Debbie Mason has created another delightful series for her readers, with Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge. In this story we meet Abby Everhart, a woman who has lost just about everything and has just discovered that she has inherited her great-aunt's homestead. Newly divorced and unemployed, so this could not have come at a better time for her. She certainly doesn't want to live in the quaint little town. All Abby plans on doing is to fix up the house, put it on the market, and return to L.A. and get her life and career back on track.

Enter one ex-Delta Force soldier - Hunter MacKenzie. The very homestead Abby has inherited and plans to sell is his home. Having suffered much during his time at war, Hunter at least needs to have his home. When he discovers who Abby is and what her plans are, his irritation shines through time and again. Meanwhile, he is rather drawn to Abby on a visceral level and she herself has similar feelings towards him.

As I read this story, I felt two words fit Hunter - broody hero. Cranky as could be, but his transformation was handled well. Abby had a different effect on me as a reader. She was clumsy, had a very difficult past and this endeared me to her. As I read this book it was interesting to see the dynamic between Abby and Hunter. It was almost a hate to love story, so to read through the pages of the book enabled me to watch the relationship evolve.

Meanwhile, other characters were a part of this story, and I love that! Knowing that some of them will be around in future books in this series - Abby's stepsisters, Mason's brother and cousins - the possibilities are endless, and so this makes this book the start of what is sure to be an excellent series.Therefore, I am eager to read the next book in this series, Christmas on Reindeer Road, due for release in September.

Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This book had me laughing and smiling as I read it. It felt so good to get lost in the author's humor with her fun characters, especially Abby Everhart. The accident waiting to happen girl. There was also romance with sexy Hunter, many twists and turns, as well as, surprises and the ability for Abby to turn her life around and discover who she really was and what she wanted. It was also interesting to watch Hunter evolve and deal with his past. There were so many other characters to like too. This book has something for everyone from romance to mystery to comedy. I cannot wait to see hat happens in the next book! I received and advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

I love books by Debbie Mason and this one is probably my favorite to date. I love humor in books and this one was overflowing with it. Poor Abby has so many moments of almost slapstick comedy that you would feel sorry for her in her clumsiness if it weren't for her wonderful attitude and reactions to the moments. The moment when Hunter discovered that she wasn't just clumsy and accident-prone, but there was a reason behind it was a turning point in the book.
The growing protectiveness and care that Hunter shows for Abby is really heartwarming and my view of him changed greatly at that point. He morphed into one of my very favorite heroes of recent reads.
I'm so glad the two of them got their HEA.
Ms. Mason gave me all the feelings I look for in a book. Awesome!
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

I have very mixed feelings about this book which makes this a bit of a challenge to write! Let me just say that this is my first book by Debbie Mason and it definitely won't be my last. I really liked her writing and her way of making the setting really come to life. I thought Hunter was a great hero. He was hard not to like and not to sympathize with. He's guarded without being too prickly and just a nice guy. I liked Abby's stepsisters too. They're perfect - beautiful, smart, kind, and always looking to do good - but Mason doesn't take the easy way out and make them villains or unlikable. Instead they came off as nice girls who genuinely cared about their stepsister and had a little spark of harmless mischief to them. I absolutely love this trope and can never resist a book where a character inherits a house and ends up having to do more repair work then they bargained for. This didn't disappoint. The house is quirky and I enjoyed spending time in this North Carolina farmhouse.



So what am I torn about? The heroine, Abby made me want to scream at times. I don't love books that involve a lot of second hand embarrassment and this was full of them. Abby fell into a pond, got herself attacked by bats, and bitten by a snake within the first 20% of the book and reacted with so much drama and hysteria and cluelessness it drove me crazy. I think I was more embarrassed for her then she was for herself. As well her general helplessness drove me crazy. I've known people who have gotten crap deals in their divorce but hers seems ridiculous and did she not have a lawyer? I wanted to shake her!



I definitely want to try another book by this author (and luckily I have a few!) as I imagine that her writing and scene setting will be absolutely fantastic when I like the heroine a bit better.

I see all these 4 and 5 star reviews and I can't believe we read the same book. I did give up at about 21%. Between the plethora of cliches and stereotypes and the constant humiliation of Abby, the female MC, I just can't. What I did read was fast and light, quick to read, but I just want to throw my Kindle across the room. So I'm done. Bye bye Honeysuckle Ridge!

