Love Letters (Debbie Macomber) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

26. Love Letters by Debbie Macomber

Synopsis:
Summer is a busy season at the inn, so proprietor Jo Marie Rose and handyman Mark Taylor have spent a lot of time together keeping the property running. Despite some folks’ good-natured claims to the contrary, Jo Marie insists that Mark is only a friend. However, she seems to be thinking about this particular friend a great deal lately. Jo Marie knows surprisingly little about Mark’s life, due in no small part to his refusal to discuss it. She’s determined to learn more about his past, but first she must face her own - and welcome three visitors who, like her, are setting out on new paths.
Twenty-three-year-old Ellie Reynolds is taking a leap of faith. She’s come to Cedar Cove to meet Tom, a man she’s been corresponding with for months, and with whom she might even be falling in love. Ellie’s overprotective mother disapproves of her trip, but Ellie is determined to spread her wings.
Maggie and Roy Porter are next to arrive at the inn. They are taking their first vacation alone since their children were born. In the wake of past mistakes, they hope to rekindle the spark in their marriage—and to win back each other’s trust. But Maggie must make one last confession that could forever tear them apart.

My Review:

Time keeps rolling by in this third installment of the Rose Harbor series. Jo Marie is going strong with the inn. As much time as Jo Marie and Mark spend together, Jo Marie still isn't ready to admit that she's falling in love with him. Her own back story unfolds even more in this book. She receives a love letter kind of thing from her late husband, but doesn't have the heart to read it because she knows what that will mean: that Paul's really gone. Paul died with three other comrades in the Middle East as they were serving our country not long before Jo Marie buys the inn. Since only three bodies have been found up until this point, she has held hope that maybe he's still alive. When news comes in that all have been found, it gives her a sense of closure and she can finally grieve properly. As Jo Marie gets the courage to read the letter, it's heartbreaking, but also gives her the confidence to let go, that it's okay to love again.

Ellie comes to town to meet the guy she's fallen in love with online. She's not sure exactly what she's getting herself into, but believes that he could be the one. Following behind Ellie is her mother unexpectedly. Her mother is overprotective and doesn't want her to get hurt (like Ellie's dad did to them). Even though Ellie's old enough to make her own decisions and choices, her mom just can't let her go quite yet. As their story comes out through the course of this book, it's good to see and understand where both Ellie and her mom's views come from. As in all cases, they come to a general understanding. The transformation of both ladies is inspiring.

Maggie and Roy come to Cedar Cove for a couple's vacation, getaway type of thing. They haven't had time alone together since they had children. The whole idea of the trip is to fix and work on their marriage. They've lacked in communication in recent years and it's become tense between them. Maggie hasn't forgiven Roy for a past mistake, but she's the one hiding a secret now: a mistake she made to get back at Roy. Throughout the story, they attempt to come full frontal with their past by owning up to their mistakes and figure out ways to move on from that: to trust each other again. They learn that forgiveness isn't always easy, but in order to move on, it can be so powerful. And that compromising is important as well. Time will only tell if their marriage will work out. 

The takeaway here (from Maggie and Roy's story) is that it's important for couples to spend time alone with each other, like going on dates still, even when married, to grow in the relationship. It may be even more important to do this after having children.

Check out my book reviews on the first two books of the rose Harbor series:
The Inn at Rose Harbor
Rose Harbor in Bloom

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Rose Harbor in Bloom (Debbie Macomber) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

24. Rose Harbor in Bloom by Debbie Macomber

Synopsis:

Since moving to Cedar Cove, Jo Marie Rose has truly started to feel at home, and her neighbors have become her closest friends. Now it’s springtime, and Jo Marie is eager to finish the most recent addition to her inn. In memory of her late husband, Paul, she has designed a beautiful rose garden for the property and enlisted handyman Mark Taylor to help realize it. She and Mark don’t always see eye-to-eye - and at times he seems far removed - yet deep down, Jo Marie finds great comfort in his company. And while she still seeks a sense of closure, she welcomes her latest guests, who are on their own healing journeys.
Annie Newton arrives in town to orchestrate her grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration. While Annie is excited for the festivities, she’s struggling to move on from her broken engagement, and her grandparents themselves seem to be having trouble getting along. Worse, Annie is forced to see Oliver Sutton, with whom she grew up and who has always mercilessly teased her. But the best parties end with a surprise, and Annie is in for the biggest one of all.
High-powered businesswoman Mary Smith, another Rose Harbor Inn guest, has achieved incredible success in her field, yet serious illness has led her to face her sole, lingering regret. Almost nineteen years ago, she ended her relationship with her true love, George Hudson, and now she’s returned to Cedar Cove to make amends.

