The Apple Pie Ice Cream Parlor

Dream Harbor #4.5

by Laurie Gilmore

Romance should be anything but ordinary.

Dream Harbor loves a celebration, and what better excuse than a warm summer’s day filled with ice cream, festivities and catching up with your friends in the shade of Main Street. And working the Sundae Funday fundraiser in the ice cream parlor with her best friend, Leo Faber, should be the perfect afternoon for Charlotte Andrews, except for the fact they shared an unexpected kiss just that morning. A kiss that could change everything…

Torn between preserving their friendship and exploring their undeniable chemistry, will Charlie and Leo realize that love really can be easy if you’re willing to open your heart?

The Apple Pie Ice Cream Parlor is a cozy romantic novel with a friends to lovers dynamic, small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!

Genres: Romance, Summer, Contemporary, Adult, Fiction, Cozy, Contemporary Romance

90 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2025

About the author

Laurie Gilmore is a #1 New York Times, Sunday Times, and Globe & Mail bestselling author who writes steamy small-town romance. Her Dream Harbor series is filled with quirky townsfolk, cozy settings, and swoon-worthy romance. The first book in the series, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, was featured on Good Morning America and was named the TikTok Shop Book of the Year 2024.

She loves finding books with the perfect balance of sweetness and spice and strives for that in her own writing. If you ever wished you lived in Stars Hollow (or that Luke and Lorelai would just get together already!) then her books are definitely for you.

Reviews

[Angela Hull]

Okay where can I find this book in the United States, seriously.

[Leonie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ik kan niet eens de woorden vinden om te beschrijven hoe verschrikkelijk ik dit boekje vond. Droog geschreven, onuitstaanbare personages, platte verhaallijn en dat alles in een Gilmore Girls rip-off jasje gestoken met als kers op de taart dat het hoofdpersonage hot is omdat hij op BENSON BOONE lijkt? Laat me met rust

[yvette ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ugh I'm obsessed with laurie's world building

[Bo Verhoef · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Dit is een van m’n favoriete koppels
2. Ik had hier zo graag een heel boek van gezien
3. Geef me ook een Leo
4. Waar haal ik een Apple Pie Sundae hier in de buurt?
5. I love small town romance

[Gwendolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mijn katten probeerden dit boek onophoudelijk aan te vallen. Ik kan ze niet volledig ongelijk geven.

[Lise Derboven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need a whole book of Charlie and Leo!! 😍

[Janneke · Rating 2 out of 5]

As you all know, I have a streak of not really liking these books, but reading them anyway. What I mean to say with this, is that I absolutely knew what I was getting myself into here (unlike quite some people in these reviews).

Therefore, I am putting myself in the shoes of an unassuming reader that has no idea what this series is like. I do find it a tad scandalous that this was the English book gift here (gift by purchase), as this means that everyone, regardless of age, is getting this book. And the cover looks so innocent and unassuming; even the back does not note that it contains explicit scenes. I thought it would be toned down romance (for all ages) because of this, but it really wasn’t - it’s in line with the other books (containing explicit content). If you ask me, it’s a bit of a strange choice by the organisation, as spice is not something everyone wants to be, or should be, reading.

[Evy · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was a free gift for The Week Of The English Book here in the Netherlands, but it's not really worth the paper it's printed on

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Apple Pie Ice Cream Parlor #4.5 Dream Harbor

3.5✨

[Julia - my.endless.library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow I actually didn’t hate this 😅

⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character has pink hair like oh of course I’m gonna love her immediately. This was so cute and I wish it was a full length story!! Their friendship was adorable and the development was so fun to see even if it was very very short. I loved seeing other Dream Harbor characters making a small cameo and the story was so sweet. I’m so thrilled Laurie Gilmore wrote this for the Dutch ✨ week of books. This short novella can perfectly work as an introduction to her work or serve fans already familiar with the town. I will eat up her work any timeeee like that’s dinner time for me baby!! I’m already looking forward to the next installment next year

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and very sweet ❤️

I disagree on Goodreads statement that this is book 5.5 in the Dream Harbor series. It's nr 4.5.

EDIT: oeee, they changed it. Now Goodreads says 4.5!

[Gwen_isreading · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️

Vermakelijk maar niet boeiend. Soms ook erg kinderachtig…🫠

[Melissa Vreden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute novella! Not going to lie but it would have been better is if they got a full story. It felt a bit rushed but that is understandable considering it is a short story.

I love the Dream Harbour series and I love that this book was part of the English book week here in The Netherlands.

[Amber (ambervgn) :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

eigenlijk een smutscène met een leuke aanloop en afloop, maar heb me toch vermaakt 🍦✨🤍

[Jenna Restieri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soooo ruin the friendship coded

[Mary Dellot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Het feit dat ik 7 dagen nodig had voor 84 pagina’s zegt genoeg

[Siska Geeraert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gelezen in de wachtrij voor Zara, super cute!

[Nele · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute and cosy 🍦

[MaudElizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prima boekje om niet bij na te hoeven denken, of tussen zware boeken door. Verder zeer weinig inhoud, gewoon een klein leuk romantisch verhaaltje.

[Anya Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew having a sister in the Netherlands would pay off. These two were so cute. I honestly could have done a whole book of these two. Friends to lovers is so underrated. I really hope they feature heavily in more books.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, I think Dream Harbour books should just be shorter! Less time to get annoyed by characters or miscommunication.

Honestly great little story for just 80 pages. Also liked that for once out MMC (Leo) wasn’t all that big on alpha stuff (besides the one scene where she talks about past bad relationships sigh). This smut scene also felt way more like love and less like lust. Which is weird cus this one should’ve been the ‘one night stand’ situation, opposed to the previous books.

So yeah great refresher after the Strawberry Patch Pancake House tragedy of an MMC.

[Valentina Veltkamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually really cute! I love Leo

[Maud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet & spicy mini verhaal, maar hierdoor vooral keen voor een apple pie sundae 🍦

[Vida · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the weirdest book I’ve ever read tbh… THEY LITERALLY DID NASTY STUFF FOR THREE CHAPTERS LONG AND THE BOOK 80 PAGES

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mijn eerste kennismaking met Romance en men ik had hoge verwachtingen. Ik ben nog niet helemaal overtuigd maar ik ben wel door dit dunne week-van-het-Engelse-boek-boekje gevlogen en het smaakte wel naar meer. Ik voel de charme van het luchtige en the happy end, de romantiek, het gezwijmel, geen gecompliceerde verhaallijnen en dialogen, lekker recht toe recht aan en dat is ook wel eens fijn.

[Louisa Laurman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Precies wat je ervan verwacht, exact hetzelfde als haar andere boeken! Simpel, heerlijk feel-good en een reminder dat je niet moet settelen voor een partner die niet lief voor je is!

[Patricia | booksbypatries · Rating 3 out of 5]

ik vond dit wel cute en had hier echt een heel boek over kunnen lezen 🥧🍦

[Amber (ambs.books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
What a cute and cozy little book! I love that this was the free gift for English Book Week, such a fun surprise. This was such a delightful read, and it felt so nice to be back in Dream Harbor again. My only complaint is that it was too short. I could’ve easily read a full novel about this! I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and how the characters slowly grew closer. Loved this as a sweet little in-between read! 💕

[Janou Bonné · Rating 1 out of 5]

urg, dit geschenk boek van mijn tante gekregen en ik had geen boek bij in de trein dus dit maar gelezen. Wat een leeg oppervlakkig verhaal. Ik heb in mijn wattpad tijd nog betere fanfictions dan dit gelezen, yikes.