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Honeymoon Harbor #1
Herons Landing
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 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.
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 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.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2018
About the author
JoAnn Ross
228 books798 followersNew York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross has written over a hundred novels for a bunch of publishers. Two of her titles have been excerpted in Cosmo and her books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Literary Guild, and Mystery Guild book clubs.
A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.
Currently writing a new Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN set on the Washington peninsula, that will launch in April, 2018, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay books are set), in the Pacific Northwest.
A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.
Currently writing a new Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN set on the Washington peninsula, that will launch in April, 2018, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay books are set), in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
June 24, 2018
Favorite Quotes:
“On our first date, she cited all this damn research claiming vegans lived nine years longer than meat eaters.” Jarle’s teeth flashed in a grin in his flaming red beard. “After a week of grazing, I decided that her statistics might be true, but that extra time would be nine horrible baconless years.”
Dottie’s going to love dressing you. I swear to the Goddess that woman’s goal in life is to get every Northwesterner looking like a unicorn vomited out rainbows.
Jarle tends to fall in love with every good-looking single woman who comes into the pub. I think it’s the Viking in him. So far he hasn’t carried any off, and doesn’t harass them, just admires from afar, so I figure putting all that emotion into his cooking helps improve business.
You make him work for it, sweetheart. A woman’s gotta let her man know from the beginning that he’s going to have to do his share in a marriage. We women shouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting.
My Review:
I was a bit conflicted on how to rate this slowly developing and character-driven small-town tale of second chances. Being the first in a series there were lots of characters to introduce and considerable background and history to cover about the quaint little community and a long-standing feud between two of the early families that continued to inhabit both ends of the social ladder. The premise was relevant and interesting, and the storylines were meticulously detailed with the tones alternating between amusing, heartbreaking, and realistic with a few hot licks of sizzling sensuality to take some of the edge off the over-serve of sorrow and angst. The characters were likable, endearing, and admirable, but the story tended to stall on occasion due to the rather repetitive and tiresome retreading the young widower’s grief and inability to move on. Despite my personal pet peeve toward angst, I look forward to returning to the characters living in this unique little enclave while hoping for a lighter beat in the next installment.
“On our first date, she cited all this damn research claiming vegans lived nine years longer than meat eaters.” Jarle’s teeth flashed in a grin in his flaming red beard. “After a week of grazing, I decided that her statistics might be true, but that extra time would be nine horrible baconless years.”
Dottie’s going to love dressing you. I swear to the Goddess that woman’s goal in life is to get every Northwesterner looking like a unicorn vomited out rainbows.
Jarle tends to fall in love with every good-looking single woman who comes into the pub. I think it’s the Viking in him. So far he hasn’t carried any off, and doesn’t harass them, just admires from afar, so I figure putting all that emotion into his cooking helps improve business.
You make him work for it, sweetheart. A woman’s gotta let her man know from the beginning that he’s going to have to do his share in a marriage. We women shouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting.
My Review:
I was a bit conflicted on how to rate this slowly developing and character-driven small-town tale of second chances. Being the first in a series there were lots of characters to introduce and considerable background and history to cover about the quaint little community and a long-standing feud between two of the early families that continued to inhabit both ends of the social ladder. The premise was relevant and interesting, and the storylines were meticulously detailed with the tones alternating between amusing, heartbreaking, and realistic with a few hot licks of sizzling sensuality to take some of the edge off the over-serve of sorrow and angst. The characters were likable, endearing, and admirable, but the story tended to stall on occasion due to the rather repetitive and tiresome retreading the young widower’s grief and inability to move on. Despite my personal pet peeve toward angst, I look forward to returning to the characters living in this unique little enclave while hoping for a lighter beat in the next installment.
November 21, 2019
It's a 'widower romance' that I feel lacked a lot of romance.
September 6, 2021
nice easy read, more than just a typical romance novel, but not by much. easy to follow, somewhat engrossing, a nice change from anything too deep or meaningful.
October 31, 2018
I read this first book in a series because the second book is on my holiday reading list, and now I’m DYING to start that one before my holiday reading is officially allowed to begin on Thanksgiving.
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Heron’s Landing is the first in the Honeymoon Harbor series, set on the Pacific Northwest coast. This book is a sweet, tender, cozy romance with actually way more 🔥 than I expected. I absolutely loved it and am so excited to continue the series ❤️ Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane is book #2 and it releases on 11.1.18.
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If you love romantic stories with themes of returning home, home renovations, wedding planning, this one is for you! There is also a strong military storyline as well - trigger warning for anyone who has lost anyone to military action.
.
Heron’s Landing is the first in the Honeymoon Harbor series, set on the Pacific Northwest coast. This book is a sweet, tender, cozy romance with actually way more 🔥 than I expected. I absolutely loved it and am so excited to continue the series ❤️ Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane is book #2 and it releases on 11.1.18.
.
If you love romantic stories with themes of returning home, home renovations, wedding planning, this one is for you! There is also a strong military storyline as well - trigger warning for anyone who has lost anyone to military action.
August 9, 2018
The Pacific Northwest is apparently a popular setting for romance novels. I have only been to the Seattle, WA area once in my life, and it was for only a few days, but I will admit that it is beautiful country. I saw primarily forests and mountains on my stay, mainly because I tent-camped overnight at Mt. Rainier National Park, so I didn’t get to spend a lot of time in the city proper or in the trendy little towns scattered around Seattle.
Based on what I have read, the place is full of romantic bed-and-breakfasts and little towns with shopfronts that sell local artisan stuff (pottery, paintings, furniture, pastries, etc.) and have clever names for independent book shops like Page Turners or Off the Shelf.
There’s also the microbrews, wineries, and farm-to-table vegetarian restaurants that are extremely popular. Basically, the Pacific Northwest is like a millenial/hipster paradise.
(If that sounds like the snarkily judgmental statement that a typical Midwesterner might make, it’s because it is.)
Places like the aforementioned annoy me, mainly because I hate to shop (unless it’s a bookstore) and I’d rather spend a vacation resting, enjoying Nature, or catching up on my reading. The last thing I want to do is spend money on clothes or trinkets that will end up in a drawer and never be worn or used. (Seriously, I have, like, one pair of shorts that I wear for three months straight, and I pretty much live in an assortment of tie-dye t-shirts or t-shirts with “Star Wars” shit on them.)
But since I am a good husband, I will endure the endless shopping in little towns throughout America, mainly because I do, actually, love my wife, and I know that I do, occasionally, have to give some to get some, if yaknowwhatimean wink wink nudge nudge...
JoAnn Ross, according to her bio, has written over a hundred novels and is a best-selling romance novelist. I’m going to hazard a guess that a majority of those novels are set in the Pacific Northwest, which, also according to her bio, she calls home with her husband, “her high school sweetheart”. (This is where you go “Ahhhhhhh...”)
“Herons Landing” is apparently the first in a new series set in the small (presumably fictional) town of Honeymoon Harbor, situated on the Olympic Peninsula.
