Series Name: Dream Harbor, # 2
Just like that, she was here, and Noah would swear the room slowed down, blurred, frozen in place. Everything but her.
Get ready to fall more in love with the Dream Harbor series.
When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can’t understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just need someone to help her out.
Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he’s been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!
Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…
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.
Thank you, HarperCollins Canada, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
