The Cinnamon Bun Book Store: Dream Harbor 2

I absolutely adored The Pumpkin Spice Café and have been itching to get my hands on the next book in the series. I really enjoyed this book, maybe not as much as the first, but it’s still a fabulous read. Like most romance book series, this book can be read as a stand-alone. Each book focuses on a different couple, and Laurie does a great job at bringing her readers up to speed on what happened in the previous book. The Cinnamon Bun Book Store was as delightful and charming as the first book. I loved getting to return to the small community of Dream Harbor. I think it’s my favourite small town to be in, and that’s because Laurie nailed that Stars Hallow vibe perfectly. Dream Harbor is bursting with sweet, quirky, and delightful townspeople who bring so much joy and laughter to the story. If you are a Gilmore Girls fan, then you will just eat up the vibes this book and series is giving off.

In this book, we follow Hazel and Noah. Hazel is the town’s resident bookworm who works at the local bookshop. Hazel finds herself going through a quarter-life crisis. She realizes that she has been letting life pass her by and decides to spend the last two months before her 30th birthday being a little crazy. And who better to be crazy with than the town’s playboy and good-time guy, Noah? Noah has fallen fast and hard for Hazel, but he doesn’t know how to tell her how he feels. But she is determined to use these next two months, showing her they are perfect for each other. I enjoyed this story. I loved the little mystery around the clues left in the books and the mini adventures that they sparked. The pinning, especially from Noah, was a miss for me. I am not a bookworm who likes it when a hero pines for the heroine excessively. It’s just a major turn-off for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when a hero falls fast and hard, but it drives me crazy when he doesn’t act upon those feelings. It was obvious from the previous book that Noah had a crush on Hazel, and I thought it was adorable that he kept coming to the bookstore to buy books just so he could talk to Hazel. I just wish he had told Hazel that he liked her sooner in this book instead of keeping it to himself. However, if you like a hero that pines, this book will be right up your alley.

Hazel was a great character. I found it to be really relatable and real. I’m sure many bookworms can relate to her fear that she is letting life pass her by. Those big birthday mile-stones can be a scary thing. I loved the fact that Noah brought out this wilder and more outgoing side of Hazel. She feels so comfortable with him that she is willing to try things out of her comfort zone. Watching Hazel go on all these mini adventures while falling head over heels in love with Noah was a lot of fun.

The romance in this book is spicier than the previous book. There are a lot more sexy time scenes scattered throughout the story. You will love this book if you are a fan of small-town romances; he falls first and harder, opposite attracts, major pinning, and friends with benefits. I liked Hazel and Noah as a couple. They really balance each other out in the best possible ways. They bring out the best in each other. It was a lot of fun watching as these two go on this romantic journey that starts out as being friends, then friends with benefits, and finally, something much more. The major hurdle that these two have to overcome is an internal one. They both are the ones who resist or are hesitant to act upon any romantic feelings they have for each other. Their inability to talk about their true feelings creates some moments of misunderstanding.

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store oozes with charm and spice and so many things that are oh so nice.

Omg, I love the playlist at the beginning of the story. This is Hazel’s story, and while the books are interconnected and standalone, it helps if you read The Pumpkin Spice Cafe.  Hazel is a bibliophile, and her bookstore is what dreams are made of. But she feels stuck, stagnant. She is almost thirty, and she still has the same friends, the same small town, and no romance in her own life.  Hazel is looking for an adventure, not just one, in her next read. 

Noah, the town fisherman and playboy, seems hot for Hazel. But he is a sweet friend offering to assist her in her desire for adventure. 

I have an idea of who is leaving the clues. It is obvious, but of course, the mystery has to continue. They are very swoony and romantic, minus the defacing of excellent books. But the author does a great job of capturing the seasonal summer vibes. 

I don’t know that casual and more than friends are in Hazel’s vocabulary, but why not? It is summer, and Noah is like a summer breeze. Hot, swoony, sweet, and riddled with unexpected surprises.  This book does get steamy, and they break more of their boundaries, and I love that he falls first. This is truly an opposites attract story. 

The surprises keep coming, but this summer romance gets a little dreary toward the end, and then it pops back up like a heat wave. Noah is excellent, the perfect book boyfriend, and Hazel has come a long way but still doubts herself.

Summer leads in Autumn as the story ends. The time jumps are fast, but the story is delightful either way. I loved this book; it was even better than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe.

The ending of the book is fantastic and so sweet.  After reading this charming summer romance, I’m so excited to read the next story by this author, The Christmas Tree Farm,

Los que esperábamos que esta lectura fuese otoñal nos quedamos con la portada porque por lo demás no tiene nada. En ese sentido ha sido decepcionante porque es lo que te están vendiendo.

Por otro lado, la historia en sí no me ha acabado de convencer, había veces que me parecían muy infantiles, el final ha sido apresurado. La primera parte de la serie sin ser magnífica me convenció más.

𝕊𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕪.𝕤𝕞𝕦𝕥𝕥𝕪.𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕤 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪: ✨✨✨.5/5
𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is the second book in the Dream Harbor series and it is so cute!

Another adorable read by Laurie Gilmore that focuses on Hazel and Noah’s love story!

If you read The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, you knew that Noah had a serious crush on Hazel! So watching their story play out in front of our eyes was so freaking cute!

I loved Hazel’s character! She’s smart and introverted, but also has moments of panic (especially when her 30 birthday is right around the corner). But when I really started to love her, was when she began hanging out with Noah. He brought out all the confident sides of Hazel and showed her that life can be lived on her terms and that she didn’t necessarily have to rush things to experience it all.

Hazel also taught Noah a lot about life. He was so ashamed of his past decisions that he was avoiding the people who meant the most to him (besides Hazel). She showed him that it’s ok to be vulnerable and to grow through it.

I highly suggest reading this book/series if you are looking for a quick, fun, and feel good read!

What to look for:
– Opposites Attract
– Small Town
– Forced Proximity
– He Falls First