I really enjoyed the characters and the choices they made throughout. It was both a book that made me introspective but also provided enjoyment. I did find bits slow due to a lot of internal thinking that was shared with readers.

I loved reading about Blackberry Beach once again and to reconnect with some of my favorite characters, such as Charley with his gift to be insightful and his words of wisdom. I crave an order of his fish tacos! Loved that the pair of seagulls are back! Also, the lavender farm!
Katherine has came to Hope Harbor to escape the life most would envy. Katherine, now knows the pressures and the attached strings of living what was her dream for so long. The paparazzi, gossip, and the stress is making her question if she wants to continue being an actress. She has rented a lovely home in Hop Harbor to get away from it all and be in a place where she hopes to not be recognized while she contemplates her career and attempts to arrive at some decisions.
Too bad that her manager, Simon, has no respect for her wishes at all and continues to harass her, adding only more pressure on her.
She ventures into Zach's coffee shop, who also made some very big life changing decisions for himself. He wonders who is this young woman who wears the large sunglasses in his shop and doesn't seem to want to make conversation?
I appreciated the author including in her story the part regarding the things in the movie that Katherine refused to do. It was very proper and fitting for a Christian fiction story. Kudos to Irene Hannon!
I loved the character of Zach's aunt, Stephanie! What a change of pace Hope Harbor was for her.
The author writes in such a way that you feel like you're right there in the little coastal town of Hope Harbor in Oregon.
A truly wonderful story about family, forgiveness, mending relationships, faith and romance.
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Revell and Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

This was my first book by Irene Hannon. I really enjoyed the story of Katherine Parker. The characters were written in such a way that they came to life.

Irene Hannon continues her Hope Harbor series with a story of healing hearts.

Zach Garrett left the corporate world and its striving for financial success to pursue his dream job of owning a coffee shop. Settled in Hope Harbor, he has two regrets: first, the dissolution of his relationship with the woman he expected to marry, and second, the complete breakdown of his relationship with his father. His dad sees his coffee shop as a "little hobby" and doesn't understand why he would walk away from the financial success he enjoyed as a wheeler and dealer in Chicago for life in a small coastal town in Oregon. The first time he meets Kat in his coffee shop, he feels the first "zing" he's felt in a woman's company for a long time. Learning she's his next-door neighbor appears to be a bonus, until he realizes she seems to be hiding from something. How can he get to know someone who closes every door?

Katherine Parker has had her fill of notoriety, EXCEPT that's what makes her job tick. She's taken some time off to decide if she wants to continue what she's doing, or change her life completely. When an unexpected opportunity comes her way, the pressure is on to continue, She's on the brink of having everything she's worked toward - money, fame, acclaim - but can she handle being back under the paparazzi's microscope, where lying is a way of life? Meeting her neighbor complicates things. Zach actually did what she's contemplating - he walked away at the height of his success - but will she always wonder what could have been?

I liked Kat and Zach and their chemistry with one another. I also liked the sub-story with Zach's aunt and his part-time barista, Stephanie and Frank. Both were retired with no children, but their differences seem insurmountable until each looks deeper.

I've loved the Hope Harbor books, and Blackberry Beach is a great addition to the series. Charley the fish taco/artist is back, as are the seagulls, Floyd and Gladys (who seem to be very interested in the developing romance), the sea lion, Casper, and a dolphin, Trixie. They add a touch of whimsy to the stories, and it wouldn't take much to convince me that Charley is one of God's angels on earth, dispensing wisdom, and knowing all about people, before he even meets them.

If you're looking for a sweet romance with a nice blend of characters, pick up Blackberry Beach. You can't go wrong with an Irene Hannon book, whether it's her sweet romances or her romantic suspense books.

Blackberry Beach by Irene Hannon is book 7 in the Hope Harbor series. I adore Hope Harbor and find that I love it for many of the same reasons that I love Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series. The familiar places and people, along with local quirks, make it such a memorable place that you “visit” with each book. So good! I highly recommend this entire series. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Solid story with the requisite meet-cute. Loved the main characters and their development throughout the book. Enjoyable - especially the beach setting and the events/working together in a positive way.