Everyone in Honeymoon Harbor is extremely good-looking. I mean, like, ridiculously gorgeous. They’re also happy as shit. And rich. And annoying.
(Sorry. My Midwesterner is showing...)
Okay, so Seth Harper isn’t happy. It’s been several years now since his wife, Zoey, an Army nurse, was killed in Afghanistan. He’s still trying to pick up the pieces of his broken life he was planning with her. Mostly, he just tries to bury himself in work as the town’s most prominent building contractor.
Brianna Mannion was Seth and Zoey’s best friend since middle school. She’s had a crush on Seth since she was a little girl, when they were neighbors and played together in the old abandoned haunted house down the road. She’s been living and working in Las Vegas as an extremely sought-after party planner, but the job has grown tiresome, and she decides to go back home.
When she arrives home to Honeymoon Harbor, she impulsively decides to buy that old abandoned haunted house and resurrect it as a glorious b-&-b. Of course, she hires Seth to do the designs and reno, mainly because he’s apparently the only contractor in town.
You can see where this is going...
Okay, so I was expecting not to like this book. It is fairly predictable (as all romance novels are, let’s be honest) and melodramatic at times, and the plot is basically a paint-by-numbers Lifetime or Hallmark movie of the week.
Nevertheless, I was, by the end, rooting for Seth and Brianna (along with everyone else in the town) to end up together. And Ross didn’t disappoint. I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that they do end up together.
Ross is a bit sparse with the sex scenes, but the few she includes are fairly steamy and hot. No ass-play, but nobody’s perfect.
There’s a lot of other stuff that goes on in the book, including side stories involving Seth’s mom and dad going through marital problems, as well as a cutesy same-sex couple planning their wedding and adoption of a child. All well and good, but we all know that the money shot is Seth and Brianna hooking up.
Honeymoon Harbor seems like an annoyingly cute little town, and one that I may want to go back to someday. As long as Ross keeps writing those hot, steamy sex scenes...
Based on what I have read, the place is full of romantic bed-and-breakfasts and little towns with shopfronts that sell local artisan stuff (pottery, paintings, furniture, pastries, etc.) and have clever names for independent book shops like Page Turners or Off the Shelf.
There’s also the microbrews, wineries, and farm-to-table vegetarian restaurants that are extremely popular. Basically, the Pacific Northwest is like a millenial/hipster paradise.
(If that sounds like the snarkily judgmental statement that a typical Midwesterner might make, it’s because it is.)
Places like the aforementioned annoy me, mainly because I hate to shop (unless it’s a bookstore) and I’d rather spend a vacation resting, enjoying Nature, or catching up on my reading. The last thing I want to do is spend money on clothes or trinkets that will end up in a drawer and never be worn or used. (Seriously, I have, like, one pair of shorts that I wear for three months straight, and I pretty much live in an assortment of tie-dye t-shirts or t-shirts with “Star Wars” shit on them.)
But since I am a good husband, I will endure the endless shopping in little towns throughout America, mainly because I do, actually, love my wife, and I know that I do, occasionally, have to give some to get some, if yaknowwhatimean wink wink nudge nudge...
JoAnn Ross, according to her bio, has written over a hundred novels and is a best-selling romance novelist. I’m going to hazard a guess that a majority of those novels are set in the Pacific Northwest, which, also according to her bio, she calls home with her husband, “her high school sweetheart”. (This is where you go “Ahhhhhhh...”)
“Herons Landing” is apparently the first in a new series set in the small (presumably fictional) town of Honeymoon Harbor, situated on the Olympic Peninsula.
Everyone in Honeymoon Harbor is extremely good-looking. I mean, like, ridiculously gorgeous. They’re also happy as shit. And rich. And annoying.
(Sorry. My Midwesterner is showing...)
Okay, so Seth Harper isn’t happy. It’s been several years now since his wife, Zoey, an Army nurse, was killed in Afghanistan. He’s still trying to pick up the pieces of his broken life he was planning with her. Mostly, he just tries to bury himself in work as the town’s most prominent building contractor.
Brianna Mannion was Seth and Zoey’s best friend since middle school. She’s had a crush on Seth since she was a little girl, when they were neighbors and played together in the old abandoned haunted house down the road. She’s been living and working in Las Vegas as an extremely sought-after party planner, but the job has grown tiresome, and she decides to go back home.
When she arrives home to Honeymoon Harbor, she impulsively decides to buy that old abandoned haunted house and resurrect it as a glorious b-&-b. Of course, she hires Seth to do the designs and reno, mainly because he’s apparently the only contractor in town.
You can see where this is going...
Okay, so I was expecting not to like this book. It is fairly predictable (as all romance novels are, let’s be honest) and melodramatic at times, and the plot is basically a paint-by-numbers Lifetime or Hallmark movie of the week.
Nevertheless, I was, by the end, rooting for Seth and Brianna (along with everyone else in the town) to end up together. And Ross didn’t disappoint. I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that they do end up together.
Ross is a bit sparse with the sex scenes, but the few she includes are fairly steamy and hot. No ass-play, but nobody’s perfect.
There’s a lot of other stuff that goes on in the book, including side stories involving Seth’s mom and dad going through marital problems, as well as a cutesy same-sex couple planning their wedding and adoption of a child. All well and good, but we all know that the money shot is Seth and Brianna hooking up.
Honeymoon Harbor seems like an annoyingly cute little town, and one that I may want to go back to someday. As long as Ross keeps writing those hot, steamy sex scenes...
May 12, 2018
I read a lot of Jo Ann Ross in the past. Her Shelter Bay series was one of my favorites. I don’t know why I hadn’t read her in a while. I had forgotten how wonderful her books are. What a treat to return to her books just in time for the start of a new series. After reading Herons Landing, I’d say her Honeymoon Harbor series promises to be just as addicting as Shelter Bay. And with her vivid descriptions of the Pacific Northwest, like Shelter Bay, Honeymoon Harbor is a place I plan to visit again.
Brianna Mannion was living what she’d thought was her dream job as concierge at a glamorous Las Vegas resort. She’d worked long and hard to get there. But each step up the ladder only brought more responsibility and stress. She wasn’t happy any more. When she sees her favorite old Victorian, Herons Landing, is up for sale in her home town, she knows it’s time to head home. As a child, it had been her dream house. She’d always envisioned opening up a B&B there. Now she could restore it to the grand home it had once been. Only problem was, she’d need the expertise of the one man she’d been in love with since childhood. A man who’d never seen her as anything more than a friend. A man who had married her best friend, Zoe. She hadn’t seen him since Zoe’s funeral two years ago.
Seth Harper was known for his family’s construction business and their work in restoring the Victorian buildings in his hometown of Honeymoon Harbor. Rebuilding other people’s houses was what was left of what had once been his life. Even after two years, he was still struggling with the death of his wife, Zoe. He felt numb, holding on to a dream that would never happen. When he and Zoe’s childhood friend, Brianna, returns home to restore Herons Landing, Seth is eager to take on the work. Two old friends embarking on a joint project that would prove equally fulfilling and profitable is just what he needs to keep him from losing himself in the funk he’d been living in. But when Brianna Harper returns, Seth notices things about her he’d never noticed before. And the feelings he starts to have for her are too close to desire for comfort.
