Good story. Loved the characters and the background descriptions. This is turning into a promising series. I liked the character development of H and h and felt as if I was right there with them as their love developed.

HERONS LANDING is the first book in the HONEYMOON HARBOR series by JoAnn Ross, which is set in a very small town in Washington state in the often cold, rainy, and dreary Pacific Northwest.

We meet the characters and get to know them a little at a time since they each have a depth to them as well as a history. This is Seth and Brianna’s story, from childhood friends to more. We learn of their pasts to the present and how they’re interwoven. The story flows nicely with lots of interactions between the characters’ lives and takes a few unexpected twists and turns, which kept me turning the pages long into the night.

The old Victorian mansion, Herons Landing, is front and center. The author treats us to Seth and Bri’s memories of it and the renovations taking place to turn the mansion into a Bed and Breakfast. Seth and his dad own a construction business and renovate a lot of the buildings that their ancestors had built.

The story centers around family and friends, with the small town featuring prominently in with the renovations. I laughed and cried throughout the book as my emotions were engaged. There are multiple story-lines that complement each other and add another layer to the story. There is nice closure and an unexpected happily-ever-after. I for one can’t wait to be back in Honeymoon Harbor!

Ross is an author whom I read only occasionally, but I hope to change that. I hadn’t realized there’s a prequel novella that introduces us to the series, HOME TO HONEYMOON HARBOR, and gives some of the background information and family history of Bri’s parents. I’ve added it to my always growing TBR pile along with SNOWFALL ON LIGHTHOUSE LANE, the second book in the series, which comes out later this year.

There are two types of contemporary romance readers: those who turn up their nose at category and novellas because they're "too short" and those who look at single titles and think, "Dear Lord, how much filler crap am I going to have to wade through to get to the good bits?" If you've been following this blog for any length of time you'll know I'm definitely the latter. And yet? I still occasionally dip my toes into the single title contemporary pool looking for...I'm not sure exactly. One that doesn't make me feel like I'm wading through filler, I guess? Herons Landing by JoAnn Ross is the first book in her Honeymoon Harbor series that sort of read like it was probably spun off another series. While there's plenty of "filler" in this story, I'm here to tell you that if you love world-building and you love small town contemporaries? This one is very, very good. Even a hater like me has to recognize.

Brianna Mannion is in the hospitality business, a concierge at a ritzy Las Vegas resort/casino. She's used to the comically bizarre, but after a run-in with a guest she not-so-lovingly dubs "Dr. Dick," she quits her job and heads home to Honeymoon Harbor, a quaint small town in the Pacific Northwest. "Dr. Dick" was the final straw and when she sees a grand Victorian home that she's been obsessed with her entire life, Herons Landing, up for sale? She takes it as a sign. She's going home to open her own bed & breakfast - and for that she needs a contractor to help her restore the old gal to her former glory.

The best contractor in town is Seth Harper, her former childhood crush. Like, serious crush. Brianna has been pining after this guy since she was in short pants. But Seth only had eyes for her BFF, Zoe - who went to nursing school on the Army's dime and was killed in a hospital bombing in Afghanistan. That was two years ago and Seth is still heavily grieving. His routine of getting through the days, weeks and months since Zoe's death is so consistent that the town residents can set their watches by what Seth is doing at that moment. Seth is at Quinn Mannion's brewery picking up dinner, so it must be 6:00PM on a Tuesday. He's still got Zoe's car in the garage. This guy might as well have "no fly zone" stamped on his forehead.

Brianna was Zoe's BFF and Seth is still mourning - so they share in that grief. But as they begin to work on Herons Landing they are reminded of how much they think alike, how much they have in common, and naturally what happens in romance novels starts happening between Seth and Zoe.

Look, I'm going to be brutally honest. If you strip out all the small town "stuff" from this book the romance between Seth and Zoe is essentially category romance length. Like, probably the length of a Harlequin Desire (around 200 pages). It's kind of frustrating actually because while I do think the author does eventually get there with the ending, I wanted a lot more of Seth working through his grief to see Brianna standing on the other side. In the end I have every confidence that Seth is ready to move on - that he'll always love Zoe - but Brianna is a new happiness, a promising future if only he can get past his survivor's guilt. I just wanted more lead-up getting to that point.

