The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore and Cinnamon Buns
We are back in Dream Harbour and taking a trip to the bookshop. There we will find Hazel who is just about to turn thirty and wonders if this is what her life is always going to be. However, when she finds books in the romance section having secret messages she wonders if this is her chance to take a break from her normally mundane life. Along for the ride is a man who is anything but mundane named Noah and he has a secret crush on the book lady in question. What will happen if these two follow these messages? Let’s find out together.
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The Story
Prim and proper Hazel has lived a safe, steady life which she loves but lately, she feels like something is missing. She is turning thirty in a couple of months and finds that everyday is the same and there are no surprises, no adventure. Everyone else around her seems to have done something but she has done the same thing her whole life. Suffice to say, she is feeling restless and doesn’t know what to do about it.
One day she finds a book has been defaced. *Possible Spoiler Alert* Well just a small section highlighted but this will not do in Hazel’s eyes. Yet as she reads it, she realizes that it seems like a simple request and possibly a challenge. She tries to put this odd event out of her mind but she fails. Instead, she does what it says just to find out what happens. *End of Possible Spoiler*
She questions a man named Noah who is as handsome as he is fun-loving, daring, and non-committal. He works on a boat, travels from place to place, and never seems to stick around for long periods of time. He doesn’t know anything about the books but likes the idea that they are leading the way to an adventure. He volunteers to help her with this during the summer. Not only is it right in his wheelhouse but gives him a chance to spend time with this beautiful bookworm that he has been longing for.
Together, not only do they find themselves having a lot of enjoyment but they find themselves entangled with each other. These adventures are changing these two opposites lives in ways they never thought possible. But in the end, will they choose each other and continue these adventures? Or will they both go back to their old ways and just call it a summer fling? You tell me.
My Review
I never wanted a cinnamon bun more in my life. The premise of the story is how you would expect it but all and all this was an enjoyable yarn. Hazel has lived the same day over and over and wonders what it would be like if she veered off course now and again. So, for a summer with her 30th birthday right around the corner she decides to just go for it. But what adventure would that be? Soon she finds her books defaced but at the same time there is a dare in them. With the help of the sexy seaman Noah, Hazel tries these tasks and finds out that she is more than just a bookstore owner. She can be a fun and exciting person as well as a sexy woman worthy of love. Not just any love though. Perhaps one with a certain fisherman.
The chemistry between Noah and Hazel is very sweet when it’s not highly spicy. He helps her have some fun, while she shows him that he can stay in one place and still have amazing adventures. The two of them start off as friends but it does not take long for the two of them to get hot and heavy with each other. In a lot of romantic books, it is not too realistic when two people like this fall head-over-heels with each other but Gilmore makes it believable. It is in haste but that’s the way it is with most stories like this.
The use of words in this story makes for an easy read. You don’t have to pull out the dictionary to look up words, nor do you have to google what something is. Gilmore makes a crystal-clear picture of what is happening with the characters in the story. Some people would say that despite the spicy sex scenes in this book; it would not be too exciting but I disagree. I enjoyed the scavenger hunt premise. It’s nice to know that ordinary adventures are just as exciting as extraordinary ones. Besides who would not want a challenge in the form of a scavenger hunt?
The only thing wrong with the book is that the pacing could be a little slow at times but it also makes it a book that a person can truly relax to. The book kind of puts you in a place where it is real life and not just a novel. This can be both good and bad. The bad is that it can be boring but the good means that it is relatable. Otherwise, I enjoyed the characters as they are authentic and fun. They are the kind of people you can easily see yourself becoming friends with.
What else would you get?
The Pairings
Only one snack can go with this sweet but spicy book and that that is a cinnamon bun (surprise, surprise). However, you still need a little something to wash it down with. In this case I prefer to have an adventurous drink that also turns out to be quite nutritious and that is a beetroot latte (now that’s a shocker!). The cinnamon bun is pretty obvious (the title, duh!) but never the less it’s sugar and spice (subtle mostly) that makes all things nice which goes with this book too.
The beetroot latte turns out is a perfect compliment to this pastry as it is stronger on the spicy side as opposed to the sweet. Its delicate pink colour is inviting and seemingly delicate but when you get into it, it can pack quite a punch. The mixture of cardamom, ginger, and (yes!) even cinnamon can get a person going enough so that you do not even miss the caffeine inside it. It is kind of like how Hazel and Noah fall in love when you think about it.
The Rating/Final Thoughts
9/10
When you read this book, it is like you are chatting with a friend. You are in a coffee shop (or bookstore whatever the case may be), you are sipping lattes, and telling each other about your day, lives, happenings, etc. For that reason, I really like this book for all its cozy and kooky events. Sometimes in the book you can hit some slow parts but otherwise, this is the kind of book a person could read on a quiet day with a hot cuppa and a cinnamon bun.
