The Gingerbread Bakery

The Dream Harbor, Book 5

By: Laurie Gilmore

Narrated by: Savannah Peachwood, Sebastian York, Laurie Gilmore

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

'All the makings of a top tier Hallmark movie that happens to include a nice dash of spice'— People on the Dream Harbor series

*This audio edition includes an exclusive Q&A with the author*

‘If you like steamy, small-town romance, then global bestselling author Laurie Gilmore should definitely be your go-to’—Fabulous Magazine

‘Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor series is a small-town romance lover’s fantasy’—Book Riot

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

❄️❄️❄️❄️

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

The Dream Harbor series

• The Pumpkin Spice Café
• The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore
• The Christmas Tree Farm
• The Strawberry Patch Pancake House
• The Gingerbread Bakery
• The Daisy Chain Flower Shop
• The Apple Pie Ice Cream Parlor (A Dream Harbor Novella – pre-order now)

Readers love Laurie Gilmore

'The atmosphere of the small town of Dream Harbor envelops you from the very first pages: snow-covered streets, the aroma of freshly baked gingerbread, and a sense of community that only exists in a close-knit and friendly community’ ★★★★★

‘A charming break from reality’ Publishers Weekly

'Gilmore's take on the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope is a real treat’ ★★★★★

‘I absolutely loved this small town, cosy romantic and very steamy novel just as much as The Pumpkin Spice Cafe’ ★★★★★

‘Wonderful story with tears, laughter, mysteries, uncertainty and happiness’ ★★★★★

‘Compelling, cozy and delightful narrative’ ★★★★★

‘A charming small town romance with sizzling chemistry and plenty of spice’ ★★★★★

‘I LOVED THIS SO BAD. The vibes of the small town were immaculate’ ★★★★★

'This book makes my heart happy!’ ★★★★★

‘The perfect kind of romance for me’ ★★★★★

‘Perfect for reading in the evening with a little fire going’ ★★★★★

‘I enjoyed this so much! Completely heartwarming and unputdownable, the steamy scenes were a bonus’ ★★★★★

‘[This] gave me everything I needed from an easy read and was the perfect addition to the Dream Harbor series’ ★★★★★

‘I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t bear to put it down’ ★★★★★

‘Just the perfect amount of sugar and spice… a literal dream to read’ ★★★★★

©2025 Laurie Gilmore (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR THE PUMPKIN SPICE CAFE:

‘Gives off the same level of endorphins as taking a sip of an actual pumpkin spice latte… all the makings of a top tier Hallmark movie that happens to include a nice dash of spice’—People

‘With a name this cute and a cover this autumnal, how could I not cozy up with my blanket and relax with this adoring book?’—New York Post

‘Witty and fun… set in a small town an entertaining enemies-to-lovers read that gives all the feels’ Reader review

‘I truly adored the setting, this adorable little town where I'd move in a heartbeat, and Jeanie and Logan were absolutely fantastic’ Reader review

‘Fall is my favorite season and this book totally captured that perfectly’ Reader review

‘This book is what happens when you turn a pumpkin spice latte into a story… perfect for fans of Hallmark movies’—People

easy going romance in small town

this book unfairly got a 1 star. it's what you expect to be: a feel good romance in a small town where everybody knows each other and all the moments are perfect. realistic no, enjoyable 100%

love the banter and the spice

Believable and satisfying HEA

Even though I’m usually not into second-chance romances, I would say this is one of the best books in this series. Both the deep hurt feelings between Annie and Mac and the ability for them to eventually return to loving and trusting each other felt believable. Unlike some books that jump around in time, it was easy to follow and enjoy both storylines and it was clear how their past had created the present situation. The scenes in the past were surprisingly emotionally complex and relatable to anyone who remembers being nineteen and on the edge of adulthood, dealing with your identity, your future, making mistakes, and navigating your first experience in love. Sure, it’s all a little cheesy and a little melodramatic at times, but that’s part of the charm of a book like this. It’s also genuinely funny and the conflicting emotions in it aren’t unfounded.

This book is definitely spicy, and plot development is integrated into spicy scenes so skipping them means you miss significant moments. If spice is not your thing, probably none of these books are for you, honestly.

It helps to have read at least some of the other books in this series (I’ve read 1 and 2 but not 3 or 4), since this one is arguably partially an epilogue to the first one, there are a lot of side characters not well-introduced in this book because we’ve seen them in four other ones already, and some of Annie and Mac’s conflicts directly referenced in this book showed up in the background of other people’s stories. All in all, it was a satisfying story for fans of the series who have been rubbernecking these characters’ antics since Book 1 and anxiously awaiting their happily ever after (like me). Considering how integrated it is with the other books, I don’t know if I would recommend reading this one as a standalone with no prior knowledge of the Dream Harbour world.

I enjoyed the performance, but I felt like the male narrator had kind of the wrong accent for a character born and raised in New England, which was sometimes distracting.

I missed Regina Reagan

I honestly didn't like Mac as a MMC and Im just not the biggest fan of second chance romance. I think Regina Reagan made the audiobook so special and fun and I was disappointed in the fact that she didn't narrate this one.
To be honest, i didn't had any expectations for this book and still i feel like it landed flat and didn't have the same jenesequa that the other books have