After yesterday’s book of sad I really felt the need for a happy-ever-after pick-me-up, and Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane delivered.

That I had two books in a row with “lighthouse” in the title but that they are complete opposites has turned out to be a good thing.

Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane is the second book in the author’s Honeymoon Harbor series. I haven’t read the first book (I haven’t read this author before) but I didn’t feel lost or left out. Honeymoon Harbor seems like one of those cozy small towns (like Haven Point and Sullivan’s Crossing and Icicle Falls and Thunder Point) where everyone does know everybody’s name and everybody’s business. And where a stranger in town – or a new reader – can easily pick up enough backstory to fit right in.

Not that either the hero or the heroine of this little tale need much background to get up to speed on all the town doings. Both Aiden Mannion and Jolene Harper grew up in Honeymoon Harbor. Aiden, in spite of – or perhaps because of – being the mayor’s son was the town bad boy. Jolene was the daughter of a teenage mother who worked three jobs to keep the two of their heads above water while her ne’er-do-well husband was in and out of jail.

Jolene grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, and Aiden’s antics kept him there. Of course, they fell in love in high school, but they kept their trysts a secret. He was worried about tarnishing her reputation by publicly being the girlfriend of the town bad boy, and she feared that the scion of one of the founding families wouldn’t want to be known as the boyfriend of a girl whose mother was rumored to be turning tricks.

Of course none of the rumors about Jolene or her mother were true, but that never stopped people from spreading rumors – or lies.

Aiden left town for the Marines, and then for several years in the LAPD. Jolene left town and never looked back, parlaying her mother’s talent for hair and makeup into an Oscar-nominated career in Hollywood.

Now they’re both back in town. Aiden because his cop partner was killed in an ambush, and Jolene because her mother is sailing up the river DeNial about a cancer scare. They’re both back in town to pick up the pieces of the lives they left behind.

Aiden finds himself the town’s chief of police after the old chief has a stroke. Jolene has come to make sure her mother gets the tests she needs, and to figure out where to go from here after her apartment goes up in flames and her career goes up in smoke after she signs a well-publicized #MeToo petition.

Which puts them both back in town for the Christmas holidays, ready for their own second chance at their first happily ever after. Just like the Hallmark movies that Jolene and her mother love to binge.

Escape Rating B+: Sometimes you just get the right book at the right time. This was one of those books at one of those times. I wanted a sweet story with a happy ending, and that’s what I got. And I feel so much better!

There is a lot to love about this heartwarming story – and my heart is very warm after reading it. It teeters just on the edge of being too sappy, but never quite falls over that edge. It also flirts with some of the classic romantic tropes that can easily go wrong – but thankfully never goes there, either.

Jolene’s trip to help her mother is a case in point. This isn’t a weepy tear-jerker story, so her mother Gloria has NOT been diagnosed with cancer. Instead, a recent exam found a suspicious lump in her breast, and Gloria is just refusing to get the tests to determine whether there is something to worry about.

While Gloria’s friend shouldn’t be revealing her secrets to her daughter, everyone in her mother’s salon heard her when she got the phone call – so not exactly a well-kept secret.

Not that there are many well-kept secrets in Honeymoon Harbor, except the ones that absolutely have to be.

The story here, in its ebbs and flows, is Jolene and Aiden’s journey, not to their past, but to their present – complete with a ghost of Christmas present perched on Aiden’s shoulder.

All of the loose ends of their lives, both their first teenaged love and their current adult trials are all wrapped up with a nice, neat bow at the end of the story. If you like a good happy-ever-after, this one is a treat.

I have mixed feelings about 2nd chance romances. On one hand it prevents the whole insta-love issue but on the other hand I'm not sure that I can really root for a couple where at least one has been pining for each other since high school. Thankfully, this one fell into the win category for me! Aiden and Jolene had a complicated relationship in high school that met with an even more complicated ending which ended up with them living very separate but very complicated lives apart until they both find themselves back in Honeymoon Harbor for uncomplicated reasons.

Aiden is a bit too good to be true but I liked him enough to overlook that. He genuinely feels bad for the trouble he caused as a teenager and while he isn't desperately out for redemption he does have a few squirmy moments. I loved seeing him with his family - his sister was in the previous book so it was nice to revisit them. However, it didn't feel like characters were just being marched out for page time and it never got overwhelming.

