THE CORNER OF HOLLY AND IVY - Debbie Mason

#7 in the Harmony Harbor romance series

CHARMING BUT WITH DEPTH - 3.5 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Arianna is having trouble coping with the injuries (and loss of her business) that apparently occurred in the previous book in this series. She's dealing with a lot--her grandmother's approaching dementia, her former boyfriend's interest, her physical limitations.

Writing - 4 stars - Mason does a good job of reprising the previous books of this series, briefly mentioning excerpts and results from former plot lines. My problem was that I haven't read any of the other books, so the brief comments weren't really enough to allow me to sink my teeth into this particular story. I always felt like I was trying to catch up. However, Mason writes a nice story, and despite my confusion, I was drawn into the story right away. It was easy to read. What I especially liked was that Mason dealt with Arianna's handicap with understanding. The problems underlying seemingly perfect people's lives made them much more approachable.

Characters - 2.5 stars - It's always nice to read a sweet and warm holiday book, but it also adds a nice bite to the story when the characters aren't perfect or even appealing. Glamma is a strong and independent woman, although she's showing her age, especially in her mental faculties. She's also quite unpleasant and opinionated, although her love for her granddaughter was a big plus in her favor. Connor is also pretty opinionated, although he's much more manipulative rather than outwardly controlling. I found his "it's for your own good" actions to be totally frustrating and wouldn't have been able to deal with it.

Title - 3.5 stars - The title is pretty self-explanatory since this is the home where Arianna and her grandmother live, and they are definitely the core characters in this story.

Cover - 3.5 stars - A lovely holiday-based cover, although I'm not quite sure what the sled and toys have to do with the story. But it definitely draws the eye and sends a holiday message.

Overall - 3.5 stars - It was my mistake to pick up this series at Book #7. I had expected it to be a standalone, and it was to some extent, but it definitely took me a few chapters to figure out who everyone was. If I had read any of the previous books, I think it would have seemed more familiar, but instead I was trying to introduce myself to both the setting and the characters, while assimilating some of the comments about former plot lines.

The Corner of Holly and Ivy by Debbie Mason is the seventh book in the Harmony Harbor series. The series features a different male member of the Gallagher family, so they can be read as standalone stories. There were some references made to things that had happened in previous books, so it would be a benefit to read them in order, but I still enjoyed this story even though I have only read a couple of the previous books in this series.

This is a second chance romance featuring Arianna Bell and Connor Gallagher. They had been a couple in highschool, but had gone their separate ways, Connor to work in a legal firm and Arianna to become a fashion designer married to a well-to-do philanderer. In the previous book, she is caught in a fire and injured and has moved back to Harmony Harbor to live with her grandmother. While there, she runs into Connor who is also home for a visit. There is still a spark there and Connor has a lot of guilt as her represented her ex-husband in their divorce where she basically got nothing. This is a fun story with some serious issues. They end up running for mayor against one another after both her Grandma and his Uncle drop out of the race. They are both civic minded people who would do a good job, so the election is a dead heat. What are they going to do?

I enjoyed this story of second chances, forgiveness, family drama and dynamics along with some issues revolving around dementia and aging. There are also a couple of spirits that get in on the act as well. Both Arianna and Connor are likable characters and I was rooting for them to get together. Their banter and interactions were often humorous and the plot was well done. I really enjoyed my visit to Harmony Harbor and look forward to catching up with the other Gallaghers. I can definitely see this one as a Hallmark Christmas Movie. Becket Royce narrated this story. This is the first time I have listened to a book she narrated and she did a nice job. She has an easy to listen to voice and used her tone and expression to add to the story. Another that I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good contemporary Christmas romance.

Book seven in the Harmony Harbor series a well written Christmas story, by an Author I have not read before. I want to read more in this series. Arianna Bell and her high school sweetheart attorney Connor Gallagher's story. I enjoyed seeing this story come together. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Corner of Holly and Ivy is a charming second-chance romance. Debbie Mason's Harmony Harbor series is so great and makes you feel like you are apart of the friendly small-town. I loved that it added the holiday theme.

Arianna's dreams of being a wedding dress designer are crushed and find her way back to her hometown of Harmony Harbor. Going back home for the holidays is unexpected for her and gets interesting when she sees her high school sweetheart Connor. Connor is an attorney who comes from a well-known family. When Arianna and Connor run for the mayoral position, tensions are high.