Ah, but that small town "stuff." I have a low tolerance for such shenanigans, often suffering from cutesy overload - but Ross's world-building is so, so good. Her characters are interesting without being overly saccharine. She teases that some characters have a "past" that could become fodder for later books. Plus she includes some added drama with Seth's parents - whose marriage has hit the skids. It's really clever - showing another side to Seth's character through his parents' pasts.

It did feel overly long to me at times and I did feel the pacing (especially early going) took a while to get anywhere - but oh how it pays off in the end. Because y'all know what happens right? Seth is a jackass, Brianna gets her heartbroken, and the emotional aftermath that plays out is gut-wrenching. Like cold-hearted Wendy almost leaked out some tears while listening to the final chapters of the audiobook gut-wrenching.

So, yeah. Look. I'm probably never going to be a reader to fully embrace long-ass single title contemporaries and I've never completely gotten on board with the small town contemporary craze - but folks, if this is your jam? This book is a good one. And the set-up of the series is also very promising. Even I'm invested, which is saying something.

Final Grade = B

Brianna's return to Honeymoon Harbor is filled with hopes and dreams to open her own B&B. However, the place she has selected requires a lot of repair. Seth, Harper Construction, is just the guy for the job. As the repairs progress, the interest between the two does too. The story is a lovely beginning to this new series. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

It has been two years since Seth Harper received the devastating news that his wife Zoe, a surgical nurse serving in Afghanistan, had been killed when her hospital was bombed. Seth is still mired in his grief. He and Zoe had been sweethearts since middle school, and they were planning to start their family when Zoe returned. Seth had already prepared the nursery, eager to begin the next stage of their lives. Since Zoe’s death, he has continued to work at his profession as a restorer of historic houses, but emotionally his life ended when he learned of Zoe’s death.

Brianna Mannion has been in love with Seth Harper as long as she can remember, but he saw her as her brothers’ little sister. Her hope that he would see her as something more ended early when Zoe Robinson moved to Honeymoon Harbor, Washington, and Seth fell for her immediately. Brianna wanted to hate Zoe, but the newcomer was too nice to hate. The two ended up best friends, and Brianna was maid-of-honor when Zoe married Seth. The friendship endured even as Brianna left town to pursue her career as a rising star in the hospitality industry and Zoe left the country. But after Zoe was killed, Brianna and Seth drifted apart.

When Brianna resigns from her position at a high-end Las Vegas hotel just as the haunted Victorian that had been her dream house growing up in Honeymoon Harbor is offered for sale, going home and turning Herons Landing, her old dream house, into a bed-and-breakfast seems like the perfect plan. Of course, Seth’s expertise in restoring historic homes and the fact that he had worked on renovating Herons Landing for the previous owners makes Harper Construction the logical company for Brianna to hire. As the two work together, their friendship is renewed, and gradually stronger feelings awaken. Seth begins to think about the future, but can he resolve his guilt at moving on and claim his second chance at love with Brianna?

Ross introduced her new Honeymoon Harbor series in April with a prequel novella, Home to Honeymoon Harbor, but Herons Landing is the first novel and true beginning of the series. Seth is an immediately sympathetic character, a man who lost a big part of his past and his future with Zoe’s death. Brianna is equally likable, and her intuitive understanding of Seth persuades readers early on that she is just what he needs. A secondary plot involving Seth’s estranged parents adds interest to the story, and Ross’s descriptions of her fictional seaport town in the Pacific Northwest will have readers longing to visit. Some readers may find that the book suffers from first-book-in-a-series-itis with a heavy load of information about the town’s history and the introduction of too many characters to count, but readers addicted to small-town series may see this as necessary world-building.

This book promises that the new series will offer the same kind of heartwarming appeal that made Ross’s Shelter Bay series beloved by fans of small-town romance. If you are one of those fans or if second-chance or friends-to-lovers are among your favorite tropes in contemporary romance, you should add Herons Landing to your TBR list. Book two in the series, Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane, releases on October 30. I’m signing up for a return visit. And that title and the release date suggest a Christmas book, which makes it even better.

Reviewed by Janga for The Romance Dish

Herons Landing by JoAnn Ross is the first book in her Honeymoon Harbor series. I took a break from small-town contemps for a while, but Ross is a favorite and this new series appealed to me. I ended up really enjoying it, though the beginning was somewhat problematic for me.

