TUESDAY POTPOURRI: INTROS/TEASERS: ROSE HARBOR IN BLOOM — JULY 2

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by Should Be Reading.

Today’s featured book is an ARC from Amazon Vine:  Rose Harbor in Bloom, by Debbie Macomber.

Intro:  Rose Harbor was in bloom.  Purple rhododendrons and red azaleas dotted the property.  I stood on the porch, leaning against the thick white post, and looked over the property for my bed-and-breakfast.  The Inn at Rose Harbor was beautifully scripted on the wooden sign and was prominently displayed in the front of the yard along with my name, Jo Marie Rose, as proprietor.

I never planned on owning or operating a bed-and-breakfast.  But then I never expected to be a widow in my thirties, either.  If I’d learned anything in this road called life it’s that it often takes unexpected turns, rerouting us from the very path that had once seemed so right.  My friends advised me against purchasing the inn.  They felt the move was too drastic:  it meant more than just moving and leaving my job; it would mean an entire life change.  Many thought I should wait at least a year after losing Paul.  But my friends were wrong.  I’d found peace at the inn, and somewhat to my surprise, a certain contentment.

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Teaser:  Annie whirled around.  Sure enough, just as she’d feared—Oliver Sutton.  He was the last person she wanted to see this weekend.  Their history was long and troubled.  (p. 81)

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Blurb:  Since moving to Cedar Cove, Jo Marie Rose has truly started to feel at home, and her neighbors have become her closest friends. Now it’s springtime, and Jo Marie is eager to finish the most recent addition to her inn. In memory of her late husband, Paul, she has designed a beautiful rose garden for the property and enlisted handyman Mark Taylor to help realize it. She and Mark don’t always see eye-to-eye—and at times he seems far removed—yet deep down, Jo Marie finds great comfort in his company. And while she still seeks a sense of closure, she welcomes her latest guests, who are on their own healing journeys.

Annie Newton arrives in town to orchestrate her grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration. While Annie is excited for the festivities, she’s struggling to move on from her broken engagement, and her grandparents themselves seem to be having trouble getting along. Worse, Annie is forced to see Oliver Sutton, with whom she grew up and who has always mercilessly teased her. But the best parties end with a surprise, and Annie is in for the biggest one of all.

High-powered businesswoman Mary Smith, another Rose Harbor Inn guest, has achieved incredible success in her field, yet serious illness has led her to face her sole, lingering regret. Almost nineteen years ago, she ended her relationship with her true love, George Hudson, and now she’s returned to Cedar Cove to make amends.

Compassion and joy await Jo Marie, Annie, and Mary as they make peace with their pasts and look boldly toward their futures. Rose Harbor in Bloom is Debbie Macomber at her heartwarming best.

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What do you think?  Delightful?  Sappy?  Would you keep reading?  Right now, I’m reading a book about a serial killer, so I’m ready for this one.