If you want a delightful romantic read this is it. Will is a man that will warm your heart as he slowly tries to win over Mina. The authors presentation of his thoughtfulness and caring for where Mina is coming from is done in a respectful manner that shows him as a strong man not weak. Not strong as in alpha man pound your chest strong but a silent strong and steadfast type of man. This is the ideal man that most women say they are looking for.

Mina's back history is a main part of this story and her feelings about her past impact the major part of this storyline. Her character is well written showing her weaknesses and struggles as she adjusts to feelings she doesn't want. There are parts of Mina that one thinks is overkill but I can say that her reactions are honest and true since I have a friend who has lost her husband and I have been there through her loss.

For this reader I would of like a little more meatiness to this story but I will read more books by this author because her story was full of compassion and understanding without making either character milque toast. For this reason I give it 3.5 STARS.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

As always I want to start by thanking NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing us with a copy of these books so that we could bring you this review.

Cloud Bay and the Harper siblings were such a joy to read. Each one had something that their father left them with. Not necessarily a good thing. Most of it is fears and scars, but they were each able to find someone that loved them and showed them that those things that Grey did didn't define who they were and didn't have to let them hold them back. Each person that the siblings fell in love with were strong in their own way because they were able to help them. Though it took the Harper siblings some time to realize that they had love staring them in the face, the eventually did and were able to recover something they almost lost. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and look forward to reading a lot more from Emma Douglas in the future.

I gave all these books as a series 5 kisses.

Happy Reading... Adri

I wanted Mina and Will's story as soon as I saw their book would be the second book in the Cloud Bay series. I knew Mina needed a strong and sweet man to make her want to live a full life again, and Will was just the man for the job.

Will has pretty much been in love with Mina from the moment he first saw her five years ago. However, as she was married at the time, he never made his move. In fact, since they don't really run in the same circles, he figures he will never have a chance with Mina. I loved that Will is the man who finally helps Mina come out of her grief fog she has been in since her husband died.

Mina really isn't one to participate in much in Cloud Bay. She is more at home with her paints and her dog than the residents of Cloud Bay. She has especially kept to herself since her husband died. She spent time with her family, but only if pushed for the most part. I loved that Mina finally started getting involved with the Christmas Festival for the town, and it led her to spending more time with Will.

Mina and Will had really great chemistry even before Mina would admit she was attracted to him. I liked they became friends before they tried to have a temporary relationship. I enjoyed the banter between them and really felt like they got each other. They had a sweetness about them as a couple, but also has some pretty steamy times together as well. Even with Mina's dislike of Will's job and her fears of being left alone again, I wanted them to find a way to make things work.

A Season of You was another winner in the Cloud Bay series from Emma Douglas. I loved watching Mina and Will fall in love and especially loved getting to visit with favorite characters in the series. I've fallen in love with the Harper clan and can't wait to see where Ms. Douglas takes us with Zach's book in No Place Like You in December.

Rating: 4 Stars (B)

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer jerjen

Mina Harper has not had an easy life and she has lost two people that meant a lot to her: her father, an alcoholic rock star and her husband , who was killed by a drunk driver. She has had a hard time getting over their deaths and getting her life back on track. Painting has helped her quite a bit, she finds she can lose herself into whatever she is painting and for at least a little while, she can forget. She also finds solace in working with the local Search and Rescue team, with her dog, Stewie. Her life is full but she cannot completely get over the losses that she suffered.

Will Fraser liked Mina for a long time. But he could not do anything about it because she was happily married. And then when her husband died, he had to give her time to grieve. And an even bigger problem keeping them apart is the fact that he is an owner of a bar. With the two people she loved having died from alcohol related causes, he figures a bar owner is the last person she is going to want to spend time with. But when an accident brings them together, he cannot help but hope he can break through her defenses and get her to see the man instead of the bar owner. But it will be a tough uphill battle.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. Mina is a person who has been hurt very deeply by the losses in her life. She does not know how to move forward from those losses. Will is a patient man and he knows that Mina is worth waiting for. But his patience will be stretched to the limit. I enjoyed reading about how Will kept chipping away at Mina’s defenses, although at times i wanted to tell him to just forget it. There were a lot of interesting secondary characters and I enjoyed how they helped the book along. And of course I loved Stewie.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. At times I felt like it could have been paced a little faster, but that is only my opinion and others may not feel that way.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written women’s contemporary. Although it involves Christmas activities, it is not a light-hearted Christmas book. But that was okay with me.