I loved Seth and Bri’s story. I ached for both of them. Brianna had loved Seth her whole life but he’d never seen her as more than his best friends’ sister. When he’d married Zoe, Brianna had moved from town to city never looking back. She’d stayed in touch with Zoe but didn’t think she could live in the same town watching them live the life she’d dreamed of. She’d thought she could continue to be just Seth’s friend when she returned but the attraction was still there and it was even harder to hide now that they were working side by side. Seth lived with constant reminders of Zoe. Even seeing her parents weekly to reminisce over old photos He was lost in grief and didn’t know how to let go. Working together on the B&B, Seth felt an enthusiasm he hadn’t felt for a long time. He liked spending time with Bri. Because of her, the anger and pain he’d been mired in were disappearing. But he was afraid to feel more and that fear of ever losing someone he loved again could keep him from having the future he deserved and so desperately wanted.
I love the small town dynamic of this series. Where people are like family. And like family, they can drive you crazy but they’re also there to support you when needed. There was so much more to this book than just Bri and Seth’s story. There were side stories going on with friends and family. I was every bit as intrigued by those stories as I was by the romance. This was so much more than a second chance love story. It was a story of family, life, passion, disappointment, fears, and loss. And most importantly, it was a story of daring to love again in spite of those fears and loss. I’m so glad I found Jo Ann Ross again. I can’t wait for more of this series. There are so many secondary characters I’m anxious to know more about that I’m eager for a return visit to Honeymoon Harbor.
Brianna Mannion was living what she’d thought was her dream job as concierge at a glamorous Las Vegas resort. She’d worked long and hard to get there. But each step up the ladder only brought more responsibility and stress. She wasn’t happy any more. When she sees her favorite old Victorian, Herons Landing, is up for sale in her home town, she knows it’s time to head home. As a child, it had been her dream house. She’d always envisioned opening up a B&B there. Now she could restore it to the grand home it had once been. Only problem was, she’d need the expertise of the one man she’d been in love with since childhood. A man who’d never seen her as anything more than a friend. A man who had married her best friend, Zoe. She hadn’t seen him since Zoe’s funeral two years ago.
Seth Harper was known for his family’s construction business and their work in restoring the Victorian buildings in his hometown of Honeymoon Harbor. Rebuilding other people’s houses was what was left of what had once been his life. Even after two years, he was still struggling with the death of his wife, Zoe. He felt numb, holding on to a dream that would never happen. When he and Zoe’s childhood friend, Brianna, returns home to restore Herons Landing, Seth is eager to take on the work. Two old friends embarking on a joint project that would prove equally fulfilling and profitable is just what he needs to keep him from losing himself in the funk he’d been living in. But when Brianna Harper returns, Seth notices things about her he’d never noticed before. And the feelings he starts to have for her are too close to desire for comfort.
I loved Seth and Bri’s story. I ached for both of them. Brianna had loved Seth her whole life but he’d never seen her as more than his best friends’ sister. When he’d married Zoe, Brianna had moved from town to city never looking back. She’d stayed in touch with Zoe but didn’t think she could live in the same town watching them live the life she’d dreamed of. She’d thought she could continue to be just Seth’s friend when she returned but the attraction was still there and it was even harder to hide now that they were working side by side. Seth lived with constant reminders of Zoe. Even seeing her parents weekly to reminisce over old photos He was lost in grief and didn’t know how to let go. Working together on the B&B, Seth felt an enthusiasm he hadn’t felt for a long time. He liked spending time with Bri. Because of her, the anger and pain he’d been mired in were disappearing. But he was afraid to feel more and that fear of ever losing someone he loved again could keep him from having the future he deserved and so desperately wanted.
I love the small town dynamic of this series. Where people are like family. And like family, they can drive you crazy but they’re also there to support you when needed. There was so much more to this book than just Bri and Seth’s story. There were side stories going on with friends and family. I was every bit as intrigued by those stories as I was by the romance. This was so much more than a second chance love story. It was a story of family, life, passion, disappointment, fears, and loss. And most importantly, it was a story of daring to love again in spite of those fears and loss. I’m so glad I found Jo Ann Ross again. I can’t wait for more of this series. There are so many secondary characters I’m anxious to know more about that I’m eager for a return visit to Honeymoon Harbor.
November 30, 2019
I have a low tolerance for small town single titles contemporaries (too much filler, too much improbably cutesy, I'm here for the romance - give me that not the seventy billion cupcake shops that somehow manage to stay in business in towns with populations of 2000). Anyway. Sorry tangent. Even though I found the pacing slow going at times and I wanted more of the romantic couple, this is a really well done small town contemporary. The setting is lovely, the secondary characters interesting, and I liked the secondary storyline involving the hero's parents. Also, The Black Moment was suitably angsty and emotional.
If you like small town contemporaries this is one worth checking out.
If you like small town contemporaries this is one worth checking out.
May 28, 2018
I love JoAnn Ross’s books. There is such a strong blend of characters you want to know, a community where you want to live and back stories that give all of those things dimension.
May 17, 2018
This first book in JoAnn Ross's new series Honeymoon Harbor was a great read. You are introduced to the Harper and Mannion families and a whole cast of characters that inhabit the town. I liked how the story evolved around Brianna Mannion and Seth Harper from their days as children to their adulthood. I found myself wishing the author had got to the romance sooner, but in the telling you could experience the sexual chemistry between the two and when it hit them, it was the romance and heat you wanted for them. JoAnn also gives you a look at the past and present of secondary characters who will be I'm sure, scattered throughout this series.
Seth Harper has been coming out of morning his wife Zoe, who was his childhood sweetheart and also best friends with Brianna Mannion. Brianna has travelled the world and come home to Honeymoon Harbor to open up a B&B in the house she always wanted, Heron Landing. It was her dream come true when leaving Las Vegas, and the hotel where she was a concierge, that the house was up for sale. When she finds out that none other than Seth Harper owns this wonderful home in need of a lot of tender loving care, she knows fate was working her way. Seth is also a contractor and together they transform this beautiful stately old home into everything it should be. In doing so, the feelings that Brianna has had for Seth come into reality, and has Seth moves forward after his loss, they can't deny the chemistry that has been building between them and their "friends with Benefits" relationship can only have one outcome...Love.
I have always been a big fan of JoAnn Ross's books and I am going to be waiting for the next books to come out in this series, and wonder who will be next.
