Thank you to the publisher, Harper 360 and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange. This book is now out for purchase! This is the second installment of the Dream Harbor series. If you're a fan of small town drama, romance, and hijinks this book is definitely for you! This one has more of a summery vibe than the first book in this series. I will say the first book was more of my vibe than this one. Anyone feeling the effects of a milestone birthday impending doom will appreciate this story!

I received this book as an ARC. This is the second book in the Dream Harbor series and was such a perfect summer to fall romance. Getting to see Hazel and Noah work through their personal insecurities while falling in love and learning to communicate really tugged on the heart strings. There was the perfect amount of cute moments to make you root for their love story to have a happy ending. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series once it’s released.

This sweet book is as easy to read as it is to breathe!

Hazel has always been responsible and as she’s on the cusp of turning 30 she decides she wants to be a bit more reckless and fun. As clues pop up through her bookstore, they lead her on an adventurous scavenger hunt, and she asks Noah, the gorgeous local fisherman to help her see them through.

I was hooked from the first 10 pages –– Hazel and Noah are both so dang likable! They quickly became more than friends and I enjoyed the spicy scenes and sweet vibes between them.

You’ll Like ‘The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore’ If You Enjoy:
- A little bit of mystery 🔍
- Small Town Romance
- Steamy scenes with consent 🔥
- Cute laughable moments
- Books with a Bookstore (duh!) 📚
- He Falls First 💫
- Miscommunication Trope
- LGBTQIA+ inclusion (softly woven into supporting characters)

The author shares this is a guaranteed HEA and without giving anything away, I will say that Noah’s grand gesture had me swooning! 🥹🥹🥹

A Few of My Favorite Quotes:
- ‘Trust me, okay? I’ll keep you safe. Promise.’ She tipped her face up to his. ‘I do trust you. There’s just a lot of ways this could go wrong.’ ‘Yeah, but think of all the ways it could go right.’
- Because what more did one need besides good friends, good books, and the occasional cinnamon bun?

PS – This is a great standalone book, so don’t hesitate to read it before the series prequel ‘The Pumpkin Spice Cafe’!

THANK YOU to Laurie Gilmore, NetGalley, and Harper 360 for the eARC copy in exchange for my review!

I am loving this series so far. so cozy with added spice. I love the mystery elements in this series. cannot wait for the next couple of books to come out!
definitely worth the hype I've been seeing all over social media

Dual POV, Spicy, Bookish FMC & MMC, He Falls First, Small Town, Opposites Attract

"She was allowed to be content. She was allowed to not want anything more than this."

Okay, this book absolutely took me by surprise. Not only does Laurie Gilmore deliver a perfect cozy, fall romance but the overall theme of this book is all about self acceptance and self love. Shedding expectations from society, friends, and family and just loving yourself the way you are. This book feels like having your favorite person handing you your favorite warm drink and placing a kiss on your forehead.

Cinnamon Bun Bookstore is the perfect combination of hallmark movie meets spicy romance. Laurie Gilmore creates the coziest and dreamiest small town you can imagine, Dream Harbor. As she approaches turning 30, Hazel is feeling stuck in her career and life and general. After a drunken kiss is a blueberry patch, Noah, the fun time fisherman agrees to teach her how to let loose and be a little reckless to help her feel less stuck in life. This was the perfect combination of sweetness with some spice and a book lovers dream! I mean, a scavenger hunt of clues left in books, the FMC managers a bookstore while her best friend owns the local bookstore down the street, what more could you want? As if Noah wasn’t swoonworthy enough, his relationship with his nieces and their friendship bracelets had me tearing up. This one has all the fall feels and has me so excited to head into cozy season!

Will be posting on Instagram in the next 1-2 weeks

This book was so stinkin cute, and the perfect summer-to-fall transition love story!

First off, the fact that this starts off in a bookstore and Hazel works there, I’m already in😅

I relate with Hazel so much, so this was such a cute read, with the mystery component thrown in! Noah is so sweet with her and reassuring of her when she feels uneasy about herself. He cares for her, all of who she is, and helps her gain confidence in herself.
And he also reads?! SWOON.

Definitely a small-town romance trope, which I am here for!! I love how through their little adventures, they get to know each other more and growing in their feelings for each other.
This was such a cute story from beginning to end, and I can’t wait to keep reading more books by Laurie Gilmore!

3.25 ⭐️

Cinnamon Bun cafe is a fun addition to the Dream Harbor series. Although I read Pumpkin Spice Cafe before this, it can absolutely be read as a standalone imo.

SO excited to have been approved for this ARC!
This is the perfect book to read as we are moving from summer to fall 🍂 For those that don’t know, this book is super spicy.

Overall, I enjoyed this one more than the Pumpkin Spice Cafe. I was rooting for Noah & Hazel, but at the same time the romance was a bit undeveloped. It was hard for me to feel connected to the characters.

I absolutely loved the setting of the story! Such a cute town— loved the bookshop that Hazel works in & the pumpkin spice cafe next door. That being said, I think the book could’ve played up the town setting a little bit more. I would’ve loved to spend more time in the bookstore setting, seeing more customers & maybe even venturing into the cafe more!

Overall a super cute fluffy romance! This was the second enstallment in the series and really enjoyed it! I thought it was the perfect cozy fall book to kick off the season and it put me in the best mood!! Hazel and Noah were perfect for one another<3

I AM HERE FOR #HANSOF!!!! This book was absolutely delicious. I had so much fun with Noah and Hazel, and the side characters. Five very enthusiastic stars!!!! Thank you for ARC!!!

