| Title | : | The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (Dream Harbor, #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0008713340 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780008713348 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 361 |
| Publication | : | First published March 18, 2025 |
As a 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 Mayor Kelly suggests Archer is looking for a nanny, and Iris might be available, she shudders at the thought. But in need of money she reluctantly agrees.
As Archer and Iris get used to their new roles, is it possible that they might have more in common than they first thought, or is Olive just determined to play match-maker…
Tropes:
• single dad
• forced proximity
• slow burn
• found family
• one bed
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (Dream Harbor, #4) Reviews
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Hands down my favorite in the series!! Single dad x nanny romance? say less. i love their banter and relationship, plus throwing in a fiery 5 year old? the perfect dynamic 🍓💫🥞
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Love this and absolut love this series! But Laurie, sweetie, when are we getting Annie’s and Mac‘s story?? Those are the ones I’m really interested in?!
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1 star
I honestly don’t have much to say about this book, and I really didn’t want to give it a one-star rating, but I genuinely did not enjoy it at all. Everything that could go wrong in a romance book, unfortunately, happened here. It’s a crime for this monstrosity to have such an adorable cover.
Let’s start with the characters. If I’m being honest, they were a joke. I don’t even have the words to describe them, which, when you think about it, is a pretty bad sign. They had absolutely no substance. There was no chemistry, no build-up, no tension, no angst—nothing! It was just pure insta-lust, and it was done so poorly. I felt no connection to the characters at all, and frankly, I felt disconnected from the entire book.
I felt nothing. I didn’t get any vibes from the story, just flat words on paper. The writing made it even worse. It’s in third-person perspective, and while I don’t always mind that, I think the book would’ve fared much better if it had been written in the first person. At least then, maybe I would’ve felt something, anything, for the characters or the plot. As it stands, I felt zero emotional investment. This book has left me feeling slumpy, and I honestly wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Thank you Harper Collins for the arc.
Also, thanks to
Cherie for buddy reading this with me! I’m so sad our first buddy read was such a fail. -
I truly just don’t have the bandwidth for this one right now lol. The likelihood of it impressing me is pretty slim, so I’m just going to pause for right now and try again another time.
After not really liking the cinnamon bun bookstore- the second book and so I’m skeptical but I’ll give it a whirl bc of the tropes and the cover… 😩
🍓Single Dad x Nanny
🍓Forced Proximity
🍓Only One Bed
🍓Small Town
🍓Slow Burn
🍓Grumpy Chef MMC
🍓Found Family -
3 stars ⭐
⤷ mini spoiler-free review ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts 💭
this book fell short for me unfortunately. i’m not entirely sure what i was expecting going in, but it certainly wasn’t this. that said, it wasn’t a bad read—it just didn’t quite hit the mark 🤷🏻♀️
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ characters 🫂
♡.ᐟ iris + archer 👩🏻🍼👨🏻🍳 (the emojis are sending me 💀)
the romance between iris and archer was based on insta-lust and built on constant physical attraction, which made their connection feel rushed and shallow. there was also little depth to their characters, and i found it a bit hard to fully connect with them.
what bothered me the most was the ending, but i won’t go into details because i don’t want to spoil anything 🤦🏻♀️
♡.ᐟ olive 👶🏻🫒
olive, archer’s 5 year old daughter, acted much older than her age, and while it wasn’t a major issue for me, it felt unrealistic.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ overall 📝
despite these issues, the book was fast-paced which helped me get through it quickly and even eased a bit of my reading slump. there were also a few cute and wholesome moments scattered throughout that i did enjoy.
i can see the appeal for readers looking for something light and fluffy, but if you’re after a story with well developed characters and a deeper, more meaningful connection between them, this one’s definitely not it.
────────── ⋆⋅end⋅⋆ ──────────
pre-read 🍓🥞🏠
this is one of my most anticipated releases of the year ~ single-dad x nanny small town romance and a pancake restaurant?! say less!!!
impromptu br with my bestie
anh 💞 -
After surviving a terrible flu, the only thing I wanted was to digest a book that would nourish my soul and heart, lift my broody mood, and bring some warmth back into my life. Thankfully, this book was the perfect cure! It completely treated my post-flu blues, made me swoon, and had me grinning so wide I thought my face might split in two. And, of course, I lost count of how many times I said, “Aww!” while reading.
