If you want a summer read with depth and heart, JoAnn Ross’s Summer on Mirror Lake is it. Set in the charming Pacific Northwest village of Honeymoon Harbor (one of those towns that doesn’t really exist, but you totally wish did), this is a charming romance with a dash of social justice thrown in.

Main Characters Chelsea the librarian and Gabe the Wall Street mogul-turned-recreational-shipwright who works too hard come together in the way of all summer romances, when the former asks the latter to show the summer library kids what he’s doing (building a reproduction Viking ship). Chemistry ensues. Where the depth and social justice comes in are in the story of two sisters who are in the hands of a foster mother who means well, but doesn’t have a ton of time.

Author Ross has created a vibrant community in Honeymoon Harbor, one that makes you want to step inside the pages of the the book and spend a long weekend sipping coffee at a sidewalk cafe, and poking around the galleries and cute shops. As well, she has created a collection of dimensional, believable characters, led by Chelsea and Gabe, but not limited to those two people.

Far more than a fluffy romance or your typical beach read, this book is a romance with meaning.

Goes well with hot coffee and a slice of peach pie.

Gabe works on Wall Street and managed to have an anxiety attack that felt a lot like a heart attack at a friends funeral. So while he gets his bearings he goes to his hometown Honeymoon Harbor to relax before jumping right back into things. He never expected to fall in love. Chelsea is a librarian who has recently been able to take in two foster children with Gabes help. As a summer romance pursues its clear that Gabe had a deadline and intends on going back to his job, but now got something more to live for in a slower life with Chelsea and and the girls but he has to choose which one he wants more.

If your looking for a good summer contemporary romance you might want to consider checking out this book. I loved getting to know the characters. Seeing Gabes mind set when it came to his job, what was going on with his side of the story seeing how he was taking Chelsea and the girls in his life even though knowing its not going to last. I loved seeing the romance, that connection between Gabe and Chelsea and it was entertaining how they were going as a couple with two children in tow being thats hard to get a moment of piece with kids around. I loved how hard working, loyal and caring Chelsea was. She cared for those girls like no others, she saw her self in those girls and did what most people wouldn't even consider when it comes to taking in kids. I loved seeing how she was with the girls and how the girls did stay present in the book and didn't fade into the background. Overall this was a pretty good book and I really enjoyed it.

When is a fling not a fling? Possibly when it comes with two children and a boat. But definitely when it begins with thinking you’re having a heart attack. While serving as a pallbearer at the funeral of someone you looked upon as a mentor.

For Gabe Mannion, wanting to be just like his mentor Carter Kensington has taken on a whole new meaning. The man is dead at 46, his heart a victim of the adrenaline rush that is high-level high-stakes trading on Wall Street.

Gabe’s panic-attack-that-feels-like-a-heart-attack is a giant wake up call. As one of his brothers later informs him, if your job gives you panic attacks, you’re doing it wrong. The problem for Gabe is that he doesn’t know how to stop doing it.

So he goes home. In that sense that home is the place that when you go there, they have to take you in. Gabe needs to take the summer off and get away from his high-stakes, high-stress, all work and no life life-style, so he takes himself back home to Honeymoon Harbor, the tiny little beach town in the Pacific Northwest that he left for the fast track more than a decade ago.

He’s achieved the wealth that he dreamed of, not because he was greedy, but because money is a way of keeping score. He’s just never figured out when enough is enough, and adrenaline is just as addictive as any other drug.

He thinks he’ll be home for the summer, find a bit of zen, whatever that might mean, or at least ease off on the stress, and then return to the high-pressure world of dollars and cents – and more and more dollars.

Instead, librarian Chelsea Prescott rows over to the beach log mansion (it really is) he’s staying in for the summer, and invades his life, his house, the boat he’s building, and even, just possibly, his heart.

But their summer fling is supposed to have a limited shelf life. Her life, her home, and her life’s work is in Honeymoon Harbor, and he’s going back to New York after Labor Day. Or is he?

