384 pages Publisher Harper Collins Publication date September 16, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK
Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone.
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As owner of her beloved Gingerbread Bakery, Annie Andrews should have a love life to match her business; sugary and sweet. But instead, she’s locked in a game of words with the irritatingly upbeat bar owner down the street.
Mac Sullivan has everything he wants, except the girl he dreams of. It’s easier to argue with Annie than get her to talk to him but with Jeanie and Logan’s wedding coming up, they’re about to spend a lot more time together.
As the snowflakes fall and with romance in the air, will Annie see that the one she loves to hate might just be her perfect match after all?
The Gingerbread Bakery is a cozy romantic novel with an enemies to lovers dynamic, small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!
Tropes:
Forced Proximity
Enemies to lovers
Found family
Small Town
MY THOUGHTS
This is Dream Harbor book number five and it’s absolutely lovely. I’m delighted I got a chance to read it. We continue on with the same characters while adding a few new characters in to make it even better. I love having the familiarity of past characters to anchor a book. A small-town cozy spicy holiday romance.
Our two main characters have known each other for years and he’s been crushing on her this whole time, but she had no idea. They did have a bit of a romantic past that didn’t last but that hasn’t kept him from still wanting to be with her.
She’s always treated him as an annoyance and when he’s returned to town she seems to notice him, really notice him. Where have these feelings come from, she wonders, this isn’t supposed to be happening. A second chance romance that’ll have you cheering the characters to actually stay together this time. And yes, there are kittens in the book, who can resist that?
We also meet the main characters from the next book in the series, and I can’t wait to read it next Spring.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the author
Laurie Gilmore is a #1 New York Times, Sunday Times, and Globe & Mail bestselling author who writes steamy small-town romance. Her Dream Harbor series is filled with quirky townsfolk, cozy settings, and swoon-worthy romance. The first book in the series, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, was featured on Good Morning America and was named the TikTok Shop Book of the Year 2024.
She loves finding books with the perfect balance of sweetness and spice and strives for that in her own writing. If you ever wished you lived in Stars Hollow (or that Luke and Lorelai would just get together already!) then her books are definitely for you.
360 pages Avon publisher November 14, 2023 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
In this heartwarming story from New York Times bestselling author Courtney Cole, an unhappily married couple makes a wish on an enchanted snow globe that they had never met, but when they wake up the next day in separate lives, the magic of Christmas helps them to realize that some love is just meant to be.
Two weeks ’til Christmas…
Noel Blake is not in a great place. After several years of marriage, she and her husband Jonah are quietly drifting apart. The only time they really talk at all anymore is when they walk their dog, Elliott. And even then it usually ends in bickering.
When, one snowy day, Elliott manages to slip his leash, they find him blocks away in the care of a mysterious old man who asks them to make a wish on an old snow globe. Eager to get their dog safely home, they agree to his strange request. Neither one realizes that the wish they’re about to make will change the course of their lives… possibly forever.
When Noel and Jonah wake up the next morning, they’re in separate beds, separate apartments, separate lives. But are they any happier? As they live the existences they’d always wished for, both feel that something very important is missing. And when a chance encounter brings the pair back together, they find they have a spark of something very special.
Will they be able to find their way back to each other before it’s too late, or does the Christmas Magic have another fate in store?
MY THOUGHTS
This is a very magical Christmas story. I’ve never seen a book with this premise before. A married couple who used to be so in love who have lost the shine in their marriage are walking their Mastiff one evening. Unable to control him the leash slips out of her hands, and he runs off through the busy streets into an elderly man’s Curiosity Shop, full of odds and ends you’ll find it all here.
The man gives them a magical snow globe and they make a wish to have never met. Waking up the next day single, each has their own life and jobs they are proud of, and they don’t know each other.
A work-related task and an elderly parent both call them home for the holidays and they happen to both coincidently be going to the same town. We follow them on their day-to-day life as they get a second chance at writing wrongs and falling in love all over again.
That old snow globe may have just sprinkled a little holiday magic in the air for this couple. Sweet second chance romance in a charming small town.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
Courtney Cole is a New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels. She enjoys eating reader emotions for breakfast, wearing cashmere socks (when she’s not barefoot) and collecting hula girls.
An optimist, Pacman champion, trophy wife, and fierce mama, her motto is to live with grace. She believes in the power of blonde hair dye and red lipstick, and feels that a well-timed smile can change the world.