Blackberry Beach is an excellent book by Irene Hannon. It is Book #7 of the Hope Harbor series but the first one that I have read. I felt this could be a stand-alone book, but I would not mind reading the earlier books.
Zach Garrett owns the local coffee shop, The Perfect Blend, with the perfect hours of work giving him afternoons off. Zach has been in Hope Harbor for a little while, loving the laid-back atmosphere, much different from Chicago and his former hectic job or Atlanta, where he grew up. He has two part-time baristas to help with the customers, Bren and Frank.
Katherine Parker has come to Hope Harbor for some much-needed soul searching as far as her career. She even changes her appearance to remain incognito. She had been to this town before and remembered her conversations with the local fish taco maker, Charley Lopez. In fact, she runs into Charley at the Perfect Blend and her disguise holds. She is not recognized but she does make an impression upon Zach. Katherine also has a hobby that she puts to use making chocolate truffles.
The author develops another storyline with Frank and Stephanie, the aunt of Zach who comes to visit her nephew after her retirement. The story takes place in the late summer when the blackberries are ripe, making my mouth water for the taste of them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it. Hope Harbor is a town that I would like to visit again.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. #BlackberryBeach #HopeHarbor #IreneHannon

Book 7 in the Hope Harbor books. I haven't read the others and feel this book completely stood on its own just fine. 3 1/2 stars rounded up.

Katherine Parker has escaped to Hope Harbor to hide from her taxing life in the Hollywood spotlight. Scandal had her running away to that sleepy town to take the time to really look deep down to decide what she wants her life to look like.

Coffee shop owner Zach Garrett did something similar a few years prior- escaped a high-speed life to settle down and live the slower, but happier life on the Oregon Coast. When Kat arrived, Zach discovered something he didn't know what missing- a strong affection that might lead to more than a short-term romance.

A cute story about a few different characters that are searching for their happily-ever-afters. It's sweet, clean, predictable, and a perfect beach read. [At times the internal dialogue felt a little redundant, but not enough to keep me from finishing the story] I enjoyed these characters and will probably go back to read some of the earlier books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Irene Hannon has written another stunning novel called Blackberry Beach. I’m glad that I was back in Hope Harbor for the next summer romance between Kat and Zach. Katherine Parker has everything she ever wanted: fame, money and acclaim. But she doesn't feel happy. So she decides to leave for Hope Harbor to overcome the difficulties she faces inside. Zach has just overcome his difficulties and doesn't want to get into trouble again. Still, he is curious about Kat, and he would like to give her the same thing he got when he came to Hope Harbor.

My attention was immediately captured with the first sentence of the book: ‘The mystery woman was back.’ It set the tone of the story. I enjoyed reading how Zach tried to figure out who his mysterious neighbor was. I liked reading that social issues, such as foster care, were also addressed. In fact, Kat and Zach go to help fix up a house meant for foster care.

I also enjoyed when Stephanie Parker, Katherine's aunt came to visit Katherine. The fact that she ran into an old friend during the visit brought another fun twist to the story. Of course, I also enjoyed meeting old friends from Hope Harbor again. Yet I am also curious about Charley's love story. This book is a contemporary romance with a feelgood twist. I found it very difficult to stop reading in this book because there was a certain pace to the story that made you keep your attention to the book. The faith message didn’t came out very well. There were also a few points in the plot that didn't quite work out. But it was ultimately an enjoyable read. I am looking forward to reading the next novel in the series.

Black berry Beach is the place to go to find yourself again , these characters are soul searching , trying to find where they truly are meant to be . Great storyline , great cast of characters , I read this as a standalone , i did not realize it was part of a series , will have to go back and read them as well..

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. 2.5 stars. While this book was only 2.5 stars, there were components I enjoyed of the romance. This story dragged on for me though and I didn’t like some of the characters. I also didn't realize when I requested it that it's the 7th book in a series! I think that made it harder for me to get into it as well. I absolutely love Irene Hannon most of the time but I'm wondering if I should just stick with her mystery books and not read the regular romance ones anymore!

Another great story from Hope Harbor. Katherine is ready to find out what exactly she is looking for as she travels to Hope Harbor. She is feeling overwhelmed when she should be on top of the world and Hope Harbor should be exactly what she needs. While there she gets teamed up with Zach to help out some children. It is always interesting to see how two people who don't want to do something interact with each other. They soon find themselves working together to help out some children and find that they are more alike than they first believed.

I received a copy of the book to read, the review is mine.

Katherine Parker is a Hollywood star in hiding. She goes to Blackberry Beach in small town Oregon to go "missing" for a while. She tries very hard to stay out of the public eye but she keeps running into her neighbor, Zach Garrett, who owns a Coffee Shop in town. He left the rat race to do something more interesting to him, much to his ambitious father's disgust. Katherine and Zach both have their own lives and their own career locations but they are fascinated with each other. How could that work?

I love the setting of this story and the characters in the story. This was one of those books I couldn't put down because I have to see how it came out and I never let myself read the last page until I actually get there in the progression of the story. I love all of Irene Hannon's books.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

A return to trip to Hope Harbor is always greatly anticipated. The fictional small town on the coast of Oregon created by Irene Hannon is a special place. I love the small town vibe, the caring and slightly quirky people, and the wildlife that have a magical quality. Fans of the series will not be disappointed in book 7, Blackberry Beach. Love is in the air for more than one couple, and the reader will love the realistic struggles that each face to find their happily-ever-after. This is a must-read!

