Windswept Way

Hope Harbor is a fictional town on the Oregon Coast and it is one of those places where everyone knows everyone else and newcomers are quickly assimilated into the warp and woof of the town, because that is what the native residents do, they accept.  Windswept Way is the newest novel  in this series by Irene Hannon.  Some authors' writings become trite and trope-ish the further they go into a series.  Irene stays fresh.  It's inspiring.  Also, Irene didn't use the "Romance Novel Formula" in writing this book 

This particular book is a bit of a Beauty and the Beast vibe with a scarred vet and a beautiful woman who has a few inner scars that don't show to the outside world.  This book has much to recommend it. There are characters from previous novels in the series, but their stories are not necessarily integral to this particular tale.  The setting of an old Victorian home right on the coast is just magical.  Ashley is a woman everyone would love!  She is able to see beneath the surface and find the real person there.  She is good at drawing out the reclusive Rose into a more public persona.  I absolutely loved how Irene wove the rumors of a haunted house into Rose being the eighty year old instigator of the rumor.  It was a touch of humor that was unexpected, but, oh so welcome!   Jon is a great protagonist, well-educated, and talented.  His heart of gold is revealed in the fact that he hires ex-cons in his landscaping business, believing everyone needs a second chance. 

Jon's sister, Laura, and Ashley's mother are two characters I liked least.  Laura's match-making and Ashley's mother's elitism are both turn-offs for me.  But that is the role those particular characters were meant to fill and they did it well. 

There is a realism in the way the weather plays a part in the novel and creates a bit of tension to move the plot along.

This is a hard book to put down and do other stuff.  But other stuff will always be there, the time to read is always right now!  😍

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and an old Victorian House on the coast for your next event.

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.