I love this series!  Hope Harbor is like a favorite vacation spot I can visit again and again in these books!  I can almost smell the ocean and feel the sand beneath my feet.  I always enjoy meeting the old characters again and seeing how the last ones are becoming part of the community.  My favorite one is Charlie the taco man and his sea gull sidekicks!

Needing a fresh start Ashley Scott decides to really step out of her comfort zone, travel 2500 miles (approximately, yes I checked) to purchase an historic Victorian mansion.  Her nerves are a little one frazzled after reading about the rumors the house is haunted and tales of spotting of an ethereal woman in white walking on the grounds.

Upon arriving as she starts to enter the gate a man in a mask carrying a chainsaw moves out of the hedge.  You know here her mind goes! (Mine went there too!) He passes the car, much to her relief, and walks away.  She finds out later this is Jon, the landscaper.  He is a war veteran deeply scarred both physically and emotionally. The owner of the home, eighty year old Rose Fitzgerald is also quite mysterious and a bit different.  She has locked herself away in this mansion for many years where she lives alone. 

Ashley finds that the purchasing the home comes with some unusual conditions. 

This story was constantly surprising me with unexpected circumstances that arose and most of all with Ashley peeling away the layers and discovering the most incredible secrets of Jon and Rose.  I did the “stay up too late and read” night because I couldn’t put it down!

It was beautiful to see how no matter how hurt a person is or misguided in their thinking about their previous life, they overcome it!  New life can begin no matter how difficult the past is.   Ashley being able to see past Jon’s disfigurement to who he truly was touched my heart.  Each character has their own ghosts from their past to deal with and courageously moves forward. I love how this unfolds! 

I received this book from Revell Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions stated are my own.