I really loved the town and citizens of Honeymoon Harbor. Bri's family, their friends and the entire town really came to life. There were several times I cracked up at their antics, or got a little nostalgic for my own hometown. I also really loved Bri herself. She was feisty, level-headed and not afraid to go after what she wanted. She really made the whole book for me. From the beginning I just wanted to see where Bri was headed.

My heart hurt for Seth. Despite his wife being gone for over two years, he still hasn't been able to process his grief and begin healing. His anger and guilt over surviving came across very well, and really touched me. Conversely, it also frustrated me in the beginning. The first 6 or so chapters were dedicated a lot to Zoe, which made me question how well the romance would work. Thankfully, 1) Bri and Seth talked about things like adults, and 2) once they started getting physical things turned in his mind and he wasn't always thinking about Zoe or feeling guilty over it.

Overall this was a quick, fun read. I really enjoyed the town of Honeymoon Harbor and the romance.

It’s a cause for celebration when a favorite author gifts us with a new series. Welcome to Herons Landing, the first of JoAnn Ross’s new Honeymoon Harbor series. Honeymoon Harbor is a town in the Pacific Northwest – rest assured, it’s full of stories to be told.

Brianna Mannion grew up in Honeymoon Harbor but after she earned her degree in hospitality and hotel management, she embarked on a “gypsy life of traveling the country”, eventually climbing the ladder to become “chief concierge of the butler floor at the Las Vegas Midas Resort Hotel and Casino.” She’s great at her job; well versed at accommodating every vagary a demanding customer might require. She learned growing up “working on the Mannion family Christmas tree farm”, how to smooth things over when dealing with difficult customers. In the hospitality business, isn’t the customer always right? Perhaps 99% of the time – but when her boss insists she write a note of apology to a totally-out-of-line customer (who called her a bitch!) – she asks him to accept her resignation. Maybe it’s time to pursue a new dream. Be like Lorelai of Gilmore Girls and create a “warm and caring environment in her very own inn.” Brianna knows just the inn for her dream B&B too. All it needs is a LOT of work.

Brianna thinks Honeymoon Harbor renovation expert Seth Harper would be perfect for the job. There’s only one little niggle; he’s “her best friend’s widower and the neighborhood boy she once crushed on—hard.” Still, that was in the past. She needs Seth to check out Herons Landing, the dilapidated old mansion she has set her heart on, to tell her if the project’s a go. If it is, only Harper Construction will do for the remodeling.

Seth has been widowed for a few years; he hasn’t moved on from his Army wife Zoe’s death in any appreciable way. She died in Kabul, Afghanistan, the victim of a random bombing. Maybe he’s never opened the door to the nursery he lovingly designed in anticipation of their life after Zoe left the military, but he still makes sure Zoe’s car runs, just to name one example. Dating, women, re-entering the town’s social scene – that’s just not on his horizon. Until Brianna comes back to town, that is, needing his help. No one’s better than JoAnn Ross at setting the scene.

The first thing he noticed when she climbed out of the snazzy red convertible, which wasn’t all that practical for the rainy Pacific Northwest, was how long her legs were. Why hadn’t he ever noticed that before? She was wearing a pair of cropped skinny jeans and a shirt blooming with hibiscus blossoms open over a white tank top. Her turquoise flats had little bows on them like the ones he remembered on Zoe’s ballet slippers during those years her mother had made her take dance lessons.

Seth is curious whether his old friend Brianna really wants to come home. Is it more than a whim?

“I’ve been homesick for a while,” she said when he carefully brought the subject up. “The idea had been simmering beneath the surface for some time, but I was too busy and distracted by work to recognize it. The minute I saw it was for sale, I felt the tug to come home.”

Maybe you can come home again. Sparks fly and unrequited sexual tension sizzles when Brianna works side by side with Seth as he transforms an old wreck with great bones into a romantic retreat for honeymooners. Fans of HGTV and Hallmark Television will love Herons Landing; it’s the perfect mashup of remolding and falling in like/lust/love. Their first kiss is simply dreamy. Brianna makes the first move, going up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

It was just a soft, gentle press of lips. Beyond what friends might share, but certainly not anything even R-rated. Even so, she felt her heart nearly stop with the sheer perfection of the kiss she’d waited a lifetime for.

