I'm absolutely smitten with Laurie Gilmore's "The Cinnamon Bun Book Store"! This charming romance set in Dream Harbor is a delightful treat that I devoured over a weekend.
Hazel and Noah's chemistry sizzles like fresh cinnamon buns as they embark on an intriguing scavenger hunt through their small town. Gilmore masterfully weaves mystery and romance, creating a cozy yet exciting atmosphere that keeps you turning pages.
The vibrant cast of supporting characters adds depth and humor to the story, making Dream Harbor feel like a place you'd love to visit. I particularly enjoyed the opposites-attract dynamic between the bookish Hazel and the adventurous Noah.
While the plot is engaging, it's the character development that truly shines. Watching Hazel and Noah's relationship blossom amidst the treasure hunt is both heartwarming and entertaining.
Overall, "The Cinnamon Bun Book Store" is a perfect blend of small-town charm, sweet romance, and light mystery. It's an ideal escape for readers looking for a cozy, feel-good story with just the right amount of spice. A solid 4.5/5 stars!

This whole series is so cute and fun. I love the fall and cozy vibes. I loved Noah and Hazel and how their relationship grew from the start. I loved the opposites attract trope. I can’t wait for the next installment in the series!

There's so much to love in this book!

First there's the fall aesthetic which the cover captures perfectly. Also the cozy small town bookstore vibes were definitely delivered. I loved the setting of Dream Harbor. It was so comforting to read.

Secondly, the characters were wonderful. I couldn't get enough of Noah and Hazel. Both felt so realistic and were so cute! I loved an opposites attract trope mixed with he falls first. It always promises a good time and fun dynamic between the characters. I related to Hazel the most since she is closer to me in personality. I totally understood her need for change/adventure and feeling like your life is in a monotonous rut. Noah is a dreamboat book boyfriend. I absolutely loved him! He does so many little things for Hazel and just wants to make her happy, how could I not fall for him?!? Impossible.

I liked the mystery of the book. I thought it was unique and clever. Plus it gave an excuse for our main characters to interact which is always a boon!

This book was delightfully charming! Perfect fall read!

You won’t want to miss book two in The Pumpkin Spiced Cafe (Dream Harbor) series! This book welcomes new characters and brings back the old ones we already fell in love with in book one. In this book we get to know Noah and Hazel better and follow them along in a scavenger hunt and possibly even a little romance. Reading this made me feel all warm and cozy inside, just like the first one in the series did. With a lot of chemistry and just enough mystery, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I can’t wait to finish this entire series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

These are such cute reads. I really enjoy that the couples end up talking about the issues at hand and it doesn't fully follow thw typical romance flow.
Plus the atmosphere you build and the town and it's people are fantastic!
I can't wait to read book 3!

Hazel is turning thirty years old this year, and she finds herself worrying that she wasted her 20s by not experiencing enough. However, during one of her shifts at the book store, she notices a book out of place, and when she goes to reshelve it, she notices that a sentence inside is highlighted. The sentence invites someone to go on an adventure, and Hazel takes it as a sign that she needs to go on that adventure and get out of her comfort zone. So she enlists the help of Noah, a fisherman in town who sometimes comes into the bookshop, to help her explore new things during the summer.

Such a perfect combination of coziness, fluff, and spice. I loved every second of this. Hazel is someone that I can relate to and it was so nice to see her character development throughout the story.

One comment that I have, is that this book is tagged as a mystery, but the mystery aspect is pretty small. It is mostly centered around them wondering who is leaving the notes in books with clues for Hazel. Definitely a cozy mystery, but do not go into this thinking that it will be a full fledged, hardcore, mystery novel.

Another comment is that I wish there was more about Hazel meeting Noah's family. The story does go into detail about Noah and his family, and there was a lot of build up, but towards the end it got a bit glossed over and put on the back burner. They also mentioned Hazel meeting his family, which would have been lovely to have in the story, but then it was left out.

This is the second book in this series, however, they are interconnected standalones so this book can be read and understood without reading the first book. I loved this one so much that I am adding the first one to my TBR, and at the end of this book, I saw an announcement for the next book in the series and I am very excited for that!

Thank you to Laurie Gilmore, Harper 360, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Okay, I’ll be real with you—this one took a minute to hook me, but once it did, I was all in!

Meet Hazel Kelly: just shy of 30, perfectly happy with her “boring” routine of work, sleep, eat, repeat. But as summer winds down, she finds herself craving a bit more excitement.

