I enjoy Irene Hannon’s books, and looked forward to
reading her newest novel is Sunrise Reef, the 11th
book in the Hope Harbor series.
Bren Ryan has made Hope Harbor her home. She loves the beauty of the town, the
friendly people, and lovely kind neighbors who are always ready to help one
another. Her life is full, but her heart
is closed to romance and she has no expectation of finding love. Bren continues to try to mend her hurting
heart and be content with what she has. Romance
is not on her radar, especially after the unpleasant accidental meeting of Noah
Ward. Bren has a heart for those who are
going through a rough patch in their lives.
That why she reaches out to Emma even though she is passing through town. Noah is not very trusting and is overly
protective of his father. He is
suspicious of almost everyone he meets, starting with Bren. Will he take the time to enjoy Hope Harbor
and get to know some of the townspeople?
It is always enjoyable to return to Hope Harbor and to catch
up with old friends in the community. What
I liked about Sunrise Reef, I appreciated the kind and caring
community where people are willing to help a friend or ever a stranger in
need. The people are involved in each other’s
lives and seem to think and believe the best about their friends and
neighbors. The characters make time for
one another. I liked Bren’s open-hearted
mindset who was willing to take a risk to help someone she did not know. I appreciated that Emma was motivated and
willing to work hard to achieve her goals and help her brother. I liked Fred and his positive, upbeat and trusting
mindset.
I struggled with Noah.
When his character is first introduced, he is very negative and
judgmental about most everyone and everything.
His first encounter with Bren was so negative, it was his fault, and he did
not apologize. I struggled with Noah going
from Mr. Negative to the man who was suddenly finding free-spirited Bren
attractive. I did not find that
transition in the character believable.
I would have liked to have seen the Christian faith a
central part of the story. Kindness and
charity played a part in the storyline and how the characters treated one another. But it did not seem hinged and driven by
their Christian faith. I would loved to
have seen the pastor and priest in the town have a more serious roll. That they would bring biblical wisdom and
weightiness in their interactions with their congregations.
While there were elements that I liked and appreciated about
Sunrise Reef, there were characters and elements that I struggled
with. There seemed to be some worldly views
in some of the characters, even those who were Christians.
If you like Irene Hannon’s writing, you may enjoy another
visit to the lovely community of Hope Harbor in her newest book Sunrise
Reef.
I would like to thank Revell Publishers and NetGalley
for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Sunrise Reef
by Irene Hannon. I was under no
obligation to give a favorable review.
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