What makes a romance cozy and why is everyone so into them?
It’s a question I get asked a lot these days. My first book, The Pumpkin Spice Café, falls into this category and if you’d have told me when I was writing it that it would hit bestsellers lists, go viral on TikTok, and get translated into over twenty-nine languages, I would have thought you’d had one too many pumpkin spiced lattes.
Even as I poured every bit of autumnal goodness into this story, I never imagined how it would be embraced by readers. But maybe I should have known. Maybe I should have realised that the world needs more softness.
Let’s start with what makes a cozy romance cozy. It’s all about the vibes. A reader should be able to picture themselves in this welcoming world. It’s an immersive experience. And then you throw in the romance. Now, this is not a high drama romance. There is of course, plenty of will-they, won’t-they, but there will be no big betrayals, no kidnappings by the enemy, no super angsty backstory that makes the characters unable to love. Instead, they will be two essentially good people looking for a partner.
They’ll flirt, they’ll tease, they’ll banter. They’ll end up in a respectful and equitable relationship. They’ll have plenty of good sex (please do not think that cozy romance cannot have sex on the page.
“Maybe I should have realised that the world needs more softness.”
If the reception to my books is any indication, it’s quite the opposite. Sweet plus spicy is the perfect combination, but I digress). Overall, the story will be nice.
And just in case you’ve got the impression that cozy romance is only for the cold weather, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House releases in March to prove that romance can blossom any time of year. The coziness follows us right into springtime with plenty of homemade pancakes, strawberry festivals, and a love story that’s all about new beginnings.
Cozy romance is just one little piece of the romance pie but it’s a great place to start. The perfect, safe place to dip in a toe and discover the water is warm and inviting. My books have been compared to a comforting hug or a cozy blanket. Readers have told me these books have gotten them through a hard time or cheered them up when they were down. They got them back into reading, they reminded them reading can be fun. These books give readers permission to read for pleasure. It’s okay to have fun while you’re reading.
In fact, I encourage it.
Laurie Gilmore
About the book
13 Mar 2025
As a world-renowned chef, single dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive.
Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when it’s suggested that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny, she almost runs in the opposite direction.
Now, Iris finds herself in a whole new world. One where her gorgeous new boss lives right across the hall and likes to cook topless… Keeping everything strictly professional should be easy, right?
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a cozy romantic mystery with a single dad and found family dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!
