
Step into a cozy bookstore-bakery where opposites attract in this Sunday Times bestseller. When hidden book messages spark a treasure hunt, readers get the perfect blend of mystery and romance that earned 183,000 Goodreads ratings and launched the "cozy romance" trend sweeping BookTok.
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In Dream Harbor, a coastal Maine town where the scent of sea salt mingles with coffee, Hazel Kelly has spent fifteen years safely tucked behind the counter of The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore. At nearly thirty, she's built her life around books and predictability while her friends collect adventures like souvenirs. The irony isn't lost on her-she's surrounded by stories of love and adventure but has none of her own. Her daily routine has become as familiar as the spine of her favorite Jane Austen novel: unlock at eight, arrange displays, help tourists find beach reads, and reorganize shelves that don't need organizing. Everything changes when she discovers a romance novel with a highlighted passage: "Come with me, lass, if you want an adventure." Before she can decide if it's vandalism or something more intentional, Noah Barnett walks in-the charming fishing-tour operator who frequently visits her store, tracking in the scent of sea salt and possibility. Their interaction crackles with unacknowledged attraction as they discuss the mysterious book. Noah's stories of whale watching tours and midnight sailing expeditions make Hazel's life seem particularly small, yet something about him draws her in despite her hesitation. When a second mysteriously placed book appears with another highlighted passage, Hazel begins to suspect these aren't random occurrences but deliberate clues leading somewhere. Could this be the adventure she's been reading about but never experiencing?
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