If you’ve had a tough day, are in a bad mood, or just need something cozy, sexy, and cuddly, grab this book! It’s better than any medicine and just as effective as a warm, gooey chocolate lava cake.
I haven’t read the other books in this series yet, but they’re now at the top of my TBR. I’m saving them for the days when life feels overwhelming, and I need the sweet, swoon-worthy, soft healing powers of a great romance. It gives off a bit of a Hallmark vibe with its small-town, tight-knit community full of good-hearted people, but it’s done in a way that feels authentic and completely lovable—never over-the-top.
The forced proximity, grumpy meets sunshine, and opposites attract tropes are all wonderfully executed. The single dad, found family, and slow-burn romance themes are also major highlights, making it impossible not to devour this story in one sitting.
The plot revolves around hotshot chef Archie, who suddenly discovers he's the father of a little girl, Olive, after her mother tragically passes away. To gain full custody, Archie leaves behind his prestigious career in Paris and moves to the small town of Dream Harbor, where he takes a job at a local diner to prove he can provide a stable home for his daughter.
But adjusting isn’t as easy as he expected. The townspeople hate the changes he makes to the diner’s menu (they even send back his pancakes in protest!), Olive refuses to talk to him, and the town’s elderly ladies keep dropping by unannounced to monitor his parenting skills. Archie is drowning—and he desperately needs help.
Enter Iris, who can barely hold down a job, is struggling to pay rent, and is in dire need of a fresh start. Becoming Olive’s nanny seems like the perfect solution, even if it means dealing with her brooding, ridiculously sexy, grumpy chef of a dad. She should be able to resist his charms… but how can she when he’s whipping up late-night pancakes like it’s some kind of seductive one-man cooking show? Or when his arms flex while whisking butter (seriously, how is that even legal?)? Or when those adorable dimples make an appearance every time she teases him?
But crossing the line could ruin everything. Archie is determined to be a good father and secure full custody of Olive, and Iris can’t afford to lose another job—especially not one that could finally give her some stability. On top of that, the last thing she wants is to hurt Olive by giving up when things get complicated.
Yet, with each passing day, sparks fly, tension builds, and the temptation to break all the rules grows stronger. And even though everyone warns them to keep their hands to themselves, resisting might just be impossible.
But what if this could be more than just a fleeting attraction? What if two struggling adults could come together and create the kind of family they never thought they’d have? Could they find their own happily ever after?
Overall, this book is as sweet as a stack of strawberry pancakes and absolutely deserves its five heartwarming, swoon-worthy stars. I can't wait to read more books in the series, and I highly recommend grabbing a copy as soon as possible!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this cozy small-town romance in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Nothing like a last min arc approval to stress me out 😅 this one is up next! 🍓🍰🍂
Thank you Harper Collins! -
Definitely my favourite of the series so far, gorgeous characters 🥹 super cheesy as always but this is such a comfort series now! Single dad x nanny trope worked really well and the ending ONLY worked once, normally I hate those endings. A lot of characters development too. Easy quick cute read x
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4/5⭐️ If Laurie Gilmore is writing it, I’m sat. I’m just having such a silly goofy time reading this series 🤭🩷 this was such a fun, cute springtime read! Wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the single dad x nanny trope, but it was a vibe and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I just love all of the characters in this series! Cannot wait to read from this author! 🌷
The playlists that Laurie includes at the beginning of each book..immaculate…obsessed. They just really elevate the reading experience for me. -
Every now and then I feel like reading pure fluff and being under the weather for several days had me feeling down so I decided to grab something that would be a light escape. This small town, forced proximity romance did the trick. If you miss the town of Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls) Dream Harbor is worth checking out.
Archer is a single father who only found out about his five-year-old daughter Olive after her mother’s death. He was a hot shot chef living in France, but he dropped everything once he knew he had a child that needed him.