Escape Rating B+: This is a sweet little feel-good story about two people who have seen a few too many of life’s bumps and hard knocks, but have come out all the stronger for it.

I’m not actually talking about Chelsea and Gabe. I’m talking about Chelsea and Hannah, the young girl that Chelsea first takes an interest in when she notices that Hannah and her little sister Hailey are spending every afternoon in Chelsea’s library. Once upon a time, Chelsea spent her after school afternoons in that very same library, when her family and her home life was falling completely apart.

Chelsea sees herself in Hannah, using the library as a refuge and taking the very best care she can of her little sister. In Chelsea’s time, the librarian took her under her wing, giving her a refuge, a mentor, and eventually a career that she loves. Now it’s Chelsea’s turn to pay that gift forward.

But the package gets bigger when Hannah and Hailey’s foster mother goes AWOL and the girls need a place to stay. Chelsea steps up, and Gabe, steps up with her. Their fling has just barely begun, and suddenly they are all in together, making a home for two girls who need more than a temporary safe landing. They need a forever home, and Chelsea plans to give it to them.

With or without Gabe. But better with. If he can get his head out of his ass to figure where his heart is. Because Chelsea has already found hers.

Chelsea and Gabe’s relationship is fun to watch, but it’s Chelsea’s burgeoning relationship with the girls that really drives the book. There’s something very right about the family that they build together, a family that they all want Gabe to be a part of if he is willing to take a good hard look at the life he had in New York, the life he has in Honeymoon Harbor, and who the heck he wants to be when he finally grows up. Because when the story begins, he surely hasn’t.

Chelsea, on the other hand, begins the story grown up but closed off. Her childhood trauma has left her with the same need to guard her heart that she sees in Hannah. The way that the woman and the girl grow towards each other, and open their hearts in the process, is lovely to watch.

They are going to get the family they deserve, together, whether Gabe sticks around or not. That he does finally figure it out makes for delicious icing on a very yummy story.

Summary from Goodreads:

"Summertime is the best time to lose yourself in the romance of Honeymoon Harbor…

When he lands in the emergency room after collapsing at the funeral of a colleague and friend, Wall Street hotshot Gabriel Mannion initially rejects the diagnosis of an anxiety attack. But when warned that if he doesn’t change his adrenaline-fueled, workaholic lifestyle he could end up like his friend, Gabe reluctantly returns to his hometown of Honeymoon Harbor to regroup.

As he adjusts to the sight of mountains instead of skyscrapers, Gabe discovers advantages to this small Pacific Northwest town he once couldn’t wait to escape. But it’s irresistible librarian Chelsea Prescott who, along with the two foster children she’s taken under her wing, makes slowing down seem like the best prescription ever.

Over the course of their summer romance, Gabe gets a taste of the life he might have had if he’d taken a different path. But with his return to New York City looming on the horizon, he’ll have to choose between the success he’s worked tirelessly for and a ready-made family who offers a very different, richly rewarding future…if he’ll only take the risk."

My Thoughts:

