I almost immediately fell in love with both Starshine Cove and its quirky characters. The journey the main characters went on was well written and left me wanting more! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you may even get mad and disappointed. But you will not be disappointed to read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

TWs: domestic, emotional/psychological abuse

This is my first Starshine Cove book. The town is charming and seems idyllic. The way Starshine Cove is described makes me want to go visit there. I think this book was more about self-discovery, healing, and friendships with a dash of romance. I originally thought that it was kind of slow-moving for the first few chapters, but after a bit, I realized that it was important to read more of Lucy's backstory and know more about her friendships to understand her character. Even though it's been many years since her divorce from her abusive ex-husband, Lucy is still struggling and healing from what she experienced. Lucy's close friends and Josh all help her face her trauma and move forward. It was great to see how Lucy began to see herself as someone deserving of happiness and to develop the confidence to live her life for herself, and I think that believing in your own self-worth is something we all can take away from this book.

I was definitely worried about her relationship with Josh (he's the best!) in the context of everything that was going on in Lucy's life, but I was ultimately happy with how it all worked out in the end. This was a quick, heartwarming read about a group of friends who are really just going through hardships in their lives with the steadiness and constancy of their friendship to lean on.

This was a nice change of pace from all of the murder mysteries I have been reading lately. I’m glad that Lucy finally found her voice. I just wish that I had been able to see Lyssa’s brothers take care of Robert. Starshine Cove seems like a wonderful place.

This is the third book in this fabulous series but could be read as a standalone although for maximum enjoyment I would recommend reading them all in order.

This instalment focuses on the stories of Lucy and Josh as well as allowing the reader to catch up with the other inhabitants of the beautiful setting of star shine cove.

This is so much more than a romance series and covers a lot of life issues that readers can relate to which are all explored in a sensitive and compassionate way.

I hope there is going to be more books in this series so we can keep track of how the characters lives are going and with everything that happens in star shine cove a place that is sprinkled with magic and everything seems a little brighter with the help of friends and community spirit.

Oh wow this book has had me crying and smiling.
I'm so happy Lucy got happy in the end.
It also shows people you can get strong again.
Lucy is an amazing character and I hope we get to read more from her.
I hope there's more books in this series as it's a brilliant one.

This is my 2nd Starshine Cove novel by the author, and I've really enjoyed them. There's a truly warm, inviting vibe to the stories, and the characters are human and likable (for the most part!). My only complaint would be that this one ended pretty quickly and suddenly. I hope the characters pop up in the next installment -- I will absolutely be a reader.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

This is a sweet, heartwarming, touching and fun story. 10 years after her divorce from an emotionally abusive man, Lucy is still afraid of anyone controlling her. But, she's built a safe life for herself and her daughter and reunited with old friends. Lucy and her daughter attend the wedding of one of those old friends in Starshine Cove, where she finds an outpouring of love, support, kindness and a sense of belonging, along with a little romance.
A delightful, easy read that makes me want to move to Starshine Cove!
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great visit to sunshine cove. Catching up with old friends a wedding a house move and great story about how abuse in a marriage can be in so many forms.
As usual well written and looking forward to another instalment soon.

What a sweet story about love, friendships, and finding family.
I loved how Starshine Cove accepted Lucy into their community without question.
Lucy has a condition called PTSD
I learned much about this subject while reading this book.
By the way, I'm happy to be back in Starshine Cove. This community made me feel welcome as well.
I'm giving this one 5 stars for keeping me engaged the whole way through.
I highly recommend a box of tissues but I promise that there are some funny scenes too.
Rose is a delightful character as well. She's the one who made me smile.
Lots of wonderful new characters that we'll get to meet too.
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wonderful feel good story. I love reading these as a palate cleanser after something crazy. Thank you

Book Reveiw: Finding Hope in Starshine Cove
Stars: 4 X 5
Author: Debbie Johnson
Publisher: Storm Publishing