Seth Harper has been coming out of morning his wife Zoe, who was his childhood sweetheart and also best friends with Brianna Mannion. Brianna has travelled the world and come home to Honeymoon Harbor to open up a B&B in the house she always wanted, Heron Landing. It was her dream come true when leaving Las Vegas, and the hotel where she was a concierge, that the house was up for sale. When she finds out that none other than Seth Harper owns this wonderful home in need of a lot of tender loving care, she knows fate was working her way. Seth is also a contractor and together they transform this beautiful stately old home into everything it should be. In doing so, the feelings that Brianna has had for Seth come into reality, and has Seth moves forward after his loss, they can't deny the chemistry that has been building between them and their "friends with Benefits" relationship can only have one outcome...Love.
I have always been a big fan of JoAnn Ross's books and I am going to be waiting for the next books to come out in this series, and wonder who will be next.
March 21, 2020
Dnf at the end of chapter 3. Bored. No my favourite may be yours so don't take my opinion on it.
October 19, 2019
Herons Landing features Brianna Mannion and Seth Harper, who end up working together on a restoration project for a historical home in the area.
There are several things about this book that make me enjoy it: the small-town setting by the water and the family relationships being the major ones. But I also loved that the coming-together of Brianna and Seth was the result of the pair working together on a home restoration. I’ve read several books in the past where restoration or building was a major plot point, and I’ve always loved them. Every time.
Brianna comes back home to Honeymoon Harbor after working for a few years out-of-state in the hospitality/hotel industry. This is prompted, in part, by realizing the home she has loved her entire life is up for sale. Brianna decides to buy the house and relocate, and she also decides that a few changes need to be made to the home to make it worthy of her dreams. This is where Seth Harper enters the story. The Harper family has been in the business of building and restoring properties for generations, and Seth is probably the best in the entire state of Washington. It’s a no-brainer to Brianna that she wants him to work on her home. The complication is that Seth used to be married to Brianna’s best friend Zoe, who was tragically killed while serving military time overseas.
While this could have been awkward and had the potential to make the slow-burn romance between Brianna and Seth a problem, I think it was written into the story really well. Seth, from the beginning, has some issues with his grief (and understandably so!) but it is clear from the story that the entire community and his family are supportive and hoping that he will be able to move on with his life eventually. When Brianna returns, most of the town ends up nearly pushing the two together because they knew she had feelings for him before he ever partnered with Zoe. Brianna also grieves the loss of her best friend, but it was nice to see these two able to work through this together. I haven’t personally experienced this situation, but it felt plausible and real to me as I read.
I love stories that are descriptive of the small-town atmosphere and the residents with their sometimes-nosiness and gossip. Herons Landing fit into that category exactly. I loved the backstory of the Harper and Mannion families and the feud that was between their families prior to the start of the book (which is covered well in the prequel novella Home to Honeymoon Harbor), and I love where both of these families are with that situation today. In the prequel story, I learned about Sarah Harper and John Mannion – set back in the 1980’s – and their second-chance romance, so it was nice too see that Herons Landing is picking up the story with the generation that came after them.
I feel like I have a lot to look forward to with this series
, particularly with the secondary cast consisting of some great family members. In particular, I hope to see more from Brianna’s brothers – perhaps they’ll be featured in books to come. It’s just always nice to be able to start out with a series as it is published. I love the anticipation between book releases, even though sometimes the wait can be excruciatingly long. It looks like the second novel in this series will be out later this year (October 2018, to be exact) and even though I don’t really know who will be featured in that story yet, I’m already ready for it.
Literally, these types of small-town stories are high on my list of favorites, so I’ll be on the watch to snag a copy of the next installment in the Honeymoon Harbor series as soon as I can.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, Harlequin Books!
Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!
There are several things about this book that make me enjoy it: the small-town setting by the water and the family relationships being the major ones. But I also loved that the coming-together of Brianna and Seth was the result of the pair working together on a home restoration. I’ve read several books in the past where restoration or building was a major plot point, and I’ve always loved them. Every time.
Brianna comes back home to Honeymoon Harbor after working for a few years out-of-state in the hospitality/hotel industry. This is prompted, in part, by realizing the home she has loved her entire life is up for sale. Brianna decides to buy the house and relocate, and she also decides that a few changes need to be made to the home to make it worthy of her dreams. This is where Seth Harper enters the story. The Harper family has been in the business of building and restoring properties for generations, and Seth is probably the best in the entire state of Washington. It’s a no-brainer to Brianna that she wants him to work on her home. The complication is that Seth used to be married to Brianna’s best friend Zoe, who was tragically killed while serving military time overseas.
While this could have been awkward and had the potential to make the slow-burn romance between Brianna and Seth a problem, I think it was written into the story really well. Seth, from the beginning, has some issues with his grief (and understandably so!) but it is clear from the story that the entire community and his family are supportive and hoping that he will be able to move on with his life eventually. When Brianna returns, most of the town ends up nearly pushing the two together because they knew she had feelings for him before he ever partnered with Zoe. Brianna also grieves the loss of her best friend, but it was nice to see these two able to work through this together. I haven’t personally experienced this situation, but it felt plausible and real to me as I read.
I love stories that are descriptive of the small-town atmosphere and the residents with their sometimes-nosiness and gossip. Herons Landing fit into that category exactly. I loved the backstory of the Harper and Mannion families and the feud that was between their families prior to the start of the book (which is covered well in the prequel novella Home to Honeymoon Harbor), and I love where both of these families are with that situation today. In the prequel story, I learned about Sarah Harper and John Mannion – set back in the 1980’s – and their second-chance romance, so it was nice too see that Herons Landing is picking up the story with the generation that came after them.
I feel like I have a lot to look forward to with this series
, particularly with the secondary cast consisting of some great family members. In particular, I hope to see more from Brianna’s brothers – perhaps they’ll be featured in books to come. It’s just always nice to be able to start out with a series as it is published. I love the anticipation between book releases, even though sometimes the wait can be excruciatingly long. It looks like the second novel in this series will be out later this year (October 2018, to be exact) and even though I don’t really know who will be featured in that story yet, I’m already ready for it.
Literally, these types of small-town stories are high on my list of favorites, so I’ll be on the watch to snag a copy of the next installment in the Honeymoon Harbor series as soon as I can.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, Harlequin Books!
Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!
June 11, 2018
This is a wonderful start to the new series. A heartwarming story that will melt your heart. It will make you laugh and cry. A great cast of characters that interact so well together. I hated to see the story end.
June 28, 2018
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.
Received from publisher for an honest review
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.
Received from publisher for an honest review
October 28, 2018
Reviewed by Robin
Book provided by Netgalley
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
It is always nice to leave home for a while but given the chance to move back most people will take it.
Ms. Ross delivers another great read. Full of great characters that have already become family with the promise of more to come. I have already settled in at Honeymoon Harbor waiting with Brianna and Seth for the guests to start arriving. Brianna has wanted Seth since forever but he only had eyes for Brianna’s best friend. Now that Seth is a widower and Brianna is ready to take on a new adventure…well let’s just say fate may step in.
They have chemistry that Seth doesn’t want to admit to at first…he doesn’t want to lose his memories of his wife. But he soon learns that Brianna just may be what he needs to move on. Ms. Ross painted great visuals of what Seth wanted to do and enjoy with Brianna once he started thinking of her a more than a client. It was getting pretty hot up at the B&B…
The small shops are just what you picture finding in the small harbor towns. With the crazy shop owners that just know what you need. Living in a small town myself I can just see how things travel through the grapevine…no phones needed. Word gets around.
