NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • When a single mom becomes an empty nester, she spreads her wings to rediscover herself—and her passions—in this heartwarming novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber. Jenna Boltz’s life is at a crossroads. After a messy divorce from her surgeon husband nearly twenty years ago, she raised her two children on her own, juggling motherhood with her … on her own, juggling motherhood with her beloved job as a Seattle intensive-care nurse. Now that Paul and Allie have gone to college and moved out, Jenna can’t help but wonder what her future holds.
Her best friend, Maureen, is excited for Jenna’s newfound independence. Now is the perfect time to finally book the trip to Paris they’ve been dreaming of since their college days. But when it comes to life’s other great adventure—dating—Jenna still isn’t sure she’s ready to let love in . . . until an unexpected encounter begins to change her mind.
When Jenna’s elderly mother breaks her hip, Dr. Rowan Lancaster saves the day. Despite his silent, stoic exterior, Rowan is immediately smitten with Jenna. And even though Jenna is hesitant about becoming involved with another surgeon, she has to admit that she’s more than a little intrigued. But when Jenna’s children approach her with shocking news, she realizes that she needs to have faith in love and embrace the unexpected—before the life she has always dreamed of passes her by.
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The always delightful Debbie Macomber delivers a grown-up story of love and life. Her human, kind, flawed, and funny characters are the friends you wish you had!
You can never go wrong when you pick up a book by this author, and this one reiterates that statement.
One of the favorite things I loved about this book is that it centers around middle aged friends, not only empty nesters but also ones surviving a divorce.
Jenna and Maureen were college friends whose friendship has continued through the years.
Imagine their surprise when two unlikely men start courting them.
Will there be romance after the divorce or will past experiences and fears keep them away from taking that step?
Another engaging , well written story.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Jenna’s is trying to figure out how to deal with the changes that have entered her life. She has been divorced for a lo g time but her two children have always been her main priority. Now that her youngest is off to college she has become an empty nester and wants to make some changes. The problem is she doesn’t know where to begin, her dating life has been non-existent and while raising her children she hasn’t had time for much else. Her best friend Maureen is happy for her friend a d looks forward to planning a trip that they never got to take in college. They both have always dreamed of going to Paris and it looks like it might actually happen. When Jenna’s mother breaks her hip the trip gets pushed back but the two still both want to put themselves out there. They both end up meeting new people but life has A way of mucking things up. Will the two ladies find love with the men they have met or will they have to continue to look for their special someone? Will they ever make that trip to Paris or will something always get in the way? Follow along as these women look for love and manage the minefield that shows you that love might not be easy but it’s worth it in the end.
I look forward to books by this author, and this one sure didn’t disappoint.
Two young women meet in college and form a bond and lifelong friendship, they also have plans to travel to Paris in spring time, but life’s challenges seem to have gotten in the way.
Fast forward twenty plus years and our girls are now empty nesters and both have been long divorced. They have dated through the years, but have been scared and so far, neither have found the right guy, and they have a traffic light signal for their appraisals of these possible romances.
Now with plans to finally go to Paris, we get to see how things work out, and there are possible romances in these woman’s lives.
I also love that we are given an epilogue, although I wish I could continue in their lives!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Random House, and was not required to give a positive review.
I love your books. There are so fun. Keep going. Thanks.
It’s always fun to pick up a Debbie Macomber book because you know that’s it’s going to be an easy read with a happily ever after ending. Though this book tackled some problems that you don’t see in normal romance novels, it was still a satisfying read.
Jenna and Maureen became friends in college and planned to visit Paris after they graduated. The trip never happened because Maureen got pregnant and married. Jenna also married her boyfriend and had two children. After only a few years, he decided that he didn’t want to be married and after their divorce, he had very little contact with his children. As the book begins, we find out that they are both empty nesters who are unsure of how to live their lives without children. One of their first decisions is to plan their Paris trip again. As their lives continue to change, they both decide to try dating again and run into complications. Maureen starts to date a construction worker who visits the library frequently and Jenna starts to date the doctor who took care of her mother. Neither one of the women know if they can learn to trust men again or if they will get their happily ever after.