Blackberry Beach focuses on Kat, an incognito actress escaping from Hollywood craziness and Zach, a former high powered businessman turned coffee shop owner. The attraction between the two is immediate, yet Kat has a lot of decisions to make that potentially will keep them apart. While the reader may not be able to identify with Kat’s movie-star life, her struggle with doing what she loves and finding peace in her decisions will resonate. Zach has already found his purpose, and his unselfish advice marks a man of integrity. I liked these two characters very much! A secondary story follows Zach’s recently retired Aunt Stephanie and part-time barista Frank. This late in life romance — the first for Stephanie and second time around for Frank — is a great parallel and contrast to Kat and Zach’s relationship. Being a reader of, ahem, a certain age 😉 , I appreciated the more mature characters’ chance at love.

As always, this book features elements that fans of the Hope Harbor series love — Charley the taco truck owner, seagulls Gladys and Floyd, and sweet treats woven into the book. In the case of Blackberry Beach, Kat’s truffles will make you crave the chocolatey treat! Hannon plans more return trips to Hope Harbor, and I cannot wait!

Blackberry Beach. A Book Review.

If you are looking for a relaxing read as we head toward summer, look no further. Blackberry Beach buy Irene Hannon fits the bill. I was drawn to this book by the title and the cover photo, and I was not disappointed.

Blackberry Beach is set in a charming location, the town of Hope Harbor on the Oregon Coast. A somewhat reclusive woman and a handsome coffee shop owner give us the ingredients for a romance with a bit of mystery. This was a delightful read.

Blackberry Beach is my first Irene Hannon novel. It is the 7th in the Hope Harbor series, but it stands on its own. It is well written, with well-developed characters, and I love her descriptions of the scenery. She makes me wish I could visit Blackberry Beach in person. And I can almost taste the blackberries!


Blackberry Beach was a fun read. Christian Fiction at its finest. Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining. The characters were complex while being completely entertaining.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

If you’re in the mood for a fluffy beach read, this book is a great fit. I usually like more depth to the books I read, but every now and then, a beachy read is exactly what I’m in the mood for. That was the case when I picked up Blackberry Beach by Irene Hannon.

One of the best lines (to me) was this gem: “Life shouldn’t be all about accruing money.” It was great to see characters making choices NOT based on money but rather on God’s direction for their lives. This was so refreshing!

The beach scenes were some of my favorites in this story. The view was declared to be amazing, but I wish it would have been described a little more so it could have come alive in my mind. The discussions on the beach and the romantic bits that took place there were heartfelt and entertaining.

The cover was completely gorgeous. The purple hues were beautiful and complementary, and I loved that Katherine’s sunglasses were highlighted! They played a big role in the story, so it was fun to see they made it to the cover as well. It was fun also to have the pair of seagulls flying in the background of the cover, considering they play such significant roles throughout the entire series. The only alteration I would make is to highlight the blackberries a bit more. They’re hard to see in the bushes at the bottom of the cover. But overall, this was a breezy, fun cover that piqued my interest.

Zach was a great character. I liked that he was mystified by the leading lady from the jump but then dug deeper until he got to know her at different levels. This was handled well with chivalry and respect, which made me feel right at home getting to know these two.

The older-couple romance angle was so sweet! I adored Stephanie and Frank so much and would love to see them pop back around in a future book.

The reunion was great and well written. I can’t say more than that without spoilers, but it was something special.

The coffee shop and chocolate making aspects of this story were delightful and detailed.

There were some things that bugged me about this book too. I’ll briefly touch on them now, but I’ll try to not bemoan the things too much, because this was a fun read overall.

1 | Charley.
Charley is this mysterious Mexican man who always knows too much about everybody. There are no context clues for how he “discerned” the information, so he clearly knows the details by magic of some sort. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be “divine” or magician or genie type magic, but it drives me nuts every time because it’s completely unrealistic and makes me think these books ought to be labeled as Magical Realism instead of Contemporary Romance.

2 | Magical animals.
Floyd and Gladys (a pair of seagulls), a seal, and a dolphin all acted unlike any of their real-life counterparts that I’ve ever seen. They seemed to follow unspoken directives from Charley (who’s the one who named them). These critters acted unnaturally to me, and they gave me the willies.

3 | Follow one’s heart.
Charley advised a character to follow their heart because it had “never betrayed him.” This is poor advice, considering the Bible calls the heart “more deceitful than anything else” (Jeremiah 17:9). Several characters were stated to follow their hearts when making huge life decisions. I was really disappointed that prayer and seeking God’s will only came into play on one or two big decisions instead of the majority of the time, considering this book is in the Christian Fiction genre.