My Review:

In this second book, Jo Marie has settled into the inn and more healing awaits. At the recommendation of a fellow innkeeper, Jo Marie employs the local handyman Mark to make improvements (particularly to construct a rose garden). A man who keeps to himself, Jo Marie is determined to get to know more about him. Mark comes across as being a bit callous and rough around the edges. But he's built a wall so big that no one can get in. They don't always see eye to eye, but Jo Marie likes having him around.

A new season brings new guests. Annie comes to town to get everything ready for her grandparents' anniversary celebration. Annie's being pushed past her limits as she's still reeling from a recent breakup, dealing with her grandparents' bickering, and wanting everything perfect for the big event. In the process, Annie is forced to be around someone who tormented her relentlessly as a child and hasn't gotten over all the hurt. As time goes on, she realizes that people can change as they grow up and that he didn't realize how much it bothered her. And Annie finally understands that her grandparents didn't want to make a big deal about their anniversary. They didn't know how to tell Annie that since she was so excited and chose to act like they didn't get along to see if that would put off the celebration. True love conquers all. How Annie's story turns out is incredible.

Mary comes back to town to find her true live who she left years before. She's battling cancer and has been told that there's nothing more that can be done. She wants to reconcile with George and explain why she really left. As they attempt to mend the fences, they each have their concerns. George is ready to start a new relationship until Mary tells him that she had been pregnant with his child all those years ago, but gave her up for adoption. Mary is hesitant about having a relationship with him since she wants to spare him from watching her slip away from the cancer. They reconcile and attempt to start fresh. Their story is remarkable as once again, true love always wins. Sometimes going through so much pain and heartbreak is worth it in the end.

Since this is the second book in the Rose Harbor series, I recommend to read them in order. There are five books in this series and as of this writing, I have read four. The next two book reviews for this series will be posted this week. I will be linking to the previous one/ones in each post.

Rose Harbor Series:
1. The Inn at Rose Harbor

I just wanted to remind you that I do reply to all (except for an occasional one) comments in the comment section as a reply to your comment.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

The Inn at Rose Harbor (Debbie Macomber) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

21. The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber
      Theme/Topic: book that's guaranteed to bring you joy

Synopsis:

Jo Marie Barlow first arrives in Cedar Cove seeking a sense of peace and a fresh start. Coping with the death of her husband, she purchases a local bed-and-breakfast - the newly christened Rose Harbor Inn - ready to begin her life anew. Yet the inn holds more surprises than Jo Marie can imagine. Her first guest is Joshua Weaver, who has come home to care for his ailing stepfather. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Joshua has little hope that they can reconcile their differences. But a long-lost acquaintance from Joshua’s high school days proves to him that forgiveness is never out of reach and love can bloom even where it’s least expected. The other guest is Abby Kincaid, who has returned to Cedar Cove to attend her brother’s wedding. Back for the first time in twenty years, she almost wishes she hadn’t come, the picturesque town harboring painful memories from her past. And while Abby reconnects with family and old friends, she realizes she can only move on if she truly allows herself to let go.

My Review:

As a way of coping with her husband's death, Jo Marie decides to purchase an inn. She feels like the inn will help her heal, by starting over Ina new town. She has a lot to learn about managing an inn, but with the support of another innkeeper in Cedar Cove, it's not long before she gets a grasp of things. 