This was a light fun read. I didn’t enjoy it as much as other books by this author because I didn’t like several of the characters. I thought that Jenna was way too controlling with her children – she said they she was glad that they were grown up but felt like she had to control every aspect of their lives. I also didn’t like Logan, the construction that Maureen dated. He didn’t seem very willing to make changes in his life to make her happy.
Will Jenna and Maureen be able to relax and enjoy the changes that are happening in their lives? Will they get their happily ever after? It’s time to read this book and find out.
Window on the Bay is the latest novel by Debbie Macomber. I thought the story was well-written with steady pacing. I enjoy Debbie Macomber’s writing style. She manages draw the reader into her world and hold their attention. I like that the main characters are two women in their forties who now have empty households. Jenna and Maureen are likeable and relatable women (which Ms. Macomber is known for creating). It is great that the two women are close friends and are there for each other. Both women are divorced and have spent the last twenty years taking care of their kids. Now is a chance for the two women to “spread their wings”. Jenna wants them to finally take the trip to Paris that they had to postpone after college plus she is thinking about taking a painting class. We also get to see a different perspective with Jenna’s eighteen year old daughter, Allie. Jenna is making changes at home, which upsets Allie. Allie may want to live on her own and discover who she is, but she does not want things to change at home. This provides balance to the story and a different outlook. Maureen and Jenna have dated sporadically over the years. But they have been burned by their husbands, and it is hard to open themselves up to love and to trust another man. Dating is not easy as we see with Jenna and Maureen. Each person learns something about themselves through the process. It is never too late to grow and change. The path to happily ever after is bumpy, but well worth the effort. I admit that I related more to Maureen with her love of books and dislike of sports. I enjoyed the light humor sprinkled throughout the story and I appreciated that is a clean story (no foul language or intimate relations). Jenna’s favorite spot in her home is her window seat with the view of Elliott Bay. I could understand how she finds peace from looking out at the water. It was nice there was an epilogue to wrap up the book. Window on the Bay is a heartwarming book with a happily-ever-after that will please readers and reading it is a lovely way to spend a leisurely afternoon.
Sweet story of two divorced women who find a second chance at love with men they never expected. Jenna is a nurse who falls in love with a doctor and Maureen is a librarian that falls in love with a construction worker. I liked that the women maintained a close friendship and support system for each other. I received an ARC for my honest review.
Window on the Bay was a very good story about close friendships, family and finding love a second time around when facing an empty nest.
I usually enjoy Debbie Macomber’s books and this one was definitely worth reading. If you’ve read her in the past or prefer books featuring close friends, families and HEAs, this has it all and you will be glad you picked it up.
I liked the primary characters, Jenna and Maureen, and the men they began dating very much. They were mature adults that weren’t into playing games. That was refreshing. The only reason I feel like this was a 4.5 star read rather than a 5 is because of the very immature, mean way she had these ladies deal with the men in their lives when something came up that they didn’t care for. Other than that, I felt it was a realistic look at folks dating in their 40s or older.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and freely given, as always.
The beautiful cover is what first attracted me to Debbie Macomber’s “Window on the Bay,” though I tend to pick up Ms. Macomber’s books anyway because they are usually pleasant, quick reads that don’t require a lot of thought on my part. That was mostly true of this book. It was an enjoyable summertime read perfect for the pool or beach.
I liked both Jenna and Maureen, the female lead characters, and appreciated that they were able to maintain their friendship throughout many years of struggle as single mothers. I’m sure life wasn’t easy for either of them, but they took the time to support each other and make their friendship a priority. They never forgot their dream of visiting Paris together, and I was happy that they were finally able to make the trip near the end of the book.
Jenna and Maureen’s romantic interests, Rowan and Logan, were also pretty likeable, though I didn’t get to know them quite as well as Maureen or Jenna. That said, both couples seemed well-matched, and after they overcame the initial hurdles in their relationships, they seemed to have a lot of interests in common.