Cue Noah, the charming fishing tour owner with a not-so-secret crush on Hazel. One night at a friend’s house, Hazel decides to spice things up and asks Noah to help her solve a mystery—someone’s been leaving her clues in the romance section of the local bookstore! Naturally, Noah jumps at the chance to be her sidekick.

What follows is a whirlwind of emotions: Hazel slowly breaking out of her shell, Noah being his goofy, lovestruck self, and plenty of chemistry (like, way more than I expected!). There’s a perfect blend of sweet and spicy in this one.

Dream Harbor is where the magic happens, but will Hazel and Noah make the most of their chance at love?

This ARC hits shelves on September 3rd, 2024. Mark your calendars and get ready for a read you won’t want to put down (seriously, once it gets going, you’re hooked!).

This was amazing! I was hooked right from the beginning. I laughed, I cried and when I closed the book on the last page I was ready to dive in for more. When you can find characteristics that you related with within the characters the book becomes so much more personal. I am a harsh critic and I don't give out 5 star ratings to just any book. This book I will be picking back up again and again to submerge myself in the world that Hazel and Noah are in. I want to be eating blueberries and drinking wine and creating my own fun with a friend as well.

Such a cute read! I can confidently say that Hazel (fmc) and Noah (mmc) are now one of my favorite book couples!

I loved the bookstore setting of this book. I will say that this book takes place primarily in summer and definitely doesn't have the same cozy feeling as the first book in this series. However I did enjoy the fair, beach, and summer feeling of this one as well.

The mystery aspect of this book and the plot that drives Hazel and Noah together was enjoyable to follow and I loved taking guesses for myself. The family feeling is very strong and every character feels like a big hug.

I saw much of myself in Hazel and being able to relate to her interests and hobbies really helped me form a connection with her. Being able to witness her step out of her comfort zone and be spontaneous and rightfully selfish was so refreshing and almost inspiring.

Noah was so much fun and ughh everything. He did all he could to encourage and empower Hazel. The way he spoke and guided her was everything. I also loved the family drama he had and his complicated past.

Overall loved this and will be reading the rest of this series!!

This is a great transition from Summer to Fall vibes for reading. Hazel and Noah's love story is so sweet. I love how they bring out the best in each other and step outside of their comfort zones for one another without a second thought and without changing who they are. As a side note: I absolutely loved the touch of "who did this to you" that would make tiny appearances in Noah. I greatly appreciated the nonexistent theatrics (aka the typical drama of romance books) like a big secret or a breakup and make up scenario etc. The undercurrent of being honest with themselves about their feelings before being honest with each other was the perfect touch for their turbulence. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the Dream Harbor series! Thank you Harper 360, NetGalley, and Laurie Gilmore for the eARC!

"He was summer and she was fall. He was adventure and she was comfort. But right now, on the cusp between the two seasons, in this liminal space they’d carved out for themselves, they fit just right."

I absolutely fell in love with this book. I loved the first book, but this one has stolen my heart. Noah is a top-tier book boyfriend. Sexy fisherman, loves to read, knows her drink order!!
I found myself getting excited each time a new clue was found. These two brought out the best in each other.
I adore the whole town, it gives Gilmore Girls vibes and I love that. Can't wait to read the next Dream Harbor book.

Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

If you liked Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Gilmore Girls small-town vibes you will love The Cinnamon Bun Book Store. Hazel, a local bookseller, feels stuck in life. She always read about adventures but never had any of her own. As 30 approaches she decides she needs a change, Strange clues start popping up in books in her store, and Noah, who has been crushing on Hazel, takes the opportunity to spend the summer with her.

Hazel is a well-developed and relatable character. Noah is a well-written and endearing character. At first, he is made to seem like a carefree lothario until you learn more about him. As the book progresses both Hazel and Noah experience character development. Hazel and Noah have such amazing chemistry written well without sounding cringy or forced. Despite their different personalities and interests, neither stood a chance of resisting the other.

This book was a very low-angst enjoyable read. I do wish there was a little more to the mystery but it was still delightful. The lack of communication between Hazel and Noah sometimes bordered on frustrating but I was still rooting for them.

This one was so cute too! This still had all the cozy, autumnal vibes of the first one, which is what I've been after the last few days. These are so easy to read, and such comforting, mindless entertainment a la your favorite sit-com. I am finding I really enjoy the mystery element of these (even with the low stakes) way more than I thought I would so perhaps I need to dabble into more cozy mysteries? (Send cozy mystery recs my way if you have any 👀)I don't think I will ever think about this book again now that I have read it, so a 3🌟 rating feels correct, but I really did enjoy it while I was reading it, and if you want a cute, comforting, spicy romance/mystery for the fall season, I highly recommend giving this series a try!

