Staff Writer: Kimberly
Published Date: September 16, 2025
Number of pages: 358
Format: e-book
Genre: Romance
Tags: Holiday, spice, found family, enemies to lovers, book series
Cardigan Rating: 3 out of 5 (which is about where I want my holiday reading to be!)
I jumped right into The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore even though I haven’t read the previous 4 books in the series, Dream Harbor. It wasn’t a problem, the story stands on its own, but I think if I’m ever in need of some mindless, light-hearted fun, I’ll go back and start at the beginning. This was exactly what I want in a holiday romance- a little cozy town, twinkling Christmas lights, and good banter between the characters. I could almost smell the gingerbread baking. It’s the story of Annie, the bakery owner, and Mac, the handsome devil. At first, you don’t know why Annie hates Mac, but she hates him to the point of making a scene at the wedding rehearsal for her best friend Jeanie and Logan. Annie is tough to warm up to, she’s honestly so mean, but it’s because she’s been burned before, and while Mac didn’t do anything that bad, I can sympathize with her hurt feelings.
The timeline jumps back and forth between “now” and “then,” which I don’t typically care for, but in this case, we have to learn about what happened in Annie and Mac's history. It’s a classic enemies-to-lovers story, with forced proximity during the build-up to a wedding, which happens at the end. If you want a book that checks all the boxes of a cozy romance, and can deal with the “I hate that I want you” tension, you’ll enjoy this. And oh yeah, I hope you like a little spice in your eggnog because it does get steamy! It’s not too crazy, but fair warning to those who prefer closed-door romance and it is not for younger readers. Don’t take it too seriously, just be prepared to make some book friends who you’ll want to visit in the rest of the series.