This was my first read of this series but I'm hooked. I was lured in initially by the cover and title since my dog's name (and this review blog) was Daisy. That said, I was immediately drawn in from the very start and found myself liking and rooting for Daisy and Elliot. Dream Harbor sounds like one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone's business almost before they do. It's also quirky enough that the town seems to have fallen into believing Daisy's flower shop is cursed due to a dream the town mayor had. Although I'm only getting introduced to many of the probably usual characters at this point, none of them seem to genuinely dislike Daisy, so that belief was a bit, uh, "out there". It was rather sad to read that in a town that seems to pride itself on knowing everything and then some about residents, however, that Elliot remains a mystery to most. Talk about not being noticed.
I definitely don't want to ruin the plot for readers so will keep this vague. Fake dating is the trope of the day here and while it isn't necessarily one of my favorites, it's sweet and works. Honestly, I was rooting for Daisy even before Elliot appeared. His quick thinking and ability to follow the upset Daisy's lead on deceiving her former boyfriend and his new girlfriend, who, no lie, she finds herself liking, made me like him immediately. That he's a history buff would have been the deciding factor for this history buff but, well, as noted, I was already rooting for them as a couple. As a new reader, I may have been hearing Daisy's background for the first time but family is obviously important to both and they find themselves caught up in looking at some old photos and digging into their family backgrounds. The idea of the curse is woven into it all and gave the story a bit more meaning to me as one who has spent some time researching my own family's heritage and backgrounds. So, all in all, as noted, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and will be looking for future books from author Gilmore as well as catching up on all I've missed.
Bottom line, a sweet story that had likable characters and a quirky but fun setting made this one a winner for me. I use the word sweet in that their connection was so cautious and was a gentle slow burn with small, usually hesitant steps together with shared looks, hand holding, and getting to know each other without relying on steamy scenes. Thanks #Harper30 for introducing me to this charming couple and the town of Dream Harbor where dreams do make a difference.
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