Lia DiPalma always thought she'd be a lifer with the Navy. Having served an extended time, circumstances have changed and she is about to undertake civilian life. She travels to Magnolia Harbor and hopes to become a church secretary with one of her Navy buddies who is now a chaplain in a parish there in South Carolina. Her plans are derailed when she accidentally hits a dog with her car. She then rushes the dog to the nearest vet clinic.

The only person that seems to be able to help Lia with the dog is visiting veterinarian Noah Cuthbert. He only plans on being in Magnolia Harbor long enough to see about his mother's health and plans on taking her back home with him. However, his help is needed at a new vet clinic so he will be around for awhile. This is how he meets Lia when she brings the dog in for emergency treatment.

As things turn out, Lia's situation is dire and she needs a job and a place to say immediately. It might take a bit of time before the church can hire her so she helps Noah set up the clinic. Sparks fly from almost their first meeting and the more time they spend together, the more it seems that they are perfectly suited for each other. However, Lia is there to stay. Noah is itching to leave.

This warm love story by Hope Ramsay is the second book in the Moonlight Bay series. I loved Lia and Noah together, and enjoyed the strong sense of family values. This book is preceded by The Cottage on Rose Bay. The third book in the series is Return to Magnolia Harbor, which is set for publication in June.

Many thanks to Forever for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

On her way to a new, hopefully, life on Magnolia Harbor, Navy veteran Lia Palma finds a badly injured puppy lying in the road. She takes the puppy to the nearest veterinarian, only to find the clinic closed. The clinic receptionist calls Noah Cuthbert, a veterinarian in town to visit family, who reluctantly agrees to treat the puppy.

As the puppy recovers, Lia and Noah ccautiously become friends as they try to deal with issues from their pasts. The big question - can each overcome fear to reach forward toward the future?

I highly recommend this title to readers of romance and women's fiction.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#SummeronMoonlightHarbor#NetGalley

Cute swoony beachy romance fast fun paste read love this one and animals in here too I love the characters and the romance and the setting with the town

This is book 2 in the Moonlight Bay series. It can be read as a stand alone. Noah has come home to take him mother and sister back to his home in Charleston. They are putting up a fight about leaving. Noah is a vet and is pressed into service when Lia brings a dog to the clinic that has been hit by a car. She has just left the Navy and is visiting a former shipmate in hopes of finding a job. As they work together to save Prince and find him a home, Lia helps Noah understand that he can't dictate him Mom and sister. This book touches on domestic violence and verbal abuse. It's well written into the romance. Characters from book 1 are present and it looks like book 3 will be out soon. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In a return to Magnolia Harbor, we meet Noah and Lia. Lia has come to town to hoping to get a job with her former Chaplain from the Navy, Pastor Micah. Noah is in town just long enough to get his mother to move back with him. A chance meeting after a dog is injured leads both of them to choices that may change the path they take. The characters in this series are so complete and true to life, and though this is the second in the series, it can stand alone easily. Family and love, faith in more than ourselves, friendship, all are themes that run throughout this book. Overall a great read.

If you like charming small town romance, Hope Ramsay has written your next book. Summer on Moonlight Bay is a lovely romance. The characters are interesting and the story is sweet. I liked this book.

After 15 years as a Chaplain’s assistant in the Navy, Lia is looking for a safe place to finally settle down. Throughout her childhood, Lia, her brother and mother continually moved from place to place, which has left Lia with no sense of belonging to anyone or anywhere. Now, Lia has come to Magnolia Harbor because the last chaplain she worked for spoke so lovingly of his hometown, making Lia anxious to check it out. Little does Lia know just how much the town and its citizens will grow on her once she arrives. Noah Cuthbert is a veterinarian who grew up in Magnolia Harbor and has returned to move his ailing mother to his home in Charleston and to see that his younger sister gets settled into college. Noah has no desire to remain in Magnolia Harbor, mostly because it brings back unpleasant memories of life there with his divorced parents and all the baggage the family has accumulated over the years. However, Noah is taken in by Lia and her take-charge ways as well as by her unassuming, loving personality—as is everyone else in Magnolia Harbor. However, staying on in the small town means that everyone, including Noah, his family, Lia and the other towns folk must confront and put to rest the secret demons as well as a mix of memories and events that haunt them all.

