Definitely my favorite in the series so far! The characters are always so much, and that's part of why this has become such a comfort series for me. The single dad x nanny trope totally worked, and even the ending, which I normally wouldn’t go for, hit just right. Lots of great character development too. A quick, cute, feel-good read!

Thank you for the chance to read "The Strawberry Patch Pancake House" by Laurie Gilmore.

Like many others I have been entranced by the lives of those in Dream Harbor. This story is about new comer Archer, his daughter Olive and their need for a nanny. In steps Iris from the christmas tree farm. She isn't the most qualified nanny but she is just what Archer and Olive need with her quirky disposition and love of life. A very enjoyable read.

I just adore this series! The author is so wonderful! I really liked the nanny trope for this one! I thought the characters were well matched. I loved that the MMC took over being a dad and worked hard to win over his daughter and the town with pancakes! Watching Iris and Archer fall in love was so good!! I loved their banter and build up! So wonderful! I highly recommend this one! I can’t wait for the next!

Like the rest of the series, The Strawberry Pancake House takes place in the lovely place of dream harbor. A man named Archer, learns he has a daughter he didn’t know he had. He then invites a nanny, Iris, who has never dealt with children and doesn’t even like children, to live with him and take care of his daughter. Did I mention that he barely knows Iris and barely knows his daughter. Yet, Archer invited Iris to live in with his daughter? As time goes on, of course, the two main characters begin to get the hots for one another. Like the previous books in the series, the storylines are set up in the same way and end the same way. By this point in the series I am sad to say that they all feel redundant and The Strawberry Pancake House completely missed the mark for me. I absolutely loved the first two books in The Dream Harbor Series. However, since The Christmas Tree Farm, it feels like it is the same book recycled in different formats. I hate giving reviews like this. I wanted to love the rest of the series. It feels rushed and there could’ve been more originality to the rest of the series. I’m sad to say, with where The Strawberry Pancake House leaves me, I would not read the rest of the series.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

huge thanks to netgalley for the e-arc! i loved being back in this series—it felt like catching up with old friends. the story flowed so naturally from the previous books, and i really enjoyed spending more time in the town and with the characters i've come to love. it had all the charm, warmth, and little surprises that make this series such a cozy, comforting read. can't wait for the next release!

A cute fun sweet romance with a little mystery.
A single Chef dad with a daughter he didn't know he had Runs a small pancake house in a small town.
He needs a nanny Iris applied for the job .
Thing begins to develop between them .But the customers are not happy with Archer's pancakes.
Can Archer find the right recipe .
enjoyed the fun story.
voluntarily reviewed.

This book was much like the others in this series - cute, a bit dysfunctional, but overall enjoyable (or enjoyable enough!). I found myself liking this one more than the others though!

I liked the spring setting, and I really found myself enjoying the characters.

Iris was lost - lost and just floating along, and she had this chip on her shoulder about being lost. She was never going to settle, and thought she was beyond that.
Archer was a prior lost soul trying to step into huge roles he feels utterly unprepared for - but he's also excited about the changes (just overwhelmed).
Olive is a cutie - but does seem to be much older than 5, but I could see how that came to be with her loss.

There's a lot of other characters, and I'll admit that I had no clue about who was who the most of the time, but it's not really relevant to the overall story.

Basically it's light, it's fluffy - it's the one you read when you need something mindless that you can just enjoy. Don't critique the book, just enjoy it for what it is.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I want to live in Dream Harbor! Just when I think that this series cannot get any better, a new book comes out and tops the previous. The story of Archer and Iris touches the heart, as well as makes you want to move to the country and enjoy the simple life. Olive is the cutest child in existence, and the way the author describes her transitions throughout this book are realistic and authentic to the character. I love all the variations of pancakes mentioned in the book and how insistent the townspeople were that Archer just wasn't getting it right. I can really see a group of people giving a new chef in town a hard time like this, making the book that much more believable. I appreciate that the author keeps the pages mostly clean, while still adding in a bit of spice and romance to keep the reader's attention. This book is truly a wonderful read, and I can't wait to see what happens next to our friends in Dream Harbor!

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.