How can life possibly continue when your husband is tragically killed by a drunk driver? Mina is hesitant to take the next steps forward and let her life resume. She avoids trying to,find happiness until a accident brings Will into her life. He has waited patiently for the Woman he fell in love with and he isn’t go8ng to waste his chance. Life is too short to let a second chance at romance pass you by.

Ever since seeing Mina Harper waiting for the ferry five years ago, Will Fraser has believed in love at first sight. Will's dreams with his dream girl were dashed when he discovered Mina was happily married. He set Mina out of his sights, but she was never far from mind. He continues to build his whiskey distillery business with his brother, Stefan, on Lansing Island. The Salt Devil is waiting for its first barrels to ready, and run a bar to ensure continual capital in the meantime. 

Fast forward five years and Mina has experienced more loss than someone her age should. She lost her infamous and legendary rock star father to cancer, and shortly after she lost her beloved husband to a drunk driver. A drunk driver leaving Will and Stefan's bar. While Will is responsible for all the accounting of the distillery and bar, those numbers just don't add up in his favor. He'd never even stand a chance of getting more than a perfunctory greeting in passing from Mina Harper.

With winter weather settling in, Mina is cursing her bad fortune with a flat tire late one night. With a mishap and misstep, Mina goes down hard. With Will's late nights, he notices the car pulled to the side of the road and then the sudden wild wielding of a flashlight slicing through the dark and takes himself out to investigate. He discovers Mina lying on the ground with a gash on her head. Bundling her and her lab Stewie into his rebuilt Mustang, he takes her to the hospital. Being discharged, Will is tasked with taking care of Mina throughout the night. 

Lansing Island is home to the Harper family and her father's Blacklight bandmates. They basically have their own compounds on the island, monitored by high tech security and everything. Her older brother Zach is off touring and her older sister Faith is still on the island and newly married. Lou, her father's second wife and Lou's mother, is the self-proclaimed mother to all three of the Harper kids.

Like Rapunzel in her tower, Mina hardens her heart and locks herself in her lighthouse when the storms of life are too much. Trying just to cope and survive the day to day, for the last few years Mina has been serving as the night shift for the island's search and rescue operations. While it is an unpaid, voluntary position, Mina doesn't need the money after her inheritance. She does it to serve a purpose and to chase away her own demons. She enjoys the solitude of the night, it keeps her from fighting her PTSD and sleeping at night, and she can take her dog Stewie. Every morning she returns to the lighthouse on the Harper compound and spends the morning hours using the fabulous light to paint by. She has an upcoming art show in LA that she is furiously working to finish paintings for. It is the first thing she will do on her own - out from her father's famous name. She is set to send 30 ocean seascapes to the gallery, but that night with Will has her doing nothing but thinking of drawing his face, his hands. Him. It is a distraction she can't afford right now, and a risk she can't take. 

When Mina's boss tasks her with attending and aiding in the annual Christmas Festival, Mina is in weekly contact with the mayor, Angie, and Will. The mayor has set her sights on belittling the Harper family after her father starts dating Lou, Mina's step-mom. While I feel there is much more to Angie's anger, I enjoyed Mina and Angie's own father setting her straight from her witchy words.

But mistlefoes change sides when the mistletoe is hung, and soon Will finds himself getting the opening he's always been hoping for. Mina sets the boundaries that this relationship is only temporary. Will bets on Mina letting her self-imposed parameters fall away as the days and nights go on. Will understands Mina's insecurities and also respects her feelings, doing everything he can to help her. In their time together, Mina learns there is so much more to Will than whiskey. Despite living on the island, he has a terrible fear of the water. But it's not the water that destroys his relationship with Mina. The differences in their lives - Will working for everything he has, putting everything into The Salt Devil and Mina having everything at her fingertip's courtesy of her daddy's millions - rend a tear in the fabric of what they were building together.

Great holiday read! This book is very well written. Mina is a twenty three year old widow trying to get her life back. Will is a bar owner who fell for Mina at first sight. I just loved their “project.”