When Olivia’s beloved Aunt Grace passes, she leaves everything to her niece, with one condition: Travel to Prague and deliver a message to Grace’s long-lost true love, Marek.
The trouble is, Olivia’s world is getting smaller. Since her husband left her one heartbreaking Christmas Eve, she has found even getting into town a challenge, let alone travelling by herself to a different country.
But this is one adventure she has to take, if she is to honour Grace.
The snowy, magical city of Prague slowly starts to awaken her festive spirit, and as Marek’s nephew, Tomas, shows her around the gorgeous Christmas markets, Olivia begins to feel she can truly live again.
Grace never had her chance at love, but might Olivia’s secret Christmas wish come true and grant her a second chance at romance?
When you read a book by a new to you author and you’re just blown away. Now I realize I have a lot of catching up to do.
This book may have made me wipe a few tears away and more than ever I realize not to let a once in a lifetime opportunity slip away. Oh, my heart! The perfect book with all the feels, such a charming and delightful book that had me smiling the whole while I read it.
I’ve never read a book taking place in Prague and my journey was full of delightful scenery, fun customs, delicious foods and enchanting dialogue. Olivia is devested when her Aunt Grace passes. She was like a grandmother to her, and they were very close. She is set to inherit everything her aunt owns but must first pass on a message to her aunt’s lost true-love, Marek.
Having never been to Prague she really doesn’t want to go but her aunt’s solicitor talks her into it. Jumping on a plane to Prague at Christmas time is not idea with the business but is preferable to sitting around thinking about her divorce she has recently gone through.
Finding Mareck is not easy but does happen, well his family anyways as they say he has passed years ago. Mareck was her Aunt Grace’s lost love but circumstances beyond their control kept them apart and Olivia was to give him a last message from her aunt.
As she meets Marek’s nephew, Tomas she starts to once again come alive after being belittled and made to feel inadequate in her marriage. Oh, I loved the Christmassy descriptions of Prague. It was so refreshing to see Olivia regain her self-confidence with Mareck’s family as they go through letters sent by her aunt so long ago.
Will Tomas and Olivia let their special chance at love slip away when she has to return home just like her aunt has or will this fairytale romance continue to shine bright for all time? Pure delight can’t wait to look up more by the author and get reading.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish best selling author and journalist. Her debut novel was a winning entry in the 2017 Montegrappa First Fiction competition at Dubai’s Emirates Literary Festival. Her debut was also a contender for the coveted 2021 Joan Hessayon Award for new writers. Helga’s second romantic comedy, A Scandinavian Summer, went straight to number one on the Amazon Kindle charts for Danish travel on its publication day. Helga holds a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing, along with a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. She is currently working on a PhD.
Helga, who lived in the Middle East for much of her life, continues to work as a freelance journalist when not writing books. A former airline stewardess, she now has her feet firmly on the ground and lives with her wonderful family, including a crazy Labradoodle who never stops making her laugh.
Thank you for stopping in. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful day.
352 pages Avon publisher October 15, 2024 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
From the author of Dog Days Forever, a heartfelt, holiday contemporary romance perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis, Kristan Higgins, and Susan Mallery, in which a young woman returns to her small hometown and ends up fostering a pregnant dog with—of all people—the man she used to love.
Lucy Buchanan and Theo Taylor have never gotten along…like ever. Not when they were children, not when they were teenagers, and definitely not as adults…though that last part might be more Lucy’s doing than Theo’s. It was the summer after she graduated college when their antagonism towards each other boiled over into something… hot.
That is until Lucy left town in a flash, leaving everything behind for warm Los Angeles. But now she’s returned after seven years following a bad breakup, and a newfound disillusionment with La-La Land.
As for Theo, he doesn’t know and doesn’t care about whatever happened to make Lucy come back. His lingering resentment is enough to keep her at arm’s length until she inevitably leaves again. The problem is, being around each other has proven that their friction isn’t going anywhere, especially when it leads to some pretty intense heat.
The two have no idea what they’ve rekindled, but things get even more complicated when they rescue a pregnant dog together, taking on joint responsibility of caring for her.
Lucy and Theo must find a way to overcome their past, first for the sake of the dog and her litter, and for their own wounded hearts.
MY THOUGHTS
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I loved it. It has zipped right up there as my favorite book of the holiday season this year and I read Christmas books all year so that’s really saying something. Okay, so it didn’t hurt that the cover is so darn appealing. After all who can resist a huge lug of a dog and her adorable puppies?
