What I love about this series is how light, and easy, and fun it is. Reading feels like watching a rom com and being wrapped in a warm hug. Even for the heavier elements of this book (discovering an unknown child, the grief of losing a parent, dealing with a surprise pregnancy), it all manages to feel rather happy. It’s not the most hard-hitting book, but it’s exactly the comforting balm my brain wanted.

4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars - a fun and easy read.

To those who have read this series, this will feel like quintessential Laurie Gilmore and while it’s not the story we all want (cough couch…Annie and Mac) it is a nice addition to the series.

To those who haven’t read any of the Dream Harbor series, this is a mix of a too steamy to show on hallmark movie set in Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hallow. While the plot is full of common tropes and a bit predictable (single dad, nanny who doesn’t want her own kids, instant love) it’s still enjoyable. I think the broader character crew really helps the story - especially Olive and the general town shenanigans.

Thank you to Laurie Gilmore, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love all the romances in this series and devour them in one day (even though I am not usually a fan of romances)! Always a perfect combination of a sweet love story and some spicy intimate scenes between realistic & likable characters. These books always have some soft of conflict which (temporarily) stops the love interests from getting together. It doesn't always ring true for me, but in this story it felt natural & well developed. I highly recommend!

If there's one thing Laurie Gilmore has perfected, it's the ability to create the cheesiest and cutest heartwarming stories. All of her books are instant requests on NetGalley for me, and this is the one I was most excited for. I'm a sucker for a chef, and after reading The Nanny by Lana Ferguson, I've become fond of the nanny/Dad trope.

I loved that this featured more of the town and its crew than the last two books, and that we got to see another born and bred Dreamer as the MC. While this book did feature a trope I typically DNF for, it was towards the end and I honestly didn't mind it in this book. I laughed, I blushed, I teared up; all in all, another great edition to the Dream Harbor series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Archer is a world class chef working in Paris when he receives the new that he's a father to a 5 year old girl and the mom was killed in a car accident. He's granted temporary custody for 6 months and must move to a small town in the North East USA. He ends up working at a diner where everyone's upset that he changed the pancake recipe and hires a nanny, who has no experience with children or staying in place for more than 6 months. It's a cute story of Archer finding his way.

I think that this installment was my favorite of the series. I loved the main characters of this story as they worked through their insecurities and learned that life is not always what we planned for it to be.

Fun, cute, and found family abound! I love this little town and the people in it. I definitely can't wait to read what's next for this town

This is the fourth book in the Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore and I really, really enjoyed it! To me, it’s right up there with The Pumpkin Spice Cafe. Iris becomes a nanny for Archer, a single (new!) father who moved to Dream Harbor after finding out he has a daughter. They both do not have plans to stay, but quickly fall in love…not just with each other, but the town and all of its characters. Who could blame them?

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is definitely my favorite book in the Dream Harbor series as of yet. Laurie Gilmore’s writing just keeps getting better with each book. I loved reading about Archer’s journey with meeting Olive, the daughter he didn’t know existed. Their relationship progression was so sweet, from her not being comfortable at all with him to them just being the cutest father-daughter duo ever. I wish this book had even more scenes between the 2 of them!

The relationship between Archer and Iris was equally as sweet. She really brings out the good man that he is and I loved their back and forth. You definitely start the book thinking Archer is going to be the one in the relationship with the commitment issues, so it was an interesting flip that it was Iris instead.

I’m excited to tune in for book 5 and the long awaited Annie and Mac!

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!