I loved these two characters and their history. After all this time apart, the sparks are still flying. Their relationship is so cute and honest. During stressful times, their witty banter shined.

I give The Corner of Holly and Ivy 4 stars. It is another beautiful romance in the Harmony Harbor series with its small-town charm, charismatic characters, and local gossip/drama.

This one wasn't my all time favorite Harmony Harbor installment, but it was still an enjoyable read that left me feeling very warm and fuzzy. I loved the romance and relationship - this couple is so sweet together and has been through so much. The ending made the slow parts totally worth it.

The Corner of Holly and Ivy by Debbie Mason is the 7th installment of Harmony Harbor and perhaps my favorite so far. I love second chance love stories and this is that. Arianna Bell and Connor Gallagher were high school sweethearts who were forced apart by their respective family members. When Arianna was severely burned and nearly died in the store fire at the end of Sandpiper Shore, Connor realizes his feelings for Arianna never went away. Now he is determined to prove that he still loves her and wants her back.

I’ll admit that when I started this book I was more than a little hesitant. I didn’t like Arianna. She was terrible to Jenna in Sandpiper Shore, and I wasn’t sure how Debbie Mason could redeem her character. BUT she does that in the very first chapter. Arianna lives with her grandmother, taking care of her. The two are very close and Arianna’s near brush with death has made them closer. Her grandmother has dementia. Y’all mine does too, so I almost immediately connected with Arianna. Arianna is struggling with her own demons, her new scars both physically and mentally, all while taking care of her grandmother who isn’t slowing down and refuses to recognize she has a problem. My heart broke for Arianna and I cheered her on as much as I could.

Connor is my new favorite Gallagher. He basically gives up everything to show Arianna he loves her and is going no where. I promise I’m spoiling nothing in saying that because it is clear from the first chapter what his intentions are. I found myself swooning for him and yelling at Arianna to look past her hurt and see the man who loves her.

The Corner of Holly and Ivy is different from its predecessors as it deals with heavier subject matter. While it is still a light, easy read, it comes with heavy emotional baggage. Set aside some tissues when you read y’all….consider yourselves warned. If you enjoy contemporary romance, I highly recommend it.

Loved it! This series is amazing and I couldn’t put it down! Such a cute story! I can’t wait for the next book!

This is not a "feel-good Christmas romance" as the title would like you to believe. There is a man trying to steal his brother's wife, corrupt politics, a horrible mother, and lots more. I also felt like I missed half the story. The way this one starts, there is a whole set of events that are just kind of glossed over. The whole first half of the book Connor tries to help Arianna get elected mayor, and then because he wants his family's praise, he runs against her. He should have stood up for himself and acted like the grown man that he is. His parents had really sucky moments when all they cared about were themselves, and all the stuff that Connor being mayor would do for them. Arianna has problems of her own with her crappy mom, and I HATE when a baby is kept a secret from the father. Unless you're running from an abusive man, you'll never convince me of a good reason to do so. Her mom also keeps her grandma away from her since she has power of attorney. There is even a little paranormal thrown in with the ghost of Connor's great grandma. The ending was sweet, but it wasn't enough to make this a feel good story in my opinion.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

I'm sucker for anything Christmas related but sadly this book didn't work in my favor. I had tried to read another book in this series as well but for some reason there is a disconnect with me and the characters. I feel lost when I read and I don't know if it's because I haven't read the whole series. Not sure if these are true standalone books or interconnected standalone books. When it comes to this author I think I will stick to books that aren't apart of any series.

With Christmas slowly approaching, I was excited to dive into this book. I felt like this book was a cute read but not my kind of "perfect" Christmas story. Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed it but there were times where I felt like I was getting bored with the storyline. The writing was really good but still took me a few days to finish it which is way too long for the way I read.

Such a wonderful book! It has some of my favorite things... Christmas, second chances, and even a cute dog. The Gallaghers are certainly a swoon worthy bunch and I always enjoy getting to know another member of the family a little better and hear about how they will fall in love. I love each of them, but you could definitely read any of the stories as a standalone if you so wish, since each book focuses on a different Gallagher. I was definitely intrigued by Arianna in the last installment of the series and so I have been anxious to find out what her story is ever since. She is exactly my kind of girl! She's vulnerable yet strong and although a lot of bad things have happened to her, she still loves so completely when she allows herself to do so. Arianna and Connor are yet another perfect Harmony Harbor match. I really hope that you will enjoy their story as much as I did.

