Sea Rose Lane
by Irene Hannon
Rating: 4 of 5
Book 2 of Hope Harbor series
Revell – Fiction | Contemporary Romance

When life does not go as planned and attorney Eric Nash loses his job, he heads back to his hometown hoping to lay low and rest while finding a new job. What he finds is a work in progress — his father is converting their home into a bed and breakfast with the help of BJ Stevens, a gorgeous architect and contractor.

As they both fight the attraction between them, they work together to improve the lives of the Hope Harbor seniors and possibly find what they were meant to do all along. Can Eric find a reason to stay? Will BJ trust another man after all that she’s been through?

I loved returning to Hope Harbor. Irene Hannon’s writing is so easy to get caught up in and  I always love the characters that she creates. The reader feels like they are right there in Hope Harbor with Eric and BJ. Hannon is so talented and definitely one of my favorite authors. I always love how she keeps you guessing till the end.

I highly recommend this book. Even though it is part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone novel without being confusing. This book would make a fun and romantic summer read.

I received this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Date with a Billionaire
by Sydney Lawrence
Rating: 3.5 of 5

When Elana Prescott realizes her life is boring and unchanging, she tells her best friend that she is going to change her life and make it more exciting. When her best friend enters her into a contest to win a date with a billionaire and Elana is chosen the winner, Elana is furious but decides try to have fun and give it a chance.

Brant Harrison has worked hard all his life to earn everything he’s accomplished. When he started dating supermodels and found them wanting, he decided he wanted to stay away from the attention-grabbing females. When he is manipulated into taking a charity’s contest winner on a date, he becomes intrigued by his gorgeous date, Elana. Has he finally found someone who shies away from the spotlight and just wants to get to know him as a man and not a wallet?

Sounds like a great (if not predictable) story premise, right? I really wanted to like the book since I love its ending message, but unfortunately, it was just okay for me. I quickly read the entire book in a couple hours. It’s definitely a quick, fun read for the summer. There was just something about the writing that felt off to me; maybe a little forced? I honestly don’t know how to describe it but something felt like it was missing from the story. The story was what drew me to the book initially but I feel like I never had a chance to get fully invested in the characters (which may have been due to its short length). I did enjoy the book but I think it would have benefited from the author fleshing out the story some more.

I really enjoyed the message behind the story and how faith is woven into it but even that part could have felt more authentic. I could definitely see where the author was trying to go and I enjoyed all the twists and turns in the story, but unfortunately, I did not enjoy the book as much as I hoped to.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Her One and Only
by Becky Wade
Rating: 5 of 5
Book 4 of the Porter Family series
Bethany House – Fiction | Contemporary Romance

When Dru Porter, former marine, gets assigned as one of the bodyguards for Gray Fowler, star NFL tight end, Gray is not convinced she can do the job but soon finds she is a force to be reckoned with. Dru is determined to find out who is stalking Gray and even poses as his girlfriend in an effort to discover the truth.

What fun characters! I really enjoyed the relationship between Dru and Gray. The dialogue and the humor was perfect. Many characters from the other books in the series show up, so I would suggest reading the other books first but it’s not entirely necessary. I loved the added mystery and suspense surrounding the story but also loved the incorporation of faith and trials that the main characters had to go through.

I highly recommend this book (and the series) to anyone who enjoys a fun and exciting read for the summer!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.