Take a photo of a barcode or cover
obsidian_blue 's review for:
Rose Harbor in Bloom
by Debbie Macomber
Eh. I can see why some people didn't care for this series now. It's boring. There's barely any romance. I don't need to read explicit sex scenes, but this was a snoozefest. There's some nice interactions with characters readers will recognize from the Cedar Cove series, and all that did was make me wish that series was still ongoing.
Jo Marie is a widow still dealing with the grief she feels over the death of her husband in Afghanistan. She's running her bed and breakfast and dealing with her rude handyman Mark. I'm sure we're supposed to think how cute he is that he's nasty and domineering with Jo Marie, but I was aggravated. Jo Marie barely seems to do anything but think about the "enigma" of Mark and his rudeness. There is another side plot dealing with her dead husband's remains and it just didn't work for me at all.
Mark's not an alpha hero, he's just nasty. I hated that Jo Marie backed down from cutting him off after an argument they had. I'm sure Macomber is playing the long game of.these two getting together.
Annie could have been interesting, but was boring. Her fiancee cheated on her and she is dealing with him not wanting to give her up. Planning her grandparents wedding renewla gives her something to do. Too bad they are terrible as hell during the course of this book. The nasty back and forth bewtbet them even got to me. Annie also is dealing with her grandparents next door neighbor (Oliver) declaring himself. He's boring too. There is a hilarious scene where Annie's former fiancee and Oliver threaten to kick each other's butt with judo, and I seriously choked on water and spewed all over. I maybe started singing everyone was Kung Fu fighting. Yes, I know judo and Kung Fu are not the same style.
Mary had a potentially interesting storyline until Macomber backed away from her having an abortion. Yes we have another secret child romance plot. I cannot take how ridiculous and unrealistic this storyline was from beginning to end. There is also the not subtle warning that woman who want a career and are not motherly will get cancer one day. Mary's so called love of her love George was too perfect and also boring.
The writing was just so-so. Trying to juggle three plotlines shows. Nothing hangs together besides all three women being connected to the inn (Annie and Mary are guests there) and their storylines are all over the place. I will say each women had a distinct voice. I think Jo Marie's voice is too old for her though. No one her supposed age speaks like she does (she's written as a women in her 50s).
The setting of Cedar Cove is one Macomber's fans love. I just wish I got more scenes at some of the favorite haunts which is the only reason why I'm giving this book three stars. Mary goes to the tearoom, there is mention of the lighthouse which was nice. We get sightings of Olivia, Jack, Faith, Grace, etc. All of them popping up in this book just made me miss the Cedar Cove series more.
The ending just sets up things for the next book in the series (we have two women calling about being guests).
Jo Marie is a widow still dealing with the grief she feels over the death of her husband in Afghanistan. She's running her bed and breakfast and dealing with her rude handyman Mark. I'm sure we're supposed to think how cute he is that he's nasty and domineering with Jo Marie, but I was aggravated. Jo Marie barely seems to do anything but think about the "enigma" of Mark and his rudeness. There is another side plot dealing with her dead husband's remains and it just didn't work for me at all.
Mark's not an alpha hero, he's just nasty. I hated that Jo Marie backed down from cutting him off after an argument they had. I'm sure Macomber is playing the long game of.these two getting together.
Annie could have been interesting, but was boring. Her fiancee cheated on her and she is dealing with him not wanting to give her up. Planning her grandparents wedding renewla gives her something to do. Too bad they are terrible as hell during the course of this book. The nasty back and forth bewtbet them even got to me. Annie also is dealing with her grandparents next door neighbor (Oliver) declaring himself. He's boring too. There is a hilarious scene where Annie's former fiancee and Oliver threaten to kick each other's butt with judo, and I seriously choked on water and spewed all over. I maybe started singing everyone was Kung Fu fighting. Yes, I know judo and Kung Fu are not the same style.
Mary had a potentially interesting storyline until Macomber backed away from her having an abortion. Yes we have another secret child romance plot. I cannot take how ridiculous and unrealistic this storyline was from beginning to end. There is also the not subtle warning that woman who want a career and are not motherly will get cancer one day. Mary's so called love of her love George was too perfect and also boring.
The writing was just so-so. Trying to juggle three plotlines shows. Nothing hangs together besides all three women being connected to the inn (Annie and Mary are guests there) and their storylines are all over the place. I will say each women had a distinct voice. I think Jo Marie's voice is too old for her though. No one her supposed age speaks like she does (she's written as a women in her 50s).
The setting of Cedar Cove is one Macomber's fans love. I just wish I got more scenes at some of the favorite haunts which is the only reason why I'm giving this book three stars. Mary goes to the tearoom, there is mention of the lighthouse which was nice. We get sightings of Olivia, Jack, Faith, Grace, etc. All of them popping up in this book just made me miss the Cedar Cove series more.
The ending just sets up things for the next book in the series (we have two women calling about being guests).