I loved book 1 so was super excited to return to Starshine Cove. I could easily picture this picture perfect setting with wonderful characters like Dolly Parton look-a-like Connie who has a heart of gold and was thrilled when she was back in book two.

This story is Cally's story and she's the one telling it. Her life has been all about her son and her mother and her job as a hairdresser, but then her mother is suddenly off on an adventure and her son is nearly 18 and Cally decides to also take off, with her son and they end up in Starshine Cove where we get reacquainted with everyone we met in book 1. It was like being back with old friends and the fact that it was close to Christmas just made it all that much better.

This is simply a warm hug of a book... like a cup of hot chocolate or tea on a gray day. I would lovely to go to Starshine Cove, but would be very disappointed if all these people I have come to love are not there.

Amazing book!
I was thoroughly engaged throughout this book and I didn't want to put it down! The author captured my attention from the get go! Five stars from me :)

This book made me cry, however it was totally worth it. This was such h a great cozy read and it was such a great story. I was totally absorbed in the storyline. Perfect!
I just reviewed Secrets of Starshine Cove by Debbie Johnson. #SecretsofStarshineCove #NetGalley
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Such a sweet story. Cally is mum to an 18 year old and has been caring for her mum most of her life, and so when her mum suddenly doesn’t need her anymore and her son is trying to be an independent 18 year old, Cally feels lost and abandoned and without purpose. So she sets out to change her life and heads to a place she remembers as being full of happy memories.

I loved the whole cast of characters, I loved the romance but mostly loved Cally’s journey to finding a new purpose for her life.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Cally’s life in Liverpool changes suddenly when her place of work requires repairs, and her mother announces she’s met someone and is moving. She remembers a happy vacation she took with her family just before her father’s death when she was a child. Cally and her teenage son, Sam, set out for the holidays to find Starshine Cove.

They were instantly welcomed to the village and formed new friendships. Cally also finds someone who remembers her vacation to Starshine Cove all those years ago. With the year drawing to a close, Cally’s unsure what the new year will bring.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #SecretsofStarshineCove

This book follows Cally, a single mother to eighteen-year-old Sam, as she embarks on a journey to rediscover herself during the Christmas season. After her mother's sudden departure with a new partner, Cally decides to take a trip to Starshine Cove, a place filled with childhood memories and magical experiences. In the picturesque coastal town, Cally immerses herself in the community, offering her hairdressing skills and getting involved in the lives of the locals. Amidst the beauty of winter and the enchanting caves, Cally unravels family secrets, finds unexpected friendship with widower Archie, and undergoes personal growth. The novel explores themes of healing, love, community, and the power of truth, offering readers a heartwarming and thought-provoking story filled with festive charm.

Debbie Johnson has really cornered the market with her magical romantic comedy stories. This is the second book in the Starshine Cove series and can easily be read as a standalone but do yourself a favour and read Escape to Starshine Cove first. You won't regret it. Here we see Cally and her 16 year old son Sam arrive in the village. Cally is finding life tough and decides to head to Starshine Cove, the place that holds her favourite memories of a holiday before her beloved father died when she was just a child. But things may not have been exactly as Cally remembers. This series is almost like a book of Enid Blyton stories for adults. The idea that you will see a sign that isn't a sign suggests that only those who need to come to the village will be able to find their way there is so sweet. It's like a kind of geographical Nanny McPhee. I really hope Debbie has ideas for a whole lot more tales from here.

I love Debbie Johnson's books and this was no exception. She always creates such real, likeable characters--people we can relate to but who are also flawed in a way that feels relatable. This was such a fun, heartwarming read. I loved Starshine Cove and how magical it was, but there were also a lot of deep emotions as old griefs and heartaches had to be processed for both the hero and heroine, which created a great happily-ever-after.

The second book in the series was just as good as the first. Loved the intergenerational family dynamics, the community spirit and the secondary cast as well as the main characters, who were wonderfully painted. Really brought the village to life. Loved it.

I read this book at the perfect time!
As I have absolutely loved all of Debbie Johnson’s books before, I was very excited to read this new instalment in the Starshine Cove series during my winter break. In fact, this was my first book of 2024!
Single mom Cally and her son need a change of scenery and when the opportunity to leave their lives in Liverpool arrises, they go on a quest to find the small village where Cally remembers vacationing with her parents shortly before her father passed away. In Starshine Cove, she meets lovely people who immediately welcome her and her teenage son.

