Rose Harbor in Bloom

Rose Harbor in Bloom
Debbie Macomber
Published: Random House. Australia
Date: September 2nd 2013
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary romance
Format: e-book
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Summary from Goodreads

Jo-Marie has started to feel at home running Rose Harbor Inn.  Now in memory of her late husband, Paul, she has designed a beautiful rose garden for the property and enlisted handyman Mark Taylor to make it happen.  Jo-Marie and Mark don't always see eye to eye, yet she finds comfort in his company.  While she still seeks closure (with the death of her husband Paul) she welcomes her latest guests to the inn.

Annie arrives in town to organise her grandparents' fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration.  But she is struggling to move on from her broken engagement, and her grandparents seem to be having a difficulty getting along.  But all the best parties end with a surprise and Annie is about to get the biggest one.

Mary has achieved incredible success in business, yet serious illness has led her to face her sole regret in life.  Almost nineteen years ago, she ended her relationship with George, and now she has returned to Cedar Cove to make amends.

My thoughts:
In this second book in the series, set in time over about four days, we meet some interesting characters and tension abounds.  Much of this tension lies with what has been going on previously in the characters' lives.

There are three main story lines and the book switches from one to another, of course just at the moment when the reader wants to know what happens next! And groan, we have to wait!  However very quickly Debbie Macomber has us engrossed in another set of characters' stories.

The main character is Jo-Marie, who is now well into the groove of running her inn, she is in for a few bumps in the road in this book but comes through them wiser and stronger.  She has no little help from her delightful dog Rover, he appears to know just the right thing to do and be in every situation.  Who wouldn't like a pet like Rover!  Jo-Marie's friendship with Mark progresses, I was sorry we did not get his POV, as I am sure he has a back story that makes him think and act in the way he does.  I suspect as this series develops we will be let in on the secret!

I liked Mary and George's story, the question for me was - had Mary learned anything from her previous life experiences?  Her reasons for being back in this area of the country were foreshadowed as the book moved along, so it was with some knowledge that the reader realised that George was likely to be in for a few surprises.  I liked George and was strongly applauding some of his actions.

The third storyline of the fiftieth wedding anniversary for the Shivers set up by their granddaughter Annie also held my interest.  It provided some tension and some humour.  I liked the old couple and Annie's relationship with Oliver was fascinating.  I liked him because he was planning a trip to Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands!  Obviously knows a thing or two, does Oliver!

Rose Harbor in Bloom is a feel good, entertaining read that captured my interest all the way to the end. I am looking forward to the next one in the series.