A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.75/5 ⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️


Hazel and Noah’s story in The Cinnamon Bun Book Store was cute. Not quite as cute as Jeannie & Logan’s, but cute nonetheless!
The flirty relationship between the introverted bookshop manager and the extroverted boat tour guide/bartender was everything you’d expect it to be 🩷 I was very happy about their ending. In fact, everything after Hazel turned 30 knocked my rating up the extra .75 😊

This was so cute and just a nice light read with positive energy. It had way more romance and less mystery than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! All the characters were very loveable. I especially loved that Hazel is a bookseller and could really relate to all her bookish quirks. This was a great follow up to The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, and in my opinion far superior to it.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper 360, and Laurie Gilmore for the complimentary eARC.

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is out now!

This book was so cute I liked it better than the first one!! I got to read this last year from NetGalley and just realized I never posted my review! This was such a cozy read and a little bit spicy 🌶️ I enjoyed it so much, the first one wasn’t my favorite so I didn’t have high hopes but I loved it.

I loved Laurie Gilmore's first romance novel set in the same town, but this one wasn't as fun. It felt stale and I had trouble finishing it. All in all it took me about 6 months to get through since I wasn't too interested in the story or characters. That being said, once I did finish it I felt I was originally too harsh on it to begin with. Solidly average for me.

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great. This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.at and the characters were relatable.

Super cute story. I do feel like it was missing something for me. I just can’t put my finger on it. I would like more character development and stronger plot.

Title: The Cinnamon Bun Book Store
Author: Laurie Gilmore
Genre: Romantic Mystery
Tropes: Opposites attract, small town, forced proximity, he falls first
Format: eARC
Rating: 4 Stars

Summary:
Hazel is owner of the Cinnamon bun book store. Approaching 30, she feels stuck in her small town life. When she begins to find clues hidden in books in her store she is determined chase the adventure and follow the clues. She enlists the help of Noah, a local fisherman, playboy, and avid adventurer. Together they follow the clues in a search for a culprit. As their friendship grows into something more, Noah helps Hazel gain confidence in herself and Hazel helps Noah be vulnerable and grow.

Thoughts:
I just love the covers of these books. I absolutely love a bookish MC! I enjoyed the chemistry between the MCs. This is an interconnected standalone and I enjoyed seeing more of the couple from The Pumpkin Spice Café too! The cast of characters in these books are so delightful. It is such a light, easy read with a sweet and spicy romance and a cozy mystery.

Great for readers who love a bookish FMC, small town vibes, and spice!

Thank you to the Harper Collins (Harper360) and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Reviews posted to NetGalley, Amazon, and GoodReads.

So fun to read more in the town of Dream Harbor. Loved getting to know about Hazel and Noah. And of course the bookstore. Excited to read the next one.

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore promised a cozy autumn read, but it leaned more towards a summery vibe for most of the story—despite its fall-themed cover. While it wasn’t a bad read, it didn’t leave a lasting impression. A light, easy read, but not quite the warm and cozy experience I was expecting.

This was cute and cozy! If you liked the other book(s) in this series, I think you’ll enjoy this too.

ADORED THIS!

Laurie Gilmore is truly becoming the best of the best for these charming small town romance novels. I loved Hazel and Noah’s dynamic in this. It’s the perfect mix of spicy and endearing. It’s books like this that remind me why romance novels are so important and necessary; they can be a soothing balm as well as an escape! And that’s exactly what this is!

Dive in for a heartwarming read with loads of chemistry and whimsical, small town charm.

I absolutely adore how cozy how cute and how raw and honest this work is! Each character is so expressive and honest, I haven’t actually read the first book in this world, but I’ve heard it’s even better than this version of this book and I cannot wait to grab book one! Through out book 2 it vaguely mentions book 3 character, and Austin mentions Café of book one! There’s angst and funny jokes and amazing ambience. I highly recommend this book. It is amazing and I cannot wait to read the rest of the entire series.

If you're in the mood for a quick and easy read, Hazel and Noah might just do the trick. The chemistry between the two main characters is the best part of the book. Otherwise, I just couldn't stop feeling like this was just "okay". It has all of the elements of a good romance or cozy mystery....it just lacks something that I can't put my finger on.

This book is a cozy, feel-good romance with a sprinkle of mystery, set in the charming small town of Dream Harbor. Hazel and Noah’s sweet and slightly spicy journey—from decoding secret messages to falling for each other—made for a quick, adorable read. If you’re into small-town vibes, he-falls-first tropes, and books about books, this one’s the perfect pick!

I don't really enjoy the 3rd person pov in this book. Therefore I will be dnfing the book. Thank you for giving me an arc!!

This book was not for me. I stopped reading it at 35%.

Primarily, I didn't like the premises of the story. As a 30 some year old, who hasn't accomplished a whole hell of a lot other than reading, eating pastries and going on an occasional trip, it annoyed me that it got into Hazel's head that she is somehow lacking/boring/not cool for not accomplishing or doing too much. I don't think that's a bad thing AT ALL, and it made me feel uncomfortable when she felt pressured "be different" or "do crazy things". Her friends, especially seemed to pressure her or make fun of her for being more of a homebody quiet girl and considering everyone was adults, that seemed weird to me.

Another thing I didn't like was Noah seeing Hazel as "not like the other girls", like Hazel was good for romantic and emotional purposes, and his other girlfriend was to sleep with. I already don't like a cheating trope. But this is 2024. Slut shaming and treating women like that is never okay. Plus, for Hazel "not being like other girls" he sure didn't waste time getting her to sleep with him.

The plot also seemed to be too fluffy and half-formed, and if I have to hear "someone has THE HOTS FOR someone else"...so immature. Come up with a different way to put that.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this.

Out of respect for the author, I will only be putting my review onto Goodreads and not on any major sites.

Cute litle story. I liked it. It is cute and funny and was spicier than the first book. Definately a fall time read.

I was excited about this ARC because of all the hype that was surrounding the first book. I was disappointed as I was with the first in the series. The characters just feel flat to me and the romance doesn't feel "real". I'm just not loving it, I had such high expectations.

This was so cozy and of course spicy and I heavily enjoyed this book. Now I’m 50/50 with insta love books and it mainly depends on the length of the book but honestly I went in with pure vibes and wanting all the spice and some plot.