A slow burn, brother’s best friend trope is to DIE FOR. This was so sweet and immediately hooked me in. The vibes of the book overall left me with such a good cozy feeling. I will definitely be reading the next one!

This is a book about loss, about finding love after a loss and our lives when we actually decide that it's time to move on, the FMC really surprised me and the book was a bit fast paced regarding some feelings that I think it should have been better explored

Zander has stolen my heart ❤️, this is such a beautiful story of hope and love following such heartbreak, also told in Dual POV which is my favourite.
It follows Izzy who is tragically widowed at the age of 26 leaving her to raise her 2 precious boys. She chooses to move back to Breakaway Shores, Oregon where her brother Luke still lives, he’s a real estate agent and arranges her viewings.
She finds the perfect house, the owner Zander a retired professional football star happens to be Luke’s best friend, he is selling and moving out of the town. He is immediately drawn to Izzy, her courageous strength and her beautiful family.
Zander himself is familiar with grief and doesn’t push Izzy at all, Izzy struggles with her emotions but is clearly drawn to Zander too.
I devoured this book in less than a day, it was so beautifully written and I was praying for a hea for the both of them.
There was enough ups and downs to keep me on edge in just the right way. I look forward to reading more from Jenson and hopefully Breakaway Shores 2 will Luke’s story 🙏 with more from Izzy and Zander 🤞🏻❤️
Thank you NetGalley, Jensen Rose Long and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

The Coast is Clear is book one in the Breakaway Shores series by Jensen Rose Long.
I was hooked to this story right away.
This was a fun! Super cute and adorable slow-burn.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy by of this amazing eARC!

Dual POV, Second Chance at Love, Swoon Worthy MMC and a strong FMC--loved this book from the very beginning! I was given an eARC of this book and I cannot wait to read more from this author! "The Coast is Clear" takes place on the Oregon Coast with some highlights in Portland and Seattle. The two main characters are well-developed, along with the secondary male characters; wonderful vibes between all three of them. I loved them from the start. There was some spice (not completely closed door) but mostly a lot of love & connection. Although it takes place over the summer, it's a cozy romance would be great to read any time of year. *I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author/publishing company via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a sweet and tender romance this was! For me personally, when dealing with widows in romance, I think it can be really difficult to strike the right balance between acknowledging that first love and not taking anything away from it... while also getting that feeling in the current romance of finding your person. I thought this one found that right balance. It didn't feel like Zander was trying to replace Jack (Izzy's first husband) at all. He understood and acknowledged that Jack had been an important part of her life. I loved the way that he just showed up for not just her... but her boys too. The relationship he had with them was super sweet and added so much to their story. The idea behind the story felt really unique too--- Zander has plans to move and Izzy plans to buy his house... talk about complications. It was a sweet story and one that has me looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.

The Coast Is Clear is a closed-door romance with fade to black moments and implied intimacy. While nothing explicit happens on the pages, it does get a little more heated and there is a scene where the two are in the shower together so it might not be for all closed-door readers. There is also some minor language as well.

**ARC received via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The coast is clear was such a lovely read. I loved Zander he was a patient king and was totally swoon worthy! You could feel Izzy’s pain coming off the pages. Such a heartwarming story!

This was a very sweet book. I loved the plot and the storyline but it wasn't 100% for me. I love the single parent trope but somehow i couldn't get fully into this one. I would still recommend it since i liked the writing style!

The Coast is Clear follows Izzy, a 26 year old widow with two young boys, who is ready for a new start so moves to live near her brother Luke. With Luke's help she finds the ideal house for her and her young boys, the owner, Zander, being her brother best friend and she finds that she begins to fall for as they spend more time together.

This was a quick read that I couldn't put down and found to be really heartwarming. I couldn't put it down and wanted to continue to read about these characters who I really loved reading about.

Izzy and Zander were both well developed and complex characters who understood each other really well and were characters that I wanted to learn more and more about and found their backstories to be well built into the plot and not just there for the sake of the characters having some dramatic backstory. Izzy clearly always looked out for the boys best interests and doing her best to create the best environment she could for them. Her grief was also tackled really well and I love how she worked with the boys too, helping them to remember their dad but also work through their big feelings about what was going on.
I also really liked meeting Luke and look forward to getting his book in the future and seeing his love life develop because it has been hinted at in this book but I definitely look forward to seeing it develop more.

