I CANNOT wait to read the fifth book! Loved reading this story and immediately fell in love with the characters. Laurie Gilmore does it again!

🏘Small-town single dad REALLY needs the nanny👨‍👧

4.5🌟 stars
The author knows how to meld genuine heartwarming emotions with some steam and create a really good romance.

I loved the plot and the three main characters in this romance. The dad is so appealing: a guy with big ambitions who steps up to the plate and readjusts his life for Olive, the five year old daughter he never knew about who lost her mother. The nanny thinks of herself as restless, flighty & probably not the best fit to care for a young child, but she's actually well entrenched in the life of their small town and quickly provides the companionship and loving care Olive craves. The whole story, right down to the grumpy clattering of pots and pans and the search for the perfect nostalgic pancake recipe, was entrancing. Single dad romances are one of my favorite tropes, especially when the kids are as cute as strawberry-obsessed Olive. The secondary town resident characters are friendly and welcoming; they didn't need to be quirky side "characters" because the main attraction was so good.

My first read in this series but hopefully not the last.

Thanks to Harper 360 and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared 3/10/25 on Waterstones, Goodreads, Bookbub and submitted to Barnes & Noble. To be shared on kobo and Google Play when published.

Laurie Gilmore’s The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a heartwarming tale set in the charming, tight-knit town of Dream Harbor. With a 4.25-star rating, this book delivers a perfect blend of community spirit, family dynamics, and romance. Gilmore’s writing captures the essence of small-town living, making Dream Harbor feel like a place where everyone knows everyone, and they all have each other’s backs. The sense of found family throughout the novel is incredibly strong, and it’s one of the things I loved most about this story.
The characters are what truly make this book shine. Archer, a fancy chef from Paris thrown into the role of insta-dad, and Iris, Archer’s new live-in nanny, find themselves navigating more than just their own personal challenges—they have the weight of community expectations, family dynamics, and their blossoming attraction to each other. The single-dad nanny trope is one that I really enjoyed. Archer’s efforts to juggle his responsibilities, along with his clear chemistry with Iris, created a delightful tension that had me turning the pages to see how their relationship would evolve. The way their initial interactions were filled with both humor and emotional depth was a real highlight for me.
But it’s not just about Archer and Iris. The development of the bond between Iris and Olive, Archer’s daughter, was truly the heart of this story. Watching Iris grow into a nurturing and loving figure for Olive was by far my favorite part of the book. Their relationship helped strengthen Olive’s relationship with her dad, Archer. It was so touching to witness how the bond between them blossomed in such an organic and meaningful way. This dynamic added layers of warmth to the story and really brought home the idea that families don’t always come in the traditional sense—sometimes they’re created with love, time, and trust.
In terms of pacing, Gilmore does a fantastic job of balancing the romance, the personal growth of the characters, and the vibrant, supportive community that surrounds them. The charm of Dream Harbor and the people within it kept me hooked from start to finish. The town itself is a character, and it provides a cozy backdrop for all the important moments in the story.
Overall, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is an uplifting read that highlights themes of family, love, and second chances. The found family dynamic, especially between Iris and Olive, is one I’ll carry with me long after finishing the book. While I would’ve loved a little more depth in the romantic development between Iris and Archer, the overall narrative left me smiling. If you're a fan of sweet, emotional stories that celebrate community and personal growth, this book is a must-read!

What a sweet happily ever after book! Archer is a world renowned chef who moved to Dream Harbor when he found out he had a young daughter. He was a grumpy workaholic until his new nanny, Iris, entered the picture. As they fell in love, Iris and Olive (his daughter) that there's more to life than work. The Strawberry Patch Pancake House made me smile and cry. I can't wait to read more books written by Laurie Gilmore!

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House was such a charming and cozy read! The story flowed beautifully with great pacing, making it easy to get lost in the small-town setting. Archer and Iris had fantastic chemistry from the start, with just the right amount of push and pull to keep things engaging. I especially loved Archer’s struggle with doing the right thing as a new single dad—it added so much depth to his character. Another great theme was the realization that what you want in life can change, which was woven into the story in such a heartfelt way. Overall, this was a warm and comforting romance, perfect for when you need a feel-good read!

Another delightful peek into the town of Dream Harbor! Laurie Gilmore has created the cutest, friendliest, cozy, coastal town with dream harbor and the Strawberry Patch Pancake house is the next sweet & spicy installment. We meet Archer who has just found out he's now the guardian of his never before known about 5 year old daughter Olive. He upheaves his fancy Michelin star Euro chef career to move to Dream Harbor to meet and try to figure out this guardianship. We also meet Iris, a dream harbor resident , Jill of all trades just trying to get by. She takes the live in nanny position with Archer & Olive and the rest is sweet, spicy, & delicious history. So happy to meet more wonderful characters in this series and I'm looking forward to many more!

