let me start by saying i love this series, and i will be continuing it. this book however was not my favorite at all. it felt rushed and honestly very insta lovey. i didnt feel a true connection between the characters and it honestly didnt make alot of sense how quickly things progressed while also being a slow burn lol its weird i know. also this accidental pregnancy wasnt done right imo. i think this one can be skipped in the series. oh and the audio narrator sounds like a grandma.

Another cute one from Laurie Gilmore. This one was one of my favorites in the series. I liked how it touched on Iris' issues with being raised by a single mother and how it helped form her opinions on motherhood and relationships. The banter between Archer and Iris was very cute.

I enjoyed this book, especially because sure it contains my favorite trope - single dad. I feel like these books are getting better and better in the series. They are cute and cheesy and hallmark-esk but with surprising spice! I’m here for it and I am excited to continue to read them.

3.25 rounded down
This is a continuation with characters but ones that we’ve seen less of in stories past and the reappearances of prior MCs didn’t feel as strong to me so I wasn’t as vested. Also, it’s a single dad/nanny trope with some predictability.

My favorite part is a bedroom scene - this one has some spice, but that’s not why it was my favorite. Iris gets caught up in a moment that showcases a real side of herself that is both vulnerable and strong.

Sometimes we don’t even know how much we need to hear that we are good people with good qualities doing the best we can. Archer gives this to her and her reaction is so so relatable and tender. I wish the rest of the book had been less superficial (they’re both hot and they both want each other but ya know, the kid and all - who for the record is written superbly) and more in depth (but then that’s what Jimenez is for, right?).

That’s honestly just not what this fun series is about and that’s ok. Read it for what it is and enjoy it if that’s what you like, which I do!

Oh boy! Another fabulous, feel good story about Dream Harbor and it just keeps getting better! If there is a perfect place to live on Earth, I swear its going to be in this little town of perfection!
Single Dad, adorable child, wild female now wanting a serious relationship? Yes, please! Gimme all the story details because this has turned into a heart warming, sweet and comfortable story ever!
I hope Laurie Gilmore can add more adorable people and keep delivering stories from this series on a silver platter. Grab your copies now because this is highly recommended!

A great addition to the Dream Harbor series! Continuing the story of the small town life, this addition brings in characters you love, while introducing you to new ones. Laurie Gilmore did a good job of weaving a romance around the presence of a child. The fact that Archer and Iris had met prior to her becoming the nanny helped the storyline a lot. It is a fun quick read that is great as a plate cleanser. I am looking forward to the next addition to the Dream Harbor series!

Thank you to NetGalley, and Harper 360 for an ARC of this book.

I really like how cutesy this series is. I’m not a big fan of the dirty scenes, they seem out of place and too forced:overly done. But overall the stories are cute. This one in particular I wish there was more of the other townsfolk woven into the stories. I also wonder if the author has much experience with kids because the child is supposed to be five and is written more like two to three in how she speaks and what she does. I do think I’ll read more of these books.

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House may be my most favorite Dream Harbor book yet! Everything about this was just delicious. A single dad trying to build a relationship with his young daughter, a nanny who is just lost in the world, and a town that just makes you want to wrap it in a big hug!

I absolutely LOVED the child (Iris) in this book and I'm so happy that Laurie wrote her in. I laughed. I cried. and I was cheering for Archer, Iris, and Olive the entire time.
This book is a refreshing drink on a warm spring day.

-forced proximity
-slow burn
-single dad
-small town

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for this early copy in return for my honest opinion.

Pub Date: 18 March 2025

This book is a great addition to the Dream Harbor series! It delivered in storyline, characters, and romance. I appreciate that I know exactly what I am getting with each of these books. If a small-town romance quick read is what you’re looking for, look no further!

I am absolutely obsessed with the Dream Harbor series. It is such a cozy series! Listen, you aren't going to pick up this book if you want 5-alarm spice with all the chili peppers. But if you want a good read with well-developed characters that make you want to cozy up with a fuzzy blanket, hot beverage of choice, and have some steamy scenes, this series is perfection.

Archer, a chef out to prove himself and build his career is thrust (ha!) into a new town and the need for a nanny. Iris, not actually a nany, takes the job out of desperation and comes to realize that settling down a little bit may not be a bad thing. Together, Iris and Archer navigate some real and understandable emotions and find their way to each other.

There are some great tropes in this book with slow burn and forced proximity being my faves. Archer and Iris have such great banter.

Oh. This book should come with a warning. You WILL crave pancakes.

This book is the 4th of the Dream Harbor series, and my faorite. The chemistry between the characters is so fun! The fact that this one included the twist of a child was so sweet. I felt so warm and cozy reading this book. It also had less of the back and forth angst that a lot of romances have, and I like that as well!

Easily my favorite in the series. I can't seem to put down any book in this series. Laurie does a great job of telling interweaving stories.

*Put this in your wife's Easter basket with fresh strawberries and whip cream if you want to set a mood!

Your 4th Dream Harbor getaway features a forced proximity employer-employee forbidden romance between a hot chef/single dad Archer and a hot yoga instructor Iris who fall in love while learning to parent and recreate an elusive pancake recipe. It was definitely not my fave in the series so far, but good enough to tide me over until Book #5 "The Gingerbread Bakery" (the enemies-to-lovers EPIC that everyone has really been waiting for between Mac & Annie) comes out this September. It's already been pre-ordered and better be the spice and rum in my cider! But I digress...

