The Inn at Rose Harbor begins a new series that returns to Cedar Cove, a community based on Debbie Macomber's own hometown in Washington State (and the setting for an earlier sequence of novels and stories). Jo Marie Rose, a recent widow in her late 30s whose husband died in the war in Afghanistan, purchases a bed-and-breakfast in the quaint, seaside town in the hope it will give her a fresh start at life and mend her broken heart.
The first to board at the inn is Joshua Weaver, a young man who has returned to town to collect a few of his late mother's treasured mementos from his stepfather, who is facing serious illness. The two men share a tumultuous history and many years of hard feelings. Will they--can they--reconcile?
Abby Kincaid is also staying at the inn, having returned to Cedar Grove (reluctantly) to attend her brother's wedding. Abby has not been back to town in 10 years, as she is still riddled with guilt, believing she caused the vehicular death of her best friend in high school. Will her former hometown sit in judgment or welcome her warmly?
Underlying spiritual forces and the pull and tug of burgeoning romance underscore this gentle narrative. Macomber writes wholesome stories of ordinary people who seek out ways to make peace with life after hardships and loss. With The Inn at Rose Harbor, themes of hope, forgiveness and revival once again rise to the top. -- Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines