Autumn by the Sea

From the moment I started reading this beautiful book I didn't want to put it down for anything. From start to finish I felt connected to the characters, so wonderfully written and full of life. Autumn by the Sea balances mystery, love & family, and romance all in one. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a good happily-ever-after and a great swoon-worthy romance. I have loved every book I've ever read by Melissa Tagg, but this one is truly special. It will touch your heart. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series.

Having read all of Tagg’s books, I was looking forward to seeing what this new one would be like. I loved it! It has a whole different flavor from her other books. I think some of it is the setting – the Maine coast, blueberry farm, etc. The characters quickly became friends (which is true of her other books) and I wanted to know how things worked out for them. The mysteries to be solved felt a bit different from her other books – maybe a little more intricate? – and I’m eager to read the next in the series to continue finding out the solutions. I liked all the different kinds of love shown by the different characters and in the various relationships. I’ve really enjoyed all of Tagg’s books, but I think this one has quickly become my favorite.

#AutumnbytheSea #NetGalley

Great story! This book has plenty of tension, questions, laughs, smiles, chemistry, mystery, secrets, and love. It explores what makes a family, the importance of asking for help, and knowing when to let go. I love the characters, all the twists and turns, think Muir Farm would be a fun place to visit, and anxiously look forward to a return visit.

"Maybe there were times when her deepest desires were the echoes of divine whispers."

Since being introduced to the world of Christian fiction over a year ago, Melissa Tagg has been one of my favorites. I really thought it couldn't get any better than her Maple Valley series, but the first book in her Muir Harbor series has become my new favorite!

Autumn by the Sea introduces us to Maggie Muir and her 3 adoptive children; Neil, Lilian, and Indie.
Neil is the main focus of this book and is paired with the lovely Sydney Rose. From the moment they first meet you just known sparks are gonna fly! When Neil pulls out his Scottish accent......*swoon....I don't know how any girl could resist!!!

Autumn by the Sea is full of suspense, mystery, and sweet romance. The small cliffhanger at the end....I cannot wait for A Seaside Wonder to come out in January 2022!!!
If you're a fan of Melissa Tagg....I PROMISE you don't want to miss this new series!

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher via NetGalley. All expressed opinions belong to me.

A: Beautiful cover, amirite?! Tagg’s sister hand-lettered the title, too, and did a bang-up job!

B: A book set during autumn (my favorite season) has to be good, right? (It better. LOL. High expectations/hopes.) And enter a love interest a) from Scotland, and b) named Neil (I suddenly channeled Neil MacNeill from Christy; pardon me while I swoon), and … Houston, it keeps getting better!

Melissa Tagg is one author on my shortlist of “must buy/read everything they write.” Naturally, then, I leaped at the chance to read/review this–a new book and the first in a new series! Yay!

I conveniently hit the climax right during a bout of insomnia, so didn’t feel too bad about staying up past my bedtime to see how far I could get; while I did set it aside to enjoy finishing the next morning, I was thoroughly appreciative of new material to distract me from staring at the ceiling calculating how much sleep I wouldn’t be getting. :D

Tagg seamlessly weaves together romance, mystery, family, and hope in this release–and definitely queues up more books in the series quite nicely. Can’t wait to revisit Muir Harbor (and these characters) in subsequent books!

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I just love it when I discover an author who writes the way I like my books to read. Melissa Tagg sure writes well!

Autumn by the Sea is a most engaging and charming book, with likeable, believable characters, a loving family, sweet romance, beautiful setting (yellow house by the blue blue sea, wild blueberry farm and tree house!) and humor dotted here and there.

The spiritual elements are very very light here. But it's all right with me since I don't much read fiction for inspiration.

This title is the beginning of a series. Expect a twist at the end! We are introduced to some of the characters who will be the stars in the following books and I am looking forward to reading their stories!

This was a stunning and lovely story. The plot was well-paced, intriguing, and captivating. The characters were complex yet delightful. I can’t wait for more! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This is a brand new series by author Melissa Tagg. Melissa is known for her series which have a book based on friends or family of other characters. I like that this book has some meat in it and the characters are dealing with issues from their past and have baggage that hold them back. Melissa deals with this over the course of the book.

I'm looking forward to future books in this series as this book left me with unanswered questions. I feel that these questions will be solved in future books - which means I will need to practice my patient in waiting for the next in the series!

I did get this free in exchange for an honest review, but I think it would have been worth buying. It was a good length, good characters and a really enjoyable read.

I loved this book! It brought me joy and hope as I read about Sydney’s journey. She was looking for a family of her own, people she could love and who would love her in return. How delightful it was for her, and me as a reader, to see this wish come true.

There were humorous scenarios sprinkled throughout that were perfect to provide just the right amount of lightheartedness. Ms Tagg were two hilarious scenes that made me laughing and saying out loud, “Oh my! Poor man! ”.

I truly hope this is made into a movie because it is just.that.good! It has so many wonderful elements to it: a well written plot, faith in action, a selfless and giving mother/ grandmother, a beguiling Scottish hero, beautiful scenery, and love.

I am looking forward to the next book in the Muir Harbor series. If you enjoy reading books like Jan Karon’s Mitford series, you will be pleased to have found a new series to add to your reading collection. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A blueberry farm on the coast of Maine has been in the Muir family for generations. Neil MacKean is not officially a Muir, but under the custody of Maggie Muir since he was a child, he has poured his heart and soul into the farm, and now struggles to let Maggie know the depth of the financial hole the farm has found itself in. Maggie herself has become physically tied to the farm's property as she has been on a hunt for her adopted daughter's child since Diana's mysterious accident many years ago. Her latest search results have turned up Sydney Rose, who has come the farm with her own mystery of finding who her birth mother actually was, and hoping against hope to find her father as well. What she finds may be a surprise to everybody.

Oh, what a great start to a new series by Melissa Tagg! I love the Maine setting, on the rocky coast, with a blueberry farm and a small town with generations of history and mystery. I loved Neil and his adopted sisters, Lilian and Indi, with mysteries and secrets of their own. I did not expect there to be so many layers to this story, and I cannot wait to explore the depths of them in the books to come!

I give this book 4 stars - I was not expecting the central mystery to remain unresolved, but it gives me more incentive to watch anxiously for the next installment!

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, and I have gladly provided an honest review.

I first picked this book to read because I am a big fan of Melissa Tagg and the cover is absolutely stunning. Once I started reading, I fell in LOVE with the characters and the complexity. You can understand the characters, and the side characters actually play into the story, not just added in as filler. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and to figure out what happens to the sisters and Maggie!

Melissa Tagg is an incredible writer! This was a great story with very interesting characters and a setting that was amazing! I fell hard for Neil and his story (I loved that he in true Melissa Tagg fashion wore flannel!). His heart for the women of his family was admirable and realistic because you see him taking care of everyone but also getting frustrated at times. Sydney was a great herione. Her journey was really wonderful to see. I highly recommend this book!

"Autumn by the Sea" is the first book I've read by Melissa Tagg, and she has gained a new fan! This book centers around the Muir family: matriarch Maggie and her adopted children Neil, Indi, and Lillian. However, her grandchild Cynthia has been missing for years and Maggie will stop at nothing to find her. Far away in Chicago, a PI traces down Sydney Rose, believing that she might be this missing grandchild. When she arrives on the Muir farm, she learns what family really is and has a strong connection with Neil that continues to grow.

I really enjoyed not only the romance but also the mystery in this novel. I was really excited to discover that this book is the first in a series, and I will definitely be requesting the next book to read! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Author had me wrapped up in this book by the second chapter. I have read Melissa Taggs' books before but this story was definitely different from her other books and I absolutely loved it. The story was filled with unpredictable twists and turns with mystery and suspense added that kept me turning the pages . I didn't want to see the book come to an end but the writer skillfully left a few loose ends to carry over to the next book in the series. I like it when a book ends this way and I will be sure to read book two in January of next year. I liked all the characters because each one was important to the story. Romance was a part of the book too. Over all I thought Autumn by the Sea was an entertaining read and the cover was beautiful.
Sydney Rose was dropped off at a Foster care center by a woman who was thought to be her mother. Unfortunately no one adopted her so she didn't have a family growing up except her Foster parents. She had searched for and found the woman thought to be her birth mother but she was in hospice and died shortly after Sydney had gone to see her. So other than a friendship with a Foster brother that she seen from time to time Sydney was alone in the world. Then a Private Detective contacted her out of the blue informing her that a woman who might be her grandmother wanted Sydney to come to Maine to visit with her. Maggie Muir had been searching for her granddaughter for years ever since her daughter had died in a accident. But Sydney's birth mother had died years ago so how could that be? But Sydney had a picture she had taken from her birth mother and there were two other people in the picture too. On the back the names were written and one name was Maggie Muir's late daughters name. Is it possible that the woman who bought her to the Foster Care Center wasn't her real mother after all? Should Sydney make the trip to Maine to find out if she might be part of a family there?
I recommend this book to readers of Contemporary Romance and fans of Melissa Tagg. This is the first book of the Muir Harbor series. This book will be released on September 28th of this year.
I received a complimentary advanced reader's copy of this book from the Author and Publisher through NetGalley. A favorable review was not requested. All opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
#AutumnbytheSea#NetGalley

Autumn By The Sea
Melissa Tagg
September 28, 2021

Sydney Rose spent many years in Chicago wondering what it would be like to have a real family. As a toddler, she was abandoned. She went from one house to another in foster care. When eighteen and able to head out on her own she enrolled in college for one year. She took courses in technology to help her find a job. She worked as a waitress, saving her tips so that when the time came she would be ready. One evening while walking home to her tiny one bedroom apartment she noticed someone following her. In the restaurant she thought the man was stalking her, as busy as she was she blew it off. On the trek home she sped along and entered her flat, locking the door. He begged her to listen to him. He slid his PI badge under the door. Finally convincing her, she opened her door via the chain to hear what he needed to tell her.
On the coast of Maine we find Maggie Muir anxiously awaiting the investigator´s call. She lost her daughter in an accident. Her granddaughter, Cynthia was taken by child care services to try to locate relatives. None of the family were found and she was supposedly put into foster guardianship.
This is a wonderful story of the Muir Blueberry Farm. Maggie Muir lost her husband in the war. She adopted her children and raised them with love. The story begins with the introduction of Sydney Rose to the Muir family. It was planned that she would stay for 2 weeks hoping to discover information that would prove she was the missing Cindy Muir
I very much enjoyed this piece of literature and was delighted to learn upon finishing the novel that it continues with the Taggś series of the Muir Family. Autumn By The Sea is due to be published on September 28, 2021 by Larkspur Press. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Melissa Tagg´s latest book via NetGalley. It's a lovely story that many who enjoy comfort reads with characters that are a joy to return to. By all means pick this one up. Enjoy!

A Melissa Tagg book is always a treat! Autumn by the Sea was just such a treat and well worth the wait!

Tagg spins a tale so full of appeal and charm I knew I was in for a blissful reading experience. From the first meet-cute between Sydney and Neil to the final epilogue I was riveted to the mystery of Sydney Rose's identity. Sydney and Neil have great chemistry and their journey to a relationship was so adorably fun.

I loved everything about Autumn By the Sea, the characters, the family dynamics, the mystery and the autumn seaside setting that will have readers longing for sweater weather and walks in the woods.

Some of my favorite quotes:
*"Some love takes months or years to blossom. But some blow in like a storm over the sea, so fast and furious and wonderful it about bowls you over."
*"Sometimes a feeling is just a feeling. Other times it's a truth wrapped up in undeniable knowing."
*"Maybe there were times when her deepest desires were the echoes of divine whispers."

The theme of what makes a family, by blood or by choice, plays out so well in this heartwarming story. Well done Melissa Tagg!
I love Muir Harbor and can hardly wait for a return visit to read sister Indi's story in A Seaside Wonder. I appreciate the publisher and Netgalley making a copy of Autumn By the Sea available for review. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

What a captivating read, and now I can’t wait for the second book in this series.
Placing myself in Sydney Rose’s shoes, the wanting for a family, and now hopefully she has finally found one in the Muir’s.
Maggie Muir has searched for her granddaughter, and now at last, she may have found her. We are there there when Sydney arrives in Maine and also when she meets the rest of the family. Has Maggie finally found the right one? There have been others, and hopes shattered.
This story is filled with love of family, found and lost family, and maybe family. Such a great reminder not to take your own for granted.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Larkspur Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

Another winner from Melissa Tagg. This story of family and discovery is touching and sweet. The characters are imperfect yet endearing. Her meet-cute is hilarious and I love the way she's woven the threads of this story. Sydney and Neil grow in realistic ways throughout the story and I the writing is beautifully done-- like a painting you can stare at for hours. It has mystery, a great setting, and all the varied relationships. I'm looking forward to more in this series.