4 | Actress in disguise.
The whole actress in disguise plot did not work for me at all. In theory, it was great. I love that type of story, so I was really looking forward to this one. In actual application, it wasn’t very well done here. It was inconsistent throughout, sometimes claiming the lady wasn’t famous at all (thus, would not be easily recognized), while other times she was a “rising star” or on the verge of leaving the business altogether (indicating she’d already had a full career). At one point very late in the story, she even admitted “I’m not a household name.” That right there broke the entire actress in disguise plot for me. If she wasn’t a household name, then nobody would have recognized her whether or not she changed her hair color and wore dark sunglasses. Another reason I didn’t believe she wouldn’t be recognized is because in real life, actors and actresses are easily recognized with sunglasses, baseball caps, different hair colors and styles, and without their stage/screen makeup. If this make-believe actress was really half as famous as she claimed, she would have definitely been recognized in today’s tech-heavy society. One last thing about this actress thing. Nowhere through the entire book had she even thought or mentioned that she was considering directing rather than acting… yet, on page 292, she suddenly declared she was “getting more interested in the directing side of the business.” That came as a complete shock, because the whole time through the story, she’d been dragging her feet about making a decision about her first A-list movie role. There had been no previous hint at all about directing being an option.

5 | Awkward name drop.
It’s pretty common in Christian Fiction for authors to name-drop their friends by including titles or names. I’m fairly used to this now. What made this one extremely awkward to me was that Mrs. Hannon name dropped herself: “She held up the new Irene Hannon suspense novel she was reading.”

Overall, this was a cute read. Reality was suspended in a few places, but many readers will be able to better overlook those spots than I. The beachy-ness of the story was exactly what I wanted when I picked up this book, so on that front, I was definitely satisfied.

Content: replacement profanity, alcohol, sexual innuendo, tarot cards analogy, betting/wager analogies, drug abuse, crude sexual phrase, Catholicism

Blackberry Beach
by Irene Hannon
Publishing date: April 6, 2021

This is # 7 in the series and I haven't missed a one. I really enjoy this author and so do our patrons at our library.
They like the sweet romances.
Thanks to NetGalley and Irene's publisher for the digital ARC. I always enjoy reading one of my favorite author's books before it is published.

5 star

Since I enjoy Irene Hannon's books, I have read all her books in the Hope Harbor series. This one was one of my favorites.

Katherine Parker has come to Hope Harbor to hide away from an incident over which she had no control but has put her under scrutiny. She uses an alias and has changed her appearance somewhat so she can stay under the radar. Zach Garret, the local coffee shop owner, has come to Hope Harbor to deal with his own struggles and he becomes intrigued with Kate's reclusive behavior.

They discover they are actually neighbors and they begin a tentative friendship. There is a definite connection between them and the possibility of a romance is hovering around them as they spend time together. But they are both wounded souls and are wary of getting involved.

The story is well written and I enjoyed catching up a bit with characters from the previous books. Kate and Zach are believable characters and watching them struggle with their feelings for each other and with coming to grips with their respective pasts make for a great plot. I would recommend this book without hesitation.

Blackberry Beach by Irene Hannon

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes

Irene Hannon is venturing into the world of Hope Harbor once again to share with readers the story of Zach and Katherine, two people with similar backgrounds that give them an opportunity to find unexpected love.

While she is clearly an expert at the suspenseful reads, Irene Hannon is quickly proving she has what it takes to write romantic fiction stories too. This latest in her Hope Harbor series is a wonderful read that gave me a look at how hard life is for actors who hold to true morals in the face of an uncaring industry. Kat has come to Hope Harbor to get away from Hollywood and its crushing pace to reevaluate her future in the field of acting. Hiding away in the beach house along Blackberry Beach gives her the alone space she covets and gives her the small town pace she longs for. As she meets people on the island, albeit reluctantly, she finds that these people have no desire to out her to the world nor plague her with autograph requests. She also meets the charming Zach, the owner and shopkeeper of The Perfect Blend, Hope Harbors coffee shop and local hangout. Spending time with him shows Kat that she is more than just a beautiful face, she has value in her other talents too. The pacing of the story was good and I liked the plot line. It wasn't rushed or super slow and that allowed for just the right amount of details to be given to keep the story interesting. The faith elements were woven into the story in a natural and impactful way, giving some very good depth to Kat and her character. The romance was sweet and beautiful, with enough challenge to it to make it realistic and, hopefully, lasting. I loved the addition of the side romance between Zach's aunt and his part-time employee. It was a good reminder that love is not limited to a certain age group but can be found at any time in life. I will certainly be recommending this delightful read to others in the hope that they will enjoy it as well.

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Revell Publishing via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.