paovilchis25's review
4.0
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions are my own and this did not affect my review in any way.
I started reading this book without knowing what it was about, I just knew that it was right up my alley. This book deals with first loves, second chances and what it means to open up your heart to new opportunities so I knew that I had to read it.
In Coming Home to Seashell Harbor we follow Hadley Wells, who swapped her dreams of saving the planet for the glamour of Hollywood. But when a very public breakup reveals cracks in her not-so-perfect life, she returns to her hometown to reassess what it is she truly wants. Unfortunately, Seashell Harbor has some trouble of its own—including the first man to ever break her heart.
Although this book is quite long for a contemporary I was really blown away by the story and the plot the author managed to create. The characters felt real and throughout the story you get really attached to them, especially the main character. The banter between the two main characters made me smile and made the overall reading experience extraordinary.
The first half of the book was to get to know the town and the character better and that made the story drag a little but in the end all those details were what made me get emotionally invested in the story. My absolute favorite part of the book was the inclusion of animals into the story especially dogs, they made my heart swell.
Overall this is a great second chance romance novel about what it means to open up your heart to new possibilities. Truly recommend this great book.
I started reading this book without knowing what it was about, I just knew that it was right up my alley. This book deals with first loves, second chances and what it means to open up your heart to new opportunities so I knew that I had to read it.
In Coming Home to Seashell Harbor we follow Hadley Wells, who swapped her dreams of saving the planet for the glamour of Hollywood. But when a very public breakup reveals cracks in her not-so-perfect life, she returns to her hometown to reassess what it is she truly wants. Unfortunately, Seashell Harbor has some trouble of its own—including the first man to ever break her heart.
Although this book is quite long for a contemporary I was really blown away by the story and the plot the author managed to create. The characters felt real and throughout the story you get really attached to them, especially the main character. The banter between the two main characters made me smile and made the overall reading experience extraordinary.
The first half of the book was to get to know the town and the character better and that made the story drag a little but in the end all those details were what made me get emotionally invested in the story. My absolute favorite part of the book was the inclusion of animals into the story especially dogs, they made my heart swell.
Overall this is a great second chance romance novel about what it means to open up your heart to new possibilities. Truly recommend this great book.
mrsjoylovesbooks's review
4.0
Coming Home to Seashell Harbor is a sweet hometown second chance romance. I liked Cam and Hadley and all their family and friends. This was definitely a “get to know everyone” kind of book, which is expected since it’s the first of a series about these friends. The story is very much like a Hallmark movie. Girl goes back home for a visit, runs in to high school sweetheart, they’re competing for the same building, they both love dogs, and then...well you know. A big part of the story revolves around rescuing dogs, so if you’re a dog lover, you’ll like this one. This story has puppies, a grandma, a former football player, and two people finding each other again...I mean how sweet can you get.
3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
I was gifted a printed copy of the book from Forever and the audiobook from Orange Sky Audio via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
*Note: I edited my review. The author has clarified that the audio version I listened to is not the final version, which means the audio I heard does not match the physical copy I have. I felt it was only fair to edit my review based on the content of the final copy readers will experience. This book is a closed-door romance.
3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
I was gifted a printed copy of the book from Forever and the audiobook from Orange Sky Audio via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
*Note: I edited my review. The author has clarified that the audio version I listened to is not the final version, which means the audio I heard does not match the physical copy I have. I felt it was only fair to edit my review based on the content of the final copy readers will experience. This book is a closed-door romance.
erinevelynreads's review
5.0
When celebrity publicist Hayley Wells finds herself the victim of a very public breakup, she flees Hollywood for her cozy hometown, Seashell Harbor. Thinking she will spend the summer spoiled by her grandmother, and quietly recuperating, she receives a rude awakening upon her return. Her grandmother is in the hospital and she’s planning to sell their family business, The Pooch Palace to the boy who broke her heart. After sustaining a career-ending football injury, Tony Cammareri returned home to Seashell Harbor to open a family restaurant. The last thing he expected was to run into his high school girlfriend Hayley. Now with the fate of the Pooch Palace at stake, Hayley and Tony are pitted against each other for the fate of the space: a dog rescue or a restaurant.
