Cover Image: Paradise Cove

Paradise Cove

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Member Reviews

Loved the story, but didn’t go in knowing how emotionally intense it would be. The series is great, and this one is definitely the most emotional one of the three. Loved Jake and Nora!

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Smart and funny. No drama. Super likable MC's.

I hadn't read book one in the series but was able to follow along with this one with no problem. I'll go back and read it. I'm a big fan of this author. Her books never disappoint me.

*ARC provided through Netgalley*

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I love discovering new to me authors and with this book, I've discovered the fabulous storytelling of Jenny Holiday. While this is book two in a series I never felt like I was missing something having not read the first book.

Dr. Nora Walsh has just moved to tiny Matchmaker Bay to get over a broken heart and her first meeting with Jake Ramsey found him helping her with an emergency. And so begins a friendship that slowly builds into so much more. I loved the slow build up between Nora and Jake. It fit their lives and this town. Which by the way, if the town has any say, these two will end up together.

I experienced so many emotions reading this book. Some things happened that I truly wasn't expecting and while it was hard to get through those pages, And because there are real life moments like this in this story, it made me love this book even more.

This is a true friends to lovers book and we're there for every minute of their friendship that turns to love. Now that I've read this book I definitely need to read the other two books in this series!

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Maybe it was just me, but this book rubbed me the wrong way. It was written well, so it wasnt that, it was some of the subject matter.

I hate <spoiler>underaged sexual experiences when the other person is an adult and no one condemns it. This is wrong and I cannot get past that. I also hate when you kill off a child.</spoiler> Both of these things bothered me a lot.

Maybe I could have gotten past that had the book not started off with the whole "omg, the guy has long hair" joke that never stopped.

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This was my first book by Jenny Holiday and it was a perfect book to read poolside in the hot Florida spring. She did a great job of mixing in romance and real-life struggles, such as grief. I'd highly recommend this for someone who enjoys romances (especially those with stream) but looking for something with a good plot and likeable characters. Overall it was a 3.5/5 stars for me! Thank you for the ARC and opportunity to review.

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Book #2 in the Matchmaker Bay Series - I wish I started at Book #1 because this was a great story.
It had a lot of heavy topics mixed with steamy parts and so many feels - BRAVO JENNY - you never disappoint in your storytelling and weaving together yet another fabulous tale. I want to start from the beginning and bring this on a beach holiday - this is a great beach read - but maybe pack a few tissues along the way ;)

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Jenny Holiday and Forever for providing me with an ecopy of this publication which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

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TW: cancer, grief, death of a loved one
CW: surprise pregnancy

3.5 - 4 stars, I can't decide

This is another 2020 galley I wish I had read sooner, LOL. I wasn't in the right headspace when I tried it the first time, though.

Anyway, I adore Nora and Jake! Friends-to-lovers is not really my favourite trope, but I enjoyed it in this book. I love how they became friends (and basically confounded the entire town since Jake has a rep of being the town mute/hermit lol) and how they bonded effortlessly.

The grief was a bit intense in this one, too. Jake's infant son died of the flu, and he lost his mother to cancer shortly after, so he was still messed up over it.

The only reason why I didn't rate this a solid 5 is because I'm still figuring out how I feel about (redacted)

Overall, it was entertaining and I finished it in a day. Checking out the other books in the series (especially Law and Maya's because what is going on with those two???).

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I enjoyed the second book in the Matchmakers Bay series and thought it was actually a lot stronger than the first. Nora, a doctor from Toronto, moves to the small town when offered an opportunity to have her student loan debts forgiven after working there for 2 years. (A program set up by the Canadian government to help rural and small communities.) Upon arriving she’s whisked away by Jake to help a woman who unexpectedly went into labor. Jake is quiet and stoic, but a lot of that seems to have to do with losing his baby son to the flu years before.

Nora and Jake hit it off really well. This book is incredibly steamy. But also their chemistry works outside the bedroom. That’s why it was so hilarious whenever they tried to deny their feelings for each other.

I think the one thing I didn’t like was that this book ended with Nora getting pregnant. I mean, it’s not surprising considering how much sex they had and that it was mentioned several times about them not wearing a condom. Like, that’s fine, I think the unexpected pregnancy trope just isn’t for me. I do think it’s funny how it was pretty much foreshadowed based on the first scene of the book. 😅

I love Jenny Holiday’s books and while I think this series just isn’t for me, I can see others loving it.

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This was a great cute book. I decided to read this one on a cold day when I wanted to feel warmer like I was on the beach. Jake and Nora have so much room to grow with each other and I just loved the immediate care and friendship they had.

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This was such an enjoyable read! I really loved the atmosphere of a cozy small beachside town, especially as this fictional town is located in my neck of the woods which never happens.

I loved both of these main characters and the relationship that they shared. The story exemplified how more than just a romance, true love involves being a best friend first.

