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A review by breeburkitt
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Hazel feels like she's just drifted through her life as she approaches her 30th birthday. During one of her shifts as a manager at the Cinnamon Bun Book Store, she notices a line highlighted in a misplaced romance book — a clue. Noah, her friend and the owner of the local fishing tour company offers to help her solve them. Soon, the quest turns into "Hazel and Noah's Summer of Fun" (HANSOF!).
The mystery at the center of "The Cinnamon Bun Book Store" is very low stakes. But that's what makes this small-town summer romance so warm and cozy. This book did a tremendous job filling in certain aspects lacking in the first book, "The Pumpkin Spice Café." The plot feels more thought out, as does the "mystery" at play. The spice also went up a notch and felt like an integral part of the storyline instead of a late addition. The characters are also more developed, especially if you've read the first book and are starting to know and love the residents of this small town.
However, our two main characters often needed more depth. They both felt very one-dimensional, with Noah frequently reduced to a flat stereotype and Hazel coming off as bland despite her quest to be anything but. That doesn't detract too much from the story, though, as one doesn't go into something like expecting something significantly profound.
I did have two nitpicky complaints. First, this story takes place at summer's middle and tail end. That's evident from the beach trips, boat outings, bonfires, etc. However, the cover still needs to get the memo. The cover design of this edition appears slightly altered to make it seem more autumnal. I imagine this was for marketing purposes, but it bothered me that it influenced the story.
Secondly, the setup for the next book was extremely heavy-handed to the point that it felt out of place. Don't get me wrong, I will 100% read the next one, but the desperate attempts to establish Jeanie’s brother Bennet felt almost like a poorly-timed product placement and took me out of the story.
Thanks to the author, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
The mystery at the center of "The Cinnamon Bun Book Store" is very low stakes. But that's what makes this small-town summer romance so warm and cozy. This book did a tremendous job filling in certain aspects lacking in the first book, "The Pumpkin Spice Café." The plot feels more thought out, as does the "mystery" at play. The spice also went up a notch and felt like an integral part of the storyline instead of a late addition. The characters are also more developed, especially if you've read the first book and are starting to know and love the residents of this small town.
However, our two main characters often needed more depth. They both felt very one-dimensional, with Noah frequently reduced to a flat stereotype and Hazel coming off as bland despite her quest to be anything but. That doesn't detract too much from the story, though, as one doesn't go into something like expecting something significantly profound.
I did have two nitpicky complaints. First, this story takes place at summer's middle and tail end. That's evident from the beach trips, boat outings, bonfires, etc. However, the cover still needs to get the memo. The cover design of this edition appears slightly altered to make it seem more autumnal. I imagine this was for marketing purposes, but it bothered me that it influenced the story.
Secondly, the setup for the next book was extremely heavy-handed to the point that it felt out of place. Don't get me wrong, I will 100% read the next one, but the desperate attempts to establish Jeanie’s brother Bennet felt almost like a poorly-timed product placement and took me out of the story.
Thanks to the author, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content