscommunication troupe so much.

**Thank you NetGalley for the eArc!**

Laurie did it again! This heartfelt cozy novel has made me feel all the feels and helped me to deviate from my Romantasy genre frenzy.

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store follows another resident of Dream Harbor, the lovable Hazel. Hazel feels stuck in her boring life and wants a change of pace. When a mystery-filled scavenger hunt leads her to implore the help of the town hottie, sparks are bound to fly!

This is truly a cozy novel filled with personal discovery, adventure, and delicious cinnamon buns.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a cute, cozy, fall feel novel that will leave you with a smile and happy tears.

Gilmore girl coded book store romance. I love the town of dream harbor.

Age gap (5 yr) he's younger
Quarter life crisis
Book clues!

This was the most cozy read!

Hazel is about to turn 30, she realizes she has been stuck doing the same things in the same town with the same people for all of her adult life. When she discoveres mysterious messages left in books she recruits the help of Noah to follow the clues! Noah is the towns “playboy” fisherman, he doesn’t do commitment, but he’s been holding a torch for hazel so he happily agrees to help her.

This was such a sweet light hearted book, there was no angst, nothing triggering. A really fun opposites attract, friends to lovers, small town romance with a dollop of spice and a dash of mystery! I giggled and swooned on more than one occasion. The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is definitely a fall must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for this ARC! Another sweet small town romance that checks all the boxes. Hazel and Noah’s story is cute, and the glimpses of other familiar characters from Pumpkin Spice Cafe is well done. Hazel bringing “emergency books” to a party in case she gets bored? So relatable. Even though this book is mostly set in summer, it ends in fall so still counts as a fall read in my opinion. I will absolutely read the next one!

Thank you Harper 360 and NetGalley for allowing me to read this early.This was a very cozy and easy read.This book is #2 in the Dream Harbor series.