Book Review: The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore
April 7, 2025
I cannot get enough of Laurie Gilmore. I read the first of her books simply because it seemed like it was going to be cute, and I wanted to try out a genre I had long written off. Since reading that first book, I have realized that it is not the genre I didn’t like, it was bad writing ( sorry ). There is so much that goes into a good romance novel, and Laurie just knocks it out of the park over and over. Anyway, now that you know that is not going to be an unbiased review, here is what the book was about:
We follow the story of Iris, who we last saw at Kira’s Christmas tree farm ( when I read the book just a few months ago ) as a seasonal hired hand. Iris is used to not lasting long in a job or a relationship, and honestly sees herself as pretty flighty. Growing up in a home with a single mother her followed her heart ( and its every whim ), she almost craves the constant change. When a tragedy happens in town, and one of their younger residence loses their mom, Iris finds herself with an opportunity to help out, and become a nanny ( even tough she is not even sure she likes children, let alone knows what to do with one all day ). We are also following the story of Archer, a world renowned chef who is currently living in Paris, and running his own kitchen. He has studied under the greats and has made incredible food all over Europe, when one day, he gets a call that he has a daughter. Not only does he have a daughter, she is five years old and now, suddenly, without a parent. Reeling from the shock of it all, he goes back to the United States to a small town called Dream Harbor, where his daughter and, her now late mother, live. He isn’t sure what to do or how to be a dad, but his plan is to just make it though the end of the school year and then take her with him to Paris in about six months. Let her cope with the loss and then allow him to get back to his life, the life he has worked so hard for, the life he loves. But when he hires a bit too gorgeous nanny, he starts to feel like maybe he isn’t hating the life that he is building here with his daughter and the woman he….loves.
I loved this book. I am going to ruin something here, so if you haven’t read it, please do not read on. I was really not sure how I was going to feel about there being a child involved in a romance novel, and then when she got pregnant, I was really worried it was going to turn my stomach and make me not want to continue, but Laurie wrote it so well. I loved every page. I don’t know how she does it, but I am here for it and plan on devouring anything and everything she writes.
