TITLE:  Sea Glass Cottage (Hope Harbor #8)
AUTHOR:  Irene Hannon
DATE: 2022
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: *****

From the back cover:
Christi Reece is desperate. The onetime golden girl’s life has tarnished, and a cascade of setbacks has left her reeling. She needs help, and she’s certain Jack Colby is in a position to provide it.

When she shows up in Hope Harbor, however, Jack wants nothing to do with the woman who betrayed him. He’s built a new life on the Oregon coast—and there’s no room in it for Christi, even after she takes refuge in a charming but mysterious cottage nearby. Yet it soon becomes apparent his opinion of her may need revising…especially when he ends up needing her help.

Can these two hurting souls open their hearts to a new beginning?

My review:
Returning to Hope Harbor feels like coming home. I’ve read each book in this series, and the townspeople seem like old friends. Charley, with his compassionate heart and other-worldly wisdom, is a perennial favorite. Hope Harbor itself carries a sense of sweet mystery, and I enjoyed seeing how it affected Jack and Christi, as well as Beth and Steve.

Irene Hannon’s characters are realistic, recognizable and appealing in their brokenness and longing for hope. What better place to find hope than Hope Harbor? Faith is a vital component of this story, since forgiveness can only come through faith.
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I loved Sea Glass Cottage and award it five golden stars (regular ones aren’t enough). I was given a copy of this book by the publisher; all opinions are my own. Highly recommended!

TITLE:  The Catch (US Marshalls #3)
AUTHOR:  Lisa Harris
DATE: 2022
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: *****

From the back cover:
After a harrowing attempt on a judge's life at the courthouse, Deputy US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are tasked with finding a missing woman and an endangered child in connection to the murder of the judge's wife. What seems like a fairly straightforward case becomes hopelessly tangled when the marshals discover that the woman they are searching for is in witness protection and the Amber Alert put out for the missing child has put two lives in danger.

Madison and Jonas are forced into a race to find the woman and the child before the men who want her dead discover her location. And in a final showdown that could cost her everything, Madison will come face-to-face with the person who murdered her husband.

My review:
What do you look for in a suspense novel? Action? Check. Appealing characters? Check. Good setting? Check? Fast-paced plot? Double check!

Since I’d read The Escape and The Chase (books 1 and 2 of the series), Madison and Jonas were already known, and I’d been eager for the final resolution of Madison’s mystery. The action begins immediately in The Catch and doesn’t let up until the end.

Twists and surprises fill the pages, but action isn’t the only draw in this story. Faith is not preached but is important, and the hesitant relationship between Madison and Jonas touches the heart. If you enjoy high-tension stories with plenty of plot twists plus a sweet love story, you will love The Catch.
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I thoroughly enjoyed The Catch and award it five stars. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher.

TITLE:  Looking for Leroy
AUTHOR:  Melody Carlson
DATE: 2022
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: ***

From the back cover:
It's official: Brynna Phillips is done with men. They only break your heart. But just when she makes this declaration, her friend Jan convinces Brynna to join her on a camping vacation in Sonoma Wine Country. As they wind their way toward their destination, spanking-new mini camper in tow, Brynna recalls her teenage camp romance with a boy named Leroy. How can it have been nearly 30 years ago? All she remembers is that Leroy was a genuinely good guy and that his family owned a vineyard--in Sonoma. She doesn't even remember his last name. Jan insists they look for him, and the search begins.

Beyond the slim chance they'd ever be able to find him are questions that have haunted Brynna for decades, including What is the point of digging up the past? and Can Leroy ever forgive me for losing touch?

My review:
The gorgeous cover of Looking for Leroy convinced me to read this book, as it reminds me of the beautiful Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. As it turns out, the Sonoma setting was my favorite character.

The humans populating the story, Brynna, Jan, Mike, Leroy and others had some quirky charms, but they never became real to me. Brynna seemed quite young and almost flaky, not at all how I picture a successful teacher. But keeping true to her role, she was at her best when with small children.

Leroy’s temper didn’t impress me, even though it was triggered by emotional pain. His work ethic, however, impressed me, as did his devotion to the family business and the land.

