Sunrise Reef (#11 in Hope Harbor Series)

I enjoyed reading Sunrise Reef, Book 11 in Irene Hannon’s delightful Hope Harbor contemporary romance series set on the beautiful Oregon Coast. The books are standalone romances that can be read in any order and I love returning to the Hope Harbor story world.

Bren is a barista who also runs a calligraphy business. She has overcome many challenges from her difficult childhood and her friends in Hope Harbor are her family.

Noah’s parents retired in Hope Harbor and his dad is now a widower who’s living on his own. Noah is an accountant from St. Louis who’s focused on advancing his career. He takes vacation time to visit with his dad with the goal of convincing him to relocate to St. Louis.

Noah and Bren’s meet cute is an amusing and disastrous case of mistaken identity. Their charming friends-to-more romance challenges them to deal with past emotional baggage and overcome trust issues.

The sweet subplot, with a teen girl who left a toxic family situation in search of a new home, mirrors Bren’s own journey. The teen girl’s situation challenges Bren and Noah in different ways. The town is like a character and I loved visiting with the side characters who care for others in their small town community.

I recommend Sunrise Reef to contemporary romance readers who like opposites attract and different worlds friends-to-more romances with found family themes and relevant faith elements in the story.