I loved this book. It’s such a sweet vacation in a novel! I loved the competition between the two characters and how it blended so many tropes so seamlessly: second chance, small town, and enemies to lovers.
One of my favorite parts of the story is watching Hayley as she starts her dog rescue. Coming Home to Seashell Harbor also has the most adorable fluffy characters. There’s Bowie, a basset hound owned by Hadley’s grandmother Maddy. There’s Jagger, a scruffy doodle mix who pops up at the Pooch Palace one night as a stray and never leaves. And there are many others who come through Hadley’s rescue.
Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
I loved this book. It’s such a sweet vacation in a novel! I loved the competition between the two characters and how it blended so many tropes so seamlessly: second chance, small town, and enemies to lovers.
One of my favorite parts of the story is watching Hayley as she starts her dog rescue. Coming Home to Seashell Harbor also has the most adorable fluffy characters. There’s Bowie, a basset hound owned by Hadley’s grandmother Maddy. There’s Jagger, a scruffy doodle mix who pops up at the Pooch Palace one night as a stray and never leaves. And there are many others who come through Hadley’s rescue.
Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
tamsterdam_reads's review
3.0
Coming Home to Seashell Harbor is a cute and heartwarming second-chance romance. Although not entirely unique in the concept, I did overall enjoy the story of Hadley and Tony’s reunited love.
Any book with furry friends infuses another element of adorableness so I have to say, the dog rescue scenarios were my favourite part of the story and the love story was a bit pale in comparison.
If you’re looking for an easy breezy and light novel, Coming Home to Seashell Harbor is a great book to bring with you on vacation or to the beach and the narrator was great.
Thank you to Forever Publishing for the gifted copy and OrangeSky Audio for the advanced listener's copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Any book with furry friends infuses another element of adorableness so I have to say, the dog rescue scenarios were my favourite part of the story and the love story was a bit pale in comparison.
If you’re looking for an easy breezy and light novel, Coming Home to Seashell Harbor is a great book to bring with you on vacation or to the beach and the narrator was great.
Thank you to Forever Publishing for the gifted copy and OrangeSky Audio for the advanced listener's copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
jaime_fiction_fangirl's review
4.0
This was a fun start to a brand new standalone series from Miranda Liasson.
I'm a huge fan of small-town, second-chance romances so I really enjoyed this one. It had all of the elements of what I've come to expect from a small-town romance with the supportive, sometimes meddling, towns people and evertyhing I want in a second-chance romance with the banter, the longing and forgiveness.
Overall, this was a great start to, what looks to be, a great series with small-town charm, wonderful characters and sweet, fun romance.
I'm a huge fan of small-town, second-chance romances so I really enjoyed this one. It had all of the elements of what I've come to expect from a small-town romance with the supportive, sometimes meddling, towns people and evertyhing I want in a second-chance romance with the banter, the longing and forgiveness.
Overall, this was a great start to, what looks to be, a great series with small-town charm, wonderful characters and sweet, fun romance.
bookswithnopictures's review
3.0
Sometimes I feel like my mood largely dictates how I feel about a book and to be fair to this book, it always seems to me that whatever I read following something I hands down adored tends to suffer a bit because of that immediate comparison. That in no way means this isn't a diverting read and take this review with a grain of salt. It's a second chance romance in a small town, which are two tropes I'm a fan of. This all to say... I liked it and would read more by Miranda, but I was able to turn it on and off without too much angst on my side.
Hadley and Tony are high school sweethearts. Their epic break up makes their reunion less than comfortable. But what can they do with meddling, small town matchmakers on hand?
I will always appreciate a strong female friendship group. I think I just wanted more; more reason to root for Hadley and Tony as a couple, more dynamic girl time, etc. I will say though, that I thought the ending was quite sweet and worth the read.
