Book review: Hope Harbor by Irene Hannon

With a new school year starting, it feels like a time for new beginnings.

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That goes along with the theme in the Christian novel “Hope Harbor” by Irene Hannon.  I read this book recently after receiving a complimentary copy from the publisher, Revell, to facilitate my honest review.

I haven’t read other books by the author, but I understand that she often writes mysteries. “Hope Harbor” doesn’t revolve around a mystery, but the circumstances surrounding the characters’ past lives are revealed gradually, so has the book has a gentle aura of mystery.  The reader gets to know the characters better as they interact and open up to each other.

From the back cover:

Come home to Hope Harbor–where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.

Tracy Campbell never wanted to leave Hope Harbor, Oregon, or the idyllic three-generation cranberry farm where she grew up. But life–and love–altered her plans. Now she’s home again–with a floundering farm to run . . . a tragic secret . . . and a wounded heart. Romance is not on her agenda. Nor is it on Michael Hunter’s. The visitor from Chicago has daunting secrets and devastating regrets of his own. But when Tracy recruits him to help with a project that is close to her heart, winds of change begin to sweep through Hope Harbor, bringing healing, hope, and love to countless lives–including their own.

The main characters are likeable, Christian people. Tracy is a hardworking cranberry grower by day, does freelance accounting work by night, and volunteers in the community in between. Michael is visiting Tracy’s Oregon hometown while on leave from his position as CEO of a charitable organization in Chicago.  He rents a room from Anna, a reclusive retiree who spends her time rescuing injured animals and cooking for clergymen in the community.

As the three characters find themselves drawn together in the town of Hope Harbor, they must explore their own hopes for the future as they overcome the difficulties of the past.  Although the name of the book gives a good indication of the ultimate resolution, I enjoyed reading the story as the characters work through issues and heal.

Through the book, the characters have to rethink their viewpoints to open up to new possibilities.  The book highlights the importance of building connections and being open to new people and experiences.

Some of the things I liked about the book included learning more about cranberry farming and the whimsical nature of the town, including a recurring seagull that had his own issues to address.

You can find “Hope Harbor” on Amazon (affiliate link).

I received a free copy of “Hope Harbor” as part of the Revell Reads program
to facilitate my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This post includes affiliate links, which help support this site.
Please refer to my disclosure statement for more information about affiliate links.

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