I love a good second chance small town romance and the latest book from Mandy Magro doesn't disappoint.
Jessica ran away to Florence 9 years ago after her parents were killed in a car accident on the day of her wedding to Morgan.
She is now back in Silverstone Shores for the first time since she left for her best friends/brothers wedding and circumstances have forced her to stay in her ex-fiancé's cottage.
In her time away she has lived a whole life having been married and and has a 9 Yr old daughter.
Jessica and Morgan have unresolved chemistry, can they overcome it and will their secrets be revealed.
These characters are real and are both doing what they think are best. I do wish the secrets weren't as easy to pick and guess from pretty much the first chapter but it was interesting to see how the characters would eventually reveal the truth.

EXCERPT: For Chiara's sake, she hoped and prayed she could somehow turn things around and find her way as a recently divorced single mother, but she knew that inevitably, in the long run, that meant telling the cold, hard truth. First, she needed a conclusive answer. Once she had it, the very thought of revealing her secret terrified her. She hadn't told a living soul back in Australia. Not even Shanti. Her nonno was the only person alive wo knew. Her nonna had taken it to her grave eight years earlier. What would everyone - especially Morgan - think of her once they found out she'd lied to them all this time?

ABOUT 'SILVERTON SHORES': Will they get a second chance or will it be goodbye forever?

Jessica Sabatini had everything she ever wanted until a tragic accident only hours before her wedding sent her world spinning out of control. In a haze of grief, she ran as far from Silverton Shores as she could.

It took her a long time to put the pieces of her world back together, but now she's a devoted mum to her young daughter, Chiara, and adores her job at her grandfather's renowned restaurant, Sabatini's, in Florence. But the secret that's gnawed at her all these years refuses to leave her alone. When her best friend and brother ask her to return for their wedding, Jessica is torn. Has enough time passed so she can find the strength to face the truth? She knows the heart of it lies in Silverton Shores, along with Morgan Savage, the man she once loved so deeply...

When Jess left him behind, Morgan thought he'd never get over her. The only way he could move on was to completely cut her from his life. Until now. He's honoured to be the best man at his best mate's wedding but with Jessica as maid of honour, how is he going to face her?

When the wedding brings them into one another's lives once more, will it be the final chance to lay their broken hearts to rest? Or will it reignite all the passion, as well as reveal the secrets that have stood between them for all these years?

MY THOUGHTS: I loved the location of the bulk of this novel - far north Queensland, Australia - a place where I have many happy memories. I miss the heat, the lushness of the vegetation, the pristine beaches. It was lovely to be able to revisit this area.

If you want a sweet, light, easy to read romance - Silverton Shores is it. I read it in one wet, stormy day and while parts made me feel warmhearted and hopeful that this couple would get back together, other parts had me rolling my eyes and huffing in exasperation.

Both Jess and Morgan are keeping secrets from one another, building a barrier between them. Jess's was easy to guess, Morgan's kept me guessing to the end. Both of them want the truth revealed but both are concerned by the possible repercussions. Neither is aware the other has a secret. There is an awful lot of angsty soul-searching goes on throughout the book which becomes a bit repetitive after a while.

The dialogue was often disappointing - does anyone really say 'groovy' anymore? 'Cool' I can handle, just, but 'groovy' - no.

There is one open door sex scene towards the end of the book that just didn't feel right to me. I would have preferred closed door, not because I am prudish (I'm not) but because it just didn't seem to fit well with the rest of the book.

I liked this read, but with reservations. It was just a little too saccharine sweet for my personal taste.

⭐⭐⭐.1

#SilvertonShores #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Mandy Magro lives in Cairns, Far North Queensland, with her daughter, Chloe Rose. With pristine aqua-blue coastline in one direction, and sweeping rural landscapes in the other, she describes her home as heaven on earth. A passionate woman, and a romantic at heart, she loves writing about soul-deep love, the Australian rural way of life, and all the wonderful characters that live there.

