Review - - Starting Over on Sunshine Corner

Starting Over on Sunshine Corner

by Phoebe Mills

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: February 7, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

 

A busy single-mom. A laid-back bachelor. One unforgettable night that changes their friendship—and their lives—forever . . . 

Single-mom Rebecca Hayes has been so focused on raising her daughter and building her finance career, she’s not sure she even remembers how to date. The only man she’s been out with is Jackson, her very close—and very attractive—friend. But Becca isn’t getting her hopes up after they crossed the line one memorable night—she knows Jackson too well. So when she discovers she’s pregnant with his baby, Becca isn’t sure she can count on Jackson anymore . . . 

Fatherhood isn’t something Jackson Lowe saw for himself. He figured he’d just keep working at his family's landscaping business, surfing and being a happily unattached bachelor. But in his heart, he longs to build a family with Rebecca—his secret crush and the real reason he never settled down. He’s got a lot of work to do before she’ll believe he’s all in. He’s been the man Becca wants. Now, Jackson has to prove he’s ready to be the man she needs.

PJ's Thoughts:

I have been thoroughly enjoying the stories surrounding this close-knit group of friends (and family) in Phoebe Mills' Sunshine Corner series. This time it's Becca and Jackson in the spotlight, in a friends-to-lovers / opposites-attract romance with a few surprises along the way.

I love how Mills doesn't shy away from tossing her characters into the deep end of emotional upheaval while still maintaining an upbeat vibe in her books. There's emotional depth but also plenty of humor, especially when friends and families get together. I don't know if Mills is from a large family but she sure gets the sibling dynamic. 

Both Jackson and Becca are dealing with family issues while also exploring building a relationship different from what they've had as best friends since high school. For Jackson, he's struggling to figure out what he wants career wise. His father is pressuring him to take over the family company but Jackson knows he'd wither on the vine if forced into an office job when his passion is surfing. But he also knows that Becca needs the stability of a sure thing. And then there's the fact that, as the youngest son, everyone still treats him like he's a goof-off who lacks ambition. Not so. I love how much he has always (secretly) loved Becca, how well he understands her, and how hard he works to be the best possible partner and provider, in every way. 

Becca's chaotic and abusive childhood has had a lasting impact on her as an adult. Jackson has always been her best friend but she's never felt inclined to change that status, even now when she's pregnant from their one night stand. Truth is, she doesn't handle change of any kind well and that includes emotional closeness. I appreciate how the author moves her relationship with Jackson forward at a slow pace, giving her the time she needs to figure things out. The progression of her feelings and their relationship as a couple are portrayed realistically, given her hang ups. By the time I reached the end of the book (loved that epilogue!), I was confident in their love and future happiness. 

This is the third book in Mills' Sunshine Corner series. It stands well on its own but readers should be aware that the community of characters from the first two books are also prominently featured in this one, with one heroine in particular struggling with new motherhood. I love following the relationships of previous couples but if you'd rather not meet them for the first time post-HEA, you may want to begin with book one, The House on Sunshine Corner then follow that with A Wedding on Sunshine Corner. Both are currently available at a reduced e-book price. 

Review - - A Wedding on Sunshine Corner

A Wedding on Sunshine Corner

by Phoebe Mills

The Sunshine Corner - Book 2

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: March 29, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

They’ve driven each other crazy for years, but were they fighting each other—or the chemistry between them?

As the youngest in her loving, overprotective family, Savannah Lowe has always gone with the flow instead of going out on a limb…until now. Her new job running a preschool requires her to be all in. If only the father of one of her students wasn’t her brother’s incredibly infuriating, impossibly attractive best friend. Savannah has no clue what she ever did to make him dislike her, and now they’re stuck spending even more time together planning her brother’s wedding. 

Single father Noah Adams has his hands full between his job as a paramedic and caring for his young daughter. The last thing he needs is a complication like Savannah in his life—a girl he remembers being constantly pampered by her family. But the more he gets to know her, the more he sees how kind and compassionate she really is. Now their long-ignored, off-the-charts chemistry has them on a collision course…with each other.  

PJ's Thoughts:

Phoebe Mills checks a lot of my happy reader boxes with this second book in her small-town, Sunshine Corner series. I love the community dynamic of this series, with its core group of friends at the center. She has created a strong, supportive environment with friends and family who stand ready to help while also not being above well-meaning meddling. Savannah's family, in particular, plays a strong role in both Savannah's character as well as her journey with Noah.

