Friday, June 12, 2015

The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber

Title: The Inn at Rose Harbor (with bonus short story "When They First Met")
Series: Rose Harbor #1 (&#0.5)
Author:   Debbie Macomber
Published:  July 30/13 by Ballantine Books (1st published January 1/12)
Length:  448PGS
Genre:  Contemporary romance
Shelf:  own
Rating: ★★★★★

Back Cover Blurb:

Jo Marie Rose first arrives in Cedar Cove seeking a fresh start. A young widow coping with the death of her husband, she purchases a local bed-and-breakfast—the newly christened Rose Harbor Inn—ready to begin her life anew. Her first guest is Joshua Weaver, who has come home to care for his ailing stepfather. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Joshua has little hope that they can reconcile their differences. Jo Marie’s other guest is Abby Kincaid, who has returned to Cedar Cove to attend her brother’s wedding. Back for the first time in twenty years, she almost wishes she hadn’t come, the picturesque town harboring painful memories. And as Abby and Joshua try to heal from their pasts, and Jo Marie dreams of the possibilities before her, they all realize that life moves in only one direction—forward.

Praise for Debbie Macomber and The Inn at Rose Harbor

“No one tugs at readers’ heartstrings quite as effectively as [Debbie] Macomber.”—Chicago Tribune

“Debbie Macomber is the reigning queen of women’s fiction.”—The Sacramento Bee

“Charming... warm and serene... a wonderful novel.”—Bookreporter

My Review:

This is a fantastically heartfelt novel that launches Macomber’s Rose Harbor series so well. She brings the Inn (and Cedar Cove) to life in such a vivid manner that you can’t help but picture it. Macomber deals with real life issues while making you feel welcome in her characters’ lives. There is a mellow feel to the writing that you can really lose yourself in. Macomber showcases both the simplicity and the complexity of life. This duality is so prevalent in the everyday that I couldn’t help but relate to the characters, even though I hadn’t experienced the same events myself.

I found myself drawn to Jo Marie from the moment I met her. Finding the strength to go on after losing so much was absolutely inspiring, and to do so while trying to help others went above and beyond. I liked the way that we get to see how different people’s lives intertwine in all different ways based on day to day activities. The fact that we get to know more than simply Jo Marie throughout is fantastic. Getting to know the guests at the inn so intimately made me feel like I was really part of the story, rather than simply someone looking in from the outside. And I loved the appearance of characters from Cedar Cove. It was so nostalgic for me, but at the same time, they appeared in such a way that they wouldn’t detract from the experience for new Macomber readers either.

Once again, Macomber held me captive throughout. She engaged me emotionally, tugging at my heart while also keeping me hooked with her absolutely delightful plot.


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