I loved Jolene's relationship with her mother as well as her friendship with Shelby. I also enjoyed that while she's seriously cynical she doesn't have a chip on her shoulder and is even willing to forgive a former mean girl when offered a genuine apology. She is a bit oblivious to some very obvious solutions but I can understand that it can be hard to take your life in a different direction than expected.

The relationship between Jolene and Aiden really works. I believe that they truly get each other and it made it easy to root for them. I loved the addition of Aiden's former partner (in ghost form) and the mystery surrounding what happened before Aiden left Los Angeles. This is a great Christmas romance - sweet and fun without getting too syrupy or trite - and made for such a fun read.

Aiden Mannion has returned to Honeymoon Harbor to heal after losing his partner in an ambush. The story has a somewhat "strange" aspect when he continues to see and have conversations with his former partner, who was killed in their last assignment working undercover. Aiden goes to some dark places after this incident. While healing he is talked into acting as interim police chief. While acting in his new role as police chief he pulls over Jolene Wells for speeding as she is entering town to visit her mother. They have not seen each other since a painful incident occurred. Jolene never intended to return to Honeymoon Harbor. But when she finds out her mother may have cancer she knows she has to come back.

Aiden and Jolene have some unresolved issues from the past and know that they can no longer avoid them. That strong chemistry from the past is still there and very much alive. It will be interesting to see where this story goes with Aiden and his "invisible" partner.

Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane is #2 in JoAnn Ross' Honeymoon Harbor series. This time its another delectable Mannion brother and the woman he's loved since forever, but somehow they never quite worked it all out when they were young.

Now they are older and wiser and for varying reasons find themselves back in Honeymoon Harbor.  Aidan with a bit of arm twisting from his father takes on the role of police chief to fill in a gap. And he has to be the ideal man for the job for any small town. He has lots of experience, is totally a good cop who isn't going to take any nonsense when its needed and has a really soft heart when it comes to those in distress.

Jolene is a talented young woman but she has had her share of trauma but is now back in town to support her mother. She provides the feel good mother/daughter relationship in the story, and while she doesn't want to make any commitment that will tie her down, it has to be said she hasn't lost her feelings for Aidan.

A small town, feel good story with just enough tension applied along the way to boost interest for the reader. And yes there is a little bit of Christmas happening in the final chapter. And as well an ephemeral  character Bodhi, mate and working partner of Aidan who provide some extra interest to the story.

Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane is the second book in the Honeymoon Harbor series by JoAnn Ross, although it is my first book from the author. Although there are clear references to the characters in book one, it is not necessary to understand their story to enjoy Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane. That being said, I am now interested in giving Herons Landing a read to find out more.

If I’m being completely honest, Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane wasn’t quite a full four-star rating. It was, however, close enough that I needed to round up. It’s a sweet romance, one that is perfect for the festive season. We have a second chance romance, and two characters dealing with their past. The way the relationship blooms between the two was great to watch, and I found myself sucked into the other side drama that was introduced to us throughout the story.

The reason this wasn’t quite a full four-star rating is because I found myself more invested in some of the side elements than in the main storyline. There was a small mystery to enjoy, and this really captured my attention as I’m quite the mystery fan. We were also introduced to what I imagine will be the basis for the next book in the series, and if I’m right I really enjoyed the way the characters interacted.

Nevertheless, Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane was a great introduction to JoAnn Ross and I’ll certainly be back for more.

What a way to kick off the holiday small town romance season!

Aiden has tried to outrun his past from Honeymoon Harbor when he joined the marines. Even after he got out, he stayed out of the pacific northwest and joined up with the Los Angeles Police Department. But when he and his partner get ambushed, Aiden gets shook when his partner is killed. After quitting the force, Aiden returns to the pacific northwest to become a hermit and live out his days; unfortunately, his partner follows him as a ghost. With much convincing from Honeymoon Harbor’s mayor, Aiden’s dad, he returns to his hometown to become chief of police. But his past is waiting for him when he returns. His old flame Jolene Harper has also returned back home and she might just be the most difficult thing he has had to deal with.

