Thank you @netgalley @lauriegilmore_author and @harpercollins360 for an ARC of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House. It was so fun to return back to Dream Harbor! 🌊

I’ve been absolutely DYING for the Mac and Annie romance (we have to wait until fall!) so I was a little weary going into this novel, as our two main characters aren’t ones that I’ve been previously connected to. Iris is a minor character in The Christmas Tree Farm who worked on Kira’s farm and Archer is renowned chef and single dad that is new to Dream Harbor.

WOW! This one was fantastic. Archer and Iris had amazing chemistry, I loved seeing all the familiar characters from Dream Harbor (the book club! the town hall meetings!) and Archer’s daughter, Olive, was such a delight. These books are the epitome of found family x small town and are like a big hug in book form (with a nice side of spice 🌶️). Definitely check this one out and enjoy the escape to Dream Harbor.

I swear every book in this series gets better. I don't usually like books with kids but sweet little Olive just stole my heart from the beginning. I had a hard time with the third act and had to sit with it for a while before writing my review, because it almost impacted it, but overall the rest of the book made up for my frustrations with the third act breakup. I just hate those. Archer was so patient with Iris and I think they both had good character growth in the end, so that definitely made up for it.

When Iris needs a job during the off-season at the Christmas Tree farm, she never expects for nannying to be the answer. But when Archer finds out he is a dad to an adorable 5-year-old girl and needs help while he is busy trying to make pancakes that appease the town, he find he can't do it on his own. The solution of hiring Iris seems to be a solid one, even though neither one of them have any idea how to raise a child.
Filled with both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, this continuation of the Dream Harbor series is a must-read for fans of the charming residents. If you already love Dream Harbor, you’ll fall even more in love with this latest installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper360 for the digital ARC!

I liked the latest installment in the Dream Harbor series, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House. Iris has lived in Dream Harbor her whole life and loves it, but she can't seem to make any romance last or keep a job for very long. In short, she is has a commitment phobia, probably because she was raised by a single mom who never had a long term relationship. Enter Archer, who recently found out that he's a dad to a five year old in Dream Harbor. He had no idea about Olive, his daughter, but when Olive's mother dies, he is summoned from his dream job as a chef in a Paris restaurant, to meet her and be approved for custody. His plan is to satisfy the courts that he can be a good father, and whisk Olive back to Paris with him. While in Dream Harbor, he works as a chef in a café, known for it's pancakes. He also needs a live in nanny and hires Iris. Will Iris and Archer change their plans and start a family in Dream Harbor? As usual, there are town meetings, book club meetings, and nosy townsfolk. The Laurie Gilmore series is a comfort read, and perfect for these long winter days. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ebook galley to review.

Thank you Harper 360 for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary: A renowned chef and single dad reluctantly moves to a small town to run a pancake restaurant, where an unlikely nanny with a restless spirit might just become the missing piece in his life—with a little matchmaking help from his daughter.

My review: This may be my favorite of the four books so far! I loved the mix of tropes, and it delivered everything I expected from a cozy small-town romance—warmth, charm, and just the right amount of steam. A delightful read that perfectly balances heart and heat!

Genres/Themes: Fiction / Romance - Romantic Comedy / Romance - Workplace / Romance - Contemporary

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is scheduled for publication on March 18, 2025, by Harper 360.

Gilmore's books make you smile and Strawberry Patch Pancake House definitely did that.

This time around we have the single dad trope and nanny trope. I loved how Archer was so devoted to his daughter. Who doesn't love when a man is a great dad, especially when he's just learning of said daughter's existence? Olive was adorable. I really liked Iris's bond with both Olive and Archer. Iris and Archer had fantastic chemistry which stirred some great tension due to all the forced proximity. I really enjoyed their relationship. The grumpy x sunshine dynamic works well here with these two. The romance was sweet but also felt mature (they are adults after all). Plus the steamy scenes were well worth the wait!

This book was so cozy and lighthearted. I needed something to uplift my mood and this book achieved that. Would recommend if you like a Hallmark after dark vibe.

I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy of this book, but alas it fell short of perfect.

There were a few things that irked me about this one. The main one being it fell flat. I didn’t connect with the characters because Archer and Iris weren’t as three dimensional as they could have been. The nannying thing also happened really fast, including the whole moving in deal.

The town was a lot more nosier than they were in past books (in my opinion). And I got tired of everyone asking Archer and Iris how Olive was doing. I get they care, but they don’t care enough to stop a stranger from raising the child in the first place.

It was bewildering to me why they would call Archer to raise the child. I know the grandmother is older, but I would think she would be better equipped to raise her, especially since she actually knows the child. Archer is a complete stranger, even if he is her dad.

Archer gets better as the book progresses, but to me he still didn’t seem like the kind of guy to drop everything and move to a new (and small) town to raise a child he never met before. Seems unrealistic to me.

Why didn’t Olive’s mom, Cate, get more flak for not telling Archer he had a kid? I know she didn’t want to ruin his culinary dreams, but shouldn’t that be his choice to make? I’m angry that she took that away from him.

Anyhow, I loved this whole series, but this book fell short.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. I’m not usually a big fan of single dad romances but this one was just so cute and heartwarming. I fell in love with Iris and Olive right alongside Archer. I also loved the peek of Annie and Gus for the next book. This book helped me recover from a book slump by being an easy and fun read. I plan to buy this whole series.

I think this has got to be my favorite book in this series!! Olive was adorable and really was the star of this book.
Archer was an interesting character who is supposedly a world renowned chef but when it comes to pancakes..... he could use some help to calm down his nerves. Iris was a cutie pie and i related so much with her throughout this book it was honestly pretty funny! The romance was definitely a slow burn and the tension and heart eyes they gave each other were adorable. These books are like a warm hug on a rainy day and i just love this little town so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the chance to read this ARC.