I absolutely recommend "The Corner of Holly and Ivy" to anyone who thinks they would enjoy a funny yet sentimental, second chance, feel-good contemporary romance with a Christmas theme.

Arianna and Connor have a lot of history, and the past isn't so great right now either. Their families seem to be working to keep them from ever being able to move past the wounds that have kept them apart. But there is just something about the way the sparks fly and they feel alive when around each other as with no else. Connor wants Arianna to heal, and to be the woman he knows she can be. He almost lost her completely, and he cannot live if that were to happen. Can they find their way back to each other, and finally find their happily ever after?

The Corner of Holly and Ivy is a second-chance romance between two former high school sweethearts whose family members are political rivals in their small town. Fair warning that this book is part of a larger series, which doesn't often matter, but in this case, I wouldn't recommend reading this one until you've read the earlier books. There was so much back story and all so dramatic and seemingly central to the plot (a fire that razed the town's Main Street, a stalker that menaced the heroine's cousin, a political dynasty family that has a LOT of subtext-type stories going on) that I found myself lost for a lot of the book. It didn't help that there was also a large cast of characters, and while I'm sure long-time readers of this series will enjoy seeing familiar faces pop up, since I was coming in cold, I found myself playing catch up far more than I should have had to.

The book is also being marketed as a heartwarming holiday romance, which I think sets up some expectations that the book doesn't quite meet. There are some holiday scenes, and an adorable holiday cover with a puppy, but the story as a whole doesn't really have a holiday feel. I also often expect holiday romances to be somewhat lighthearted, and so I was taken aback by how angsty this book felt right from the get-go. The heroine Arianna lost her dress shop in a fire and her injuries are so bad that she can no longer design dresses like she used to, so she's in a pretty dark psychological place because of that. Part of me appreciated Mason's deep dive into the very real psychological impacts of losing one's dream, but at the same time, it's a bit jarring when you're expecting something more fluffy. 

I do like the emotional complexity of the characters, and how both Arianna and Connor have to deal with some very real issues around family, career and self-esteem. Connor is wonderfully patient and caring, and I love how good he is for Arianna. I also found Arianna's grandmother hilarious, and would totally read a romance starring her as the heroine. 

There are also some elements that require suspension of disbelief. The biggest for me was the town council's proposed solution to the possibility of a tie at the mayoral election. I see why that solution worked for the plot, and I can just about convince myself that small towns operate with their own rules, but it was a pretty big stretch for me. There's also a matchmaking ghost who doesn't really do too much, which makes me wonder if she's simply a thread tying the whole series together. And finally, as someone who volunteers at a cat rescue, one character's gesture of surprising another with a puppy struck me more as irresponsible than sweet. If the recipient really doesn't like puppies, or really isn't ready to make that level of commitment, it'll be the puppy who suffers, and while it worked out great in this book, it made me wince. 

Still, I really liked the ending. I thought the last few chapters felt really sweet and heartwarming, and I just wish the lead up had been just as enjoyable for me.

This is a good romance. Just make sure you read the earlier books in the series first, and don't expect the romance to be holiday-themed.

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Thank you to Forever Romance for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story wasn't enjoyable for me. The characters were not intriguing enough to keep my interest. This is a first for me by this author and after hearing such great things I was after excited to read, but disappointed quickly.

This was a tough book to get into. It's the first book by Debbie Mason I've read and I did not realize that it's part of a series. So I spent most of the book feeling like I had been inserted into the middle of a conversation and didn't have a clue of what was going on. Other than that, it was a cute Christmas story.

Arianna has shut herself in her bedroom after losing everything in a fire and being injured. Then she runs into her ex Connor, from high school, who also was her ex husband's attorney in their divorce and she was left penniless. Arianna lives with her grandmother and has nothing to do with her mom. Her grandma is running for mayor against Connor's uncle. But then something changes and Connor ends up running against Arianna. This turns them against each other just when they found love again but Connor isn't about to give up on her. Then he finds out a secret from her past that may ruin anything between them. Meanwhile Arianna is trying to build her confidence again and using therapy to strengthen her arm. This was such a great storyline. I love Gramma, Connor and Arianna. But Connir's parents and his uncle are very selfish people and I really wanted to slap them.

