Name: Briar's Reviews's review of Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday
Item: Paradise Cove
Rating: 3
Author: Briar's Reviews

Jenny Holiday

From the USA Today bestselling "master of witty banter" (Entertainment Weekly) comes a hilarious and heartwarming romance about a big city girl who never expected to find the man of her dreams in the tiny town of Matchmaker Bay. Dr. Nora Walsh has just been dumped in spectacular fashion, making it the perfect time for a major life change. She figures taking over the medical practice in tiny Matchmaker Bay for a couple of years will help her get over her broken heart, and then she can head back to the big city. But when the first man she sees looks like a superhero god, she wonders if maybe there's something to small-town living after all. Jake Ramsey also has a broken heart -- one he never expects to heal. He doesn't need people anyway and is content hiding out in his secluded cottage on the beach. But after helping Nora with a medical emergency, he finds himself opening up to the witty, warmhearted doctor. Soon the local matchmakers are working overtime to pair them off, and Jake begins to wonder if his campaign to get Nora to stay is for the town or because he can't bear the thought of her leaving.

Paradise Cove

Briar's Reviews

Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday is a sweet book following Jake and Nora.

These two are quite the pair and make for an interesting couple to follow. Their romance blossoms, twists and turns throughout this story. As Nora takes over a medical practice, she meets Jake and finds out he's nursing a bit of a broken heart. His losses are strong, but the two of them seem to be helping each other heal from their hurt.

On a personal level, the grief sections really hit me in a hurtful way. It's my own personal issues from the loss of my Father, but reading such strongly well written grief made me feel things I haven't felt in a while. That made this book super difficult to get through for me, but it makes for one beautiful story. Jenny has done such a miraculous job, and me struggling to get through these because of the realness is a good thing. It just stings a bit. So, reader beware. If you have a heart as sore as mine, be careful with the excellent writing in this book. It'll make you feel things.

Overall, this is one emotional roller coaster romance. I read Jenny years back, and man is she getting better as each book passes.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

b.andherbooks

Big city doctor Nora Walsh relocates to Paradise Cove after discovering her boyfriend is cheating on her, with a much younger resident. Thinking a couple years break from the massively busy ER AND dating will refresh her, Nora isn't counting on stoic, size of a mountain local Jake Ramsay to become both her best friend and eventually her lover. But they both agree, it will never be anything more.

A deeply poignant romance with a current of extreme grief running underneath it all, Paradise Cove is much more than a light beach read. 

I was absolutely loving this one until (view spoiler)[Nora misses a few days of her birth control after her grandmother's death/funeral and becomes pregnant. She, a physician, thinks her five minute best orgasm of her life might also be why. She decides to keep the baby, abortion is on the table and I'm glad it is discussed and is a viable option and her friends support her, but it made my heart hurt to see Jake getting told, him reacting badly because well, his baby died, and then they have to come back from that. It was a lot after a quiet and slow build of their romance. I'm personally finding pregnancy plot lines hard to deal with right now so this is my personal bias/issue (hide spoiler)]

CW cancer, death of a family member (on page), death of a child (in the past), pregnancy issues, on page medical descriptions

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  kimberlyfaye reads.


 When I read Mermaid Inn a few months ago, I fell in love with every single thing about Moonflower Bay. Seriously, I'd pack up my stuff and move to the town in a heartbeat if given the chance. I especially love the meddlesome townsfolk. If characters like those don't scream "small town," I don't know what does. After enjoying the first book so thoroughly, I was anxious to get my hands on the second one, Paradise Cove. I loved it every bit as much as the first, for both similar and different reasons.

Mermaid Inn was a second chance and so is Paradise Cove, though it's a different variety of second chance. Instead of reunited childhood sweethearts, we have a man not really looking for a HEA after the death of his child and subsequent end of his marriage. All bets are off once Nora moves to town and they strike up a friendship. (And then a "friends with benefits" agreement.) I loved their friendship but loved what all came next even more. These two were it. Their connection was apparent in every interaction. 

I loved this book. It was real and, at times, raw. Nora and Jake made me laugh, smile, swoon and cry. I love the small-town setting and all its meddlesome townsfolk, the friendships and, let's be honest, everything about it. There's a heavy focus on dealing with grief in this book and I found those parts were done beautifully. But, it's not all sadness. There's a fantastic romance and a well-deserved HEA (of course). 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Favorite Quotes:

Hearts were vulnerable. People gave them to the wrong people all the time. It wasn't pleasant, but it happened.

"That was Rufus. Species: disgusting ex-boyfriend who makes me question my taste in everything."

"When the universe gives you what you want, are you going to complain that it's too early?"

Irin 

4.75/5 stars.
I love small town romances with all my heart. There’s something so cosy about reading books which center a small town ~ they know how to make the gloomiest days better. I think Paradise Cove has become my favorite book with the small-town romance trope. 

Paradise Cove is the 2nd book in Jenny Holiday’s Matchmaker Bay series, but I had no problem reading it as a standalone. That being said, I will definitely read the first book as soon as I can, because I miss the characters already.

From it’s beautiful set-up, to it’s adorable cast of characters and an engaging plotline, Paradise Cove ticked of all the things I want in a romance novel. I really loved how the book had the perfect balance of heart-warming and heart-breaking moments. Grief was a very important part of the book, and I really appreciated how the author dealt with this theme by expressing it through Nora and Jake’s lives. Jenny Holiday’s writing style is really captivating as well and that got me hooked into the storyline from the very beginning.

Nora and Jake were just….perfect together. I loved their chemistry from the very first page. Seeing their relationship shift from being friends to lovers made me feel really happy. The conversations between them, the bond they shared and how they found a safe haven in each other were so pure. NEW FAVORITE COUPLE ALERT!

Nora is a very strong character and her outspoken nature was my favorite thing about her. The way in which she was determined to let go of the toxicity in her life was really inspirational as well. And then Jake. OH MY GOD JAKE. I’ve never wanted to hug a character so badly while reading a book. Jake is the sweetest person ever. Where can I sign-up to get a best friend like him? I could talk endlessly about how much I love him, but I’ll leave it to you guys to find out how awesome he is. Just go and read the book as soon as you can, alright?

The side characters added their own charms to the storyline as well. I really liked Maya, Eve and Nora’s friendship. The elderly members of the town were so adorable too!

I didn’t like how the story was rushed in the end, and that’s why the book missed my 5 star rating. Other than that, the book was PERFECT. Highly recommend. ❤

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Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday

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Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday