I loved the opportunity to revisit the town and residents of Dream Harbor and the single dad trope gets me every time! Free spirit Iris takes a job as his nanny and shenanigans ensue. The burn was slooowwww, but the payoff was perfection. Grumpy/sunshine, he falls first, and found family make for a delicious combination.

This is my fourth Laurie Gilmore read, and they're good for when you need a light read. Unfortunately, this one made me so uncomfortable, because it was all about sexual tension between employer/employee and the employee is the nanny of a little girl who JUST LOST HER MOTHER. This kiddo has so much trauma to work through, and the two adults in her life are more concerned with flirting and possibly destroying her little heart again. Gross.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Book Review: The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore

🍓🥞 Sweet, Swoon-worthy, and Full of Heart! 🥞🍓

Laurie Gilmore serves up another delightful treat with The Strawberry Patch Pancake House, a cozy romance that’s as warm and comforting as a fresh stack of pancakes on a Sunday morning.

Archer, a world-renowned chef and devoted single dad, never expected to trade fine dining for flipping pancakes in Dream Harbor. But when his daughter Olive needs stability, he takes a leap—right into running a small-town pancake house. Enter Iris, a free-spirited woman whose job history is as scattered as a plate of blueberry pancakes. When she unexpectedly becomes Olive’s nanny (and finds herself living across the hall from her very attractive boss), things heat up faster than a griddle on brunch day!

Gilmore masterfully blends humor, heart, and just the right amount of slow-burn tension, making this story impossible to put down. Dream Harbor is the kind of charming town you’ll wish was real, filled with quirky townsfolk and the cozy, feel-good vibes of a Hallmark movie.

Between Archer’s swoon-worthy shirtless cooking sessions (🔥) and Iris’s journey toward finding her place, this book is a delightful mix of romance, found family, and small-town charm. And of course, there’s a happily-ever-after as sweet as maple syrup!

⭐ Final Verdict: If you love single dad romances, small-town settings, and sizzling slow-burn chemistry, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a must-read. Grab a cup of coffee, curl up, and prepare to fall in love!

✨ 5/5 pancakes! 🥞🥞🥞🥞🥞✨

This is the fourth book in the Dream Harbor series and my favourite so far! This time we get to see Iris' journey to a happy ending!

Archer is a world renowned chef on his way to gaining a Michelin star when he finds out he has a secret 5 year old daughter. Now he has to swap the fast pace lifestyle in Paris for the close knit community in Dream Harbor. Iris has always drifted through life, never doing the same thing for very long. She finds herself agreeing to be a nanny for a grumpy chef and his daughter but she soon falls in love with both of them!

Iris as a main character was perfect! She's so happy go lucky and she adds so much fun to the whole series. Archer is your typical grump MMC so was the perfect complement to Iris' sunshine. The tension between them was palpable from the get go. And the banter was unmatched. Adding Olive into the mix brought another layer to their love story as they both fell in love with her as well as each other. Olive asked all the right questions to make me laugh out loud while reading this book!

I loved that we got snippets of the other couples throughout but they didn't overshadow the story. We saw just enough of Annie and Mac to have me wishing for their book to be available now!

If you’ve ever thought, "You know what this small town needs? A hot, emotionally unavailable single dad serving pancakes", Laurie Gilmore heard you — and she delivered. In "The Strawberry Patch Pancake House," Archer’s life takes a hard pivot from chasing Michelin stars to chasing custody papers. After the sudden death of Olive’s mother, Archer moves to Dream Harbor to prove he can give his daughter the stability she needs — which apparently involves pancakes, small-town politics, and daily judgment from the local grandma brigade. Honestly, Dream Harbor’s senior citizens are more invested in Olive’s well-being than most reality TV judges are in finding buzzy talent, and I respect that.

Enter Iris. She’s broke, about to get evicted, and takes the nanny job (with Olive of course) despite having zero childcare experience and a track record of commitment that’s… let’s just say, "limited." But hey, how different can parenting be from managing cranky retirees at her last job? (Spoiler: wildly different.) What we get is grumpy meets sunshine with a side of forced proximity, and I ate it up like the cinnamon swirl pancakes I was craving by chapter three. Watching Archer and Iris awkwardly orbit each other, all while trying very hard not to develop feelings, is exactly the kind of slow-burn chaos I signed up for.

And speaking of slow burn — this book simmers. These two spend so much time denying their obvious chemistry I wanted to lock them in the walk-in freezer with a timer and a bottle of wine. But when the payoff finally comes? It feels earned. Their connection grows in all the little moments: late-night talks, tag-teaming tough parenting days, and slowly realizing they’ve built something that looks suspiciously like a family. And Olive? An absolute scene-stealer. She’s sweet without being saccharine and grounds all the chaos in something real.

If you’re wondering about spice level — it’s sweet with a flicker of heat. Kisses, longing looks, and plenty of tension, but this one stays pretty closed-door. You can read it in public without blushing, though you will end up yelling at fictional people to just kiss already.

This is hands down my favorite book in the "Dream Harbor" series so far — but I’m still waiting for that "throw it at your friend and say READ THIS" level of obsession. Some beats feel a little too safe and familiar, but honestly? The comfort factor is part of the charm. If you love small-town romance with nosy neighbors, a broody single dad trying his best, and a heroine who’s one disaster away from a Hallmark hot mess (in the best way), this one’s worth your time.

3.5 stars — warm, cozy, and full of pancakes, pining, and people finding family in the most unexpected places. I’ll absolutely be back for the next round.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC.

The Dream Harbor series is a cozy romance series that never fails to deliver a warm hug to the soul. The Strawberry Patch Pancake House follows this tend, playing on the single dad trope. Do you swoon over Jude Law in The Holiday? This book is for you.

