Matchmaker Bay, Book 2.

When Dr, Nora Walsh comes to the small community after being dumped, she figures that taking over the medical practice on the small town will help her heal..

Jake Ramsey lives in a beachfront cottage and is content be a hermit.

Until he meets Nora. The small down matchmakers see a potential "couple" with Nora and Jake. Are they right?

Fun flirty book. This series is one of my favorites.

Wow, oh wow - did I like this book! I hadn't read book one yet (The Mermaid Inn) so I read it real fast before I started Paradise Cove. I THOUGHT I liked The Mermaid Inn, but I feel this book blew The Mermaid Inn out of the water (get it?).

This book is about Jake, the broody man from The Mermaid Inn. In the first book, we learned that Jake was divorced and his infant son had died of the flu. Ever since Jude's death, Jake had basically turned into a sulking mute. He didn't speak much, but everyone in town knew he still had a caring heart.

Nora was the new town doctor moving from Toronto to take a two year assignment at the lake. This would give her the opportunity to get her life back on track - she had just broken up with her 5 year boyfriend (another doctor who happened to be cheating on Nora with a first year resident), she had a mountain of med school debts left to pay and her Grandmother was overcoming cancer. She was exhausted, but she also knew she needed this time to basically get her life in order and hit the reset button.

Jake was swoon worthy for sure. He is a book boyfriend to dream about - he had such a big heart that it made you want to just cheer for him nonstop (except that one time when he reacted very badly - I seriously wanted to hurt him then, but everyone is allowed one mistake, right?).

Jake & Nora's story is so sweet. This was an easy read that I enjoyed very much. I can't wait to read Myra & Law's story in 2021.

This ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

A sheer delight. I love Jenny's writing, and this book doesn't fail to deliver all the swoons! I may dive in for a re-read this summer on the beach!

This review will appear closer to the release date; links and GR info will be updated then.

Paradise Cove (Matchmaker Bay #2)
Grade: B

Saving the CEO, the first book in Jenny Holiday’s 49th Floor series, was one of the very first contemporary romance novels I ever read. Since then, my history with Holiday is mostly hits, and a few misses. Which makes it rather fitting that I’m on the fence grading Paradise Cove, the second book in her small town Matchmaker Bay series. I enjoyed the romance, principal characters, and their small group of friends, but the setting - oh so twee Moonflower Bay, and straight out of central casting small town, meddling, “matchmaking” secondary characters - nearly sabotages this deeply emotional second chance love story. (Friends, maybe I don’t like the small town trope?) I didn’t read the first book in the series and had no problem reading Paradise Cove as a standalone, but fair warning, while Paradise Cove is a mostly uplifting and heartwarming story, it also delves into some emotionally heavy subject matter - cancer, depression, loss, and grief.

When Jake Ramsey and Dr. Nora Walsh first meet, there’s a spark of attraction that catches them both off guard. Nora, a former Emergency Room doctor in Toronto, has just relocated to Moonflower Bay. After catching her partner in bed with a much younger resident, she decided it was time for a change. She’d responded to a classified ad in the Ontario Medical Review . . . and here she was. New town, new specialty, new life. She popped into the Curl and Dye Salon on a whim for a root touch up, and was delighted to discover they could fit her in and they had her hair color. When CJ, her stylist, asks her how she ended up at the salon that day, Nora mentions she’s taken over the medical practice, quickly adding that she only plans to stay in Moonflower Bay for two years - to find herself - but she doesn’t mention that. She also isn’t looking for a relationship or a new man, but it doesn’t mean she can stop staring at Aquaman’s twin, er, the big, handsome, long haired man sitting across from her, who CJ introduces as Jake Ramsey.

Jake Ramsey lost his infant son Jude (flu) and his mother (cancer) in the span of six months, and since then, he’s struggled to get past the grief that often overwhelms him. Divorced, single, quiet and reserved, Jake spends time with a close knit group of friends, working at his carpentry business, and alone at his beach cottage. He doesn’t date or ogle attractive women. But he can’t stop sneaking glances at this one - who showed up at the beauty salon while he was getting his weekly wash and trim, with her elfin features and short platinum hairdo - or eavesdropping on her conversation with his friend and stylist CJ. When Dr. Walsh confesses that she’s arrived in Moonflower Bay with little more than the clothes on her back, he suspects there’s more to her story than she’s willing to tell, and when she mentions that she rented Harold Burgess’s old place sight unseen, he makes plans to pay her a visit and check it out for himself. Harold’s other rentals are poorly maintained and he suspects Harold’s former home isn’t in much better shape. Jake isn’t sure why he’s suddenly so interested in the health and welfare of a complete stranger, but he is.

