Oh, how I loved this book and to be back in Dream Harbor ❤️

I loved this next installment in the Dream Harbor series. Archer and Iris were a perfect fit for one another and I loved the convenience of their relationship.

Every now and then I get a last minute approval on Netgalley for a book about to be released- this was one of them. This small town, forced proximity romance was it and I will say I was pleasantly surprised. This is my third book approved in the series and I loved this book more than the previous.

Archer is a single father who only found out about a 5 year old daughter Olive after her mother's death. He was a chef living in France, but dropped everything once he knew he had a child that had no one except him.

Iris is a free bird who could never have imagined settling down, much less have a kid. She only agrees to take a job as Olive's nanny because she’s dirt broke. Iris is a yoga instructor and has had a lot of elderly clientele. I liked her interactions with these older ladies and she was cute with Olive, it was sweet and honestly lovely to read.

I will say the spicy scenes def surprised me, there were more than a couple. Which was interesting, but in part of the reason of why I gave it 4 stars. I love pancakes so reading all the recipes had me craving them all the time 😩

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing an Advance Reading Copy for review in exchange for an honest review!

Another amazing addition to one of my all time favorite series! This gets a very high 4 stars from me!!

Spring brings new beginnings and I absolutely loved reading about this one! Such a fun and heartwarming read centered on family and discovering one’s inspirations and desires.

I absolutely loved our couple, Iris and Archer, in this novel and found myself kicking my feet and giggling during their scenes. I loved their forced proximity but how that somehow wasn’t close enough for them. They were the absolute sweetest!!

Although I know they aren’t for everyone, I adored the addition of children and the depth they added to this novel.

I do wish we got more information of our main characters lives before this novel started.

Absolutely amazing and recommend to absolutely everyone!!

Thank you to the publisher for the arc through NetGalley! All opinions are my own honest opinions.

Laurie Gilmore done did it again. You guys know I’m impatient and slow burn isn’t my thing. But I have changed my tune!! This slow burn was done so nicely. Also I’ve never seen the appeal of the single dad trope? But boyyyyyy was I smiling almost every time Archer and Olive were together.

🥞 Single Dad
🍓 Slow burn
🥞 Small Town
🍓 He falls first
🥞 Found Family
🍓 Forced Proximity

Thank you for giving me this opportunity!

This was a lovely addition to the Dream Harbor series. I love the found family, small town, cozy feel that this series brings.

This particular story is great for those who love single dad, slow burn and forced proximity romances.

This series is wonderful for Gilmore Girls and Heart of Dixie fans that like a little spice with their romance!

As the fourth installment in the Dream Harbor series, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House delivers a heartfelt romance packed with spice, emotion, and small-town charm. While it wasn’t my favorite of the series, I still really enjoyed it. Laurie Gilmore brings another swoon-worthy love story to life with the grumpy-to-lovers trope, and this one might just be her spiciest yet!

The story follows Iris, a free-spirited and caring woman who unexpectedly lands a job as a nanny for world-renowned chef Archer’s daughter, Olive. Archer, who had no idea he had a child until recently, is forced to relocate to Dream Harbor and isn’t exactly thrilled about his new reality. Enter Iris—who has zero experience with kids but somehow is a natural. As she works her magic in Olive’s life, Archer starts to notice…and he can’t help but fall for her despite his gruff exterior.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Iris and Archer. Their chemistry was undeniable, and watching Archer soften toward both Iris and Olive was incredibly sweet. The grumpy-sunshine trope was done well, and the romance was filled with plenty of heat. If anything, this book might just be the spiciest in the series!

One of the best parts of this book was how seamlessly all the characters from the first three books were woven into the story. It was great catching up with familiar faces and seeing how their lives continue to unfold in Dream Harbor. The interconnectedness of the characters makes this series feel even more cozy and inviting.

Overall, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a solid addition to the series. It’s a good read with a cute ending that left me satisfied. If you enjoy small-town romance with a fiery, heartfelt connection (and love revisiting favorite characters!), this one is worth picking up!

The Perfect Escape - Sweet, Cozy, and Completely Irresistible!
After diving headfirst into dark thrillers and horror reads, I needed to swerve and readjust firing this week and read something light, fun, and heartwarming-The Strawberry Patch Pancake House was exactly that!
Laurie Gilmore swept me away to the charming small town of Dream Harbor filled with lovable characters, found family, and just the right amount of slow-burn romance. With a swoony single dad, forced proximity, and even a one-bed trope, this book had everything I adore in a feel-good love story. Plus, the food descriptions had me craving pancakes nonstop - the lemony poppy seed ones may not have been a hit in this town but I would have tried !
If you're in need of a cozy escape, this book is pure comfort-warm, sweet, and impossible to put down.

Archer is a renowned chef who's spent his life in pursuit of a Michelin star. Taking a job in a pancake diner in the small town of Dream Harbor is a far cry from his glitzy life in Paris. He also never imagined becoming the father of a five year old little girl named Olive. He only needs to stay in town long enough to gain custody, then he can return to his life. But soon his daughter and her nanny, Iris, have him rethinking everything he ever wanted.
This is a small town, single dad x nanny, forced proximity story. The cozy town setting and it's familiar characters (if you've read the rest of the series) draw you in and the fun banter and pining keep you turning pages. I'm not usually a fan of kids in my romance novels since I don't have any of my own, but I liked this one. I'm looking forward to Annie and Mac's story next.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is part of a series of books about little shops with quirky names. I really enjoyed this book as much as the other three I’ve read.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. Archer is looking for a live in nanny for his daughter Olive. He's a single dad needing some help raising her. Here comes in Iris, who can barely hold a job and applies to be the nanny. This is a slow burn, but really well down. This one is my favorite so far in the series.

