Starting Over in Starshine Cove
by Debbie Johnson
Pub Date: Feb. 19. 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From the beloved bestselling author of the Comfort Food Café series, this is a heart-warming tale of second chances, self-discovery and the extraordinary healing power of community. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Milly Johnson and Heidi Swain.
This was a feel good read and I enjoyed all the feels. From laughter to crying it has it all.

I really enjoy this series in the small hidden village of Starshine Cove. This time we follow cafe owner Cally. With her kids now leaving the nest, a new grief of the loss of her husband years before hits along with the changes in her life. An old acquaintance turns life upside down and offers new love. I enjoyed the romance. It would read ok alone, but best in order.

This is the fourth book in this series and recommend reading them all from the beginning in order to fully be embraced into the magic and sparkle of Starshine cove.

This time we are reunited with familiar faces and some new ones too and this instalment focuses on Connie’s story. There are a lot of relatable issues covered and this is a story of second chances with a real community feel thrown in. the story really makes you think that none of us know what is round the corner and how we should try and make the best of things while we can.

This story made me laugh and cry and in equal measure and I am looking forward to the next instalment.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read Starting Over in Starshine Cove by Debbie Johnson.

Ms. Johnson has become one of m very favorite authors. She's who I go to when I'm in need of a comfort read. The Starshine Cove series has everything I look for in a comfort read book, and the magic of this book is as perfect as it gets.

Dnf

When her saviour comes along after she crashes her car and she loses her breath because he's so handsome, I thought "nope".

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Sometimes I just need a warm, cozy trip to a small town full of delightful people and this book delivered. A story of second chances and the joys of taking a leap into the unknown. Starshine Cove is a place I'm tempted to visit again.

3 1/2 stars

Connie changed her life completely twenty and something years ago. She left London and she built herself a new and totally different life in Starshine Cove. She found love, she had childrens and she was happy. Five years ago she lost her husband. She's busy, she's part of the community but sometimes she feels alone. Until she meet Zach, a person of her past.
This is a lovely romance, well written and quite cosy. I loved all the carachters very much. It was definitely a feel good story.

Another wonderful visit to Starshine Cove. It was lovely to finally hear Connie's story in full. Warm and delicious in every way.

I love this series. Such a beautiful story, this had all the 'feels'! It was really nice to find out exactly how Connie ended up in Starshine Cove. She's had a great life since arriving - meeting the love of her life, having 3 kids and running the successful Cove Cafè. Now, the kids are living their own lives and her husband tragically passed away 5 years earlier. But then a blast from the past arrives and things take a rather sweet turn. Can she take a chance on another love despite never knowing how long we'll have with someone? A very sweet, touching story!
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Debbie Johnson for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

None of us knows what tomorrow may bring.

That was the big takeaway from this one. The characters were interesting and though I wasn't particularly drawn to Connie as the book opened, I definitely warmed up to her quickly. While it's true that none of us know what will happen tomorrow, good or bad, it's lure is the possibilities. Connie has made a life for herself in Starshine Cove after the tragic death of her beloved husband while raising the children to be strong and go out on their own. It's when one of them brings home a new BFF from college that Connie's life takes another turn. That new BFF's father just happens to be the very man who once offered Connie a chance at the fast paced celebrity life she'd been obsessed with despite feelings of emptiness. Zack brings possibilities, in other words. The question is, will she open herself up to them.

I won't detail the plot, the blurb does an excellent job, but will say that I liked the characters and was rooting for them. Heck, even Connie's doctor/friend had words of wisdom to offer, both medical and emotional. That should give you a hint as to a twist in the road to happily ever after. Yes, the story is full of genuine friendship, humor, and the usual fears we all face as we age and face changes. The change in Connie from the opening prologue throughout the book is impressive, showing the potential that has been there all along. All the feels are there, that's for sure, especially the emotional tendency to erect barriers/borders to protect out own emotions. Change can be both tempting and threatening, let's just say. How Connie works her way to opening herself to love manages to make you occasionally want to laugh and cry at the same time, odd as that sounds. Isn't human nature amazing? Zack is a dear and you're definitely going to like him as well ans the extended families. It's good to see family support, which isn't always a given in such books.

Bottom line, I wound up liking this one more than expected. I have read Johnson in the past and enjoyed them but didn't think I was quite in the mood for a sweet romance. Shows how much I know, huh? The setting in Starshine Cove sounds lovely and Connie's place in it an inspiration. My thanks to #StormPublishing for reminding me with this early peek how much I have always enjoyed Debbie Johnson's books. I will definitely be on the look out for the next ones.

Was the beginning confusing to anyone else? Maybe it's just the format on the e-reader, but the timeline jumping was hard to follow. Second-chance romance with a little bit of angst in a cozy cove setting.

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book! I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down. The author has such a good writing style. This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last! I enjoyed the characters. They had good chemistry.

This was a refreshing change to the typical romance novels that I have been reading lately. The story is about Connie and Zack, who reunite later in life after their daughters become roommates at University. After losing their spouses, both Connie and Zack are reluctant to let down their barriers and love again, but a medical crisis convinces them to take a chance on one another.

It was a slow start to the novel, but once it picked up it was a really endearing story. It’s a soft, cozy love story, perfect for anyone who just wants to curl up and enjoy a light read.

This was a thoughtful and uplifting read and I loved how this was told from the viewpoint of Connie, an important fixture of Starshine Cove, as previous books have featured newcomers which is fine but I really loved the character development of this. There’s a lot of warmth in this and so much relatability for older women and not just in terms of kids leaving home and modern day dating either but the whole mentality almost. It was interesting to have the prologue introducing the life Connie used to lead compared to where she is now and look at how she’s altered so much of her perspective but the core qualities are still there. There’s a maturity to this that I love but it’s not lacking in humour either and I found it highly engaging and uplifting and it was such a pleasure to read I seemed to have finished it in no time.

