“I was prepared to read every damn book in that bookstore just to spend more time with you.”
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is a new cosy romance novel from 2024 by Sunday Time bestselling author, Laurie Gilmore. When a mysterious message turns up in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can’t understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to investigate things further. All she needs is someone to help her. Thankfully, Fisherman Noah is outgoing and always one for an adventure. Hazel didn’t set out on her adventure with romance on her mind but, as their scavenger hunt together leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry may turn out to be just as hot as the freshly-cooked cinnamon buns the bookstore sells. A small-town spicy romantic mystery from viral TikTok novelist, join us at What We Reading for the best opposite-attract, forced-proximity and cosy romance books like The Cinnamon Bun Book Store!
The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill (The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill #1) – Abbi Waxman
First up on our list of books like The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is Abi Waxman’s 2019 contemporary romance story, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. The only child of a single mother, Nina has the exact life she has always wanted: a job in a bookstore, a stellar trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. However, her pleasant existence is upended when the father Nina never knew existed dies suddenly, leaving behind an extensive family that is keen to meet her.
To make matters worse, her trivia nemesis, Tom, has turned out to be cute, funny and deeply interested in getting to know Nina. Nina realises that it is time for her to step out of her comfort zone, even if she isn’t convinced that real life can ever live up to the magic of the fiction in her books.
It Happened One Summer (Bellinger Sisters #1) – Tessa Bailey
Piper Bellinger is fashionable and influential and her reputation as a wild child ensures that the press is always on her heels. When too much champagne and a rooftop party land her in trouble, Piper’s stepfather cuts her off and ships her out to run his dive bar in Westport, Washington. She barely steps foot in the small town before encountering the gruff bearded sea captain, Brendan.
Whilst she is sure she wants nothing to do with the man, such a small town means that running into Brendan becomes an inevitable part of her life. Nevertheless, as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper begins to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she once knew might not be what she truly wants. Like The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, It Happened One Summer features a small town, a handsome fisherman and a delicious opposites-attract tale.
Check Out The Best Books Like It Happened One Summer
All Roads Lead To You (Stay #3) – Jennifer Probst
Happily single, Harper Bishop trusts in one single passion – her rescue farm and healing her thoroughbred, Phoenix. Her dream is to one day lead him to the Triple Crown. As it turns out, a handsome new guest at her family’s B&B has all the skills necessary to make this dream come true.
After a painful betrayal, horse trainer Aidan O’Connor has left his native Ireland behind for a holiday in New York’s Hudson Valley. He soon finds himself inspired by the spirit Phoenix possesses and the unexpected feelings that are swelling for Harper. Try as they might to keep things professional between them, knowing that Aidan’s stay is only a brief one, but the pair soon begin picking up lessons themselves in love, trust, and taking chances. Similar to The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, Jennifer Probst’s All Roads Lead to You is a contemporary romance story set in a charming small town.
Daydream (Maple Hills #3) – Hannah Grace
Another one of the best romance books from 2024 like The Cinnamon Bun Book Store comes from Hannah Grace and her third entry in the Maple Hills series, Daydream. When procrastination leads to him being put in a difficult class with his least favourite teacher, Henry Turner knows that surviving junior year is going to be a challenge. And when he accidentally crashes her book club, he finds himself in the crosshairs of Halle Jacobs.
Halle may not have the romantic pursuits as her favourite fictional leads, but she is an academic superstar. As soon as she hears about Henry’s woes, she offers to help him with his reading material. Whilst the added tutoring might not help her own studies, job or aspirations to write her a novel of her own, Henry promises to be the source of inspiration she needs to overcome her persistent writer’s block. All they need to do is ensure they stick to the rule book and avoid falling in love.
A Little Something Different – Sandy Hall
Gabe and Lea are in the same creative writing class. They share the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food and hang out in the same social spots. Everyone believes they are meant to be together. But, there are some major obstacles in the way. Lea is reserved, and Gabe has issues; despite the obvious chemistry between them, it looks as though things may never work out for them.
Nevertheless, something is definitely going to happen between them. Their teacher pushes them together, the Starbucks baristas watch their relationship play out like a rom-com, the bus driver tells his wife about them, and even the local squirrels believe in their relationship. Surely then, the pair of them will be able to work things out? Sandy Hall’s YA romance book, A Little Something Different is a quirky love story told from different perspectives and is the perfect follow-up for anyone who loved The Cinnamon Bun Book Store.
Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice – Katie Cicatelli-Kuc
Fall is a big deal in Briar Glen, a quaint and charming village nestled in New England. It’s the time of year when tourists descend upon it, eager to see the babbling brooks and colourful leaves whilst sipping hot chocolate or pumpkin spice lattes. But for sixteen-year-old Lucy Kane, a barista at Cup o’ Joe, the local coffee shop her mother owns, she finds the entire season entirely overrated.
When Java Junction, a multinational coffee chain, opens its doors across the street from Cup o’ Joe, Lucy knows that this fall promises to be harder than any other before it. To make matters worse, the son of Java Junction’s owner is Jack Harper, the new kid and her secret crush. Another cosy, fall-inspired romance tale like The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, Katie Cicatelli-Kuc’s Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice follows Lucy as she attempts to find a way of saving her mum’s coffee shop.
Love Story – Lindsey Kelk
Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh thinks he knows it all. He’s devilishly handsome and far, far too sure of himself. Unfortunately, Sophie also desperately needs his help. She has lost her laptop – and the follow-up to the sensational, spicy romance story that everyone had been talking about.
Because Sophie’s secret isn’t a small one. She is Este Cox, the mysterious steamy romance writer the entire world is hellbent on unmasking. When a trip to Sophie’s home town leads to her and Joe begrudgingly sharing a one-bedroom cottage, she is forced to question whether she can trust him with the truth and finally start being herself. Featuring cutesy settings and a rootable opposites-attract pair, Love Story by Lindsey Kelk is another one of the best books similar to The Cinnamon Bun Book Store for anyone who loved Laurie Gilmore’s story.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