Jolene Harper also ran from her past as the poor girl. There is plenty of history between Jolene and the mean girls of the area, but she just let it make her better. Now in the big leagues of make-up design for movie sets, Jolene finds that people are fickle no matter where you go. When she gets a call that her mother has a suspicious lump in her breast and refuses to have it check out, Jolene returns home to help her deal with it. But she didn’t count on Aiden being in town either. The only boy she ever really loved, can she take being in the same town as him again?

Could there be a better candidate to open the holiday small town romance season? I think not. This was really a fun book to read that was played out by an expert. Everything fell into place right when it was supposed to. The main characters were perfectly flawed so that you could relate to them and still pull for them at the same time. The villains, if that is what you want to call them, had just the right amount of distastefulness to keep the reader against them. I can’t think of a better book to draw me into the holiday romance.

There is some strong language throughout this book as well as some scenes that would be better suited for mature audiences.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Does anyone else love holiday movies like the ones on the Hallmark Channel? If so, this book totally reminded me of one and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out it will eventually be a made for TV movie. And while it definitely features holiday magic it’s not necessarily a Christmas book, in fact it covers the month of November as well as December making it the perfect read for now.
This is the second in a series but I did not read the first book and had no issues starting here. It’s set in a town called Honeymoon Harbor which is full of charming and interesting characters and is also complete with a quaint little setting making it an ideal sweet read.
Jolene was a typical and extremely likable heroine who comes back home to visit her mom and Aiden is a typical swoon worthy hero who is back home and acting as the temporary chief of police. What was not typical about the both of them (and the supporting characters) was that they felt genuine and their budding romance was incredibly tender and sweet which was just what I was in the mood for when I picked this one up. If you like second chance romances give this a try!
Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane in three words: Adorable, Charming and Effortless.

Aiden and Jolene were sweethearts in high school but life took them in different directions. Him to the military and then to LA as a cop, and her to Hollywood. Ironic they ended up living near each other, but they don’t get a chance to reunite until they both return home to Honeymoon Harbor. The town's juvenile delinquent from a founding family is now the police chief, and the girl from the wrong side of the tracks has made a name for herself as an Emmy-nominated makeup artist.

I’ve been a fan of this author for years, so I was excited to read an early copy of this book. There were a lot of things I liked about it, but it could have been a bit shorter without losing any substance. I found myself skipping over many passages that rehashed previously revealed information but didn’t add to the story or move the storyline forward. I loved the small-town setting and the vivid, sometimes quirky supporting characters. Aiden and Jolene were complex, fully developed and likeable so I had no trouble connecting with them and becoming invested in their story. I also really enjoyed the addition of Bodhi, and while a ghost character is a departure for Ms. Ross, he added a lot to the story and helped Aiden work through some things. I also liked the subplot of Jolene's mother finding love again. And really, what's better than love and romance at Christmas? Any fans of Ms. Ross will thoroughly enjoy this book.

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

Magical, romantic, and completely heartwarming, SNOWFALL ON LIGHTHOUSE LANE by JoAnn Ross is a wonderful Christmas romance story that is sure to put you in the festive spirit.

Jolene Harper has worked very hard to make it in an industry that is rife with creeps who try to take advantage. But when her apartment burns down and her mom gets a health scare, a holiday break in her hometown of Honeymoon Harbor is just exactly what she needs to plan the next step in her career and look after the woman who sacrificed everything for her. But Jolene didn't plan on bumping into Aiden Mannion, the bad boy turned good, who was her first love and brings back memories of her most humiliating moment from all those years ago. And while he still sets her pulse racing, Jolene is determined to keep her distance. Can first love become forever love? Or will the baggage from both of their pasts keep them apart?

With a beautiful setting and a really engaging community, SNOWFALL ON LIGHTHOUSE LANE by JoAnn Ross has plenty to keep a reader hooked from beginning to end. I loved all of the characters but there was something extra special about Jolene and Aiden which came alive on the page, and I found myself cheering them on more and more as I got to know them. If you love a romance with depth then this is definitely the book for you and I look forward to more from this author.

This is the second book in the Honeymoon Harbor series . It is the second chance at romance story of Aiden and Jolene. They have a history from high school and when Aiden, an ex LA cop, who is having a rough time getting over the death of his partner comes back to town they meet up again.
This is an adorable Romance and is perfect for the holiday season. Thanks Netgalley and HQN for the ARC for an honest review .

