6th Anniversary Celebration - - Review & Giveaway of Heartsong Cottage

Heartsong Cottage

By Emily March

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Release Date: November 3, 2015

Shannon O’Toole is beginning to feel at home in Eternity Springs, Colorado. Between flipping houses, teaching yoga, and operating the only pub in town, she stays busy, a good thing since it leaves her less time to think. Even so, she has made some good friends and grown comfortable in the small, friendly town. But Shannon is a woman with secrets, a woman who must live her life poised on ready. The wrong phone call or peace-destroying message can send her running for her life once again. For Shannon, safety is an illusion, even in Eternity Springs.

Daniel Garrett is one of the walking wounded. Ten years ago, his young son was kidnapped and killed, and a few months later, his wife, broken by the loss of her child, committed suicide. Leaving his job as a Boston cop, Daniel became a private investigator, specializing in searching for missing children. He is very good at his job, but too often it is bodies he finds rather than a living child. And each time that happens, the experience carves another hole in Daniel’s heart. He first came to Eternity Springs after his friend Hope Montgomery, now Hope Romano, moved there (Miracle Road, Eternity Springs 7). Since then, he has been a frequent visitor, finding at least a measure of peace and healing during his visits.

Most of the population of Eternity Springs gathers for the much-anticipated wedding of Gabi Romano and Flynn Brogan (Dreamweaver Trail, Eternity Springs 8). It is there that Shannon and Daniel meet, drawn together by a spark of attraction that flames into one memorable night together. However, it is more than passion that these two survivors share, and they are soon more involved than either of them expected. But the past casts long shadows. Can they move past their fears to find a family and a future together in the place where they began to heal separately?

Heartsong Cottage, the tenth book in March’s popular Eternity Springs series, is both heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Shannon and Daniel both have suffered devastating losses, but they found the strength not only to keep going but also to contribute to life. They are likeable and inspiring characters. As always, Eternity Springs is a wonderful place to visit. It is a place filled with warmth and hope and romance—continuing, beginning, and promising to ignite at some future date. Celeste Blessing is again a beneficent spirit whose prescience and power suggest that the wings she bestows on those who win their battles are not the only ones in her possession.

Clearly readers who have followed the series will recognize beloved characters and enjoy attending Gabi and Flynn’s wedding and celebrating a new baby with Sage and Colt Rafferty in a way that new readers will not. As a long-time reader of Emily March, aka Geralyn Dawson, I also loved the way the Callahans—not just Eternity Springs resident Gabe--are integrated into this book. Nevertheless, the book can be read as a standalone or as a gate into the series.

Readers should take note that, despite the presence of Celeste and the conclusion that stays true to the expectations of most readers of romance fiction, this tenth book is perhaps the darkest of the series. Some of the plot points—kidnapping, murder of children, twisted stalkers, etc.-- may be triggers for some readers. There is a bit of the thriller mixed with conventional small-town romance here. It is well-done, and some readers may like the higher intensity. I confess, wimp that I am, I prefer a little less action and a little more talk (with apologies to Toby Keith). The five stars reflect my objective admiration for Ms. March’s skills, but my personal preference would place this one behind some of the earlier, less angsty books. However, I loved these characters, and I never miss an Eternity Springs book. I’m already primed for Lori and Chase’s reunion story (my favorite trope). It is appropriately entitled Reunion Pass and scheduled for release April 5, 2016.

~Janga

Readers, do you enjoy some darkness in your books or, like Janga, do you prefer more talk, less action?

Are you a fan of the Eternity Springs books? Do you have a favorite?

I like reunion romances and am looking forward to Lori and Chase's book. Do you enjoy reunion stories?


Five randomly chosen people who leave a comment before 11:59 pm (EST), Thursday, November 5th will receive a print copy of Heartsong Cottage. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the donation of the books. (U.S. / Canada only)  

Readers, be sure to check out the other 6th Anniversary posts and Giveaways while you're here!