REVIEW: Forever in Honeymoon Harbor by JoAnn Ross

Forever in Honeymoon Harbor by JoAnn Ros is the fifth book in the Honeymoon Harbor series; I would recommend reading them in order. I haven’t read all the books in the series, and it felt like Quinn and Amanda had been introduced in a previous book.

Quinn Mannion, a former attorney and now runs a pub, has his eyes on Amanda Barrow. He feels guilty though, for not noticing sooner that she had been in an abusive relationship. Amanda is trying to move on from the past, running her own landscaping business. She’s also ready to move onto a relationship with Quinn, and weekend away together causes their relationship to bloom. But when a young woman situates herself into Quinn’s life and the truth comes out, will it ruin what they were starting?

I really struggled to get into the story at first. It’s starts off slowly, with a lot of talking about things that didn’t push the story forward. It felt unnecessary, and I found myself starting to skim in spots. Once things pick up between Quinn and Amanda, the story starts to come together. I liked them as a couple, and appreciated that Quinn, knowing Amanda’s past, doesn’t push her for anything she’s not ready for.

When Piper shows up in town, it’s clear she’s hiding something. I was able to guess pretty early on what she was in town for. I thought Quinn handled the whole thing well, but found his interactions with Piper’s mother to be unrealistic. After what she had done, I would have expected him to be angry; instead, he pretty much brushes it off and acts friendly towards her. It was unbelievable.

Characters from previous books make an appearance in this one, and it was good to catch up with them. It was also interesting to see the family dynamics between the Mannion siblings, as well as with their parents. It was nice to see them all rally around Quinn and Amanda, and to see how much they supported one another.

I wanted to love this book but couldn’t, mainly because it dragged on in several spots and because of Quinn’s unrealistic reaction. Despite that, I did think that the romance between Quinn and Amanda was sweet, and that, along with Quinn’s family and the side story about Piper, made the book enjoyable. If you enjoy small town romances that feature a woman overcoming her traumatic past and large, supportive families, then this would be a book for you.
 

Book Info:

Publication: August 22, 2023 | Canary Street Press | Honeymoon Harbor #5

Quinn Mannion never believed in destiny until She came to Honeymoon Harbor. The eldest of five siblings, Quinn has always found success—head altar boy, valedictorian of Honeymoon High, big-city lawyer. Until he gave it all up. Walking away from his lucrative career and returning to Honeymoon Harbor to reopen the old family pub wasn’t as tough as he thought. Not nearly as tough as meeting the woman who was meant to be his forever. But loving a married woman is a line Quinn won’t cross.

Despite Amanda Barrow’s attempts to be friendly yet reserved, she knows Quinn has noticed a shadow hanging over her. And walls that don’t invite intimacy. And the unexplained bruises. As much as she tries not to fall so quickly, Quinn’s steady nature and loving concern have Amanda burying memories of her disastrous marriage and feeling hopeful for the future. But she’ll have to let go of the chaos and pain of the past—and accept a staggering family secret—before she and Quinn can get their happy-ever-after.