Review & Giveaway - - Summer on Sunshine Bay

Summer on Sunshine Bay

by Debbie Mason

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: May 23, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

Lila Rosetti Sinclair returns to Sunshine Bay a bundle of nerves. After being gone for years, sharing the news that she’s engaged—to a man her mother has never met—is going to be difficult to navigate. But when her fiancé David surprises her with an engagement party at Windemere, the upscale inn his parents recently purchased and that just may put her family’s restaurant, La Dolce Vita, out of business, Lila’s got a whole new set of problems.
     Eva Rosetti is so ecstatic to finally have her daughter home that she pushes aside her misgivings about having to come face-to-face with Lila’s father again. That is until he sweeps into town and feelings Eva thought far behind her resurface....
     With a family business to save and a wedding to plan, Eva and Lila’s reunion is more than either bargained for, but with a little luck and a whole lot of support from friends and family, it may just turn out to be the best summer of their lives.

PJ's Thoughts:

Even though this book has romantic threads (for multiple generations) and happy endings (for all), it skews more women's fiction than the contemporary romance for which Mason is known. It may center the story more on the Rosetti women and their journeys than only one couple but it still contains all the elements that have made Debbie Mason one of my favorite auto-buy authors. There's fun, thought-provoking conflict, laugh-out-loud humor, complex characters, complicated family (and romantic) relationships, emotional depth, and feel-good, happy endings. I am here for all of them.

I fell hard for this boisterous, opinionated, meddling, loving, stubborn, Italian family of independent women. They love hard, play hard, and hold grudges hard. They hold fast to the belief that they're cursed in love. At least the older generations do. Lila holds a different opinion but Lila is also about to marry a man she isn't in love with - for reasons - and fighting pesky feelings for a "local boy", now a considerate and sexy man, who sets off all the heart-tugging feelings the man she's supposed to marry doesn't. Eva, a beautiful and sensual woman, is dealing with "the menopause," hot flashes at inconvenient moments, the loss of her desire for physical relations, and the sudden and unexpected return of all kinds of sensations when her former lover, Lila's father, now a widower, shows up. Things are about to get very complicated in Sunshine Bay.

I loved everything about this book. One of the things I most enjoy about Debbie Mason - besides her multi-layered, fully-developed characters - is her willingness to tackle tough situations in thoughtful, emotionally sensitive ways. The complicated relationship among Lila, David, and two others may walk a fine line but, for me, it never crossed that line. I never felt like anyone was the "villain" in this scenario and I appreciated that. I was also very satisfied with the resolution of all the relationships and partnerships formed going forward. I'm being purposefully vague here but you'll understand once you've read the book. Oh, and I absolutely adored one very playful, affectionate, and huge Newfie who stole every single scene in which he appeared. I'm such a pushover for big, lovable dogs. 

I'm hoping Summer on Sunshine Bay won't be the last we see of the Rosetti women. Lila has two cousins and two half-sisters who have all aroused my curiosity. Plus, there's her artist aunt who already lives in Sunshine Bay and a mysterious, estranged movie star aunt nobody in the family talks about. And I can't forget David's mother, another character who most definitely deserves a happy ending. I'm nowhere near ready to say farewell to this family!  

Have you read Debbie Mason?

Do you enjoy books with storylines for multiple generations?

Lila's mother and grandmother own an Italian restaurant, which happens to be my favorite type of food. What's your favorite? 

Two randomly chosen people who post a comment before 11:00 PM, May 21 will each receive a print book (my choice) from Debbie Mason's Highland Falls series. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review & Giveaway - - A Wedding in the Keys

A Wedding in the Keys

by Hope Holloway

Coconut Key - Book 6

Publisher: Hope Holloway

Release Date: July 23, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

Will there be blue skies and happy lives for the wedding day…or is change in the forecast again?

The bonds of love that have formed and grown over the past year in Coconut Key reach a culmination of white lace and champagne…for some. For others, things may not turn out as they expected.

New arrivals on the island turn plans and lives upside down, testing the strength of relationships. Everyone has to make major decisions about life, work, and love. The future may look different for Beck, Savannah, Peyton, and Jessie…but whatever it is, with family and friends, it will be warm, happy, and dappled in sunshine.

PJ's Thoughts:

A few weeks ago, I discovered A Secret in the Keys, the first book in a new series set in the Florida Keys. I love the Keys, liked the sound of the story, and decided to give it a try. It's a 7-book series but the first five books had already been published so I figured if I liked book one I could read a book every couple weeks over the summer and finish about the time the final book is published in September. I finished book one in a day and by the time I reached the mini-cliffhanger at the end I was so fully immersed in the lives of these characters that I had to know what happened next. I read books two - five over the next four days. I couldn't help myself. This series is just that good. Book six, A Wedding in the Keys, continues the story threads surrounding Beck and her family that have evolved over the course of the series and is another emotional journey that I could not put down. Once again, I was immediately immersed into the lives of these characters, eagerly flipping pages from beginning to end. Holloway's writing is engaging and compelling, tackling real-life issues with humor and hope, while aiming straight for the heart. I spent a lot of time laughing, crying, gasping, and cheering throughout the series. I also love that she continues to surprise me in each book. After reading book five, I had doubts about one of the relationships. In book six, Holloway confirms those doubts but she also throws in a surprise twist that I did not see coming. I love it when an author does that and I cannot wait to find out where she takes it in book seven.  

It's hard to place the Coconut Key series into a specific category as these books are filled with an abundance of delicious storylines and a variety of tropes. It's a multi-generational family saga, with a women's fiction vibe as well as emotional romantic threads (for both young and mature characters). There's plenty of chemistry among the couples but the on-page heat factor is mild. There are also family secrets, betrayals, emotional losses, second chances, and new beginnings, all wrapped up in strong bonds of family and friendship, with the strength, resilience, determination, and growth of intriguing and inspiring women at its core. I guess if I had to name a category, I'd label it "Delicious Must-Read Summer Fun." I'm hooked on Hope Holloway, counting down the weeks until the release of book seven, A Promise in the Keys, in September and already excited about whatever she has planned for readers next.

This is one of those series where I strongly recommend reading the books in order. They are:

A Secret in the Keys (Book 1)
A Reunion in the Keys (Book 2)
A Season in the Keys (Book 3)
A Haven in the Keys (Book 4)
A Return to the Keys (Book 5)
A Wedding in the Keys (Book 6)
A Promise in the Keys (Book 7)

Have you discovered Hope Holloway yet?

Is there a new author, book, or series you've found this summer that you recommend?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, July 25 will receive a Kindle copy of book one, A Secret in the Keys. 

*Must be 18

*U.S. only

*Void where prohibited