As is the case with her other books, Hope Ramsay delivers in this one. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the relationship between Lia and Noah grow and blossom. It was also interesting to met up with the many town citizens who had a place and role in their present and, especially Noah, and past lives. The town provided a good glimpse of a small town and brought home why small towns are so popular among people today. Knowing your neighbors and being able to count on them, even when this involves some of the not so happy gossip and memories, is a great way to live life. It also showed just how the past and memories as well as friendships and reputations can convey a myriad of things, some good and some bad. This is a good addition to Hope Ramsay’s books and will appeal to her readers and anyone else looking for a good-feeling romance. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

I did not have time to read this book prior to it being archived. My apologies I would have liked to have finished it.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

Overall really enjoyed. When I started the book it seemed to feel like it was going slow but once I got past that initial feeling I really got into the book.

I think I felt this way because I felt pieces weren’t clicking in my mind for me. Why did Lia leave the navy? That wasn’t really mentioned at the beginning and you have that bog you down. In other words, I had so many questions about things that my mind was bogged and it slowed the book down for me-this in no way affected the book. Other than this, I really enjoyed the book.

Noah at first seemed a wee bit frustrating. He didn’t want to stick around because he felt that he couldn’t get where he wanted to be. He was liking city life. He was a well respected vet where he was as well. Don’t get me wrong, he is a strong, smart, kind character just frustrating at times.

Lia is stubborn, strong, organized, nice and sweet. She has a past that has her feeling guilty and burdened. It also has her a little gun shy. I love her for Noah because she completes him really. She keeps him on schedule and ahead of the game. She lets him know her mind and when he is being a doof she has no problems telling him. Her loving nature helps get the vet to stay. .

The attraction between these two is through the roof. To me they are good for one another. They help each other stay on track, see others views and learn to move on. We see them fall in love but not instantly which I like. We see them get to know one another and learn to trust each other.

The story is of trust, friendship, family and love. It is one that has you smile and root for these two to come out together and stronger than ever.

Very sweet, heartwarming, fun and engaging romantic journey filled with lots of small town goodness, intriguing charters, family, friends and exciting passion... was an emotionally thrilling adventure that was so hard to stop reading. Highly entertaining summer read!

Hope Ramsay is one of my favorite feel good authors. She has a grasp of the emotions of her characters. I very much enjoyed this return to Magnolia Harbor.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

Summer on Moonlight Bay by Hope Ramsay is the second book in the Moonlight Bay series, set in the fictional town of Magnolia Harbor, South Carolina. I have a slight obsession with small town romances. I love the recurring characters and quaint settings, the nostalgic feel (even if it’s set in today’s time), and beauty/gossip of living in a small town. This particular book follows two vets, a veteran and veterinarian, one returning home to move his mother and the other searching for a permanent place to call home. Poignantly written, Summer on Moonlight Bay touched my heart and left me smiling.

Lia DiPalma is a lost soul. She’s spent her life wandering, first with her mother who never put down any roots, and more recently with the Navy. Having left after a bad judgment call that cost someone else everything, Lia carries guilt with her in every step. When she learns that her former CO is now the pastor at a church from his hometown, she decides to follow him there in the hopes of taking a job as his secretary. Lia takes a detour when an emaciated puppy needs her help which leads her to a clinic in the same town and a reluctant vet.

Noah Cuthbert returned to Magnolia Harbor for one reason and that’s his mother and her failing health. He’s determined to pack her and his baby sister up and move them back to Charleston with him. She has other plans. When his grandmother calls him about a puppy hit by a car, his mind flashes back to his pup, taken when he was a boy. He can’t say no when he knows that he could help. After, his mother makes a deal with him. She’ll go at the end of summer if he will work at the clinic while they find a new vet for it. He agrees, but he doesn’t plan on falling for the clinic’s new manager, Lia.

