Sophia Jones has just gone through a difficult divorce, and she isn’t financially stable. So she is open to accept any job offer she can get. This is the reason why she has agreed for a housekeeping job. She now works as a waitress and a cleaner.

And then there is Nate, a quiet and reserved writer. Although at the beginning it is mentioned that Nate is a quiet and reserved kind of guy, it is not true at all. He has agreed to stay at his brother, Gabe’s house in Wishington Bay while Gabe is away. Nate is trying to write a book while trying to cope with his recently broken marriage.

It is obvious from the beginning that Sophia is hiding something from her past which can potentially destroy everything she has achieved by living in Wishington Bay. The secret is not revealed until the end. And this kept me reading more and more.

The characters in this book are very likeable (except for a few), they have their own flaws and secrets. They are not perfect. And this makes them even more realistic. It is been 18 months since Sophie started to work as a waitress in Wishington Bay. She is hard-working, friendly, helpful. Everyone loves her except Corinne (a fellow waitress of Sophie, whom I happen to hate sooo much). I loved the conversations between Nate and Sophia. Now, Nate and Sophie get to know each other, as Sophie brought him meals and cleaned his house once per week as instructed by Gabe. And very soon they start to fall for each other. The characters have transformed positively throughout the book. And the ending proves it.

Overall, Winter at Washington Bay is a nice cosy and heart-warming story with friendship, love, second chances along with a dash of secrets which makes it even more interesting.

You can also view my review at - https://damselinthebookland.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/winter-at-wishington-bay/

I’ve read a book by this author before and loved it. I also particularly enjoy Wintery stories. This was just lovely and a very enjoyable read. The characters were great.

It's all happening in this 2nd book by Maxine Morrey set in the charming village of Wishington Bay. With events taking place in December the novel has a winter feel rather than.a full on Christmas theme but there are some Yuletide touches such as a Crimbo fair. The main characters are Sophia, the protagonist and Nate. Sophia is harbouring a rather large secret and brooding Nate, an Australian searching for solace in Wishington Bay is staying in a house where Sophia works as a cleaner. As time passes, the two develop feelings for each other. Winter at Wishington Bay is a lovely, easy to read novel which is perfect for reading on a dark, chilly night, sitting by a roaring fire. Very highly recommended. 😊

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my own unbiased opinion.

Seaside, romance - I'm sold. This book almost had me browsing eastate agent's websites to see where I could move to and be near the sea. I wanted my own coastline to saunter along and my own seaside community to be a part of.

This was a proper little fairytale book and a bit too much for me.
Nothing wrong wit it, it just wasn't for me

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an early review copy.

A stunning location for a book, one where you I can't help but want to live their yourself.

In her 18 months living in the bay, Sophia has forged a really lovely, low key life. She works as a waitress and a cleaner, but neither of her employers has a clue about from her previous life.

So, it’s obvious that this the whole time Sophia is hiding something, that she’s not ready to reveal from her old life.

On the other hand there is Nate, someone who just wants to hide himself away and write his book.

You could relate to the characters in this book and they were very believable.

The way the various secrets were revealed I loved and also the way Sophia transformed her life.

Although it’s set in the winter, it’s not specifically a Christmas book, rather one that can be read with a mug of hot chocolate in front of a fire on a cold wintery night. It has many funny moments,

Sophia is rather accident prone - especially the scene with the Christmas tree, which was hilarious. So,Christmas does feature in it, but it’s not the prime focus.

Recommend it.

Sophia and Nate do not get off to a good start when she goes to greet him at the house after arriving from Australia. He appears to be the polar opposite of his lovely brother Gabe and Sophia being a kind soul is prepared to forgive and forget and help Nate to recover after his marriage has ended. Sophia is hiding a big secret about her past and I felt really sad for what she had endured.

Sophia is hardworking and kind and I took to her right away and she knows from experience that Wishington Bay can help to heal a broken heart. As she came here to escape herself. She is conflicted with her feelings about Nate and when their pasts catch up them both will they be able to overcome it and move on.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I loved the warmth that she exudes in her writing, and the wreath making workshop made me smile. This is the perfect book to curl up with on a great day like today and escape to the lovely village of Wishington Bay at Christmas time.

Heart-warming, poignant and addictive, readers are sure to fall in love with Maxine Morrey’s latest romantic page-turner, Winter at Wishington Bay.

