JoAnn Ross

Terrific story centered around Quinn, the oldest Mannion sibling. After realizing his big-city lawyer job was no longer fulfilling, Quinn moved back to Honeymoon Harbor to become a brewer and take over the family pub. The last thing he expected was to fall in love with a married woman. As an honorable man, he sticks to being the friend she needs.

As the book opens, Amanda and Quinn continue their friendship. She is now divorced from her abusive husband, but the effects linger. Amanda's feelings for Quinn are growing, but is she ready to move forward?

I loved watching the relationship between Quinn and Amanda develop. He is so sensitive to everything she went through with her ex-husband that he has been careful not to push forward with his desires. But it's been eighteen months since Amanda's divorce, and several friends and family members have told him it's time to go after what he wants or risk losing her. I loved when he finally screwed up his courage and invited her to the beer competition. Seeing Amanda blow him away with her flirtatiousness and directness about the weekend was even more fun. I loved seeing them open up about their lives, especially how Amanda told him about her marriage and its continuing hold on her.

That weekend was fantastic for them as they moved on to a new stage in their relationship. As they returned to Honeymoon Harbor, I loved their respect for each other and their lives. With a solid friendship already under their belts, their growing feelings for each other felt realistic. I also loved that their relationship is solid enough not to be fazed when Quinn's past comes knocking on his door. And once Amanda worked past her last bit of past baggage, the sky was the limit for their relationship. Their visit to the Botanical Gardens was sweet and romantic and the perfect lead-in for his surprise for Amanda. I loved the outpouring of emotion that followed and seeing them look forward to a future together.

A secondary storyline follows a newcomer to Honeymoon Harbor. Piper is an eighteen-year-old British woman traveling the US during a gap year before college. She takes a job at Quinn's pub, replacing a former employee who had moved away. She's an interesting character with big plans for her future. I loved how she took to life in Honeymoon Harbor and fit in well with Quinn's family. I loved her family background and the interesting life she'd led because of it and a maturity that is unusual in someone her age. But she also has a secret that gets harder to reveal the longer she stays in Honeymoon Harbor. There's a bit of drama when it finally comes out, but I thought it was handled very well.

There is plenty of time spent with secondary characters, mainly members of the Mannion family. I loved catching up with what was going on with the couples/families from previous books. It is always terrific to see the family dynamics, from teasing to disagreements, to support in times of crisis.

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