Review: Cottage by the Sea

Cottage by the Sea

About the Book:

Annie Marlow has been through the worst. Rocked by tragedy, she heads to the one place that makes her happy: Oceanside in the Pacific Northwest, the destination of many family vacations when Annie was a teenager.

   

Once there, Annie begins to restore her broken spirit, thanks in part to the folks she meets: a local painter, Keaton, whose large frame is equal to his big heart—and who helps Annie fix up her rental cottage by the sea; Mellie, the reclusive, prickly landlord Annie is determined to befriend; and Britt, a teenager with a terrible secret. But it is Keaton to whom Annie feels most drawn. His quiet, peaceful nature offers her both comfort and reprieve from her grief, and the two begin to grow closer.

Then events threaten to undo the idyll Annie has come to enjoy. And when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in her lap, she is torn between the excitement of a new journey toward success and the safe and secure arms of the haven—and the man—she’s come to call home.

In this heartwarming tale, Annie finds that the surest way to fix what is damaged within is to help others rise above their pain and find a way to heal.

My Comments:

I'm a long-term Debbie Macomber fan who has been disappointed in some of her recent works.  Luckily, this one was not a disappointment.  Annie was charming and the story was not overly sweet.  I cheered for her and her friends as they learned to make life go their way.  

Thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B. 

Quick Review: An Engagment in Seattle

An Engagement in Seattle

About the Book:

Beginning marriage in unexpected ways…

A Convenient Beginning

Aleksandr Berinksi is a Russian biochemist in the United States on a visa, which is about to expire. Marriage will allow him to stay—marriage to Julia Conrad. If Julia’s going to save her Seattle-based company, she needs him as much as he needs her. There’s a Groom Wanted in Julia’s life. And not just any groom!

An Unusual Beginning

A billboard on the side of a Seattle road is common enough—but one advertising for a bride? It’s Chase Goodwin’s solution to the problem of finding a wife quickly, a wife to bring home to Alaska. Lesley Campbell has her own reasons for responding…and in no time she’s the Bride Wanted in Chase’s life!

My Comments:

According to the back cover copy above, this book has two stories; my NetGalley only had one, and it was about what you would expect from a romance novel bundled with another in one volume.  

Chase was a man on a mission--he wanted a bride and was advertising for one.  In the mean time, he met Lesley whose snatched purse he rescued, and he fell hard and quick.  Lesley was recovering from having her heart broken when her fiance of several  years dropped her just before the wedding, to marry a co-worker.  She decides she will marry him and go with him to Alaska.  Of course once they get there she realizes just how small the town is...but this is a romance novel so...

About the best grade I give these short formula romances is a B-, so that's what this one gets. 

Review: If Not for You

If Not for You

About the Book:

If not for her loving but controlling parents, Beth Prudhomme might never have taken charge of her life and moved from her native Chicago to Portland, Oregon, where she’s reconnected with her spirited Aunt Sunshine and found a job as a high school music teacher. If not for her friend Nichole, Beth would never have met Sam Carney, although first impressions have left Beth with serious doubts. Sam is everything Beth is not—and her parents’ worst nightmare: a tattooed auto mechanic who’s rough around the edges. Reserved and smart as a whip, Beth isn’t exactly Sam’s usual beer-drinking, pool-playing type of woman, either.

But if not for an awkward setup one evening, Beth might never have left early and been involved in a car crash. And if not for Sam—who witnessed the terrifying ordeal, rushed to her aid, and stayed with her until help arrived—Beth might have been all alone, or worse. Yet as events play out, Sam feels compelled to check on Beth almost daily at the hospital—even bringing his guitar to play songs to lift her spirits. Soon their unlikely friendship evolves into an intense attraction that surprises them both.

Before long, Beth’s strong-willed mother, Ellie, blows into town spouting harsh opinions, especially about Sam, and reopening old wounds with Sunshine. When shocking secrets from Sam’s past are revealed, Beth struggles to reconcile her feelings. But when Beth goes a step too far, she risks losing the man and the life she’s come to love.

My Comments:

Maybe I'm outgrowing Debbie Macomber.  Either that or she's getting lazy in her success.

I found the writing in If Not for You sacchrine and the story both trite and unbelieveable.  In some ways it is a typical white collar girl falls for blue collar guy story, which, while not original (but what about romance novels is?) was believeable, but then Macomber takes this girl who had to move across the country to get out from under her mother's thumb and puts her to meddling deeply in the most personal aspects of some other people's lives.  Not only did I find her level of interference in the lives of others out-of-character, I found it intrusive and insulting.  While Macomber gives everyone a happily ever after, in real life, I doubt things would have turned out that way.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  C+ (a story I didn't care for but which you might). 

Review: Twelve Days of Christmas

Twelve Days of Christmas

About the Book:

Friendly and bubbly, Julia Padden likes nearly everyone, but her standoffish neighbor, Cain Maddox, presents a particular challenge. No matter how hard she’s tried to be nice, Cain rudely rebuffs her at every turn, preferring to keep to himself. But when Julia catches Cain stealing her newspaper from the lobby of their apartment building, that’s the last straw. She’s going to break through Cain’s Scrooge-like exterior the only way she knows how: by killing him with kindness.

Review: Debbie Macomber's Sweet Tomorrow

Sweet Tomorrows

About the Book:

The much-anticipated conclusion to Debbie Macomber's beloved Rose Harbor series, set in the picturesque town of Cedar Cove, Sweet Tomorrows is a vibrant and poignant novel of letting go of fear, following your heart, and embracing the future—come what may.

A Girl's Guide to Moving On: My Review

A Girl's Guide to Moving On: A Novel

About the Book:

In this powerful and uplifting novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber, a mother and her daughter-in-law bravely leave their troubled marriages and face the challenge of starting over. Leaning on each other, Nichole and Leanne discover that their inner strength and capacity for love are greater than they ever imagined.

 

When Nichole discovers that her husband, Jake, has been unfaithful, the illusion of her perfect life is indelibly shattered. While juggling her young son, a new job, and volunteer work, Nichole meets Rocco, who is the opposite of Jake in nearly every way. Though blunt-spoken and rough around the edges, Rocco proves to be a dedicated father and thoughtful friend. But just as their relationship begins to blossom, Jake wagers everything on winning Nichole back—including their son Owen’s happiness. Somehow, Nichole must find the courage to defy her fears and follow her heart, with far-reaching consequences for them all.

 

Leanne has quietly ignored her husband’s cheating for decades, but is jolted into action by the echo of Nichole’s all-too-familiar crisis. While volunteering as a teacher of English as a second language, Leanne meets Nikolai, a charming, talented baker from Ukraine. Resolved to avoid the heartache and complications of romantic entanglements, Leanne nonetheless finds it difficult to resist Nikolai’s effusive overtures—until an unexpected tragedy tests the very fabric of her commitments.

My Comments:

Debbie Macomber writes fluffy feel-good reads, and this is no exception.  It is a sequel to Last One Home which I found to be poorly written (see my review).  A Girl's Guide to Moving On is somewhat better.  While Nicole's sisters make appearances, the primary relationships are between Leanne and Nicole and between them and the new and old men in their lives.  Macomber explores the topics of love, trust, moving on and relationships between ex-spouses.  I found it interesting that both Leanne and Nichole found new men who were definitely beneath their former husbands on the social ladder, but of course they turned out to be great guys.  

Chapters are titled with the name of the woman whose story is told in that chapter.  Sometimes, we hear what Leanne thinks of Nicole's story and vice-versa. 

Like Macombers other recent books, characters in this one do not get beyond passionate kissing.  I liked the fact that one night Nichole almost threw herself at Rocco, who, despite his bad-boy past, refused to take advantage of the situation, and insisted they wait.  He told her she wasn't ready, however, he did not say that waiting until marriage was necessary.  

While classified as general-market fiction, it is mentioned that Leanne goes to church.  She and Nikolai visit a Russian Orthodox church to pray for her ex.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.  

Review: Last One Home

Last One Home: A Novel

About the Book:

Growing up, Cassie Carter and her sisters, Karen and Nichole, were incredibly close—until one fateful event drove them apart. After high school, Cassie ran away from home to marry the wrong man, throwing away a college scholarship and breaking her parents’ hearts. To make matters worse, Cassie had always been their father’s favorite—a sentiment that weighed heavily on her sisters and made Cassie’s actions even harder to bear.

Now thirty-one, Cassie is back in Washington, living in Seattle with her daughter and hoping to leave her past behind. After ending a difficult marriage, Cassie is back on her own two feet, the pieces of her life slowly but surely coming together. Despite the strides Cassie’s made, she hasn’t been able to make peace with her sisters. Karen, the oldest, is a busy wife and mother, balancing her career with raising her two children. And Nichole, the youngest, is a stay-at-home mom whose husband indulges her every whim. Then one day, Cassie receives a letter from Karen, offering what Cassie thinks may be a chance to reconcile. And as Cassie opens herself up to new possibilities—making amends with her sisters, finding love once more—she realizes the power of compassion, and the promise of a fresh start.

A wonderful novel of perseverance and trust, and an exciting journey through life’s challenges and joys, Last One Home is Debbie Macomber at the height of her talents.

My  Comments:

If you click this link you'll see my post on negative reviews, and what types of books are likely to garner negative reviews as opposed to being ignored if I do not like them.  In this case, I have read and positively reviewed many of Debbie Macomber's books.  I did not enjoy this one and frankly, I believe that if it was sent to a publisher or agent by an unknown author, it would have never made it past the reject bin.  The writing is not professional quality.  While the story concept was good, and the opening strong, the book never got out of the starting blocks and the characters, usually Debbie Macomber's strong point, never really came to life.  

Cassie was a battered wife and the story opens with her supporting another battered wife as the other woman testifies in court against the man who hurt her.  We learn that Cassie left her husband after being beaten many times, went to a battered women's shelter, and is now working as a hair stylist and living in a small dumpy apartment.  However, she has just been accepted as a Habitat for Humanity homeowner, and it is while putting in the necessary sweat equity that she meets her love interest in this book.  Of course they clash, and eventually, each decides the other isn't all bad.  

While the blurb above pitches this book as being about the relationship between sisters, Cassie's sisters remind me of teenagers, not grown women.  Of course their lives aren't as ideal as they appear on the surface, but we never really get into what makes them tick either. In the end, it is happily ever after with everyone's problems solved and a big group hug--but I still didn't think I knew the characters; rather I had just been told what happened over this time in their lives. At times the writing was repetitive, and the whole story just never grabbed me, despite the potential.  The book was a disappointment to me and I'm giving it a C because so many Amazon readers gave it five stars, putting it the category of a book that I didn't like, but which  you might.

Thanks to Edelweiss for providing a review copy.

Blossom Street Brides: My Review

Blossom Street Brides: A Blossom Street Novel

About the Book:

Lauren Elliott has waited years for her long-term boyfriend, Todd, to propose, yet he seems more focused on his career than their relationship. When Lauren learns that her younger sister is pregnant before she herself even has an engagement ring, she feels overjoyed yet disheartened. Knowing she can’t put her future on hold, Lauren prepares to make a bold choice—one that leads her to a man she never dreamed she’d meet.

Newly married to her second husband, Max, Bethanne Scranton is blissfully in love. But with Max’s job in California and Bethanne’s in Seattle, their long-distance marriage is becoming difficult to maintain. To complicate matters, Bethanne’s cunning ex will do anything to win her back.

Lydia Goetz, too, is wonderfully happy with her husband, Brad, though lately she worries about the future of A Good Yarn. As she considers how to bring in business, she discovers that someone has beaten her to the punch. Baskets of yarn are mysteriously popping up all over town, with instructions to knit a scarf for charity and bring it into Lydia’s store. Never before has her shop received so much attention, but who hatched this brilliant plan?

As three women’s lives intersect in unexpected ways, Lydia, Lauren, and Bethanne realize that love heals every heart, and the best surprises still lay ahead.

My Comments:

Fans of Macomber's Yarn Shop books will enjoy this newest installment to the long-running series.  While this book and others in the series stand along better than the soap operaish Cedar Cover books, it is clearly part of a series.  Picking up where A Turn in the Road (my review) leaves off,  Blossom Street Brides follows Bethanne through the first months of marriage and dealing with the reality of sharing a family with an ex-husband who'd like to be a part of the family.  It also follows the romance between Max's friend Rooster and Bethanne's friend Lauren.  While this is not a Christian novel, the characters do not end up in bed until after marriage and we are left outside the bedroom door.  

The part of the story I found most interesting was the thread about Lydia's adoptive daughter and her grandmother.  That is a thread that looks like it will be carried over to the next book as there was no resolution and it is clear that something is going to happen.  

In short, if you enjoy Macomber's sagas, this should be right up your alley, but I'd read A Turn in the Road first.  I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via Edelweiss.  Grade:  B.  

Review: Starry Night by Debbie Macomber

Starry Night: A Christmas Novel

About the Book:

’Tis the season for romance, second chances, and Christmas cheer with this new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Carrie Slayton, a big-city society-page columnist, longs to write more serious news stories. So her editor hands her a challenge: She can cover any topic she wants, but only if she first scores the paper an interview with Finn Dalton, the notoriously reclusive author. 

Living in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Finn has written a megabestselling memoir about surviving in the wild. But he stubbornly declines to speak to anyone in the press, and no one even knows exactly where he lives.

Digging deep into Finn’s past, Carrie develops a theory on his whereabouts. It is the holidays, but her career is at stake, so she forsakes her family celebrations and flies out to snowy Alaska. When she finally finds Finn, she discovers a man both more charismatic and more stubborn than she even expected. And soon she is torn between pursuing the story of a lifetime and following her heart.

Filled with all the comforts and joys of Christmastime, Starry Night is a delightful novel of finding happiness in the most surprising places.

My Comments:

I didn't have any expectations of a sophisticated novel with deeply layered characterizations when I picked this up.  I figured on a quick heart-warming read, that while perhaps a little overly sweet, would make me smile.  I was disappointed.  I've read 47 of 142 pages (yes, it's that short) and I don't like either him or her and find the whole set-up silly.  When I saw that Amazon wanted $9.99 for the Kindle edition, well...let's say there are better freebies out there.  DNF.

Thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available via Edelwiess.  

ADDENDUM:  While the price was $9.99 when I first wrote this  post, as of 10/30/13, it is $7.99

Review: Rose Harbor in Bloom

Rose Harbor in Bloom: A Novel

About the Book:

Since moving to Cedar Cove, Jo Marie Rose has truly started to feel at home, and her neighbors have become her closest friends. Now it’s springtime, and Jo Marie is eager to finish the most recent addition to her inn. In memory of her late husband, Paul, she has designed a beautiful rose garden for the property and enlisted handyman Mark Taylor to help realize it. She and Mark don’t always see eye-to-eye—and at times he seems far removed—yet deep down, Jo Marie finds great comfort in his company. And while she still seeks a sense of closure, she welcomes her latest guests, who are on their own healing journeys.

 

Annie Newton arrives in town to orchestrate her grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration. While Annie is excited for the festivities, she’s struggling to move on from her broken engagement, and her grandparents themselves seem to be having trouble getting along. Worse, Annie is forced to see Oliver Sutton, with whom she grew up and who has always mercilessly teased her. But the best parties end with a surprise, and Annie is in for the biggest one of all.

 

High-powered businesswoman Mary Smith, another Rose Harbor Inn guest, has achieved incredible success in her field, yet serious illness has led her to face her sole, lingering regret. Almost nineteen years ago, she ended her relationship with her true love, George Hudson, and now she’s returned to Cedar Cove to make amends.

 

Compassion and joy await Jo Marie, Annie, and Mary as they make peace with their pasts and look boldly toward their futures. Rose Harbor in Bloom is Debbie Macomber at her heartwarming best.

My Comments:

This is the second book in Macomber's latest series.  I reviewed the first back in July.  These books are set at an Inn in Cedar Cove, Washington, and a couple of the characters from Macomber's Cedar Cove sagas make cameo appearances but you don't have to know anything about them to enjoy this book.  Unlike the Cedar Cove books with their multiple threads and soap-opera-ish pace, these Rose Harbor books, while connected by a common setting and a few common characters, each stand alone well.  We find out in this book that the main characters from the last book all headed to the altar, but that really has nothing to do with the story here.  Both of the main romantic plots in this book feature couples who have known each other for a long time; couples who were each other's first love.  Both of the couples have been apart; will they get back together?

Like Macomber's other recent works, no one ends up in bed, and while you would be no means characterize the book as religious fiction, prayer is mentioned.  There is also a pro-life message.  

I'd like the thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.  

Other Debbie Macomber Books:

Book Review: Starting Now

Starting Now: A Blossom Street Novel

About the Book:

For years Libby Morgan dreamed only of making partner in her competitive, high-pressure law firm. She sacrificed everything for her career—her friends, her marriage, her chance at creating a family. When her boss calls Libby into his office, she assumes it will finally be good news, but nothing can prepare her for the shocking reality: She’s been let go and must rebuild her entire life . . . starting now. 

With no job prospects in sight, Libby reaches out to old friends and spends her afternoons at A Good Yarn, the local knitting store. There she forms a close bond with Lydia, the sweet-natured shop owner; Lydia’s spirited teenage daughter, Casey; and Casey’s best friend, Ava, a shy yet troubled girl who will shape Libby’s future in surprising and profound ways. 

