Title: Sandpiper Cove
Author: Irene Hannon
Publication Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Revell
Provided by: Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group
Series: Hope Harbor
Subjects: dogs, prison, religion, reality v appearance. finances. abuse, loneliness, romance, trust
Setting: Oregon marina
Rating: 5
Pages: 352
Cost: $9
Amazon Link
Author Page
Synopsis:
Hope Harbor police chief Lexie Graham has plenty on her plate raising her son alone and dealing with a sudden rash of petty theft and vandalism in her coastal Oregon hometown. As a result, she has zero time for extracurricular activities--including romance. Ex-con Adam Stone isn't looking for love either--but how ironic is it that the first woman to catch his eye is a police chief? Yet wishing for things that can never be is foolish.
Nevertheless, when Lexie enlists Adam's help to keep a young man from falling into a life of crime, sparks begin to fly. And as they work together, it soon becomes apparent that God may have a different--and better--future planned for them than either could imagine.
Lauded by Library Journal as "a master at character development," Irene Hannon welcomes readers back to this charming Oregon seaside village where hearts heal--and love blooms.
My opinions
This book was a quite enjoyable and talked about some very deep topics.
I think that there are some people who would not enjoy this book- mainly those who suffer PTSD from childhood or marital abuse or other extreme circumstance.
Yet that is a small fraction of the population and I think that most others would enjoy it. I do not give out five star recommendations very frequently but I believe that this book definitely deserves at least five stars. Here's why:
First, it has a constant motif of dogs, which both of the main characters own. Through dogs, the author is able to communicate a lot of messages and ideas, like those of trust and adoption. I tend to be more of a cat person but many other people would connect with the silly antics of the pets.
(Another of the topics was loneliness. At the beginning of the story Adam's only friend is his dog and he feels quite lonely and excluded. Both his prejudice of the town members and the town members' prejudices against him prevent meaningful relationships and this fuels a lot of the story.)
Now I have a huge love of words and this book was filled with all sorts of neat words. Mind if I share a few??
That said, to me, the best part of the book is the discussion of broken families and "masks" so to speak. At school we call this a theme of reality verses appearance. In the book this came up with recurring homes that look pretty on the outside but are homes to quite imperfect people as well as messy homes with pure inhabitants.
Usually this is something that romance writers dont like to talk about. In most fiction everyone is 10/10, the weather is almost always nice, and being rich means you are successful. Of course, reality is not always prefect, money doesnt grow on trees, etc.
And to actually talk about these things openly and honestly was oh so refreshing.
I think that this book does a very good job of talking about what things look like on the inside. It touches on several different couples (parents, friends, etc of the main characters) and all of them bring up some really good lessons; there wasnt anything I remember that was unrealistic or bad advice. I was a bit scared when I saw the phrase "husky voice" come up on page 18 (which was really like page 7) but the romance (Spoiler alert?) was clean and you could let your kids read this book if you would like
The book was also not preachy although there was a distinct message of healing, restoration, and forgiveness.
In the end, I think the author does a very good job of connecting with the audience through the book. To me, the target audience seems to be adult women although I think that everyone from Mary Jane types to prison residents to teenagers to retired women would like it.
You can order a copy from Amazon here.
About the Author
Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including One Perfect Spring, Hope Harbor, and Sea Rose Lane, as well as the Private Justice and Men of Valor suspense series. Her books have been honored with three coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, two Carol Awards, two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Retailers' Choice Award, three HOLT Medallions, two Booksellers' Best Awards, and a National Readers' Choice Award. She is also a two-time Christy Award finalist. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.
Author: Irene Hannon
Publication Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Revell
Provided by: Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group
Series: Hope Harbor
Subjects: dogs, prison, religion, reality v appearance. finances. abuse, loneliness, romance, trust
Setting: Oregon marina
Rating: 5
Pages: 352
Cost: $9
Amazon Link
Author Page
Synopsis:
Hope Harbor police chief Lexie Graham has plenty on her plate raising her son alone and dealing with a sudden rash of petty theft and vandalism in her coastal Oregon hometown. As a result, she has zero time for extracurricular activities--including romance. Ex-con Adam Stone isn't looking for love either--but how ironic is it that the first woman to catch his eye is a police chief? Yet wishing for things that can never be is foolish.
Nevertheless, when Lexie enlists Adam's help to keep a young man from falling into a life of crime, sparks begin to fly. And as they work together, it soon becomes apparent that God may have a different--and better--future planned for them than either could imagine.
Lauded by Library Journal as "a master at character development," Irene Hannon welcomes readers back to this charming Oregon seaside village where hearts heal--and love blooms.
My opinions
This book was a quite enjoyable and talked about some very deep topics.
I think that there are some people who would not enjoy this book- mainly those who suffer PTSD from childhood or marital abuse or other extreme circumstance.
Yet that is a small fraction of the population and I think that most others would enjoy it. I do not give out five star recommendations very frequently but I believe that this book definitely deserves at least five stars. Here's why:
First, it has a constant motif of dogs, which both of the main characters own. Through dogs, the author is able to communicate a lot of messages and ideas, like those of trust and adoption. I tend to be more of a cat person but many other people would connect with the silly antics of the pets.
(Another of the topics was loneliness. At the beginning of the story Adam's only friend is his dog and he feels quite lonely and excluded. Both his prejudice of the town members and the town members' prejudices against him prevent meaningful relationships and this fuels a lot of the story.)
Now I have a huge love of words and this book was filled with all sorts of neat words. Mind if I share a few??
- Reticent- not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily:
- Aquiline- like an eagle.
- Mutinous- willful or disobedient
- Scuttlebutt- rumor; gossip:
- Abdicate: fail to fulfill or undertake (a responsibility, crown, or duty)
That said, to me, the best part of the book is the discussion of broken families and "masks" so to speak. At school we call this a theme of reality verses appearance. In the book this came up with recurring homes that look pretty on the outside but are homes to quite imperfect people as well as messy homes with pure inhabitants.
Usually this is something that romance writers dont like to talk about. In most fiction everyone is 10/10, the weather is almost always nice, and being rich means you are successful. Of course, reality is not always prefect, money doesnt grow on trees, etc.
And to actually talk about these things openly and honestly was oh so refreshing.
I think that this book does a very good job of talking about what things look like on the inside. It touches on several different couples (parents, friends, etc of the main characters) and all of them bring up some really good lessons; there wasnt anything I remember that was unrealistic or bad advice. I was a bit scared when I saw the phrase "husky voice" come up on page 18 (which was really like page 7) but the romance (Spoiler alert?) was clean and you could let your kids read this book if you would like
The book was also not preachy although there was a distinct message of healing, restoration, and forgiveness.
In the end, I think the author does a very good job of connecting with the audience through the book. To me, the target audience seems to be adult women although I think that everyone from Mary Jane types to prison residents to teenagers to retired women would like it.
You can order a copy from Amazon here.
About the Author
Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including One Perfect Spring, Hope Harbor, and Sea Rose Lane, as well as the Private Justice and Men of Valor suspense series. Her books have been honored with three coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, two Carol Awards, two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Retailers' Choice Award, three HOLT Medallions, two Booksellers' Best Awards, and a National Readers' Choice Award. She is also a two-time Christy Award finalist. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.
