Starfish Pier is the sixth book in the Hope Harbor series and while each book is a standalone story and can be read alone. It’s best to read them in order to get the whole story of the town and its people and not get slight spoilers for the previous books. In this one former Delta Force operator Steven Roark and first grade teacher Holly Miller butt heads on the opposite side of an issue. But when they are kind of forced to work together sparks fly. I enjoyed this one because I tend to like the whole enemies to more troupe. But reading a Hope Harbor book is like coming home.

I absolutely loved this story. This was the first book I have read in this series, though this is not the first. It appears the books are connected but each one focuses on different people within Hope Harbor. I just loved visiting this small seaside town. I love that one of our main characters is a teacher - books about teachers are ones I'll pick up pretty quick! The characters amazing, the story was perfect, the writing was phenomenal, and the messages throughout were stellar. The author touched on some tough topics, but they were discussed very well. This book is a must read for everyone. I definitely want to check out more of the series now! I hope these characters also make appearances in the other books!

This book was a total mood for me. I loved every minute of it. It's cozy, it's romantic and it's definitely what I'm in this business for. Excellent job.

Starfish Pier by Irene Hannon is book 6 in the Hope Harbor Series. I absolutely love everything about this series-- from Charlie's taco shack to the pelicans that seem ever present. Like the other stories in this series, two people with difficult pasts meet up and find the magic of this special place. Ms Hannon is uniquely gifted in creating a special town you will want to visit again and again. This book is a solid read and I recommend it highly. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This is the third or fourth book I’ve read in the Hope Harbor series (and it's #6 in the series). Note that each novel in this series is a standalone, and you don’t have to read the earlier stories for this one to make sense.

Starfish Pier has Charley and his fish taco stand (I would love to try one of his tacos!), seagulls Floyd and Gladys (what else do you name a pair of seagulls?), and the ongoing banter between the Catholic priest and the Protestant pastor readers have enjoyed in the earlier books in the series.

But the banter hid a serious message. Holly Miller is a first-grade teacher who volunteers at church and is staunchly pro-life. (So she’s both anti-abortion and anti-capital punishment … which makes sense to me). Steven Roark is a ex-Army sniper who now runs a fishing charter business. He moved to Hope Harbor to watch out for his brother, a budding alcoholic.

Yes, Starfish Pier is a romance. But it also has some of the bigger issues that are more often dealt with in women’s fiction. Patrick resents his high-achieving big brother, and there are definite elements of the Prodigal Son about the story in his actions. But Steven isn’t the self-righteous big brother he could be. He’s a man with his own history, a history he’s not entirely comfortable with.

Then there’s Holly. She’s mentally and spiritually strong, but has a history of medical problems she’s trying to overcome. I admired that about her. She wasn’t prepared to let her (real) issues get in the way more than necessary. Instead, she was willing to share herself and her history, and make a difference where it mattered.

Overall, Starfish Pier is an intelligent and timely look at modern issues through a Christian lens that shows but never preaches. Recommended for romance and women’s fiction readers.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Another wonderful book of second chances by Irene Hannon. Her characters are so believable that somewhere between the first and second chapter you are rooting for them. Can’t wait to read her next book.

What a charming read! Delightful beach reading. I really enjoyed the Starfish Pier and highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Starfish Pier is book six of the Hope Harbor series by Irene Hannon. I did not realize this book was part of a series until after, so I would have to say it makes a great stand alone book. However, after reading other reviews I think the story would be greatly enhanced if you read the whole series which are all set in Hope Harbor and I think it would help you connect with the other town folk. Plus, if the other books are as good as this one I think it would be an added bonus! I need to check out the other books myself!

This is a modern day romance which is not my most favorite genre, but this was a nice change of pace to my normal reading.

A Year ago, ex-Delta Force operator Steven Roark let the rigors of combat behind to run fishing charters in Hope Harbor, decompress and talk some sense into his kid brother. Business is good, but making peace with his past is more challenging than he expected.

First grade teacher Holly Miller leads a quiet, low-profile existence until she's recruited to advocate for a cause that dear to her heart. When she solicits Steven's assistance, sparks fly--especially after they find themselves on opposite sides of an issue that disrupts their placid seaside community.

As these two seemingly incompatible souls search for common ground, might they discover a deeper connection and find that love can banish darkness and light the way to future with promise?

I love a book that has deeper meaning that pulls on the heartstrings of your heart as you read. This was just such a book. It is filled with hope, mercy and love.

If you find yourself with a lot of extra time right now, which most of us our, you should grab hold of all six books in this series and sit yourself down for a nice long read!