Reading Mandy Magro’s books always makes me feel as though I’m looking out a window at the gorgeous countryside of far north Queensland, an area she clearly knows well. Silverton Shores is set predominantly in the area north of Port Douglas where the vegetation is lush and the coastline is stunning. I relaxed into that environment right away. Secrets are at the centre of this story and for both Jess and Morgan, it is the secrets each is keeping that prevent them from reigniting their romance. Jess is not certain whether her nine year-old daughter Chiara is Morgan’s child or the daughter of her ex husband Salvatore, with whom she started a relationship just weeks after fleeing Australia as a broken women following the deaths of her parents. Morgan, meanwhile, knows the truth of Jess’s parentage but it is not his secret to tell her. As their story progresses, it is clear they both still love each other but each is afraid of losing the close friendship they share if they cross the line into a relationship. I loved these two. Morgan is every woman’s dream for a husband and Jess is clearly both a devoted mother and a thoughtful and caring friend. The only thing that let this story down just a little for me is that it gets a little saccharine at times and my goodness, those wedding preparations seem to go on and on. Still, this has been a good read and will work perfectly if you want something light and relaxing to dive into.

Jess thought she had left all the painful memories behind and Morgan thought he had closed his heart especially to Jess. But life doesn't always work out the way you plan. A journey of self discovery and love all set in beautiful North Queensland. I couldn't see through my tears at some points and sometimes they were sad tears and at others happy tears.

This is another easy read, rural romance by Mandy Magro. The location of Morgan’s farm in Queensland sounds beautiful.
I have to admit I did find the dialog a bit cringeworthy at times but still enjoyed the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Mandy Magro book and all I can say is WOW - I loved it!
What a wonderful story Mandy weaves. I literally couldn't put this down and read it in a day.

The main characters, Jess and Morgan, are so believable. I truly came to care about them and had tears blurring my vision quite a few times throughout this tale.

I love stories set in Australia, especially places I've visited, and it just so happens that I have been to Far North QLD for holidays (I live in Brisbane) and I've also been to Florence, where part of the story is set. I was totally able to envisage myself in the story, right there with Jess and Morgan as they navigated their past and tried to forge a future together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

Jess is coming home for the wedding of her brother and her best friend. When she left Silverton Shores 9 years ago, it was in heartbreak of the loss of her parents on what was her wedding day.

Jess has her ex picking her up at the airport and staying in his cottage. Will their past affect this arrangement or will it be impossible to move forward.

Mandy looks at the what has happened and how their lives are now and what it could mean for their future of friendship. Adding in a bit of spice and frustration always leads to a story that takes you on a journey of discovery.

I received this book by #netgalley for a free honest review.

Jessica Sabatini is getting ready for her wedding, when an accident rips her family apart, she can’t cope with the loss and leaves Silverton Shores and moves to Florence, Italy.

Nine years later she works as a waitress at her nonno's restaurant, Sabatini’s and has a daughter Chiara. Jess returns to Queensland for her brother Roberto's wedding and her former fiancé Morgan Savage will be his best man. Arriving home, Jess realises just how much she's missed Australia, Silverton Shores, her brother and sister Annie, and best friend Shanti.

When Jess left Morgan and ran off to Italy he was shattered, he now works for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and on the family property. He’s not sure how he feels about seeing her, can he risk having his heart broken again, should Morgan forgive Jess and can they friends? The pre-wedding plans bring them together, the chemistry between Jess and Morgan hasn’t diminished, but both have long kept secrets and if the truth is revealed and they worry about the repercussions.

I received a copy of Silverton Shores from Harlequin Australian from NetGalley and in exchange for an unbiased review. Mandy Magro is one of Australia’s best rural romance authors, as always her writing style is entertaining, the characters are interesting and I really enjoyed reading about Morgan and Jess living on the farm and the setting is appealing, the stunning scenery, how Jess enjoyed cooking and sharing a meal with Morgan and it really made her think about what she’s missed out on and is it too late.

Five stars from me and I would highly recommend Silverton Shores to fans of polished and well written Australian romantic fiction, and the narrative focuses on living in tropical Queensland, family, secrets, complicated and painful relationships, chemistry and connection and second chances.