I received a copy of this for my honest review

In the 4th book in the Dream Harbour series, our MMC is brought to town from Paris when he learns he has a daughter, and unfortunately her mother has passed. The plan is to come, figure out custody and then get back to his job as head Chef in Paris - working towards a Michelin Star. While in town he needs a nanny, and our FMC is available. Is she good with kids, no. But the schedule works and she can still teach her exercise classes, so she agrees. Neither of them is the relationship type, but even if the chemistry is off the charts - they know they need to ignore it and do what's best for his daughter. Right?

In this novel we follow Archer as he finds out he’s a dad and needs to move to Dream Harbor to take care of his daughter. As a single dad and a chef, he decides to hire a nanny. Iris is living pay check to pay check, but she finds herself short for her rent again, so when the opportunity for a second job as a nanny shows up, even if she’s not super fond of children, she takes it up. Living together however becomes quite difficult for Iris, especially since she’s attracted to her boss. And one can’t fall in love with their boss, right?

I really love going back to Dream Harbor, this series feels so cozy and cute. I always love seeing the old couples pop up in the story, so I loved their parts in this as well. I’m not a big fan of the tropes, hence why this is not a five stars for me, but I still enjoyed my time with it. I’m never going to pass up on a Dream Harbor novel. Iris was a compelling MC, Archer a good love interest, but Miss Olive takes the cake in this one.

Thank you One More Chapter and NetGalley for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Literally amazing. I can’t say enough good things about Laurie Gilmore. I’ve fallen in love with every single one of her books I already dang wait until the next!

Like the ones before, it is such a cute story. I love the style. I love the characters, their romance, their background, their personalities and their growth. It is cute, it is funny, it is hot. Such a fun read.

I love this series and with each book the world and cosy vibes of Dream Harbour get better and better. I love the easy writing style and short chapters which made this book so easy to devour over a few days. I think in some ways this book is like a love letter to parenting and how no one really knows how to raise a child but they muddle through and find friends and help along the way. Olive is really adorable and her interactions with Iris are so cute and funny. I liked Archer as he tries his best to be a stern chef and then a caring father. I really enjoyed the strawberry festival and seeing all the past characters make cameos.

I'm personally not the biggest fan of the single-dad and nanny romance trope so I wasn't as invested in the romance between Archer and Iris with that dynamic. But I really enjoyed Iris and Archer as characters and the found family theme. Both Iris, Olive and Archer all needed each other in some form and this made the read really heart-warming. I can't wait to continue reading the series and soak up the cosy vibes of Dream Harbour.

We’re back at Dream Harbor living our best small-town, cozy life. And this latest instalment is definitely taking a different route, trope wise. Single dad? Forced proximity with the nanny? Ok Gilmore, we see you racking those spice levels up!

Archer is a world-renowned chef. Career oriented, working across the globe to earn that well deserved Michelin star. That is until, he’s informed that he has a daughter... That he had no idea existed. Her mothers just passed away, leaving him the sole caregiver to a child he’s never met. And to make matters stranger, he has to leave his successful career to live in the tiny town of Dream Harbor.

Taking over the local diner is the closest thing Archer can get to pursuing his passion. The problem being, it's a run-down establishment where the locals mainly want pancakes. Pancakes he has no idea how to make. The only way to make a full-time job whilst adjusting to the life of a father is to hire some help.

Enter, Iris, who has a blasé approach to life. Iris is just trying to make ends meet by doing what she enjoys. That is until she is stuck for money and offered a live-in nanny position that she can’t say no to. Iris doesn’t like kids, never has. But a couple of months won’t hurt, right?

“That rule would have been a lot easier to follow if Iris looked more like Mrs. Doubtfire and less like, well, less like herself.”

This forced proximity, single father x nanny plot was the perfect addition to the Dream Harbor series. It was a little bit different to the other three books, being less based on the establishment and more on the way both characters adapt to having a child in their lives.

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House follows Archer as he adjusts to becoming a father to a 5-year-old girl who refuses to speak to him, as well as attempting to remain professional around the nanny. Iris, a wildcard, is the type who believes she can have her cake and eat it too... But her growing relationship with both Archer and his daughter was adorable.

Honestly, this book was beautiful. Your typical small-town romance. It threw me off slightly with how different it was to the others in the series, but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t just as good.