My favorite part of this book is the build-up to Noah and Lia’s romance. It’s a slow-burn, and the author builds to its climax beautifully. Noah and Lia carry a lot of regrets and guilt. Noah’s relationship with his father and younger brother is strained, and Noah blames himself for that. He refuses to offer forgiveness to his father, and it eventually builds to a head. Lia’s past with her own brother and mother affect her today. She’s insecure and a drifter. She’s never stayed in one place long enough to make friends. But in Magnolia Harbor, without the Navy, Lia finds herself building a home and relationships. I love the character growth for both Lia and Noah throughout this story. It progresses naturally, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think they were real life people.

Overall I really enjoyed Summer on Moonlight Bay. Lia and Noah’s story will tug at your heartstrings, but ultimately leave you satisfied. And Magnolia Bay!!! I love this little town. The Peace Makers, the St. Pierre family, Rafferty’s, and the softball game….all these details make Magnolia Bay a town that could really exist anywhere in the Southeast. I found myself feeling right at home with Jackie and his ghost, and the sweet treats from Ashley Scott’s kitchen made my mouth water. If you are looking for a sweet escape with a HEA, look no further than Moonlight Bay.

The first book in the Moonlight Bay series was one of my big surprise standouts last year so I’m really not surprised that book two stayed strong even when it surprised me by introducing a different romance pair than I was expecting- a Veterinarian and a Veteran. Guess which is which regarding the hero and heroine? Another touching story that dug deep for the romance pair and the greater cast of characters in this small island town.
Review

As I said, Summer on Moonlight Bay is book two in a series that work best in sequence, but could be read standalone, too.

Lia left the Navy, the only home she has known after a bad circumstance left her questioning herself and feeling unfit for her job. Now, she’s homeless and only has a vague offer from her former commanding officer and all his positive and vivid descriptions of his home town, Magnolia Harbor to steer her. Being homeless and not knowing where she will land is nothing new. Her mom never stayed in one place- picked up and ran each time was more like it and Lia is responsible for several of those instances- or so she thinks. Just like she feels she’s responsible for things going sour with two situations when she was working to get resources for two service people. She’s hoping for a new chance working for Chaplain St. Pierre as his church secretary like she did for him and other chaplains in the Navy now that he’s out of the military and has his own church.
But, then she finds the drastically injured puppy in the middle of the road…

Noah Cuthbert is a veterinary surgeon living in Charleston. He never wanted to come back home, but he feels responsible to get his momma who lives in a ramshackle house and deals with MS. He wants her to come live with him since his little sister, who has been living at home, needs a chance to go off to university and fulfill her dreams. Instead of packing them up and off to Charleston, both have dug in their heels and are forcing him to stay in a town with a lot of misery for him including his daddy and brother. Then Lia enters his life and saving the puppy is the beginning to a soul-searching journey for both Noah and Lia, a few intriguing side stories and a pirate ghost who needs a few good deeds to let his ghost find rest.

This is a lovely small town setting with a solid circle of recurring characters in the way the author does best. It’s the Carolina coast, summer, and a pair of hurting people need to make peace with their past and let go their guilt and blame. Both Lia and Noah were great lead characters, but it was also great getting Ashley who owns the B&B and Rev Micah still tentatively moving forward as well as updates with other familiar faces.

New characters and new situations are now in play including a heartbreaking abuse and gaslighting situation that I thought was woven into the story just beautifully. Lia is a social worker/resource gal that warmed my heart with her priority pink post-it note so people were always the focus with her.

The summer setting and small town had me longing for this place to be real. 4th of July fireworks, ladies’ sewing parties, charity softball,adorable lab pup, sailing, good eats, and lots of friendly encounters.