Summer on Mirror Lake felt like the perfect read to start off my summer reading! I don't read nearly enough contemporary romances or small town romances - books like this always leave me wondering why. There is just something so comforting about them and it almost reminds me of the feeling I get with the cozy mysteries I read. I love the small town vibe, getting to know all of the characters, and the descriptions of the town itself. I always feel like with books like this that these towns feel like real places that I could actually go and visit which is fun in itself! In this book, Chelsea is the head librarian in the town's library and is just focused on living up to her mentor and former head librarian's expectations. Gabe has come back to his hometown from the summer needing a break from the stress of his job. These two meet and the sparks fly almost instantly. I usually don't care for romances that happen super fast but it was different with this book. Gabe and Chelsea decide to have a summer fling rather than a committed relationship and I think that worked for me. It felt more like a fun thing than the insta-love that I cannot seem to get behind. My favorite part of this book though were the two young foster girls that Chelsea becomes caught up with. There was just something about these two girls that tugged at my heartstrings. I was almost more focused on them getting their happy ever after compared to Chelsea and Gabe. I do say almost there because really isn't it all tied up into one thing in the end? My one and only complaint with this book was that I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters. I'm thinking that this is my fault though as I didn't realize that this was the third book in a series. Looks like I've got a few books to catch up on now! I did finally get a hang of the who's who by midway through the book which helped. And overall, I was satisfied by the way that things played out in the end. It was exactly what I was hoping for which left me feeling content and happy when the book was finished.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book and am looking forward to reading the previous books in this series. This book has a summer vibe to it that I couldn't help but appreciate. I feel like this book would be the perfect binge read while spent on a hot day at the beach. Or curled up with during a late night baseball game on a summer evening like I did! That definitely worked as well. I think that fans of contemporary romance and just romance in general would enjoy this book. You don't have to read these books in order necessarily (I sure didn't) but it may help you keep track of the characters better if you do. And books like this are just the perfect type of read for this time of year in my opinion! Recommended!

Bottom Line: A great summer read and romance!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley as part of a TLC book tour. Thoughts are my own.

I was itching to return to Honeymoon Harbor – one of my favorite small-town settings! I fell right back in love with it from the first couple of chapters. I was worried that I’d forget the previous books (I seriously read too many cute small town companion series; I thought I would mix them up), but Ross did a nice job of reintroducing me to the town. It’d be easy to start in the middle of this series if you were unable to start at the beginning, that’s for sure.

This story centers around Gabe and Chelsea. Gabe, one of the infamous Mannion brothers of Honeymoon Harbor, returns home to the Pacific Northwest after a health scare in NYC, where he has been working himself to the bone on Wall Street. Chelsea, a local librarian, begins caring for two foster children, and begins a wonderful summer romance with Gabe. I loved how honest they were about their attraction and nervousness on their first “date” – that’s always my favorite kind of romance. Miscommunication and lack of openness can lead to the black moment in romance too often and it’s refreshing to read something else.

Chelsea was a great character – I loved that she was definitely not afraid to be herself and stand up for her opinions. The early scene where she talked about romance books with Gabe was perfection. (I may just have a soft spot for bookish / librarian MCs!) As I alluded to before, the romance was pretty great. The children in this story were so cute and felt real.

I think my only “complaints” are that the ending seemed a little abrupt? I enjoyed that this was a low-drama book, at least between the couple, but the conflict and resolution happened SO quickly and close together. I think it could just be because I thought there was more to the book – my Kindle said I was 80% through when the book ended because there was a novella at the end, so I was just expecting 20% more pages! Either way though, there were not a lot of issues and the “black moment” was really mild, which I appreciate.

Summer on Mirror Lake is a thoroughly enjoyable novel involving the many changes and chances taken in the life of a man on a much needed break from his life.
Gabe Mannion is on a self-imposed summer break from his high paced, anxiety inducing hedge fund trader job in New York. He returns to his hometown on Mirror Lake to get his Zen in order. Chelsea Prescott, the local librarian, piques his interest when she approaches him about the summer reading program and about showing kids his Viking boat as he is making it. Only a summer fling with an end date becomes more intense than he bargains for. Add in two foster child sisters and they plus Chelsea infuse themselves into his life and into his protected heart. It is a huge risk for Gabe involving the possibility of a life change that he is not quite ready to have happen.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have been reading enjoying the Honeymoon Harbor series by JoAnn Ross. So far I've found it to be wonderfully written with characters that I've really enjoyed spending time with. A plus in any book I read.

In Summer on Mirror Lake, we have Gabe and Chelsea. These two for me are a complete opposite. They both lead very different lifestyles. Ones main goal is to make money, the other is to make sure people realize what a wonderful world reading brings to you.

