Tag: spicy

Categories
Uncategorized

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House- (Dream Harbor Book 4)

384 pages Publisher Harper Collins Publication date March 18, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

🍓🍓🍓🍓

Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone.

As a world-renowned chef, single dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive.

Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when it’s suggested that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny, she almost runs in the opposite direction.

Now, Iris finds herself in a whole new world. One where her gorgeous new boss lives right across the hall and likes to cook topless… Keeping everything strictly professional should be easy, right?

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a cozy romantic mystery with a single dad and found family dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes

Found Family

Single Dad

Forced Proximity

Slow Burn

MY THOUGHTS

So, when I read the Pumpkin Spice Cafe, I absolutely loved it, and I was really hoping it wouldn’t be a stand-alone and thank goodness it wasn’t. Now I have several others to read still in the series because other books reading obligations got in the way.

Now I need to read the others very soon because who wouldn’t want to continue with this amazing series.
I must say the covers are beyond cute and have really drawn me to them.
In this one, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House we have a man, a professional chef more comfortable whipping up a fabulous new recipe than dealing with children.


Well, that’s about to change when Archer is informed, he has a five-year-old daughter he’s known nothing about, and the mother has passed away. That’s all about to change when the best course of action is the little girl moving in with him.


Fatherhood leaves him in a frenzy, and he must hire a nanny for help, and their meeting is so disastrous that it’s hilarious. When that’s ironed out, we have grumpy meeting sunshine kind of book.


She’s never taken care of a child before becoming his child’s nanny and has some self-doubts about handling things right but as we all know children don’t come with instruction booklets.


Having children in a romance book can make or break the book but I loved the little girl here, Olive. Such a smart girl and a fun personality.
The characters are realistic as is the setting.

The Dream Harbor series is really great, and I love all the characters I’ve met so far. Characters that are down to earth and you just feel like you could meet up for a cup of coffee and have a great friendly chat.
Can’t wait to get started on more books in the series.

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.

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend. Thank you for stopping in.

Categories
Uncategorized

Wrapped with a Beau: small town charm, a grumpy-sunshine holiday romance

368 pages G.P. Putnam’s Sons publisher September 26,2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

In its heyday, Piney Peaks and its beloved Christmas house were made famous by Sleighbells under Starlight, a romantic holiday movie. Fifty years later, the small town is ready for a new love story.

As a successful film liaison, Elisha Rowe has her heart set on one thing and one thing only: putting her hometown back on the map. So, when she gets the chance to secure the long-hoped-for sequel to Sleighbells under Starlight, a beloved holiday movie, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make sure everything goes smoothly. Unfortunately, that includes claiming to have already gotten permission to film at the historic Christmas house—permission she was very much denied by the gorgeous new owner.

City boy Ves Hollins is only back in Piney Peaks long enough to sell the house he inherited from his great-aunt. The holidays have always been tough for Ves, and it’s not any easier when he’s distracted by memories of a Christmas long, long ago, and the irresistible charm of neighbor Elisha. He has no plans to put down roots or fall in love…even if Elisha unravels his hesitations like a bad Christmas sweater.

There’s no question the two are opposites in every way. Ves is undeniably frosty. Elisha is brimming with warmth. He doesn’t do commitment. She never runs from a challenge. But as the two grow closer, they quickly realize that the growing spark between them may be just what the season calls for.

MY THOUGHTS

Wrapped with a Beau was a festive Christmas book. While the storyline was predictable, I thought it was a light read great for this busy time of year.


Piney Peaks, home of the Sleighbells under Starlight, a beloved holiday movie and the festive holiday house it was filmed at. The home’s owner has passed away and neighbor Elisha has been the self-appointed home carer.


Early one morning when she sees what she thinks is a break in at the house she knows she needs to investigate. Dressed in her pajamas and wielding a huge plastic candy cane she is ready to take care of that burglar.


