‘I have absolutely loved this book and been completely unable to put this one down… This is a perfect summer read… Absolutely gorgeous.’ Little Miss Book Lover 87, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Making her way up the cedar-lined driveway, tears fill her eyes at the sight of the cottage’s faded trim and peeling turquoise shutters. Taking a deep breath, she grasps the heart-shaped iron door handle and steps inside the … heart-shaped iron door handle and steps inside the once-happy childhood home she’s been avoiding. It is time to face up to the past…
When Emily’s fiancé walks out on her while she’s still grieving the loss of her family in a terrible accident, she escapes back to Hope Haven on the remote Dune Island, where her family vacationed every summer. Emily hopes that fixing up the house will also mend her broken heart, but the cottage holds more than just bittersweet childhood memories. Emptying her father’s antique writing desk, Emily finds a letter that reveals a devastating secret about her parents.
With a head full of questions that can never be answered, it seems like returning to the island was the worst decision Emily ever made… until she meets Lucas Socorro, saltwater dripping from his dark curls after a surf session. As they take long walks on the soft sand, and talk late into the firefly-lit night, Emily wonders if Dr Luke—as the kids in the hospital call him—could be the one to help her heal. With Luke holding her hand, delving into her family’s painful past is a little easier.
Painting the gloomy cottage walls the colour of seashells, and revamping her grandmother’s flea-market furniture, Emily starts to feel she might call Dune Island home for good—and that she could build that home right here with Luke. But when Emily’s family secret spreads through a network of local gossips, her fragile heart breaks all over again. Luke is the only one who could have started the rumours. Was she wrong to trust him so easily?
As the sun sets behind the dunes, Emily has a difficult decision to make. Does she pack her bags and leave the island for good? Or take a risk that Hope Haven has everything she’s been looking for?
A beautiful and emotional read that will make you long to feel the sand beneath your feet. Perfect for fans of Nancy Thayer, Tracy Brogan and Mary Alice Monroe.
Read what everyone’s saying about Summer at Hope Haven:
‘5 big stars! I loved everything about this book… The setting, the story, the characters, and the writing were all beautifully done. Perfect read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I loved this book! I laughed and cried and was full of emotions the whole time I read it… wonderful characters… I highly recommend this book!’ It’s My Life, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This is such a lovely book! A truly heart-wrenching story… really brought a smile to my face… I for one cannot wait for the other books in this series… a great read and a classic example of a beach book with a heart.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘An adorable book that is the perfect summer read… This gorgeous book has so many beautiful threads… a masterpiece of storytelling!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This book will make you yearn for beach and that sand under your feet…. Such an emotional book about family, loss and love. Will touch a chord in everyone’s heart.’ @thebookishbanker
‘The perfect beach read… beautifully written.. a roller-coaster… The plot is filled with love, friendship, loss, secrets, romance, sand, art and seals!!!… a perfectly romantic beach read that ticks all the boxes.’ BookWorm1986more
This sweet, summer read was a story og grief and how it can tear you down and destroy the person you were. How it guts you and creates a void. It makes you sick and it decimates your will to get out of bed, to take care of yourself and those around you. Emelie discovered all of it when the u thinkable happened and her entire family was gone. Thats why after months and months of drifting through life lost in a fog of grief she decides to go back to the family cottage where they were once so happy. There she discovers more than she could have bargained for, then she ever could have imagined. She may have lost most of her family, but along the way she discovers something new, something that changes her and heals her broken heart and soul. It’s beautiful and sweet and such a great read that you can finish in a day. Definitely worth a read!
An inspiring story about moving on despite trauma and unbearable grief
Summer at Hope Haven by Kristin Harper is an emotional story about moving on even after losing everything you hold dear.
Emily Vandermark was an artist that lost her parents and brother in a helicopter accident a year before.
Drowned in grief, she had a hard time resuming her life, and, to make matters worse, she was abandoned by her fiancé.
Trying to survive her unbearable grief, she decided to spend summer at the family cottage in Hope Haven Island, where she was welcomed by her childhood friend Wilson and his wife, Collette.
Summer at Hope Haven is a story of extreme grief, and the challenge of keep living after everyone you love is gone.
The side characters were interesting, and there was a great sense of friendship and community.
Emily was very fragile inside and out, and it was painful to see how she had to cope with her loss and resume her life. It was so hard for her to let people in and open herself to love again.
Lucas was a wonderful hero. He had an innate capacity to understand Emily’s pain and respect her boundaries.
The setting is lovely, and the characters do a lot of fishing, picnicking, and walking by the sea.
Summer at Hope Haven is an emotional and inspiring contemporary romance.
Warning: Bereavement and depression.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*For more reviews, book art, and book-related articles, please visit https://lureviewsbooks.com *
Summer at Hope Haven is the 1st book in the Dune Island series, and the first book by this author I have read. I throughly enjoyed the book, I found it to be very well written and it kept my interest from start to finish. Emily has had to face more in a few people have to endure in a whole lifetime, and this book helps take us along with her journey. This book contains heartache, humor, romance and forgiveness. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I would certainly recommend it to others.
