As you know, companion series involving cozy towns always make it onto my TBR. I love meeting everyone in the town, exploring the local small business, and picturing the scenery. HERONS LANDING was already ticking off a lot of those boxes. In this series, you can also add in a Romeo and Juliet-style “warring families” kind of feud that runs deep throughout the town. The Harpers and the Mannions have been at odds for years and now many of the family members are starting to comingle. There’s a lot of history to unpack and many characters are introduced in this first story, which makes me feel like this will be a nice ongoing thread throughout each upcoming book.

This story stars Brianna Mannion, a hospitality specialist returning home to revamp an old building into a B&B, and Seth Harper, operator of the town’s best construction company. Brianna always had a crush on Seth when they were kids, until her new best friend Zoe moved into town and swept him up. After Zoe’s tragic death in the line of duty, Seth has been simply going through the motions until Bri comes back into town with her project.

There’s a loooot of tropes here and they’re all ones I love! The warring families, “second chance” unrequited love, childhood best friends, and (one I haven’t dealt with before) the best friend’s widower. Bri and Seth had a pretty open and easy relationship develop throughout the story (until the inevitable moment where things go wrong). I liked reading about them and thought they had some great chemistry.

As I mentioned earlier, there were lots of characters introduced and so much backstory to set everything up; at times it was a bit too much. I always think that the characters and their lives aren’t fleshed out enough in most books though… so I probably shouldn’t complain now! There were side stories about Seth’s parents that were okay but I don’t think they were fully needed.

I was happy to see a copy of HOME TO HONEYMOON HARBOR in the back of my book and jumped in on that novella right away. I’m eager to read upcoming books in this series, as I’m always looking forward to cozy companions in these cute small towns.

A delightful contemporary romance set in the Pacific Northwest. Brianna Mannion has decided to prove you can go home again. Leaving the glamorous and exhausting life as an elite concierge for luxury hotels, she is headed home to Honeymoon Harbor and a dream she finally hopes to make come true. Turning a rundown mansion, Heron’s Landing, to a B & B.

Seth Harper runs Harper Construction with his dad, and their specialty is Restorative Construction. Seth was widowed two years ago when his wife, an Army Nurse, was killed in an attack on the hospital where she worked. Living in a small town it’s hard to avoid the memories and people that were such a part of his and Zoe’s life, but he can’t imagine leaving. Lately his life has been a little crazy, his parents have separated, he’s rushing to get a home finished for friends Kylee and Mae before their wedding and baby arrives. The return of Brianna, Zoe’s best friend, stirs all kinds of emotions he’s not sure what to do with.

Brianna had a crush on Seth since first grade. He always treated her like the little sister of his best friends, and she figured when they hit high school, maybe she could make him see her. But, Zoe Robinson moved to town and stole his heart. It was ok, though, Brianna and Zoe became best friends. She missed Zoe with all her heart, but returning to town and seeing Seth, stirred those feelings to life. Their friendship turns a little deeper spending time together, and promises a lot more.......but Seth can’t get past the fear of loving someone and losing them again. He knows he has to let it go, he does love Brianna with all his heart. Letting her walk away is nearly as painful as losing her.

Thank you to Harlequin Romance Publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A slow and sweet, emotionally charged read. While it lacked in heat and intensity, I still thought it was an enjoyable tale and would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a second-chance-at-love romance.

A good start to a new series with a varied cast of characters. While I felt the story moved slowly at times, the romantic heat didn't begin until well past the midway point of the story. Once getting there the pace picked up, the story was much more engaging from that point on.

Brianna was such a likable character, that she was a remarkable and strong woman gave the story its emotional balance. Seth's grief was well written, but felt drawn out. The parallel story of Seth's parents was confusing at times, but did serve as a jumping off point for his recovery.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Brianna Mannion is a Las Vegas concierge who loves her job but not so much the clients she has to deal with. She finally comes to the point that she has had enough. She returns home to Honeymoon Harbor and decides to pursue her dream of turning the old Victorian home she always loved into a Bed and Breakfast Inn. Her best friend's widower Seth Harper now runs his family renovation business. She always had a crush on Seth but he only had eyes for Zoe. Seth has been mourning the loss of Zoe for two years. Working with Brianna brings him back to life along with feelings of guilt. He has a second chance at love if he's willing to take the risk.

I am usually a big fan of this author. Unfortunately, I could never get into this book. I skimmed through it and do not feel as if I missed out on anything. I will read book two when it comes out.

Seth Harpers Wife was killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan 2 years ago. He has been just going thru the motions since. Brianna Mannion has come back to town and hires Seth to rehab an old house into a B & B. Brianna was Seth’s wife’s best friend but has always had feelings for him, she still does.