The romance is a light touch of attraction and slow build since the pair are battling personal demons, but it didn’t drag on and I loved how they were friends and partners at the vet office and both want to put others’ first.

I wasn’t ready for this one to end and could have remained in Magnolia Harbor with the people indefinitely. Those who enjoy gentle, heartwarming, and fun summer contemporary romances should pick this one up.

I am really touched by the hard work and the emotional journey that the author has gone through to complete this book. And for that I am proud to have read this story because I am a fan of Hope Ramsay. With that being said, it is going to be a pain to write a honest review because I really wanted this to be a 5 Star, but unfortunately, this story did not quite meet that rating and I will tell you why.

Summer on Moonlight Bay is a love story between a vet and a veterinarian. Lia is a veteran from the Navy and she is a rolling stone looking for a place to call home. She goes to the lovely town of Magnolia Harbor in hopes of experiencing the small town in all its glory, that's according to the charming tales that her former Navy Chaplain, Micah St. Pierre, has told her about. On the other hand, there is Noah who can't get away from his small town fast enough. They bond over a sweet puppy in need of help and the guilt of their past. Will love prevail in this small, charming town after it is almost torn apart?

Now let's get into the good and the bad of this story. The good is the writing and the dialogue. Hope Ramsay has a great way of bringing characters to life and building this awesome world that makes you want to move to a small town. The characters were grounded and I absolutely loved how they connected. The family dynamic was great as well with a dash of normal family drama. Both Lia and Noah were realistic and they were just normal people who crossed paths in the best way possible.

Now let's get to the bad. Sigh!!. The romance was not very well developed and I was disappointed. The book takes place in a week's time and it shows. Though the characters had a nice character arc, their relationship had no time to develop and by the time the "I Love You"s came flying, it had no strong effect on the story. The couple in this story shares a strong connection with animals in their past and I thought that it just fell flat. I know the author was going for tug at the heart strings when Lia spoke to her brother and when Noah spoke with his father, but the moment did not have that emotion that the author was going for. The reasoning behind it was not powerful enough to carry the story or the character arc. They carried this conflict throughout their lives and if I am not mistaken, they are in their 30s now. Move on already!!

Honestly, I love Hope Ramsay as an author, but this story fell flat for me and the romance aspect of the story was placed on the back burner for a little "town gossip" so to say. Three stars is all I have to give and it breaks my heart, but I have to be genuine in my reviews. Do I recommend this book? I do recommend it for a quick beach read and that's about it.

Summer on Moonlight Bay is an excellent and very enjoyable story. The plot and characters were well written and the story flowed smoothly. I love this author, as she never disappoints her readers. I and look forward to reading her future books.

Summer on Moonlight Bay is a sweet story. Set in a charming town with nosy gossips, because you can't escape them anywhere, that is beautifully rendered with lovely detail. Noah and Leah are both in town for different complicated reasons. Noah doesn't want to stay, though. Then he meets a girl. Is it love at first sight? Nope. Noah is a vet, and Leah brings him an injured stray. They disagree about this dog, but of course, there is an underlying attraction that both feel. Leah is out of the Navy with her own troubles to contend with. Noah is trying to convince his family to move back to Charleston with him. Will these two reconcile their differences and become better acquainted? Will their baggage claim them? See what I did there? It's a tale of love, loss, heartbreak and hope filled with colorful characters. Noah and Leah are both so likeable, relatable and entertaining. The dialogue is witty and engaging. It's a heart warming and thoughtfully designed story for romance readers to delight in and enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I easily fell into Lia and Noah’s romance, and completely enjoyed returning to the world of Moonlight Bay. SUMMER ON MOONLIGHT BAY gives us another visit with the quirky, sometimes grumpy, always entertaining residents of the seaside small town of Moonlight Bay. A place where some never want to leave and others cannot get away fast enough.

