4 Stars
One Liner: Heartwarming and sweet

Cally is stretched thin between caring for her mother and handling her teenage son. She is so used to being needed and having an overflowing schedule that Cally doesn’t know what to do when she has too much time on her hands.
In the spur of a moment, she decides to take a trip to Starshine Cove, a remote place with no signboard. Cally and Sam arrive at their destination right before Christmas and are pulled into the warmth and beauty of the small town. As Cally meets new people and makes friends, she wonders if this is the change she needs in her life.
The story comes in Cally’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I didn’t read book one, but this works more than well as a standalone. Of course, you’ll have ‘spoilers’ for book one, but don’t we all know how a love story ends? ;)
Cally is a forty-two-year-old single mother to an eighteen-year-old Sam. Her first-person POV, though limiting in perspective, is quite easy and refreshing to read. The writing style is informal and casual, with a good dose of dry humor. This works well and maintains a good balance between lightheartedness and emotional depth.
I absolutely love Lilly (the fairy-obsessed eight-year-old) and Meg (a dinosaur-obsessed four-year-old). They are such a delight to read. Archie is a wonderful character (even if his Viking hair and beard aren’t my thing).
Sam sure acts his age, but he is also a sweet young man who really loves his mother and grandmother. His character is just right (apparently, the author has teens of her own, so no surprise it’s spot on). There’s enough talk of social media and TikTok, which is to be expected.
Starshine Cove is a picturesque location and magical in winter. The locals are just as heartwarming. Since this is a feel-good book, we won’t find villains or nasty people plotting behind the scenes.
With themes like moving on, finding love again, learning to live for one’s self, taking risks, etc., the book has some worthy discussions deftly handled.
There’s a third-act breakup, which is very well done and feels necessary for the characters. No misunderstanding, though. They sit, talk, and decide, even if that may not be what they want.
To summarize, Secrets of Starshine Cove is an absolute comfort read with a cozy setting and some beautiful characters. It’s Christmas-themed, too, so that’s a plus. It is predictable but sweet.
Thank you, NetGalley and Strom Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I enjoyed this return to Starshine Cove. Our heroine Cally finds her way there after restorations at the hair salon she works at means she has no work commitments in Liverpool. As always the characters are written so well they feel like friends, and this leads to a heart warming read. Hopefully another instalment soon?

Cally, a devoted single mum, is stretched thin between caring for her clingy mother and her day job as a hairdresser with an always sympathetic ear. When her life in Liverpool is suddenly upended, she grabs her son Sam and jumps in the car to drive south for Christmas. Searching for a tiny speck of a village she once visited as a child, they nearly give up when a snowstorm hits, only to unexpectedly stumble across it: Welcome to Starshine Cove.
A lovley feel good christmas story revisiting the last place cally went on holiday before her dad died when she was small

Cally is a divorced single mother of one teenager. A hairdresser in Liverpool, she basically looked after her mother ever since her father (Cally's father) died when Cally was just a child herself. Now, having looked after her son and her mother for all these years her son is on the brink of going to university and her mother has fallen in love and is moving to Scotland.

Feeling alone, and a bit lonely, after the ceiling at the shop where she works collapses, Cally has a few too many glasses of Baileys and decides to spend Christmas somewhere else, and where better than the seaside village she vaguely remembers from the last family holiday before her father got sick. After following her mother's rather cryptic directions Cally and her son Sam arrive at Starshine Cove and are enthusiastically welcomed by the locals.

I felt that the first book in this series leaned a bit too heavily on the woo-woo factor (the fact that Starshine Cove isn't on any maps and you can only find it by accident, like Brigadoon). This book toned down the woo-woo but I was left feeling a bit like nothing much happened. Cally didn't have a strong enough personality to be the lead character in the novel for me.

I received an ARC from the publisher Storm Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

Another truly heart-warming book by Debbie. Lovely setting and characters that you can feel at home with.

The best word to describe this book is cozy and heartwarming.
Okay, that is two words, but still...
I loved this book. The cute community of Starshine Cove and the charming and quircky character draw you in and it just feels like a nice warm hug.
The only negative point is, that I do feel the romance was a bit underdeveloped. But otherwise such a great read.
Perfect read for a nice winter day with a cup of hot chocolate!

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advance read.
This is another charming book, a fantastic follow up to Escape to Starshine Cove. It was lovely to be back at Starshine Cove and to see what the familiar characters were getting up to. I highly recommend this series for a nice "pick me up" read. I can't wait for the next one. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh it was fantastic to be back in Starshine Cove again. Cally and Sam’s story was really engaging. I could identify with Cally a lot, I’m a mother with and 18 year old and I know exactly how she felt when she felt unneeded and unwanted. It’s hard to be a mother. Callys mum really annoyed me a bit, I was angry and frustrated right along with her when her mother snubbed her calls and ignored her, especially after all Cally had done for her since her dad died. The twist was interesting and once it was all out in the open I could understand why Callys mum acted the way she did, but my heart still went out to Cally.

Archie was interesting too. In many ways he’s in a similar situation as Cally. He’s being everything to his daughters, at the expense of his own happiness at times, but never letting it show. Archie and Cally are great together, they compliment each other, but they also see each other and understand what the other feels.

