🔎 Review Time!

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

Dream Harbor #2

@lauriegilmore_author
@onemorechapterhc

My Rating:
🌟 4/5

👀Read if you like
Opposites Attract
Small Town
Forced Proximity

When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just need someone to help her out.

Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!

Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…





🔎 My review
This was my second book by Laurie and I absolutely cannot wait for #3 to be released! This is such a cute followup book that still has the small town fall romance that will leave you wanting more. It has a decent amount of spice and how can you not fall in love with Hazel and Noah. I loved watching Hazel grow and catching glimpses of Jeanie and Logan. I would have given the book 5 🌟 if it had dual povs but regardless it is a good read and I highly recommend.

#books #bookreviews #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookstagram #bookobsessed #romance #romancebooks #lauriegilmore #onemorechapter #TheCinnamonBunBookStore #cozyreading #smalltownromance #NetGalley

Hazel works at a bookstore where one day she finds a misshelved romance book with a dog eared page and a line highlighted in it. When on her way to put it back in place, Noah arrived to stock up on more books but mostly to see Hazel. Noah suggests that it might be a scavenger hunt to having her best summer before she turns thirty. Together the two of them follow all the clues and fall in love.

Very cute, but I really hate the miscommunication. Also really frustrated with the friends in this book totally messing with the relationship aspect on purpose. I will say though that Noah is the absolute cutest and I’m obsessed.

Laurie Gilmore is the perfect writer to curl up and read with a blanket and a warm coffee. Cinnamon Bun Store is the second book in this series, and I loved it. The characters each push each other in way that makes both of them better and stronger. Highly recommended:

Honestly I liked this book soooo much better than the first! It was super cute and very easy to read as long as you are okay with 3rd person writing…..
Noah is a mysterious fisherman who definitely captures a lot of hearts. He’s definitely the type of guy to crack jokes to hide his secrets and insecurities.
Hazel is a sweetheart goody two shoes and a huge bookworm. I can definitely relate with her on feeling stuck in a rut with life and wanting to experience being reckless at least once in your life.
The thing that put this at 4 star instead of 5 was the major lack of communication between the love interests. Absolutely zero conversations about their feelings for each other. And unfortunately there was a bit of the miscommunication trope in this…
But I think the book ended pretty well with a small amount of drama of course.
I’m excited to read the next book as we got a glimpse of the new girl in town!

I read the Pumpkin Spice Cafe and really enjoyed it and could not wait to read The Cinnamon Bun Book Store! These are a great summer-to -fall transition series that are cute,spicy, and predictable like a Hallmark movie series, which I love!
Hazel runs the book store and will be 30 in a few months and has not had any "big adventures" in life until she finds some dog eared books that have highlighted content in them. She takes it as a sign to take the clues the person has left to start an adventure before her 30th birthday comes. She does not know who is "damaging" her books and enlists Noah to help her live the clues as an adventure before she turns 30. Hazel does not expect to fall in love with Noah, who does not do long term relationships, but has had his eye on Hazel for a long time, and quickly falls for him in each adventure and brings her out of her dull life.
This is such a heart warming story that I highly recommend! If you like small town, opposite attraction and spice, then this book/series is for you!
Thank you NetGalley, Laurie Gilmore, and Harper 360 for my advanced copy! I can not wait to read the third book, The Christmas Tree Farm in December to set off the "Christmassy" feeling!

While this book was cute, I didn’t love it as much as The Pumpkin Spice Café. One of the main reasons is the storyline—I’m just not a big fan of the friends-with-benefits trope, and this one leaned way more into the physical side of the relationship compared to the first book.

The story follows Hazel, who starts finding mysterious notes hidden in the books at her bookstore. She takes it as a sign to set off on a summer adventure, and Noah, a charming fisherman who avoids commitment and sticks to casual flings with tourists, joins her.

I did enjoy seeing Noah, usually carefree, get totally swept up in his feelings for Hazel—the girl he can’t stop thinking about. Hazel’s journey is about taking risks and trusting that good things happen when you step out of your comfort zone. I liked both of them as characters!

But what I really missed was the cozy, seasonal vibe that made The Pumpkin Spice Café such a favorite of mine. Despite The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore's cover suggesting otherwise, most of the story is set in the summer, which felt misleading. Without that cozy, seasonal feel, the romance ended up feeling more generic.

Great follow up to Pumpkin Spice Cafe. I got the same cozy vibes while still feeling like I’m reading a fun romance with a touch of spice. A perfect book for the fall!

This is a great fall read!!! It is a cute little fall reading. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a light cozy fall read!

**| received an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.**
This book has two main characters: hazel and Noah! As hazel works at the bookstore, she has a fun and comforting job for herself, but feel as though she is spinning her wheels in life. As she nears the big 30, she realized clues are left in books for her. She she also has Noah along for the ride!

This is the perfect fall read to cozy up with! I loved how this was written, bouncing back and forth from hazel to Noah! Such a fun way to portray these characters!

This book kept me engaged and wanting to read one more chapter!

Thank you to NetGalley and Laurie Gilmore for the ARC.

4.5 ⭐️

This book was so cute. It felt like an adult autumn inspired version of Dash & Lily. I loved the adventures that Hazel & Noah went on and the way they fell in love. Their banter had me laughing out loud quite literally.

Noah's budding excitement and enjoyment of books recommended by Hazel was so cute. The way Hazel trusted Noah and overcame her fears with him because he became her best friend and safe place was everything I needed.

Noah's family dynamic was so cute. His bond with his nieces, the acceptance from his father, his sisters betting on his return home when needed, and his mother's protectiveness was relatable. It gave a real look at family bonds and how forgiveness, acceptance, and love means so much.

Hazel's diverse family dynamic and the way her parents worked with their town and friends to make her life more adventurous and fun was adorable. I was so happy that Noah was not the one leaving her the clues but rather just someone falling head over heels for her and enjoying their adventures together.

The ending was my favorite! The way they both felt loved and gave their love to each other so unconditionally was inspired. To be 100% themselves and not need to fight to prove their worth to one another was chefs kiss.

There is no way to read this series and not be left with joy and happiness with the need for your own personal adventures and desire to find family, love, and friends like this.

I have been waiting for The Cinnamon Bun Book Store since last fall when I read Pumpkin Spice Cafe and fell in love with everything about Dream Harbor. I loved Hazel and Noah and was rooting for them since page 1. The plot about the “mystery” book clues was unique and I loved going on all the fun dates with them. (Ex, can we talk about the Ferris wheel kiss?! Swooning over here!) There aren’t many books that are set at the very end of summer/early fall and this was a perfect light read to kick off the fall season before it gets too cold. I can’t wait to read Laurie’s next book around Christmastime!

Loved this one as much as the pumpkin spice cafe. This is such a cozy fall read and great for anyone to read who enjoys cozy fall romance.

✨i received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review✨
Okay i really went back and forth on what to rate this. I did enjoy it more than the first book, i thought it was written a lot better, the characters were more fleshed out, and the story was more cohesive. To me, this book is a solid 3.6, which made it hard to pick if i wanted to put it at 3 stars or 4 and i ultimately decided 4.
I really enjoyed the arc Noah goes through, how he goes from happy idiot that doesn’t really like himself to successful businessman, yet he doesn’t ever lose that cheerfulness that you really enjoy in the beginning.
I saw a lot of myself in Hazel and so I think that’s another reason i liked this one more, because i could actually see myself in one of the main characters. She’s feeling as though she’s stuck in her hometown, not very adventurous, and kind of like she doesn’t fit anywhere. And then Noah comes in and changes how she feels not only about herself, but also about the town she lives in.
Do i think it’s necessary for a man to be the one to make the woman to realize she’s smart and fun and sexy? No, but honestly i get it. It’s hard for a lot of women who have just bad or boring experiences to not feel like they’re fun and sexy and yeah the help of a hot man will do that.
This was cute and fun and I liked it much more than the original. (Still waiting on Mac and Annie’s book though)

I loved this book! I feel like it was better paced than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe. I also enjoyed the romance side of it more. I feel like it got more in depth on the characters relationship. I’ve recommended this book to friends. Fantastic fall read!

I am a bit of a seasonal reader so when I saw the adorable fall vibes here I had to read it! Luckily the interior is equally adorable. I loved watching Hazel explore and try new things with Noah. It was fun to see how much he admired her and see the way she was him in return.

I also loved exploring Dream Harbor with the characters! The small town vibes here are excellent and I'm really excited to read about the Christmas tree farm next! If you want a cozy fall read this is perfect!

This sweet and cozy small-town romance is the perfect blend of opposites attract, he falls first, and a slightly older FMC. It is the perfect fall read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper360 for an E-ARC of the second book in the series. While the idea was super cute, I didn’t fall in LOVE with the story. It ended up taking me a while to finish and I found myself reaching for other books to start and finish before coming back to this. I did love the idea of the book scavenger hunt and loved that we got to see Noah work on growing up. I liked that the other characters in the first book made another appearance in this book.
🌟 🌟 🌟 Overall

I absolutely loved this book. It was a quick, fun read. The scavenger hunt and characters were cute and relatable. I also like that there is a little bit of a reverse age gap. The setting is also fun and cozy. I really relate to the main character as someone who is very much a homebody and would rather stay in and read a book than be out and about.

What a fun, autumnal read!

Revisit Dream Harbor with Hazel and Noah. Opposites attract with the quiet bookworm and outgoing fisherman.

It was so cute! It gave me all the fall feels and I loved getting to know these characters. It was very quick and easy to get through and I think I read the entire book in 2 sittings. If you want a fluffy fall romance - this is your book!

I did take one star away because I wanted a bit more spice TBH. I was told it was going to be super spicy and I didn't read it that way. It was much more a cute rom-com. There is spice, however!

Thank you Laurie Gilmore for this eARC.
If you fell in love with the Pumpkin Spice Cafe, you will love reading Hazel and Noah's story.
*opposites attract
*small town
*he falls first

When bookstore manager, Hazel wants to set out of her comfort zone and follow the clues in her books, fisherman player Noah is more than willing to step up and help. I loved reading about Hazel and Noah's adventures throughout this story. The boat scene (swoon!!). I would have liked more character development with the secondary characters such as Hazel and Noah's families.
Overall, cozy read that is perfect for the transition from summer to fall.
3.5/5 stars