Irene Hannon's Sandpiper Cove is an interesting story about second chances. Filled with a familiar setting and hurting characters, this novel made me pay attention. From the first chapter when I met Adam Stone, I felt empathy for his plight. As an ex-con, I bet it is pretty hard to return to normal society. But Lexis, the town sheriff, see's past all that and uses his knowledge of crime life to help a teenager before he becomes a criminal. I really enjoyed the pace of the novel. It moved pretty rapidly. There were no moments where I wanted to put the novel down. As for the romance, it flowed naturally. I liked seeing Lexie and Adam fall in love. Again, the setting of Hope Harbor is idealic and soothing. A nice break from the hustle of city life, not like I live in the city, but anyways. I enjoy Hannon's contemporary romances, and I'm glad to know there is more Hope Haven novels coming. Fans of Becky Wade, Melissa Tagg, and Denise Hunter would love these books.

I received a complimentary copy of Sandpiper Cove by Irene Hannon from Revell Publishing, and the opinions stated are all my own.

Hope Harbor police chief Lexie Graham has plenty on her plate raising her son alone and dealing with a sudden rash of petty theft and vandalism in her coastal Oregon hometown. As a result, she has zero time for extracurricular activities--including romance. Ex-con Adam Stone isn't looking for love either--but how ironic is it that the first woman to catch his eye is a police chief? Yet wishing for things that can never be is foolish. Nevertheless, when Lexie enlists Adam's help to keep a young man from falling into a life of crime, sparks begin to fly. And as they work together, it soon becomes apparent that God may have a different--and better--future planned for them than either could imagine. Lauded by Library Journal as "a master at character development," Irene Hannon welcomes readers back to this charming Oregon seaside village where hearts heal--and love blooms.

This is the third book in the series, and I had not read the first two, but it's completely standalone. I enjoyed the characters so much that I'm going to go read the first two now, but you won't miss anything by not having read them. It's also such a well-written and fast-paced story that you'll finish it quickly! It's a clean, Christian romance, and the characters have their own personal and public struggles to overcome - eventually, together. In spite of the drama in their lives, you won't feel anxious with this read. Instead, the pages exude a peaceful feeling. The town pulls you in, wraps you in a warm blanket, and invites you to stay for a while. I'm looking forward to catching up on those first two, and enjoying the next one in the series!

This book is by far my favorite in the series! I loved Lexie and Adam and their character development was amazing. I really liked that they both had unique issues to work through but that they actually were able to help each other with those issues. I was thrilled with the spiritual development too. I love stories where one or more characters either share how they came to Christ or share how they come back to Christ.

There was excellent balance in this book too. I loved the peek into the characters from the previous books. And Lexie's mom and son in this book are a fun addition. I really liked her mom's personality. She was kind of blunt with Lexie a few times and I loved it. And Matt, her son, was such a neat kid. I thought Hannon did a great job portraying him but not allowing him to completely take over the attention.

There were so many life lessons in this book. Sometimes it is easy to judge a book by it's cover and I loved the constant reminders in this book that you cannot only look at outward appearance or life experiences. I love how Adam was able to use his past experience to help others so many times in this book.

But truly I loved the romance the most. The flow of the relationship in this book was perfect. It seemed totally natural and not rushed. There was a great balance of fun, serious, and even some steamy moments. It was one of the more realistic love stories I've read lately.

Revell provided me a copy of this book. All opinions are my own

3.5 stars
As far as I can remember, this is the first time I’ve read this plot line (an ex-con falling for a police chief) and I really enjoyed it. Irene Hannon’s solid writing style makes the story engaging, even if my favorite book by this author is still “Second Chance Summer”.
Besides the unusual couple, there are other elements that I especially liked: the fact that the hero’s life borders poverty, how he sees himself, his issues with self-esteem and the way the heroine and the small community give him their unwavering support. This, though, is one of the weak points of the story: it’s all resolved in a too much easy way, with little conflict, a rose-tinted picture that seldom exists in the real world.
But this is fiction and, besides the main characters, there are other lovable characters in the story – the kid, the dog – and very lovely scenes (the one in the marriage ball, for instance). And the way the taciturn, enigmatic bad boy with a biker appearance turned into a respectable and successful community member is really enjoyable to read.

I just loved my repeat visit to Hope Harbor. Irene Hannon is very gifted as a writer of contemporary inspirational romance. This book proved that. My reviews will be up all over the next week.