I LOVED this!! When I saw there was a new book to read for Fall I was super excited. The characters are engaging and the slice is just the right amount. I’m probably going to reread both of the books again further into Fall. They are definite favorites for me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gift of this book.

I love the setting and vibe of this town, It is so cozy. I got hardcore Rory Gilmore and Jess vibes from the two main characters. The romance was a little bit too insta love for me but I understand the characters already know each other from living in the same town. I just wish there was a little more build up to them liking each other.

✨📚🥐 The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore 🥐📚✨

I would love to spend a Saturday morning eating pastries and browsing books at the Cinnamon Bun Book Store. It is truly every bookish gals dream stop.

If you are a fan of small town romances like the Bellinger Sister series by Tessa Bailey or the Lovelight Farms series by B.K. Borison, this is the series for you. Sweet friendships, spicy romances, and lots of small town drama mixed in—yes, please!

This book is a light read following the summer adventures of Hazel, a local bookstore manager who is two months from her 30th birthday and has found herself mid-crisis about how mild and uneventful her twenties were. She enlists Noah, local fishing guide and town hottie to join her as she attempts to make the most of her remaining twenties. And they might just find that what they are doing is more than just fun.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC of this book! 🥰

When I saw The Cinnamon Bun Book Store was available on NetGalley I jumped at the opportunity to read another Laurie Gilmore book. After falling in love with Dream Harbor through The Pumpkin Spice Cafe I knew I needed to take a trip back asap. Noah and Hazel are perfectly sweet, the definition of a Hallmark-sappy love. I really don't know what I can say other than this book is feel good from beginning to end and had me kicking my feet the entire time. Once again, Laurie Gilmore lived up to the Gilmore name, providing all the small town, feel-good sappiness. I cannot wait for the next one.

Laurie? Keep 'em comin' :)

♡ I received an arc copy of The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore in exchange for an honest review... that being said, let’s get into it! :)

♡ This is such a cute cozy read, perfect to read during the transition from summer to fall! It has opposites attract, reverse age gap (4 years), mystery, friends with benefits, he falls first, and small town vibes! Hazel is nearing her thirtieth birthday with dread because she feels that she hasn't lived her twenties to the fullest. But as mystery clues pop up around her bookstore, she sees it as an opportunity to have some fun during her last few months of her twenties by having a grand summer adventure following these clues. She decides to recruit the local fisherman, Noah, to help her follow said clues in order to have a fun-filled summer! And they have fun... in many ways!

♡ This was a light fluffy read, with some serious moments and feels. The topic of anxiety, over perfection, fear of what other people think, and a need to be successful was represented well in this book and written in a manner that made it so relatable to the readers. You really felt for the characters and resonated with them. I loved it, it made them more than just characters you read about on a page.

♡ Hazel and Noah were so cute! I loved their journey of figuring out their footing, and growing to love not only each other but themselves as well. I LOVED the town meeting scene! It was just so cute and I giggled the whole time. It really reminded me of the town hall meetings in Gilmore Girls.

How can you not be excited to read a book called “The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore”?? As expected, this book was cozy, light, and a tad spicy - a perfect read for heading into fall.

The ending was pretty adorable (I mean of course there will be a HEA) and Noah’s “grand finale” was sweet and unique.

That being said, it wasn’t by any means perfect. Everything was a bit superficial. Hazel and Noah don’t have a ton of personality and I’d love to dive deeper into the myriad of other characters that make up the quirky town. There are so many mentioned by name but we don’t get any further glimpse into their lives or how they really interact with the main characters. I wanted more of the town meetings and interactions! Conflict was relatively absent and the dialogue was a bit cliched.

Did I enjoy it? Yes! Will I read the next books? Probably! Just don’t think too much about it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper360 for the ARC!

Laurie Gilmore brought all the happy tears with this one! I would describe this book as cozy, spicy fun! Sub-categorized as erotica but I did not find the spice level required that genre. Like 4 peppers/5.

I adored the main character, Hazel! She was so much fun to unravel. And the newness and awkwardness of her new love gave me all the feels!
I did not even realize this was the 2nd book of a series so they can definitely be read independently. Though I loved the characters and setting so much I will be going back to read the first book.
A quaint little town that made me feel like I was watching a Hallmark movie. So precious!

Overall great, fun read!

I've completely fallen in love with the town of Dream Harbor and the residents who live there! This is the second book or visit to the town and our favorite bookseller finds the town playboy willing to help her with a summer of fun! This story is the sweet romance that you are looking for especially if you like your spice leaning towards the hotter side. The first book was sweet with a touch of spice, this book is sweet with hotter spice! I can't wait to visit Dream Harbor again soon to see which resident or residents will be featured! Witty banter, unique characters, fun antics and great friendships as well as quality spice make this the must-read book you didn't know you needed. You don't absolutely have to read the books in order, but I highly recommend it as you'll get more enjoyment and the characters build from book to book. Now all I have to do is wait for the author to write another book in the series....soon please!!!

This book was amazing. Hands down a new romance favorite. Noah and Hazel felt like really fleshed out characters with genuine internal obstacles and backstories, without it ever feeling too heavy. They had immediate, palpable chemistry that transitioned so smoothly into more. This was my first foray into the series but I can’t wait to read them all.

thank you Netgalley for the e arc.
STOP. These books are so cute. They are the epitome of fun, cozy, autumn vibes. I can’t wait for the next books