Jenna and Maureen’s relationships with their grown children were also a key part of the book. In particular, I enjoyed watching Jenna’s daughter Allie mature and see her mother in a new light, especially after becoming friends with Mackensie and realizing that Mackensie needed help improving her relationship with her father.
Overall, “Window on the Bay” was one of the better Macomber books I’ve read in quite a while. In fact, it reminded me of some of my favorite Blossom Street and Cedar Cove books of years past. I recommend it for all Macomber fans, new and old.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt: “No matter what the weather, my window on the bay never failed to soothe me.”
When best friends and single moms, Jenna, an emergency room nurse, and Maureen, a librarian, find themselves with empty nests, the reality of a trip to Paris finally seems like it is on the horizon. As they plot and plan for their trip, life interferes in the most unexpected ways. As the women work their way through the unforeseen events, they each meet a man along the way.
The novel tells the story in alternating chapters of each woman’s struggle with her challenges and the men they meet. Jenna, who has sworn off doctors as a result of her ex-husband, meets a kind, decent man who happens to be a surgeon, and Maureen, a quiet and rather staid librarian at the local library, becomes acquainted with a good looking construction worker who is a bit rough around the edges but has a definite interest in books and life. Have the two women finally met compatible men after all these years? Can they juggle elderly parents, grown children, and new relationships?
The story is pretty predictable and a bit slow in places. The book makes a nice, easy paced read for those who enjoy a clean story without a lot of excess drama.
This copy was received from Ballantine Books and Netgalley. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.
Debbie Macomber is my “go-to” comfort author. I know I am guaranteed when I pick up one of her books I will read a story filled with love and friendship. Window on the Bay was no exception.
The friendship between Jenna and Maureen was what every female relationship should strive for: no jealousy and cheering one another on in life. I am lucky to have two such friendships.
This is a perfect read to share with your teenage daughter as it is a clean read (no sex, only kissing) and no foul language.
I received a copy from the publisher, Random House Publishing, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Window on the Bay is the latest novel by prolific women’s fiction author Debbie Macomber. Set in Seattle, this is a story of friendship, family, and finding one’s future. Jenna and Maureen have been best friends since college. They have seen each other through marriage, motherhood, divorce, and single parenting. Now they are both navigating empty nests and are finding their ways once again.
Although they have each dated some over the many years since their divorces, they have both been reticent, employing what they called their stoplight system. Most dates have been bright red, a rare few have been yellow, but no one had been green. They each have high standards and deal breakers. Jenna, an ICU RN, swore she would never date a doctor, especially a surgeon like her cheating ex. Very conservative librarian Maureen always felt she would be happiest with someone like a college professor. They were both so very wrong!
The story unfolds as both ladies deal with grown children. It takes another turn when the added issue of dealing with an aging parent with a life threatening injury. How they each navigate dealing with their own issues, loneliness, and desires is the backbone of this novel.
This is a lovely story that explores the paths for two single forty something friends in a very frank yet kind manner. The characters are endearing and the issues are real. This was a very good book and I do recommend it!
Friends since college, Jenna and Maureen are now middle aged, divorced and for Jenna soon to be an empty nester as her youngest is off to college. Neither woman has done much dating in the ensuing years, but when they do, they use their old college dating rating of red light…never again…yellow light…maybe a second date and green light…yes to another date. This entertaining book follows Jenna and Maureen as they find themselves interested in men they never thought they would have thought to date and how their lives are changed by these men. Debbie Macomber has definitely written a delightful “green light” book. I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.