I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher Bookouture and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review, all opinions expressed here are my own.
I sometimes avoid stories like this because I’m not always keen on stories with family secrets or realistic family problems. Something about this one caught my eye, however, and I am so glad that I decided to pick it up. In fact, I was so happy to pick it up that I couldn’t put it down. I loved it. I loved Emily’s journey to becoming whole again. She realizes that it’s not always about what she thinks other people think. I was especially touched by the reactions to art, both on Emily’s part and others who saw Emily’s art. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.
While trying to cope with the grief of losing her family members to an accident, Emily’s fiance walks out on her which leaves her even more devastated and feeling alone. As a result, she packs her bags and returns to the family home in Hope Haven. The house itself is in bad need of cosmetic work which gives her an outlet to work on her grief. Then she meets Dr. Luke, as the children at the hospital calls him, and finds that perhaps there is a future for her after all. This is a light romance but it is so much more than that. It is a story of dealing with grief and trying to make important decisions while doing so. I really liked the book a lot. I received an e-book copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
In this emotional read about Emily and Dr. Lucas Socorro, we get a fantastic read about true friendship and how Emily deals with the loss of her family, who she’s still grieving for, after months have passed. Emily and Lucas first meet when she thinks he’s trespassing, lol. She soon learns he’s the newest pediatric doctor to join the ER at Hope Haven. Emily is going to paint murals in the newly constructed pediatric wing at the hospital. I didn’t care for Barbara’s character and I bet you’ll agree with me after reading this wonderful story. I’m not going to leave any spoilers, but I will say, there are secrets that will be revealed that may surprise you. Grab your copy and see what happens.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Summer at Hope Haven by Kristin Harper lives up to its subtitle of an absolutely gorgeous and emotional romance, although it is so much more than a romance. It is the story of a woman’s journey out of grief and back to living her life. Emily Vandermark is an adjunct professor of art history and an artist in her own right. She is returning to Hope Haven, her childhood summer home at the beach, in an attempt to recover from the deaths of her parents and brother, as well as her broken engagement. Wilson, her brother-in-all-but-genetics, and his wife, Collette, who live next door, have prepared her cottage. As she arrives she runs into a thief? Or not sure, but he startles her. She has agreed to come to Hope Haven to paint some murals on the walls of the newly built pediatric wing of the hospital. She hopes she is up to it. The cottage feels like home but is so dark. Her mother had always wanted to lighten it up but her grandmother, the original owner, would not allow it. Now it was her and despite the fact that she didn’t know what the future held, she was going to start by painting the walls of the cottage. The rest would come.
The thief turned out to be a pediatrician and her inspiration for the murals. His name was Lucas and he showed her the seals and so much more. He helped her recover and join the living. Both Lucas and Emily are characters with a lot of back-story. Both make assumptions, which nearly upend the relationship. Wilson and Collette prove to be more than neighbors and painting the cottage turns out to be so much more than lightening the walls. Summer at Hope Haven is an emotional journey with a plethora of twists and turns, so well written it takes the reader’s breathe away. Emily grows into her sorrow and Lucas is there helping her along the way. It was a lovely story. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Summer at Hope Haven by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #summerathopehaven
What a fantastic debut novel for Kristin Harper. This book is beautiful from the cover design to the first paragraph and all the way to the last word. The setting made me long to walk in the sand and observe the ocean in it’s inviting coolness and even it’s moodiness accompanied by dark clouds and the roar of the angry waves. I really want to go somewhere like that now.
Harper’s characters were definitely real enough to get me totally invested in the story. It was almost as if I was right there beside Emily as she worked her way through all the highs and lows of her past and her present. Lucas was a very interesting character from his job to his choice of hobbies and even the vehicle he drove. I was really pulling for him.
Overall, this was a fantastic book, whether it was a debut or not. I can’t wait for more from Ms. Harper.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. This is Kristen Harper’s first book and in my opinion, it is a best seller. She reached inside of me and tugged at my heartstrings, she had me jumping up and down at the moment I thought Emily was going to give up but instead realized if she could do what just happened she could do anything. I could feel the spark that finally ignited and although it wasn’t smooth sailing after that because like life there is always someone wanting to tear you down., it was enough of a spark to give her the strength she needed to carry on. But there was also a part where someone you don’t even realize can see you, not only in who you, I want to say pretend to be because when you aren’t quite where you want to be I think you pretend until you are there, but the turmoil, the strength, the struggles, everything that is going on inside of you all rolled up in a huge storm, the author captured and brought it to life. Like the ocean, this book will bring you to the crashing waves, the receding waves but before you are ready, it will come crashing back with more power. I can’t wait to read the next book she writes because when I compare a book to the powerful ocean, it is a great book. Definitely put this on your going to-read list.
Emily is recovering from the heart breaking loss of loosing her entire family. She heads to Dune Island for the summer.
I really enjoyed this story, the characters and the sweet romance. It was the perfect book to read after the most recent one I just finished.Definitely recommend
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy