Series & Title: Honeymoon Harbor, Book 1: Herons Landing
Author: JoAnn Ross
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Newsletter
Publisher: HQN Books
Release Date: June 1, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ARC Received From: Harlequin
Reviewed For: TLC Book Tours
There’s no place to fall in love like the place you left your heart
Welcome to Honeymoon Harbor, the brand-new, long-awaited series by beloved New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross, where unforgettable characters come face-to-face with the kind of love that grabs your heart and never lets go.
Working as a Las Vegas concierge, Brianna Mannion is an expert at making other people’s wishes come true. It’s satisfying work, but a visit home to scenic Honeymoon Harbor turns into a permanent stay when she’s reminded of everything she’s missing: the idyllic small-town charm; the old Victorian house she’d always coveted; and Seth Harper, her best friend’s widower and the neighborhood boy she once crushed on—hard. After years spent serving others, maybe Brianna’s finally ready to chase dreams of her own.
Since losing his wife, Seth has kept busy running the Harper family’s renovation business and flying way under the social radar. But when Brianna hires him to convert her aging dream home into a romantic B and B, working together presents a heart-stopping temptation Seth never saw coming. With guilt and grief his only companions for so long, he’ll have to step out of the past long enough to recognize the beautiful life Brianna and he could build together.
I feel like a second chance at love is harder emotionally when love has already come and gone. Regardless of it left, the person a story focuses on is weighed down with feelings that don't exist in other types of romance stories. Grief and guilt are usually at the forefront. Grief colors their life in darkness. Guilt pokes holes in their attempts to move forward/on. I believe that patience is needed when entering a relationship with someone who's dealing daily with these emotions, and that it takes an incredible person to help the other see that life isn't over and a happy future is still possible.
Brianna's decision to leave Honeymoon Harbor years ago made sense, as did her decision to stay away after returning for Zoe's funeral. Her childhood friendship with Seth and Zoe was easy until she fell in love with Seth, only to watch him fall in love with Zoe. She cared about their happiness so she didn't get in their way, but it was a constant reminder of what she could not have with Seth anymore. Now she's home to build a future for herself, one that's focused on her own happiness instead of others, one that will hopefully include Seth.
Seth has struggled with grief and guilt since Zoe died. Daily reminders keep him from moving forward with his life. The love and happiness he shared with Zoe were torn apart in a heartbeat, and dreams of a family were buried with her. Or were they? Brianna's return and proposal to work on her venture opens his eyes to the possibility of happiness and forever and love once again. But is it wrong?
Their relationship was a bit reluctant at first, but it gained momentum as they spent time together. For Brianna, her feelings for Seth never diminished. For Seth, his feelings for Brianna shifted from friendship to more. The weight of his grief needed to be handled first or their relationship won't go anywhere. It's slow getting there but it was perfect for them. It wouldn't have made sense to rush right into love with all that baggage Seth carried.
Underneath the emotional turmoil, this is a pretty cut and dry story. It's an easy read, a heartfelt romance about learning to move forward, letting go, and letting yourself be happy again. It's a learning experience for both Seth and Brianna. Zoe's memory hung between them but, for me, it wasn't like a barrier. It was bridge. The one thing they had in common was the one thing they needed to deal with together. They did and it turned out beautifully for them.
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author JoAnn Ross has been published in twenty-seven countries. A member of Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll of bestselling authors, JoAnn lives with her husband and three rescued dogs — who pretty much rule the house — in the Pacific Northwest.
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