Review: A Perfect Summer in Starshine Cove

A Perfect Summer in Starshine Cove by Debbie Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Suzie never really fit in at home she takes after her mother who wandered Europe in a camper van before finding her true love in Starshine Cove, all she wanted to do was leave while her big brother and little sister loved it there and made a home. The last time Suzie came home was to nurse her mother through her terminal cancer, but after that she couldn't go back, not even for the funerals of her siblings.

But now, at forty-three she's coming home, or at least she thinks she is, presently she's stuck up a tree thinking this used to be easier and procrastinating, because what will her father George say? What about her brother-in-law Aiden? Her sister-in-law Connie? Her nieces and nephews? Will they blame her for staying away so long, for not being there at the time of unimaginable tragedy? In the midst of her procrastination a voice calls up asking if she needs help.

Guy is also procrastinating, he's come to meet someone at Starshine Cove he hasn't seen for many years and he has no idea what reception he will receive. He is very similar to Suzie, first the army then volunteering for NGOs all over the world, he gets itchy feet and doesn't like to stay in one place for long. These two wanderers really want to stay in Starshine Cove this time, but fate might have other ideas and a few surprises up her sleeve.

This is standard Debbie Johnson/Starshine Cove, a small village where everyone pulls together and is in everyone's business, some tragedy and some laughter, lots of cake, a fair amount of booze, and love. If you liked the others, you'll like this one. If you haven't read any before you can start here and if you enjoy small-town romances with quirky characters this is right up your street.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: The Paris Match

The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Since her divorce, Layla has immersed herself in her job as an itinerant medicalist (nope, not a scooby) covering sick and parental leave for months on end in different parts of the USA, the other thing she's done is avoid her former in-laws, and sister-in-law as much as possible, but when her former sister-in-law begs her to come to Paris for her destination wedding, citing 'you promised', she knows she can't avoid them any longer. She meticulously plans which activities she will attend (max 50%) and which outfits she will wear, erring on the bland and beige part of the colour spectrum.

But after the first night out with the bride to be and her chaotic BFF she learns from the cold and snooty Best Man that 'apparently' something Layla said has caused the bride to have cold feet ... and Layla needs to fix this STAT.

Griffin is the groom's best man, it has taken a lot to get him to leave the house and board a plane to France, but he would do anything for his childhood BFF, including paying for most of this wedding, and he is determined that the wedding will go ahead, he's not going to let some bitter ex-wife mess things up. But that might be easier said than done, especially when Layla's ex-husband turns up with his much younger new girlfriend, the groom's parents clearly dislike the Best Man, the bride's mother is passive-aggressive commenting on everyone's clothes, hair, make-up, and need for plastic surgery, the Maid of Honour is getting off with the limo driver, and all the guests are looking pityingly at Layla, wondering how she's coping.

Together Griff and Layla run interference, smoothing over issues, removing awkward moments, and generally getting things on track. But there are plenty of secrets bubbling under and everyone knows a wedding is a time for copious alcohol and regrets.

OMG the angst, it just rolled on and on and on. Why does Griffin feel he needs to do everything for the groom? Why does Layla feel she has to appease her ex-husband's family? Why are they both so pathetic? Other reviews have commented that this is an homage to Paris but I beg to differ, it's just pain and guilt and angst and DRA-MA, it put me off ever wanting to visit Paris.

If you like your romance angst-ridden, dripping with pain and guilt where everyone else is remarkably self-centred and obtuse then this is definitely one for you.


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