Savannah and Noah both come with layers and complications that give them complexities that made them intriguing characters who both held my attention and engaged my emotions. I love a brother's best friend romance trope. Add in enemies to lovers (okay, maybe not enemies in the strictest sense but definitely adversaries), single dad, and childhood friends, and I'm sold. 

It was fun watching Noah and Savannah gradually move beyond the impressions formed in their younger years and begin to see the truth of who each of them is in the present. It was also satisfying to see each of them personally evolve and begin to learn their own strengths while learning to accept their vulnerabilities. I loved the sizzle and deep feelings that gradually grew between them. Noah's four-year-old daughter was a large part of those feelings. The story addresses the very real complications having a young child can cause in a new relationship while also highlighting the additional depth of emotion that child can also bring to that same relationship. I was cheering for a happily ever after for all three of them. 

If you enjoy small-town contemporary romance with plenty of humor, heart, and happy endings, give this one a try. It's the second book of the series and while it can absolutely be enjoyed on its own, reading book one, The House on Sunshine Corner, will introduce you to many of the characters you'll meet in book two including Savannah's best friend and boss, Abby (heroine of book one). 

Review & Giveaway - - The House on Sunshine Corner

The House on Sunshine Corner

by Phoebe Mills

The Sunshine Corner - Book 1

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: August 24, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

Abby Engel has a great life. She's the owner of Sunshine Corner, the daycare she runs with her girlfriends; she has the most adoring grandmother (aka the Baby Whisperer); and she lives in a perfect hidden gem of a town. All that's missing is the thing she wants the most: a family. But after a stint of online dating and a string of bad blind dates, she's ready to give up. And then her ex-boyfriend (aka the love of her life) walks back into town...

Carter Hayes has no intention of staying in Heart's Hope Bay. He's there to help his sister out for a few weeks, and then he's back on a plane to Las Vegas. But small-town living has its appeal, and it’s not long before Carter's reminded of just how much he loves his hometown...and the one woman he’s never been able to forget. But after breaking her heart all those years ago, can Carter convince Abby that he’s her happy-ever-after?

PJ's Thoughts:

I love a second-chance romance. Set it in a small town populated with interesting people and I'm all over it. That's exactly what Phoebe Mills does in her debut novel: The House on Sunshine Corner. It's a promising start to a new contemporary romance series that has me eagerly anticipating more stories.

Abby and Carter were high school sweethearts but he couldn't wait to leave Heart's Hope Bay behind and she can't imagine living anywhere else. When he returns several years later to help care for his niece while his sister recovers from an injury, one of the first people he runs into is Abby, who runs the daycare his niece attends. Suddenly, he's running into her everywhere. Unfortunately, the issues that have kept him away from his hometown still stand between them, not the least of which is Abby's desire for marriage and children when Carter has sworn to steer clear of both. But it's also abundantly clear the chemistry they once shared still simmers. Could a no-strings affair while he's in town really get those pesky feelings out of their system once and for all or will it just prove what everyone has always known: these two are meant to be together.

Mills has penned a charming, heart-tugging story with characters I became attached to and invested in. I wasn't expecting the issues that Carter kept secret from Abby during their teens. They were real stumbling blocks to him staying in Heart's Hope Bay and added another layer of emotional depth to their story. I understood Abby's need to keep her roots there but, after learning more about Carter, I also understood why he wouldn't want to (I really had no idea how the author was going to work that out). I enjoyed the ease of long-time friendship that existed between them with the added edge of tension that came with both their physical attraction as well as the limited time period before Carter would once again leave her behind. It kept the story moving and kept me eagerly reading. 

I love Abby's group of friends. They have such a tight bond, the kind that allows them to be refreshingly honest with one another while always having each other's backs. I'm excited to read each of their stories as the series moves forward. I also enjoyed Abby's grandmother and the tight bond they share. I hope she - and her predictions - will continue to be present for future books.  

If you enjoy small-town, second-chance romances with humor, heart, a likable cast of characters, and just enough steam, give Phoebe Mills' The House on Sunshine Corner a try. Book two, A Wedding on Sunshine Corner, is scheduled to be published March 29, 2022. I've already added it to my reading calendar. 

Do you enjoy small-town romance?

What other small-town, contemporary romance authors would you recommend I add to my reading list?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, August 28 will receive a print copy of The House on Sunshine Corner. 

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