The narrator, Kate Marcin, might have been part of the "okay" feelings that I have. I believe a different narrator's inflection and character voices could have gone a long way to making the listen more interesting. Again, not bad, but it wasn't one of my better experiences with an audiobook.
Thank you to OrangeSky Audio and NetGalley for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Hadley and Tony are high school sweethearts. Their epic break up makes their reunion less than comfortable. But what can they do with meddling, small town matchmakers on hand?
I will always appreciate a strong female friendship group. I think I just wanted more; more reason to root for Hadley and Tony as a couple, more dynamic girl time, etc. I will say though, that I thought the ending was quite sweet and worth the read.
The narrator, Kate Marcin, might have been part of the "okay" feelings that I have. I believe a different narrator's inflection and character voices could have gone a long way to making the listen more interesting. Again, not bad, but it wasn't one of my better experiences with an audiobook.
Thank you to OrangeSky Audio and NetGalley for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
transportedlfl's review
4.0
After a very big, very public breakup with an A list actor, Hadley returns to her hometown in Seashell Harbor for the summer. But there she finds that Cam, the first guy to break her heart (on a sticky note!!!) has recently returned home as well. This is a fun second chance, enemies-to-lovers story.
Hadley immediately gets together with her best friends, all single at 35 years old. And of course, in a small town, that means matchmakers have them in their sights. This is the first in a series, and I already know I will want to read all that follow. I love romances that feature strong female friendships.
Thank you so much to Forever for this great new summer romance.
Hadley immediately gets together with her best friends, all single at 35 years old. And of course, in a small town, that means matchmakers have them in their sights. This is the first in a series, and I already know I will want to read all that follow. I love romances that feature strong female friendships.
Thank you so much to Forever for this great new summer romance.
hammock_and_read's review
4.0
Tony and Hadley had been high school sweethearts and now years later after being away from their hometown and each other, they are pushed back together by her grandmother. Cam/Tony comes back after a career ending injury from football and Hadley comes back for the summer after her Hollywood boyfriends dumps her. They have the same sparks and this is a super sweet read, so many puppies, beach location, 3 friends, and real life comes and goes.
This did get long in some parts, and the steam is almost all closed door. I liked the parts of the dogs and the fight over the building but it got a long.
I can't wait for the rest of the series for Kit and Darla to get their HEA. Lucy as well?!? This town is cute and makes me want to sit on a beach.
3.5 stars
2.5 steam- (very closed door)
Thanks for Forever for this copy of the book in exchange for honest review
This did get long in some parts, and the steam is almost all closed door. I liked the parts of the dogs and the fight over the building but it got a long.
I can't wait for the rest of the series for Kit and Darla to get their HEA. Lucy as well?!? This town is cute and makes me want to sit on a beach.
3.5 stars
2.5 steam- (very closed door)
Thanks for Forever for this copy of the book in exchange for honest review
momwithareadingproblem's review
4.0
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Coming Home to Seashell Harbor by Miranda Liasson is filled with the heartbreak of first love and the promise of second chances. Hadley Wells comes home for an extended vacation after a very public breakup. She expects to be able to lick her wounds in the comforts of home, but finds it won’t be so easy with her ex also back home.
I like Hadley. She’s been living what she believed to be the perfect life in Hollywood, working for a PR agency and using the skills she learned in college to help others. But after finding her boyfriend in a compromising position with another woman, Hadley’s life flip upside down. Returning home is the only option available to her, but even home isn’t what she remembers. Her grandmother has had an accident, leaving her in rehab for the months that Hadley will be home with no one to run her pet rescue. Hadley takes it upon herself to run her grandmother’s business, a business she grew up working in and always dreamed of coming home to run. However nothing goes as planned, especially when the man that broke her heart comes waltzing in.