A Season of You by Emma Douglas is set in the small island town of Cloud Bay during the Christmas holiday season. The characters in A Season of You appealed to me. The novel features bar owner Will Fraser and widow Mina Harper.
Will has been attracted to Mina for years. He has not acted on his feelings because he understands that Mina is still grieving for her late husband. Mina keeps busy with her family, job and her dog. Will finds an unconscious Mina by the side of the road and takes her and her dog to the local clinic. He offers to drive Mina home and stay the night. The couple begins a tentative friendship when Mina brings Will thank you cookies and discovers that her dog chewed the leather seats in Will’s car while she was in the clinic.
A talented artist, Mina has been obsessed with painting the ocean since her husband died. Mina’s work reflects her solitary nature and her deep emotional feelings about her husband’s death. The paintings depict crashing waves and stormy seas. Loved the symbolism used in the novel as there are no paintings with calm seas or people in the studio. The author crafted a perfect “AH HA” moment for Mina and a turning point in the novel when she asks Will if she can paint him.
Enjoyed the pace of the story, although there was chemistry between the couple, the romance between them developed slowly. Will let Mina set the tone and tempo of their relationship. He truly cared for Mina and did not want to rush her or make her feel uncomfortable. Emma Douglas crafted this important piece of the couple’s journey perfectly. I loved their first date- painting plywood Christmas trees and candy canes for the town’s holiday celebration. The conversations between Mina, her sister Faith and her step mother Lou were fabulously written. Am hoping the author has a story for Lou planned.
The conclusion to the novel caught me by surprise! There were several unexpected plot developments which were woven in the last few chapters. I am looking forward to seeing them resolved in the next Cloud Bay book.
I enjoyed A Season of You very much. It’s the perfect blend of romance, family, friendship and new beginnings.

I wanted so much to love this book, but we are just going to have to remain friends. I tried to get into the story, but there was a lot of internal dialogue, much of it I wasn't able to follow or engage in. I think this book definitely has an audience, it just wasn't the book for me.

I was mildly annoyed by book one in this series because while the romance was great, the overall life development of the main characters wasn't, but I'm SO GLAD I hung on for book two! This one was definitely an improvement in overall development and the holiday romance was spot on for the Christmas season! You could conceivably read as a standalone, or get current with the trilogy.

It wasn't until after reading A Season of You that I realized this was book 2 of a series. That said, I feel like I didn't miss anything by not having read the first book. Looking back, it would have been nice to have more backstory, but it certainly did not take away from A Season of You. I enjoyed reading about Will and Mina and seeing their relationship grow. I found that I definitely liked Will's character over Mina's. He was a sweet guy that was smitten with Mina from the start. She, on the other hand, was a widow with major reservations about anyone involved in the alcohol industry at any level. This was a fun Christmas story that you won't be disappointed to have read.

I read the book that comes after this one and enjoyed it, so snapped up A Season of You when it was offered for review.

A Season of You has the same small-town feel and is a second chance story. The hero has had a crush on the heroine for years, but did nothing about his feelings because the heroine was already married. Her husband died in a vehicle accident, struck by a drunk driver and this makes the hero’s occupation of pub owner and whisky maker a source of contention for the heroine.

The hero was great, and is the type of man every woman wants—someone strong and dependable—while the heroine is at a crossroads in her life. She is independently wealthy and following her dreams.

This was a nice romance, set during the run-up to Christmas. I enjoyed the small-town Christmas setting, and I liked the hero a lot. Where the story fell down for me was the black moment when the heroine gave the hero an ultimatum and stepped away. I felt that this was overly dramatic, even given her personal history. She knew the hero’s occupation going into the relationship, and I wanted her to consider his dreams and needs as well as her own. The entire black moment felt more manufactured than organic to me.

A Season for You is the perfect book for you if you enjoy small-town settings and series. It’s easy reading for the festive season.

I prefer historical romance but I found this book interesting.

This was a very emotional read for me. I was completely wrapped up in this story. Mina had faced tragedy not once but twice in her life. The death of her father and then her husband had taught her to close her heart to ever finding love again. Her friend, Will, has been in love with her for ages but he respected the fact she was married and never acted on it. Now that they have restarted their friendship its harder to deny his feelings and he is determined to show her what their love can be. This one really tugged at my heartstrings. The sadness that Mina felt was overwhelming but I admired her willingness to try again even if it was just until Christmas.