Herons Landing the new B&B sounds simply wonderful. It is a place that I can’t wait to visit again. This was a fast paced story that tugs at your heartstrings as the town and people just make one feel welcome. I cannot wait till we get new people that want to join our family on Honeymoon Harbor. You had better reserve your room at Herons Landing because I feel that it is going to be a hard place to get a room at.
Perfect summer read…
Book provided by Netgalley
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
It is always nice to leave home for a while but given the chance to move back most people will take it.
Ms. Ross delivers another great read. Full of great characters that have already become family with the promise of more to come. I have already settled in at Honeymoon Harbor waiting with Brianna and Seth for the guests to start arriving. Brianna has wanted Seth since forever but he only had eyes for Brianna’s best friend. Now that Seth is a widower and Brianna is ready to take on a new adventure…well let’s just say fate may step in.
They have chemistry that Seth doesn’t want to admit to at first…he doesn’t want to lose his memories of his wife. But he soon learns that Brianna just may be what he needs to move on. Ms. Ross painted great visuals of what Seth wanted to do and enjoy with Brianna once he started thinking of her a more than a client. It was getting pretty hot up at the B&B…
The small shops are just what you picture finding in the small harbor towns. With the crazy shop owners that just know what you need. Living in a small town myself I can just see how things travel through the grapevine…no phones needed. Word gets around.
Herons Landing the new B&B sounds simply wonderful. It is a place that I can’t wait to visit again. This was a fast paced story that tugs at your heartstrings as the town and people just make one feel welcome. I cannot wait till we get new people that want to join our family on Honeymoon Harbor. You had better reserve your room at Herons Landing because I feel that it is going to be a hard place to get a room at.
Perfect summer read…
March 23, 2023
Brianna Mannion has been working as a concierge at a Vegas Hotel and others around the world.
Until one day, she runs into an entitled jerk who feels that she is at fault for him losing money at the gambling tables and demands she pay him back as well as calling her names and finding fault with her restaurant picks. She is used to spoiled rich people making stupid demands.
However, she decides it is the last straw and wants more out of life than moving from town to town and hotel to hotel.
She goes back home and decides to finally renovate Heron's Landing, an old victorian that has been slowly decaying while sitting abandoned for years.
She decides to restore it and turn it into a B and B.
The restoration project will be done by Harper construction and mainly Ben Harper.
Brianna had a crush on Ben in high school but he only had eyes for Zoe, Brianna's best friend. However, Zoe died while in the military and Ben has not yet recovered.
Filled with great characters and a wonderful small town atmosphere. Plus real issues are confronted with humor and common sense.
Until one day, she runs into an entitled jerk who feels that she is at fault for him losing money at the gambling tables and demands she pay him back as well as calling her names and finding fault with her restaurant picks. She is used to spoiled rich people making stupid demands.
However, she decides it is the last straw and wants more out of life than moving from town to town and hotel to hotel.
She goes back home and decides to finally renovate Heron's Landing, an old victorian that has been slowly decaying while sitting abandoned for years.
She decides to restore it and turn it into a B and B.
The restoration project will be done by Harper construction and mainly Ben Harper.
Brianna had a crush on Ben in high school but he only had eyes for Zoe, Brianna's best friend. However, Zoe died while in the military and Ben has not yet recovered.
Filled with great characters and a wonderful small town atmosphere. Plus real issues are confronted with humor and common sense.
August 17, 2018
Modern day romance that features Brianna Mannion and Seth Harper as the main characters. Brianna has returned home to Honeymoon Harbor to purchase a Victorian and turn it into a bed and breakfast.
Seth is the contractor that she hires to do the work. They have been friends forever. Seth is still brooding over the death of wife two years earlier. The book also includes a novella set in 1985 featuring John Mannion and Sarah Harper as the main characters. These two are Brianna's parents. The book was a quick easy read.l
Seth is the contractor that she hires to do the work. They have been friends forever. Seth is still brooding over the death of wife two years earlier. The book also includes a novella set in 1985 featuring John Mannion and Sarah Harper as the main characters. These two are Brianna's parents. The book was a quick easy read.l
October 30, 2020
I didn't get the whole "loving my best friend's husband until she dies and I get him" thing. And that everyone in the town though that it was time for Seth to move on (who are they to declare this?) and she's the one to do it with.
Readable.
Mostly.
Readable.
Mostly.
May 15, 2018
A slow and sweet, emotionally charged read. While it lacked in heat and intensity, I still thought it was an enjoyable tale and would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a second-chance-at-love romance.
September 8, 2018
This was a fun book to read about a man dealing with the death of his wife due to a suicide bomber and a highschool classmate finding love.
August 9, 2021
I have a lot to say about this read.
I usually enjoy small town romance books, but unfortunately I was not too impressed with this novel.
The language that the characters use is unrealistic and reads more like description writing than conversation writing. As soon as we meet a new character, they all seem to word vomit their entire life origin story. Reading multi-page rambling that reads like a run-on sentence takes away from the natural character building that should progress throughout the book.
All of the characters in this book also just so happen to be incredibly successful and have several niches. There's a school principal who went to Ivy Leagues turned interior designer, a firefighter turned home makeover guru, a lawyer turned successful bar and brewery owner. Brianna is only able to afford purchasing Herons Landing through randomly having driven a client to the hospital and miraculously receiving $1 million of inheritance from their family.
I appreciate reading the history of the town, but instead of giving backstory to things relevant to the overall plot and story, the author goes on a tangent about random details that don't really pertain to the rest of the book, and therefore don't really capture your interest.
As far as the romance in this book goes, it's just not exciting. The majority of their relationship building is through other characters telling them that they should get together. There's not really a lot of scenes where you can feel their connection, you're just told that they have one. It's incredibly unrealistic that everyone in the town is constantly telling them to be together. Seth even goes through his wife's journal at one point from when she was a teenager, and she had written that her boyfriend and best friend were probably a better pairing than she and him were. It just didn't make sense.
When they finally do decide to be together, it goes from 0 to 100. When we meet Seth he is heartbroken over the loss of his wife. He is adamant he won't find love again, especially with his wife's best friend. But then in the next few pages, he's daydreaming about Brianna's boobs. It really seems like there isn't a genuine love connection between them, but rather that Seth wants to get laid. He never really thinks of her in a romantic light that seems genuine. They go from sleeping together a few times to being engaged. The descriptions the author uses are cringe inducing - for example, "naughty lady parts" are mentioned multiple times. There's an especially awkward moment where Seth wonders if she'd like him to suck her toes. Another equally weird moment was when Brianna's "lady parts purred" when Seth sniffed his armpits to check for BO.