I also really enjoyed reading the romance story and seeing Izzy and Zander's relationship throughout the story. They didn't rush into a romance and thought about what a relationship between them would impact and both how to make the transition easiest for the boys and also if it was worth it. I also liked how Zander understood Izzy's priorities through personal experience and didn't push her to do things that went against what she thought was best for her family even if he disagreed instead trying to give her space and explain why he thought differently.
It was also a spice free romance which was nice to read and felt like it was right for the characters and the story.

Overall this was easy a 4 star romance and a fun debut story from an author I will be coming back to in the future once she has released more books, and hopefully Luke's story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author, Jensen Rose Long, for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a slow burn, closed door, romance with so much love and heling. It’s funny and heartwarming.
The writing is very enthralling from the first pages. Very dynamic with a good balance between description and action. The pace is perfect.
Grief and lack of confidence, this book is a testimony to overcome your difficulties and believing in yourself.
Zander is a swooning man, and very sweet, romantic.
The book has such a cozy feeling, the kids are so cute and adorable. He falls in love with the kids first.
Quotes:
“I wish I could have met him. I’d thank him for loving you so much”
“Daddy Zander is home!”
Overall: I would 100 % recommend this book for those who like a good romance, with no big surprises, and who want to have a good time with a good book that will lead you through the journey of the characters at a very good pace.

I had no idea what this book was about prior to signing up. I really liked the title! And I’m very pleased with going into it blind! U very much enjoyed Izzy and Zander’s relationship. But swooned heavily on Zander’s relationship with Kingston and Christian! This book was so heartwarming and refreshing to read.

No spice, but that’s fine!

I felt the book did rush through some topics and were a little unfinished. Ie; Izzy’s relationship with her mom- how and why it was tumultuous. What happened with Izzy’s ex in-laws- the ex MIL seemed- off. I’d love to have seen how Izzy dealt with kinda being a step mom, I felt it only showed how Zander dealt with it. I just think some topics in the book could have been wrapped up in the epilogue.

Overall think it was a great palette cleanser and I hope the second book is about Luke! ❤️

Expect:
- Single mom
- Dual POV
- Second Chance Romance
- Talks of death
- Short chapters

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review! 💕

This was such a nice read, a story of second chances at love. Love the dual POV and the MMC was swoon worthy. I did find it the MMC a little too good to be true at times but it was also nice to read a romance that wasn't filled with toxic behavior. There was some intense moments where I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what happened and it was different to read a romance story of a widow. Overall I did enjoy this read and enjoyed a happy story for a change!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a great romcom!! This is a first for me by this author but will not be my last. It was such a cute story! The writing style is great and I loved the characters chemistry.

This was a sweet single mom/widow romance; Izzy is a great character. However I didn't find there to be much chemistry between the characters and the writing itself was just so slow I was bored. Sorry but this book just didn't fully land for me. The plot was good though.

I really liked the description of this book- young widow with two kids moves to start over in a small town and catches feelings for her brothers best friend. So many tropes I love: small town, second chance, brothers best friend...I was disappointed in the execution of this book. As a mom I can't imagine allowing a man I barely knew to take control of my time and my kids the way Izzy let Zander do! Surprising her and the kids with an overnight?!? What? There was good raw material here, interesting characters, and exploration of grief, but this book didn't land for me at all. It would benefit from some editing and dialogue being punched up. Probably better for fans of Lifetime romance movies. Thanks to Net Galley and Jensen Rose Long for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Coast is Clear by Jensen Rose Long
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Izzy is a widow with two young sons. They moved to Breakaway Shores, a small town on the Oregon coast. Izzy's brother, Luke is a realtor and he is helping her find the family a new home. They find the perfect house but the owner is a retired football player who is also friends with Luke. Sparks fly between Izzy and Zander. Izzy is scared of opening up to him and still grieving the loss of her husband. He slowly breaks down her walls but he is supposed to move after summer. Is this just a temporary thing or will the relationship last?

Zander is so wonderful!! He is so good to Izzy. He takes things slow and at a speed that she is comfortable with. He is super thoughtful, kind, and goes out of his way to show appreciation. I really enjoyed this story and appreciated the representation of finding love after a great loss. It was a little bit of a slow burn, but due to the MFC journey I think it was a necessary build.