These books are just so easy to read, it's like candy. The writing may not be anything special but the romance is always light and fun. Archer and Iris' slow-burn romance paid off in the end. I don't always love the single dad trope but this one handled it pretty well. Olive was tolerable as far as child characters go in romance novels.
I don't have any big complaints, I just feel like this series has gotten a bit formulaic now. I still enjoyed this book and the characters but I think this will be pretty forgettable for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love the cute cover. I appreciate Archer dropping everything to come care for a daughter he never knew existed. Iris was a big help to him right at the beginning with Olive. The community came together to help him. Iris was blessed with a family she never thought she wanted.

4.5 stars

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House may be my favorite Dream Harbor story! I am not normally a fan of the tropes within this book, but they were done so well that I found myself really loving this one. This was a lovely read after a long morning, especially since it was raining. Really felt like I got the Dream Harbor weather experience while reading!

Iris and Archer are so cute! I loved how realistic Iris's feelings about motherhood and relationships are. It was nice to see Archer loosening up and finding his own place in the town as the story progressed. Olive is just a ball of sunshine and easily became a favorite. As for the other characters, I love an interconnected series. I enjoy getting glimpses of past main characters' lives and how they interact with the current main characters. Archer made me crave pancakes the entire time I was reading. I did not even think there were that many ways to make pancakes??? (Might make me Noah's favorite for breakfast!)

I think The Strawberry Patch Pancake House does an excellent job with character development. The growth that both Iris and Archer go through in their time together was just so well done and for the most part, lighthearted. I felt relaxed, excited, and emotional while reading this story. It was such a fun read that left me longing for more. I think this would have been five stars had the end not felt very abrupt. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and could see me reading it whenever I have a bad day and need a pick me up! Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was cute, touching, relatable, and brilliant. Archer was literally wonderful. Coming back to take care of a kid he never knew he had, how amazing! Watching his character development along with Iris throughout the story was a beautiful thing to watch unfold. I also loved Iris. She was so relatable. Messy, loves to keep moving on to different things, not sure about the future or kids. Oh, and Olive! Olive was by far my favorite. She knew and saw more the adults believed. She was spunky, fun, and so adorable! I've never been into the "single dad trope," but I think this book turned me into a lover of it! It was absolutely breathtaking how the community was, too. I loved all of them, even the nosey old ladies, lol the ending made me tear up in a good (sweet) way. Wonderful writing, brilliant story!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Harper 360 to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

a sweet single dad romance set in the small town of Dream Harbours where Archer finds out about his daughter after the mother of daughter passes away. Now not only he has to move to the small town to take care of her but also settle down so that he can provide stability.

When because of the job he starts looking for a Nanny, Iris is what the people of town recommends. What starts as a fear of her incompetence leads to so much more because of attraction.

I felt that the couple deserved a little more built up in their relationship and I wish more scenes of Olive and Archer were there.

The spice was adequately put and I liked the fact that the insecurities and inner thoughts of Iris where shown which were raw.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC in exchange of honest review.

For the lover of all things single dad romance this one is for you! I’ve said it once, and I will say it again, do not let the covers and titles fool you, these books are just as spicy and good as contemporary romance writers like Elsie Silver and Hannah Bonam-Young.

Archer has recently learned that he is a single-dad, and he is in need of a nanny. In comes Iris, and well, you all know how it goes from there. What really put this book over the top is its exploration of grief for children and balancing your role as a caregiver or stepparent.

It’s easy to read, funny, cute, and spicy. There is nothing more I could have asked for out of.this book. I loved it.

Tropes: Single Dad, Nanny, Forced Proximity, Accidental Pregnancy

Thank you NetGalley for my free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was probably my favorite of the Dream Harbor books so far. I loved Archer, Iris, and Olive. Small town romance with a single dad, yes please! I loved getting bits of the other characters and I'm so excited for the next book (Annie and Mac)!

Side note to add: I was SO MAD when the surprise pregnancy trope reared its head. It's literally my LEAST FAVORITE TROPE OF ALL TIME. However, I will say that it does add a positive plot arc in the book and that's why I'm forgiving it. It helped Iris get her familial HEA.

Nothing really happened in this book. There wad a whole lot of pining and some cute moments with Olivia but nothing more to the plot. All the other books in the series had something else going on outside of falling in love and this book was desperately missing that.
Also accidentally pregnancy are the worst.

Loved the first half of this, the second half lost it's charm. It was just longer than it needed to be! And a certain trope got used that I was not a fan of... plus, the longer it went, the more it leaned into heteronormativity and the nuclear family and that kinda bugged me. I know this series is super beloved on BookTok, but I'm really not sure if I'll be returning to it

girl, Olive, after her mother tragically passes away. To gain full custody, Archie leaves behind his prestigious career in Paris and moves to the small town of Dream Harbor, where he takes a job at a local diner to prove he can provide a stable home for his daughter.