When Jake and Nora keep running into each other, and he keeps insisting on fixing up her rental, Nora initially demurs. But Jake is friendly and persistent - just like most of the other residents in Moonflower Bay, and before long he becomes a familiar presence at her house. They bond over pizza dinners on the newly repaired back deck, and Nora finds herself quickly assimilated into Jake’s small and lovely group of friends. Jake is surprised by how easy it is to talk about Jude with Nora, and if he’s honest with himself, he’s attracted to her, too. When Rufus, Nora’s ex, pays a surprise visit and asks her to take his dog (his new girlfriend is allergic), Jake quietly offers his support when she takes the dog and then kicks him out. Later, she tells him about the end of her relationship and realization that she’d lost herself. When she’s forced to move after Jake finds mold in the walls, he finds her a room at the local Mermaid Inn, owned by Sawyer’s girlfriend, Eve. Their burgeoning friendship doesn’t go unnoticed, but Jake and Nora ignore the local matchmakers. They’re just friends (in lust)...until Nora finally can’t take it anymore. She asks Jake if he wants to have sex. He’s surprised, but friends, he does. Like, immediately. So they start secretly having sex. Lots of it. And getting all the feelings. All the time. Uh oh.

Predictably (because this is a romance novel), being best friends, spending lots of lovely time together, having lots of passionate sex, leads to relationship problems. Both Jake and Nora keep reminding themselves they don’t want one - except they’re in one, and they know that, too. When Nora gets a not unexpected call from her sister that their grandmother, battling cancer, is close to death, she drops everything and goes to Toronto. Jake misses her - desperately. Nora misses him - desperately. And when she returns to Moonflower Bay and turns to Jake for solace, it marks a turning point in the affair.

As someone who lost a baby and struggled afterwards, I appreciated Holiday’s deft, sensitive handling of Jake’s devastation and grief and his inability to deal with both. I sought help; he didn’t - and that is the crux of the problem in Paradise Bay. Jake equates personal happiness with disloyalty to his son, and until he meets Nora, he’s managed to live a life mostly devoid of joy. He can’t do that with Nora, so he withdraws from her altogether. Nora, who knows Jake still struggles with Jude’s death, can’t know about the waves of grief that still swamp him (he’s hidden it from her) - or that their last long weekend together triggered a relapse. Rejected by Rufus, healing from the death of a beloved grandmother, and surrounded by new friends who love and support her, Nora - true to character - cuts her losses, decides the affair is over and moves on with her life. She’s practical, capable, smart, and unwilling to let a man dictate her life choices, and although those are all good things, they preclude her from following her heart. Holiday carefully, cleverly constructs her story based on the versions of Nora and Jake they show each other at the start, and since we know that foundation is shaky - Jake hides his depression; Nora pretends she hasn’t found a home and family in Moonflower Bay - it’s no surprise when they balk and then quit at the first hurdle. Fortunately, Jake reaches out for help from an unlikely ally, and Nora finds support and solace from her friends. These found families help them see their future through a different lens, and sparks a happy reconciliation. I hated the last minute twist that ends their silent stalemate - I HATED IT, but since Holiday is a bit heavy handed foreshadowing the possibility early on, I can’t say I was surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised.

Paradise Bay starts off as a small town romance much like any other, but Holiday refreshes the trope with a second chance love story that’s deeply moving, heartwarming, and sexy. Holiday fans will be well-pleased.

I've loved Jenny Holiday for a while now. Her books immediately go on my must-read list. But now I love her even more. Why? Because she took a trope that is normally something I despise, I have legit dnf'ed books that go with this trope, and I still loved this book. That's saying something.

I genuinely adored this book, both before AND after the story moved into said trope at the end. At one point, about 25% of the way into the book, I realized that I was sitting there with a huge grin on my face while I read. That's how much I loved this book.

Nora and Jake are fantastic characters. I immediately loved Nora. It's such a fun way we get to meet her and see how she sees the town. She's so interesting and well-developed and just such a strong character. And it's nice to get a deeper look at Jake, after his brief appearances in the first book in the series. He is so detailed and complex, I feel like it's rare to find such a well-thought out male character.

And it's so nice to be back in Matchmaker Bay! I loved this town in the first book, with it's quirky cast of loving and meddling side characters. It's fun to revisit people like Pearl and Law and even better to get to see a new side of them as Nora meets them and starts to care about them. This town has a very Gilmore Girls feel to it, which I could not love more.