***Thanks to Revell for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love this series, and it’s always great to return to the Hope Harbor community. I enjoyed reading Holly’s story. She’s quiet, but passionate about what she believes; and deeply cares for her friends and family. Her positive attitude towards struggle with her particular disability added sweetness to her story. There are several different characters in this book that also have different types of struggles, but the community works together to try to help everyone find the plan that God has for them. The budding romance between Stephen and Holly is very much an “opposites attract” story. They have to find a way to deal with their differing views to even start to find a future together. There’s much to love about this book. It’s a clean, sweet contemporary romance that will touch your heart.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Irene Hannon has two personalities. There's the contemporary romance author who writes mushy, sometimes angsty romances. Then there's the nail-biting suspense writer who keeps her readers up at night trying to figure out who is trying to kill, kidnap, maim, or otherwise harm her (usually) female main character. In Starfish Pier, she showcases her contemporary romance skill.

In this sixth installment of her Hope Harbor series, Hannon's female lead is the new first grade teacher. Physically, she is beautiful, but she has some balance issues. The male lead is former Delta Force warrior, Steven Roark. The minor players all stem off these two - the Roark brother who has a drinking problem, the neighbor who moved to town because of Oregon's assisted suicide law. Hannon skillfully weaves all of the threads into a beautiful love story, while keeping many of the characters who were introduced in previous installments of the series. There are the seagulls - Floyd and Gladys, Charley the fish taco maker, the pastor and the priest who love to compete with each other, etc. Every one of them makes me want to hunt for this town so I can visit.

If you have already started this series, don't miss book 6! Readers of contemporary romance will enjoy this story. I know I did! And, as an added bonus, there is a short taste of Hannon's next romantic suspense book at the end of this one. I can't wait until that one publishes!

Starfish Pier is such a heart-warming book. No one's life is perfect - many people face alcoholism, unforgiveness, heartbreak, loneliness and more - including the people at Hope Harbor. The difference is that the people in Hope Harbor come together. They find a way to do this in spite of differences of opinion, struggles, and heartbreak. They learn to do this through building relationships and being there for one another.

Holly and Steven definitely have their differences, but there is a magnetism between them that they both try to resist, but they can only do so for so long. The connection between them only grows stronger as they open their minds to one another, family and community.

As I read this book, I grew to know the characters so much that I would love to meet them in person. I want to visit, no live, in Hope Harbor. Through her books, Hannon gives me the opportunity to do that. I also realized that in reading this series, I somehow missed a couple of the books. I am not sure how that happened, but now I am heading back to read those I missed!

I think I have read every “Hope Harbor” book in this series and have loved every one!

I love the small town, the 2 town ministers, the seagulls and Charley the fish food truck man. Although every story is different with different main characters, they all take place in Hope Harbor and all mention some of the regular townspeople.

I enjoyed getting to know Steven, Holly, Patrick, Cindy and Pete. The story is lighthearted and easy to read but also deals with some heavy subjects like addiction, war, abortion, and suicide. The characters all have their different struggles like past guilt, medical issues, forgiveness, judgment… but they all use prayer, God’s love and serving others as their way to heal.

Touching characters, great stories…loved reading it from beginning to end! I highly recommend this book and this series. Each book can be read in order or as stand alone novels.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

Starfish Pier by Irene Hannon is book six in the Hope Harbor series. It is a contemporary romance genre, in which two seemingly incompatible young people do their level best to search for common ground to build a relationship on, as they strive to discover a deeper connection with God and each other – only to find that genuine, God-given love dispels the horrifying darkness, to light up the way to a faith-inspired future, filled with bright hope and brilliant promise.

This realistic, true-to-life story addresses the most controversial and persistently difficult to answer questions faced by a travailing humanity. This story also highlights the forgiveness and second chances offered by our compassionate and understanding God.

With elements of faith nicely interwoven into the flawless story line, Hannon’s multifaceted story of redemption, mercy and hope focuses on how asking God’s forgiveness and forgiving oneself is just as important for healing as forgiveness from others.

Starfish Pier is a heartwarming story of emotional restoration and peace, where hearts heal with God’s forgiving grace….. and love blooms, against all odds, in all its fullness. I highly recommend it to readers who wish to find true fulfillment in a story of the highest standards, embodying true Christian values.

As I read the first few chapters of this book, I did a mini-fist pump in my head. The setting and the characters really drew me in, and I settled in for a read I would enjoy. However, and unfortunately, the story became irksome before I had gotten halfway; and that was the general trend I felt till the epilogue. So, I really liked the beginning and the end, but the transition from one to the other fell fairly flat for me.

The first thing that really bugged me was Charley's'character. While I've read the first book in this series and understand that Charley is a central character (and reads like a metaphorical God-figure) to the Hope Harbour narrative, he comes across as weirdly manipulative in Starfish Pier. At some point, the romance began to read almost like a three-way relationship. We all love the 'meddlesome grandma' in a story, but Charley takes that to the next (slightly unpleasant) level. Add that to Holly's (female lead) intervention to 'rescue' her neighbour and the whole book came across like a group of people trying to puppeteer each other's lives. Thankfully, Steven (male lead) backed off of his brother or that would've been just too much.

It also felt like the two leads spent more time apart or avoiding each other (at least Steven did) than they did together - which made perfect sense considering the story arc, but I would've preferred that they had more interactions.