I took a trip back to Cloud Bay in the second installment of the series, A Season of You, and I’m not sure I’m completely impressed. After reading Need You Now in August, I decided that this was a series that I definitely wanted to check out (despite having issues with that first book). And in the same fashion, while I had some problems with this one, I ultimately enjoyed it.

It’s odd talking about a book centered around Christmastime in early fall but if you’re looking for something for your winter TBR you can definitely add this one to the list (even if it doesn’t feature a winter wonderland because, well, island near California and all). The female protagonist, Mina, came up in the last novel though played a minor role. She’s very different from her sister, Faith (featured in Need You Now). More reserved and still dealing with the death of her husband. Overall, I liked Mina quite a bit. She wanted to make a name for herself that didn’t involve the family name and despite not needing to work, she still volunteered in the town. Mina has a lot of heart and it showed.

But her character started failing for me when it came to Will. He’s been crushing on Mina since he first saw her but didn’t pursue her between her being married and then widowed. Every choice he made was the default “good guy” which didn’t bother me too much though it came off a bit trope-y at times. I liked Will but I didn’t understand him and Mina. Once they actually started dating it wasn’t so bad but I never understood why he fell in love with her those years before or why, despite her reservations made clear because she was still grieving her husband, Mina was the one to initiate most of the scenes between them. It didn’t quite fit the character that had been built for her in the story.

Other than the romance, I actually enjoyed this one more than Need You Now. The ending was a bit rushed, the conflict leading to the happy ending (and then the HEA) happening within about 15-20 pages compared to the rest of the plot which was more drawn out. I expect to see them more in the next series installment like I did Faith and Caleb in this one, which is good because this is the kind of series where the couple doesn’t necessarily end up getting married (like you see more often in historical romances).

These books are fun. I have my issues with the relationships but the story and the world of Cloud Bay and the easy-to-read writing style makes them quick and light, perfect for fans of small town romances. It looks like Faith and Mina’s brother, Zach, has his own story up next and he’s been pretty absent for these first two books so excited to see how that plays out. As for A Season of You, this is a good book to get you into the holiday spirit, warm weather and all!

Not a big fan. As another reviewer has pointed out, you feel at a big disadvantage if you have not read the first book in the series. I felt there were too many references to things that had happened in the past. If you are not a fan of bad language or steamy sex scenes (I think this was at the expense of developing a real relationship), this book may not be your cup of tea either.

This is the second in the Cloud Bay series and I would recommend reading the first called "Need You Now". The books are the love stories of the Harper family. The first was daughter Faith and tennis star Caleb, this is the story of daughter Mina and pub owner Will. I love this authors descriptive and very enjoyable writing style, which made the stories a pleasure to read. I look forward to the third in the series.

Oh my….where do I start? I have a serious crush on the hero of this book, Will Fraser. He is charming, kind, absolutely swoon worthy and has been head over heals in love with the heroine for years. The heroine, Mina Harper has been through multiple tragedies in her life and finds it difficult to trust love and her own feelings. A really emotional and touching story but I have to be honest and say that I loved the hero a lot more than the heroine in this book.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

A Seas of You is a beautifully portrayed second chance romance.

Will owns a distillery in Cloud Bay. He has secretly been in love with Mina since the first time he laid eyes on her, but couldn't take it further due to her circumstances.

Mina is a widow and the youngest daughter of a famous rockstar, now deceased. She works at the search and rescue centre on a voluntary basis. She has a secret passion which she doesn’t freely share, for good reasons.

A flat tyre on a wet and dark evening brings Mina and Will together when he comes to her rescue. It's not the ideal situation to meet, but it brings him closer to his dream. Mina hasn't been attracted to anyone for two years and she is confused by her feelings for him. She deliberately avoids relationships after what she has been through. They start working together on the forthcoming Christmas Festivities and one thing leads to another. Can Mina compromise on her aversion to the distillery and give them a chance?

It's a beautiful storyline loaded with emotions. Will is considerate, loving and charming. He is patient when it comes to Mina. The setting in the small community makes for an interesting read during the festive season. Angie's attitude is a mystery which I would have liked to have seen unravel. I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic novel and would recommend to romance lovers.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.