Blackberry Beach, by Irene Hannon, 2021, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

Blackberry Beach. What a lovely name for a romance novel. There’s nothing like sun-warmed blackberries growing on a beach–the heady scent of the berries and the bushes themselves, the juicy rich sweetness of the berries–add to that a fresh sea breeze contrasted with warm sun on your skin; enough to put one in a romantic mood if you ask me!

Irene Hannon’s novel is set in Oregon, but I enjoyed reading it sitting on one of the many beaches with blackberries here on the west coast of Canada. The setting described in the book felt familiar to me, with the culture of a beachside community of people who frequent a friendly specialty coffee shop, taco stand, bakery and so on, and who join together on projects to help the less fortunate.

The story revolves around two couples that fall in love–one is a younger couple, the other an older couple. Both men have established their lives in Blackberry Beach, but the women are visiting. Will their new love interests be strong enough to hold them there? It would mean major changes for both of them.

The people of the community are banding together to start a home for foster children, sponsored by the two churches. Both couples come together to help renovate a house for this worthy project–an altruistic way to begin a relationship.

There is a lot of head space in this novel, with each main character mulling over and deliberating about what they want in their lives and why. The author expertly brings out the way past experiences have molded characters. Through the minds of characters she explores relationships, career choices, and more.