Jo Marie not only wants the inn to be a place of healing for herself, but for her guests as well. Joshua comes to Cedar Cove to help with his stepfather's care in his final days. Even though they haven't gotten along (moreso after Josh's mom died), Josh is the only one family his stepdad has left. With the help of an old friend, he is asked to look past all the hurt and pain and attempt to make things good again. And if a relationship (with Josh's friend) blooms in the meantime, then so be it. It turns out quite interesting, but you're going to have to read this book to see what happens. 

Abby is back in town for her brother's wedding. The town she's run away from and never looked back. She was involved in an accident that killed her best friend as a teen. Even though it was a complete accident, Abby's been living with guilt and hasn't been able to let it go and move on with her life. And hasn't faced her classmates since that day, as she believes they'll blame her for what happened. A chance encounter with one of them leads to a reunion type of thing with the rest and Abby realizes that they cared about her. Being back forces Abby to face what she's been avoiding: visiting her friend's grave and her friend's parents. It's not easy, but Abby realizes that she needs forgiveness to truly accept what happened, to heal her pain, and to move forward. Abby's story is heartbreaking and heartfelt at the same time. Her story will resonate to anyone who's ever felt guilt (and let's face it, we all do) over losing someone. 

Fans of Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series will enjoy the Rose Harbor series.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Charming C's #atozchallenge

Day 3 of the April A to Z Challenge

A Book Extravaganza

Classic: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Synopsis: The poverty-stricken Raskolnikov, a talented student, devises a theory about extraordinary men being above the law, since in their brilliance they think “new thoughts” and so contribute to society. He then sets out to prove his theory by murdering a vile, cynical old pawnbroker and her sister. The act brings Raskolnikov into contact with his own buried conscience and with two characters -the deeply religious Sonia, who has endured great suffering, and Porfiry, the intelligent and discerning official who is charged with investigating the murder - both of whom compel Raskolnikov to feel the split in his nature. Dostoevsky provides readers with a suspenseful, penetrating psychological analysis that goes beyond the crime - which in the course of the novel demands drastic punishment — to reveal something about the human condition: The more we intellectualize, the more imprisoned we become.

Other: Curious George by Margaret and H.A. Rey

       Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

       Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber

♥Meg♥

Author Spotlight: Debbie Macomber

Author Spotlight Week 2

This time, I have chosen one of my favorite authors, Debbie Macomber.

     Debbie Macomber is an American best selling novelist. Debbie Macomber has over 170 million copies of her books in print worldwide, but she is best known for her Cedar Cove Series. The acclaimed series, as you may know if you're a fan, has been made into a television series and is featured on the Hallmark Channel. Cedar Cove will be starting its third season in July. I had just seen some previews for the first season of the show right after starting the first book in the series. Right away, I knew I wanted to read all the books in the Cedar Cove Series before watching the tv show that was going to be based on the books. Just like in movies, I always believe that the book is better than the movie/tv show. A few of her other novels have also been made into movies - Mrs. Miracle, Call Me Mrs. Miracle, Trading Christmas and Mr. Miracle.

"In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope." (www.http://debbiemacomber.com/about-debbie/debbies-bio)

     I wanted to copy that above sentence from Debbie's page because it tells exactly why I love her books and why she easily became one of my favorite authors and why she's one of the best authors out there today. To be honest, I think Debbie Macomber writes about real situations in a true sense in fictional way. Her characters can be pretty close to what real people go through and experience throughout their lifetime. There's not many authors who can make realistic characters go through realistic situations and feelings, as well as do it in a way that is captivating to readers.

     In addition to writing, Debbie also happens to own a tea room and a yarn shop in Port Orchard, Washington. She lives with her husband, Wayne, there and spends winter in Florida. She has a passion for knitting and is a spokesperson for World Vision's Knit for Kids charity initiative.


Links for More Information:
Debbie Macomber website: http://debbiemacomber.com/
Debbie's Tea Room, Victorian Rose Tea Room: http://victoriantearoomandgifts.com/
Debbie's Yarn Shop, A Good Yarn: http://agoodyarnshop.com/
Knit for Kids Charity: http://agoodyarnshop.com/
Cedar Cove Series: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/cedar-cove
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieMacomberWorld
Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/debbiemacomber



Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