As A Good Yarn becomes a second home—and the women a new kind of family—Libby relishes the different person she’s become. She even finds time for romance with a charming and handsome doctor who seems to be her perfect match. But just as everything is coming together, Libby must make a choice that could forever change the life she holds so dear.

My Comments:

This is a Debbie Macomber novel and so you know that it will be sweet and clean.  Libby ends up sleeping with her guy, but all they do is sleep.  The ending is happy, though I think a little on the unrealistic side.  The book is general market romance, not Christian fiction but it mentions religion a little.  Once, Libby goes to the  hospital chapel, but instead of talking to God, she talks to her mother.  Later, she goes to some church down the street on Sunday.  Another character remembers his Catholic mother teaching him his memorized prayers, but it is noted that he hasn't said them lately.  

Starting Now is one of the Yarn Shop books and mentions a few of the main characters from the other books but it doesn't try to catch up readers with all the characters.   Those new to the series should not be lost trying to figure out who is who and how they fit together.  It just doesn't matter for this book, which pretty much has a self-contained plot without threads weaving back to other books.  

In short, if you like Macomber's books or are looking for an enjoyable light read with plenty of happily ever after, give this one a try.  Grade:  B.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via Edelweiss.  

Review: The Inn at Rose Harbor

The Inn at Rose Harbor: A Novel

About the Book:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber comes a heartwarming new series based in the Pacific Northwest town of Cedar Cove, where a charming cast of characters finds love, forgiveness, and renewal behind the doors of the cozy Rose Harbor Inn.

Jo Marie Rose first arrives in Cedar Cove seeking a sense of peace and a fresh start. Coping with the death of her husband, she purchases a local bed-and-breakfast—the newly christened Rose Harbor Inn—ready to begin her life anew. Yet the inn holds more surprises than Jo Marie can imagine.

Her first guest is Joshua Weaver, who has come home to care for his ailing stepfather. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Joshua has little hope that they can reconcile their differences. But a long-lost acquaintance from Joshua’s high school days proves to him that forgiveness is never out of reach and love can bloom even where it’s least expected.   

The other guest is Abby Kincaid, who has returned to Cedar Cove to attend her brother’s wedding. Back for the first time in twenty years, she almost wishes she hadn’t come, the picturesque town harboring painful memories from her past. And while Abby reconnects with family and old friends, she realizes she can only move on if she truly allows herself to let go.

A touching novel of life’s grand possibilities and the heart’s ability to heal, The Inn at Rose Harbor is a welcome introduction to an unforgettable set of friends.

My Comments:

Were you one of of the folks who were so disappointed when Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series ended?  Were you so upset that you'd never again get to have coffee with Grace and Olivia?  Did you think that you were never going to "see" your Cedar Cove "friends" again?  Well, cry no more; they are back, along with a whole new cast--kind of like a TV spinoff when the characters from the old show make cameo appearances but the real action is happening to the new characters in a new setting.  

The writing is typical Macomber--fluffy and sweet.  The romances are clean, kissing is as far as it goes.  While there was close to a resolution for two couples, there is one that I'm guessing will get together and the book ends with two new guests calling to book a stay at the Inn so I suspect we'll see Jo Marie again.  

One complaint I'll make is that the book includes a scene in a Catholic church.  Macomber refers to the area where people sit as the sanctuary.  While that nomenclature may be used in Protestant churches, in Catholic churches, the sanctuary is the area where the altar is, the area where the priest and those assisting him are, not the area for the congregation.  Also, she says that Jesus hanging on the cross was nowhere in sight, although a large crucifix dominated the area behind the altar.  Well, a crucifix by definition, has Jesus hanging on it.  

While not classified as religious fiction, the theme of forgiveness is strong, both forgiveness of others and forgiveness of self.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.

Reviews of Other Debbie Macomber Books:

Changing Habits

Country Brides

Cedar Cove

A Cedar Cove Christmas

Summer on Blossom Street

Hannah's List

Holiday Blessings

Mail Order Bride and Christmas Wishes

Orchard Valley Grooms

Touched by Angels

The Snow Bride

Someday Soon

Mail Order Marriages

Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook

8 Sandpiper Way

Be My Valentine

Where Angels Go

The Manning Brides

Mrs. Miracle

A Turn in the Road

The Playboy and the Widow

Twenty Wishes

1105 Yakima Street

1225 Christmas Tree Lane

Home for the Holidays, Midnight Clear and Thursdays at Eight

The Matchmakers and A Matter of Marriage

1022 Evergreen Place

Between Friends