Lucy has been dealing with the after effects of an abusive relationship from 16 years ago. One could say that she has PTSD. He ex Robert is an MD and is remarried with two small children. Lucy’s friend Ella is getting married at Starshine Cove. She brings her 16 year old daughter Rose with her for the wedding. Many of Lucy’s old University friends are also attending the wedding. Lucy ends up seeing Josh at the wedding as he is the brother of Ella’s fiancé’s brother. Lucy at Josh recently had a chance encounter at the airport and Lucy pretended to be someone else. Josh is rather upset with her as he doesn’t like people who lie and lets it be known and tells her that they can just get through the wedding. As the wedding festivities go on, Josh and Lucy get to know each other and Lucy continues to have issue with her PTSD and she finally lets her girlfriend know what has happened in the past. Lucy and Josh become closer and then Lucy’s ex shows up and confronts her. He is looking for his wife and children as she has packed up her belongings and left him. Lucy’s friends rally around her as she finally stand up to her ex Robert. The wedding is a success. Lucy and Josh now have to decide what to do with their relationship. The one thing that is apparent is Lucy is doing better now as is Rose. Lucy was once a veterinarian and she has now decided to go back to school, take courses she need to become a practicing veterinarian again. As for Josh and Lucy, you will need to read the book to see how that chapter ends. Thanks Debbie Johnson for a wonderful story.

This book was a lovely, heartwarming English small village story! I loved the found family aspect for Lucy and Rose, and how the people of Starshine Cove were remarkably friendly and welcoming to everyone that came their way! I loved Lucy’s character as she was compassionate and thoughtful, she strived to put Rose first and be a good mum whilst also trying to protect herself and cover up the feelings left behind by her ex-husband. I liked that even though he’d cheated and left her for the woman he ended up married to, Lucy still went out of her way to help Lyssa even though she was the other woman.

I absolutely fell in love with Josh, he was just lovely! He was so understanding and patient with Lucy and even though they got off to a rocky start their banter and chemistry was fun to read!

Overall. I really enjoyed this book, it was beautifully written and I want to live in Starshine Cove!

There's something magical about Starshine Cove, a tiny town in Cornwall. It's impossible to find on a map, but it's filled with residents who support each other and welcome with open arms anyone lucky enough to find the town. In the third in the Starshine Cove series, Finding Hope in Starshine Cove, it's single mom Lucy who travels from her current home in rural Ireland to the Dorset village, along with her 16-year-old daughter, Rose. She's there to reunite with physician Ella and two of her other university friends on the occasion of Ella's wedding. But wouldn't you know it--Josh, a man with whom Lucy had a flirtatious encounter at an airport (under an assumed name and persona), is the groom's brother.

This is not primarily a love story, although Lucy and Josh warm to each other as the story progresses. It's really more about domestic psychological abuse from Lucy's ex-husband Robert. Lucy left Robert 10 years ago with young Rose after Robert had stripped her of all confidence in herself and isolated her from her family and friends. It was only when he started an affair with Lyssa that Lucy was able to flee, but Rose still visits her father in London periodically. Now it seems that Lyssa, Robert's second wife, is suffering the same abuse and trying to find a way out of the situation for herself and their three children.

The author excels in her descriptions at both ends of the spectrum-- evocative, beautifully depicted details about Starshine Cove and its inhabitants on one hand and, on the other, the harsh realities of how psychological abuse from a spouse can ruin someone's life. Lucy's daughter Rose is the standout character for me. She is a delightful mixture of teenaged angst and mature emotional intelligence, and her take on her mother's self-limited life is enlightening. There are characters from the previous two books that appear, but it's not necessary to have read those books to appreciate and understand this one. Best of all, readers of the series will realize that there will always be a happy ending, even if it's not the one we expect.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I have just finished reading Finding Hope in Starshine Cove, and I am still blinking back happy tears. . I have never read a book by Debbie Johnson before, but I am ordering the other 2 titles in the Starshine Cove series tomorrow.