Iris is a free spirit who never considered having a serious relationship much less children. She only agrees to take a job as Olive’s nanny because her back is against the wall financially. Iris is a yoga and water aerobics instructor and has a lot of elderly clientele. I liked her relationship with these older ladies and seeing her interact with them brought a smile to my face. She also has a way with Olive that’s heartwarming and funny.
Don’t let the cutesy cover fool you, the spicy scenes are plentiful. So take that into consideration according to your personal preferences. I have never seen so many variations of pancake recipes in my life. Don’t read on an empty stomach.
I got up and made a huge stack of pancakes first thing this morning 🥞 😋 so the family was glad I stayed up last night to finish this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing an Advance Reading Copy for review. These are my unbiased opinions. -
Cozy PERFECTION 🤩
I have been waiting for this book launch ever since I read the last instalment in this dreamy series…and I can safely say IT DELIVERED!
I could not put this book down. There is something so infectious about the Dream Harbour Series; Laurie ropes me in and, somehow, manages to keep my attention and heart on the line until the very end.
Quick summary: world-renowned chef, Archer, suddenly finds himself in the small, quirky town of Dream Harbor. After working in Paris, set on becoming a Michelin-star chef, his life is quickly uprooted when he learns that he is father to a 5 year old girl, Olive. Cate, Olive’s mum, has died in an accident, leaving Archer with her little girl. He somehow finds himself working in the town diner as a chef; not exactly what he had in mind. Enter: Iris - the new nanny…you can see where this is going. As they both get used to their new roles, is it possible that they might have more in common than they first thought, or is Olive just determined to play match-maker...let the fun and games (and extreme cuteness) begin.
Iris and Archer. Possibly one of my favourite couples in this series. Their romance was very much a slow burn at first, which only felt right given there was a child in the mix. And speaking of children…I don’t normally like romances with kids involved, but here it worked wonders 😉 I love little Olive so very much. She might just be my favourite child character ever - can I keep her? 🥹
Archer was competent, talented, and a man who was confident in his abilities. He was a boss man. In charge and in control. While, Iris is a free spirit who never considered having a serious relationship and only concerned children as ‘sticky’. I love watching both of their characters morph as the story develops.
‘The man who had once only thought about his goals. About being the best. About perfection. About himself. Now just wanted a sunny afternoon picnic with his favourite girls.’ ☀️🧺🥰
‘Iris didn’t drift, she floated. She floated and she danced and she laughed and she just made everyone’s life better.’ ❤️
I loved the start to this story. Although slightly brutal, it definitely made the story highly engaging from the beginning. And furthermore, it was very different from the start of any of the previous books in this series. There is no doubt that this novel is complete and utter comfort reading. But that is what I love so much about it, and Laurie has it down to a fine art. It is the perfect weekend treat strawberry 🍓🍰♥️
And finally, just a little detail that I loved: this book was set at the beginning of spring and, somehow, reading it at the beginning of spring felt like I was really IN the town. 🥰 Oh, and I also love the fact that this little town has bi-weekly meetings; it has definite Gilmore girls vibes!
I am so sad it is over; now I wait for book 5 🙇🏻♀️
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 -
I will fully admit that, somewhere around halfway through this book, I began to picture the characters as Luke and Lorelai.
You cannot convince me this isn’t some sort of spin-off. The similarities are just too outstanding:
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀:
Gruff yet lovable diner-owner meets independent little miss sunshine.
𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁:
Grumpy diner guy discovers he has a previously unknown daughter and struggles to navigate the complexities of fatherhood. Meanwhile, the long-running will-they-won’t-they tension between the leads unfolds.
𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
Small, cozy, picturesque town that holds bi-weekly town meetings and seasonal festivals.
So, am I crazy or are the parallels uncanny? I have a feeling Laurie took a lot of inspiration from Gilmore Girls here.
The reputation of this book doesn’t lie—it’s not pretending to be anything more profound than a simple, wholesome, slice-of-life story. It definitely satiates the appetite for a cute, atmospheric spring read. There’s not a lot of depth beyond that, but I went in with those expectations.
