Hazel Kelly is one of the dual protagonists of The Cinnamon Bun Book Store and the manager of the titular establishment. Hazel moved to Dream Harbor as a teenager with her biological mother and her two fathers, Pete and Frank, with whom she lived in one house. Her father Pete quickly fell in love with the town and the people in it and was elected mayor. Though Hazel felt like somewhat of an outcast during her early years in Dream Harbor, she quickly made friends with Logan and Annie, who helped her learn the ways of the small, close-knit community.

At 15, Hazel got a job at the local bookstore, which has changed names several times over the years and, at the time of the novel, is called The Cinnamon Bun Book Store. However, in the nearly 15 years she has worked there, Hazel feels as if her life hasn’t changed at all. This fact particularly bothers her as she nears her 30th birthday at the beginning of the novel. Hazel’s twenties were mostly spent doing the same things at the bookstore, and she begins to regret never having any wild adventures in her youth. Hazel has always stayed close to home and maintained the same friend group, rarely venturing outside of her comfort zone.