But adjusting isn’t as easy as he expected. The townspeople hate the changes he makes to the diner’s menu (they even send back his pancakes in protest!), Olive refuses to talk to him, and the town’s elderly ladies keep dropping by unannounced to monitor his parenting skills. Archie is drowning—and he desperately needs help.

Enter Iris, who can barely hold down a job, is struggling to pay rent, and is in dire need of a fresh start. Becoming Olive’s nanny seems like the perfect solution, even if it means dealing with her brooding, ridiculously sexy, grumpy chef of a dad. She should be able to resist his charms… but how can she when he’s whipping up late-night pancakes like it’s some kind of seductive one-man cooking show? Or when his arms flex while whisking butter (seriously, how is that even legal?)? Or when those adorable dimples make an appearance every time she teases him?

But crossing the line could ruin everything. Archie is determined to be a good father and secure full custody of Olive, and Iris can’t afford to lose another job—especially not one that could finally give her some stability. On top of that, the last thing she wants is to hurt Olive by giving up when things get complicated.

Yet, with each passing day, sparks fly, tension builds, and the temptation to break all the rules grows stronger. And even though everyone warns them to keep their hands to themselves, resisting might just be impossible.

But what if this could be more than just a fleeting attraction? What if two struggling adults could come together and create the kind of family they never thought they’d have? Could they find their own happily ever after?

Overall, this book is as sweet as a stack of strawberry pancakes and absolutely deserves its five heartwarming, swoon-worthy stars. I can't wait to read more books in the series, and I highly recommend grabbing a copy as soon as possible!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.


I’ve read all four books in this series, and this one was by far my favorite!! Seeing Archer struggle to raise his 5 year old daughter, who he just found out existed, all while falling in love with Iris was such a heartwarming story. Poor Iris was just as nervous to be a first time, live in nanny for little Olive, and she desperately wanted to keep that little girl safe and thriving. She was so scared to admit or act on anything she felt for Archer, because she was always worried how Olive would be affected. The two of them were imperfectly perfect together, and seeing their little family evolve was such a good time, and Iris’ internal monologue was so damn funny. This book was easily a feel good, 5 star read. I wouldn’t have changed a thing!!

5🌟
1.5🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper 360 and Laurie Gilmore for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Here we go! We're at book 4. Seasonally: we are starting the beginning of March and being carried through summer.

This book as some of your favorite tropes: world reknowned chef comes to the small town to care for the kid he didn't know he had, single dad & nanny, carefree/directionless(??) FMC that doesn't want kids or family based on her home life growing up but maybe this kiddo will make her change her tune. ANNNND perhaps one of your not favorite tropes: not gonna say which one- but it worked here!!! Listen! I'm all in on the cozy simplicity of these series in the times we are living in. It's not that serious! Just enjoy it!

Gahhhh! Annie & Mac's story is next!!! And we're back to Christmastime? EEEEEE!!

Loved this super cute and steamy single dad-nanny romance. Archer has just found out that he’s the father to a five year old girl whose mother had recently passed away. He’s way out of his depth as a father since he needed to uproot his life as a chef in Paris to move to the small town of Dream Harbor. And he has no idea what he’s doing with the kid. He hires Iris as the new live-in nanny, and she also has no idea what she’s doing with the kid. She basically has zero experience but she’s needs the money and a free place to live. And of course, the physical attraction and tension between Iris and Archer is high. Though they’re both starting to catch real feelings, especially as a built-in family unit. Iris is the skittish one here and needs to overcome her fears of commitment, while Archer has done a fairly good job of warming up to his new life. Loved this addition to the series.

The story focuses around Archer who founds out that he is the father of a child that he didn't know about. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, he becomes the parent in custody. Having to uproot his whole life he ends up moving to a small town and has to try to adjust to all kinds of problems. One of those problems happens to be his gorgeous babysitter named Iris that he hires. There is tons of tension between the two as they try to work out their feelings for one another and not forget that they are in a work relationship also.

This was the first book that I have read in the series, despite owning copies of the first two. I was surprised by how much I truly enjoyed this book. I am not a fan of children in general, but this book did a wonderful job separating the romance from the parenthood. Olive was an adorable child and I think that Iris did a wonderful job as a sitter and was so creative with how she interacted with Olive during several situations.

The ending had an interesting twist at the end that I'm not sure how I felt about it. While it was cute in some aspects, I felt that it was a little bit rushed. Thank you to Netgalley, Harper360, and Laurie Gilmore for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.