This blog is a compilation of my reviews of all the books in The Dream Harbour series by Laurie Gilmore. As new books come out and I read and review them, this will be updated.
I have really been enjoying this series as a great option for a cute read that has Gilmore girls town vibes and just the right mix of smut, plot and romance to make it a good, easy going read.
The reviews are the original ones I wrote at the time of reading and have been un-edited for this compilation, use the table of contents to skip to the one you are interested in.
I do try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, but obviously the further down the series order you go, the harder that gets for earlier books.
- The Pumpkin Spice Cafe
- The Cinnamon Bun Book Store
- The Christmas Tree Farm
- The Strawberry Patch Pancake House
- The GingerBread Bakery
- The Daisy Chain Flower Shop
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe
Plot summary attempt
Our main character Jeanie has taken over her Aunt’s beloved cafe in a small town. The opportunity came up at the perfect time for Jeanie after the shock of finding her boss dead at his desk, which sent her into a full tail spin panic that she was being given a glimpse into her future if she didn’t fix her workaholic ways. The place is perfect except for strange noises that keep occurring in the alley, for which the town volunteers the big strong farmer to help. When they discover that the noises were just a cute little cat, Jeanie thinks the troubles will be over but someone keeps trying to sabotage her as she gets the cafe up and running again. Meanwhile Logan is known for falling hard and fast but he’s trying to resist falling for another girl who is having her ‘eat, pray, love’ moment in their idillic small town. Plus the whole town has dubbed themselves his protector, after his mum passed away when he was small and they are very much involved in his life. But he can’t help but be drawn to this girl and feels protective over her as whoever is trying to sabotage her escalates.
My thoughts
I liked this story, it’s a little slow for me but but the mystery of who was trying to scare her off adds an interesting extra element. The ‘conflict’ in this isn’t really one so that was kind of frustrating but if you like a low stakes kind of story line, this is definitely a nice cosy read.
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store
An attempt at summarising
This book follows Hazel, the manager of the Cinnamon Bun book store, on the lead up to her 30th birthday, which she is in the midst of full blown crisis about. She likes her life but Hazel feels like she never really took an risks, did anything wild, or traveled much and with her thirties approaching she feels like the door is closing on trying to do those things. So when someone starts leaving mysterious coded messages inside the books at her store, Hazel only thinks of one person to help her follow the trail, completing the activities the messages point to, and to help her have a wild summer – the very good looking, never had a serious relationship Noah.
Except, Noah has been trying to find a way to spend time with Hazel for months, had even developed a pretty serious reading hobby as an excuse to talk to her. He knows right from the start of following the clues that he wants something more with Hazel but since she picked him for her ‘summer of fun’, he decides to be content with the pieces of her she’ll give. He’s a screwup so he expects nothing less when he thinks she doesn’t see things going any further with him.
Only problem is, they both catch feelings pretty quickly but are so certain the other only wants a short-term thing, plus, all they both signed up for was one wild summer…
My thoughts
Look, these books are relatively low stakes, they are cosy romances, with open door but fairly vague terminology spicy scenes. This book is exactly as advertised. I’ve seen a few too many ‘hot takes’ that ‘booktok has lied to people’ about this series. Yes we have some character progression, yes there are some things at stake, but mostly we’re here for a fluffy, easy good time.
I liked the characters in this one, Hazel being introverted, nerdy and big black cat-ish energy, against Noah and his golden retriever, outgoing energy. I liked how Hazel concludes that she’s exactly where she’s meant to be, that she’s being made to feel like she ‘missed out’ by society and it’s okay if she’s content working in the same place she always has, in the same town, with the same friends. She likes her life and that is okay. Especially with the addition of Noah and just a little bit more adventure to push her out of her comfort zone sometimes.
It was cute story and felt to me like a mildly accurate version of a low-key quarter life crisis.
The Christmas Tree Farm
An attempt at summarising
Kira is shocked to discover that the crunchy homesteading life is harder than it looks and despite her hatred of all things Christmassy, it looks like she’ll have to re-open the Christmas tree farm she bought sight un-seen because she’s run out of money for renovations.
Cold, stressed and wrapped in a duvet to cope with the cold is how she bumps into Bennet Ellis, the brother to the main character from book 1. Mr Fix everything, especially for pretty girls in distress, is instantly drawn in by Kira’s appearance, despite her being cold as ice to him but super nice to the dogs he was walking on what he thought was abandoned land. Luckily, when the crazy town of nosey people find out he’d spoken to Kira, they give him an excuse to keep going back because of the old rumour that the previous owner buried his wife somewhere on the farm, along with some ‘treasure’. They want him to continue going up to the farm and ‘walking the dogs’ as an excuse to poke around, so that if he finds ‘the body’ first he can make sure Kira doesn’t get scared off by it (they are very excited for the tree farm to re-open).
Even when he eventually convinces Kira to let him take a look at her boiler, and she starts to warm up to him, he’s shocked to discover that Kira does not want to be rescued. Spoiled all her life by rich parents, Kira is done relying on others to do the hard parts. If she’s going to set up a business then she’ll do it with enthusiasm and without anyone swooping in to save her.
What neither of them expected was to catch feelings so quickly but can it even work when they are both trying to break old patterns? Kira’s trying to stand on her own and Bennett is trying not to give up everything for someone else’s dream (again).