Thank you so much to Harper 360 and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

A fabulously charming story that has all the vibes of the end of summer & all the coziness of the beginnings of fall in this small town romance.

Hazel & Noah are so easy to fall in love with in this book. Although they are complete opposites, they help one another discover a better sense of who they truly are & what they truly want. Their perspectives of themselves & each other changes for the better.

As they complete various activities from clues Hazel finds in books (who leaves the clues remains a mystery until the end!), their time together allows them to develop a strong friendship with each other; eventually their friendship turns into love.

There are a few misunderstandings. There is a lot ofspice. There is fun & the warmth of the summer. There is the the warmth & coziness of fall. And this is exactly Noah & Hazel - he is all summer & she is all fall. Together they are perfect for one another.

Gilmore delivers the happily ever after we all expect in this story & it makes for the best ending to the book. I love this series & am excited about the next book coming out soon!

Awww man! I really enjoyed the cozy vibes of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and was so excited I’d get to go back to Dream Harbor for book 2. The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore exceeded my expectations!

This book was really well written and had the perfect summer turning into fall vibes. I felt like the author is really growing into her writing style and finding a groove with her characters and the town.

Hazel was a super relatable and loveable FMC. I think we’ve all struggled with the feeling of “I’m about to be XYZ years old and I have nothing to show for it” and I loved her character development. The ways her family and friends supported her. Her relationship with Noah and how each of them grew from their time together was so sweet.

The romance? Sigh. So romantic, and the book lovers among us (so, basically everyone here) will adore this story.

I am affectionately calling this book the “perfect spicy Hallmark read” because it’s got all the cozy feel good vibes of a Hallmark story.. with spice. We love to see it!

All of the appearances by the characters we came to love in The Pumpkin Spice Cafe were totally organic and never felt forced into the story just for the sake of it. Every time any of Hazel’s friends appeared I was so happy to see them, like I was greeting my own friends. I loved the little continuation of their stories and am so looking forward to reading more.

Dream Harbor is becoming a comfort series for me and I can’t wait to dive into book 3!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper360 for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I’m so grateful that I was chosen to get an early copy of this book because WOW, I couldn’t put this book down! The writing was phenomenal, and it’s honestly the epitome of fall and cozy vibes. Definitely add to your fall tbr list!

**Thank you SO much to NetGalley and publishers/Laurie Gilmore for letting me read your book ahead of time and allowing me to review it! It means the absolute WORLD to me! **

I loved this book so much. I’m not surprised I liked it though, I loved The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, and once I found out there was a sequel I preordered it so quickly. I am thankful to have been able to read this book before it is released. The story line immediately caught my eye when there was a mystery aspect to it. I enjoy a not scary mystery! Laurie Gilmore is a wonderful writer and captured my attention right away! I loved the amount of dialogue to monologue ratio; the perfect amount! This novel is written in 3rd person POV, and usually I’m not a fan of it but I really loved it. I was able to really feel what the characters were feeling at that moment in time. There was a decent amount of spice without it only being about the spicy scenes. And obviously I thought the plot was great.
This is the perfect end of summer read and will have you wishing you lived in Dream Harbor during the Fall!

Thank you to NetGalley and Laurie Gilmore for allowing me to read this ARC!

Ok- I’ll round it to 5 but it’s technically a 4.5
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I’ll be very honest- it’s a VIBE. A must for Pumpkin Spice Cafe readers.
Similar to the Pumpkin Spice Cafe, there were def things that I was sort of rolling my eyes at or pacing through. But despite that being the case, I was still very very happy to read it. (And will most def still purchase when it’s out)
If you have read Pumpkin Spice Cafe then this is a must tbh - having that background does make it waay better. It’s such a Fall builder and I’m here for it!

Don’t let the title of this book fool you, there was definitely some spice in here.

Hazel is almost 30 and starting to worry that her life may be too predictable. But when secret clues begin showing up in books at the book store she works at, she decides this is her opportunity to let loose and have some fun. And who better to join her than the town hottie, Noah.

The story was lighthearted and sweet and I loved the small town setting. Hazel and Noah both seemed pretty immature but somehow it worked with the story and kept with the lightheartedness of the book.

I liked that Noah seemed like a happy go lucky guy but ended up having some depth to him. And loved the juxtaposition between him and Hazel where she was the town sweetheart who never got into trouble and he was the bad boy.

The clues Noah left her were probably my favorite part of the book, so sweet and thoughtful and the perfect way for him to show her he cared.

Thank you for the ARC. I enjoy this series so much and it feels very much like Stars Hollow. This was a fun, spicy book.