Herons Landing

March 12, 2018
A widower gets a second chance at love with his wife’s best friend in this predictable but sweet first book in Ross’s Honeymoon Harbor series. Seth Harper, a renovator of historic homes in the small Pacific Northwest town of Honeymoon Harbor, has spent two years mourning his wife, Zoe, an army nurse killed in a bombing in Afghanistan. When Brianna Mannion, Zoe’s best friend, leaves her chaotic job as a concierge in Las Vegas and returns to the quaint Victorian seaport town, she is reminded of her longtime affection for Seth, and he realizes that she may be the one person who could help him move past his grief. Seth is a likable and sympathetic protagonist whose emotional turmoil is convincing. Brianna’s intense emotions are overstated at times, but their history and steamy chemistry together make them a pleasing couple. The story is hampered by long-winded sentences and information dumps—Ross weaves in the rich history of the town, exhaustively introducing all its residents—but the dialogue is often natural and dynamic, and the main story is enhanced by a subplot featuring Seth’s separated parents. Fans of cozy small-town romances will be willing to read further in the series. Agent: Denise Marcil, Marcil O’Farrell Literary.

Narrator Ashley Klanac has a large cast of characters to portray in this audiobook. Seth Harper lost his wife to a suicide bomber. Brianna Mannion leaves her job as a concierge in Las Vegas to open a bed and breakfast in her hometown and hires Seth to renovate. Brianna has always been in love with Seth, even though he married her best friend. Klanac does not provide much variation in the characters' voices, making it difficult to follow who is speaking at times. She does project the grief that Seth is working through and the depth of emotion that Brianna is feeling for him. Klanac also effectively paints a picture of the small-town setting, including the inn that Brianna is renovating with Seth. S.B. � AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine