Emily’s tale of overcoming grief and finding love for herself and in others again, was a beautiful story. She escapes from the drizzle of Seattle to her childhood’s cottage in Dune Island located on the other side of the country to put as much space from her past and for a chance to centre herself. Less than a year earlier, both of her parents and brother, Peter, died in a helicopter crash that resulted in her losing her entire family in one day. And so, she recluses herself to her family’s cottage. Living next door is the closest thing to family to her is her close family friend, Wilson, along with his wife, Collette.

But I loved to read about Emily’s and Collette’s blossoming kinship and deepening connection. Collette provided that necessary light that Emily needed that allowed her to heal. Although, I can’t forget Emily’s main love interest with Wilson’s friend, Lucas, helped her mend and he recognized her strength far earlier than she realized it herself. However, I believe it was Collette’s friendship, humour and “girl time” that most gals need to have every so often, which was the most impactful on Emily’s journey of healing.

Additionally, Harper’s description of Cape Cod’s beaches—especially when storms would roll in, were so vivid, it was wonderful to read.

Overall, this was a beautiful telling of healing, forgiveness, friendship and of course, love.

A fun and great romantic story. Can't wait to read the rest of the series. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A great book so easy to read i read in a day warm characters one i did not like i bet you can guess which one the main character are lovely you can relate to them it a nice family feel it lovely community spirt I could this is the first book hope more to follow i warm to the characters i can not wait for more a nice plot very good

An adorable book that is the perfect summer read. Emily has escaped to the cottage bequeathed to her after the tragic death of her beloved parents . She has also lost her adored brother and still shrouded in grief, is dumped by her fiancée. The cottage, once owned by her grandmother, was the scene of many happy memories all wrapped up in her parents and their seemingly perfect marriage and also her childhood spent with her brother and their inseparable friend Wilson. Emily, an artist, volunteers to paint murals at the local hospital, a difficult undertaking as she's been left crippled by grief induced anxiety. Wilson, who was like a surrogate brother to her , seems to be keeping his distance and when Emily attempts to give him a chess set she finds in her cottage, his rejection of the gift further perplexes her. As she renovates the cottage she finds an old desk which holds some papers in her father's writing and which point to secrets she's not sure she. wants to unravel. She meets the dishy doctor Lucas and their slow burning romance is a joy and beautifully portrayed. This gorgeous book has so many beautiful threads woven through it all coming together to create a masterpiece of storytelling!

I was drawn to this book by the cover. The cottage by the sea looked like a wonderful place to relax and enjoy life whirling by. I’m thrilled to say that the book more than matched the lovely cover as I was drawn into the tragic mess of Emily’s life. Jilted by her fiancé just months after losing her parents and brother in a dreadful accident, I immediately wanted her to find happiness.
Frustratingly, happiness was there for her from the opening chapter but her instincts and ability to trust were too badly damaged by the heart-breaking events that she had recently endured.
As usual, no spoilers here! That said, Emily’s path to happiness is a twisty and circuitous route and it’s hard to comprehend how she manages to function with the weight of her sorrow.
I particularly enjoyed the deep friendship between Emily, Colette and Wilson. I often recall the Baz Luhrman ‘song’ regarding sunscreen; as we get older, we crave the company of those who knew us when we were younger. I’m paraphrasing but, this sentiment is especially true for Emily and Wilson.
Hope Haven seems like a beautiful place to heal and an even lovelier place to live. I’m thrilled that this is the first story in a series, I will be watching closely for the next editions.
Read during lockdown, this book created a wonderful escape to New England and introduced some interesting characters.

I loved this book! I laughed and cried and was full of emotions the whole time I read it. I enjoyed Emily & Lucas and the rest of the wonderful characters.
I highly recommend this book!

This book is about grief, depression, heartbreak, family, forgiveness and love. Emily has lost her family and returns to the family's summer cottage. It's hard for her to recover from her loss. I felt bad for her. But eventually she start to feel better and even fell in love. Though the romance is lacking chemistry. There is a lot of drama, fighting and walking away in anger. This annoyed me. Despite that I enjoyed the book and give it 3 stars.

An engaging romance. Empathized with the characters. Enjoyed getting to know all of them. Delighted to see a character with my first name, even if she would not be someone I would want to know. The times the characters laughed did not make me follow suit, but figured "you had to be there." But the emotional, tear-inducing scenes wreaked havoc with my ability to read with watery eyes. Much of it is predictable, but that was fine. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. I am thrilled to see this is the first of a series. I am eager to read more.

#SummerAtHopeHaven#NetGalley
This is a new author for me.I will be looking for more of her books. The main character Emily has come to Dune Island to paint murals in the children's wing of Hope Haven Hospital. She has come back to the fami!y cottage to heal after her parents and brother have died in a helicopter crash. And also to heal from a broken engagement. While there she reunites with Wilson her brothers best friend. Emily also finds out secrets about her parents. She also meets Dr Like at the hospital. Will be help her heal ? Will Wilson be able to move forward without his friend ? Will Emily learn to trust ? Will Emily stay in Hope Haven ? Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Book Review:
Thank you @netgalley for gifting me this book. The book I am about to review is called “Summer at Hope Haven” (Dune Island Book 1) by Kristin Harper.
For me I can often tell how vested I am in any book I read when I can’t put a book down. This book had me wanting to know what was going to happen next. Emily the main character is an artist and teacher at a university. Emily has come to Dune Island to paint murals in the new children’s wing at Hope Haven Hospital.
Emily used to summer at Dune Island when she was a child but hadn’t been back for 18 years. We meet her at a point in her life where her parents and brother have died in a helicopter crash and her engagement was broken off by her once fiancé Devon.
Emily’s grief takes over her ability to find any joy initially in the summer home that she loved as a child. Wilson and Collette own the main house. Wilson was like a brother to Emily when she was a child and is now a married man and Collette his wife is going to have a baby. Wilson has been acting strange and this has made Emily even more uncomfortable.
Emily encounters a pediatrician named Lucas initially near her summer house and then again at the hospital. Their seems to be chemistry but drama soon ensues and Emily can’t or won’t allow herself to love or trust anyone.
What will Emily do after her murals are complete? Will she got back home? What is going on with Wilson? What about Lucas? Well this is where I allow you the reader to find that out for yourself.
Verdict:
Ms. Harper has a magnificent way of touching your heart through her writing. She evokes feeling of love, sadness, joy, laughter and so much more. I loved this book and can’t wait for her next book. I give this book a 5/5 stars

