"Tell me to stop," he nearly begged. "Tell me to stop, Iris."

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a warm and cozy small town, slow burn romance!

Archer is a chef whose life takes an unexpected turn when he finds out he has a daughter. He moves to Dream Harbor to raise her and take over the local diner. Unfortunately, even an experienced chef like him can't win over the townies with his expertly crafted pancakes; they just want the old and familiar recipe back. Then there's Iris who needs a job, so she reluctantly agrees to be Olive's live-in nanny. She has no clue how to care for a kid, but Olive makes it so easy. The only problem Iris has to deal with is her major attraction to Archer, who's her boss and should definitely not be the one she should be thinking about 24/7.

The romance is a slow burn, sometimes too slow, but their chemistry is undeniable. Archer is gruff and closed-off, while Iris brings a refreshing liveliness that slowly chips away at his walls. Their push-and-pull dynamic was fun to read about. Olive, however, is the real star of the book—her matchmaking antics are adorable, and her relationship with Iris is just as heartwarming as the romance itself.

While the book nails the small-town charm and cozy aesthetic, it got to be too much of a low-stakes for me. But still, it was an enjoyable story that helped me disconnect from real life.

- forced proximity
- single dad x nanny
- small town
- slow burn romance

Series ratings:
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe - 4.5 ⭐️
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House - 4 ⭐️
The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore - 4 ⭐️
The Christmas Tree Farm - 3 ⭐️

Sweet, Cozy, and Oh-So-Satisfying! Laurie Gilmore’s Strawberry Patch Pancake House is like a warm stack of pancakes drizzled with nostalgia and topped with romance!

This book is the perfect blend of small-town charm, sizzling chemistry, and mouthwatering descriptions that had me craving breakfast at all hours. The characters are lovable, the setting feels like a Hallmark dream, and the romance? Absolutely chef’s kiss 👩‍🍳💋I adored every second of this story!

The banter was perfect, the love story had all the swoon-worthy moments I craved, and the cozy vibes made me want to curl up and never leave this world.

If you love feel-good romances that leave you smiling long after the last page, this one is a must-read! 🍓🥞💕

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore is a fun addition to the Dream Harbor series. Renowned chef Archer returns to Dream Harbor to care for his daughter, Olive, leading him to hire Iris as a nanny. Their evolving relationship, set against the backdrop of a cozy small town, is both touching and engaging. Gilmore's talent for creating vibrant characters and steamy romance shines through, making this a delightful read for fans of contemporary romance

Another great book by Laurie Gilmore! This can be read as a standalone as any book in the Dream Harbor Series but there are some mentions of other characters that are in the other books. I loved the addition of a child character. I feel like it added a special touch to this book that the others didn't have. While the book does have some spice, I wish it was more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Now, I did read reviews for this book before venturing into it and was advised that it is spicy despite it's cute and innocuous cover. I mean, I could not call it high spice/super smut but it is definitely not closed door so 2/5 for the spice.

I was feeling a bit meh until I got to 60% then the book really got good because of the personal growth and changes in the main characters. It was beautiful to see how they changed because of Olive. I am not someone who would call herself "motherly" (at least to human kids) and I am on the fence about actually having kids in the future, but I felt the love, care, and concern Iris and Archer felt for Olive, despite having self-doubts. That is what made the last 1/3 beautiful to me. There is a twist at the end that I felt was unnecessary since it kind of forced Iris to make a choice about parenthood and I wished the twist wasn't there to let her make the choice more freely (she was getting there already so it felt thrown in there to move her decision along).

Slow burns are frustrating which is why I say it was 'meh' for me until 60%. I was hoping for a climactic moment (pun intended) but Archer and Iris stair-stepped their way there. This is a personal preference - I want *that* moment but the mains had several so the plot eased me into their physical relationship. I prefer to be thrown in, haha.

All in all, it is an accessible book. Might not be spicy enough for folks and might be too spicy for others but it was a good middle-ground and showed well the emotional aspects of new parents who are figuring things out along the way. I wanted more backstory on Archer and Iris. We get some (Iris more than Archer) but I hoped for even more insight into what Iris' childhood was like and why Archer was so determined to be a hot chef (e.g. where did that dream come from).

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book! I thought it was going to be a cozy mystery, I went into it blind, and it was not! I loved the storyline and the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

I absolutely loved this book! The way Olive and Iris came into Archers life was just chef’s kiss!! It was a bit of a bumpy ride but they made it through and with the bonus of another child!! This was my favorite so far of this series! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this before release!!

I adored this so much, it had all the vibes.
The book was full of great characters. I found myself laughing out loud, smiling to myself with the humour, coziness & cuteness of the book.
Probably the easiest 5 star rating I’ve had to give. This was such a fun read, I couldn’t put the book down, I was enjoying it so much!!
I love this!

I absolutely loved this book! It was both heartwarming and wholesome. Archer and Iris’s journey was beautifully written, and I loved watching them grow. Olive was their anchor, bringing everything together in the most touching way. 4.5/5 ⭐

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is cozy, warm, romantic, fun- all the adjectives that depict the perfect hallmark movie in book form. I was stoked to recieve this advanced readers copy a few weeks before its publication date after reading the first three in the Dream Harbor series. This book featured a single new dad of a kindergartener in need of nanny services, after moving back to Dream Harbor from his dream career as a Parisian chef. I loved that the mystery of this book revolves around food and the cafe. This book could be read as a stand alone, and dare I say, it’s my favorite in this series- they saved the best for last! Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for this advanced copy.

Synopsis: As a world-renowned chef, single dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive.

Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when it’s suggested that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny, she almost runs in the opposite direction.

