Rose Harbor in Bloom

July 1, 2013
Jo Marie Rose continues to harbor struggling guests in her Cedar Cove inn while she works through her own grief. After learning of her husband's death in Afghanistan, Jo Marie bought a B&B in Cedar Cove and christened it The Inn at Rose Harbor. Settling into the charming community, becoming a first-class baker, and opening her home and her heart to guests have contributed to her own healing process, and she always feels especially connected to guests who are working through their own issues. She believes that the inn and the town offer sanctuary to anyone who needs it and is gratified when visitors seem buoyed by them. It's spring in Cedar Cove, and guests to the inn include Annie, a young woman who has recently broken off her flawed engagement, and Mary, who is fighting cancer and wants a last glimpse of Seattle and some important people who live there, including George, the only man she ever loved. As for Jo Marie, she has a few concerns this season, including the ornery handyman she works with and some difficult news regarding the husband she still mourns. Each woman will find strength and refuge in facing painful aspects of their pasts, and romance is in the air for Annie from the least expected direction. Mary faces an uncertain future but is heartened by some long-hoped-for reconciliations. And Jo Marie still finds peace in her home and business, even if her personal life lacks resolution. In the second of Macomber's Rose Harbor series, readers will find the emotionally impactful storylines and sweet, redemptive character arcs for which the author is famous. Classic Macomber, which will please fans and keep them coming back for more.

COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2013
The second book in best-selling Macomber's Rose Harbor series is set in Cedar Cove, the cozy Washington town on the Puget Sound that is the setting of many of her novels as well as that of a new Hallmark Network TV series. Jo Marie Rose, a recent war widow, has opened a bed-and-breakfast in Cedar Cove. She is testy with curmudgeonly Mark, the handyman who procrastinated in putting her rose garden in until too late for it to be ready for her big open house, when every room is filled. Mary Smith, frail, weak, and bald from fighting breast cancer, has a secret reason for wanting to be in Cedar Cove. The other guests are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Annie Newton's grandparents. Annie, a party planner getting over a broken engagement, is aghast to run into her teenage nemesisthe first boy she ever kissed. Then Jo Marie learns that it isn't certain that her soldier husband perished in a helicopter wreck. Macomber's legions of fans will embrace this cozy, heartwarming read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)