Reading this book is like visiting an old friend. I just sink into the story, the town, the kookie characters, the town meeting where we discuss all our pancake needs. I laughed and cried in this book. Laurie Gilmore just writes so beautifully that you can just immerse yourself in this fun, sexy and sweet stories.
For Strawberry Olive's story is so sad with the loss of her mother, but I loved watching Archer and Iris come together become her family. But I also loved how the whole town came together to make sure she was ok. The neighbors that stopped by to make sure they had dinners (even though he was chef), great neighbors that she felt safe with. Kids in romances are always so hard cause they can be an obstacle, but Olive really felt like an amazing addition to the story. We got two love stories for the price of one.
I am a huge sucker for single dad/nanny tropes and the fact that neither of them knew what to do with Olive just made them the perfect team. They really learned to love her and each other at the same time. From a romance perspective this was angsty and hot. The forced proximity, the late-night pancakes, kisses in the kitchen. It really felt like a routine of a family even if neither of them really thought that was what they wanted. They both got to grow and realize it is ok to change your mind, and love will always be the right decision!
I LOVE this town and their love of festivals. I love everything about this series and this book. I CAN"T wait to read the next in this series. I swear I could just enjoy this town's people for every. I love that we get little glimpse of the past character, but each one can be read as a standalone.

With each installment in this series, I genuinely feel like the books just keep getting better and more emotionally layered. Laurie Gilmore has a gift for creating a small-town world that feels not only charming but truly alive, with characters whose stories interweave in ways that make every return to the town feel like coming home.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is how seamlessly past characters reappear, grounding the story in a sense of community and continuity. The town itself feels like a character—rich with personality, tightly knit, and full of heart. It’s such a joy to see how each resident plays a part in the others' lives, even in small ways.

The single father trope is handled with a fresh and thoughtful perspective here. While I appreciated the vulnerability and complexity of his journey, I did find that at times his internal conflict—particularly around his personal dream—felt either underdeveloped or too easily resolved. A bit more emotional depth or resistance would have made his arc feel even more rewarding.

That said, I loved the broader theme of love in all its forms. The story beautifully celebrates not just romantic connection, but the bonds of friendship and family, which made it feel incredibly warm and grounded.

I can’t wait to continue reading more from this series—there’s something so comforting and heartwarming about returning to this world and its evolving cast of characters.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the story, more so than Kira's. I enjoyed Archer's character arc, and the inclusion of Olive. One thing I didn't like is the couple's 'struggle' and how it was handled. It seemed a bit unrealistic. BUT I LOVED that the book club was discussing the trope of 'single dad' in the book whose trope is the single dad.

A great addition to the series, can't wait for more.

Loved this book. It's cozy and comforting with a feel good romance. The characters are easy to love and root for. If you are looking for something heartwarming, this series is it.

These are so good. I feel like I stepped into Stars Hallow. The conversation between these characters is so fun and authentic. I love being able to escape into this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the advance electronic copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I had not read any of the previous books in the series when I obtained this ARC. I had seen a younger church friend with at least one of these books, and she had told me that they were "a little spicy"--wasn't sure what that meant. However, it turned out to be accurate, and I was glad I had been expecting it.

Archer has just discovered that he has a young daughter. Her mother has passed away, leaving instructions that he should now raise their daughter, Olive. Iris is not the commitment type, but she needs a place to live, and the live-in nanny position fits.

Archer has been working as a chef in Paris, but now he needs a job, so he takes over at the local diner, where no one appreciates his fancy pancakes. Iris has no experience with small children.

The two of them and Olive started growing on me very quickly! A couple of favorite bits--the origin of Olive's name, and the book club meeting.

And yes, I will be going back and reading the first books in the series, now that I've already met the characters.

I prefer to listen to the books in this series rather than read them. They make for great background noise while working and/or commuting, and this latest book was no exception.

If you’re looking for spicy, small-town, insta-love story, this is it. Just add in the single-dad trope and you’re g2g! Spice for this was surprising: 3-3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (I still don’t think it should be categorized as “erotica,” but I digress.)

(Thank you, Harper 360 and Netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

I am a huge fan of this series and just like the previous books, this one was filled with hope and love and a fair amount of spice.

I was so excited to be approved for this book due to seeing the hype on TikTok cant say I'm upset with it. I loved this book so much I ordered my physical copy so that I can reread it. Please let the author know that her writing is absolutely amazing and can't wait to see more work from her! Keep up the great work..

This may be my second favorite Dream Harbor book, behind Cinnamon Bun Bookstore. The plot — while fairly predictable — was the most unlike the other books in the series, and who doesn’t love a single dad trope?

The dynamic between the main characters is sweet and hit exactly how it needed to. And I so, so love Olive. She is so sweet and innocent and I just wanna scoop her up in my arms.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

I just love the little town of Dream Harbor. Everything about it is so charming and just gives Gilmore Girls/Stars Hollow vibes. 🥰

I loved the single gruff dad vibes from Archer and the carefree vibes from Iris. The grumpy/sunshine is just another perfect addition to this book along with the single dad trope. This book was perfection, just like all the others in the series! 🍓