Now, Iris finds herself in a whole new world. One where her gorgeous new boss lives right across the hall and likes to cook topless… Keeping everything strictly professional should be easy, right?

Dream Harbor feels like a place I’d love to call home—especially with those entertaining town meetings! Each installment in this series manages to outshine the previous one. This book delivered a delightful grumpy-sunshine dynamic, with the added emotional depth of a character navigating the challenges of fatherhood. One of the series' best features is the recurring cast of characters, allowing readers to catch up on the lives of couples from earlier stories. And don't skip the Acknowledgements—we're finally getting Annie and Mack's story!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dream Harbor is back baby! When Olive’s mother passes away in an accident, it’s up to Archer to take her in, even though he didn’t even realize he had a daughter until the accident. Having taken a leave of absence from his restaurant in France, Archer is set to become a dinner chef and try to reimagine the diner for the town. Cooking he can do, but raising a kid is a whole new recipe for Archer, and he’s hoping the new nanny he hires, Iris, can help with the adjustment. As the two help to navigate Olive into her new normal, they find that they both might care more about each other than they want to admit.

I love a grumpy/sunshine and a good found family trope within my romances, and Gilmore gave us plenty of that in the newest installment of the Dream Harbor series.

While book #2, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, was just ‘ok’ for me; the rest of this series has been adorable. I love the easiness of the series. The independent but interwoven stories. It’s light and everything I want in a comfort read. While some of the other books have been steamier, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is definitely a slow burn romance. I could feel the connection between our two leads almost instantly and felt that both grew as characters together and independently.

While I didn’t love the trope used for the ending – I’ll leave that out for a spoiler free review- The Strawberry Patch Pancake House has yet again convinced me I want to live in this storybook town. Also, now all I want are pancakes, so thanks for that Gilmore.


The Strawberry Patch Pancake House comes out March 18, 2025. Huge thank you to HarperCollins for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my: Instagram @speakingof.books.
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This was a cute and cozy read--great for reading over spring vacation! I felt like I knew the characters and getting to follow their story line felt very much like watching a beloved episode of "Gilmore Girls." I can't wait to continue the series!!

I've really enjoyed this series so far. I came to it a bit late, so I've had the opportunity to read them all in quick succession and was so happy to get the latest installment on NetGalley. They are the perfect blend of cozy with a bit of spice and Archer and Iris are such a good example of the grumpy/sunshine trope. Also enjoyed the "real life" aspects of the story with Archer having to reinvent his life and Iris trying to find her way.

I love getting to know more characters from Dream Harbor. The Strawberry Patch Pancake House was a delight to read. It was so much fun to see Archer's growth from starting out as a new father of a young kid to going total dad-mode. Iris and Archer had a great dynamic but I think that the relationship developed a little too spontaneously and I wish more was said about Archer's original desire to move back to Paris. It felt like it was forgotten about.

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader's Copy.

Laurie Gilmore has created a fun and quirky cast of characters! This is the 4th book in the series. You can read as a standalone, but you will get more out of it if you read in order. I was a fan of the story and Iris is a very likeable character. This is a fun series (a little steamy!) to curl up and read. Looking forward to the final installment.

"The Strawberry Patch Pancake House" by Laurie Gilmore is a heartwarming and delightful read that's perfect for fans of small-town romance and women's fiction. This book is a masterclass in crafting a narrative that's both uplifting and authentic, with characters that will capture your heart from the very first page.

This book has a little spice! If you don't like that, then this is not the book for you. Also don't pick this up thinking it's a mystery, because it's not. I think that would trip some people up for sure. Don't judge this book by it's cover.

This was such a cute read! It felt pretty different from the other Dream Harbor books since a child is a central character this time, but Laurie Gilmore handled it really well. I loved seeing all my favorite characters from past books pop up, though it felt like they had less page time than usual compared to the other books in the series. I also loved the inside joke or Easter egg mention about the Mayors dream of pancakes in this one! Which if you haven’t read the previous books would go right over your head.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and thought it was a great addition to the Dream Harbor series, even with the shift in focus to include a child. Now I’m just waiting on the next book and really hoping it’s about Mac and Annie!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for sending this ARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Ok, so I am apparently a sucker for a man who cooks. First and foremost there is my husband, swoon, but fictionally speaking I loved Atlas in It Ends With Us, Iwan in The Seven Year Slip, and I absolutely adored Archer in The Strawberry Patch Pancake House. A grumpy perfectionist on track to being one of the greasiest chefs ever, Archer’s trajectory is put on hold when he finds out he is the father of a five year old. His daughter Olive, just lost her mom and her only living relative is elderly and ill. Archer moves to Dream Harbor intending to stay for six months then bring Olive back with him to Paris. What he didn’t expect was how in love he would fall - with Olive, with the crazy town and it’s nosy inhabitants, with the diner he starts to cook at, and with the wildly beautiful and caring nanny he hires, Iris. Archer is the perfect addition to join our favorite Dream Harborans… Dream Haborians… Dream Harborites… none of those look right!! Archer is the perfect addition to Dream Harbor and Iris is the perfect local to make him stay.

This book is so much fun. There is food, an adorable and precocious kid, a festival, bunnies and puppies, sassy septuagenarians, a bookstore, lovely female friendship, even more food, and scorching hot chemistry between the two MCs. Honestly, this is a case where the build up was just as good, maybe even better, than the actual spice. The tension was palpable and so well written, I loved every second of Archer and Iris trying to resist what they were feeling. This book does contain a trope that isn’t always my fave, I won’t spoil it, but I actually really loved how it was utilized here.
The Dream Harbor series is always fun, light, romantic, and cozy - everything I want in a book right now!