Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This one was fun! I always like the trope of Single dad x Nanny. The sassy five year daughter was so adorable and I loved her. The spicy scene were good and hot, don't let the cute and cozy cover fool you. The main reason this book got a 4 star instead of 5 star was because of the third act breakup. I just dislike third act breakups.

Highly recommend this book and the whole series!

I always think this series of books is very cute and fun to read. A little escape to Dream Harbor and it’s fun to imagine this little picturesque almost unreal town but with real characters and real storylines that bring you in. This was a little different of a story as it was a litttle bit spicy but had very real hard situations intertwined as well as the ending. I enjoyed it overall and liked the characters!

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore is absolutely darling! It’s the perfect continuation of the series. Set in a small, charming town with lovable characters and a sweet romance. Reading it felt like watching your favorite comfort show (hello, Gilmore Girls) but in book form. I adore this series and can’t wait for the next one!

There's a lot to be said for a book that goes back to romance roots and gives you EXACTLY what it says on the tin: Campy, lovey-dovey romance. Sometimes chicken soup for the soul is exactly what you need in your TBR lineup.

After reading Pumpkin Spice Cafe, I was ready to evict myself from Dream Harbor. I decided to give the town another chance and glad I did. This book was so much better ! It actually had a plot that was interesting, spice, and character growth and development ! Open to going back and reading some others from this series now.

Single dad by surprise meets down on her luck woman to be his nanny. This had a bit too many of the tropes I like least (too good to be true small town, boss falling for employee, unexpected pregnancy, etc.), but I was still rooting for the main characters.

"The Strawberry Patch Pancake House" is a close-proximity romance featuring a small-town girl named Iris, who's struggling a bit to find her way in life, and Archer, who has suddenly learned that he's the single parent of a five-year-old he didn't know existed.

Archer is in over his head and getting stuck in a small town was never on his bucket list. His pursuit of a Michelin star is all that's been on his mind for years now, and he's presided over some of the top kitchens in Paris. He has absolutely no idea what to do with a five-year-old, especially one who has just lost her mother; a woman he casually dated years ago and had never heard from since. But he needs to stay put for the next six months while custody is determined and to allow Olive to adjust to everything. While six months seems like forever until he can get back to Paris, he recognizes that it's needed.

Iris, on the other hand, has lived in Dream Harbor all her life. She can't imagine ever living anywhere else. But she's been cobbling together her livelihood for far too long, and she's just been evicted from her apartment for being behind on the rent, yet again. So, when the opportunity comes up to be a live-in nanny, she figures, "How hard can it be?"

Well, it turns out to be a challenge all the way around. Iris had no idea her boss would be so grouchy, or so hot! And Archer doesn't know how to handle the ball of energy that is Iris. But since Olive is clearly responding to her, he has to find a way to muddle through, even though he has way too many inappropriate thoughts about their nanny.

This forced proximity romance has some sweet moments in it, as well as some scenes that were a bit too spicy for my taste. But the storytelling was enjoyable, and the characters were a lot of fun.

Thank you to Laurie Gilmore, Harper 360 and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

My new favorite from Laurie Gilmore! I wasn’t sure how much I would like the single dad thing but this great. Iris and Archer had great chemistry. Would definitely recommend! Excited for her next book!

I only feel disappointment as I read this book. I would have appreciated for there to be an actual development in the relationship between Archer and Iris and the surprise pregnancy came which led to me not liking this book as a whole.

This book was a sweet continuation of life in this small town. I loved the world Laurie Gilmore has built.

Dream Harbor is a nice town to spend some reading time. Iris and Archer are opposites in pretty much everything - except their concern for his newly discovered daughter, Olive, and their attraction to each other. The single dad trope was used nicely (nice touch with book club convo), and pancake theme was a nice touch. All in all a good read.

Parisian chef finds out that he has a 5 year old daughter after the mother dies in a car crash. Chef Archer comes to a small new England town to care for her with a long term plan of taking her back to Paris after they adjust to each other.

I enjoyed The Strawberry Patch Pancake House. Although this is #4 in the series, it was my first book by author Laurie Gilmore. I didn't feel "lost" by starting in the middle of the series. 5 year old Olive is really a cutie and their are some sweet scenes between Olive and nanny and Archer and new hometown.

It was a good book, but I didn't feel like it was "The best romance this year/month" book ... hence 4 stars vs 5.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for approving my request to read the advance review copy of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is March 18, 2025. Approx 384 pages.

**⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A Cozy Escape into a Quirky Little Town**

*The Strawberry Patch Pancake House* by Laurie Gilmore feels like stepping straight into your favorite Stars Hollow-esque town, full of charm, cozy vibes, and eccentric characters you can’t help but grow attached to. The quirky townsfolk are really what made this story shine for me — their personalities brought warmth and color to every page and made the town feel truly alive.