I have been waiting for this Book!!!! Harmony Harbor is my favorite series!! I was so excited to learn what happened to Adriana and Conner! Really loved their story!!

Connor and Ariana are such a cute couple and this sweet Christmas romance.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

~Reviewed by Evelyn~~

THE CORNER OF HOLLY AND IVY is the next book in the series by Debbie Mason that takes place in the lovely small town of Harmony Harbor. It is a heartwarming Christmas story with several unusual twists and turns, and a wonderful HEA at the end of the emotional rollercoaster.

Arianna Bell thinks she has lost everything after being injured in a fire that destroyed her business. Her spirits pick up, however, after her high-school boyfriend Connor Gallagher returns to town and wants to rekindle their relationship. Through a twist of fate, Arianna and Connor find themselves running against each other for mayor of Harmony Harbor. If that isn’t enough to tear them apart, Arianna is keeping a dark secret; no, make that two secrets, that are sure to affect everyone if they become known.

My heart went out to Arianna. While she seems to be wallowing in misery, it seemed to me that she had every right to wallow. Facing the loss of her business plus a possible career-ending injury, most of us would wallow for a while. I found her to be a believable, well-written character. I was not as impressed with Connor. While I did like him and felt that he and Arianna went well together, I also thought that at times, especially during the mayoral campaign, he said and did some things that seemed out of character for someone who professed to love Arianna so much.

There was a large number of colorful secondary characters that added depth to the story. Some were very loveable while others were, by design, very difficult to like. Connor had a very large, complex family, and there were times that I wished I had a chart in order to keep track of everyone!

The storyline was complex and well-written. It easily held my interest from start to finish. I had not read the previous novel in which these characters were introduced, and at times I wished I had. For the most part, however, it worked well as a stand-alone novel.

I’m looking forward to the next Harmony Harbor novel so that I can catch up with Arianna, Connor and all the other wonderful people of this charming small town. Thank you, Debbie Mason, for sharing them with us.

This fictional contemporary romance story is about Arianna Bell, a woman who is suffering psychologically and physically from a fire that destroyed her wedding dress design business and left her with physical burns and emotional scars. She's staying with "Glamma," her Chanel-suit-wearing grandmother, an outspoken spritely 80 year old who, in her younger years, was a high-demand runway model in Paris. Glamma has decided to run for mayor of their town, Harmony Harbor, Massachusetts, to prevent Daniel Gallagher from becoming mayor. Glamma wants to help the town maintain its small town feel; Daniel Gallagher has plans to develop it its main street into a commercialized area that may attract franchises and other big business but will undoubtedly destroy many of the town's boutique businesses.

Enter Connor Gallagher, a Boston attorney and the nephew of Daniel. In addition, Daniel and Arianna had a serious relationship many years before, but it ended when Arianna broke it off.

Glamma gets sick and can't continue with the political race, so she (along with Connor and Connor's father, a former Massachusetts governor), talk Arianna into becoming a candidate in Glamma's place. They help her gain the confidence she desperately needs after her accident. A relationship again develops between Connor and Arianna.

Because the Gallaghers are one of the founding families of Harmony Harbor, everyone thought that Daniel would win the mayoral race. But as Arianna regains her confidence and becomes allies with the other small businesses in town, it looks like Daniel might not win after all. Then, Daniel suffers a (supposed) heart attack, and talks Connor into running against Arianna.

Although they are now opponents, Connor and Arianna can't fight their growing re-attraction for each other. How can they reconcile their different opinions on how the town should be developed? Will they be able to run against each other and still maintain their relationship? Or will their relationship end when one of them eventually wins the vote for mayor?

Does this story have a happy-ever-after ending? I guess you will need to read the story to find out.

The author does a wonderful job of describing the town and how it is decorated for Christmas (some of the story takes place over the holidays.) If you like Hallmark small-town holiday romances, you will like this book.

I'm excited to check out some of Debbie Mason's other books, which also sound like great reads for the holiday season. (Who can resist titles like "Mistletoe Cottage," "SugarPlum Way," and "Snowbound at Christmas" ?

I received this fun romance as an ARC from Netgalley and Forever Publishing/Hachette Book Publishing. Was so happy to be introduced to a new-to-me author, Debbie Mason!