The Cinnamon Bun Book Store Book Review
Check out my review of The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore, a return to the sweet small town of Dream Harbor for an end of summer fling.
Once I finished The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, I jumped right into the second book in the Dream Harbor Series: The Cinnamon Bun Book Store.
I expected another lighthearted seasonal romance but was surprised to discover how much I enjoyed the follow-up! It is so rare that a sequel is better than the first but I devoured this book in a matter of days.
A small town series’ greatest strength is that by Book 2 the world building is out of the way and you already know some of the characters. It feels like you’re picking up right where you left off, but with a twist.
Curious if this book is for you? Check out my full review below.
Is This a Stand-Alone Book?
It is always tricky to decide if a book within a series can be read on it’s own or if you need to read the previous books first.
In the case of the Dream Harbor series, each book that has been published so far can be read as a stand-alone and enjoyed out of order if you want.
However, the first book definitely sets up some recurring characters that make cameos in the following books. You’ll enjoy these side characters more if you’ve already been introduced to them.
If you want to read them in order, this is the route you should take:
Summary of The Cinnamon Bun Book Store
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 needs 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…
What I Liked
Here’s what I would tell my best friend about the book:
- Better Than the First!: I enjoyed The Pumpkin Spice Cafe but I LOVED The Cinnamon Bun Book Store. I think the second book in this series was far better than the first.
- Birthday Milestones: Hazel has regrets over not having as much fun as she feels she should have had in her youth. Her 30th birthday is approaching and she wants to make the most of it. This is the most relatable part of the entire story for me since our family has a tradition of “birthday bucket lists” for milestone birthdays, too.
- Whimsical and Playful: I loved the hidden clues Hazel finds inside steamy romance novels at her book store and how she and Noah interpreted them for their next adventures. They were so fun together and I loved watching their relationship develop.
- Revisiting Old Friends: The nice thing about a small town romance series is that you get peeks at characters you’ve already read about. I enjoyed knowing some of the “cast” and seeing them pop up in the background.
What I Didn’t Like
Every reader needs something different from a book. What I may not have preferred may be your favorite part.
In this case, I really can’t think of anything I didn’t enjoy about the book. I went into it for a lighthearted read and it exceeded my expectations.
How Spicy Is It?
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️: The Cinnamon Bun Book Store rates a Level 4 on my spicy books rating scale. I debated between Level 3 and Level 4 but decided to go with the higher rating because I thought this book was more spicy than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and readers should know what to expect.
The plot centers heavily on Hazel making the most of her final days of “youth” before she turns 30 and she wants an end of summer fling. So the spicy scenes support the story. They are not the entire point of the book but are a predominant plot point.
Overall Score
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I give The Cinnamon Bun Book Store 4 stars when I finished reading it but as I am writing this review a couple months later and reflecting on it, I might have given it 5 stars since I remember the reading experience so fondly.
I recommend reading it at the end of summer, the book picks up in August. It would be a fantastic option for a seasonal romance read.
If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, you may want to check out how I score my reads with this scale guide here.
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