This is my first book by author Jill Shalvis, which is surprising since she’s written more novels than I can easily count. And it was a great introduction to her writing. Yes, it’s chick-lit, a romance, a small-town drama with quirky characters and a theme of found family. But it’s also well-written, with three-dimensional characters, humor, and heart. All the characters were likable, the romance was sweet, the plot and the threat to the world Shalvis has created were believable and kept me turning the pages.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming, small-town love story with animals and a merry band of wonderful misfits who find a way to save their unique and delightful Apple Ridge Farm, this is the book for you. ( )

I really enjoyed this newest book in the Sunrise Cove series. I liked all the characters but my favorites were Luna, Jameson and DZ. I did not want to put this contemporary romance down. I loved that each character had a flaw that they needed to work on with the help of others. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

Five years ago, Luna was approached about running the struggling Apple Ridge Farm. Doing what Luna does best, she assembles a team, like her found family, to help run and renovate the farm. From her best friend, Willow, as the botanist on hand. To her ex, Chef, who runs the Bright Spot cafe, and her adoptive grandmother Stella, who reads fortunes and runs the gift shop.

Now, the person who funded the farm has died and left Luna as half owner. Feeling overwhelmed, Luna decides to have a nice night out with her friend. As luck would have it, she meets a hot stranger in the bar. But as Luna’s luck would have it he turns down her proposition for a night of fun, and things are further complicated when the stranger turns out to be none other than the owner of the other half of the farm: Jameson Hayes.

Jameson showing up in Sunrise Cove brings a string of surprises to Luna who has to reevaluate a lot of how she views herself as well as how she views the farm if she wants a chance to save it. On top of all of that is the undeniable attraction she has to Jameson, but too many failed past relationships keep her wary.

I have enjoyed this series by Jill Shalvis as a whole. Some books I've like more than others. The Bright Spot is one of them. It's in my top two for this series so far. The character ensemble was fantastic and seeing them pull together to try and figure out how to save the farm just made me wish I could actually go to Apple Ridge Farm.

I loved the "meet-cute" between Luna and Jameson. Even though I immediately figured out how things would go down after he was introduced, I still like the revelation of who was who, and now they have to work together! It was fantastic.

The story is told from three perspectives: Luna, Jameson, and Willow. Honestly, I almost feel like Willow was done a disservice. I think that what we got of her character, just being a secondary character was enough. Having her with her own POV didn't necessarily elevate her to a main character status. Her point of view just didn't feel that fleshed out to me beyond a secondary capacity. I think there were maybe two stories to tell here, either Luna's or Willow's - and then of course their prospective HEA. I think putting more of the focus on Luna and Jameson could have also strengthened some weak points in the building of their relationship - which as readers of romance know, always comes with a complication to work through.

As it is, though, the true standouts will always be the animals! And The Bright Spot has them in abundance since, you know, the farm also acts as an animal rescue. Seeing the shenanigans they cause provided a lot of laugh out loud moments.

Overall, another good, cozy entry in the series. There was a lot more at stake than in some of the previous entries which I think helped pull me become more invested in the story and kept me wanting to see how everything worked out. ( )

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

Silas Wittman had left her 50 percent ownership of the farm.

Fifth in the Sunrise Cove series, stand-alone stories set in the same town, The Bright Spot had the sweet, sexy, and ease of readability and tone of a typical Shalvis. The owner of the Apple Ridge Farm has just passed away and the farm's manager, Luna, is worried what the future holds for the farm. The owner, Silas was nicknamed “The Grinch” by the workers but while the farm is near Lake Tahoe, Silas has the good manners to live in California. It's not until Luna has a meeting with the lawyer to read the will that she learns she's now fifty percent owner of the farm, a balloon payment is due in sixy days, and, oh, yeah, Silas was her biological grandfather. Adopted when she was baby, Luna has always fought feeling like an outsider but has managed to create a family with the farm workers, her ex-boyfriend works at the cafe, her grandma runs the knickknack shop, and her bestfriend since childhood runs the botanical gardens. She doesn't want to lose the farm and her family and so she keeps what the lawyer said to herself for a while. Until the other fifty percent owner shows up, the man she tried to go home with after a few drinks at the bar the night before.

Probably it was the margaritas, but he was everything she'd just said she wanted to be: smart, witty, charismatic, and...something she could seem to manage nearly as easily---sexy.

After his father left when he was five and his mother died when he was fourteen, Jameson spent a year on the streets before Silas took him under his wing. Now an investment manager, Jameson has security but no real personal connections, especially now that Silas has died. Before his death, Silas made Jameson promise to help Luna either sell the farm or pay off the loan payment, helping her for at least two months but not tell her he promised Silas. When Jameson gets to Sunrise Cove, things get even more complicated when he finds himself attracted to Luna and the farm needs a whole lot of help.

He wasn't sure what it said about him that he liked her grumpy side.

As I mentioned, this was sweet with the found family aspects and the attraction between Luna and Jameson and had some sexy with open door scenes. There was also a little secondary second chance romance between Luna's bestfriend Willow and her estranged husband. There wasn't a lot to it, so Willow came off a little moody temperamental dramatic, but there was also just enough emotion to get you to care about the couple. The other secondary characters get enough time to shine and add to the fulfillment of created family emotions, Luna's grandmother was the kooky outrageous older woman that I'm personally kind of done reading about in these types of stories but, all-in-all still fun and added to the story characters.

At that, her eyes glittered with both affection and, if he wasn't mistaken, a fierce sort of protectiveness.

The romance between Luna and Jameson gave them enough time together to get the reader to develop some connection to them and feel some of the sweetness between them. It's obvious what their issues are from the beginning, Luna guards her heart because of her feelings of abandonment and won't fully trust Jameson to open herself up to him and Jameson has some of the abandonment feelings too and feeling like an outside, having a harder time connecting with people. There's also the looming issue that Jameson is holding back information from Luna about Silas asking him to help her. As the reader, I didn't actually think it felt like a big deal and when it's used in the third act breakup, it ended up feeling forced in at the ending 15%. We do get some grovel from both with pretty good speeches about their feelings but Luna having to forgive Jameson for what she saw as lying to her ended up feeling rushed because of how little page count was left and there was also the dealing with a festival to save the farm by making enough money to pay off the loan.

His eyes closed for a quick beat, then opened again, revealing surprise, affection, and...a much deeper emotion.

The romance was the focal point but there still a giving more time to the found family feelings, ensemble piece aspects that I wish had went more to the development between Luna and Jameson. I also felt like Jameson maybe got less character boosting in favor of those ensemble aspects and the secondary romance; I kind of wish the secondary romance had got it's own book and longer page count as the second chance aspect and characters did draw me in. However, that typical enjoyable Shalvis flare is there and if you're looking for a sedate contemporary romance that has an adorable goat, this would tick that box. ( )

The owner to Luna’s farm has passed away. And Luna has just learned that the owner left her half of the farm and the other half to Jameson Hayes…hot guy in a suit! These two must work together to get the farm in the black and meet a balloon payment due soon…or the Luna’s livelihood is lost forever.

I just love getting lost in a Jill Shalvis novel. And this one definitely hit the mark. The characters and the animals are so adorable. I just loved the goat DZ, short for Da#*it Ziggy. But then there is Luna. She is struggling to keep this farm going and she is super woman! She can just about get anything done. And she and Jameson are perfect together. And don’t get me started on Luna’s grandmother…SHE CRACKED ME UP!

Need a heartwarming tale to take you away…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion. ( )