Sweet small town romance story. Very enjoyable and well written book. Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge is the first book in Debbie Mason's new Highland Falls series. Abby is down on her luck when she inherits her aunt's home. Hunter is a former soldier that enjoys the peace of farm and small town life.

Thanks Netgalley!

This was the first book I have read by Debbie Mason, but it won’t be my last - this book was so much fun! When I first started reading, I really didn’t find Abby to be likeable, and was worried that I was not going to connect with the character or the book. She initially came off as very shallow, self-centered, and not very bright. As some time went on, some of the things I didn’t care for about the character were explained, and I really liked the way her character was developed throughout the pages.

This book is a very sweet romance, and the whole town won my heart over! The characters were fun, and made me want to learn more about them. There were also some times when I actually laughed out loud. I loved this story, and I am looking forward to the next one in the series! Debbie Mason has a new reader, and I have already checked out some of her other books, which I have also enjoyed.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't always read romances although I definitely read my share of women's fiction, and I know that the two genres overlap.  Regardless, Covid has left me wanting to have some reads that I just know going in will be light, engaging and, yes, easy reads.  This romance set in North Carolina fits the bill.  There are the two protagonists who are as different as can be, although readers know it will only be a matter of time before they face an attraction.  There is a nice setting with a house in need of repair and the promise of more books in the series to come.  All a win, if this is your kind of book.  It  could be.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get your copy here :https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XDTXS1J/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
I will note that I received an uncorrected page proof, so I cannot quote any of the material, as it may not appear in your book! The Best part of this book is that it is Highland Falls Book 1-this eludes to me that there will be more in the series! I have to confess that this is only my third book by Debbie, but once I find an author that I enjoy, I tend to read everything that they have written that I can get my hands on. I have read over 200 of James Patterson books!
This book brings us such an amazing story-one that we need right now with the world so uncertain. This book takes place in Highland Falls, North Carolina. Abby is a top LA media Influencer. Abby is undergoing a divorce, but received a letter stating that she had inherited her great-aunt’s farm in North Carolina. Abby’s husband was having an affair with the head of his legal team. Thankfully, her exes long time housekeeper, Elinor was on Abby’s side and informed her of the affair and of the letter. Abby travels from LA to the new house in North Carolina with her dog Bella to find buyers. Abby wasn’t impressed with the “new house”, but after all, she had been living out of her car for the last six months. Anything has to be better than living out of your car, right? Then again, there is less upkeep on a car than a house, I can speak from experience after spending the weekend holding the ladder for my husband as he cleaned out the downspouts. The things people don’t tell you-not only do you have to clean out gutters, but the connectors to the downspouts. Ours we filled with dirt-lots of fun when you have someone on a 10’ ladder when going to a hospital these days is NOT an option! The stress!! Abby had quite the cushy life-she has a pink patent leather Louis Vuitton bag to carry her dog in. I do not know the price of the pink one, but depending on the size, the brown one is $2,900-$3,250 based on the website. They actually no longer carry the pink one on the site. I do not have that much money to carry on my person as walk around money, let alone let a dog pee or puke in money. Abby now wears clothes from second-hand stores, as she is jobless. Here she is without cell service with no food, no means of transportation and just her dog. This is a scary realization! She finally gets a signal, only to get a facetime call from her gorgeous blonde mother and step-sisters that were twins. Abby had to give up her YouTube channel, which was her main source of her income as part of her divorce, as her husband and his new love wanted her off of social media. Can you imagine the damage she can do by bashing them on a renowned YouTube channel? Bella the dog meets a white wolf that is actually a dog owned by Hunter. Poor Abby meets country life really quick with all its ich and not much of its glamour! She soon finds out that half of her aunt’s farm belongs to Hunter. PLOT TWIST! Here Abby thought that she was going to roll into town, sell her newly acquired farm and be on her merry way with her new fortune-WRONG! Why is this book not a HALLMARK movie?? This would make for some great TV! We are then taken on an adventure of Abby getting the farm profitable with many comical blunders along the way. I am excited to say that this is BOOK 1- I cannot wait to find out what is going to happen in the books to come! I loved this book and it made me laugh so hard! Where I come from, they call people like Abby, Citidiots.