It didn’t last long. There wasn’t any tongue tangling or lip nicking. But the scrape of his afternoon beard had her tingling and wanting more. Much, much more.

But then he leaned back, looking down at her, his hands on her shoulders. To push her away? Or pull her closer.

“Again,” he said.

Whoa mamma, you can say that again! Seth and Brianna are a delicious couple, ready to take a chance on happiness. Well, perhaps with a few stumbles along the way, but with everyone in Honeymoon Harbor rooting for them, surely an HEA is in the cards.

~ Janet Webb

Since this was my first time reading one of JoAnn Ross's books, all I really knew going into Herons Landing was that it was going to be an emotional friends-to-lovers romance. I also had an inkling that it would also be a clean romance, which it was with the exception of one scene that took me by surprise.

I enjoyed Herons Landing. It did have a bit of what I call the "1st book in a series" syndrome. There are a lot of background characters that are introduced in this book. It is a small town romance, so you know these characters will play a role in the books, but it can be daunting as a reader going into the first book when all of these names are being given to you.

The romance between Seth and Brianna was a slow build. The attraction and chemistry was there from the moment they're reunited, but both characters are very guarded. Brianna is so used to making other people happy that she doesn't know how to put herself first. Now that she's finally back home, it's a bit of a learning experience for her. I loved her journey towards fulfilling her dreams and finding her happiness. Seth... How does one heal from the sudden and violent loss of a loved one? He was looking forward to finally starting a family with his wife when the unthinkable happened. Of course, his attraction to Brianna shocks the hell out of him and it takes him several beats before he is able to act on it. Once these two finally come together, they heal each other. I love that in a heartwarming romance.

Overall, I enjoyed Herons Landing. While it did have a lot going on with character introductions and such, that didn't distract me from the romance between Seth and Brianna. Since this is the first book in the author's new Honeymoon Harbor series, I'm pretty sure I'll pick up the next book to see how that one differs. For now, this one was a cute, emotional friends-to-lovers romance that I had fun reading.

JoAnn Ross introduces readers to the small town of Honeymoon Harbor and the residents that make up this lovely town. When Brianna Mannion decides to quit her high-profile job as a concierge in Las Vegas, she falls in love with this big old Victorian house that she loved as a child in her hometown of Honeymoon Harbor. But when she returns home, she finds her childhood friend Seth Harper grieving for the loss of his wife (and Brianna’s best friend) and she is determined to make her dream a reality, even if it means working closely with the one man she had a crush on as a kid and teenager.



Seth Harper is enjoying running his family construction business but after the loss of his wife, Seth has just put one foot in front of the other and tried to just live each day even as he missed her terribly. But now that Brianna is back in town, Seth finds himself seeing her in a new light, one that has his frozen heart and emotions ready to thaw. But what happens when the sparks that fly between these two cause a flame to burn out of control and Seth will have to take the leap to the future that includes Brianna and a life filled with love once again?



JoAnn Ross delivers her introduction to her new series, Honeymoon Harbor, with a delightful tale of childhood friends, loss and more in HERONS LANDING. I got to admit, I was hesitant in trying this out but after reading just one chapter I couldn’t put it down. I love the history between Brianna and Seth as well as how the author weaves the past of the town into the storyline. I don’t want to give too much away so please note if you haven’t read one of this author’s books, then this is a perfect introduction story to get your feet wet. The story starts off slow as the author sets up Honeymoon Harbor and the main players in the HERONS LANDING. Just make sure to keep reading as it does pick up the pace after a few chapters in. I loved how this author incorporates the past of how the town became in with the present. The characters, though, are where this author just shines. I love how diverse the population of Honeymoon Harbor is and we got a glimpse into characters that may pop in future books as well. The characters are what makes this story so enjoyable and entertaining in my opinion. You got the colorful characters such as these two 90-year-old twins who run a dress shop and then you got the ones who follow the rules and don’t take risks. Each resident we are introduced to in this first book makes the story more real to me. It could be any small town in any part of the world. This is an author who shines in creating entertaining yet diverse characters that readers can fall in love with.



