Double Review: Starlight Bridge and Christmas with an Angel by Debbie Mason

Starlight Bridge by Debbie Mason
Series: Harmony Harbor #2
Published by Forever on February 28th 2017
Genres: Romance
Pages: 368
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Rating:
Heat:

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A second chance for romance...
Hidden in Graystone Manor is a book containing all the dark secrets of Harmony Harbor, and Ava DiRossi is determined to find it. No one-especially not her ex-husband, Griffin Gallagher-can ever discover what really tore her life apart all those years ago. With Griffin back in town, it's more important than ever that she find the book before someone else does. Because her ex is still angry with her for leaving him. And he still has no idea Ava never stopped loving him...
Ava is no longer the vibrant, happy woman Griffin had once loved and married, and he would do anything to bring back the sparkle to her brilliant green eyes. But what's never changed are the sexy sparks of attraction between Ava and Griffin, and he won't give her up again without a fight. He knows there's the real possibility of a future together... if the truth doesn't burn the bridge between them forever.

I just knew the moment I picked up Starlight Bridge by Debbie Mason that this was going to be the book that will briefly pull me out of my reading slump, and I was right.

We met Ava and Griffin in book one, and ever since then I have wanted to know their story.

Ava and Griffin are divorced. They use to have one of a kind love, but after Griffin get’s deployed, something happens that changes Ava and suddenly she is serving the divorce papers. It didn’t take long for the readers to kind of learn what happened to Ava, but Ava doesn’t want Griffin to find out. The problem is, Colleen, Griffins great-grandmother wrote it down in a journal that now everyone in Graystone Manor and their enemies want to get their hands on.

This book did not disappoint. I was a little worried about how I would feel about it after not liking Sophie in book one, but I totally loved and adored Ava - she had such a big heart when it came to Griffin and her own father no matter the circumstances. I felt for the girl, I really did. What happened to her was horrible and who caused, it was even more heart breaking. But, I enjoyed the simmering attraction and love between Ava and Griffin and I loved watching it unfold through the story. It was sweet, it was wondering and no amount of time took away from the strong hold the two have on each other. Watching them as they worked on staying together despite Griffin’s families opinion on her was endearing and left me cheering them on.

There is so much going on. Outside of battling her attraction for her ex-husband, Graystone Manor is still in trouble and Griffin is one of the siblings that is ready to vote to sell the place. A lot of the Gallagher’s don’t want that, so they hope that Ava can change his mind. Ava is also dealing with her father, who had an accident years ago and now cannot walk. He spends his days chain smoking, watching TV, and drowning his sorrows with liquor. When he isn’t doing that, he is letting his anger explode on Ava and she is suffering, but she loves her father, so she does everything she can to help him.

This really was a great page turner. Another book that I had a hard time putting down and found myself reading at four in the morning. I loved that Colleen is still around as a ghost. I think I had an issue with it in the first book, but once I got passed it, I found that I enjoy that part of the book. It’s different and I am okay with that.

Tons of secondary characters are in book two, so we get to see how Liam and Sophie are doing. I have to admit, I still don’t like her and this book did nothing to change my opinion on her. The way she treated her cousin when things were rough at the Graystone manor with the new cook went uncalled for. I thought Sophie of all people would understand. Rose, the DiRossi grandmother is still funny and great, I loved her character in book one as well as this one.

There was a development between Griffin and Lexi - his second ex-wife that even though at the time I found annoying and unnecessary - I grew to respect when my opinion of Lexi changed by the end of the book.

Overall, I really loved this. The storyline follows what’s been happening in book one with the Manor, so even thought this could be read as a standalone - I feel like the readers would be confused with some of the stuff that happens in this book - so I strongly recommend starting with book one.

Christmas with an Angel: A Short Story by Debbie Mason
Series: Harmony Harbor #1.5
Published by Forever Yours on December 6th 2016
Genres: Romance
Pages: 54
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Rating:
Heat:

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It's been eight long years since Michael Gallagher has laid eyes on Shay Angel, back when he was a boy from the most prominent family in town and she was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. But he hadn't cared about their differences - until one bad decision landed her in jail.
That was years ago and now he's back in Harmony Harbor for the holidays. So when Shay goes missing, Michael is intent on finding her - and finding out if their sizzling attraction is still there. But he's now a district attorney, and it looks like Shay is once again on the wrong side of the law.

Honestly, I did not know how to review this novella (?) because I wasn’t really sure what is happening here.

Let me explain. This novella follows immediately the events that happen in book one. Michael has been dumped in the alter so to drown out his sorrow he goes to the bar owned by Shay Angel’s uncle, a girl he once fell in love with but also is partially responsible for sending her to jail.

Well, apparently Shay needs his held - or so her uncle thinks and Michael finds himself trying to get her out of a dangerous situation.

This was a super quick read, maybe like 20 minutes? I felt like I read a few chapters in a book and was left wanting more. We get a brief snip of how Michael is feeling after the wedding being such a big mess, we get to meet Shay. The ending left on a sort of a weird note. There was no HEA between these two, but a promise to meet at the same spot a year later.

It felt like a prologue to a book. At least I hope Michael get’s a book because it sounds like it be fun. Shay and Michael are so completely different with their backgrounds, but we don’t get enough out of this book to really feel neither the connection, nor the characters. Honestly, I didn’t even feel like this needed to be written, but okay?