Overall, this book has really strong characters with great depth, a charming setting and good writing, but the plot doesn't seem to do them justice. It, sadly, gets 3 stars from me.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and was not required to leave a positive review.

I love Hope Harbor and the characters that live there. Steven has moved there to have a more peaceful life to spend his days fishing and taking people out to fish, but there are still things in his past that stick with him.
Holly finds herself working with Steven on a project where they don't always agree it turns into a really big deal as the entire community gets involved. They have to learn how to work for this good cause even when they don't always agree. I know how hard that can be to really be pasionate about something but to have to sometimes give in to make things work for the best.
I received a copy of the book the review is mine.

It was so good to get back to Hope Harbor in Starfish Pier, the sixth book in the series. This book can be read as a stand-alone novel but readers of the past books will recognize several characters who make appearances.

This book follows the characters of Holly, a teacher, and Steven, a soldier turned boat captain. They don’t start off on the right foot but over the course of time things start to change for them. They are interesting characters and it is great to get to know them. This is a heartwarming book and it was truly a joy to read.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Even though I enjoy books in this genre, sometimes they can seem very similar – almost as if you’ve read it before. Not Starfish Pier – it had many characteristics that made it stand out. Irene Hannon is an author that I never have to wonder when I pick up her books if it will be worth my time – she always delivers! One of the things she does best is create characters that are realistic, and not stereotypical. The characters in Starfish Pier have health challenges both physically and mentally. These challenges bring depth and dimension to their interactions and their relationships. Somehow Irene Hannon tackles many heavy topics but in a very tactful way. Alcoholism, capital punishment, abortion, and assisted suicide all play a role throughout. While all of these topics are deep, the way it is written will have you cruising through the pages. I enjoyed the perspectives of the different characters and how they were woven together with messages of hope. The setting of Hope Harbor is a charming seaside town that brings a sense of serenity and family atmosphere. You will not want to leave. If you are looking for a sweet romance that tackles deeper topics, this would be a great pick! I would recommend this one for a book club as well – you won’t be disappointed.

Holly and Steven live in the sort of community that one wishes were real. The setting of Hope Harbor definitely adds to the charm of this book.

The story flows nicely and tackles some heavy topics. Chronic disease, assisted suicide, pro-life stances, and more are addressed.

The love story between Holly and Steven develops from the beginning of the book. As a reader, I was not convinced of their relationship, but I think it’s because the dialogue was awkward at times.

I enjoyed the story and give it a solid 4 stars.

I’ve only traveled to “Hope Harbor” on a few occasions, but this quaint town on the coast of Oregon is the kind of place you want to visit time and time again. Mrs. Hannon has created a hometown that feels as real as any on earth. From the taco chef Charley to the seagull “couple” to the bantering clerics, Hope Harbor is a place that will make you feel at home and bring a smile to your face at the same time the characters struggle with deep personal issues and flaws. Mrs. Hannon creates a clean, tactful story while also not shying away from the most difficult decisions people face in life and Starfish Pier, I believe, takes on one of the hardest I’ve ever seen in a Christian romance novel.
Alcoholism, abortion, assisted suicide, and capital punishment all play a major part in the lives of these characters. This story addresses questions that are some of the most controversial and difficult to answer. However, this story also brings into the light the incredible forgiveness offered by an amazing God. If He offers people a second chance, shouldn’t we?
One of my favorite quotes is this: “We’re all like stones tossed in the water, creating a ripple effect with outer limits too far away for us to see. But God sees them.” We never know the ripple effect that our decisions will cause both to the good and to the bad. As the Scripture says, “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. (Romans 14:7)”
Because of the heavy elements to this story, I recommend parent discretion for anyone under 18, however it is clean both in language and intimacy. (One married couple does head into the bedroom for behind closed-door activities.)
I recommend this book for those who are looking for something deeper with a difficult path for the romance to traverse.

The story is an emotional journey with several amazing characters. The setting is serene and breathtaking and I felt relaxed as the story unfolded. Holly is sweet and caring and is on a mission to get funds for a project she believes in. She deals with physical issues but it never stops her from following her dreams.

Steven is a handsome man who has come home to repair his relationship with his brother. I really liked how determined he was to rebuild his relationship with his brother. Getting to know Steven’s brother was an emotional rollercoaster. The author does an excellent job of talking about alcoholism and the effects it has on the entire family. I so wanted Patrick to finally surrender and admit he needed help.

What I really liked about the story was the fragile connection that Steven and Holly first had. They don’t see eye to eye on some issues which makes for a story filled with forgiveness and trusting God to heal wounds. I so much wanted to see them work things out and become a couple. I don’t want to forget to mention Pete. He is Holly’s neighbor and tends to stay to himself. Holly continues to make every effort to befriend him. The secret she learns about him is one that will require tissues. I wanted to adopt Pete as my granddad. His story will have an impact on several characters as he learns to trust people again.

The story is a wonderful journey through several tough subjects that the author handles with eloquent writing. I enjoyed every moment I spent getting to know each character and watching God change them.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads. The review is my own opinion.