Life is often not fair and can really throw you some curves. Abby seems to have had more than her share of obstacles to deal with. From a parent who leaves her to a cheating husband to a town who seems to hate her. She and her sidekick Bella may just be stronger than she thinks she is. As is often the case when you get something for free, it’s not quite what you expected. Follow along with Abby and see the road her life takes. You’ll get to meet a lot of interesting people along the way. Hunter, Owen, Sadie, and Eden are just a few. I loved visiting Highland Falls and these wonderful folks. I hope I can hang with them again sometime. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

I enjoyed seeing Abby and Hunter work through their troubled pasts over the course of the book. Unfortunately, I just didn't find Abby to be very likable. A lot of her plans and ideas rubbed me the wrong way - while they were always well intentioned, I wanted to see her realize that she couldn't keep going behind peoples' backs, but I didn't get the growth I wanted from her. I think because of this I felt like I was missing something from her relationship with Hunter. It went from enemies to lovers and seemed like I was missing a bit of the middle part. Like always, Debbie Mason creates such sweet and charming (and unique) small towns full of fun characters with a lot of heart. I loved the Scottish bits of Highland Falls and the story and I'm looking forward to seeing the other stories we get from this series.

3.5/5 stars

This book gave me the feel good type of adventure while reading it, and I will break down why it was my cup of tea:
- A heroine whose life is currently in shambles, so she decides to scrap it all, and start all over in the middle of nowhere.
- A grumpy and handsome hero, who is battling his own demons, staying recluse in said middle of nowhere.
- The close proximity, opposites attract each other trope.
- Meddling friends and family, who are looking out for the characters.
- Nice character development.
- Cute dogs.
- Built up background stories.
- Funny banter.
- Small town setting.
- Guiding, descriptive portrayal.

It was a nice way to end a book funk, thank you for the opportunity.

This is the 1st book of a new series and can not wait to read the rest.
Abby is moving to NC after a bitter divorce that she ended up losing everything. She found out she inherited a small farm by her great aunt.
Hunter also inherited half the farm. He was in the military and is wallowing in guilt and wants to be left alone. Paired up with Abby, who is chatterbox and clumsy, he wants to just hide.
The farmhouse is run down and needs to be fixed up. Abby is poor and Hunter doesn't have money either. But somehow they work together to get the farmhouse liveable.
I loved these 2 together and Abby's 2 stepsisters sound perfect and they love Abby so much. You get to learn of their relationship and that of her moms.

Abby, a seriously down on her luck LA social media influencer, has inherited her Great Aunt’s home in rural North Carolina. What she doesn’t know is that the home needs A LOT of work AND she is splitting it with a hunky and grumpy ex Marine.

This book started off strong for me. I sped through the first 2/3 of the book in a few hours. Funny with great characters and cute dogs! It was like a Hallmark movie on paper with a tad more steam! Both characters have had very rough life experiences and are struggling with their next steps. I do love an alpha male and Hunter definitely fit the bill! Abby was just portrayed as a little bit too helpless and ditzy for me when I knew she wasn’t given her past success! There were a few too many side stories happening that took away from the romance for me.

Overall, a super sweet book with lovely characters! Read it if you enjoy low steam and sweet small town romance. Thank you to @readforever for the gifted copy in exchange for my review!

Debbie Mason is a new author to me, and I can’t wait to read more of her books! Abby is a successful influencer from LA. I love that she had such a current job. Unfortunately for Abby, she has just gone through a difficult and financially devastating divorce. She inherited a house in North Carolina. from a distant aunt that she didn’t know, and headed to NC check it out. Her immediate goal was to fix the house up, sell it, and head back to LA. She hadn’t factored in Hunter, who apparently also lives on the property, and the fact that the house needed a ton of work. So her stay at Honeysuckle Ridge became longer than anticipated with lots of interesting events.

This was a perfect romance for me. There was lots to smile about, a few sad spots, a cast of engaging and quirky characters (I can’t wait to read more stories in this series-this is book one), some personal reflection/growth, new friendships, and a wonderful slow burn romance. Hunter and Abby weren’t quite enemies to lovers, but they certainly started out as adversaries. Abby also had to charm certain members of the town that had been close to her aunt. I really liked that while there was a great romance, there was a lot more going on as well. This is absolutely a town I would like to visit!

