Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor series has quickly become a favorite among romance readers, offering heartwarming love stories set in a small coastal town.
Each book draws you in with its charming setting, lovable characters, and feel-good storytelling that keeps you turning the pages. It’s the kind of series that feels like a cozy escape, perfect for anyone who enjoys a mix of romance, friendship, and community spirit.
The series gained popularity through word-of-mouth and social media buzz, with readers praising the relatable characters and the emotional depth of the stories. Gilmore’s ability to create realistic relationships and heart-tugging moments has helped her books stand out in the crowded contemporary romance genre. Whether it’s the slow build of a friends-to-lovers romance or the intensity of a second-chance love, there’s a trope here for everyone.
Fans of small-town romance will find plenty to love in Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor series. Familiar tropes include friends-to-lovers, found family, opposites attract, and forced proximity.
Laurie Gilmore is the pen name of Melissa McTernan, who has a background in writing, as she writes steamy paranormal/fantasy romance under her real name.
However, we will only focus on her work under the Laurie Gilmore name. In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to read the Dream Harbor series in order, so you can follow every love story from the very beginning and fully experience the magic of Laurie Gilmore’s world.
All Laurie Gilmore Books in Order:
The reading order for Laurie Gilmore’s books is straightforward: simply read them in the order they were published.
While each book in the series can be read as a standalone, it’s recommended that you read them in chronological order as the books take place in the same town and have recurring characters!
Main Series:
- The Pumpkin Spice Café (2023)
- The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (2024)
- The Christmas Tree Farm (2024)
- The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (2025)
- The Gingerbread Bakery (Sep. 2025)
- The Daisy Chain Flower Shop (Expected May 2026)
Companion Books:
How to Read the Dream Harbor Series in Order?
1. The Pumpkin Spice Café (2023)
When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.
Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine, and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.
Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes!
2. The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (2024)
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, and she 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!
3. The Christmas Tree Farm (2024)
Kira North hates Christmas, which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.
Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor, taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates.
After a run-in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact that she’s got no idea what she’s doing.
Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm isn’t all cute and cozy like people always show on social media; it’s borderline dangerous with no heating, and she’d rather no one saw it.
But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more, and as Kira watches him swing an ax at the first tree, she finds herself appreciating his strength and questioning why she refused help in the first place.
4. The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (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 matchmaker?
5. The Gingerbread Bakery (2025)
A wedding in Dream Harbor can only mean one thing: everyone wants to get involved!
With Jeanie and Logan set to tie the knot, and Kira desperate to hire out her newly renovated barn at the Christmas tree farm, everything seems to be going well.
Annie has agreed to bake the cake, and Mac is responsible for, well, just being Mac.
And as the whole of Dream Harbor comes together to celebrate the wedding of the year with the snow falling around them, can Annie and Mac put aside their dislike for each other just long enough for the ‘I Do’s’, or is that one request too far?
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