“She wanted to be a part of his life. A real part. Not a hired-help part or a booty-call part. It was all very concerning.”

You get the small-town vibes with all the spice in this one! Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Reading The Strawberry Patch Pancake House feels like returning to a new season of your favorite rom-com series; familiar faces, cozy small-town charm, and an intriguing new couple to root for. This fourth installment in the Dream Harbour series follows Arthur, a world-renowned chef recently blindsided by the discovery that he’s a girl dad, and Iris, the town’s resident scatterbrain with a heart of gold.

This book leans heavily into the single dad and grumpy/sunshine tropes, which are always a win, especially when the grump in question is a sexy chef. If you’re picturing Carmy from The Bear or Gabriel from Emily in Paris, you’re not far off - though for me, Arthur had more of a Burnt-era Bradley Cooper energy. (Which, honestly? No complaints.)

I’ll admit, I was a little peeved when I realized we were skipping over Annie and Mac’s story for a new couple, but Gilmore made it up to me by deepening the Dream Harbour universe. The ever-growing cast of townsfolk makes it clear that this series isn’t wrapping up anytime soon - at least not until everyone has been paired off. And I, for one, am perfectly fine with that.

That said, the pacing here felt a little off. The romance took off at breakneck speed. Arthur and Iris are basically thrown together before you have time to get truly invested. And while I expect some level of insta-lust in a romance novel, I wanted more buildup, more longing glances across the kitchen, more delicious tension before diving into the inevitable steamy moments. The sexy scenes themselves felt a bit rushed too -I wanted to savor them, the way we did with Noah and Hazel. Let me bask in it before we’re onto the next plot point, you know?

Still, despite my nitpicks, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House delivers exactly what I love about this series: small-town warmth, swoon-worthy romance, and a found family dynamic that makes me want to pack up and move to Dream Harbour. Plus, now that we’re (finally) getting the enemies-to-lovers heat we’ve all been waiting for in the next book, I’m more than ready for whatever Gilmore has in store.

**Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for this eARC*

Laurie Gilmore has done it again; another solid 5 star read! The Strawberry Patch Pancake House follows Archer, a world-renowned Chef most recently from France, and Iris, a Yoga Instructor/Aquatics leader/trying to figure it out kinda lady from Dream Harbor.

Archer is forced to leave his illustrious position in France when he finds out that he has a (surprise) daughter in Dream Harbor. She recently lost her mother and now needs her Father to take care of her. Since this is all new (and rather frightening) to Archer, he decides to hire a nanny, which happens to be Iris. As you can imagine, a lot of toe-curling, slow burn, extremely fun dialogue and interactions follow.. I won’t spoil the fun!

As you can imagine from any Dream Harbor novel, beloved characters and locations from other books in the series pop up throughout, which provides a fun cohesive feel to the whole series.

As with this entire series, this novel left me wanting more! I cannot wait for the next installment and will consume it with as much vigor as breathing air.

Love love love!

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore, published by Harper Collins UK , One More Chapter, is book 4 in the Dream Harbor Series. Every book is about another couple and can easily be read as a stand alone.
Archer is a renowned chef, a workaholic, bachelor by choice and last but not least, he just became insta dad to a 5 year old girl.
Iris is a redheaded menace. She barely makes ends meet, is always just one step away from being broke and homeless. But I have questions, how can someone this broke afford kale smoothies and eating out at the local Dner? Make it makes sense.
So why not becomingf nanny of Archer's daughter?
A witty and fun read, with plotholes pretty big, but entertaining nonesoless. 3,5 stars.

As a devoted lover of the single dad trope, I hereby crown Laurie Gilmore as the undisputed queen!

Iris is broke, and the perfect solution comes knocking— a nanny job for a renowned chef who just found out he has a daughter. One simple rule: no falling for the boss/nanny. Easier said than done, right?

The setup might sound familiar, but trust me, Laurie Gilmore will make you fall in love with Dream Harbor all over again. Iris is lovable, honest, and hopelessly optimistic. Archer? Determined, a little grumpy, but a fantastic dad from day one. And then there's Olive—what can I say? 70% of my laughs came from her, so she absolutely deserves an award alongside the author.

Maybe I’m biased, but this is hands down my favorite in the series so far!

P.S. As a serial pancake eater, I feel Archer’s pain—but hey, not everyone appreciates perfection!