Although this book deals with my least favourite trope (which caught me off guard), it made sense for this specific story and the author handled it well.

Overall, this was a sweet and cozy read but the story did have its fair share of steam.

Jenny Holiday is definitely a go to author for me and she never disappoints.

***Thank you to the author and Forever Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.***

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I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This was a typical Jenny Holiday beachy romantic fiction book. Good plotline characters and setting.

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Paradise Cove is the Matchmaker Bay Series book number #2 by Jenny Holiday. The first one is Mermaid Inn and I'm still finishing reading the series. I'll be back with my complete review soon. There's also a book number #3 called Sandcastle Beach that I'll be reading next. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

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Loved, loved, loved Paradise Cove!! This was my first read from the author and I loved her writing style and the story was lovely Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC

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Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday is the second book in the contemporary romance Matchmaker Bay series. As with a lot of contemporary romance series the theme to the series is the setting and the main characters will change with each new book so they all can be read and understood as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. There are little glimpses of previous characters in the series all throughout though for those that follow along from the beginning.

Matchmaker Bay is actually the nickname of the charming little Moonflower Bay, Ontario due to some nosey matchmaking residents. Dr. Nora Walsh is just coming out of a bad break up and has decided to move to Moonflower Bay and take over the medical practice for a few years before she heads back to the city.

Jake Ramsey is sort of the town recluse perfectly content to hide out in his remote cottage on the beach. However, when Jake does go into town he runs right into helping the new doctor with an emergency. As Jake and Nora’s paths continue to cross it becomes apparent to the town matchmakers that these two are meant to be together.

Having read both books in this series I can say for sure that I definitely have fallen in love with this charming beachy small town. I am always looking for cozy mysteries with quirky humorous characters and here I have found a contemporary romance with this older quirky crowd so I am all in for it. It has also been wonderful to find that the main characters in each were incredibly likable too and this book had all the feels learning their stories. Definitely continuing onto book three now!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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It took me a year to read and review this book, but here I am! Having finally read it, I shall now review it. Verdict: I liked this one a lot!! It's pretty classic small town romance: big city doctor moves to small town where she meets a monosyllabic, Aquaman-like guy who she instantly clicks with. You know, he never talks to anyone but he'll always talk to her. Think Luke Danes with more hair and fewer angry rants. Add in some meddlesome town elders and you've got Paradise Cove.

The thing that sets this book apart for me is how it handles grief. And there is a LOT of grief for the characters to work through here. I think Holiday handles different aspects of death and grieving with utmost compassion and gentleness. She makes a point, I think, to never have either MC "healed" by the other. Love does not conquer all--but it can make some things easier to bear. And although it's not included on-page, several characters mention/encourage going to therapy.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I'll be picking up more.

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I put this one off for a long time because I heard that it was so intense. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, and the town and other characters... but the poor communication and hang ups around grief, etc. with the main characters were hard for me at the middle and end of book. It was just weirdly heavy and light, it didn't quite work for me. The humor and their light relationship didn’t fit with all of the situations for me, I felt like there should have been more angst. I dunno. It was ok, I was just hoping to be blown away. I still like the town and I definitely want to read the next book.

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I received an ARC of this novel from Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for my review. If you love small town love stories like you find on the Hallmark Channel, you will love Jenny Holiday novels. She always has a great community of characters who really support each other and always come together for the greater good. Paradise Cove is part of the Matchmaker Bay series. It can be a stand-alone novel, but I always enjoy reading an entire series. In this story we have Dr. Nora Walsh who has just dumped her cheating boyfriend and has taken a job in Matchmaker Bay as a place to heal and start to make different plans for her life. Nora meets the man-mountain that is Jake Ramsey. Jake is also taking time to recover from devastating loss in his life. Neither Jake or Nora are interested in finding love again, but when you live in a town called Matchmaker Bay, how long will that last. This is a hopeful and well-written story. Loved it!

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I loved this book. Really strong, wonderful characters, whose romance fascinated and surprised me at times. I love how Jake and Nora are able to talk to each other about really difficult things, which I have found tricky in other romances. They just felt really real, balancing out the more fantastical elements of the book (Jake can fix everything! it's the most perfect cutest town ever!), which I also love!

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This was a lovely romance. Dr. Nora Walsh leaves her big city practice to take on a practice in tiny Matchmaker Bay. She’s getting over a romance, maybe the name of her new town should have hinted at things to come! The characters were charming, and I read the book in a day. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Paradise Cove included a trope that I know some people don't care for, but I actually quite enjoy (because I've experienced myself in real life multiple times) and so I was all in for it. I also really loved seeing Jake get an HEA after all of the heartache he endured - I loved how Nora got him out of his shell in a way that so unobtrusive and natural. The way they their friendship developed and morphed into something greater was wonderful to see. I'm beginning to love the inhabitants of this little Canadian town by the sea and I look forward to seeing how they meddle, cope, and fall in love as the series continues. 4 out of 5 wine glasses.

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