There are some hot scenes and a LOT of tension build up in this one. The story did not go the way I thought it would. I was hoping Archer would be a bit more alpha and chase down his woman. Would've loved a proposal scene (maybe it will be tucked into "Gingerbread?"). I feel like we skipped a few interesting chapters with the epilogue that picks up 7 months later. You can definitely read this as a standalone, but I highly recommend "Cinnamon Bun" and "Christmas Tree" if you, like me, wish Hallmark romances were spicy and dealt with real problems instead of cheesy, superficial and ending with a first kiss. Plus, the covers are the cutest! Makes we want a vacation in Maine. Solid three out of five for story and 8 out of 10 on the spice scale.

I adored this book! I loved the single dad/nanny trope as well as the sweet foundation of a relationship between a father and his daughter. It was such a satisfying slow burn with the good spice that you expect to see in the Dream Harbor series. And it was overall just such a sweet story of family. I truly loved it.

This was my favorite one yet! Absolutely devoured this one up!! I hope they release a special edition with sprayed edges for all of them because I need this series on my shelf!!

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore is the perfect recipe for a heartwarming escape. From the very first page, you’re welcomed into a charming small town filled with lovable characters, sweet romance, and the irresistible scent of pancakes and fresh strawberries.

Laurie Gilmore has a gift for creating cozy atmospheres and relatable characters. The story is full of warmth, community spirit, and just the right amount of emotional depth. Whether it’s the quirky townsfolk, the slow-burn romance, or the cozy setting of the pancake house itself, everything comes together in the most delightful way.

This book feels like a warm hug—comforting, uplifting, and impossible to put down. If you’re a fan of small-town romance, feel-good fiction, or just need a bit of comfort in your life, don’t miss this gem. I can’t wait to read more from Laurie Gilmore!

I have a soft spot for chef romances and, in this story, we have an elite chef who moves to the small town of Dream Harbor all the way from Paris - talk about a culture shock! He comes to Dream Harbor when he learns he has a five-year-old daughter after her mother dies in a car accident. This is a cozy, small town, nanny/chef romance and I enjoyed this lighthearted story.

When Archer first meets his daughter, Olivia, she is a little afraid of him. He is very serious and has a stern look about him, even though he tries to be gentle and kind to her. Archer rents a house in town so Olivia can be near her grandmother, school, and friends. He hopes in six months she will feel more comfortable around him and that they will be able to move back to Paris. Meanwhile, he needs a job and the only one he can find is as a head cook for a local diner. It is humbling for him to go from working in fine restaurants in Paris to making pancakes at the diner but he makes the best of it and it brings a lot of humor to the story. When he tries to juggle work and watch Olivia (who is an escape artist), the owner of the café, Gladys, suggests he hire a nanny.

Iris is struggling to pay rent. She teaches yoga in town and swim classes for seniors at the Y as well as filling in at the coffee shop, but it’s not enough. Gladys suggests she work for Archer as his nanny. She doesn’t have any babysitting experience but she’s creative, knows CPR, likes Olivia, and realizes how much they both need her.

It gets funny when the townspeople don’t like Archer’s pancakes. One of the cooks warns him the town won't like him making changes to the menu. But they can’t find the original recipe and they can’t reach the old cook so Archie, who is determined to make the perfect pancake, spends time at night trying different pancake recipes and Iris helps taste test. They flirt and have fun, yes Chef!

Archer likes coming home to Iris and Olivia and makes them delicious meals each night and Iris begins to see why people might want a partner to share their lives with, but there are still a few more challenges before they get their HEA. While I loved all of the characters and the way everything came together at the end, I would have liked a little bit more to their story. We see characters from the earlier stories in the Dream Harbor series but I don't think it's necessary to read them first. This book is able to stand well on its own.

I was entertained by this lighthearted story and think readers looking for a cozy, small-town summer read might enjoy an escape to Dream Harbor and The Strawberry Pancake House.

This was the perfect Hallmark movie fluff fest wrapped in a book. The amount of times the words pancakes and strawberries were used probably set a record. The tropes included accidental pregnancy, nanny/boss and single dad, so if you're into those, this will be a good cheesefest for you. I haven't read the others in the series, but this one can be a standalone. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I love this series so much!! Dream Harbor is one of my favorite fictional small towns. I knew this was going to be good when I saw that Archer (MMC) was a single dad and Iris (FMC) was his nanny! But I wasn’t sure how great it would be that we haven’t had much appearances from Iris in Christmas Tree Farm. But of course as always these new characters were easy to fall for. But Olive (his daughter) was by far my favorite. She was so cute 🥹 she made me tear up a few times and her naming skills were adorable 😂 I was really happy with the ending! I just wish we saw more from the secondary characters in this one. I missed having more interactions with the town’s kooky characters. As always, this was a quick and cozy read 🩷 I am SO excited for Annie and Mac’s story next! FINALLY!!

One of my favorite tropes: Single Dad and Nanny, however, this book didn't do the trope justice. Iris and Archer's chemistry was a little off-putting. Olive felt older than 5 years old. It was quick ready, light, not much thought needed. Enjoyable, just not something I would re-read.