A second chance romance that everyone seems to know is going on except for the main players. Seven years ago, Lucy Buchanan and Theo Taylor were romantically involved. Keep in mind this couple doesn’t get along, never has from the time they met during childhood all the way through everything they’ve been through together.
From teasing to arguments, it’s not happening. But is this just a front for how they really feel for each other again. With Lucy back from LA with a bad breakup under her belt she can’t help noticing how Theo has matured but this doesn’t stop them from being on each other’s last nerves again. With smoldering looks and mistletoe kisses it may be cold outside but this couple doesn’t need a fireplace to keep themselves warm.
The star attraction of the show was Bear, a huge dog Lucy found that brings the couple together more than ever. It’s not all bows and ribbons in this one though as we have some angsty scenes. An exciting feel-good spicy romance perfect for holiday reading.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
Shannon Richard lives in Tallahassee, FL with her adorable rescue dog Teddy—not that she’s biased or anything. She enjoys experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen or perfecting an old one. It’s typically done with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in hand. She has no shame for the amount of reality T.V. she indulges in, listens to entirely too many podcasts, and is now a plant lady.
293 pages September 19, 2023 publication date Crooked Lane Books publisher
ABOUT THE BOOK
It’s beginning to look a lot like murder in the sixth installment of this charming cozy mystery series, perfect for fans of Donna Andrews and Jacqueline Frost.It’s the beginning of December in Rudolph, New York, America’s Christmas Town, and business is brisk at Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, a gift and décor shop owned by Merry Wilkinson. The local amateur dramatic society is intensely preparing a special musical production of A Christmas Carol. But it’s not a happy set, as rivalries between cast and crew threaten the production.Tensions come to a head when a member of the group is found dead shortly after a shopping excursion to Mrs. Claus’s Treasures. Was someone looking to cut out the competition? Everyone in the cast and crew is a potential suspect, including Aline, Merry’s mother, and Merry’s shop assistant Jackie O’Reilly, who was desperate for a starring role.It could be curtains for Christmas—and for Merry—unless the killer can be ferreted out of the wings.
MY THOUGHTS
Rudolf, New York is full of Christmas cheer, or is it. This charming Christmas time cozy mystery has the local drama club preparing for the annual Christmas production.
When a member of the team is found dead, we find out some of the members are jealous of the roles others are playing and think they deserved the part. Is this enough to take the merry and bright out of the holiday season?
As the snow flies so do tempers in this cozy that kept me guessing as I flipped pages.
An author whose books I don’t miss has done it again with another satisfying cozy mystery presentation.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than forty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Year Round Christmas books for Crooked Lane, the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.
Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards.
Vicki is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
Welcome to Pepper Bay, where you’ll find love, drama, and a happily ever after.
Snuggle down with this cosy, feel-good, comfort read that whisks you away to a beautiful bay on the Isle of Wight – Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Alison Sherlock, Rachael Lucas, and Holly Martin.
The Pepper Bay books are standalone stories, best read in order, that intertwine with recurring characters.
Silver Wish Farm: After Rhett left Heath on their wedding day, things were never the same for them, but because they have a daughter, they’ve always tried their best to keep the peace. But then life changes for Heath, and he suddenly wants answers about their past and the future he believes he should have had, but will Rhett tell him the real reason she left him all those years ago?
MY THOUGHTS
The Pepper Bay series is one of my favorites and I’ve read quite a few in it though not quite all yet. It makes for comfortable reading to be able to return to this series time after time and feel familiar with the setting and characters that many we’ve met before in other books in the series. Not a problem if this is your first read in the series though as it’s a delightful story all on its own.
We were introduced to Heath and Rhett, and you’ve got to love their names in another book in the series. They have a backstory, Rhett never showed up for her wedding with Heath many years ago and she broke his heart. They keep it civil though because they have a child together and coparent her.
We do see a lot of differences in their families and how they were raised and how it affected each of them and still does. As Rhett spends more time with Heath with and without their daughter those old feelings come rushing back but their newfound second chance romance is anything but rushed.
Through many heart to heart and emotional talks they must decide what is right for them, their daughter and the farm. A beautiful second chance romance and a man who wants to open his heart back up to the possibility of a second chance love but is afraid to.
I really enjoyed how this wasn’t rushed they thought of their daughter’s wants and needs and how she would feel about the chance of her parents reuniting for good.