A great holiday read. I loved Bodhi, such a lovable addition to the story. This is a story of two people getting a second chance to be together.

This is a sweet second-chance romance about the girl-made-good from the other side of the tracks and her first love. Jolene left their small town o Honeymoon Harbor after high school and made a career for herself doing makeup in Hollywood. She’s back in town to be with her mother as she awaits news from a test for cancer. The relationship between Jolene and her mother is so very lovely, consciously modeled on “Gilmore Girls” which the two of them watch together even when they’re in separate towns.

Her first boyfriend, Aiden, had it all coming from one of the prestige families in town. But his family is actually very nice and his and Jolene’s mom have become good friends, so the novel avoids some standard cliches. He’s back in town trying to recover from the ambush he and his partner suffered as LA cops. His partner died and now hangs out as a ghost with Aiden. Instead of having the usual posse of guy friends that romance heroes typically have, Aiden has his bro ghost hanging out with him.

I enjoyed the book though I thought there would be a little more suspense surrounding the resolution of who set up the ambush that killed his surfer-partner-ghost.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Just my kind of holiday romance. I love stories about failed teenaged love coming back together in adulthood and working it out! Aiden was a good guy and Jolene was practical and honest. I liked that he was supportive of women in a male dominated force like the police and urged Jolene in her work. I was also pleased that most of the book passed before the obligatory sex scene (which could/should have been cut). This ARC still needs some editing and formatting but it did not detract from the story.

ARC provided free by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solid second chance at love story. This book is the second book in the Honeymoon Harbor series. Set in a picturesque town at Christmas time, this was a lovely read. Definitely recommended for her fans of this series.

Heartwarming romance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you are a romance junkie it’s hard not to fall for the sweet romance stories that come out this time of year. This one was a perfect read to kick off the holiday season.

My first story by Joanne Ross is a look at life in small-town USA where high school sweethearts never truly got over each other. You can get lost in the descriptions of this beautiful town in small-town atmosphere.

Getting ready for the holidays in Honeymoon Harbor brings back memories from when I was a kid. You can almost smell the pie in the oven and the cider on the stove. And romance is definitely in the air in a beautiful way.

Reading this story reminds me so much of the Christmas movies we binge watch during the holiday season. Even Christmas in July has found me watching those hour after hour. The author brings us warm comfort and cozy hearts across the pages.

Although it’s part of a series, I did not have an issue following the story. There is a lot of conversation about people in the town which is very true to life in a small town. My mom and I used to have conversations very similar to the ones that happen in this story.

This story is definitely one that will bring out the romance in your heart and the warm memories of the holidays into your soul. It’s a wonderful choice for the upcoming holiday season; sweet and heart warming.

Jolene and Aiden's story is a solid read, but it is a little slow. This is a good series by Ross, but the secondary story was tied up too quickly and needed a HEA that was similar to the lead characters.

Fabulous story of young Love, Murder, Suspense and coming home to realized that your first love is the one you really are suppose to be with. Aiden and Jolene find that out when they both return home to Honeymoon Harbor. Aiden returns home to recover and forget the ambush he barely survived and his best friend fellow undercover cop Bodhi Warfield was killed. Jolene returns home to make sure her mother takes a test to see if she has cancer or not. They both are dealing with consequences of their jobs. Jolene is an Emmy nominated make-up artist who also sign a letter #TimesUp harassment list began getting attention. Aiden was finally getting out of the fog from drinking to numb the guilt of being alive while his partner and best friend was dead.

Ex-marine, ex-alcoholic, sniper and former undercover California cop Aiden Mannion, whose homeland security job at the Port Authority has resulted in a gunshot wound to his leg and the death of his partner, is the walking wounded in multiple ways.  Off on a holiday season fishing trip/convalescence/family visit to Honeymoon Harbor, he accepts it when the ghost of said ex partner joins him on the ferry trip in and refuses to disappear. Bodhi Warfield’s ghost seems to have no real mission – or maybe he’s a manifestation of the survivor’s guilt haunting Aiden – but they hang out, just like old times.

Aiden’s father pressures him into temporarily acting as police chief while the abusive man who held that position recovers from a stroke. Aiden agrees with a shrug, and even settles in by going to the wedding of a friend.  That’s where he spots the redhead of his distant fantasies mingling in the crowd – Jolene Wells.