Romance aside, the characters as individuals were still not enjoyable. Brianna's concerns for Seth's well-being don't seem genuine, but rather motivated by wanting him to get over his wife and choose her instead. Some of this book reads like an embarrassing Wattpad fanfiction. Brianna is a blonde-hair and blue eyed girl that puts her finger to her "glossy red" lips when thinking. There's a part in the book where she goes to get dinner but claims she's not sure if she can eat because she was so full from eating a salmon salad earlier in the day. Even more cringe is that she even sings "Fight Song" while painting the house.
Seth really has no personality. He occasionally likes to humble brag by refusing to believe multiple women could ever be attracted to him (while being described as very good looking throughout the book).
Some aspects of the book were enjoyable - I like the town, the setting descriptions, the world building, and Seth's parents. However, I don't think I will continue reading the Honeymoon Harbor series. For a book you can pick up at your local grocer, it's what I expected.
I usually enjoy small town romance books, but unfortunately I was not too impressed with this novel.
The language that the characters use is unrealistic and reads more like description writing than conversation writing. As soon as we meet a new character, they all seem to word vomit their entire life origin story. Reading multi-page rambling that reads like a run-on sentence takes away from the natural character building that should progress throughout the book.
All of the characters in this book also just so happen to be incredibly successful and have several niches. There's a school principal who went to Ivy Leagues turned interior designer, a firefighter turned home makeover guru, a lawyer turned successful bar and brewery owner. Brianna is only able to afford purchasing Herons Landing through randomly having driven a client to the hospital and miraculously receiving $1 million of inheritance from their family.
I appreciate reading the history of the town, but instead of giving backstory to things relevant to the overall plot and story, the author goes on a tangent about random details that don't really pertain to the rest of the book, and therefore don't really capture your interest.
As far as the romance in this book goes, it's just not exciting. The majority of their relationship building is through other characters telling them that they should get together. There's not really a lot of scenes where you can feel their connection, you're just told that they have one. It's incredibly unrealistic that everyone in the town is constantly telling them to be together. Seth even goes through his wife's journal at one point from when she was a teenager, and she had written that her boyfriend and best friend were probably a better pairing than she and him were. It just didn't make sense.
When they finally do decide to be together, it goes from 0 to 100. When we meet Seth he is heartbroken over the loss of his wife. He is adamant he won't find love again, especially with his wife's best friend. But then in the next few pages, he's daydreaming about Brianna's boobs. It really seems like there isn't a genuine love connection between them, but rather that Seth wants to get laid. He never really thinks of her in a romantic light that seems genuine. They go from sleeping together a few times to being engaged. The descriptions the author uses are cringe inducing - for example, "naughty lady parts" are mentioned multiple times. There's an especially awkward moment where Seth wonders if she'd like him to suck her toes. Another equally weird moment was when Brianna's "lady parts purred" when Seth sniffed his armpits to check for BO.
Romance aside, the characters as individuals were still not enjoyable. Brianna's concerns for Seth's well-being don't seem genuine, but rather motivated by wanting him to get over his wife and choose her instead. Some of this book reads like an embarrassing Wattpad fanfiction. Brianna is a blonde-hair and blue eyed girl that puts her finger to her "glossy red" lips when thinking. There's a part in the book where she goes to get dinner but claims she's not sure if she can eat because she was so full from eating a salmon salad earlier in the day. Even more cringe is that she even sings "Fight Song" while painting the house.
Seth really has no personality. He occasionally likes to humble brag by refusing to believe multiple women could ever be attracted to him (while being described as very good looking throughout the book).
Some aspects of the book were enjoyable - I like the town, the setting descriptions, the world building, and Seth's parents. However, I don't think I will continue reading the Honeymoon Harbor series. For a book you can pick up at your local grocer, it's what I expected.
August 6, 2018
Loved this first book in the new series. Looking forward to more! It was fun to see mentions of other favorite characters from Cold Water Cove.
September 3, 2021
JoAnn Ross introduces readers to the small town of Honeymoon Harbor and the residents that make up this lovely town. When Brianna Mannion decides to quit her high-profile job as a concierge in Las Vegas, she falls in love with this big old Victorian house that she loved as a child in her hometown of Honeymoon Harbor. But when she returns home, she finds her childhood friend Seth Harper grieving for the loss of his wife (and Brianna’s best friend) and she is determined to make her dream a reality, even if it means working closely with the one man she had a crush on as a kid and teenager.
Seth Harper is enjoying running his family construction business but after the loss of his wife, Seth has just put one foot in front of the other and tried to just live each day even as he missed her terribly. But now that Brianna is back in town, Seth finds himself seeing her in a new light, one that has his frozen heart and emotions ready to thaw. But what happens when the sparks that fly between these two cause a flame to burn out of control and Seth will have to take the leap to the future that includes Brianna and a life filled with love once again?
JoAnn Ross delivers her introduction to her new series, Honeymoon Harbor, with a delightful tale of childhood friends, loss and more in HERONS LANDING. I got to admit, I was hesitant in trying this out but after reading just one chapter I couldn’t put it down. I love the history between Brianna and Seth as well as how the author weaves the past of the town into the storyline. I don’t want to give too much away so please note if you haven’t read one of this author’s books, then this is a perfect introduction story to get your feet wet. The story starts off slow as the author sets up Honeymoon Harbor and the main players in the HERONS LANDING. Just make sure to keep reading as it does pick up the pace after a few chapters in. I loved how this author incorporates the past of how the town became in with the present. The characters, though, are where this author just shines. I love how diverse the population of Honeymoon Harbor is and we got a glimpse into characters that may pop in future books as well. The characters are what makes this story so enjoyable and entertaining in my opinion. You got the colorful characters such as these two 90-year-old twins who run a dress shop and then you got the ones who follow the rules and don’t take risks. Each resident we are introduced to in this first book makes the story more real to me. It could be any small town in any part of the world. This is an author who shines in creating entertaining yet diverse characters that readers can fall in love with.
HERONS LANDING is a delightful entertaining read that will lead the reader on an adventure as two friends find they have more in common than they thought and as hearts reach out to one another, it takes a measure of risk to let yourself fall in love again after the death of a loved one. If you are looking for a feel-good story that will charm you, then try Honeymoon Harbor and settle in for the perfect beach read this summer. I can’t wait to read book two, Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane and return to this charming seaside town.
Seth Harper is enjoying running his family construction business but after the loss of his wife, Seth has just put one foot in front of the other and tried to just live each day even as he missed her terribly. But now that Brianna is back in town, Seth finds himself seeing her in a new light, one that has his frozen heart and emotions ready to thaw. But what happens when the sparks that fly between these two cause a flame to burn out of control and Seth will have to take the leap to the future that includes Brianna and a life filled with love once again?