I think it's those difference that makes these two work so well. If they were both alike I don't think it would have worked for them. More so for Gabe. He definitely needs someone different than himself.

Not only does the book deal with the romance of both Chelsea and Gabe but the fact that two little girls need a home.

I love when the author adds something to make the romance just a little bit harder. For poor Chelsea and Gabe, it was just to figure out when they could make time for sex while having two little girls in the house. The idea was funny. Anyone with kids knows how hard at times this can be. The author did a great job of making this a funny problem.

She also did a wonderful job of showing us how they fell in love. Even with Gabe fighting it all the way, (he couldn't see giving up his job) you saw how he fell in love with both Chelsea and the girls.

Summer on Mirror Lake is the third book in the Honeymoon Harbor series. This is Gabe and Chelsea's story. Gabe has returned home for a summer off from his high profile Wall Street job. Chelsea is the town librarian who is more than willing to help him relax over the summer. For the most part, I enjoyed the book. It held up well as a stand alone. I felt like there was a good connection between Gabe and Chelsea and did find myself rooting for them. But more than the romance, I loved the couple's relationship with the two girls. It was very endearing.

The only thing I didn't really like about the book was the amount of town history and Norse mythology that was included in the book. Some of the conversations about both felt like major info dumps and didn't feel natural. I did skim a few of those parts. Still, this is an enjoyable read and one that would be great for a day at the beach.

Honeymoon Harbor is a romance destination worth visiting—it’s a vibrant Pacific Northwest community, complete with a long-ago Romeo/Juliet*esque family feud, gorgeous brothers, to-die-for scenery, and plots that gently wind themselves around the heart strings. Summer at Mirror Lake is the 3rd Honeymoon Harbor book. Herons Landing #1 and Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane #2 are the first two book in the series. It reminds me of Debbie Macomber’s Pacific Northwest series (a compliment, believe me!) because earlier characters don’t disappear after they get their HEA: they are woven into the plot. (N.B. what really packs a wallop, the pointed brother to brother advice.)

Gabriel (Gabe) Mannion is the second oldest Mannion son, destined from birth to compete with his over-achieving older brother Quinn (former hot-shot lawyer, now crafts beer entrepreneur extraordinaire). Gabe did not expect to collapse at the funeral of his mentor but hey, who would? Where to recover and recuperate?
When he lands in the emergency room after collapsing at the funeral of a colleague and friend, Wall Street hotshot Gabriel Mannion initially rejects the diagnosis of an anxiety attack. But when warned that if he doesn’t change his adrenaline-fueled, workaholic lifestyle he could end up like his friend, Gabe reluctantly returns to his hometown of Honeymoon Harbor to regroup.
Gabe reluctantly admits “that everybody had their limits,” and he decides to go for a run each morning along a lakeshore trail and visit Quinn’s bar each night to drink away his chagrin at having a life-plan interruptus. He knows that second chances don’t come along all that often. And in case we missed it, JoAnn Ross slyly reminds us of the quintessential second chance story.
But it wasn’t too late. He figured that ER doc was more like Scrooge’s Ghost of Christmas Future. He hadn’t revealed what would happen. Only what could. Gabe was perfectly capable of changing his fate. All he had to do was make a plan. It wasn’t all that different from analyzing financial data.
What could go wrong? Gabe is a man with a plan and everyone in Honeymoon Harbor knows he’s richer than God. The problem with drinking at Quinn’s bar is that after two weeks Quinn tells it to him straight: “You do realize that you’re driving customers away.” Come again? But Quinn’s right, the bar isn’t as busy as it was when he first came to town. Of course, Gabe denies that it has anything to do with him but Jarle Biornstad, Quinn’s Norwegian giant of a cook, agrees: “The edgy vibe radiating off you is scaring people away.” They tell him how to fill his “days of leisure.” He should build a boat, something he loved to do before he went away to college. Specifically, a Viking faering.
“Even if I wanted to, which I haven’t said I do, it’d be a push to get a decent-size one done in three months.” Which was his deadline. By then he’d be rested, at his fighting weight and ready to get back into the fray.
“Because your summer schedule is so booked.”
Gabe gave him a hard stare. “You’re pushing me.”
“Just saying,” Quinn said mildly. That was a funny thing about the eldest Mannion. Gabe couldn’t remember his older brother ever yelling, or even raising his voice. Yet, somehow, just like his dad, who was the quieter of his parents, he always got his way, always made things happen.
Quick aside to JoAnn Ross: when is Quinn’s story coming down the pike because I’m more than ready!