HERONS LANDING is a delightful entertaining read that will lead the reader on an adventure as two friends find they have more in common than they thought and as hearts reach out to one another, it takes a measure of risk to let yourself fall in love again after the death of a loved one. If you are looking for a feel-good story that will charm you, then try Honeymoon Harbor and settle in for the perfect beach read this summer. I can’t wait to read book two, Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane and return to this charming seaside town.

Although this is book 1 in the Honeymoon Harbor series you might recognize the town and characters from Ms. Ross’s previous series. Seth and his dog Bandit are still grieving for his wife Zoe who was killed in Afghanistan. Brianna is returning home to buy and revamp an abandoned home to turn into a bed and breakfast. She’s always loved Seth and hires him to do the construction. A nice love story that proves you can go home again.

I am a big fan of series books,~ Debbie Macomber, Wendy Wax, Mary Alice Monroe...JoAnn Ross has a real winner in the Honeymoon Harbor series. Heron’s Landing iWas such a beautifully written book touching on a subject that is rarely discussed in modern romance books.

As readers we are normally swept away in a romantic hot sex, hunky guy type storyline. Joanna Ross takes us on a “this happens in real life journey” and shows us that two people who are truly destined to be together really can be together.

Yes, there is a hot hunk, there is hot sex but it is secondary to the true message of the book.

This is, so far, my fave, modern romance book this year.

Thank you NetGalley, JoAnn Ross and the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

It is always nice to leave home for a while but given the chance to move back most people will take it.

Ms. Ross delivers another great read. Full of great characters that have already become family with the promise of more to come. I have already settled in at Honeymoon Harbor waiting with Brianna and Seth for the guests to start arriving. Brianna has wanted Seth since forever but he only had eyes for Brianna’s best friend. Now that Seth is a widower and Brianna is ready to take on a new adventure…well let’s just say fate may step in.

They have chemistry that Seth doesn’t want to admit to at first…he doesn’t want to lose his memories of his wife. But he soon learns that Brianna just may be what he needs to move on. Ms. Ross painted great visuals of what Seth wanted to do and enjoy with Brianna once he started thinking of her a more than a client. It was getting pretty hot up at the B&B…

The small shops are just what you picture finding in the small harbor towns. With the crazy shop owners that just know what you need. Living in a small town myself I can just see how things travel through the grapevine…no phones needed. Word gets around.

Herons Landing the new B&B sounds simply wonderful. It is a place that I can’t wait to visit again. This was a fast paced story that tugs at your heartstrings as the town and people just make one feel welcome. I cannot wait till we get new people that want to join our family on Honeymoon Harbor. You had better reserve your room at Herons Landing because I feel that it is going to be a hard place to get a room at.

Perfect summer read…

I love contemporary romances where it is all about the people. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an equal opportunity reader and enjoy a love story with a little paranormal twist, historical setting, or a bit of a whodunit. But there’s just something special about a book that just lets you live the character’s life with them for a bit.

Brianna has come home after years away, ready to make her old dream come true and become the owner of a B&B. It brings her back to family … and the man she’s always loved.

Seth and Brianna have been friends forever, but never anything more. He had found the love of his life at 15 and never looked at anyone else. Now a widower, Seth has cut himself off from a lot in life, basically going through the motions … until Brianna comes back.

A slow build romance, Heron’s Landing is all about second chances. While Brianna is starting a new chapter in her life, she’s also realizing that her feelings for Seth are still strong. And Seth may have been grieving his wife for the last couple of years but time spent with Brianna shows him that there is a whole life still before him if he’s willing to take a chance.

As the start of a new series, there are some extra characters to introduce but I didn’t feel like Ross spent too much time here. Just enough to be relevant to the story and maybe get you a little curious about what comes next. There’s also a decent bit of history among these people so it makes sense to spend some time looking at them a bit more.

There’s also a side story with Seth’s parents that adds a little extra to an already heart-tugging story. And as they have to take a look at themselves and where their relationship may be going, it also causes Seth to realize that he’s got to do some evaluation of his own.

Angsty but not full of drama, Heron’s Landing is one of those character driven pieces that you need to just sit back and enjoy.

Favorite Quotes:

“On our first date, she cited all this damn research claiming vegans lived nine years longer than meat eaters.” Jarle’s teeth flashed in a grin in his flaming red beard. “After a week of grazing, I decided that her statistics might be true, but that extra time would be nine horrible baconless years.”