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was a pleasure!

When Abby Everhart inherited her aunt’s home…it couldn’t have come at a better time for her, but it could have come as a more maintained condition…and without strings (Hunter MacKenzie) attached!

This small town romance was so enjoyable! I loved the banter, the relationships that formed, the backstories, the town characters, the broody veteran hero, the small town setting…sigh. Such a wonderful storyline!

Debbie Mason has always been an author I have “gone to” when I need an enjoyable “lighter” romance novel. She does it here once again. Abby was slightly annoying to me, but other than that I really enjoyed Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge! 4.25 stars.

Her writing style draws you in to a story. I laughed out loud , cheered on Abby, yelled at Hunter, and thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hunter and Abby seem like the most unlikely of couples, doomed from the start, but somehow it works.

Abby's background has shaped her into the woman she's become. She's strong, determined, optimistic and vulnerable. Hunter doesn't want to be attracted, yet when he hears her life story he can't help but feel the pull. He fights it and when his family comments on the changes in his personality, he realizes she's the best thing that's happened to him in a long time.

Fate plays a hand and a prediction appears to be coming true. Hunter's not sure if he can deal with the consequences. You'll have to read it to find out the fate of this unusual couple.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

I have to be honest: I did love Abby right away. My original impression was that she was yet another damsel in distress who is in over her head and has to be rescued. But the upside to this impression is that I got to know her alongside Hunter....and that was a lot of fun. It turns out Abby is an incredibly complex, deep character who just tries to project a certain image, which often ends up coming back to bite her....sometimes literally.

And Abby needs to be complex, because Hunter is a whole lot of layers and complexities, wrapped up in one handsome, rugged package. I immediately liked Hunter, I think it's because we get such a good look at him and his inner struggles right off the bat. He is a fantastic character, and he only gets better as you learn more about him.

Highland Falls is such a great setting. It's described so beautifully that you just want to go visit so you can take in the beauty and visit all of the wonderful businesses. And it's full of fantastic side characters who really help Abby and Hunter and really help move the story line along.

Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge is a fantastic summer read. I totally recommend it.

A sweet contemporary romantic tale
Abby Everhart has been the victim of a cheating spouse and a rotten friend. Her girlfriend wanted Abby's husband and didn't stop until she not only got him, but destroyed Abby financially.
She received salvation when an aunt she didn't know left her property, now she didn't have to live in her car anymore.
She was expecting much more than she got, her property needed a lot of work and came with strings, she didn't get it all. Hunter who looked like a gorgeous lumberjack inherited some of the property. He is dealing with a case of PTSD and likes to be left alone. She couldn't afford to fix it to sell, her original plan, and he couldn't afford to buy it.
Together Hunter and Abby not only improved their lot, they helped others in the town and she beat the little witch at her game with the help of her new friends.
Ms.Mason's characters are a delight, her scenes so well described they pop right into your mind. The huimor adds a wonderful touch to a well thought out tale. I highly recommend it.
I requested and received a NetGalley Arc to peruse and offer my opinion freely.

Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge by Debbie Mason

What a fun read! I laughed and cried, at this novel. I found the lead female character a hoot! Abby Everhart knows how to restart and how to market herself and others. I loved to watch her work on finding solutions and work through them. Her background, which is slowly revealed, allows us to understand her grit and determination.

Abby Everhart is down down down on her luck. Her husband and his lawyer (i.e. new lover) have forced Abby out of her home and business. She is living on the streets, when the housekeeper lets her know about a lifeline. Abby immediately heads to Highland Falls and Honeysuckle Farm. She thinks she can sell it and be back to being an influencer, rich and famous in no time at all. Little does she know her path is a bit rocky.

Hunter MacKenzie lives there too. He came back from deployment changed. His family and friends know he is hurting, but he does not share. Abby however plows right into his life and before Hunter really “gets” it Abby is part of his life. From the beginning when he gets Abby out of the muddy pond and gets the leeches off her, his life will never be the same.

Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge by Debbie Mason is a great read. There is a great love story, fun characters, great story plotline and humor! This book is a fun read!!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.