This was everything I expected coming from the inhabitants of Dream Harbor. Iris was happy go lucky and optimistic and so loveably jaded from her upbringing to make anyone fall in love with her. Archer was just broody enough to make him swoon worthy. The banter hit just right. And then you add in adorable olive. It was just long enough to not feel drawn out and repetitive. It maybe felt a little too fast but I’m happy to say I was not bored. I don’t love the single dad/pregnancy tropes this one hit just right. At the risk of sounding hypocritical I could have maybe used a bit more storyline but I loved it nonetheless. A perfect addition to the series.

Thank you Laurie Gilmore and NetGalley for this eARC.

Welcome back to Dream Harbor!
I was a little hesitant to read this book after the last book in the series, which was not my favorite. This one was an improvement.


This book is one of my favorite tropes, the nanny and single dad. If you want a fun, fluffy read, this is your book! Olive was a sweetie. Love when

Give me Mac, Laurie!!! Looking forward to book 5.

3.5/5 Stars

Although their romance moves slowly—sometimes too slowly—there is no denying their chemistry. Iris adds a welcome vibrancy that gradually erodes Archer's barriers, while he is stern and withdrawn. It was entertaining to read about their push-and-pull relationship. The true star of the book, though, is Olive; her matchmaking antics are adorable, and her bond with Iris is as endearing as the romance itself.

Single dad x nanny is one of my favorite tropes so I was so excited to read this book. It’s a fun, light read but was missing something for me. The characters fell a little flat for me, which made me less engaged. I think this series as a whole lacks that reader-grabbing effect but they’re still fun, quick reads.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

Archer just found out he has a daughter. So he leaves Paris for the small town of Dream Harbor to take care of her, but he needs some help with Olive while they settle into this new routine.

When it comes to work, Iris has always floated from job to job. When a friend suggests she become the nanny for the new guy in town, she reluctantly agrees. Mainly because it comes with a free place to live.

The more time Archer and Iris spend together, the more complicated their feelings become. And with Iris' job clock ticking, will she be able to leave this one like all the others before?

***

I had mixed feelings while reading this one. If you know me, then you know there's nothing I love more than a single dad trope... but this one fell a little flat for me. I feel like there was not enough time spent on the parent/child relationship.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't think their relationship has to revolve around Olive. It's important that they have their own thing (and boy do they!), and you don't have to have kids to have a fulfilling relationship... BUT the entire reason he moves to town and the reason she moves in is because of his daughter he didn't know existed. Yet she seems to come across as almost a minor character. I would have loved to see more depth in the parent/child relationship between Archer and Olive. Additionally, I feel like the sudden personality change of Iris wanting to be a mom would have made more sense if there was more depth of her relationship with Olive. Her change of heart just felt too abrupt. I think developing these relationships would have let the story have a larger impact.

But ultimately the romance was fun, the quirky town and side characters of Dream Harbor are always a good time, and the lead up to Annie & Mac's book will have me coming back for more!

(One last thing, I will NEVER understand the lack of quotation marks in this series! Seriously, what is going on with that?)

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a cozy, feel-good romance with all the charm of a warm breakfast on a lazy morning. Laurie Gilmore delivers a delightful blend of small-town warmth, lovable characters, and a slow-burn love story that feels both tender and genuine. Archer’s devotion to his daughter, Olive, is heart-melting, and Iris’ journey toward finding her place adds depth to the story. Their chemistry builds naturally, and Olive’s matchmaking antics bring plenty of smiles.

While the pacing lags in places, and some conflicts resolve a bit too easily, the overall experience is heartwarming and deeply satisfying. Perfect for fans of found-family tropes, single-dad romances, and stories that leave you feeling like you’ve just had the best stack of pancakes in town.

This was unfortunately my least favourite book in the series. It combines some of my least favourite tropes, like single dad x nanny, which almost never works for me and absolutely did not work for me here. I feel like the tropes used in this book need to be written with a lot of care that I found lacking in this instance. I didn't see the chemistry between the characters and found their attraction and relationship very rushed, taking me out of the story. I have enjoyed this series so far, but this might be the last installment I read.

Amazing as always! Laurie I’m shocked that the books just keep getting better and better each time!!! How is it possible!! Annie & Mac should be next please!!!

Well, the series did it again. 🥹 Not a single dad and a surprise pregnancy that worked for me? And Olive has my heart, I would die for her. Plus all the sweet references to the past books? It was just a perfect comfort read. 💕🍓🥞

Thank you Harper 360 and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had this book pre-ordered when I decided to request it on Netgalley to see what would happen. To my delight, I got an early copy and I LOVED every second of this book. Of all the Dream Harbor books, this is my favorite. It felt like a warm hug in a book. One of my favorite romance tropes is single dad x nanny. Archer and Iris were so cute that I could feel their chemistry. I enjoyed how Iris was tentative to take care of Olive at the start, but quickly grew to love her. There were multiple times I laughed out loud at the hilarious interactions between characters. I cannot wait for Annie and Mac's story next!