Then novel is written in the first person, and the main character, Lucy Brown, is relatable, funny, and a sympathetic character. We first meet her in an airport, imagining the back stories of the people she sees. It is very funny, and then she gets carried away by her imagination and spins a tale to a handsome stranger who buys her a drink. You just know that she will be running into him again.

This is a romance and is humorous, but Lucy’s back story is that she was married to a very controlling and emotionally abusive man. Even though she has been divorced for 10 years, she is still scarred. We see her interacting with old friends, her daughter, and the wonderful villagers of Starshine Cove, an absolutely magical place.

I was completely engaged in Lucy’s story from the beginning and envious of anyone who gets to live Starshine Cove. This was a funny yet moving story.

A very moving good story . Set mainly in beautiful Dorset. Lucy has made a new life for her and her daughter and they go to an old friends wedding and you learn how controlling her x was and the damage it has done. Very moving at times . How do explain things to your 16; old daughter. Very well written and I loved Starshine Cove pulled together for a wedding and to help Lucy and her x’s new wife . Read it. Good ending .

A random encounter with a random stranger at the airport sparks excitement for plain old Lucy, a single mom feeling in a rut with her mundane life. While she stretches the truth (a lot) on what adventure she is off on, little does she know what is in store when she arrives for a friend’s wedding in the beautiful Starshine Cove. Connecting with old friends, sharing life updates, celebrating love- until Lucy finds herself in a pickle when another chance meeting with the handsome stranger happens at the wedding! Finding Hope at Starshine Cove is a beautifully light-hearted book about tackling life’s chances and challenges with grace.

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram in April ahead of publication!

What a terrific book! There is so much angst and turmoil in Lucy’s life. I love the way Starshine Cove rallies around her. The ending is perfect. The author didn’t rush to conclude the book with a HEA. She went in a natural and organic direction. I love this series.

NetGalley has been a real find for me in that it has introduced me to new authors that I probably wouldn’t have come across otherwise. So when I was offered a Debbie Johnson book to read, I searched her other titles. This is book three in a series, but it reads well as a standalone book. This one deals with domestic abuse of the coercive kind, and shows how insidious it can be , starting out nice but gradually getting very ugly. When Lucy reconnects with her friends from uni, she is invited a to wedding at Starshine Cove, which she attends with her 16 year old daughter Rose. Lots of laughs and misunderstandings later, along with some serious issues of coercive violence, Lucy does make progress with her rather stalled life. This is a lovely warm book and I want to move to Starshine Cove tomorrow! The cast of wonderful warm welcoming people make this very heartwarming. The dialogue in this is enjoyable, especially between Lucy and Rose, as there is a knack in writing about teenagers. I hope to read more from this author.

Lucy is dealing with an abusive relationship - from 16 years ago. She meets Josh under questionable conditions - thinking she would never see him again. Of course, they do see each other unexpectedly - he is the brother of her girlfriend's fiancé. Lucy and her daughter Rose are visiting Starshine Cove where the wedding is to take place. Smitten Lucy and her alter ego, Amelia fights her feelings. Everything is very complicated by Lucy's ex-husband when his current wife sends out signals that something is wrong.

Every time I read a book like this, I wonder whether a place like Starshine Cove actually exists. It seems so idyllic and I want to be folded into such a village. Starshine Cove wormed its way into my heart and mind. While this is a formulaic book, I still just fell in love reading this book - fell in love with Josh, fell in love with Starshine Cove, fell in love with Connie, Rose, Lucy, Priya, Katie, Jake and Ella. Even Larry.

This book should, however, come with a trigger warning for anyone who has experienced domestic mental and emotional abuse.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are fair, honest and my own,

such a cute book!!!! i found myself smiling most of the time and just enjoying it so much. first book i've read from debbie johnson, and won't be the last!