Summer on Moonlight Bay

This is book 2 in a series and I have not read the first book. IT easily can stand alone. It is well written though I have not read this series before. It was an interesting story though more on the serious side and it is full of religious aspects and has a religious tone as Lia is an assistant when she was in the military to the chaplains and she comes to town to work with the towns new pastor.

Lia is ex military and when she comes to town she finds an injured dog and that is how she enters Noah's orbit. Noah is a Vet and he is in town to grab his mom and sister and take them to the city he lives in. He hates the town he grew up and has shall we say daddy issues.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters and visiting this island town. It is a fast and easy read and features a very cute dog.

Noah and Lia were amazing. Hope Ramsay really knows how to tell a story. Loved this book and couldn't put it down .Another winner with a great cast of characters. The theme is pertinent to today and the romance was sweet.

I had not read any books by this author, and when given the opportunity, I decided to give her a try. I am so glad I did.
The story centers around Lia DePalma and Noah Cuthbert. Lia recently left the Navy and is traveling to the hometown of the chaplain she was assigned to protect, and Noah is in town to move his Mom that has MS and his young sister to Charleston, where he can take care of them.
One is looking to find stability and a home while the other only has bad memories and wants to leave as soon as he can take his loved ones away.
As the story progresses, we realize it’s a story about how the incidents that occur in our childhood do in fact mold us as adults. That sometimes what we assume is not always true, and that we need to face our past in order to really live our present and our future.
It’s a story that at times is heartbreaking and at others heartwarming. A story about the ins and out of small time living and the characters that make that town.
It’s also a story about finding that inner peace and love.
This is a very well written story with complex characters that will engage you from the momemt you open the book. I am looking forward to more stories by this talented author.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Forever. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Hope Ramsay blew me away with book 2 in the Moonlight Bay series. Summer on Moonlight Bay was the perfect small-town romance with a great set of characters. The story was vulnerable, uplifting, and charming.

The story begins with us meeting a woman who just left the Navy to settle down in a quaint town. Lia has lived a certain lifestyle for 15 years and is looking for a change. She heads to Moonlight Bay, a town she always heard about. On her way to the small-town, she rescues a dog after it was hit and left abandoned on the road. She meets the infamous Noah Cuthbert.

Noah is a charming vet that is smart, attractive, and stubborn. He grew up in Moonlight Bay but has made it his mission to stay away from the town in his adulthood. He reluctantly visits to take his mom and sister back to his home. When he is called in to the vet clinic to help an injured dog, his plans change.

The chemistry between Noah and Lia is electric. They don't get off of the right foot, but once they start seeing each other for who they truly are there is mutual respect. Lia doesn't have a place to stay so offers up her organizing talents in exchange for a place to stay. This is just temporary since she is looking for a job at the local church with her best friend and new Reverend Micah.

The journey Lia and Noah go through is complicated especially with all the local gossip. To see them open up and speak their truth was moving.

One of my favorite parts of this story was all the characters. Not only did we get to read about Lia and Noah's story but the background characters were lovable. Abby, Grant, Micah, Ashley, and Prince were just fabulous. I loved that Hope Ramsay gave all these characters a true story that could intertwine and mold into one story. It was original and refreshing.

The familial aspect was another reason why I adored this book. Family was so important to the characters, but it doesn't mean it didn't come with bad memories. Some of these memories were so relatable and honest, that gave it a realistic feeling to the story.

Overall, this was a great read about moving on from your past, the importance of forgiveness, and opening up oneself to love.

I give Summer on Moonlight Bay 5 stars. It was one of my favorite reads this summer. When I read the acknowledgments at the end of the book, I fell more in love with the story. I could feel the pain, love, and dedication that Hope Ramsay wrote with. I highly recommend this book to everyone who appreciates the ups and downs of falling in love, small-town gossip, and loves pets.

Although second in the series, this can be read as a standalone book. Lia and Noah are an unlikely couple so meet under unusual circumstances, but somehow it all works out. There's laughter, romance, spousal abuse, and family issues addressed in this story with two love stories. It somehow all flows and was a great read!

One disappointment is that there was no extra story as advertised. It shouldn't be included in the description if not being sent to readers!

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

This is an author I’ve read for years, and I know I can count on her for a delightful, heart-warming, small-town romance. She hasn’t disappointed me yet, and this second book in the Moonlight Bay Series, set in a place near to my heart, the South Carolina coast, is another beautifully crafted story. With just the right amount of detail and color, the setting is realistic, vivid and full of life, setting the scene perfectly.

Lia DiPalma has been on the move all her life. She’s no longer a part of the family she’s been with the longest, the US Navy, and finds herself headed to the small town of Magnolia Harbor on the coast of South Carolina. Her Commanding Officer, Chaplain Micah St. Pierre, always spoke fondly of his home town, which piqued Lia's curiosity. Micah now has a church of his own in his home town and Lia hopes to convince him to hire her as the church secretary. She's loyal, compassionate, organized and intuitive – all things that can be helpful to him in his parish.

Before Lia can even make it to town, she finds an injured puppy and takes him to the town's veterinary clinic, only to find it's not open because they don’t have a doctor. But the kind older lady who answers the door calls her grandson, Noah Cuthbert, a veterinarian visiting from Charleston, to treat the puppy, and Lia and Noah's first meeting is less than positive. Noah is only in town long enough to move his mother, who has MS, to Charleston so he can take care of her. He swore he wouldn’t return to Magnolia Harbor for anything more than a short visit, but he finds himself agreeing to work at the clinic temporarily, with Lia as his office manager until the church board decides on the secretary position.

As is typical with this author, this story is so much more than a romance. With small-town quirks, well-intended scheming, broken family bonds and secrets that come to light, it’s a story of courage, determination, growth, forgiveness, healing and finding home. I adored these endearing, authentic characters and felt a part of the story as I watched Lia and Noah mend, self-actualize, find forgiveness and love. If you’re looking for a poignant, heartwarming, inspiring read this summer, look no farther.

*I read an early edition of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide feedback and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source.