JoAnn Ross delivers her introduction to her new series, Honeymoon Harbor, with a delightful tale of childhood friends, loss and more in HERONS LANDING. I got to admit, I was hesitant in trying this out but after reading just one chapter I couldn’t put it down. I love the history between Brianna and Seth as well as how the author weaves the past of the town into the storyline. I don’t want to give too much away so please note if you haven’t read one of this author’s books, then this is a perfect introduction story to get your feet wet. The story starts off slow as the author sets up Honeymoon Harbor and the main players in the HERONS LANDING. Just make sure to keep reading as it does pick up the pace after a few chapters in. I loved how this author incorporates the past of how the town became in with the present. The characters, though, are where this author just shines. I love how diverse the population of Honeymoon Harbor is and we got a glimpse into characters that may pop in future books as well. The characters are what makes this story so enjoyable and entertaining in my opinion. You got the colorful characters such as these two 90-year-old twins who run a dress shop and then you got the ones who follow the rules and don’t take risks. Each resident we are introduced to in this first book makes the story more real to me. It could be any small town in any part of the world. This is an author who shines in creating entertaining yet diverse characters that readers can fall in love with.
HERONS LANDING is a delightful entertaining read that will lead the reader on an adventure as two friends find they have more in common than they thought and as hearts reach out to one another, it takes a measure of risk to let yourself fall in love again after the death of a loved one. If you are looking for a feel-good story that will charm you, then try Honeymoon Harbor and settle in for the perfect beach read this summer. I can’t wait to read book two, Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane and return to this charming seaside town.
May 28, 2018
I'm going to start by saying I'm giving this one four stars only because it was a little slow for me. Maybe I'm just used to more fast paced novels but this one was kind of dragging for a bit. But that's not to say the story isn't worth it, because it is. The romance between Seth and Brianna is sweet and that almost feels meant to be. For as much as Seth regards Zoe as his soul mate, I don't know if that's really true- maybe she wasn't and her death (as tragic as it was) needed to happen in order for him to circle back to Brianna? That's just my two cents.
But in this book we have Brianna, living the fast paced life working in the hospitality industry and suddenly finding herself without a job because she won't compromise her ethics. It turns out OK because she heads home to open her own bed and breakfast, a dream of hers. I'm going to add here that there are a lot of Gilmore Girls references so if you liked that show you are likely going to love this book because it feels like an episode of it. But she comes home and the building she wants to use needs a lot of love so she hires Seth, her childhood crush and also the widower of her best friend, Zoe.
Then we have Seth, a widower of two years of Zoe, who was killed in Afghanistan while deployed and almost ready to come home and start a family. Seth hasn't grieved or moved on but that's mostly because he doesn't know how and isn't sure that he wants to. When Brianna comes to town and offers him an opportunity, he decides to help an old friend out and together they put Zoe's memory to rest.
Cue the romance!!
Clearly reluctant for both of them, they realize there is an attraction and possibly something more brewing but is going for it disrespectful to Zoe? Time will tell.
Overall I liked the story my only complaint is it was a little slow moving for me but that doesn't mean anything because this book was good nonetheless. It felt very Hallmark like and would make a good book to Hallmark movie transition, no question. Just a suggestion, powers that be. ;)
But in this book we have Brianna, living the fast paced life working in the hospitality industry and suddenly finding herself without a job because she won't compromise her ethics. It turns out OK because she heads home to open her own bed and breakfast, a dream of hers. I'm going to add here that there are a lot of Gilmore Girls references so if you liked that show you are likely going to love this book because it feels like an episode of it. But she comes home and the building she wants to use needs a lot of love so she hires Seth, her childhood crush and also the widower of her best friend, Zoe.
Then we have Seth, a widower of two years of Zoe, who was killed in Afghanistan while deployed and almost ready to come home and start a family. Seth hasn't grieved or moved on but that's mostly because he doesn't know how and isn't sure that he wants to. When Brianna comes to town and offers him an opportunity, he decides to help an old friend out and together they put Zoe's memory to rest.
Cue the romance!!
Clearly reluctant for both of them, they realize there is an attraction and possibly something more brewing but is going for it disrespectful to Zoe? Time will tell.
Overall I liked the story my only complaint is it was a little slow moving for me but that doesn't mean anything because this book was good nonetheless. It felt very Hallmark like and would make a good book to Hallmark movie transition, no question. Just a suggestion, powers that be. ;)
June 11, 2018
Herons Landing features Brianna who has decided to move back home to open a B&B. The hosue she buys is in need of series remodel and she hires Seth to help her get it ready. Seth's wife Zoe was Brianna's best friend. Zoe was killed two years before in Afghanistan and he has been in mourning ever since.
I liked the story overall. What I enjoyed the most were the secondary characters in the town and in the two families. They made the story more interesting and I enjoyed those parts of the book. What I didn't care for was the romance. I'm not usually opposed to a slow burn romance, but this one was almost too slow. The story kind of dragged in parts and I never felt the pull between Seth and Brianna. I liked the ending. It just too a little too long to get there. This would be a nice beach or vacation read. I'll probably pick up the next one.
I liked the story overall. What I enjoyed the most were the secondary characters in the town and in the two families. They made the story more interesting and I enjoyed those parts of the book. What I didn't care for was the romance. I'm not usually opposed to a slow burn romance, but this one was almost too slow. The story kind of dragged in parts and I never felt the pull between Seth and Brianna. I liked the ending. It just too a little too long to get there. This would be a nice beach or vacation read. I'll probably pick up the next one.
March 28, 2024
Disappointing. I liked the story line- the career girl at the top of her career wanting to go home and start a b&b in her dream house. I loved the work on the b&b. Hated the constant sexual fantasies and daydreams of sex. Brianna had been in love with Seth her whole life- he married her best friend who was a soldier and killed. He’s stuck in his old life and missing her- including having dinner with her parents weekly and reminiscing from birth to death every week😳. When she returns home sparks fly. Also followed Seth’s parents who have separated. Many good ideas but nothing fleshed out
Read
November 13, 2018I started listening to this audio-book but became concerned with some mild profanity right from the beginning. Plus, the attitude of the characters was a bit brusque for me. Then, the harsher, very offensive profanity came and I said enough is enough. So, I discontinued listening and went on to something more uplifting.
November 10, 2018
Bad language ruined a potentially good book.
December 17, 2018
I don’t like F-Bombs. I don’t understand why authors are conforming to society and using this word when they didn’t in previous books.
July 13, 2018
JoAnn Ross introduces readers to the small town of Honeymoon Harbor and the residents that make up this lovely town. When Brianna Mannion decides to quit her high-profile job as a concierge in Las Vegas, she falls in love with this big old Victorian house that she loved as a child in her hometown of Honeymoon Harbor. But when she returns home, she finds her childhood friend Seth Harper grieving for the loss of his wife (and Brianna’s best friend) and she is determined to make her dream a reality, even if it means working closely with the one man she had a crush on as a kid and teenager.
Seth Harper is enjoying running his family construction business but after the loss of his wife, Seth has just put one foot in front of the other and tried to just live each day even as he missed her terribly. But now that Brianna is back in town, Seth finds himself seeing her in a new light, one that has his frozen heart and emotions ready to thaw. But what happens when the sparks that fly between these two cause a flame to burn out of control and Seth will have to take the leap to the future that includes Brianna and a life filled with love once again?