I will definitely be telling everyone to read this book.

I have a feeling NetFlix or another streaming service will be grabbing the Matchmaker Bay series for a TV show soon!
If you enjoyed the Virgin River series, you will also like Paradis Cove. Set in Canada., Matchmaker Bay is an adorable little town, that you can't help but want to move there. Nora and Jake are both gong through grief and watching how they come together and grow just touched my heart. I'm a Hallmark movie addict and this book was right up my alley.
Now I need to read the 1st book in the series - Mermaid Inn!

Loved this one even more than the first in the series. A super deep and poignant romance that dealt with more than just the surface level issues you sometimes see in romance novels. I appreciated the distinct characterization of both leads. Can't wait to see what else Jenny Holiday has up her sleeve.

I liked it better than the first book in the series. As we already know the different characters at the town there is not as much information about them as in the first book (but nevertheless I think it could work as a stand alone, even if you don’t know anything about the universe).

If it's even possible, I loved "Paradise Cove" even more than Holiday's first in this series, "Mermaid Inn". Maybe it's the secretive and quiet way of Jake and the cute pixie Doctor Walsh, but they way they compliment each other and build each other up is beautiful! Dr. Walsh moves to the small town of Moonflower Bay to escape her troubles and have a life "re-set". But during her time in the town, she meets wonderful friends and falls in love with the town "Mute", who has hardly spoken a full sentence to anyone since the loss of his child and the crumbling of his marriage several years previously. That is, until Dr. Walsh arrives and helps light a fire in him that he hasn't felt before. I love Jenny Holiday's writing and this book captivated me from the first chapter!

Having read Jenny Holiday's first novel in the Matchmaker Bay series I had high expectations for Paradise Cove and I have to say my expectations were shattered into next week. This novel was phenomenal. It was a beautiful storyline, with well written, believable unique characters and fun twists. It was a romance novel with a bit of an adventure built in.

Dr Nora finds herself in the small town of Moonflower Bay ready to serve as the town's new Doctor for the next 2 years. She gets a good idea of her new town within her first few interactions at the salon on day one. She also meets "Aquaman" aka Jake at the salon that first day. He ends up helping her with a few projects and a friendship develops.

Over time Nora develops a variety of relationships in town and truly becomes a part of the community. Of course the hijinks of the matchmaker bay crew unfold and Nora is thrown into a bit of romantic mischief care of the town elders.

Without giving away any spoilers know that the adventures, hijinks, romantic encounters, friendships and projects unfold to bring you laughter, tears, genuine care and sorrow for the characters involved. You will become invested and you will want to read the third book NOW!

Jenny Holiday is a one of a kind romance writer that truly connects character, story and reader.

Super cute friends to lovers trope. I love a good small town romance and Matchmaker Bay is the perfect setting in it! There are just enough characters to make it interesting but not too busy to track. However, while it is a great fast-paced book, I am not sure if it is super light and fluffy because Jake and Nora both have to deal with some heavy stuff, especially Jake. I am not good at casting characters but for some reason, while reading this book I kept picturing picturing Jason Momoa as Jake (prob because of all the Aquaman references) and Ginnifer Goodwin as Nora (mostly because she rocks a great pixie cut). Anyone else? Also, I don't remember The Mermaid Inn being so steamy but man this one was on fire! I am excited for Law and Maya's story next year, I think there will be lots of fun banter involved ;)

TW - loss of a child and loved one

this book is a light summer read. Nora is a new doctor in a smaller town, and quickly gets to know the different personalities in the town, including Jake who becomes her friend, but is very quiet to others. Jake' opens up about his past life experiences, and his bond with Nora grows.

Thanks to Netgalley for my free review copy!

I sat down to see if I was in the mood for this book and didn't found myself not moving till it was finished! This was my first book by Holiday but it won't be my last, I've already got The Mermaid Inn on hold.

I'm normally not a huge fan of the plot point the ending of this book revolved around but it worked perfectly for this story and these characters. I not only loved the main characters but the rest of the town was so fun and I can't wait to dive back into Moonflower Bay!