However, I was a bit disappointed with the lack of genuine tension and authenticity in the character’s relationship. When a plot is primarily romance, the execution really matters, and in this case, it didn’t quite land. The relationship between Archer and Iris felt rushed, with little chemistry to build on. The banter was okay, but it could’ve been better. There was simply not enough tension or longing—at some point, the romance just sort of happened without much buildup, which made it feel more casual than what was supposed to be a fresh and intense connection.
Also, I’m just gonna say it—Archer is not the amazing dad everyone claims him to be. He’s a single dad doing the bare minimum, and somehow that’s supposed to be “hot”. In fact, he often seemed distracted, with his attention directed more on Iris rather than on Olive, the daughter he’s supposedly trying to bond with.
I mean, he goes to her swimming lesson, and when she is beyond excited to invite him back to watch her swim again, all he can think is, “I wouldn’t mind seeing Iris in a bathing suit again.” Definitely…. weird, right?
Ultimately, I had an issue with both relationships developing at the same time. I would’ve preferred each to unfold at its own pace. That said, I really liked the dynamic between Iris and Olive—super cute! But I think the single-dad trope just might not be for me.
———
⤷ 𝙋𝙧𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙
I'm craving a sweet, simple, spring-set read to kick off my favourite season! Kicking my feet in anticipation of some good old small-town charm and comfort. -
all I'm saying is if you're inconsistent with the pill, you should probably be more transparent with that.
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single dad nanny trope had so much potential but there’s just not enough depth in these little books
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Guys!!! This author has officially won me over! First 5 star in the series!I think I have a favourite romance trope, this is single dad (x nanny ) and I absolutely devoured it, I don't know what it is about this trope but it tugs at my heart 🥹😭 I LOVED THIS SO MUCH 😍
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C'est toujours prévisible dans cette saga mais honnêtement, je m'en fiche royalement de voir venir la fin à des kms. C'est doux, c'est drôle, c'est touchant, c'est addictif... j'ai été au bord des larmes à plusieurs reprises, j'ai ri souvent et je suis tombée amoureuse des personnages autant qu'eux sont tombés amoureux mutuellement. Le côté found family est toujours bien fait dans cette saga, tout autant que l'ambiance small town qui contribue à en faire une saga que j'aime trooooooop. Je crois bien que c'était mon tome préféré ❤️
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I am already counting down the days till I can read this undoubtedly fabulous book. Hopefully preorder options will appear online soon 🍓🥞🩷
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The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is the latest addition to the Dream Harbor series. This is a cozy, small town romance series and this book is a single dad x nanny romance with a grumpy chef hero and found family vibes!
Archer is a workaholic chef in Paris who gets a call from a lawyer saying he is the father of a five year old daughter he never knew existed. Her mom recently passed away and now he’s a single father to his daughter who lives in Dream Harbor. Archer moves to the small, cutesy New England town to take on his new role as a single dad and on one of his first days he literally runs into Iris at the local coffee shop. It just so happens that Iris needs rent money immediately and someone recommends she become a nanny for Archer!
I liked this one, while it’s not one of my fav single dad x nanny romances I’ve read, it had its fun moments at the same time. We see Archer’s relationship with his daughter Olive, as well as Iris getting to know them both. The characters took a bit to warm up to, I didn’t feel like we got much from them right away, but they eventually warm up. The small town has such a quirky cast of side characters and the town meeting was silly (in an endearing way). Basically, Archer takes on the local pancake house and the townspeople very adamantly want him to make the pancakes exactly how they used to be and have a lot of opinions on what he should cook/bake.
If you want a light, cozy, small town setting (very à la Gilmore Girls vibes), this series is definitely that! Book 3 is still my fav in the series. I have fun with this series overall and I appreciate how quick the audiobooks are! -
2.5 stars… I only read it because I’ve read the rest of the series. This book was cute, but not great… it was so redundant with the “I shouldn’t be interested in my boss/employee” thing and the “I can’t believe I have a kid, what do I do” thing. I swear half the book was filled with that, it got to be way too much. Olive was the best part of the book, she was super cute! Not a lot of romance for a romance book, especially compared to the previous books, felt like it was more of a book about pancakes hahah..Honestly probably my least favorite in the series so far!
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3.5⭐️
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the title got me… PANCAKE HOUSE?? yeah.