Three and a half stars.

Twenty years ago Connie Llewelyn was a celebrity chef, an enfant terrible, she partied hard, went from restaurant to club to business meeting, she was rude to her staff, and pretty hard on herself. Then, when arguably at her lowest ebb (although potentially about to sign the biggest contract of her career), on a too fast, self-destructive, drive to nowhere, she crashed her car just outside Starshine Cove in Dorset and met Simon the love of her life. Tragically, five years ago, Simon was killed in a car accident taking his pregnant sister to the hospital, leaving Connie to bring up their three children alone.

Connie's life is much lower key these days, she runs the local cafe and holds gourmet dinner nights a few times a year. She is the beating heart of the magical community that is Starshine Cove, the first to volunteer, organiser of local events etc etc.

When Connie goes to collect her daughter Sophie from catering college to bring her and her new BFF back to Starshine Cove for a few weeks of practical experience, Connie is surprised to discover that Sophie's friend Marcy's father is none other than Zack Harris, the TV producer who was offering her a life-changing contract before she met Simon and moved to Starshine Cove (BTW I am finding it incredibly difficult to type Starshine Cove despite having read and reviewed all four books, not only do I get Starshine all kinds of muddled up but my fingers insist on typing Cover instead of Cove). Zack is similarly a widower, his wife having died of cancer ten years ago, raising two daughters alone. When his plans to visit his other daughter Amy fall through, Zack decides to spend a week or two in Starshine Cove, maybe help out with the upcoming Spring Feast Night.

There was always a spark between Connie and Zack and, although she's put on a few mum pounds since her sylph-like twenties while Zack is even more devastating gorgeous with a few streaks of grey in his luxuriant hair (think Pierce Brosnan or George Clooney), Connie feels a similar spark when they meet with their daughters over dinner and every time they meet in Starshine Cove.

This was a pleasant second chance romance, there is some angst, but I think it is justifiable given the different ways in which society views fifty year old women versus fifty year old men, Connie sees the women Zack dated before he got reacquainted with her and they are all twenty years younger and stunningly attractive, how can she compete?

I thought the start was a bit confusing it seemed to go from present day to twenty years ago when the events were actually sequential - maybe its just me.

Apologies if any of this is incoherent, I'm writing this review at 2:30am full of cold and unable to sleep a week before Christmas.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Funny, wise, and a feel good story…Debbie Johnson does it again with Starting Over in Starshine Cove.

I really wish there was a real Starshine Cove, the fictional seaside town in Dorset, because I would certainly visit or perhaps relocate there. The description of the natural beauty of the area, along with the town’s charming characters keeps me returning to the series, but I absolutely loved this particular story of second chances and handling life’s setbacks with grace.

We first meet Connie, Michelin starred chef and potential reality tv star when she is young, beautiful and akin to a supermodel of the London food scene. Successful, but not happy, she ends up stumbling into Starshine Cove and meeting her soulmate and turns her back on her hectic London life.

Fast forward a few years, she is a middle-aged widow with three young adult children and runs into a successful tv producer from her past. What follows is a humorous and sweet new beginning.

I always finish a Debbie Johnson book happier than when I started. Even though we all have to take life’s knocks, and her characters do too, they survive and thrive. Along the way, there are many humorous observations, and we feel better for spending time in her universe.

This series are a real joy to read- yes they are formulaic to the trope but yes they are also very well written with very real characters, with all their lumps, curves, flaws and oddnesses...no flawless gods and goddesses need move here!
I love that characters and storylines from previous novels are touched on here so that you feel like you are catching up with old friends but without preventing the book reading as a standalone if this is your first foray!
A great read.

This is a warm, feel-good story set in a cutesy seaside village that feels like home from the first page. Connie Llewelyn is the heart of the tale—a relatable, kind-hearted character balancing her own grief with looking after everyone else. The writing style is light and conversational, with just enough detail to bring Starshine Cove to life, from the cosy café to the supportive community.
The story flows easily, with a steady pace that gives you time to enjoy the characters and their relationships. The vocabulary is simple but evocative, making it an easy and quite comforting read. Connie’s journey of self-discovery, mixed with the possibility of a second chance at love, feels genuine and uplifting. This is a proper story about small-town charm and family life.

This is the 4th book in the Starshine Cove Series and what a beautifully written story, just what I've come to expect from Debbie Johnson.
Connie runs the local café, she's a shoulder to cry on and confident to many of her customers as well as providing delicious pastries.
She has to navigate her life as her children leave home, Zack could be her chance at love.
Just wonderful writing.
Thank you NetGalley, Debbie Johnson and Storm Publishing for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

Starting Over in Starshine Cove is book 4 in the Starshine Cove Series written by D. Johnson, published by Storm Publishing.
An incredible, wonderful story that gives all the feels.
Blurb: The perfect feel-good read that will have you laughing, crying and everything in between.
Connie Llewelyn is the beating heart of the magical seaside village of Starshine Cove. She runs the local cafe, and is everybody's friend – always on hand with a kind smile, a listening ear and a freshly-baked scone.
Since losing her beloved husband five years ago, she's been busy raising her children, supporting her extended family and staying positive. Now, as her kids fly the nest, she finds herself wondering what her own future might look like.
When a face from the past unexpectedly arrives in Starshine, could meeting Zack again give her a second chance at love? Will Connie be brave enough to take a risk on living life for herself?