The author writes a fun and realistic book from the heart. Family relationships are important, and the characters draw you in to care about them. Looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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Author Bio – Hello, I’m K.T. Dady. I’m the bestselling author of the Pepper Bay series. I’m also a chocolate lover, mum to a grown-up daughter, and a huge fan of a HEA. I was born and raised in the East End of London, and I’ve been happily writing stories since I was a little girl. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, baking cakes, or pottering around in my little garden in Essex, trying not to kill the flowers.
379 pages Berkley publisher April 30,2024 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
These childhood best friends swore they’d never speak again. But a surprise summer reunion changes everything when it gives them the chance to turn up the heat.
Effie Olsen thought she’d never live on the tiny Maine island where she grew up, but she’s returning from sixteen years as a professional chef in far-flung countries for one summer and one summer only. Her hometown boasts one of the best restaurants in the US, and lucky for her, Brown Butter needs a sous chef. Effie’s eager for a chance at redemption after her last job went up in flames, but reluctant to set down roots in a place that reminds her of the ghosts of her past.
Until, that is, she runs into Ernie Callahan, her onetime best friend who now works in the very same restaurant. Early morning swims and late-night games of truth or dare with Ernie remind her of what she’s been missing while traveling the world. He knows her better than anyone, and it doesn’t hurt that his smile lights her up brighter than the lighthouses dotting the craggy coastline.
But their restaurant has a secret that’s bursting at the seams, and if Effie doesn’t keep it, her job will vanish into the foggy Maine air. As summer draws to a close, her dream job and the perfect guy are both within reach. Her salty seaside hometown might be the key to Effie’s sweet ending…if she can learn to let her heart lead the way in time.
MY THOUGHTS
Absolutely delightful foodie summer romance set on an island off the coast of Maine. So realistically descriptive, I could hear the water crashing against the rocks, see the seaweed as the low tide lapped, hear the gulls cawing looking for breakfast and see the lobster boats out with their traps set as they watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean.
Though I don’t live in Maine I have had the privilege of visiting the beautiful and charming state multiple times in summer and fall. I’m ready to return.
Effie left the tiny Maine island and her best friend Ernie sixteen years ago, right after high school, thinking never to live there again. She had high aspirations for herself, become a professional chef and travel to foreign countries. She accomplishes both but her latest restaurant job doesn’t work out so well and she’s home again on the island after all this time, just for the summer she tells herself.
Ernie, he’s a lifer, he still lives on the island and is satisfied to not have the travel bug. Island life has treated him well. Effie knows it’s inevitable on the small island she’ll eventually run into Ernie. You can’t plan these things, it’ll just happen. Will it be awkward after all this time?
Working at an island restaurant, Brown Butter, Effie is satisfied and it’s a popular spot for the locals and tourists alike. Behind the scenes there are things going on and Effie feels she must speak up. Once she speaks up how will her job security hold up though? I loved how so much of the book took place in the restaurant and got a real feel of the professional restaurant scene from the servers to the line prep to the dishwashers. The desserts sounded amazing and the dinners divine.
This was a slow burn romance that had Effie and Ernie reuniting in a surprising way, talking things out and taking it slow with their romance. Will Effie’s mind be changed about staying just for the summer or will she be trotting off on her next adventure when the leaves start to change? Such a fun summertime beach read I’ll be on the lookout for more by the author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Rochelle Bilow is a romance writer, food writer, and writer writer. She is a graduate of The French Culinary Institute and has worked as a baker, a line cook, and the social media manager for Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines. Her articles about home cooking, restaurants, food news and trends, spirits, groceries, and products have been published in a variety of national publications, including: Eating Well, Food & Wine, Serious Eats, The Kitchn, and The Spruce Eats.
Rochelle’s first book, a romantic farming memoir titled The Call of the Farm, was published by The Experiment in 2014.
Ruby Spencer’s Whisky Year, her second book—and fiction debut—was published by Berkley Romance in February 2023. It is available wherever books are sold.
Rochelle’s second romcom, Effie Olsen’s Summer Special, will be published in April 2024, and is available for preorder now!
Have you read, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas? It’s such an important book about dog rescue. You will pawsitively love it! Come see my review here on my other blog.
379 pages October 11,2022 publication date Random House publisher
About The Book
When a young woman finds herself lost and at a crossroads, one last gift from her brother just might give her another chance at life and at love in this epic holiday romance from the author of Always, in December
“Heartbreaking, romantic and full of warmth . . . waterproof mascara recommended!”—Sarah Morgan, author of The Christmas Sisters
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: PopSugar
Sometimes the best gifts in life are the ones you don’t expect.