This is such a lovely book! A truly heart wrenching story of moving on after unimaginable trauma, surviving grief when it seems overwhelming, and the complexities of creating a new life when your old one has fallen apart. Now, I will admit that this was a bit predictable at times. But who says that's a bad thing? I personally find these sorts of books quite reassuring and enjoyable, especially given how crazy our world seems to be at the moment!

The characters are really likeable, especially Emily - seeing how she developed and grew after the intense trauma she's experienced made for really emotional and inspiring reading. The romance element of the plot also felt really genuine and believable, and I found it's slow burn element really brought a smile to my face. I for one cannot wait for the other books in this series - personally, I hope the author focuses on some of the side characters and their own stories, which having had a glimpse of in this book, I can tell will make for great reading. All in all, a great read and a classic example of a beach book with a heart.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The grief of loosing one family member can be overwhelming. Loosing multiple members of your family can take a person lower than they’ve ever been before. A story of family, forgiveness, secrets, love, and trust “Summer at Hope Haven” is a perfect read for summer. Although the story was predictable it was well written and the characters so likable that I couldn’t stop reading.

Summer at Hope Haven is a beautifully written romance. Great plot and character development and a beautiful setting. A great summer read. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

An inspiring story about moving on despite trauma and unbearable grief

Summer at Hope Haven by Kristin Harper is an emotional story about moving on even after losing everything you hold dear.

Emily Vandermark was an artist that lost her parents and brother in a helicopter accident a year before.

Drowned in grief, she had a hard time resuming her life, and, to make matters worse, she was abandoned by her fiancé.

Trying to survive her unbearable grief, she decided to spend summer at the family cottage in Hope Haven Island, where she was welcomed by her childhood friend Wilson and his wife, Collette.

Summer at Hope Haven is a story of extreme grief, and the challenge of keep living after everyone you love is gone.

The side characters were interesting, and there was a great sense of friendship and community.

Emily was very fragile inside and out, and it was painful to see how she had to cope with her loss and resume her life. It was so hard for her to let people in and open herself to love again.

Lucas was a wonderful hero. He had an innate capacity to understand Emily's pain and respect her boundaries.

The setting is lovely, and the characters do a lot of fishing, picnicking, and walking by the sea.

Summer at Hope Haven is an emotional and inspiring contemporary romance.

Warning: Bereavement and depression.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.com on 08/27/2020 as part of the book's blog tour*

A good feeling book to read. Emily comes to Hope Haven for the summer after a family tragedy that devasted her and a broken engagement. She comes to the family cottage to to get away and to paint murals for a children’s wing for the hospital,. Her childhood friend and his pregnant wife live next to her. They are both doctors as the hospital . It is a story of tragedy, secrets from her past, and a new romance. There are many twist and turns as Emily comes to terms with the past and builds a new life! Great read!

Thanks Kristin Harper and Bookouture for the book!

A wonderful story about finding peace after the death of parents and brother. Emily needs a break to help her go forward in her life and begin to stop grieving.
There is humor, sweet romance and great characters to keep you engaged in the story.
This is the first book in the Dune Island series and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Looking forward to reading more in this series.
Great summer/beach read to relax with.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

What a great read. Emily returns to dune Island and her families cottage. She is asked to paint a mural for the hospital. But its hard since she is grieving several people in her life and finding out some shocking information. To hear more read the book.

This heartwarming story makes for a more serious beach read -- but still a perfect beach read! Emily arrives at her family's summer cottage in the midst of grieving for the family she has recently lost in an accident, as well as a bad breakup with her fiance. An accomplished artist, she plans to spend the summer volunteering to paint murals in the children's wing of the local hospital. It doesn't take long to meet the handsome doctor! I enjoyed this very much and look forward to recommending it to readers who enjoy Nancy Thayer, Mary Alice Monroe, and Debbie Macomber.

I enjoyed this book - it was my first by Kristin Harper and it was a pleasant read. It is the story of heartbreak, forgiveness, loneliness, depression, courage and new beginnings.

Emily has had one heck of a year - her parents and her only brother died in a solo helicopter crash; her fiancee left her shortly before the wedding and she discovered an unbelievable secret about her parents. She is a college professor during the school year, but she decided to take the summer off to move back east to her newly inherited beach cottage near Boston. During this summer, she wants to relax, rejuvenate and recover from all her sorrows - but there are memories at every step - both with some familiar people and some new people that provide more hurtful feelings.

Although I liked this book, I found the tone to be very dark. Emily just can't seem to get out of her depressed state. I kept rooting for her, but it seemed like she would take a step forward and then another step back. That's frustrating to read, but I'm sure it's frustrating to experience in real life as well. I won't tell you if she turns the corner finally, but I will say that the book is worth reading.

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I great summer read with little angst, great plot, and strong characters. Definitely recommend!