My review
I liked Kira’s pov in this book, because she’s so against all these hallmark movie moments that are happening to her and it was very much like ‘what if I dropped a chronically online, instagram loving, spoiled rich girl into the town from Gilmore Girls and the plot of a cheesy movie’ vibes. These books are cosy and low stakes so the characters journeys aren’t extensive but I felt like in this one the ‘barriers’ were at least believable. Because Bennet likes being needed but Kira didn’t need him, despite thinking she couldn’t do this alone, she actually ends up doing a really good job with the business at the farm by herself. But in trying to break her pattern of relying on others, she can’t ask Bennet to stay and help her and because Ben uprooted his life once for a girl before, he’s really trying not to do it again, despite falling hard and fast for Kira. So our third act miscommunication is like, a genuinely believable conflict.
This book is cute, has some funny bits, has dogs in it and cooky townsfolk, it was definitely the one that felt the most Stars Hollow-esq. This series does have ‘open door’ spicy scenes but they are the kind that stays a bit vague about what is happening whilst still describing the event – if that makes sense?
I think overall book two is my favourite but this series is definitely perfect as a holiday read or cosy, easy reading.
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House
A vague summary
This book follows another character we have met in the earlier books, Iris, who jumps from job to job never settling, trying to be the opposite of her mum and not falling in love over and over again. When renowned chef, Archer, is forced to move into the small town and use his skills at the local (and much beloved) diner, in order to get custody of the daughter he’s only just found out exists. He’s left trying to fit into a life so far removed from the world of being a chef in Paris chasing a Michelin star and trying to get to know his traumatised daughter whose just lost her mum. When the town busy-bodies find out he’s in need of a nanny and that Iris needs a job, they push the two of them together and even though Archer knows it’s a mistake to hire the hot nanny, he’s desperate, so he agrees.
Then they are both faced with a problem, what do two people who are very used to (and enjoy) short-term flings do when they are staying in the same house, caring for a grieving little girl, but have crazy flirty tension they can’t act on. Shockingly, this tension ends up boiling over but in the aftermath they are both surprised that they don’t want it to be over.
But after Olive has lost her mum, it would Iris’s worst nightmare for her to start to be a parental figure in her life, when she’s never had a long term relationship or wanted kids before, for the relationship not to work out. Archer never pictured himself settling in a small town, getting home at a reasonable hour, or being a family man, but as he falls more in love with his daughter and grows closer to Iris, he can see a future better than he ever dreamed of. This idyllic picture is incomplete without Iris though. Can they both overcome their commitment issues and choose a different future together?
My review
This book is cute, the whole flirty tension is a good balance against the sweet kid scenes. This is definitely the book where you feel the Stars Hollow-ness of the town and there were lots of funny moments where Archer buts up against it. I think book 2 is still my favourite so over-all.
The GingerBread Bakery
A plot summary
This book follows Annie and Mac, who we’ve seen have a love/ hate (mostly hate) relationship through the other books in the series. It’s clear there’s something between them from the past but we don’t find out anything about it until this book. The storyline flashes between the present day, where they are attending a wedding for one of Annie’s close friends and are both in the wedding party, to the past, when 18 year old Annie and Mac had one magical Christmas together.
Mac did something stupid back then that Annie has never forgiven him for, but during the week of the wedding he finally has an excuse to be around her where Annie can’t avoid him. So he makes it his mission to finally clear the air from when they were young. Lucky for Mac, the Grandmother of the groom goes missing the day before the wedding, so he manages to persuade Annie to let him help, as the groomsman and the only one of the two of them with a full tank of gas and snow chain on his tyres.
Maybe it’s the magic of a Christmas wedding, or someone taking care of her for once, but Annie starts to find it harder and harder to resist Mac’s charms. Can she let go of all the hurt and embarrassment from years ago? Would she and Mac even work as adults?
My review
I still think my favourite book in the series is the 2nd but I did really like this one. It had all the nostalgia of a first love, against the realities of finding love again in your 30’s and the baggage you inevitable carry with you by then. I love the Gilmore girls-esq town setting of these books and that they don’t pretend to be anything other than that what they are, cute romances with a hint of plot to keep you interested.
The Daisy Chain Flower Shop
Plot summary attempt
Daisy’s flower shop is in trouble, the quirky town of Dream Harbor have decided that Daisy is cursed and now her shop hasn’t booked any weddings, which is her main earner, in months. Thing is… Daisy sort of agrees with them, with one failed marriage behind her and one failed engagement, she’s done with love. Until… her ex walks into her flower shop with his new fiance and Daisy panics, grabbing the hot new architect and pretending he’s her new boyfriend and that she’s moved on too.
Elliot is just coming back to himself after a devastating divorce, so when the stunning flower shop girl grabs him and calls him her boyfriend, it re-activates something in him that he thought had gone forever with his ex. When she is later having trouble in a town council meeting, he surprises himself by standing up and declaring himself her boyfriend, reassuring the town that Daisy and her flowers are not cursed. A fake relationship has the added benefit of reassuring his worried mum and brother that he’s fine and moving on from the divorce finally.
Only problem is… they find each other ridiculously attractive. That attraction has awoken something in both of them which went kind of dormant after their respective heartbreaks, also, they really enjoy each other’s company. But they are both so afraid of being hurt again that they might just let a good thing pass them by.
My thoughts
I liked this book, Daisy is funny and Elliot is a nerdy introvert who also has a great sense of humour. I didn’t feel like they drew out the whole ‘we cant be together’ thing too long. I also liked how the romantic aspect starts to develop very naturally and the conflict becomes more about their inner worlds and traumas, but at no point is that used as a pointless miscommunication that pulls them apart.
The town’s history and the town’s ridiculous superstitions add a fun backdrop, plus we get fun little snippets of the other couples from previous books.
All in all: a fun, cosy, book with just enough plot for me to feel less guilty about choosing another easy read!
So, there you go, stay tuned for updates as I read the latest books in the series as and when they come out!
