Such a beautiful story – Hope Haven, a place that Emily’s family spent many happy summers together – where Emily comes to heal. When she arrives, she reconnects with a childhood friend. She also meets Luke, a doctor at the hospital she volunteered to paint a mural a man with his own troubles. As she settles in the family summer cottage, she discovers a family secret. Join Emily as she learns of her past and gets to know Luke. Ms. Harper makes me want to go to Hope Haven and enjoy the beach. The cast of characters are so believable. A heartwarming, page-turner that you won’t want to put down. I hope Ms. Harper returns to Hope Haven in the future.

I received a complimentary copy from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley. My opinions are my own and not solicited in any way.

Summer at Hope Haven by Kristin Harper is the first book in the new series Dune Island.
Emily fiancé decided he wanted to end their relationship. But he did it after she had just lost her family in a horrific accident. These made her decide she wanted to go to Hope Haven the place she had vacationed with her family every summer. Emily is going to fix up the house and has hopes that this will help her heart heal from all of her losses.
Needless to say, she never imagined how her life would change after finding a letter in her father’s desk. The secrets she read in this letter has made her have so many questions that she is afraid she will never find the answer to with no one to ask.
Emily meets Lucas while out walking on the beach. They soon find talking together is so easy and Emily hopes that Lucas can help her heart heal.
This is a book that gave me so many emotions as I was reading it.
I enjoyed this book so much and look forward to reading more in the series.
Thank you NetGalley, Kristin Harper and Forever for the ARC of Summer at Hope Haven. This is my personal review.

This is first time reading anything by this author and it will be the last. The main female character was beyond depressing and bitchy throughout the story until the end. Hard pass on this one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My first by Kristin Harper and I hope it won't be the last.
The only problem I had is that I can only give it a 5 star review. It deserves so much more...I would love to see Hallmark pick this up for a summer movie.

Emily is spending the summer on Dune Island at her family's cottage. Emily hasn't been back to the cottage in a while and the ocean air and sea breeze has taken its toll on the cottage. Looking a little rundown Emily vows to do some painting a fix up a few things.
Emily has lost a lot the past year. For one she has lost her whole family in a terrible accident then her fiancee breaks off the engagement. Emily takes off for Hope Haven on Dune Island to paint some murals for a hospital. Emily reconnects with a childhood friend that she considers a brother from another mother who lives next door with his pregnant wife.
While cleaning up the cottage Emily discovers a desk in the attic with a secret drawer. She finds a notebook with her father's handwriting. It looks to be some kind of attempt at an apology letter to Emily's mother. She finds this quite strange.
Emily has a lot of heartache to get over with the help of a man she meets named Lucas.
Can Emily figure out what the strange sentences mean in the notebook? Can she come to terms with losing her family and possibly finding happiness again?
Summer at Hope Haven is a wonderful story of letting go of sadness and possibly finding love...

Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy for an honest review. These are my words and my words alone....while not eloquent they are from the heart.

What a beautifully written story. It grabs you on the first page and keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next. It has wonderful characters, beautiful scenery, mystery and romance. It's one of those books that you hate to see end, but you just have to know what happens next. I highly recommend this sweet heartwarming story.
I received a complimentary copy from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Emily is still reeling from a tragedy that changed her life forever, so she decides to spend a summer at a place that has always finds herself comfort - a cottage on the water. With friends close and a small town hospital that is in need of art, Emily finds a place that will help her heal and maybe even confront a few things to help her move into the next phase of her life. Oh and of course there is a romance wrapped into this book!

I loved this story. It was the exact thing I needed to read when I did. Yes, it was a romance book, but it had such great plot and was more than just the romance that was happening in the pages. Emily's battle with grief and the stages that she was going through was enjoyable to read. I liked that Luke the love interest was also more than just a love interest, he had his own things he was battling and it added such depth to the story.

Romance is a genre that will always be a place to escape to when reading is hard and this one fit the bill. I was excited and disappointed when I finished to find out this was a debut because there isn't a backlist for me to dive into, but there is hope for many more to come!

Being with Emily in the small town of Hope Haven was such a delight.
A story about hope, love, friendship and finding peace in a small beachside town.

Harper does it again. This is a very well written and plotted book with endearing characters and amazing settings. The way the story unfolds is thoughtful and reveals a lovely story.
This book will keep you turning the page because there are secrets, romance, rumors and love.
The scenery is brought to life through vivid descriptions. I was swept up in the story immediately and I didn't want I to end so soon.
A stunning and uplifting read that will sweep you away to the Dune Island.

One young woman finds friendship, community, and romance in a small, beachside town in this heartfelt novel

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Forever,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

After a tragic accident and the loss of her family, Emily has returned to Hope Haven on Dune Island where summer vacations with her family were spent here when she was younger. Summer in Hope Haven is a sweet story of healing, family and friends, and finding family secrets from the past. This book will capture your attention from the first page. Thanks to the author Kristin Harper, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook for an honest review.

This is a touching and emotional story, with a theme of healing and moving on. There’s a bit of mystery, romance, and the meaning of family. I enjoyed the story.

It was good to circle back and read book one in the Dune Island series! I’ve loved Kristin Harper’s writing in Aunt Ivy’s Cottage, A Letter From Nana Rose and Lily’s Secret Inheritance and was confident this one would be just as good ~ and it was!

One of the things I love most about Harper’s writing is her ability to place me in the setting. It’s obvious that she writes about a place she’s been to many times. Spending her summers at Cape Cod, the author knows all about the quirks and perks of island living, the stunning sea views, unique architecture and the eccentric types of characters who live there. Although Dune Island is fictitious, it’s based on the author’s favourite spot in the world.

The protagonist, Emily Vandermark, heads to her childhood vacation spot to grieve the loss of her family and find a way to start living again. A struggling artist, she throws herself into an art project, knowing that finding her way back to happiness again must come through her love of artistic expression. When she finally allows herself to open up, she feels she’s been betrayed. One step forward and two steps backwards. You’ll have to read to discover what secret Emily unearths that shatters her world and how she copes with this unforeseen roadblock in her path to healing.

Harper excels at highlighting the need for understanding, second chances and forgiveness in her heartfelt plot stuffed with secrets. She reminds us that the outcome is up to us; do we forgive and move on, or do we let hidden secrets ruin memories of the past and our progress in the future? Known for writing spectacular books about secrets in families, Harper is an auto-read author for me.

This binge-able fiction has such masterfully crafted characters, so realistic and loveable, making it an immersive read.

I was gifted this advance copy by Forever, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Emily and Hope Haven…a haven where she can heal after losing her family and her fiancé…rejoining friends…coping…refreshing…renewing…trying to come to terms with her losses…volunteering…regrouping…can she do it? Perhaps with the help of her old and new friends. Decorating the cottage…walking…enjoying the water…learning the secrets her family kept. Finding new love…this book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the copy. This book is a page turner. The author has written a great book about renewal…in the midst of deep grief…I could not stop reading…I look forward to reading more books by this author. Curl up in a comfy chair…grab a warm blanket…immerse yourself in Emily’s story. You will be glad you did. These characters come alive on the pages…you will think you know them.