The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore:
The seasons most awaited book is out, full of dreamy quotes, loveable characters and cinnamon buns. What are you in store for? Is it worth the read?
Image: Harper Collins Publishers
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store opens up in the quaint little town of Dream Harbour, home of friendships, dreams, and a gossiping book club. Hazel is stuck in a quarter life crisis, worrying she hasn’t had enough fun in her almost thirty years. With her milestone birthday fast approaching, Hazel recruits Noah, the town heartthrob, for a much-needed, well-deserved summer of fun. Following clues left for her in the romance section of her bookstore, Hazel spends the summer outside of her comfort zone. With all the quality time she has spent with Noah, it would be hard not to fall for him. But, they promised each other a summer of fun, no strings attached, right?
If you’re looking for something to read in bed with a cup of tea, flowers on your bedside and your pet cuddled up at your feet, then this book is for you. The cosiness comes through with every page, Laurie Gilmore will always succeed at that.
Tropes:
Opposites attract
Small town romance
He falls first
Shy girl x playboy
Found family
After falling in love with The Pumpkin Spice Café, Dream Harbour, and its residents last year, I was practically counting down the days until the release for The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore.
However, unfortunately, this fell a little flat for me. While the characters were sweet and charming, the plot fell a little short for me. It felt repetitive, like the main characters were going backwards and forwards over and over again. I didn’t find myself longing to pick it up like I did with The Pumpkin Spice Café, and I wasn’t as wrapped up in the story as I wanted to be.
I went into this expecting a cosy autumn read, just like The Pumpkin Spice Café, but autumn doesn’t arrive in Dream Harbour until around the 250 mark. Now, I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but if you’re going to advertise it as autumnal, I expect autumnal. If you’re a mood reader like me, this could be a good read for September, when the breeze is starting to cool and the jackets are coming out.
This book will make you want to move to a small town, open up a shop, and fall in love with one of the residents. Who wouldn’t want that?
Though this won’t be my favourite of the Dream Harbour series, I will be picking up the third instalment, The Christmas Tree Farm, when I’m ready to channel all the wintery vibes. Until then, I’ll be dreaming of having a small town romance.
My review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
You can purchase Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbour Series Via the links below:
Image : © Samantha Bailey Photographer
Written by Liberty Powell
Edited by Isabel Butler