Dottie’s going to love dressing you. I swear to the Goddess that woman’s goal in life is to get every Northwesterner looking like a unicorn vomited out rainbows.

Jarle tends to fall in love with every good-looking single woman who comes into the pub. I think it’s the Viking in him. So far he hasn’t carried any off, and doesn’t harass them, just admires from afar, so I figure putting all that emotion into his cooking helps improve business.

You make him work for it, sweetheart. A woman’s gotta let her man know from the beginning that he’s going to have to do his share in a marriage. We women shouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting.


My Review:

I was a bit conflicted on how to rate this slowly developing and character-driven small-town tale of second chances. Being the first in a series there were lots of characters to introduce and considerable background and history to cover about the quaint little community and a long-standing feud between two of the early families that continued to inhabit both ends of the social ladder. The premise was relevant and interesting, and the storylines were meticulously detailed with the tones alternating between amusing, heartbreaking, and realistic with a few hot licks of sizzling sensuality to take some of the edge off the over-serve of sorrow and angst. The characters were likable, endearing, and admirable, but the story tended to stall on occasion due to the rather repetitive and tiresome retreading the young widower’s grief and inability to move on. Despite my personal pet peeve toward angst, I look forward to returning to the characters living in this unique little enclave while hoping for a lighter beat in the next installment.

This book was like a nice, comforting hug! As an Oregon girl, I loved that it was set in the Pacific Northwest,and I wish I could visit the fictional community of Honeymoon Harbor! I'm SO glad this is the first in a series, because I definitely want to read more about these characters and their harbor community! I loved all the characters, Brianna and Seth were just adorable. I loved that they were working on restoring Herons Landing and creating a cozy bed and breakfast (can I visit that, too??). The writing was so descriptive that I could picture the future B and B in my mind as I was reading. Doesn't hurt that I watch a lot of HGTV so I found this part of the book so fun!
I also loved Kylee and Mai--hoping to read more about them in future books in this series too. While the romance between Seth and Brianna was a bit predictable, it didn't bother me in the slightest. The story was so comforting--pack this book on a weekend beach trip or save it for a rainy weekend when you can get comfortable with a cup of coffee and lose yourself in the story! This was my first book by JoAnn Ross and it definitely won't be my last!

Herons Landing is #1 in JoAnn Ross' new series Honeymoon Harbor. It is a contemporary small town romance with all the right elements for a reader like myself.

It is set in the Pacific North West of the USA and the beautiful scenery and wildlife is brought to life in such a way that it had me wanting to visit.

The two main characters were very likeable - Brianna has decided to escape her high flying job and return home to the place she really loves, even though at one stage in her life she left to test her wings. Seth is an excellent builder and has completed a number of renovations in the small town and the place that Brianna sets her heart on - well it just so happens he loves as well. Seth lost his wife to war and he is not ready to risk loving again, and then losing that love.

There are a number of other characters, all of whom added much to the story. I especially loved Seth's Dad and the lengths he was prepared to go to win his 'lost love' and I was also taken by the two twins who run the dress shop.

This is my first taste of a JoAnn Ross book and I will certainly be looking out for #2 in the Honeymoon Harbor series.

I read a lot of Jo Ann Ross in the past. Her Shelter Bay series was one of my favorites. I don’t know why I hadn’t read her in a while. I had forgotten how wonderful her books are. What a treat to return to her books just in time for the start of a new series. After reading Herons Landing, I’d say her Honeymoon Harbor series promises to be just as addicting as Shelter Bay. And with her vivid descriptions of the Pacific Northwest, like Shelter Bay, Honeymoon Harbor is a place I plan to visit again.