While not my usual romance interest, my love for Dream Harbor and its quirky characters enticed me to pick this up. Admittedly, it is not my favorite. I will not say bad - the story was enjoyable with a little forbidden slow burn. However, the ending came abruptly, resolving some pretty hefty conflict in a matter of pages, almost as though time ran out and the book needed an ending.

I still felt a connection to the characters and love their addition to the series. While it may not have been the romance novel for me, it was a break from the norm and one I do not regret picking up.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Laurie Gilmore for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Strawberry Patch Pancake House coming out March 18, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This isn’t technically a series. Each book features new characters, but there’s definitely a theme with this author’s books. I’ve enjoyed every book, but this one is definitely my favorite! I loved the setting and the pancake house. I thought Archer and Iris were really fun characters. There was some suspension of disbelief for some parts, but I definitely loved the story. I’m excited for more books!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy, spicy contemporary romance!

Again with the cozy feels!!

This series excels in its portrayal of small-town life, complete with quirky residents, gossip mill, and a strong sense of community.

The dynamic between Iris and Archer is a classic slow-burn romance that keeps you engaged with plenty of sweet and tender moments. The single dad trope was new to me but to quote TSPPH: 'Oh, a man who can take off his offspring? Hot.' Fully agreed!

Overall, this book (and the series) is a delightful read that's perfect for fans of small-town romance(s) and feel-good stories. It's like a warm hug in book form!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

This is the first book I've read in the Dream Harbor series and it won't be the last! I loved the town, and the characters, and the slow-burn romance between Archer and Iris was perfect!

I loved all of this! The characters, the setting, and the spice are all top-notch. I loved the slow-burn romance, and every time Ophelia opened up towards her dad I got all kinds of emotional.

This book hit every mark for me, and I'm definitely going to be going back and reading the first three books in this series ASAP.

I wish I could live in Dream Harbor! Laurie Gilmore truly reigns as the queen of small-town romance. The town feels like a dream, and the characters are absolutely charming. Although this is the fourth installment in the Dream Harbor series, it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone. With its novella-like pacing, the story moves quickly but still delivers plenty of heartwarming moments. I absolutely loved the single dad/nanny trope, and Archer’s journey into fatherhood provided plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
Thanks to NetGallery and Harper 360 for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This was my favorite book in the Dream Harbor series so far! I think this one has more Gilmore Girls vibes than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, but honestly the whole series has that feel to it. The whole storyline involving the diner menu was such a funny runner throughout the whole book. Olive is such a cute little girl & her storyline gutted me even though a happily ever after is a given. You can’t not love Archer’s character. He steps up for Olive & cares so much that he gets it right. I’m glad Iris was made to be inexperienced with being a nanny, but not completely incompetent for the sake of creating a more dramatic story. I can’t wait to see what’s next in the series. The series is really comforting & cozy.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harper360 for the advance copy.

I love this series and this one was another great addition! The town in this series is just so cute and it's comical to read more about each its quirks. This story is about a single dad, Archer and him navigating his life in this new town. He has lots to learn about this town and their ways along with his newly found daughter. This story has a little bit of it all: family, friendship, drama and romance. This is a great book and I'm looking forward to more in this series.

3.75⭐️

This was a quick, fun, sweet (and spicy) story that fits in perfectly with the rest of the series. I thought a nice balance was found between Archer and Iris’s romance and Archer finding his footing as a father.

Like the other books in the series, this is part Hallmark with a dash of Lifetime and a heaping of Stars Hallow.

Delightful book with awesome characters in the charming town of Dream Harbor.
Chef Archer comes to town because of a daughter he didn't know he had. He is trying to fit into this town as the chef at the Pancake House and is finding it very hard after having a lovely career in Europe. As he try's to form a relationship with his daughter, he meets Olive and she becomes the nanny. As the story continues and the community begins to accept Archer, he is touched by how much they do to help him but feels drawn to Olive.

A cozy, cuddly and sexy book that is perfect for curling up on the couch to devour.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

This was such a good continuation of the series! I was so excited to be back in one of my favorite worlds and it didn't disappoint

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! I love the found family trope in this one! So sweet and so swoony! Definitely worth the read!

I love the Dream Harbor series and have read every book, so I was really excited for this one. One of my favorite things about this series is how all the stories connect, and The Strawberry Patch Pancake House fit right in perfectly.

Archer and Iris were such a great match. Archer is the ultimate devoted dad, just trying to make a fresh start, and Iris is a bit of a free spirit who can’t seem to stay in one place for too long. Their dynamic was fun to watch unfold, and Olive’s little matchmaking moments made it even better.

This was such a sweet, feel-good read, and I flew through it. I love returning to Dream Harbor, and this book just made me love the series even more. If you’ve been following along, you’ll definitely enjoy this one!

Such a lovely addition to this cozy small town romance series. I loved the characters so much. I will absolutely be continuing with this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for this ARC!

I’ve read all of Laurie Gilmore’s books in this series and some have been good and others not so much. This one was just okay to me. Wasn’t bad, wasn’t good, just okay. I really liked Archer. His character is by far the best in the book. He’s a single dad trying to adjust to a new reality of having a kid and being a chef in a small town as opposed to being a chef in Paris. His character grew so much and I really enjoyed watching the relationship between him and his daughter grow.
Iris just annoyed me. I can’t put my finger on why but she was not my favorite in this book. However k did like her relationship with Olive. It was the cutest dynamic and I could read about them two alone all day.
All in all this one just didn’t hit the mark for me as much but I think others would enjoy this book.

I’ve never read a book by this author before but after a few chapters I was an immediate fan! Such a perfect read for summer!