JoAnn Ross delivers her introduction to her new series, Honeymoon Harbor, with a delightful tale of childhood friends, loss and more in HERONS LANDING. I got to admit, I was hesitant in trying this out but after reading just one chapter I couldn’t put it down. I love the history between Brianna and Seth as well as how the author weaves the past of the town into the storyline. I don’t want to give too much away so please note if you haven’t read one of this author’s books, then this is a perfect introduction story to get your feet wet. The story starts off slow as the author sets up Honeymoon Harbor and the main players in the HERONS LANDING. Just make sure to keep reading as it does pick up the pace after a few chapters in. I loved how this author incorporates the past of how the town became in with the present. The characters, though, are where this author just shines. I love how diverse the population of Honeymoon Harbor is and we got a glimpse into characters that may pop in future books as well. The characters are what makes this story so enjoyable and entertaining in my opinion. You got the colorful characters such as these two 90-year-old twins who run a dress shop and then you got the ones who follow the rules and don’t take risks. Each resident we are introduced to in this first book makes the story more real to me. It could be any small town in any part of the world. This is an author who shines in creating entertaining yet diverse characters that readers can fall in love with.
HERONS LANDING is a delightful entertaining read that will lead the reader on an adventure as two friends find they have more in common than they thought and as hearts reach out to one another, it takes a measure of risk to let yourself fall in love again after the death of a loved one. If you are looking for a feel-good story that will charm you, then try Honeymoon Harbor and settle in for the perfect beach read this summer. I can’t wait to read book two, Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane and return to this charming seaside town.
Seth Harper is enjoying running his family construction business but after the loss of his wife, Seth has just put one foot in front of the other and tried to just live each day even as he missed her terribly. But now that Brianna is back in town, Seth finds himself seeing her in a new light, one that has his frozen heart and emotions ready to thaw. But what happens when the sparks that fly between these two cause a flame to burn out of control and Seth will have to take the leap to the future that includes Brianna and a life filled with love once again?
JoAnn Ross delivers her introduction to her new series, Honeymoon Harbor, with a delightful tale of childhood friends, loss and more in HERONS LANDING. I got to admit, I was hesitant in trying this out but after reading just one chapter I couldn’t put it down. I love the history between Brianna and Seth as well as how the author weaves the past of the town into the storyline. I don’t want to give too much away so please note if you haven’t read one of this author’s books, then this is a perfect introduction story to get your feet wet. The story starts off slow as the author sets up Honeymoon Harbor and the main players in the HERONS LANDING. Just make sure to keep reading as it does pick up the pace after a few chapters in. I loved how this author incorporates the past of how the town became in with the present. The characters, though, are where this author just shines. I love how diverse the population of Honeymoon Harbor is and we got a glimpse into characters that may pop in future books as well. The characters are what makes this story so enjoyable and entertaining in my opinion. You got the colorful characters such as these two 90-year-old twins who run a dress shop and then you got the ones who follow the rules and don’t take risks. Each resident we are introduced to in this first book makes the story more real to me. It could be any small town in any part of the world. This is an author who shines in creating entertaining yet diverse characters that readers can fall in love with.
HERONS LANDING is a delightful entertaining read that will lead the reader on an adventure as two friends find they have more in common than they thought and as hearts reach out to one another, it takes a measure of risk to let yourself fall in love again after the death of a loved one. If you are looking for a feel-good story that will charm you, then try Honeymoon Harbor and settle in for the perfect beach read this summer. I can’t wait to read book two, Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane and return to this charming seaside town.
June 17, 2018
This is a story about love and friendship, heartbreak and healing, loss and second chances. This is a story that will have falling in love with the lead characters, only to feel like one of the family as you let all those that surround them into your heart. This is a story by a new-to-me author that opens a new series that will have a home on my wish list as long as it's being written. Yes, my friends, I fell that hard for this book.
Brianna is SUCH a great leading lady, though she'd never steal the spotlight from anyone else. She's kind yet strong, talented in so many ways, and a romantic through and through, though her heart has always belonged to the one that got away. Well, okay...honestly, he didn't so much get away as fall for another before actually being "got" in any sense of the word, but despite that obstacle, their friendship remained (all three of them actually!), and that connection from days gone by will show its strength through the years, good times and bad, and when the time is right shine for all its worth to reveal what was there all along.
Seth, on the other hand, is...okay, he's a great lead as well, and SO easy on the eyes, but the trauma he's faced has frozen his heart like the Washington landscape in winter. Don't get me wrong, he still cares for others, takes in stray dogs, and lends a helping hand, but he's done away with any of those niceties towards himself, making him a bit of a miser. (Sorry, Seth...it's true though!) Lucky for him, Brianna's unexpected arrival and life plan is about to tempt him to thaw out the icebox he calls a heart...and while she's teaching him the finer points of actually LIVING, he may find that second chances are well worth the risk.
Like I said, I fell hard for this one, from cover to cover. I adored the leads, but their friends and families were JUST as wonderful as the two of them. The backstory's for everyone were both fitting and realistic...I can totally vouch for Bri's "acting" abilities as anyone can that has made it in the customer service or hospitality industries...and the potential futures were tinged with just enough hope to make you hold on til the end to see just how things worked out. So yes, I'm recommending this one to adult Contemporary Romance fans (some steamy scenes!), and suggesting you make room on your wish list for future installments because it has the potential to REALLY make a splash!
**copy received for review
Brianna is SUCH a great leading lady, though she'd never steal the spotlight from anyone else. She's kind yet strong, talented in so many ways, and a romantic through and through, though her heart has always belonged to the one that got away. Well, okay...honestly, he didn't so much get away as fall for another before actually being "got" in any sense of the word, but despite that obstacle, their friendship remained (all three of them actually!), and that connection from days gone by will show its strength through the years, good times and bad, and when the time is right shine for all its worth to reveal what was there all along.
Seth, on the other hand, is...okay, he's a great lead as well, and SO easy on the eyes, but the trauma he's faced has frozen his heart like the Washington landscape in winter. Don't get me wrong, he still cares for others, takes in stray dogs, and lends a helping hand, but he's done away with any of those niceties towards himself, making him a bit of a miser. (Sorry, Seth...it's true though!) Lucky for him, Brianna's unexpected arrival and life plan is about to tempt him to thaw out the icebox he calls a heart...and while she's teaching him the finer points of actually LIVING, he may find that second chances are well worth the risk.
Like I said, I fell hard for this one, from cover to cover. I adored the leads, but their friends and families were JUST as wonderful as the two of them. The backstory's for everyone were both fitting and realistic...I can totally vouch for Bri's "acting" abilities as anyone can that has made it in the customer service or hospitality industries...and the potential futures were tinged with just enough hope to make you hold on til the end to see just how things worked out. So yes, I'm recommending this one to adult Contemporary Romance fans (some steamy scenes!), and suggesting you make room on your wish list for future installments because it has the potential to REALLY make a splash!
**copy received for review
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