As we open the 6th book in the lovely Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber, Seth and Justine Gunderson are still trying to come to terms with the destruction of their business, The Lighthouse Restaurant when it was razed to the ground by arson. Who did burn down the restaurant, the evidence points to only one person and he has left town leaving his girlfriend behind?
Along with the destruction of their income, their marriage starts to suffer as Seth wants to rebuild everything the way it was. However Justine has other ideas and when he seems to be not listening she turns to someone from her past. Her mother Olivia is less than keen.
Olivia’s closest friend Grace is waiting to become a grandmother again with both her daughters but a particular worry is Maryellen who has been on months of bed rest and is struggling to cope with no income and things get worse when her husband Jon loses his job at The Lighthouse. Jon still cannot come to terms with the way his father destroyed part of his life for him and refuses to have any contact despite his father growing fond of Maryellen and their daughter, Katie. Then a potential accident seems to soften the past.
Cal and Linette are still in the early days of their relationship; both are struggling with this and are not talking to each other when they should be. When Cal decides to go across America to help the destruction of mustang horses, Linette has a bad feeling that is going to destroy the life she thought she had built up for herself in Cedar Cove.
All the familiar Cedar Cove characters are here and they are picked up from previous novels and are either in the background of the story or the foreground, you are among friends. Macomber uses the characters that start to become strong in this novel to use in her subsequent books effectively and certainly makes you want to read more. A lovely cosy novel for pure escapism and I pick these books up and feel so much better when I have read them and found out what is happening in their lives. Rather a soap opera in word form!
I picked this book up, because I wanted to carry on with the series but also because I needed something light and fluffy as I felt I had been in some rather interesting places book wise and wanted a change. Debbie Macomber provides this change. The covers make me feel bright and cheery, and I have spent a glorious day reading the book as well.
I like the way Debbie moves on from book to book through certain houses in Cedar Cove but all the well known and loved characters are still there as we are introduced to more but other more minor ones start to play a bigger role.
I have read one of the Blossom Street series and came to it in the middle and need to go back to the beginning and start what no doubt will be another wonderful series and pure escapism.
The Book Jotter 