Cassie and Tom lost their parents at a young age and relied on each other—as well as a community of friends—to cope. They were especially close with Tom’s best friend, Sam, who always made sure that Tom and Cassie were surrounded with love. But, twenty years later, Cassie has lost Tom as well. And in a way, she’s also lost Sam; over the years they’d drifted apart, and now the man she always had a crush on is someone she doesn’t even recognize anymore.
She’s never felt more alone.
Then Cassie finds an envelope with her name on it, written in Tom’s terrible handwriting, and she knows immediately what it is. It’s the first clue in the Christmas scavenger hunt that Tom made for her every year; he’d promised her for months that this year’s would be the grandest one yet. At first, she’s too scared to open the envelope—what if she can’t figure out the clues without his help? Or what if she does figure them all out and her last connection to Tom is gone?
Tom’s present sets Cassie on a heart-wrenching and beautiful journey that will change her life—if she lets it. And as she travels from London to the Welsh mountains to the French countryside, she reconnects with old friends, rekindles a lost love, and, most important, rediscovers herself. But once she’s solved the final clue, will she be brave enough to accept the gift her brother has given her—and the love it’s led her to?
My Thoughts
One Last Gift is Cassie’s story, but it is also Tom’s story. Cassie and Tom are siblings with Tom being the oldest. Sadly, they lose their parents at a very young age and are sent to live with an aunt. Being that Cassie is younger she doesn’t want her aunt but her mother, which is of course understandable.
Tom is Cassie’s buffer, her so to speak protector in life, comforting her during sad times when he himself is going through turmoil but he doesn’t show it. As you could imagine the siblings are close in their relationship. For quite some time Tom and Sam have been best friends, nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. You know what they say about wanting to date your brother’s best friend, but Cassie doesn’t heed this and makes her feelings known to Sam during a skiing trip. Sam seems to reciprocate these feelings, but he brushes off her feelings and she is really hurt.
With how nice of a guy Tom is you really become attached to him and then to find out he passes away in an accident is devastating. Understandably Sam is beside himself with grief with his best friend gone and Cassie blames him for not being able to help him and that just piles on the guilt. I enjoyed seeing the witty banner between Sam and Cassie when they aren’t at each other’s throats.
The one really neat thing is each year at Christmas time Tom sets up a treasure hunt for Cassie to solve and the clues get harder each year. It was such an emotional time reading as she goes through the clues and solves them. The clues take her to places outgoing Tom knew she would have never gone on her own and they have her doing things she wouldn’t have had the courage to do.
The book is very encouraging but yet very emotional. In a way it’s as though Tom is still here in a small way giving Cassie the encouragement and pick me up, she needs. Such a fabulous book. I recommend this to everyone needing a quiet moment of reflection and a dose of encouragement.
Pub Date 11 Oct 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Hello, I’m Emily! If you’ve found this page then welcome, and thanks so much for showing an interest in my writing.
I have written three books now, which feels surreal! My latest novel is Love, Holly in the US and The Christmas Letter in the UK. My books always revolve around the Christmas period, but span the course of a whole year and more. They also deal with love – and grief, in one way or another. I think I put a part of me in every book – as I’m sure every author does – and my newest book is no exception. The main character – Holly – often does the wrong thing for the right reasons, and that is a situation I’ve found myself in! And with three sisters myself, writing about the sister love – and difficulties – in this book felt personal at times!
My other two novels are One Last Gift – a story of finding yourself when you feel that’s impossible, and of the love between siblings – and Always, in December. As my debut novel, it will always be one close to my heart. Whilst very different from me, the protagonist, Josie is suffering with a grief that I know all too well – losing a parent/parents at a young age, and having to carry that grief into adulthood, long after it’s supposedly ‘gone away’. I lost my mum when I was seven, and I still think about her even now, in my thirties – and that’s something that Josie and I share. Max, too, is suffering his own kind of grief, and that’s something that he has to learn to deal with. But whilst the novel is about grief, and learning to live with that, it’s also about falling in love, and about learning to be brave, even when your life doesn’t feel quite right yet – even if it feels like it will never quite be right!
I wrote my first two novels in a glorious house in Chepstow, living with my sister and my two nieces. My third book I wrote on the English coastline in Cornwall – so I consider myself very lucky!
If you read any of my novels then thank you, and I really hope you enjoy! If you want to get in touch then I’d love to hear from you – I’m on Twitter and Instagram under @EmStoneWrites!
Have a wonderful day. Thanks for your visit today.
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