Brianna Mannion was living what she’d thought was her dream job as concierge at a glamorous Las Vegas resort. She’d worked long and hard to get there. But each step up the ladder only brought more responsibility and stress. She wasn’t happy any more. When she sees her favorite old Victorian, Herons Landing, is up for sale in her home town, she knows it’s time to head home. As a child, it had been her dream house. She’d always envisioned opening up a B&B there. Now she could restore it to the grand home it had once been. Only problem was, she’d need the expertise of the one man she’d been in love with since childhood. A man who’d never seen her as anything more than a friend. A man who had married her best friend, Zoe. She hadn’t seen him since Zoe’s funeral two years ago.
Seth Harper was known for his family’s construction business and their work in restoring the Victorian buildings in his hometown of Honeymoon Harbor. Rebuilding other people’s houses was what was left of what had once been his life. Even after two years, he was still struggling with the death of his wife, Zoe. He felt numb, holding on to a dream that would never happen. When he and Zoe’s childhood friend, Brianna, returns home to restore Herons Landing, Seth is eager to take on the work. Two old friends embarking on a joint project that would prove equally fulfilling and profitable is just what he needs to keep him from losing himself in the funk he’d been living in. But when Brianna Harper returns, Seth notices things about her he’d never noticed before. And the feelings he starts to have for her are too close to desire for comfort.
I loved Seth and Bri’s story. I ached for both of them. Brianna had loved Seth her whole life but he’d never seen her as more than his best friends’ sister. When he’d married Zoe, Brianna had moved from town to city never looking back. She’d stayed in touch with Zoe but didn’t think she could live in the same town watching them live the life she’d dreamed of. She’d thought she could continue to be just Seth’s friend when she returned but the attraction was still there and it was even harder to hide now that they were working side by side. Seth lived with constant reminders of Zoe. Even seeing her parents weekly to reminisce over old photos He was lost in grief and didn’t know how to let go. Working together on the B&B, Seth felt an enthusiasm he hadn’t felt for a long time. He liked spending time with Bri. Because of her, the anger and pain he’d been mired in were disappearing. But he was afraid to feel more and that fear of ever losing someone he loved again could keep him from having the future he deserved and so desperately wanted.
I love the small town dynamic of this series. Where people are like family. And like family, they can drive you crazy but they’re also there to support you when needed. There was so much more to this book than just Bri and Seth’s story. There were side stories going on with friends and family. I was every bit as intrigued by those stories as I was by the romance. This was so much more than a second chance love story. It was a story of family, life, passion, disappointment, fears, and loss. And most importantly, it was a story of daring to love again in spite of those fears and loss. I’m so glad I found Jo Ann Ross again. I can’t wait for more of this series. There are so many secondary characters I’m anxious to know more about that I’m eager for a return visit to Honeymoon Harbor.

Herons Landing features Brianna who has decided to move back home to open a B&B. The hosue she buys is in need of series remodel and she hires Seth to help her get it ready. Seth's wife Zoe was Brianna's best friend. Zoe was killed two years before in Afghanistan and he has been in mourning ever since.

I liked the story overall. What I enjoyed the most were the secondary characters in the town and in the two families. They made the story more interesting and I enjoyed those parts of the book. What I didn't care for was the romance. I'm not usually opposed to a slow burn romance, but this one was almost too slow. The story kind of dragged in parts and I never felt the pull between Seth and Brianna. I liked the ending. It just too a little too long to get there. This would be a nice beach or vacation read. I'll probably pick up the next one.

This is a nice start to a new series by JoAnn Ross. I've read many of her other books and this one seems to tie in to some of her others. I enjoyed it and would highly recommend it. Nice for fans of Debbie Macomber and Sherryl Woods.

Oh this was lovely! I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Honeymoon Harbor and enjoyed that it does have a sense of humor about it's cutesy name. The community feel is strong here and it feels like it has a lot of depth and history to it.

I really liked Brianna. She's been very successful in the hospitality industry and has been very career focused for years. Her decision to move back home made sense and I loved that she had a plan and funds to back up that plan. It always strains credibility more than a little when a character starts renovating an old house after quitting their old life on what seems to be a hope and a dream. She's also eager to readjust her priorities and focus a little more on friends and family as well as what makes her happy. It was nice to watch her do something that she was good at but also reset her personal life a bit.

Seth is a nice guy and is impossible not to like. I was a little worried about how his grief over the death of his wife who died 2 years before would be handled. I liked that Ross confronted the issues head on and nothing was brushed under the rug. I loved the complications of his parents' marriage and how he ends up being a bit in between and regularly landing in TMI territory. It provided a lot of humor but I also felt like I was able to understand the family bonds a bit better.

Honeymoon Harbor is a lovely read with a wide range of characters that I'm really looking forward to reading more about. I do wish it was real as I would love to visit and stay in Heron's Landing myself!