Read this book if you like:
💕Little bit of a Slow burn
💕 Single mom
💕 Retired Football player
💕 Brother's best friend

Thank you to Net Galley and Victory Editing for the ARC book!

I want to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was disappointed to be honest.. the lack of chemistry I felt was so sad.. the 2 main characters for me were kind of boring and every time they were together I felt absolutely nothing.. I’m hoping the next book will be better!

Review Posted to GoodReads. Review Posted 9/12/24. Link for review attached below. Thank you so much for the awesome read! It was truly enjoyable!

The Coast is Clear is a cute, heartwarming story of finding love after the loss of a spouse. This was a cute, quick read with adorable mcs. Izzy and Zander just fit so well together (and who doesn't love a couple who can communicate?)

Unfortunately it felt like there were a lot of sub plots that just weren't finished. I would have loved to see more about Izzy's book and a resolution between her and her mil.

I can't wait to see what comes next in Breakaway Shores (and hope to see more about Luke)

~Dual-POV, Second-chance romance, Single-mom, and more!~

The Coast is Clear by Jensen Rose Long follows Izzy, a 26-year-old widow with two young boys. Izzy is ready for a new start and to live close to her brother, Luke. So, she plans a summer trip to Breakaway Shores to go house-hunting and allow her boys to soak up the sun and play in the sand. With the help of Luke, who is a real estate agent, she finds the perfect house before it even hits the market. The handsome owner of Izzy and her boy's dream house, Zander, is also Luke's best friend. Zander is a retired football player who is in need of a change, which is why he decided to sell his house in the first place. He doesn't know where he will go or what he will do, but he knows something in his life needs to change. So when Izzy and her boys come to town and sparks fly between the two, Zander finds out what he's been missing. But is Izzy ready to take another chance on love after the death of her late husband? And is Zander prepared for all the big changes coming his way?

4| This was a quick and heartwarming read. I loved the town of Breakaway Shores and the descriptions of the scenery that came along with it. I wish I had gotten to see more of the shops and people. I enjoyed the characters in this book. Izzy is an extremely likable character; she is always looking out for her boy's best interests and creating a safe and stable life for them. The topic of Izzy's grief was handled beautifully. I think it was really important that she was at a point where she knew Jack would be happy for her instead of feeling like she was betraying him in moving on. I loved how Izzy always reminded the boy of their father and was always willing to talk about him despite her own feelings. The issue was well written and did a fantastic job showing how complex grief is and how it can impact people differently. I wish we had gotten to see more of Luke; at one point, it seemed like there were some developments in his love life, and then it was never mentioned again. I feel like there was a lot of him initially and almost none in the end. I wish it were a bit more consistent. His character was interesting, and I enjoyed how different sides of him were shown through the two POVs. A friend's description versus a sister's is bound to be different, and it was nice to see both. The dual POV in this book was lovely and added a lot to the story. Without it, I think there would have been some blanks in the character's feelings and insecurities.

My main issue with this book was how some aspects felt unfinished. For example, we never heard what happened with Izzy's book, which felt like an oversight. I also wish I got to see more of a wrap-up with her in-laws because it felt like something else was going on. I think more of an explanation of how Izzy's relationship with her mother developed, whether it be negative or positive, would have added a lot, especially with all the hurtful things that were said. One aspect I was desperate to hear more about was Dee. It was odd she wasn't mentioned, especially in the epilogue. I would have liked to see more moments with Izzy and her. Even mentioning how she was doing would have been good, but no mention of her at all felt strange. I loved how Dee and Zander interacted and wanted more of that. The ending seemed to happen quite fast. I would have liked a little more explanation of Zander's decision at the end and how his day-to-day life changed because of it. A more expanded ending would have solved many of these issues for me.

Overall, this was a sweet and heartfelt book about grieving, healing, and moving on. I loved how loss was handled in this book and the insights it gave to how people deal with death differently. Zander's character was amazing; because of his past experiences, he deeply understood Izzy's feelings, which is exactly what she needed. He was kind and patient with the boys and always willing and happy to help. Izzy is strong and passionate about her family and doing the best she can. The characters in this book were great, and I loved the scenery. While there were some heavy topics talked about, it still managed to be a heartwarming read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can not wait to see what else this author writes!