I have come to love Hope Harbor and it was with anticipation I picked up the third installment of this series, Sandpiper Cove, it didn’t disappoint. This novel focuses on Lexie and Adam. Each character’s history reveals past pain and difficulties that taint their hope for the future. Irene is a skilled character creator and each member of this cast walks out of the pages, including Clyde the dog – spoiler alert: whilst injured, he is fine in the end! Lexie’s passion for small town life, work and her family is easy to relate to and she regularly lives out Christian kindness even as she struggles to understand how God could allow the suffering he does. It is the central theme and the answers debated are both encouraging and thought-provoking. As each character reached a crossroad, I hoped they’d make the right choice not wholly sure how it would unfurl. This suspense makes it a pacy read, I finished it within the day. I look forward to more Hope Harbor adventures, an en-JOY-meant rating of 4!

My favourite quote:
“In the end, it comes down to trust. We have to accept that God understands why things happen, even if we don’t – and try to learn and grow from our misfortunes. We also have to remember that He never promised us perfect eternity – if we follow his teachings.”

Sandpiper Cove sounds like a place I’d love to visit or call home. Another great story by Irene Hannon with just the right touch of romance. Second chances are explored and a there’s a reminder that you can’t always judge a book by its cover. I would definitely recommend this book. It kept me engaged to the very end.

Throughout this series I have fallen more and more in love with Hope Harbor, its residents, and the love, joy, and peace that can be found within its town borders. Sandpiper Cove compounds that love in a book that is utterly charming - a story of second chances, helping hands, the support of a community, and, of course, romance.

Sandpiper Cove is the third book in the Hope Harbor series and tells the story of Lexie Graham, Hope Harbor's police chief, and Adam Stone. Readers will have first met Adam (or Stone, as he is more commonly known) in Sea Rose Lane. Ex-con, construction worker, stray-dog rescuer, he is a mix of bad boy and kind soul. Lexi has been married before and had her heart broken by her husband's sudden death. Now she is content to raise her young son, Matt, and protect the people of Hope Harbor. But when Adam is targeted by vandals, Lexi starts to get to know him, and a glimpse beneath his hardened exterior shows a man who is kind, gentle, and giving, and for whom it just may be worth risking her heart again.

Everything about this book exudes peace and contentment. And not because the characters don't face trials - they do, and plenty of them. But there is just something about these Hope Harbor novels, be it the setting, characters, underlying faith principles, or themes explored, that give the stories a firm grounding.

I was greatly looking forward to reading Sandpiper Cove ever since reading a sample in Irene Hannon's previously published novel. And I'm very happy to say that Sandpiper Cove lived up to all my expectations. Adam Stone is a fantastic character. He is plagued by guilt about his life choices, isolates himself, works hard, and wants to repay the kindness shown to him. He is intrigued by Lexi, but he is used to avoiding police officers, not becoming friends with them. But as he and Lexi work together to solve the vandalism case and help the perpetrator, he finds himself falling for her anyway. Lexi has been in love and knows the hurt it can bring. When she enlists Adam's help with her vandalism case, she doesn't except to find herself so attracted to the man. Add in some unresolved questioning about faith, a young man who responds to Adam's gentle guidance, a cute five-year-old, and a gorgeous dog, you have all the makings for a beautiful, Christian contemporary novel.

I was so content reading this book that the ending completely snuck up on me. Suddenly there was the epilogue! Luckily, it was a nice, long epilogue. But the true gift lay in the author's acknowledgments - there will be more Hope Harbor novels to come!!! And, that makes me a very happy reader.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

A charming Oregon seaside village, an ex-con gone good, a beautiful police chief with a sad history, all come together in this lovely romantic story about Lexie and Adam, neither who were looking for romance, but somehow it found them. The story of restored hope and second chances entices you to keep reading and will have you wanting the next book to come quickly!

The third in a series of Hope Harbor series, this book brings back the wonderful characters in the first two books, especially Charlie, the town's local sage and taco man, who always knows what to say and when to say it. Every time Charlie comes into the story, I get hungry for fish tacos.

Irene Hannon is a master at character development. Each of her novels' characters are unique individuals. I always know that I have read a masterful piece when I miss the characters at the end of the book. I definitely will miss Lexie and Adam, and hope to read more about them in the future.

This is your perfect summer romance novel. The book is set for publication on April 4, go and order it and save (and savor) it for your vacation!