Snowflake Bay by Donna Kauffman

By: Unknown on Friday, September 25, 2015

Title:  Snowflake Bay
Series:  The Brides of Blueberry Cove #2
Author:  Donna Kauffman
Publication Date:  September 29/15 by Zebra
Length:  368pgs
Genre:  contemporary romance
Shelf:  Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★

Back Cover Blurb:

There’s no place like seaside Blueberry Cove, Maine, at Christmas—and there’s nothing like a wedding, the warmth of the holidays, and an old crush, to create the perfect new start…

Interior designer Fiona McCrae has left fast-paced Manhattan to move back home to peaceful Blueberry Cove. But she’s barely arrived before she’s hooked into planning her big sister Hannah’s Christmas wedding—in less than seven weeks. The last thing she needs is for her first love, Ben Campbell, to return to neighboring Snowflake Bay…

As kids, Fiona was the bratty little sister Ben mercilessly teased—while pining after Hannah. But Fi never once thought of Ben like a brother. And that hasn’t changed. Except Fi is all grown up. Will Ben notice her now? More importantly, with her life in a jumble, should he? Or might the romance of the occasion, the spirit of the season, and the gifts of time ignite a long-held flame for many Christmases to come…

Something old might just become something new…

Includes a DIY wedding project!

My Review:

I’ll admit, I’ve been avidly waiting for this novel since we met Fiona in the 1st Brides of Blueberry Cove novel. I’d built it up so much in my mind that I was a little worried, but Kauffman didn’t disappoint me with this excitingly romantic tale, not even for a second. Kauffman writes with a smooth, easy going style that conveys the feeling of this small coastal town. The narrative brings the town and its people to life while the descriptions create the perfect backdrop. I really enjoyed the multiplicity of things that are going on it this story. The characters balanced their own lives with what is going on in their families, health issues vied with work. At the same time, the budding relationship was so sweet, yet not always easy.

I felt a connection with Fiona’s character from the very beginning. She was fun and funny without being over the top. I found the fact that she wasn’t perfect, that her life was in transition, while also being exactly what she wanted reassuring. It made it so much easier to identify with her. Ben was also a great character to lead this tale. In transition, but of a less optional sort he finds himself questioning things he’d never thought of before. At the same time, his helpful, caring personality shines through, without detracting from the strong, outdoorsy quality that is essential to who he is.

The supporting cast in this story was also a lot of fun to get to know. Whether you’ve met them in previous Blueberry Cove novels or just meeting them now, Kauffman develops them in such a manner that I really felt as if I knew them. I loved the close knit relationships that Kauffman develops throughout this novel. Family, friends, and those in between all play a major role in everyone’s lives.

This was a lovely, emotional, yet always fun and funny novel that allowed me to escape from the everyday into its pages. But Kauffman did leave me with one question at the end, what will Kerry get up to next?

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