Well, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is probably the last Laurie Gilmore book I’ll review here. Oh, it’s not the last one I’ll read, but it’s not the typical romance I review. Somewhere or another, I think Gilmore forgot the plot of the book, and went straight for the sex. As I mentioned when I reviewed The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, the book definitely isn’t for everyone despite the cozy looking cover. Or, despite the fact that the setting is a bookstore. Gilmore’s Dream Harbor books became hot on TikTok, and they’ve become more popular.
Hazel Kelly turns thirty in two months. She’s worked in The Cinnamon Bun Book Store since she was fifteen, and now she’s the manager. But, she feels as if she missed adventure and excitement in her twenties, and wants a couple months of action before her birthday. When she finds a romance in the bookstore with a dog-eared page and highlighted passage, she thinks it’s a sign. It’s a line about blueberries. When she leaves a friend’s bonfire, she ends up tipsy in a blueberry patch. That’s where Noah Barnett, the hot new fisherman in town, finds her. Noah’s been lusting after Hazel, but she has every reason not to believe that. She’s five years older than him. She doesn’t see herself as sexy. And, Noah has a reputation for quick flings with tourists.
However, Hazel needs someone to have adventures with, and someone is leaving her clues in romance books at the store. Noah’s always up for a good time, and if it gives him the opportunity to spend time with Hazel, he’ll go on this mysterious treasure hunt with her. Hazel may not be as staid as she thinks she is. And, Noah might not be as shallow as the Dreamers in town suspect.
I mentioned in my previous review that The Pumpkin Spice Cafe was extremely spicy. Extremely. Here’s the difference in contemporary sexy romances, though, as compared to the old bodice rippers. The male main character asks permission. And, the female main character knows what she wants. I wouldn’t go as far as the author herself does when she said in the acknowledgements, “To my in-laws for being totally cool about a daughter-in-law who writes smut.” However, as I said earlier, the book is light on plot, and heavy on sex. Oh, I’ll read others in the series. I do like the characters. And, the mayor, Hazel’s father, is funny. And, I’ll admit I’m looking forward to her paranormal series set in the “quirky town of Maple Hollow”. But, there might be a reason the first one is called Big Bad Wolf.
Laurie Gilmore’s website is https://www.thelauriegilmore.com/
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore. One More Chapter/HarperCollins, 2024. 384p.
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