I’m sure readers are more than ready to meet the heroine of Summer on Mirror Lake. Chelsea Prescott, head librarian and friend to all, faces life with a determinedly glass-half-full attitude. That’s her choice. Her childhood slid into tragedy after her younger sister died and her doctor dad left the family. Her mother died when Chelsea was in college—police called it an accidental overdose, but Chelsea saw it as a slow, tragic suicide. Honeymoon Harbor’s library was her safe place and former head librarian Lillian Henderson was her second mother. Chelsea may have stepped into Lillian’s shoes, but she’s determined to put her own stamp on the job. The Summer Readers’ Adventure group is Chelsea’s pet project—she not only wants kids to delve into books during the summer, she’s planning field trips to enhance the curriculum. What would match up better with a “Caldecott Medal-winning children’s book on northern myths” than a visit to see an actual Viking ship under construction? Brianna, a good friend of Chelsea, and the only Mannion sister, spills the beans, although she warns her girlfriend “not to get your hopes up.”
"He’s been a loner out at the lake, and extremely noncommunicative even with us. I have the feeling something significant happened in New York, but if anyone knows what it was, it’d be Quinn, and he’s not talking."
Everybody knew that Quinn Mannion held secrets as tightly as a priest hearing a confession at St. Peter the Fisherman’s church. Which was why he undoubtedly knew personal things about most people in Honeymoon Harbor.
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to ask,” she decided. “All he can do is say, no, right?”
“Right. And good luck. Quite honestly, I think it’s be as good for him as it would be fun for the kids.”
A week or so later, Chelsea tracks down Gabe in a “back corner of the Honeymoon Harbor wooden boat-building school.” He doesn’t remember her although he has fond memories of Lillian Henderson. Chelsea tells him that Mrs. Henderson is on the advisory board.
“I didn’t realize libraries had advisory boards.”
“Many do.” Twin dimples appeared in her cheeks as she smiled. She was, as his grandfather Harper would say, cute as a button. Even as her naughty librarian glasses had him imagining unbuttoning a few more of those buttons, Gabe reminded himself that he didn’t do cute.
And he doesn’t do boat-building tours, telling her it’s a liability issue. Chelsea protests: “Even if I promise that they won’t touch a thing?” “Even then,” Gabe says and if you think that’s the end of it, you need to read more romance.

Summer at Mirror Lake is my favorite of the Honeymoon Harbor series because the protagonists are so different, yet they’re absolutely made for each other. Even when they resolve their difficulties over boat visits and decide to have a secret summer fling (that everyone in town knows about), the end of August looms like a big dark storm cloud. Everyone knows Gabe’s real home is the gold-paved canyons of Wall Street—or is it? JoAnn Ross never disappoints—take this to the beach and enjoy.

Cute romance story but had a hard time tracking along at times. I hadn't read the others in the Honeymoon Harbor series yet and while this one does function as a stand alone, I did have a little difficulty keeping all the other characters straight. I won't be reviewing this one on my socials only because I think without reading the first two I can't give it the fair review that is deserves! But I did overall enjoy the writing style and am thinking about picking up the rest of the series and trying again.

This was such a fun story! I loved the characters and enjoyed the story line. I thought it was well written and I loved the setting. Though I must admit I live in a small town on the Olympic Peninsula and although I’m pretty sure its not actually based on Gig Harbor (Where I live) it was close enough to have fun comparing! I also loved all the Pacific Northwest mentions, which served to endear the book to me even more! Overall I had a great time reading this and am looking forward to the next one!