Tony Cammareri has also come home after suffering a career ending injury in the NFL. With no career prospects in sight, Cam is struggling. My heart hurt for him. This is a man who had everything and now finds his life empty. He has no purpose, and he’s searching. His agent helps him land on opening a restaurant. Cam has always been interested in food and serving people, it reminds him of his life at home with his family. However their visions of the restaurant are completely different, and with Hadley back in town, Cam’s attention is divided. I really like Cam. Despite his treatment of Hadley in the past, he’s a good guy, one that it was easy to root for.
Now for the conflict. In addition to overcoming Cam’s dismal break up of their high school relationship, Cam and Hadley are at odds. Cam has made a deal with Hadley’s grandmother to buy the rescue and plans to turn it into his restaurant. Hadley is determined to revive the place and believes that Cam is taking advantage of her grandmother. This puts them at opposite sides of the same fight. Both want what is best for their hometown, and both think they are right. Now they are forced to work together. I loved the tension this creates, but I love even more how their relationship slowly rekindles.
Overall, I really enjoyed Coming Home to Seashell Harbor. Second chance stories are some of my favorite stories, and this one ranks near the top. Hadley and Cam are easy to root for, but the town is my favorite thing about the book. There are so many characters, but they all felt real and relatable. I wanted to live within the pages of this town. If you are a fan of second chances and small town romances, I highly recommend this one.
Coming Home to Seashell Harbor by Miranda Liasson is filled with the heartbreak of first love and the promise of second chances. Hadley Wells comes home for an extended vacation after a very public breakup. She expects to be able to lick her wounds in the comforts of home, but finds it won’t be so easy with her ex also back home.
I like Hadley. She’s been living what she believed to be the perfect life in Hollywood, working for a PR agency and using the skills she learned in college to help others. But after finding her boyfriend in a compromising position with another woman, Hadley’s life flip upside down. Returning home is the only option available to her, but even home isn’t what she remembers. Her grandmother has had an accident, leaving her in rehab for the months that Hadley will be home with no one to run her pet rescue. Hadley takes it upon herself to run her grandmother’s business, a business she grew up working in and always dreamed of coming home to run. However nothing goes as planned, especially when the man that broke her heart comes waltzing in.
Tony Cammareri has also come home after suffering a career ending injury in the NFL. With no career prospects in sight, Cam is struggling. My heart hurt for him. This is a man who had everything and now finds his life empty. He has no purpose, and he’s searching. His agent helps him land on opening a restaurant. Cam has always been interested in food and serving people, it reminds him of his life at home with his family. However their visions of the restaurant are completely different, and with Hadley back in town, Cam’s attention is divided. I really like Cam. Despite his treatment of Hadley in the past, he’s a good guy, one that it was easy to root for.
Now for the conflict. In addition to overcoming Cam’s dismal break up of their high school relationship, Cam and Hadley are at odds. Cam has made a deal with Hadley’s grandmother to buy the rescue and plans to turn it into his restaurant. Hadley is determined to revive the place and believes that Cam is taking advantage of her grandmother. This puts them at opposite sides of the same fight. Both want what is best for their hometown, and both think they are right. Now they are forced to work together. I loved the tension this creates, but I love even more how their relationship slowly rekindles.
Overall, I really enjoyed Coming Home to Seashell Harbor. Second chance stories are some of my favorite stories, and this one ranks near the top. Hadley and Cam are easy to root for, but the town is my favorite thing about the book. There are so many characters, but they all felt real and relatable. I wanted to live within the pages of this town. If you are a fan of second chances and small town romances, I highly recommend this one.
thelittlethingsandmore's review
4.0
Thank you to Read Forever Pub for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
This was the perfect beach read that leaves you with that feel-good mood after you’ve finished. Not quite as quirky as a Kinsella, but still enjoyable and easy-to-read!
Along with love, there are also dogs, lots of dogs
This was the perfect beach read that leaves you with that feel-good mood after you’ve finished. Not quite as quirky as a Kinsella, but still enjoyable and easy-to-read!
Along with love, there are also dogs, lots of dogs