I want to say this is a coming of age story, but both the these ladies are far beyond their teens, so I’ll with a changing of seasons. Jenna has sent her youngest off to college, she’s a single mother with an empty nest for the first time in over 20 years and her life is changing dramatically. Her best friend Maureen has had and empty nest for years, her daughter moved out and married, but she’s there to support her friend’s change. Years ago they planned a trip to Paris after college graduation, well life interrupted and the trip was put off, now with both women empty nesters it was their time, right? Hello, life! Both ladies have carried baggage from their marriages, neither expecting to find love this late in life, sure they dated while they raised their children but to find a love interest now? Not what they were looking for, but when it clicks it clicks. Fun read, with great characters and touching stories, you’ll laugh, you’ll tear up and you’ll enjoy the happy ending! Another great touching read from Debbie Macomber!
I predict that Window on the Bay will be a bestseller almost as soon as it is released. Debbie Macomber is a popular writer who has the gift of hooking her reader into the story immediately. This book is no exception. It will appeal to the baby boomers who found empty nests where once the rooms were filled with laughter and needs to be filled. Any woman might easily identify with Jenna and her best friend Maureen. Women who once had ideals and plans that were set aside to raise children and husbands. While not every woman has put aside their youthful dreams, there does come a time when there are new things to discover upon entering a new stage in life. Maureen and Jenna are still very vibrant and alive. As each approaches new relationships and family dynamics, they are there for each other in ways only the best of friends can be.
This book was a quick read, as it was easy to get into and just as easily, I recommend it to all fans of Debbie Macomber books.
Window on the Bay by Debbie Macomber
Random House/Ballentine Books
July 16, 2019
Fiction, beach read, romance
336 pages
Rating: 4/5
I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an unbiased review.
Jenna and Maureen had been best friends since they met at the University of Washington many years ago. They had always planned to take a trip to Paris but it seemed that life events always got in the way.
Jenna Boltz is a divorced single mother of two children living in Seattle. She works as an ICU nurse to support her children, Paul and Allie who are in college. Kyle Boltz is her ex-husband who is a surgeon but found fidelity to be an issue and made a new life for himself. Fortunately, Jenna and her kids still had Jenna’s mother, Carol, who was spry 70-ish woman. Carol had a good friend Mrs. Torres who was checking on her friend to find that she had fallen. She immediately called for help and notified Jenna. It seems that surgery and a long rehabilitation lie ahead for Carol.
Maureen Zelinski worked as a librarian and also divorced from Peter which only lasted 5 years. They had a daughter, Victoria “Tori” who married an engineer, Jonathan. Maureen had been a support to Tori since she miscarried a year ago. She is very organized and structured which suits her career as a librarian. It seemed that new construction in the area brought a weekly visit from a construction worker. Logan worked as a plumber and during breaks would check out a book to read with Maureen’s suggestion. He was a bit rough around the edges and liked to call her “Marian the Librarian” which eventually grew on her. Over time they developed an awkward relationship given their many differences.
The two friends are a constant support to each other through all the many ups and downs over the years. Jenna had been stressing over being a newly empty nester since sending Allie to college. She worried less about Paul who worked hard at a restaurant while attending college. Maureen was confused about the attention she was receiving from Logan. The two friends were Leary when it came to getting romantically involved again.
Carol is recovering before being transferred to a rehab post hip surgery. She is pleased with her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Rowan Lancaster. Jenna didn’t know much as side from gossip that he kept to himself. When he casually flirted with her at her mother’s bedside she didn’t know what to make of it. She tries to maintain a professional relationship with him which becomes complicated since he has taken a special interest in his patient, Carol.
Both friends discover that they need to take a chance on dating and romance. Relationships can be complicated but can also provide support and comfort. This is a delightful story of friendship, family and finding love again. It reminds us that everyone has a life story and the path they take is unique.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2804265705
https://bookwormreviewblog.blogspot.com/2019/06/window-on-bay-by-debbie-macomber.html?m=1
This is a wonderful story of two very close friends and their chance at a second romance. I highly recommend this book! Debbie Macomber writes another terrific story.
I love Debbie’s books! This one hit close to home for me. I am a single mom who has been divorced for three years and my kids come first. Maureen and Jenna were strong characters. There fears of the dating scene are exactly what has gone through my head. Great story and loved the ending
Very easy read, two best friends finding love in unexpected places