I loved reading this book and seeing Christmas being celebrated as a community, it looked so much fun. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in Starshine Cove next.

In a whirlwind of chaos, love, and the magic of small-town charm, "Secrets of Starshine Cove" called me into a heartwarming holiday story. It makes me consider reading it again later this winter when the fireplace will be crackling fire on a wintry night.

Cally's journey from bustling Liverpool to the enchanting Starshine Cove unveils a world of eccentric characters and unexpected connections. Amidst the snowflakes and community warmth, she discovers solace in the unlikeliest of places.

Cally is navigating her tangled feelings and wrestling with life-changing decisions -- I can relate to that, The story feels so authentic and makes me imagine a real place like Starshine Cove, where friendships bloom and hope shines bright.

Johnson's writing is sprinkled with the magic of the season. It's a delightful escape from my everyday, a reminder that amidst life's upheavals, love and community triumph. "Secrets of Starshine Cove" is an invitation to embrace the spirit of the holidays and cherish the unexpected gifts life delivers us.

"Absolutely heartwarming, a festive escape into love and community."

"A delightful blend of cozy charm and emotional depth."

"A captivating journey through the magic of a small-town holiday."

"An exploration of family, love, and life's unexpected turns."

"An enchanting tale that sparkles with festive cheer and warmth."

"A touching and tender holiday romance that tugs at the heartstrings."

"A heartening story of finding hope and home in unexpected places."

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Starshine Cove.

Calls looked after her mother after her father left them as well as her son, whilst working as an hairdresser.

Now, after her mother moves away, she has to learn what she is without that responsibility and about her life when she was a child. She sets out on a trip with her son, to Starshine Cove.

I loved catching up with the characters again, especially Archie and his daughters Lillie and Meg. Reading his story makes you feel sad.

Building the snowman was a lovely competition that gets all the residents involved.

I recommend this book.

A perfect festive read full of wonderful characters, hope, and love! Warm hearted and thoughtful.
The latest from Starshine Cove is a treat indeed as we are introduced to Cally a hairdresser from Liverpool who has had a tough few years supporting her mum and bringing up her teenage son. As we approach Christmas, circumstances for Cally change so she takes a leap of faith packing up her son and her car and driving down to Dorset to find the elusive cove she went to as a child that held magic and hope!!
Pure comfort reading!! Perfect on a cold windy winter’s night! Loved it!
Thank you NetGalley for the early read, like a huge hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows!!

After her mother, who she has been caring for since she was a young child, suddenly marries and moves to Scotland Cally decides to travel to Starshine Cove with her teenage son. She has happy memories of a holiday there with her father, who died shortly afterwards, and is hoping to rekindle those memories.
The Comfort Food Cafe series remains one of my favourite series and I had high hopes that this new to me series would match up - and I'm happy to say that it gives me the same feeling as being a virtual hug from a book. It might be unlikely that such a warm, friendly community may exist, but it is exactly the type of place that I, with many others, dream of and would love to move to. I can highly recommend this book to those who like clean romances with secrets gradually being revealed throughout the book.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Ah, Debbie, what a wonderful, compelling story, just right for this time of year, I've loved being with Cally on her adventures and her son Sam is an absolute star! I'm looking forward to seeing Cally and Archie's story develop

This book was okay. I wasn’t a fan of the main character and her son. I felt like for the whole book, Cally, a divorced mom, was constantly feeling sorry for herself and making it seem as if everyone needs to cater to what she wants. The story itself was also a bit one dimensional and I’m not sure the first person narration did it justice. I am curious about the other books in this series. It’s a cute holiday romance for those that enjoy them.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the eARC.

This was a cute holiday read!
I really enjoyed the setting and the location of this book.
I also really liked the community Christmas vibes.
It was a nice, clean Christmas romance.
I'm actually a sucker for books set in little English villages. Especially Christmas ones!
This one was just okay for me.
Add this one to your shelves to get you in the Christmas mood! Thank you @netgalley
And Storm publishing for sending this to me!

Lovely next instalment in the Starshine Cove series. Everything that we've come to expect from Debbie Johnson. Very enjoyable read.

Debbie Johnson is a wonderful storyteller and as always this book does not disappoint. It is a heartwarming read perfect to settle down with on these long winter nights.

Callie a single mom who is used to taking care of her mother and son, has suddenly found herself with nothing to do. She randomly jumps in the car with her 18 year old son to go to the one place she remembers herself being happy as a child, Starshine Cove.

I absolutely adored Starshine Cove and its residents. I have not read the first one but plan to go back and read it. I’ll be hoping for many more Starshine Cove stories.
This is a very heartfelt, small town, Christmas romance and I loved it.

Easy to read with likeable characters. I would recommend this book for anyone seeking a bit of festive themed escapism. The story was a little predictable, but overall I enjoyed it.

I read ‘Secrets of Starshine Cove’ without realising that there was a preceding book. It can absolutely be read as a stand-alone novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book if not predictable , but it was a good read, the cover suits the book and i look forward to more by this Author.