Oh man, I have been not so patiently waiting to go back to Matchmaker Bay after reading Mermaid Inn last year. When Forever posted this as a read now on Netgalley, I jumped on it and immediately devoured it. I was so excited to not only get to know more about Jake and his mysteriously mute self, but I was constantly fascinated by Dr Nora Walsh the new petite town doctor. The two meet at the local beauty shop. Dr. Hon wears a short platinum blond pixie and the quiet and intense man-god Jake rocks an Aquaman styled bun. But it was a good thing they met, when a woman goes into labor in the town square and Jake knows where to find Nora. The begin an easy going friendship. Their continued love for Hawaiian pizza and zombie movies resonated with me more than anything. I am constantly drawn into this series, the characters are so genuine and deal with issues of loss, cancer, and the reader is able to watch them work through their real life issues and fall in love. I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you so much to Jenny Holiday, Forever (Grand Central) Publishing, and Net Galley for this early ARC of Paradise Cove. This was the first Jenny Holiday book that I have read. Paradise Cove was a sweet romance, mixed in with heavy levels of wading through grief. I thought this was a sweet romance! I enjoyed the characters so much! I also loved the small town setting. The author did a great job of discussing grief and portraying one of the main characters going through waves of it! I will be going back to read Mermaid Inn!

I loved this book. It was a beautiful and emotional love story. I recommend this book, this series, and this author.

This is the second book in this series but it is a standalone. I absolutely LOVED this book. This was a feel good story from start to finish. I have read a bunch of books by this author and she really never disappoints. Her writing just brings you in. Jake and Nora have the cutest "meet cute" The author takes you in this roller coaster of a story. You laugh and cry and can't help but appreciate the little things in life after reading this story. Its about getting second chances in ways you never thought possible.If you like small town romance with interweaving characters and just an overall feeling of happiness after reading a book than this story is for you! I can't wait to read the next book!!!

Nora Walsh heads into the beauty shop in Moonflower Bay with a platinum colored pixie cut and sees a handsome man she compares to Aquaman. She has just moved to the town and plans to be the doctor at the town practice for the next two years. After Nora’s path crosses with Jake Ramsey more often, they begin a friends-with-benefits relationship with no hope of a future. How will they change each other? Will they become an actual couple?

This was the second book in this series, and I have loved them both. The way Holiday develops and reveals both Nora and Jake makes you love them both. I really enjoyed the way Jake opened up to Nora about his past. This book was an easy read and was well written!

Paradise Cove starts like so many small town stories — a big city doctor escapes to small town for a slower pace and cheaper cost of living and falls for a hunky local. But Jenny Holiday elevates the trope in a friends-to-lovers (and friends-with-benefits) story that’s funny, sexy, and deeply emotional.

Around town, everyone knows Jake Ramsey’s story. He lost a young son to the flu and his marriage crumbled in the aftermath. The grief is still overwhelming, and he’s known for being the guy who doesn’t say much. He and Dr. Nora Walsh end up meeting in the local beauty shop, and it’s the beginning of an unexpected friendship as she gets settled in town, and finds her new rental needs a lot more help than she thought.

They keep things low-key, knowing Moonflower Bay’s busy bodies never rest when it comes to matchmaking. Both Nora and Jake know what they want, and it’s not romance (mm-hmm). Once things heat up, they’re pretty combustible. It leads to an easily predicted conflict, but the overall arc (and character growth) for both characters is so good, I can’t be *that* mad at it.

I loved Paradise Cove. Holiday’s approach to small town and her directness about issues like mental health and feminism make this series one I want to come back to again and again. The good news is Maya and Law are up next <rubs hands together>.

I absolutely loved the first book in this companion series so I had pretty high hopes for book two... and I loved it even more! I need to get moving on Holiday's other books because damn. She knows how to write a low-drama romance!

Nora moves to Moonflower Bay to lease a family practice after a bad breakup in Toronto. She sets herself up there for two years as a way to escape and then move back home to buy a home with her sister. Meanwhile, Jake has been the strong, silent type around town for years, and the two hit it off right away. Everyone is surprised at how open he is with Nora - it's like something just clicks for them.

Jake and Nora had great chemistry throughout this story. It's a classic "I don't want a relationship, let's just be friends-with-benefits" that turns into more. I also enjoyed that this took place over a longer period of time so it felt like a really nice, slow progression of their relationship. Like I said, this is another book with a lower drama "black moment" that doesn't drag out due to miscommunication or something equally silly. Both of Holiday's books I've read so far have included logical "breakup moments" and conclusions, which is so appreciated. It also works so well when the characters choose to stay because it's what they've ALWAYS wanted in one way or another, instead of just sticking around for the man they fell in love with. 

This book has a trope that many people don't like but I don't want to spoil anything. I didn't mind it because it actually made sense given some other things that happened throughout the story.

I continue to love Moonflower Bay from a setting perspective. I've needed more books set in quirky small towns with meddling neighbors and friends! I saw who the next book is about and I am HERE FOR IT.