Five Stars
Oh, hello, one of my favorite contemporary romances of 2020! PARADISE COVE snuck up on me. I wasn’t prepared to totally invest in this adorable coastal Canadian small town and its quirky group of friends, but it happened! Our heroine is new to town and just coming off a bad breakup, starting over as the new doctor. The hero is Jason Mamoa-like, monosyllabic builder who is good with his hands. Seems simple, right? Guy meets girl, they’re attracted, they date, the end. Nope. Jenny Holiday takes you on an emotional journey with Nora and Jake as they work through life expectations, a mountain of grief, and moving on so you can move forward.
My favorite part of this whole book was the genuine friendship between Nora and Jake. Have you ever met someone and just clicked with that person? That’s what happens here. Their surface friendship is easy, and their relationship develops over a long period of time (okay, long in romance novel land). The easy banter between them and inside jokes are SO CUTE. Then when they get deep… it’s just beautiful! So much self-discovery and healing. Jake tells Nora that she “asks the right questions,” and it’s so quietly romantic! I’m literally tearing up writing about their connection!
Yes, I read this series out of order. No, I’m not sorry. The book stands alone so well. And Jake and Nora have my whole heart. Will I go back for Holiday’s entire backlist? Absolutely! Also, I need more short-haired heroines with long-haired heroes. It was adorable – I need it to be a thing.
I’ll admit it, I am late to the Jenny Holiday game! I know she has legions of fans, and now I totally, totally get it! I am one of you! PARADISE COVE was my first Holiday book, but it absolutely won’t be my last! In my defense, no one told me how delightfully refreshing her love scenes are and how much I would connect to her characters. That would have been a game-changer a long time ago! (Okay, maybe lots of people told me)
Overall, you can’t go wrong picking up this book. As a warning, this book deals with grief and loss of a child, so be aware and gentle with yourself if you decide to read.
**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Romance Reader 
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