ARC Review: The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor #5) by Laurie Gilmore

The highly anticipated new Dream Harbor romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Café! 🥐

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

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As owner of her beloved Gingerbread Bakery, Annie Andrews should have a love life to match her business; sugary and sweet. But instead, she’s locked in a game of words with the irritatingly upbeat bar owner down the street.

Mac Sullivan has everything he wants, except the girl he dreams of. It’s easier to argue with Annie than get her to talk to him but with Jeanie and Logan’s wedding coming up, they're about to spend a lot more time together.

As the snowflakes fall and with romance in the air, will Annie see that the one she loves to hate might just be her perfect match after all?

The Gingerbread Bakery is a cozy romantic novel with an enemies to lovers dynamic, small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes:

• Enemies to lovers
• Found family
• Small Town
• Forced Proximity

Title: The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor #5)

Author: Laurie Gilmore

Publisher: Harper 360

Expected Publication Date: September 16, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I've been loving this series since it was introduced to me through one of my Facebook book groups. Then I saw that Laurie had a group for this series and joined that so I could be with my people. I was excited to chat about all the things Dream Harbor. So, of course, given the chance to get an early copy of this title and read and review, I took it. And I'm so glad I did. This is hands down my most favorite story so far. There is just something about second chance romance that hits differently than any other type of trope. It's the chance for the characters to find redemption and right wrongs that may have been done. It's a chance to watch them as they grow and change and fall back in love for the second time. And Gilmore hit this one spot on! The only reason I put this title down while reading it was because I had to work or tend to family responsibilities. Given the chance, I would have skipped all of that and read this in one sitting, I was that invested.

Annie and Mac have been sprinkled throughout the other books in this series. Their hate for each other palpable. But at the same time, you can feel the tension of chemistry that runs between them. And you know there is something there, something from their history that makes them bicker and fight and hate each other. But it's never really hate.

Mac is such an amazing character. Having spent years away from his home town trying to find himself, he returned three years ago to take over his family's bar business. He has finally found himself and knows who he wants to be, and knows who he wants, as well. But his longing goes unrequited as the mistakes he's made in the past are still haunting him. He's such a golden retriever. I absolutely adore his banter with Annie. Every interaction they have shows they have an undeniable connection. He tries hard to use that to his advantage. And he's not afraid to tell Annie exactly what he wants, even if she's not ready to hear him. He knows they have a lot to work through and makes himself available and vulnerable for this to happen. But it's hard for him to break through Annie's tough exterior. She's built a wall around her heart in the hopes of never being hurt as she was all those years ago by Mac. 

Annie is such a tough cookie. I love her brash manner of approaching things. She's undeniably herself and doesn't take crap from anyone. All she wants to do is take care of others and make them happy. Unfortunately, this often comes at a detriment to her being happy herself. When she and Mac are forced to spend time together, her icy exterior begins to melt. Even though their past is rough, she still feels a pull to Mac. Even as she denies it throughout the book. I love how she slowly comes around and realizes she is allowed to be happy even if she is still hurting from the past and needs to work through it. Mac allows her to feel all her feels.

Gilmore builds the story around a prior couple. So I do suggest this be read in the order the books were written. It will give much more understanding to all the couples in the book and their relationships to each other. This plot is built around the wedding of a previous couple. It was great to watch all those relationships continue. To see how the friendships that have formed continue to grow and change. And the pacing of this book was amazing. I never wanted to put it down. Gilmore built Annie and Mac into a relationship they ultimately couldn't deny, even with the baggage they carried between them. And then alternating time chapters were just another wonderful addition to this story. I loved watching the past unfold while Mac and Annie floated through their present. 

Hands down Annie and Mac are my favorite couple Gilmore has written so far. I loved how she built their story and showed all their vulnerabilities. The story was raw and honest. While the book might be billed as a bit of enemies to lovers, I really didn't get this vibe. It's really the second chance romance that makes it so relatable and understandable. I cannot wait for more in this universe but I know it will soon be coming to an end and I'll be sad for that. If you are looking for cozy romance reads with just a bit of spice, pick up this series and dive into Dream Harbor!

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.