Lia found what she’d been searching for by coming to this small town. Even if her future job wasn’t exactly in the bag, she could still begin settling down and enjoying a life that no longer involved moving. Being in the Navy you got used to moving around a lot, now it’s time for a home to stay in, a forever place to plan a future. Noah, on the other hand, couldn’t get out of this small town fast enough and is only home to convince his mother to move to the big city to be closer to him. His mother deals with MS and while his concerns might be real she has no intentions of leaving her home. And both can be extremely stubborn.

One injured puppy is going to bring Lia and Noah together – with results that neither could have ever expected.

If you enjoy having your emotions fully engaged in the Romances you read, then you’re going to love SUMMER ON MOONLIGHT BAY. There are plenty of emotions to cover just about everything from frustration to absolute joy. Lia and Noah have a chance at happiness, at that forever place they’ve both wanted but to make that a reality they have to face the past, make peace with events beyond their control and take the risks that loving someone involves. I liked them both for different reasons, each has issues that needed to be dealt with, and both will make mistakes along the way. But at their core is a growing love that can get them through anything – if they take that risk of giving their hearts over into someone else’s care. It’s a huge risk, but worth it in the end.

I also enjoyed the bonus story Then There Was You by Miranda Liasson – that has its own separate review.

I’d not hesitate to recommend SUMMER ON MOONLIGHT BAY to any reader who loves a really good story, a few complications along the path to love and a small town you’ll want to move to – like now. Enjoy.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Anytime I have ever read anything by this author I just never know what I am going to get, and it's always a fun surprise. This book was very much the same way. The author held nothing back, in this book she has the characters face some very tough situations and where I have read some books will just glaze over the topics, not this author she has the characters take it head on and its a no holds bar. I like that while Lia and Noah are both facing the past and trying to tackle their own demons neither is so wound up in there self that they can't help other in the small town of Magnolia Harbor. in every small town you have the "gossip" biddies and they very much were active in this story which added fun and craziness to the story. I so cant wait to read more from Magnolia Harbor after reading this book I can't decide who's story I want to read next I feel there are a ton more to come. You really can't go wrong with this book grab it you won't regret it.

Lia finds herself homeless and jobless, she was encouraged to leave the navy early, she thought she'd be a lifer but a badly handle situation she finds herself at loose ends. Lia was use to moving around and military life suited her well, now everything she has is packed in her car and she's headed to a small seaside town a past CO had talked about growing up it, didn't hurt that's where he settled. Hoping to rely on his standing in the community Lia decides to surprised him and show up. But reading this book nothing ever goes smoothly for Lia and her gut instincts.
Noah's only in Magnolia Harbor to pack up is mom and sister and take them back to Charleston, not there to become the vet at the new clinic, not there take care of the town's animals, not there to make peace with his father and not there to fall in love with the newly arrived woman with the injured pup. Nope, just convince his mom to leave, send his sister off to college, easy--yeah, right!
A wonderful sweet story of self forgiveness, heart opening and finding a home. Fun read with great characters!

Hope Ramsay has written an amazing and heartfelt story about finding your home, love and forgiveness. This is a story that will touch your heart and have you captivated from the start. Ramsay wields her pen masterfully, skillfully creating characters that are full of emotion and depth, and who show how past childhood events impact our present. You will fall in love with all the characters but particularly Lia. Our heroine is strong, intelligent, kind and complex and sees things that others do not. Her desire for a home and roots will tug at your heartstrings. Noah is amazing; I loved how protective of Lia he was and how much he wanted to give her the home she had always been searching for.

The story depicts small town drama at its finest and a well-developed subplot provides the story with just a hint of suspense. I also enjoyed the secondary romance. But the multiple changes in points of view beyond our main characters slightly detracts from what is otherwise a well-written story. The storyline felt a bit rushed once Lia and Noah got together; I would have liked to have spent some more time with them in a relationship before the main drama of the story came to a head.

All in all, Summer on Moonlight Bay was an amazing, sweet, and emotional read that will leave you with a smile on your face. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others.

I received an ARC through the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.