A meet cute, it turns out that the owner’s great nephew is in town to quickly fix up the holiday house and sell it after the festive season. In this grumpy to sunshine story, Ves Hollins, city boy from New York may find Elisha Rowe attractive but he’s here to sell his great aunt’s home and can’t wait to leave. He has no plans on helping Elisha with the Christmas movie sequel and certainly no interest in staying any longer than possible.


It was heartwarming seeing how Elisha’s family took to Ves, welcoming him and even joking around like he was one of the family.
With personalities so different can she sway him to her way of thinking, that life can be shiny and bright in this small town?

Wonderful, light holiday read.

Pub Date 26 Sep 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lillie Vale is the author of books for both teens and adults, including Wrapped with a Beau, The Decoy Girlfriend, Beauty and the Besharam, The Shaadi Set-Up and Small Town Hearts, an American Library Association’s 2020 Rainbow Books List selection. She writes about secrets and yearning, complicated and ambitious girls who know what they want, the places we call home and people we find our way back to, and the magic we make. Born in Mumbai, she grew up in Mississippi, Texas, and North Dakota, and now lives in an Indiana college town. Find her on Twitter @LillieLabyrinth and Instagram @labyrinthspine, or visit her website lillielabyrinth.com.

I hope you are enjoying your day and staying warm. Thanks for stopping in today.

Categories
Uncategorized

Confessions of a Christmasholic: A Grumpy meets Sunshine festive romance for Christmas 2023 

273 pages One More Chapter publisher October 19,2023 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sutton Alsop hates Christmas. So much so, when confronted with a house that looks like Santa himself vomited Christmas all over it, she accidentally (drunkenly) destroys every fairy light, fake reindeer and candy cane in sight. Unfortunately for Sutton, this house belongs to none other than Gus Langston, single dad and owner of the village’s year-round Christmas shop – aka Mr Christmas himself.

But Mr Christmas has a secret only Sutton knows…

With the two of them forced together for the holidays, the sparks between them are hot enough to melt even the coldest of hearts!

MY THOUGHTS

The book is charming and alive with Christmas vibes, many of which we see in plenty of Christmas books. But we love Christmas books and keep reading them.

This one is a bit different in the sense that it’s usually the guy who is grumpy and doesn’t like Christmas or whatever, this time it’s the girl.

Sutton Alsop hates Christmas and then she stumbles upon the home of Mr. Christmas with its glitzy lights that could surely double as a runway. Gus Langston is known about town as Mr. Christmas, he runs an all-year-round Christmas village shop.


Sutton agrees to nanny for him over the holidays with him being a single dad. This is the cutest little family ever.

Mr. Christmas has a secret that only Sutton knows, one that would surprise everyone in town. A spicy Christmas romance that was fun and full of laughter and good times.

You’ll be sure to read it more than once.

Pub Date 19 Oct 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“

“Sizzles with drama, intensity and sensuality… “

“Chemistry and connection…”

“Knows how to keep her reader’s attention and on the edge of their seats”

I’ve been a reader all my life and I wrote my first book at the age of eight, and haven’t stopped since. Writing and reading have been my solace and my joy. Stories are where I lose, and find, myself.

I also love traveling, a backpack and an airplane ticket are two of my favorite things. What else? I have the domestic skills of a pot plant, drink far too much coffee and have an on-off, mostly off, relationship with exercise.

I’ve written over fifty books and I write for both the Harlequin Presents and Desire lines. I’ve also published romantic action novels with Tule Publishing and Penguin/Random House’s Intermix imprint.

I spent many boring years in sales, pro-business lobbying and local economic development, but now I’m lucky enough to write full time. I live with my husband in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa and am the proud mom of two amazing young adults.

I am bossed around by two spoiled cats and the worst behaved dog in the world, who also happens to be the size of a small cow. I love meeting readers, so come hang out with me on my social media channels.

Have an amazing day and thanks for stopping in.