Title: Sandpiper Shore by Debbie Mason
Harmony Harbor Series Book Six
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: C
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Wedding Planner Rule #1: Never, ever fall for the groom
There’s nothing Jenna Bell loves more than a happily-ever-after. That’s why being a wedding planner is her dream job – until the groom is Logan Gallagher. She’s had a crush on him since . . . well, forever. And now she has to make his day magical as he walks down the aisle without her.
As a secret service agent, Logan’s already married – to his career. A wife was never in his plan, until he finds out he needs to marry the woman he’s been protecting. He takes his latest assignment in stride, but when he sees Jenna again, he can’t deny the attraction sparking between them. Can he really say “I do” if it means saying goodbye to the woman of his dreams?
Review:
Sandpiper Shore by Debbie Mason is a light-hearted contemporary romance. This latest release is the sixth installment in the Harmony Harbor series and should be read in order since there are many guest appearances by characters from previous books.
Jenna Bell is a matchmaker with an amazing track record so she is blindsided when her feckless fiancé Lorenzo Romano abruptly dumps her a week before their wedding. Compounding her humiliation is the discovery Lorenzo is romantically involved with her greedy stepmother. Even more embarrassing is the public brawl that ensues after Secret Service Agent Logan Gallagher saves her from getting hit by a car. With her stepsisters, Arianna and Serena, furious at the spectacle and the monetary loss from the cancelled nuptials, Jenna drowns her sorrows at a local bar. After Logan once again rescues her, they end up in a compromising position on the beach. Recovering from her broken heart at breakneck speed, Jenna is quite smitten with Logan but he swears he is not the marrying type. Will this wistful matchmaker who dreams of a happily ever after find the prince who will make her dreams come true?
Jenna’s heart is in the right place as she tries to salvage her stressed relationship with Serena and Arianna. Unfortunately, her efforts to placate them give the impression she is a pushover who will do anything to please them. Jenna quickly recovers from her broken engagement and immediately jumps into a long distance flirtation with Logan.
Logan is quite charming and loves his zany family but he has no desire to settle down. His chivalrous rescue lands him in a heap of trouble due to the machinations of a local cop who has it in for his family. Logan is intrigued by Jenna but when duty calls, he does not hesitate to leave. Before he leaves for his assignment, Logan secures a position for Jenna that will hopefully salvage her tarnished reputation.
At this point, the storyline becomes a tangled mess of several story arcs and a dizzying array of characters. Jenna’s broken engagement becomes a complicated storyline featuring the dastardly deeds of Lorenzo and her stepmother’s attempt to swindle Jenna, Arianna and Serena out of their inheritance. The Gallagher family has plenty of trouble since Logan’s mother is facing a health crisis and she has recently left his father. The ghost of Colleen Gallagher is still trying to right the wrongs she made during her long and illustrious life. Logan and the princess he is guarding unexpectedly turn up in Harmony Harbor which puts Jenna in an uncomfortable situation that she cannot wriggle out of. The smarmy cop with a grudge continues to bedevil everyone who crosses his path.
Sandpiper Shore is a madcap adventure featuring an insta-love romance and numerous storylines. Jenna and Logan are likable characters but their relationship is sorely underdeveloped due to the convoluted plot. Longtime fans of Debbie Mason’s Harmony Harbor series will enjoy this latest outing but newcomers will most feel lost amongst the various characters and their complicated connections to one another.