Left with no choice but to walk out on her life, Sophia Jones had had enough eighteen months ago. Having unshackled herself from all the pain and misery, Sophia had forged ahead and tried to build a new life for herself from the wreckage of her past. Her new path has been fraught with difficulty and upheaval – her divorce is not exactly amicable and money is rather tight, but when she is offered a housekeeping job, Sophia feels as if she has been offered a lifeline. Wishington Bay could well provide her with the fresh start she has been searching for and with the happiness which she thought she would never experience ever again…but only if she is brave enough to take it.

When his brother Gabe offers him the use of his home in picturesque Wishington Bay, Nate McKinley cannot help but be slightly hesitant and apprehensive. However, Nate has a book to write, a deadline to meet and a desperate desire to keep most people at bay, so he is not exactly in a position to refuse his brother’s offer. Recovering from a broken marriage, Gabe is not remotely interested in romance, however, when he meets Sophia the two strike up a tentative friendship that quickly leads to something far deeper than either one of them was expecting…

Sophia had put all thoughts of romance and relationships behind her, but the more time she spends with Nate, the more she finds herself falling head over heels in love with him. Nate has made her the happiest she has been in a very long time, however, the shadows of her past have managed to find her, even in Wishington Bay. When a colleague threatens to expose her and blow her cover, Sophia thinks that all this happiness might end up slipping from her grasp. Could Nate possibly contemplate having any kind of a future with her? Will they be wrenched apart just when they have finally found one another? Or will Wishington Bay end up making all of their dreams a reality?

An emotional love story packed with warmth, humour and intensity, Winter at Wishington Bay is a tale of renewal, hope and healing that touched my heart and made me laugh out loud. Maxine Morrey never fails to deliver a captivating read that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages and Winter at Wishington Bay is certainly no different.

Nate and Sophia’s love story is a powerful, witty, dramatic and uplifting tale about learning to trust, letting go of the past and looking to the future that readers will struggle to put down. Wishington Bay is described so vividly and beautifully and it’s full of such lovable characters that I would love nothing more than to escape to this enchanting place – such a shame it’s only fictional!

A top-notch read from a terrific writer, Maxine Morrey’s Winter at Wishington Bay is top drawer romantic escapism at its finest!

I would just like to say a very big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for forwarding me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This is the second book by this author to be set in the gorgeous little village of Wishington Bay and also sees the welcome return of some familiar characters. Even though this book is part of a series it can still be read as a stand alone.
This book is wonderful and Wintery, a little bit Christmassy, full of drama and with a sprinkling of romance.
It is such a lovely story - perfect to the run up to Christmas, or any time really. I loved everything about it and the storyline kept me engrossed all the way through. I would highly recommend.

This is Sophie’s story. With little money and an ongoing and difficult divorce, Sophie headed for Wishington Bay 18 months ago and picked up a cleaning job for her friends Holly and Gabe. Holly asks her to keep an eye on Gabe’s brother who has arrived from Australia and so begins a little bit of Chemistry. But Sophie has a secret, and it could ruin everything.
One of my favourite tropes in romance is where a grumpy grouch softens with some TLC from a love interest and this story has just that. I loved watching Sophie and Gabe develop chemistry and how Gabe becomes less irritable and we see the real side of him. Both protagonists have baggage that needs unpacking and Sophie is holding something back which adds a little will they, won’t they to the plot.
Even in the freezing cold winter, Wishington Bay is still a healing and cosy place. I hate the cold but reading this made me want to wrap up warm and go walking by the sea. The inhabitants are as friendly as ever, (mostly) and I love the friendships that the characters have.
This is a charming, feel good novel with a stunning setting and some good friends inside. I am really hoping we get the chance to visit Wishington Bay again.

You needn’t worry about picking up a festive read with this book. Morrey’s offering is not too heavily set at Christmas. There is a Christmas fair and a light switch-on but, actually, I kind of forgot that this was set in December. I was more focused on how cold it felt and spending winter by the coast!

As such, if festive reads are not your thing, or you want a “warm-up” read in preparation for December, then this should appeal. It is warming, cosy and full of love and I think this will delight many a reader. In my opinion, I don’t think there is anything new here; the story and cast of characters felt like types I have seen before.

The protagonist, Sophia, harbours a massive secret. At first I thought I had missed this background information because there is a previous book set here. However, it would appear that the first book focuses on absent Holly so you don’t really need to know the other story to enjoy this one. Eventually, more information is revealed to readers about Sophia’s background and I think this made her far more interesting as a result. In the beginning, I thought Morrey was making the story too obvious and similar to other romantic reads; Sophia’s past adds “juice” to the story.

Nate, brooding Nate, is a hunky Australian who is seeking solace at Wishington Bay. Estranged from his wife, he comes to the coast to recuperate. Sophia is the cleaner of the house he is staying in (which is a back-story I would rather not go into right now!), and, as time passes, they both have feelings for each other. However, as readers of this genre know, this is never going to be plain sailing.

