The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

Two months before her 30th birthday, Hazel Kelly reflects on how the last 15 years of her life have been the same. She feels as if she has had no adventures or stories to tell, something she finds ironic as much of her life revolves around being surrounded by stories at her job at The Cinnamon Bun Book Store. Hazel spots a book that is sticking out from the shelf and goes to straighten it. Yet when she comes across the book, a pirate romance called Love Captive, she sees that it is dog-eared and that the page has a highlighted quote reading “Come with me, lass, if you want an adventure” (11). As Hazel begins to wonder about the book, Noah Barnett enters the store. Unlike Hazel, Noah is new to the small New England town of Dream Harbor, and as a fishing boat captain, Hazel believes he must have many stories and adventures. Noah often comes into the bookstore without having a book to read in mind, leading one of Hazel’s best friends, Annie, to think that Noah has a crush on Hazel. Hazel finds this hard to believe: Noah is known as a notorious flirt, and Hazel believes her life is too boring to attract him.