While I didn’t completely fall for Archer and Iris as a couple — they lacked the emotional depth that some of the other pairings had — the rest of the cast more than made up for it. Every time I picked the book back up, it felt like a comforting little escape, even if it did take me a bit longer than usual to finish.

All in all, it’s a solid, heartwarming read with a lot of charm. If you love small-town stories with lovable side characters and a gentle pace, this one’s worth your time.

This series has been so hit or miss along the way. I was glad this was more of a hit than a miss. Overall, I liked the plot and storyline and it kept me intrigued. However, the age difference and the fact that Archer and Iris are initially attracted to each other just physically (and it seems to continue to only be that) left much to be desired of their actual relationship. It felt a little unrealistic? I also felt like Olive acted older than 5 and that she accepted Archer as her dad too quickly to be believable. Gilmore tried to make Archer a strong yet emotional character, but I feel he fell short. He didn't seem to have to work for anything: He quickly gets a job at the restaurant and never seems to work odd hours, he has a house to live in easily, he hires a nanny with no experience because he finds her attractive, Iris gives in to his attraction too easily, and he doesn't have to work very hard to get Olive to accept him.
I also did not expect the ending and am not sure how I feel about it.
All in all, the plot and the town made me keep reading, but I'm not sure how much more life this series has in it, due in part to Gilmore's writing.

I think this might be my favorite in the series. Single dad and the nanny? Yes please.

So funny that that it ended up being a box of pancake mix.

First off, all of her covers have been absolutely adorable, and this one is no exception! A cover like this is one of the first things I see when I walk into a bookstore. These are not complex mysteries, major comfort vibes with these. I felt this storyline was pretty predictable, but I also enjoyed reading it and watching it play out.

Overall, so cute!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this book! I have read all of the Dream Harbor books so far and this one definitely didn’t disappoint! This is the first one of hers that I’ve read with kids involved, and she handles it perfectly.
The main characters, Archer and Iris, have a slow burn romance. His daughter, Olive, is hard not to fall in love with. I enjoy reading about this charming little town and all of the quirky characters.
If you love slow burn romance paired with small town charm, then this cozy romance is for you!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for this ARC!

Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

I think this was my favorite book out of the entire series. I've read these usually as a palate cleanser, something to read quickly and laugh/cringe at all the clichés. This one surprisingly didn't read like a cheesy hallmark movie with every romance trope mixed in. I wasn't rolling my eyes at all of the forced romance being shoved down my throat like the beginning of this series. I loved their sarcastic banter and him trying to figure out how to be a single dad was refreshing and charming. The way their relationship blossomed and they became a family was relatable and messy. It was a good addition to the series and I hope the next one can be just as fun.

World renowned chef Archer is living the life. Parties, glamour, culture. It all comes crashing down when he realizes he has a daughter named Olive he never knew about, and the mother has died. He moves himself to Dream Harbor to do right by his daughter. However, his only job opportunities are at a small-town diner, his daughter doesn't give him the time of day, and the nanny he hires is severely underqualified. However, Iris the nanny may be just the thing Archer and Olive need to come together and be a real family. Very cute story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for an ARC of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions that follow are my own.

"He reached his hand out and for several, tense heartbeats, Olive just looked at it. And then, finally, she placed her tiny hand in his. It was a start."

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is the fourth book in the Dream Harbor series and follows Archer, a successful world-renowned chef, who never imagined that he would move to a small town and take a head chef position at the local diner. However, he is trying to find his feet in his new world and also needs a small village to help raise his young daughter, Olive. Iris has always had trouble holding down a job so when she finds out that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny to help take care of Olive, she takes the job and could never imagine what would occur.

I really enjoyed this book which I was pleasantly surprised about after The Christmas Tree Farm which I found a bit boring and one dimensional. Laurie Gilmore hit it out of the park with this one from the realistic Archer, who needs coffee before he can face any situation, to Iris, who is not afraid to be herself and also doubts herself and isn't afraid to say it. Olive was such a cute little girl and I couldn't help but love her quickly after meeting her. Like always, the rest of the cast of Dream Harbor made an appearance and was more a part of this novel which I loved so much especially Olive's relationship with Noah and Hazel. They were her safe place in the beginning and she was not afraid to run to them. I also loved that Iris and Olive's relationship developed before Iris and Archer's. This is a small fact that I feel is sometimes overlooked in the "found family" tropes.

Overall, this was a nice, cozy quick read and I would recommend that you read this book if you love Hallmark movies or if you have read the other Dream Harbor books however, you can read each of the books as standalones. 4/5 stars!