The writer includes the typical bumps along the way but they did not really catch my attention until the massive crisis towards the end. It was here that I found the story most enjoyable. Maybe I was feeling a bit cruel because it was at this point that Nate and Sophia’s relationship was truly crumbling!

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy this story. Personally, I found it too obvious with not enough new ideas until the closing. I loved the Wishington Bay setting and the people that live there. I always like a read by the seaside and with the festive theme subtly running throughout, this became more of a delightful read.

I am definitely interested in returning to Wishington Bay. I wonder if having read the other book, I would have enjoyed this instalment further. However, coming to the Bay for the first time did not give me a feeling of having missed out; instead I felt intrigued to know what other escapades that Morrey has written about.

This is a loving, innocent read that is difficult not to feel comforted by it. Readers of this genre will not see anything new here but, on some occasions, this is the type of read that we all need.

With thanks to Boldwood books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in a series, but it can be read as a stand-alone, you won’t be lost of you haven’t read the previous book. This is such a lovely read, very festive and cheerful , great humour, characters and romance, a great festive read or just a winter one. Highly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I absolutely love a book that gives me the fells and that has this winter-y element to it. Why? because it's perfect to get cozy in the sofa, with the hot beverage of choice. That's what this book make me do.

This book is connected to "Coming Home to Wishington Bay" but from someone who hasn't read that one, I can tell you, that you can read this book with no problems. It can be read as a standalone.

I absolutely love the emotional aspect of the story and how that happened because of the realism of the characters. I loved Sophia and Nate. Getting to know them and learning all their secrets, see their relationship grow in this winter-time story. It definitely made me want to watch this book turned into a movie so I could yet again cozy up in the sofa.

There is drama and unexpected moments. There is love and friendship. There is healing and moving on. There is exciting moments and secrets. It's a story that I won't mind rereading int the future, just to warm up my heart again.

Overall, it was the perfect book for this winter, or any winter actually. The kind of book that will have you sigh and laugh and fall in love with the main characters. The kind of book that is a romance novel as one would expected, with all the amazing sauce on it, drama and love.

[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Maxime Morrey & Boldwood Books for the eCopy of this book, via NetGalley, and for allowing me to join in the fun and being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]

A wonderful whimsical wintery romance! This is the second book by Maxine Morrey to take place in the charming village of Wishington Bay. Sophia moved to the small village a year and a half ago to escape her previous life, taking a job as a server and a house cleaner. Nate, Gabe’s Brother, has retreated to the UK from Australia after a bad divorce. Gabe and Holly ask Sophia to keep an eye out on the broody soon to be bachelor. But Sophia was not anticipating such a grouch or for there to be such chemistry between the two of them.

This was such a lovely story - definitely Christmas light. Sophia and Nate were both complicated characters with some baggage. Sophia has a huge secret about her pass that she’s keeping from everybody in town, I was very curious to see what that was - although I’m not sure exactly why the big secret was so big? It was fun catching up with some characters from the previous book, especially Brian the dog! Another sweet small-town romance that left me smiling!

This book in emojis 🐶🎄🍜🧽🗝

*** Big thank you to Boldwood for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This is the first book I’ve read by Maxine Morrey and I enjoyed my visit to Wishington Bay. I did quickly realise that Maxine had set a book in the area before (Coming Home to Wishington Bay) but that didn’t stop me enjoying this story.

Sophia and Nate are both running away from heartbreak, and need to make new lives

The course of true love never runs smoothly, especially when jealous work colleagues and ex partners get involved. However, the majority of the residents at Wishington Bay are keen to help the two recent arrivals, and there is a four legged cupid involved too.

A lovely book to curl up with on a cold winter evening. My recommendation is to team this up with a mug of hot chocolate and a cosy blanket. And relax…

This is a Hallmark movie in book form... and Hallmark movies happen to be my guilty pleasure!

Sophia Jones loves her quaint life in Wishington Bay. She is a server at the village's best restaurant, lives above the cutest little gift shop, and has found great friends in her co-workers and neighbors. Eighteen months ago, Sophia walked out on her unhappy marriage with a cushy lifestyle and ended up on the coast where she quite literally ran out of petrol. Money is tight, but the magic of the town and her new-found "family" keep her afloat.

"Family doesn't always mean those you share the same blood with. You make your own family. And Gabe is a part of theirs - so that extends to you"

If that line doesn't fill your heart with tenderness, I don't know what will!

When Sophia takes on the cleaning of a friend's home for extra cash, an unexpected visitor shakes things up in her peaceful winter wonderland. Hunky Australian introvert Nate McKinley comes to Wishington Bay to escape his own messy divorce and work on his book in peace. He stays in his brother Gabe's home while he is away on holiday. Of course, that's the home Sophia has agreed to clean. Things start off rocky between Sophia and Nate: walls, walls, and more walls! But as those defenses slowly start to crumble, the two find comfort in each other's shared circumstances.

This book has all of the classic makings of a sappy love story: a meet-cute in every chapter, a jealous villain who tries to spoil things (in the form of a much younger, blonde, social-media-obsessed waitress!), and shocking secrets from the past. While some of the plot twists may borderline the realm of cheesiness, I found the predictability to be like a warm blanket. If you're like me and can't wait for the holiday marathon of romantic comedies, this book is for you!

Oh this was such a gorgeous book! I smiled, giggled and completely fell in love with the characters and story. Then the mention of Nate looking like Richard Armitage. Well, that was the icing on top of the cake. I think I was halfway in love with Nate myself 😉

Nate and Sophia’s first meeting was brilliant although maybe not the best first impressions of each other. With Nate being a little on the brooding side and Sophia ready to tell Nate exactly what she thought of him.

I really enjoyed how Maxine Morrey crafted Nate and Sophia’s story. The reader gets to experience a tentative friendship form along with seeing hints of a wonderful connection that just deepens with every interaction. Let’s just say I was rooting for them from the very beginning.

The setting in this book is another charming part to this story. There is a lovely community feel especially with this being a small town. I do have to mention that the book is a set over the Christmas period however it isn’t overly festive. So you could probably read this at any point in the year. Although let’s be honest this would be the perfect book to cosy up with right now.

There is friendship, love and romance throughout Winter at Wishington Bay. Along with a touch of drama and a sprinkling of secrets to make things even more interesting. I found this gorgeous story to be the perfect pick me up and I loved getting caught up in Sophia and Nate’s romance!

Wishington Bay is a magical place. The scenery is beautiful and the locals are welcoming and neighborly. A perfect place for people to fall in love.

I love the tenacious and genuine Sophia Jones. Her straightforward advice to the serious and quiet Nate McKinley is priceless and their amusing and teasing banter is hilarious.

Nate is a bit withdrawn at first considering his wife left him for another man, but it’s fun to see him come out of his shell with Sophia’s help.

As Sophia’s secrets are slowly revealed and someone outs her in the end, it’s a joy to see her confront her problems with finesse and grace.

As for supporting characters, my favorite is Flora who has Sophia’s back when her past comes back to haunt her. Ned and Eloise and Holly and Gabe are also great friends and employers who give her jobs with no questions asked.

Overall, I loved this feel-good story with charming characters and a lovely location that I would be thrilled to visit.

Thank you to Ms. Morrey for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

I’d define this as a cozy contemporary romance… it’s got a lot of the elements you’d find in cozy mystery like cutesy scenery and events, adorable animal characters - but is romance-based rather than a mystery. Yes, the heroine Sophia is hiding something, but realistically it’s just because she wants a quiet life, and considering the way it’s eventually revealed she was demeaned and diminished by both her family and then her husband, I didn’t blame her in the least.

Nate’s also in Wishington Bay to escape; with a book deadline looming and an extremely high maintenance not-quite-ex-wife to manage, it’s honestly not at all convenient for him to be unexpectedly attracted to Sophia, which is why he’s a complete grump to her at first. Soon the sparks of attraction are flying, though Nate doesn’t know Sophia’s secret. And we all know that keeping major secrets at the start of any relationship is the kind of bad idea that’s bound to come back to bite you.

This was fairly cute, but there were a few things that I found frustrating. The character Corinne seemed to have the same scene repeated about five times - she’d flirt with Nate, be rude to Sophia, repeat - and after the second time, I was thinking, enough already. Move on and tell a different part of the story. The story got a bit saggy in the middle because of that scene constantly getting rehashed; it would have been better to cut some of that and write some more in around the black moment, because honestly I think that, and the finale, were very much rushed through.

A sweet story in a lot of ways, I enjoyed that the protagonists were a little older - late thirties/early forties - and I liked the dynamic between the two of them. There was very little to dislike about either Nate or Sophia, they were two nice people who deserved to find happiness, but I also felt there wasn’t much real conflict in the story, which is why it fell a little flat for me. I’ll give it four stars.

Two divorcees find themselves in Wishington Bay, what will their story be like.. This is a well written novel and a pleasure to read. This is well worth the 5 stars that I am giving it.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review