Category Archives: HQN Books

Review: The Path to Sunshine Cove by RaeAnne Thayne

Title: The Path to Sunshine Cove by RaeAnne Thayne
Cape Sanctuary Series Book Two
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

With the emotional pull of Debbie Macomber, Barbara Delinsky and Susan Wiggs, RaeAnne Thayne brings readers an uplifting, brand new story told with her trademark charm and heart.

She knows what’s best for everyone but herself…

With a past like hers, Jessica Clayton feels safer in a life spent on the road. She’s made a career out of helping others downsize—because she’s learned the hard way that the less “stuff,” the better, a policy she applies equally to her relationships. But a new client is taking Jess back to Cape Sanctuary, a town she once called home…and that her little sister, Rachel, still does. The years apart haven’t made a dent in the guilt Jess still carries after a handgun took the lives of both their parents and changed everything between them.

While Jess couldn’t wait to put the miles between her and Cape Sanctuary, Rachel put down roots, content for the world—and her sister—to think she has a picture-perfect life. But with the demands of her youngest child’s disability, Rachel’s marriage has begun to fray at the seams. She needs her sister now more than ever, yet she’s learned from painful experience that Jessica doesn’t do family, and she shouldn’t count on her now.

Against her judgment, Jess finds herself becoming attached—to her sister and her family, even to her client’s interfering son, Nate—and it’s time to put everything on the line. Does she continue running from her painful past, or stay put and make room for the love and joy that come along with it?

Review:

The Path to Sunshine Cove by RaeAnne Thayne is a heartwarming novel of healing and love. Although this newest release is the second installment in the Cape Sanctuary series, it can be read as a standalone.

Jessica “Jess” Clayton travels around the country helping people de-clutter their homes. She loves her job and enjoys her nomadic life-style.  Due to her dysfunctional childhood, she maintains an emotional distance from most people. Jess does not do relationships nor is she looking for romance. Despite her tendency to hold people at arm’s length, she is compassionate and caring. Her newest job takes her to Cape Sanctuary where she is helping recently widowed Eleanor Whittaker decide which items in her large home to keep and which to get rid of.

Eleanor’s son Nate is not exactly welcoming at first, but he soon warms up to Jess once he witnesses how much his mother likes her.  Nate is also pleasantly surprised at how much his thirteen-year-old daughter Sophie enjoys Jess’s company. Neither of them expects the sparks to fly between them, but with Jess leaving in a couple of weeks, will they give in to their intense attraction?

The main reason Jess accepted the job in Cape Sanctuary is to visit her younger sister Rachel McBride and her family. While the sisters are not estranged, they do not see each other very often.  When they were teenagers, they went into foster care. While Jess remained in a group home, Rachel spent the remainder of her teenage years with a family in Cape Sanctuary. She and her husband Cody are childhood sweethearts with three young children. Rachel remains home with the kids but she is a successful influencer on social media. She is struggling with their son’s recent autism diagnosis. Rachel resents Cody’s long hours from home but she cannot bring herself to admit that she is part of the problem. She has high hopes she and Jess can regain their once close relationship.

The Path to Sunshine Cove is an emotional yet sweet novel. The coastal setting is a beautiful backdrop for this family-centric story. Jess and Rachel continue to carry the scars from their traumatic childhood but their reactions are quite different. Their visit proves to be cathartic as they confront their respective issues. Jess is also fighting her growing feelings for Nate but will she be able to leave the people she loves behind?

Old and new fans are sure to love this latest addition to RaeAnne Thayne’s delightful Cape Sanctuary series.

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Filed under Cape Sanctuary Series, Contemporary, HQN Books, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Women's Fiction

Review: The Vineyard at the Painted Moon by Susan Mallery

Title: The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Susan Mallery
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 361 pages
Book Rating: B+

Summary:

Step into the vineyard with Susan Mallery’s most irresistible novel yet, as one woman searches for the perfect blend of love, family and wine.