I loved this wintert book. The characters are great! I appreciate that Cally is forty +, as that makes her very relatable.
I cannot wait to read more in this series!

I was over the moon to find another book in the star shine cove series as the first book was so good. this one again was fantastic such a cozy and light read

If you are looking for a book to give you hope, romance, and truth during a time of change this is the book to read. I loved all of the characters from the ones mentioned once to the main characters. I loved how the author didn’t simplify or dumb down real issues that people face. But she did give us power to grow and make changes in our lives without using extreme situations.
I read this book in a week. I picked it up every chance I could and was sad when I finished it. I could read this author’s works all day long.
Thank you for writing a story that is true and wonderful.
Enjoy!

Loved being back in Starshine Cove! Cally has always put others before her self and has spent a large part of her life looking after her mother and her son (Sam). When her mother ups and moves to Scotland just before Christmas and her son is out on the town living it up, Cally makes the rash decision to visit the place in a photograph from her childhood where she last remembers happy times with her (now long deceased) Dad.

Cally and Sam set off to find the idyllic place in the photo and when they do the locals are more than welcoming to them. They soon find themselves in the fold of the village but Cally is desperate to remember those precious moments from her childhood and hopefully to unlock more memories. Will the village capture her heart and give her the answers she is looking for?

A truly wonderful book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This was a good read, I hadn't read the first one but i didn't feel like I was missing anything, there is a third which I can see me reading, it leaves you with a happy glow

I loved this warm and cuddly book. I was immediately drawn to the characters. Its well written and leaves you with a cozy feeling. I like Johnson's writing style. Will check out other books by this author.

This is the second book in the Starshine Cove series by Debbie Johnson and it is a heartwarming, poignant Christmas read that I highly recommend.

This time the story focuses on another newcomer to the village, Cally and her son. Despite the warmest of welcomes and memories of a visit when she was a child, Cally is torn between returning to Liverpool and staying in Starshine Cove.

The book beautifully intertwines new characters with those introduced in Escape to Starshine Cove with the promise of more characters that need to have their tales told in the future,

A cracking read as ever from Debbie Johnson!

Another good book in Starshine Cove, this had similar vibes to the first book in the series; it had the same feel good factor and warm, likeable characters. This is an easy read that leaves you with a smile on your face.

Although this is not strictly a sequel in terms of understanding the book, only having read the previous one, it is a better experience if you have met the residents of Starshine Cove before. Their interpersonal relationships are explained to some extent, but the underlying history is better layered little by little, with some of it in the previous visit and adding to that information in this one.
It is slightly typical in its genre, but all the better for it. It is for stories like this, and the ease of reading that people might want to stick to reading this genre in larger quantities.
Cally has always had to mother her own mother, as far as she can recollect at least. Her son is all grown up now as well and does not need her as much. When her mother suddenly finds a life and moves across the country, Cally is bereft and has a surplus of time on her hands and nothing to do with it. She is more than a little unused to having time to herself, and when her job also gives her an extended vacation, she finds herself going a little mad. On a random search for the last happy holiday she had, Starshine Cove signals to her (you will understand once you read the setup), and she finds herself in warmth and understanding. She also uncovers more than she thought was hidden about her own history.
The romance is mature, slow and heartfelt. It touches more than a few people as it evolves, and I would love to see who gets a happily ever after in Starshine Cove next.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Cally finds herself without someone to look after for the first time, and she is not sure she likes the feeling. Deciding to explore a childhood memory from a holiday in Dorset, she heads south with her teenage son and finds more than she could ever have imagined.

Finding Starshine Cove again is unexpected and life-changing as it reveals its secrets and draws Cally and Sam into its warm and quirky community.

It's a lovely story with a festive setting, warmth, and wonder. Full of humour and poignancy, it's an immersive, feel-good read that lets you escape to a magical place, lovely. I like the setting, the characters and the myriad of emotions in this story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Wonderful christmassy book! The perfect book to get you in the Christmas spirit! Will recommend it to other romance readers!