Another wonderful story. So much fun to read the story of another one of the group. Even though I knew it would be a story with a happy ending I loved how the characters "figured it out". JoAnn Ross is a great writer.

After collapsing at the funeral of a colleague and friend, Wall Street hotshot Gabriel Mannion winds up in the emergency room with the diagnosis of an anxiety attack that he initially dismissed. But after being warned that if he doesn’t change his workaholic lifestyle he could end up like his friend, Gabe reluctantly returns to his hometown of Honeymoon Harbor to regroup.

While relaxing and attempting to adjust to a more peaceful life in his small hometown he meets the town librarian Chelsea Prescott who, along with the two foster children she’s taken under her wing, has Gabe rethinking his life choices and what is really important.

I will review on Amazon June 11. 2019

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this story from JoAnn Ross, this book is part the the Honeymoon Harbor series. I loved Chelsea and Gabes story. What a emotional journey this was, up and downs. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

It's the first book I read in this series and I was hooked.
I loved the lovely setting, the fleshed out characters and the plot.
This book is engaging and entertaining, heartwarming and sweet.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is the third book in the Honeymoon Harbor series. I felt that the book was a little wordy but I did enjoy it. I can't wait to others in this series.

I received this arc from NetGalley for an honest review. I was really disappointed with this new JoAnn Ross book. I read a little more than half of it and it just moved so slowly and I was epically frustrated by the lack of movement.

Good story. Entertaining and endearing.
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Summer is a perfect time to snuggle up in the air conditioning with a lovely romance that will warm your heart. Set in Honeymoon Harbor, a small town with a big heart, this one is a great choice.

Written in a women's fiction manner, this book is a sweet story that is both entertaining and very endearing. I love the character pairing and development. These two just felt right together.

Gabe is a driven man that realizes he has to slow down and finding a summer fling wasn't really what he had on his mind, but he is not opposed to it either.

Chelsea is a great match up. I have to say her character surprised me a few times. With librarian characters they are usually depicted as introverts and sometimes quite odd people. In this story, she is anything but these.

While we do see some of the other people from the other books in the series, I don't think it is a requirement to read the others first. This book was self contained in many ways and easy to follow.

Summer on Mirror Lake by JoAnn Ross is a well written taste of Americana set in a small town that leaves you with a beautiful feeling and a smile on your face.

The third full length book in the Honeymoon Harbor series by JoAnn Ross didn't disappoint.

This is Gabe's story. He returns home, on the doctor's advice, after suffering an anxiety attack at his mentor's funeral. He was so young, only 46, so when the doctor tells him he needs to slow down or that will be him, Gabe listens.

Although he tells his brother Quinn, the reason for his return, no one else knows. He meets the local librarian Chelsea and all bets are off. She gets involved with two sisters in foster care, whom she meets and befriends at the library. This is a story about accepting your limitations and realizing life will pass you by if you don't stop and give it a chance.

There is a lot of Norse descriptions provided that fit in with the style of the story and Gabe's boatbuilding background so be prepared. They got a bit too much at times so for that reason I would give it a 3.5 out of 4 stars. Still excited for book 4 whenever it comes out.

I was provided a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.

Hot shot stock trader Gabe Mannion lands in the emergency room after the funeral of his mentor. The ER Dr informs Gabe that if he doesn’t change his lifestyle he could end up the same place as his mentor. Gabe returns to Honeymoon Harbor for a summer sabbatical. He meets small town librarian Chelsea Prescott and is immediately attracted but knows she is the forever kind of woman. Gabe will have to decide if the high pressure New York life he leads is making him happy.

I liked the romance between Chelsea and Gabe but the book itself was somewhat wordy. I found myself skimming some areas. As a whole I enjoyed the story line and would recommend it for a light beach read. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.