Mackenzie Dienes seems to have it all—a beautiful home, close friends and a successful career as an elite winemaker with the family winery. There’s just one problem—it’s not her family, it’s her husband’s. In fact, everything in her life is tied to him—his mother is the closest thing to a mom that she’s ever had, their home is on the family compound, his sister is her best friend. So when she and her husband admit their marriage is over, her pain goes beyond heartbreak. She’s on the brink of losing everything. Her job, her home, her friends and, worst of all, her family.

Staying is an option. She can continue to work at the winery, be friends with her mother-in-law, hug her nieces and nephews—but as an employee, nothing more. Or she can surrender every piece of her heart in order to build a legacy of her own. If she can dare to let go of the life she thought she wanted, she might discover something even more beautiful waiting for her beneath a painted moon.

Review:

The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Susan Mallery is an emotionally compelling novel of new beginnings.

Mackenzie Dienes lives and works with her husband Rhys Barcelona and her in-laws at his family’s vineyard. She is best friends with his sister Stephanie and she considers her mother-in-law Barbara to be a substitute mother. All seems well with everyone until Barbara becomes engaged at the family’s annual summer solstice celebration. The newly engaged couple radiate love and Stephanie volunteers to help plan the nuptials. By all appearances, Mackenzie and Rhys seem to be happy with each other, but they separate not long after the party. Mackenzie hopes to continue working at the vineyard, so she is absolutely stunned by Barbara’s reaction. Not wanting to work for someone else, will Mackenzie find a way to open her own vineyard and winery?

Mackenzie does not have any relatives of her own and she always feels like she is part of the Barcelona family. She is a big reason  the vineyard has become so successful. And yet, she has no stake in the business so she is essentially an employee. She and Barbara have always gotten along, but her mother-in-law has not been open to many of the changes Mackenzie has proposed over the past sixteen years. Although in agreement their marriage is over, she struggles to process how quickly their divorce is moving along. With so many changes occurring in her life, Mackenzie is pleasantly surprised when she and a longtime acquaintance become business partners and friends.

Stephanie is trying to figure out what she wants for her future. She is unfulfilled and unappreciated in her current position at the vineyard. But with limited career options in the area, she is uncertain what she will do next. Stephanie also needs to decide what to do about her relationship with her ex-husband. They are long divorced and she is trying to break free of the habit they have fallen into over the years.

Barbara firmly holds the reins of the family business. She is very happy with her new fiancé but she is a little uneasy that he does not realize how much the vineyard means to her. When she lashes out at Mackenzie, she puts the vineyard’s future in jeopardy as they search for her replacement. Her caustic remarks toward her children are initially tolerated, but Barbara is in danger of alienating everyone around her.

The Vineyard at Painted Moon is captivating novel with an engrossing storyline. Mackenzie is a wonderful character who makes the best of a horrible situation as she prepares for life after divorce. While most of the secondary characters are likeable, Barbara is an absolute harridan who treats everyone in her life with little regard. With some heartwarming twists and unanticipated turns, Susan Mallery brings this charming novel to a very uplifting conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Mackenzie emerge from divorce stronger and happier than she could have imagined. Highly recommend to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, HQN Books, Rated B+, Review, Susan Mallery, The Vineyard at Painted Moon, Women's Fiction

Review: Christmas at Holiday House by RaeAnne Thayne

Title: Christmas at Holiday House by RaeAnne Thayne
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 285 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In the town of Silver Bells, there’s always a feeling of Christmas in the air… Let love—and RaeAnne Thayne—melt your heart this holiday season!

This New Year will bring widowed nurse Abigail Powell a fresh start in a different city. Excited about the chance to create an unforgettable Christmas for her young son in picturesque Silver Bells, Colorado, Abby has been hired to take care of her dear friend’s recuperating grandmother. But sprightly senior Winnie insists she doesn’t need looking after. What she does need is help decorating her historic mansion, Holiday House, for a seasonal town fundraiser. Abby warms to the festive task, but she’ll have to contend with her own personal Grinch: Winnie’s prickly grandson, Ethan Lancaster.

Ethan Lancaster is good at a lot of things. Relationships surely aren’t one of them. His ex-fiancée convinced Ethan he was incapable of love, and he believes her…up until the moment he impulsively kisses Abby. What is it about this vibrant woman and her sweet son that knocks his world off-kilter? He knows they’re leaving town after Christmas. He just didn’t expect they’d be taking a little of his heart with them. But as he and Abby work together on the magical Holiday House through the record cold weather, visions of a different future dance in his head…one filled with warmth, love and a new beginning for them both.

Review:

Christmas at Holiday House by RaeAnne Thayne is a delightfully charming holiday romance.

Abby Powell is in the process of relocating to Texas in order to start fresh as she finally feels ready to move on from the tragic loss of her husband. With free time on her hands, she and her adorable five year old son Christopher travel to Silver Bells, CO to help longtime friend Lucy Lancaster’s grandmother Winnie who recently injured herself in a fall.

Abby is adept at taking care of the spirited older woman but she is out of her depth as she helps decorate Winnie’s mansion for upcoming tours. She also tamps down her fears as Lucy’s brother Ethan offers to help Christopher experience winter sports for the first time. Although Abby never loses sight of her upcoming plans, she delights in the new friendships she is making as she helps Winnie with a charity event. She also fights her unexpected attraction to Ethan, who believes love is just not in the cards for him considering his failed engagement and turbulent childhood.  Will the upcoming holidays work a little magic for this well-matched but cautious couple?

Abby is a wonderful mom who is a little tentative but determined not hold her son back due to her own concerns. Although sometimes a little reluctant, she is surprised at how much she is enjoying helping Winnie.  Despite her contentment with everything Silver Bells has to offer, Abby does not seriously entertain thoughts about altering the plans she has already set in motion.  But will she change her mind as her feelings for Ethan deepen?

After his grandmother’s fall, Ethan returns home determined to convince Winnie to move into assisted living. He relents after Abby agrees to stay but he tries to spend more time with his grandmother. Ethan is surprised that he is so drawn to Abby and Christopher. He cannot forget his ex-fiancée’s harsh assessment of him when she ended their engagement. But as he realizes the depth of his emotions, will Ethan risk his heart again?

A secondary story arc involves Lucy and her strained relationship with longtime friend José Navarro.  After witnessing her parents’ volatile relationships throughout her childhood, Lucy moves frequently and refuses to enter into a committed relationship. She and  José spend time together every year but a few months ago, their relationship changed.  Due to her fears, Lucy pushes him away, but is she making a mistake by not giving him a chance?

Christmas at Holiday House is a light-hearted holiday romance with a lovely cast of characters and marvelous setting.  The storyline is well-written with realistic issues that will resonate with readers. The town Silver Springs is warmly inviting with kind-hearted residents. Old and new fans of RaeAnne Thayne are sure to enjoy this heartwarming and uplifting story of  friendship, healing and love.

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Filed under Christmas at Holiday House, Contemporary, HQN Books, RaeAnne Thayne, Rated B, Review, Romance

Review: One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Title: One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating:

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Christmas Sisters and A Wedding in December comes this sparkling tale of Christmas redemption…

For sisters Samantha and Ella Mitchell, Christmas is their most precious time of the year. But this year, they’ll be buying presents for the most unexpected guest of all—their mother. It’s been five years since they last saw each other. But when their mom calls out of the blue, Samantha and Ella cautiously agree to spend Christmas all together in the beautiful Scottish Highlands…

Gayle Mitchell is at the top of her career, but her success has come at a price—her relationship with her daughters. Her tough-love approach to parenting was designed to make them stronger, but instead managed to push them away…until a brush with her own mortality forces Gayle to make amends.

As the snowflakes fall on their first family celebration in years, the Mitchell women must learn that sometimes facing up to the past is all you need to heal your heart…

Review:

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan is a delightful holiday novel about family, forgiveness and love.

Gayle Mitchell is a successful career woman but she has no personal life. She has worked hard to build her business but she is estranged from her two daughters Samantha and Ella. Following an accident, Gayle begins rethinking her past choices. She would like to reconnect with Samantha and Ella but is it too late for them to fix their fractured relationship?

Samantha is the oldest and she continues to look out for her younger sister. Although they live in different states, they are still quite close and Samantha is a frequent visitor at Ella’s house. Samantha is the owner of travel  company that focuses on holiday vacations. She spends long hours working but she is close to her employees. Shocked to learn of Gayle’s accident, Samantha rushes to her mother’s bedside.

Ella is married to a wonderful man and they are parents to their inquisitive daughter Tabitha. Ella and Michael are deeply in love and she is very content with her life.  Unlike her much more contained sister, she is quick to express her feelings but she does shy away from confrontation. Despite Samantha’s attempts to protect her, Ella makes arrangements to see Gayle.

Ella and Samantha’s interactions with their mother are awkward as they tiptoe around their estrangement and the secrets Ella is keeping. Both are absolutely shocked when Gayle expresses her desire to spend Christmas together. However, Ella and Samantha’s attempts to avoid spending the holiday with their mother fail miserably. And due to Ella’s white lie, they are traveling to Scotland for Christmas.

Samantha reluctantly makes arrangements to visit a possible vacation destination in Scotland.  The  estate and property are breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely perfect for her business. As the lovely surroundings and the McKintyre family work their magic, Ella, Samantha and Gayle try to heal the rift between them. And as Samantha helps plan their joint venture, will she unexpectedly find love?

One More for Christmas is a heartwarming holiday novel with a slight romantic element. Gayle is a little difficult to like initially, but she undergoes a wonderful transformation over the course of the story. Ella is fun-loving but she needs to learn to stand up for herself. Samantha comes to an uncomfortable conclusion about herself and she takes steps to change some aspects of her life. The Scottish highlands are vibrantly brought to life and serve as a gorgeous backdrop for this heartfelt story.  Sarah Morgan brings this marvelous novel to a sigh-worthy and uplifting conclusion. A lovely holiday read that I recommend to fans who enjoy family-centric novels.

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Filed under Contest, HQN Books, One More for Christmas, Rated B, Review, Romance, Women's Fiction

Review: Happily This Christmas by Susan Mallery

Title: Happily This Christmas by Susan Mallery
Happily Inc Series Book Six
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 283 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Susan Mallery, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool’s Gold romances, proves there’s no place like Happily Inc for the holidays…

There’s no place like Happily Inc for the holidays…

Wynn Beauchene has a thriving business, a great kid and a mildly embarrassing crush on the guy next door—local cop Garrick McCabe. She’s a strong, independent woman who can’t help dreaming what-if about a man she barely knows. Until he needs her help…

Garrick’s pregnant daughter will be home for Christmas, and his house needs a woman’s touch. Garrick and his little girl were tight once and he’s hoping a small-town Christmas will bring her back to him. But thawing his daughter’s frosty attitude will take more than a few twinkle lights. Maybe sharing the holiday with Wynn and her son will remind her of the joy of family.

As the season works its magic on these wounded souls, Wynn realizes it’s time to stop punishing herself for a painful secret, while Garrick remains haunted by the ghosts of past mistakes. Will he allow Wynn to open the only gift she truly wants—his heart?

Review:

Happily This Christmas by Susan Mallery is a deeply affecting romance that is quite captivating. Although this latest release is the sixth romance in the Happily Inc series, it can be read as a standalone. But I highly recommend the entire series.

Thirty-four year old Wynn Beauchene is a successful business owner and mom to fourteen year old Hunter. She is raising her son on her own and she has not been in a relationship for quite some time. But since her easy on the eyes neighbor Garrick McCabe moved in,  Wynn cannot stop thinking about him. When he asks for her help preparing his house for his estranged pregnant daughter to stay with him, she is delighted to assist him. As they spend time together, an easy friendship forms between them. Soon Wynn is fighting a serious attraction to him, but does he just view her as a friend?

Garrick was always very involved with his daughter Joylyn and they once shared a tight bond. So he was absolutely crushed when she abruptly stopped wanting to see him when she was a teenager. He never stopped trying to reconnect with her, but since he was making no progress, he changed careers. Garrick’s new job meant long stretches of time away from home and the gulf widened between him and Joylyn.  Garrick is hoping he and Joylyn can mend the rift between them but he is somewhat shocked at the changes in her personality.

Joylyn is at the miserable stage of her pregnancy and she misses her husband. She makes absolutely it absolutely clear to her father that she wants nothing to do with him.  But Wynn’s sunny personality and positive outlook help temper some of Joylyn’s unhappiness. As Joylyn begins to thaw her frosty attitude toward her father, will they recapture the close relationship they once shared?

Wynn is enjoying getting to know Garrick and including him and Joylyn in her and Hunter’s life.  Their evenings together are light and fun but underlying the easy camaraderie is her growing attraction to him.  Wynn is uncertain whether or not he returns her desire and she is reluctant to ruin their friendship by pushing for anything else. Garrick is not quite as cautious and once he makes the first move, they act on their passion for each other.  Wynn is ready to settle down, but does Garrick feel the same way?

Happily This Christmas is an enchanting holiday story of family, forgiveness and love.  Wynn and Garrick are vibrantly developed characters who are well-rounded and three-dimensional.  Joylyn is a frustrating character whose unhappiness is self-made. Garrick and Wynn’s relationship is fun to watch develop as they face realistic challenges trying to juggle family life with their budding romance.  With a late in the story conflict,  Susan Mallery brings this heartfelt romance to a joyous conclusion. Old and new fans of the delightfully charming Happily Inc series are sure to love this holiday romance.

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Filed under Contemporary, Happily Inc Series, Happily This Christmas, HQN Books, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Susan Mallery

Review: The Friendship List by Susan Mallery

Title: The Friendship List by Susan Mallery
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Length: 327 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

[ ] Dance till dawn
[ ] Go skydiving
[ ] Wear a bikini in public
[ ] Start living

Two best friends jump-start their lives in a summer that will change them forever…

Single mom Ellen Fox couldn’t be more content—until she overhears her son saying he can’t go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers.

So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What’s wrong with a thirtysomething widow still sleeping in her late husband’s childhood bed?

The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re just fine. But somewhere between “wear three-inch heels” and “have sex with a gorgeous guy,” Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos.

Review:

The Friendship List by Susan Mallery is a warm and inviting novel of friendship, new beginnings and love.

Thirty-four year old Ellen Fox and Unity Leandre are lifelong best friends who support each other in good times and bad. But sometimes that support can contribute to clinging to unhealthy habits and decisions. Ellen gets a wake-up call from an overhead discussion between her seventeen year old son Cooper and one of his friends. So, the women put their heads together and devise a series of challenges that will force them out of their regular routines. But will Ellen and Unity overcome the habits that are keeping them from living life to its fullest?

Ellen is a single mom and teaches at the local high school. She and Cooper have a fantastic relationship  but she is stunned and worried that her son believes she cannot live without him nearby. Ellen surprisingly jumps into checking the challenges off her list. But little does she realize how much one of those items on the list is going to change her life.

Three years ago, Unity moved back to her home town following her husband Stuart’s death. She moved into her husband’s childhood home and she is surrounded by memories of him. Unity also begins working her way through the items on her list.  However, she quickly discovers how reluctant she is to deal with some of the issues that are preventing her from moving forward.  With a lot on the line for her, Unity must decide whether or not she will take the necessary steps that will allow her to make peace with her past.

With wry humor and realistic issues, The Friendship List is an uplifting and entertaining novel. Ellen and Unity are vibrantly drawn characters who are charming yet occasionally frustrating. They find themselves in relationships with wonderful men but both women tend to self-sabotage their respective romances. Susan Mallery brings this charming novel to a heartfelt, happy conclusion. I highly recommend this beautifully written story to readers of contemporary fiction.

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Filed under Contemporary, HQN Books, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Susan Mallery, The Friendship List, Women's Fiction