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!

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.