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I’ve been enjoying this series of the life and times of some of the residents of Dream Harbor, ME. Dream Harbor comes across as this quaint, little town with a bunch of eclectic and eccentric residents, who know everything about everyone, and newcomers are instantly subjected to all the quirkiness that is Dream Harbor. However, underneath the small-town veneer, are some hot and sexy residents who definitely know how to spice up their days (and nights) to keep life in Dream Harbor fun and interesting. That’s right, folks, this is no G or PG rated romance story. Enough said.
The book summary pretty much lays out the whole storyline. While I’m typically not a fan of the daddy/nanny trope, I had really liked Iris from the previous installment and was looking forward to reading her story. However, I have always liked the single mom dies and the baby daddy, who was never told about his kid, suddenly finds himself thrown into daddy mode. This trope is almost always good for some laugh of the hard-core bachelor trying to be responsible without trying to screw up to bad. Add in a kid who doesn’t talk for days and Chef Archer is absolutely primed for some help in the form of nanny Iris.
There is the secondary story of the Dream Harbor residents telling Chef Archer that they don’t like his version of pancakes. A renowned chef from a Michelin star restaurant in France does not take this well and spend the entire story testing out different pancake recipes, usually late at night and usually with Iris in attendance. Baking late at night, just the two of them? What could possibly happen? LMAO!!!
The character development for Iris, Archer and Olive was good. The pacing was steady, and the storyline was pretty much in line with the rest of the series, instalove, and some pretty spicy love scenes. The writing was also pretty much in line with the rest of the series (#3 is still my fave). I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.4 that I will be rounding down to a 3star review. I want to thank NetGalley, Harper 360 for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #Harper360 #TheStrawberryPatchPancakeHouse -
This was super cute! Small town, single dad x nanny. I loved how the hero was a hotshot chef who was working in France and now he has to work in a small town diner. I loved the town and the people there so much. The daughter was adorable and I loved her connection with the heroine! Such a cute and cozy romance!
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This was cute, touching, relatable, and brilliant. Archer was literally wonderful. Coming back to take care of a kid he never knew he had, how amazing! Watching his character development along with Iris throughout the story was a beautiful thing to watch unfold. I also loved Iris. She was so relatable. Messy, loves to keep moving on to different things, not sure about the future or kids. Oh, and Olive! Olive was by far my favorite. She knew and saw more the adults believed. She was spunky, fun, and so adorable! I've never been into the "single dad trope," but I think this book turned me into a lover of it! It was absolutely breathtaking how the community was, too. I loved all of them, even the nosey old ladies, lol the ending made me tear up in a good (sweet) way. Wonderful writing, brilliant story!
I received this ARC from Harper 360 to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book. -
Drăguță dar foarte previzibilă.
Având în vedere faptul că este volumul 4, deja știam la ce să mă aștept.
Olive a condimentat puțin povestea și a făcut-o plăcută. -
I prefer my book boyfriends to be a little more aggressive and not ask for permission every step of the way, but I always enjoy this series regardless. It definitely has cute and cozy small town romance vibes if that's what you're looking for! The tension was great, the family feel was amazing too even though I normally don't lean towards the single dad trope, there it some spice. To be honest, the resolution to the problems in this series have always felt a little bit rushed to me, but other than that, these have all been quick and easy enjoyable reads!
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Gostei muito. Foi fofo. Foi primavera. Foi single dad x nanny. Foi ficar com fome durante o livro inteiro. Gostei imenso. Senti uma evolução na escrita da autora enorme. Até agora o meu preferido da coleção!!!
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Super cute!! 💕✨️
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4.25 stars!
Aahhh this was so incredibly cute. I absolutely loved Iris' development throughout the book. From not knowing how to parent a kid to becoming one. Olive was just the cutest and I loved how Laurie portraited her. Archer's development was also super good and I loved how he gave up everything in France for his family in Dream Harbor. -
I actually could not care less about Archer and Iris.
Archer was a dick and his only personality trait was not being able to make a good pancake.
And Iris was a dumpster fire.
🩷🥞🍓
• Single dad x Nanny
• Small town romance
• Slow burn
