After tragedy robs her of everyone she loves, Jeannette Mason retreats to the tiny Oregon seaside town of Hope Harbor to create a new life. Vowing to avoid emotional attachments, she focuses on running her lavender farm and tea-room – until a new neighbour with a destructive dog and a forlorn little girl invades her turf. But she needn’t worry. Dr Logan West is too busy coping with an unexpected family, a radical lifestyle change, and an unruly pup to have any interest in his neighbour. Yet when both Jeanette and Logan find themselves pulled into the life of a tattered Christian family fleeting persecution in war-torn Syria, might they discover that love sometimes comes calling when it’s least expected.
I’ve long enjoyed Irene Hannon’s suspense novels, but I’m now really enjoying her contemporary romances too despite this not being a preferred genre for my reading choices. Pre-disposed to be uninspired by a ‘single dad, sad daughter and tearaway dog with an interesting but ‘uninterested’ female neighbour’ book I found that I was actually swept up into the story right from the start. This is not a twee romance, it deals with some difficult issues, some of which we aren’t really aware of for some time into the book. As well as the story of Jeanette and Logan’s growing friendship, we also meet a refugee family who are trying to come to terms with the traumas of their past and find their feet in a new country and community. All of the threads are woven together really well, and I came to be very fond of all of the characters. Current issues for churches and families are well addressed here, but without being heavy-handed or preachy. This was my first visit to Hope Harbor, but I’m ready to find another of Irene Hannon’s books set there and get to know some of the other residents.
9780800728816 Paperback, 2 May 19
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