Thursday, May 5, 2016

Starfish Moon - Review

Starfish Moon (The Brides of Blueberry Cove) by Donna Kauffman
Rating: Good
Source: NetGalley

Description:  Nestled on the Maine coast, Blueberry Cove is a peaceful retreat compared to the excitement of exotic cities and foreign lands.  But it's also the best place in the world for one woman to find her heart's true home...
Kerry McCrae's wanderlust has taken her to parts of the globe most people have only glimpsed in pictures.  So why is tending bar at the family pub in Blueberry Cove after her Uncle Fergus's stroke an easier adjustment than she expected?  And why hasn't she left once Fergus is back on his feet?  When tall, tanned Cooper Jaxton walks through the door, she knows the answer in a heartbeat...
Born and raised deep in Australia's outback, Cooper never planned to leave the wild country he loves.  But after almost a year of having Kerry - with her sparkling eyes and outrageous stories - on his cattle station, Cooper was stunned when she left.  Suddenly home wasn't the same without her.  Making his way to Blueberry Cover to find her is a risk, but Cooper is counting on the passionate connection between them to convince her that the only place either of them needs to be is together... (from Goodreads)

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed the previous books in this series and the previous series - The Bachelors of Blueberry Cove

My Impression: I like this setting and this is one of the few I've found from Kauffman that you can just jump in without having to read the previous book.  Usually I find with her books that a lot of the setup was done in the previous book but I didn't feel that was the case here.  You do meet everyone from the previous books but you don't need to know their back stories.
I didn't really connect with Kerry as much as I had with the characters in the previous books. I liked her well enough but she wasn't a character I really understood.  I liked Cooper.  He's definitely taking a gamble just showing up in Blueberry Cove and he's very upfront about his reasons and his motivations.  He tries to understand Kerry and get to know Kerry's family and friends which I liked.  Kerry's reaction felt very natural to her character.  She isn't reacting to just be stubborn or contrary she really does have a lot to figure out and a lot of previous preconceptions to change.  I also liked that they have a month.  Normally I would think a month would be too short to decide on the whole HEA but these are two characters that knew each other and worked alongside each other for year.

I enjoyed this book.  It wasn't one that made me laugh and cry and will stay with me but it was nice.  It was a good read with enjoyable characters and kept me happily entertained for a few hours.  I'll definitely be looking for more Donna Kauffman as I can always count on her for a good story with likable characters.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: I would.  There are a few books that I'm missing in the previous series that I'm looking forward to catching up on and I'm also looking forward to seeing what Kauffman comes up with next.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes, if you enjoy a contemporary romance this is a solid read and one you could start the series with.

8 comments:

  1. I read this author many years ago and loved her books. This series is on my list to read, but there just hasn't been much time.

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  2. I've never read Donna Kaufman before. The setting really appeals to me, though, because I love Maine! I'm worried that I would have a hard time relating to Kerry, too, though.

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  3. I love the setting Blueberry Cove..it just makes me want to go there. I do love that you can jump right in. I love this type of series :)

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  4. Sounds like a good beach read. Adding the series to my wish list!

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  5. I haven't read anything by Kaufman before but this sounds like something I would enjoy. Great review!

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  6. You've been slowly persuading me that I ought to give Kaufman's Blueberry Cove books a try. On the one hand, yay, because I love good books! On the other hand, my to-read list is already big enough to sink the Titanic... but this does sound like fun.

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  7. I enjoyed a couple of the first series set in Blueberry Cove, the setting itself is so inviting.

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