Sandpiper Cove – Irene Hannon – Hope Harbor #3 – Revell – Published 4 April 2017

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Synopsis

Hope Harbor police chief Lexie Graham has plenty on her plate raising her son alone and dealing with a sudden rash of petty theft and vandalism in her coastal Oregon hometown. As a result, she has zero time for extracurricular activities–including romance. Ex-con Adam Stone isn’t looking for love either–but how ironic is it that the first woman to catch his eye is a police chief? Yet wishing for things that can never be is foolish.

Nevertheless, when Lexie enlists Adam’s help to keep a young man from falling into a life of crime, sparks begin to fly. And as they work together, it soon becomes apparent that God may have a different–and better–future planned for them than either could imagine.

My thoughts

Throughout this series I have fallen more and more in love with Hope Harbor, its residents, and the love, joy, and peace that can be found within its town borders. Sandpiper Cove compounds that love in a book that is utterly charming – a story of second chances, helping hands, the support of a community, and, of course, romance.

Sandpiper Cove is the third book in the Hope Harbor series and tells the story of Lexie Graham, Hope Harbor’s police chief, and Adam Stone. Readers will have first met Adam (or Stone, as he is more commonly known) in Sea Rose Lane. Ex-con, construction worker, stray-dog rescuer, he is a mix of bad boy and kind soul. Lexi has been married before and had her heart broken by her husband’s sudden death. Now she is content to raise her young son, Matt, and protect the people of Hope Harbor. But when Adam is targeted by vandals, Lexi starts to get to know him, and a glimpse beneath his hardened exterior shows a man who is kind, gentle, and giving, and for whom it just may be worth risking her heart again.


Everything about this book exudes peace and contentment. And not because the characters don’t face trials – they do, and plenty of them. But there is just something about these Hope Harbor novels, be it the setting, characters, underlying faith principles, or themes explored, that give the stories a firm grounding.

I was greatly looking forward to reading Sandpiper Cove ever since reading a sample in Irene Hannon’s previously published novel. And I’m very happy to say that Sandpiper Cove lived up to all my expectations. Adam Stone is a fantastic character. He is plagued by guilt about his life choices, isolates himself, works hard, and wants to repay the kindness shown to him. He is intrigued by Lexi, but he is used to avoiding police officers, not becoming friends with them. But as he and Lexi work together to solve the vandalism case and help the perpetrator, he finds himself falling for her anyway. Lexi has been in love and knows the hurt it can bring. When she enlists Adam’s help with her vandalism case, she doesn’t except to find herself so attracted to the man. Add in some unresolved questioning about faith, a young man who responds to Adam’s gentle guidance, a cute five-year-old, and a gorgeous dog, you have all the makings for a beautiful, Christian contemporary novel.

I was so content reading this book that the ending completely snuck up on me. Suddenly there was the epilogue! Luckily, it was a nice, long epilogue. But the true gift lay in the author’s acknowledgments – there will be more Hope Harbor novels to come!!! And, that makes me a very happy reader.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

More information

Category: Fiction

Genre: Christian contemporary.

Themes:  Family, Police, Children, Romance, Love, Faith, Belonging, Teenagers, Vandalism, Crime, Ex-convicts.

Published:  4 April 2017 by Revell.

Format: Hardcover, paperback, ebook. 325 pages.

ISBN: 9780800727680

Find it on Goodreads