Jolene and Aiden went to high school together, but unlike Aiden, Jolene never fit into any social set.  That didn’t stop them from embarking on a clandestine romance and, after Aiden saved Jolene from a drugging and assault, a little more.  But Aiden messed everything up, and Jolene’s moved on – hasn’t she?

Jolene has escaped childhood bullying and her trailer-trash roots to become a globetrotting Emmy-nominated makeup artist – albeit one who has to live on the fringes of Beverly Hills society and is too busy to even have much more than a goldfish in her life.  She harbors hopes of starting an organic makeup and skin-care line which she researches between jobs, but first she needs time to settle down and think.  The opportunity is afforded to her when a number of factors combine to give her that time.  Her fiancé breaks things off to become engaged to a twice-married starlet, her apartment burns down, and she learns that her mother Gloria might have breast cancer and refuses to get properly diagnosed, all within the space of a week.  Until Gloria’s status is settled, Jolene tries to help her mother open her new spa-cum-salon in the local lighthouse.

Jolene and Aiden meet again when Aiden pulls her over for a traffic stop.  Jolene’s spark for Aiden continues to glow, and as Aiden supports Gloria and Jolene through Gloria’s mammogram and biopsy, things begin to turn passionate for the couple.  But can these two really manage to pull together a happy relationship?  Can Aiden quell a corruption problem in the police department while tracking down a crazy survivalist?  Will Gloria beat cancer?  And just why is Bodhi haunting Aiden?  They have until New Years to find out.

Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane is both a delight and a frustration.  Smoothly, engagingly written, with some good characters and interesting conflicts, it also suffers because of an overstuffed plot that hinders part of the novel’s progress.

Jolene and Aiden are excellent leads (I liked Jolene’s love of sappy romantic movies for instance), and among the supporting players I enjoyed Gloria and Brianna specifically.   The chemistry between the leads is beautiful and flirtatious, which is a fun hallmark of most Ross romances.  For this alone you’ll enjoy spending more time in Honeymoon Harbor.

But there’s a lot of extraneous plot padding in this book clogging up its hallowed pages that doesn’t need to exist.  The machinations to get both Jolene and Aiden to stay in Honeymoon Harbor, especially when it comes to Jolene’s life, are way too over the top.  Especially when piling a humiliation conga line onto Jolene’s shoulders and an overwhelmingly tragic backstory onto Aiden’s to make them stay in Washington State.  In Jolene’s case it’s worse, because she keeps firmly insisting that she wants certain things in her life, only for her mother and best friend to tell her that no, she wants to be married, to be “claimed”, to have children.

The whole ghost/guilt thing had me straddling the fence.  Bodhi is undeniably one of the funniest parts of the book, and he’s one of its best supporting characters.  On the other hand, his supernatural presence is distracting and doesn’t match the grounded, realistic feeling of the novel; it’s also extremely odd to have a ghost investigating a murder and feeding Aiden information throughout the novel.  That’s just as fantastic as Aiden becoming the chief of police temporarily because his dad just hands him the job.  It’s not hard to believe that Aiden, after suffering what he did, might want to transfer out of his high-pressure job – but it’s also hard to believe an ex-adrenaline junkie would go from busting drug lords to helping old ladies find their stolen lawn gnomes.

So why am I recommending this book?  The chemistry between the leads is just that strong.  The setting and the way the characters scrape through life feels realistic, and is romantic and interesting.  This is Ross writing her romantic best, and though it’s sometimes fanciful and unbelievable, it’s also sweet-natured and well-meaning, just like those romantic movies Jolene loves.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Fans of JoAnn Ross will be glad to read the second book in the Honeymoon Harbor series. It's the holidays and a second-chance love story sure to satisfy fans and new readers alike.

I have enjoyed the previous Honeymoon Harbor books, and this one was no exception. Aiden has had a tough road lately, and coming home has it's own bumps to navigate. Jolene didn't have a lot of great memories from Honeymoon Harbor, so coming home to stay was not on her to do list, but her mom needs her. The two have a past not many know about, and that both have tried to forget. Now with life intervening, will they have a second chance to make things right? Ross has a way of making every day life feel special, and filling it with moments that feel as familiar as home but as spectacular as a movie. This book was another winner.