This book had me squealing and kicking my feet the whole time! I will admit, I am not a fan of the single dad trope or the dad + nanny trope, but this book completely surprised me. Archer is doing great at being a dad for someone who never planned on it, and I thought Iris was completely relatable. I loved watching their relationship grow, and how they didn't just do whatever they wanted when they wanted to and considered long term effects. More characters should be this way in romance books, it feels more realistic! I love how Archer became less grumpy as the book went on, and Olive seems like a really adorable little kid that I would actually want to hang out with in person. Laurie Gilmore hasn't disappointed me yet, her books are cozy and comfort in the best way. I just loved this!

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House was super cute! I really enjoyed it. I know that it is a part of a series, but I didn’t feel lost reading this without reading the others prior. I will be going back to read the others ASAP. Dream Harbor is the coziest town, and this book makes me wish I lived in a similar town. I did get a small ick when Archer was cooking without a shirt on, no one wants bacon grease splattering their chest. Besides that, I really loved this book, and would recommend it, especially for those that have read the others or are looking for that small town, singe dad, nanny love story! Can’t wait to read the past and future books!

If you are looking for a fresh small town romance complete with a Chef (Archer) just in from Paris and an authentic first time nanny and seniors’ exercise instructor (Iris) with just the right amount of nosy townspeople…that would be everyone…then, this is the book for you. I loved this feel good story that was believable and creative at the same time. Having grown up in a small town, I enjoyed reading about this one and its quirky characters. Ms. Gilmore did a wonderful job developing the story line. Thank you to Ms. Gilmore, NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to review this delightful book!

While I haven't read the first 3 books in this series, I now understand what the hype is all about. In this 4th book, Archer arrives in town to assume custody of the 5 year old daughter that he never knew about. Her mother has died in an accident and the father she has never met comes to begin a relationship with her. Archer is a trained chef, coming from Paris, and takes over as chef at the local diner. Iris is hired to be Olive's nanny while Archer runs the breakfast and lunch shifts. You can correctly assume what transpires next!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley.

«Mushrooms, peppers, his whole damn heart. She could have all of it.»

The Dream Harbor books are always just the perfect amount Hallmark movie vibes...

I actually love the inner growth for both of the MCs. But I guess, these books are too instalove for me?
The town tho? That's why l'll be coming back time and time again.

Just had a good time reading this.
And I did, in fact, had pancakes while reading... I may get them again after finishing writing this...

I’ve loved the Dream Harbor series since I read the Pumpkin Spice Cafe. What I love most about the books is the deep connections the characters have both with each other, but also with the community and the town as a whole. In this story though, I wasn’t as invested in those relationships. Jeannie and Hazel were barely mentioned and Annie was completely left out, which really disappointed me. We didn’t get any Noah, Mac or Logan, which I really missed. I did enjoy Iris backstory and the addition of Olive was a really cute twist on the other books.

While the romance was fun and steamy, I did inwardly cringe every time I read “yes chef” in a sec scene. Please no more. Overall, I will definitely continue this series, mostly to finally get a story on Annie and Mac!

Thank you to Laurie Gilmore, NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is my new favorite by Laurie Gilmore. Well written and lovable characters. Fast read and will give you all the feels!
Thank you NG for the ARC.

This was the first book I've read by Laurie Gilmore. I've seen the first three books in this series all over social media and was very excited to get approved for an ARC on NetGalley by Harper360. Having not read the other books in this series I think it's totally fine to read this standalone if you'd like. There are times when you know side characters must have had their stories explored in their own book, but it doesn't take away anything if you don't know who they are.

I really like the idea of setting the book in a Stars Hollow-esque town. It was funny to get references to places like Target when the town is two streets big in my head. Sometimes I just wanted the town to either be a bit bigger or more clear on how close it was to I also had a hard time with the writing style. So many run-on sentences and commas.

And a lot of the characters felt a little flat, it wasn't until about 50-60% into the book that I started to care even a little bit about everyone and what was happening. I feel like after the 55% mark the book feels a little tighter, and Gilmore's voice shines better.

This was the first book I considered not finishing or giving feedback for, but I was grateful for the ARC so I pushed through.

Absolutely loved this book and the whole series
Definitely recommend. It you love small town cozy vibes this book is for you ✨️ it won't disappoint.

4 Stars – Sweet, Cozy, and Heartwarming!

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is pure small-town charm with the perfect blend of romance and feel-good vibes. Archer, the swoony single dad and talented chef, stole my heart, and his relationship with his daughter Olive was just too cute! Iris was such a relatable character—flawed but loveable—and watching her grow into her role as a nanny (while falling for Archer) was the ultimate slow-burn treat.

The forced proximity trope worked so well here, especially with Archer’s accidental topless cooking moments—hello, tension! Plus, the found family dynamic in Dream Harbor added a cozy layer that made the whole story feel like a warm hug.

If you love single dad romances, small-town settings, and sweet slow burns with a sprinkle of mystery, you’ll devour this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the arc of this book. The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is the fourth book in the Dream Harbor series. This book can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend reading the rest of the series. I love this series. This book is a cozy small town romance telling the story of local Iris and Archer who moves to Dream Harbor to raise his daughter Olive. I would have liked to see a little more of the Dream Harbor residents in this book and for it to be longer to accommodate for that. This book does have a small amount of spice but it fits the story. I read this book in two sittings. I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I have my fingers crossed that it will be about Annie and Mac.