Faith doesn’t really play a part. Prayer is mentioned as a emergency tool without a real spiritual relationship. I wanted to love Looking for Leroy but was disappointed. It’s a sweet read, nevertheless, and earns three stars.
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

TITLE: A Bride for Bear
​AUTHOR:  Joi Copeland      
DATE: 2022
STARS:*****

From the back cover:
Tired of living in his oldest brother’s shadow, Barrett Harden, Bear to his family and friends, accepts his inheritance from his parents, and decides to strike out on his own. Unfortunately, he must agree to the terms of his inheritance. First, he needs to find a business to purchase or start his own in the town of Silver Springs, Colorado. Bear only has three months to find a wife after he purchases the mercantile. If he fails in either venture, he must return to the ranch and work off the money he spent. His younger brother urges Bear to place an advertisement seeking a bride by proxy. Will he find a lasting marriage full of love or is he destined to return to the ranch, always living in his brother’s shadow?

With the sudden death of her parents in a freak train accident, Clara Dupree is at a loss of what to do. Her overbearing sister-in-law convinces her weakling of an older brother to marry her off to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for Clara, the highest bidder happens to be the philanderer of Philadelphia. All he wants is her dowry. All she wants is her freedom. When her best friend sees an advertisement for a bride by proxy, Clara jumps at the chance to make her own choices. But will she regret her decision, or will she find love in the process?

My review:
In A Bride for Bear, two strangers, one in Pennsylvania and the other in Colorado, face desperate circumstances and choose a chancy solution: marriage by proxy. Can such a union have a chance of working?

Bear makes a great hero, strong and handsome but with insecurities that trip him at times. When his brother talks him into taking a chance on a bride by proxy, he’s desperate enough to prove his own worth to risk it. Beautiful Clara’s circumstances prove even more dire. She has to escape, immediately. Raised in a wealthy environment, how will she manage life in the west? And is she jumping from the proverbial frying pan into the fire?

Immediate mutual attraction when Clara steps off the stagecoach eases the newlywed strangers’ fears, and I thoroughly enjoyed their growing relationship. Does their marriage stand a chance, with all their differences and anxieties? By the grace of God, yes. Faith is vital to this story, and a wonderful message of grace weaves through each detail and into my heart.
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I love A Bride for Bear and give it five stars. Recommended.

​TITLE:  Home Where She Belongs (Abbot Island #1)
AUTHOR:  Penny Frost McGinnis
DATE: 2022
PUBLISHER: Mt. Zion Ridge Press LLC
STARS: *****
From the back cover:
Tired of being a pawn for her father and an emotional punching bag for her ex-boyfriend, Sadie Stewart escapes to Abbott Island where she spent summers with her grandparents. Would the love and faith she learned from them be enough to fuel her new life? She wants to believe God's promises, yet broken trust holds her back.

Joel Grayson left the island long enough to train at the Police Academy. The community trusts him, even though he's failed. When he finds Sadie at her grandparents' cottages, his heart skips a beat. He'd love to get to know her again, but no one needs to share the hurt he harbors.

When Sadie discovers someone is sabotaging her future, she seeks Joel's help. As they are drawn together, will Joel let down his guard and let her in? Will Sadie trust the man who loves her and the Father Who cares? 

My review:
Sadie comes back to Abbot Island, desperate for a measure of peace. The last few years have damaged – if not broken – her, and the home and cabins given her by her grandparents is her only hope. But as she rediscovers old friendships, including her old crush, Joel, a longing begins to tug at her heart.

Joel knows something is wrong with the grown-up version of the girl he fell in love with so many years ago, but she’s not talking. As he does his best to discover who is tormenting Sadie, their relationship tip-toes forward and back again, as she struggles to cope with conflicting emotions.

Faith plays a crucial role in Home Where She Belongs, and it is expressed clearly without even a hint of preachiness. Author Penny Frost McGinnis has created a setting I'd love to visit, characters who intrigue and compel, and a plot that keeps the pages turning. I truly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it. Five stars!