This is a sweet romance. I felt like it dragged for the first part of the book before it picked up. Seth had to work thru his grief to be ready for a new romance. This is a good prequel to theHoneymoon Harbor series. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This first book in the new Herons Landing series by JoAnn Ross gives us a story about the relationship between Seth and Brianna, his late wife’s best friend. Zoe, a military nurse, is killed while serving in a war zone, leaving behind her grieving parents and the man who has loved her since middle school. Brianna, in contrast, has been a highly successful concierge in several luxury hotels but returns home when she is ready for another type of life. She has the means to purchase the aging Heron’s Landing, a money pit that Seth is determined will someday be a renovated landmark. This book tells their story as Seth begins working on the house Brianna wants to convert into a bread and breakfast. In typical Ross style we are brought into the various people in the community, including parents, friends, and various crises experienced by all.

I thought this was a really good book but the romance seemed uneven and it took Brianna and Seth a long time to move towards a more intimate relationship., Seth’s capitulation to the relationship didn’t exactly fit at the point in the book where it occurred. Regardless, this is a worthy read, especially for those who love JoAnn Ross (like me!).

I really enjoyed this book. Ross really knows how to put it all together. I didn't want it to end.

Heron's Landing is the first book I've read by JoAnn Ross in a long, long time. It immediately brought back all of the "down home" small town romance feelings her books are known for. Admittedly I'm not a fan of a hero being in love with someone else first, as is the case in this book. Seth Harper tragically lost his wife, and for two years he's just been going through the motions. Then his childhood friend, and one of his wife's best friends, returns to town and shakes his world upside down.
For all of her life, Brianna Mannion has wanted Heron's Landing. Even when her career took her all over the country, all over the world, she never gave up on the dream of turning the abandoned old house into a showpiece B&B. When she moves back home with that goal in mind, she knows there is nobody she'd rather hire to do the work than Seth Harper. Not only is he a childhood friend, but he, and his company, are known for doing exceptional work, especially when it comes to historical restoration.
Brianna knows that Seth's heart is closed off, but that doesn't change the fact that her old feelings for him are brought right back up to the surface. Seeing him every day, sharing her dreams and plans for the house with him, she soon falls head over heels in love with him.
It surprised me how easily Seth gave in to the attraction to Brianna. I expected him to struggle with guilt or feeling like he was betraying his wife, so I was relieved the author didn't really go there.
While I loved the secondary characters, including the secondary romance between Seth's parents, I feel like the pacing of the story was a bit slow. Nothing really happened in the romance department until about 2/3 of the way through the book.
I'm usually have trouble relating to independent, strong women, but Brianna had enough softness inside and was just vulnerable enough that I ended up liking her a lot.
While this book lacked a little bit of heat and sexual intensity, but it was a sweet, emotional romance.

As a longtime fan of JoAnn Ross, Heron's Landing will not disappoint her fans. Her series always bring nuggets from previous series to link them together is was that are like a hot chocolate on a cold winter's day. Brianna and Seth's story could be very maudlin, but Ross treats it respectfully. These two, basically destined to be together since birth, finally find their way to each other. The road is not smooth, but the story weaves itself to a very satisfying conclusion for the couple.

Ms. Ross doesn't disappoint with this love story of a widower and his late wife's best friend. I enjoyed getting to know the town and other community members and look forward to reading their stories as well.

This was an ARC from Netgalley. Let me just say that for the author’s sake I hope they have an excellent editorial team because there were a lot of errors that weren’t just grammatical. But my review is on the story not the need for editing.

This story took a lot of time to get to the romance between Seth and Brianna. Seth had a lot of emotions to work through to get past his loss of Zoe. Brianna was very sweet and exactly what Seth needed to come back to life. The side story of Seth’s parents was interesting if awkward at times for Seth. Which was just amusing for the reader.

Overall, I liked the story and characters. Definitely looking forward to future stories set in Honeymoon Harbor, and seeing who gets the HEA next.

When Brianna discovers the old Victorian house for sale that she always coveted, she moves back to Honeymoon Harbor. She plans to renovate the beautiful place.and open a B&B. Who else would she hire for the renovation but Seth Harper with whom she always had a secret crush, even though her best friend won his heart. He is now a widower but determined to never remarry. Will Brianna change his mind?

Heron' Landing is a hot romance with a lot of sexual tension. It is well written and a satisfying read. Brianna's friends, Mai and Kaylie, Are likeable characters who make up part of the cast. A coming home stlory well worth reading.

Heron's Landing is a wonderful start to a new series by Ross. Brianna is planning a major life change, and coming home to Honeymoon Harbor is just the start. Seth has been treading water for two years, and he isn't sure if he's ready to try again. These two old friends will explore their options together, and find out what life has in store for them. Filled with well drawn characters who draw you in, and moments both poignant and humorous, this is sure to become another favorite series. I look forward to getting to know the residents of Honeymoon Harbor, and am happily awaiting the next installment.

This is the first book is JoAnn Ross's new series. I love her stories and her characters. She puts a lot of emotion in her books and I am looking forward to the next book in this series