Starfish Moon by Donna Kauffman (review)

Starfish Moon

by 

Donna Kauffman

Blurb:

Nestled on the Maine coast, Blueberry Cove is a peaceful retreat compared to the excitement of exotic cities and foreign lands. But it’s also the best place in the world for one woman to find her heart’s true home…Kerry McCrae’s wanderlust has taken her to parts of the globe most people have only glimpsed in pictures. So why is tending bar at the family pub in Blueberry Cove after her Uncle Fergus’s stroke an easier adjustment than she expected? And why hasn’t she left once Fergus is back on his feet? When tall, tanned Cooper Jaxton walks through the door, she knows the answer in a heartbeat…

Born and raised deep in Australia’s outback, Cooper never planned to leave the wild country he loves. But after almost a year of having Kerry—with her sparkling eyes and outrageous stories—on his cattle station, Cooper was stunned when she left. Suddenly home wasn’t the same without her. Making his way to Blueberry Cove to find her is a risk, but Cooper is counting on the passionate connection between them to convince her that the only place either of them needs to be is together…

Let the honeymoon begin…

Includes a DIY wedding cake recipe!

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My review:

5 out of 5 stars


“Starfish Moon” by Donna Kauffman is part of the ‘The Brides of Blueberry Cove’ series and takes place after many of the McCrae siblings have found their life partners.  Kerry McCrae has come home temporarily for first one wedding, and the next, then to care for her beloved uncle Fergus while he recovers from a stroke, while staying even longer for the marriage of her last unwedded sibling.  Known for her wanderlust, she has neglected to explain what kept her in Australia, atypically, for so many months.  Then Cooper Jax arrives from Down Under, and many questions are answered, but not the one most important to him…and, as it turns out, to her as well.

Who can resist a feisty heroine who can hold her own in a pub or on a boat or working as a jillaroo?  I was delighted to get to know the least settled member of the McCrae family and when her former boss shows up with his yummy Aussie accent and down-to-earth manners, who could resist giving a heartfelt sigh? 

The rich characterization of all of the players, including the secondary ones who are drawn into the orbit of this charismatic family, makes this a wonderfully entertaining series for me, and I was willingly drawn into the orbit of the two main characters whose pet nicknames for each other gave rise to wonderfully romantic scenes.  I was drawn into the conflict between pursuing a comfortable habit and the risk of following one’s heart, and I like that the heroine, though very capable and assertive, has a few flaws, including a regrettable failure to keep in touch with those who are important to her.  The wonderful courtship by a man who has been far too patient and the counterpoint of wedding plans for sister Fiona are highlighted by the whimsical interactions that take place and keep the story from getting too sweet and there were plenty of opportunities to chuckle as well as cheer.  I thought the ending was just a bit over the top and have to wonder who is minding the fires back home, but I still adored the story.  There was no problem reading this as a stand-alone story, but I definitely want to read the others in the series that I have missed.  I am hopeful that a certain service animal trainer will have her own time in the spotlight and draw us back to Blueberry Cove once again.

© Night Owl Reviews 

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.

Amazon link

Other titles in the series:

My review is at this link

Sea Glass Sunrise by Donna Kauffman (review) ADULT title

5 out of 5 stars!

ADULT romance

Sea Glass Sunrise by Donna Kauffman is the first book in ‘The Brides of Blueberry Cove’ series, and centers on Hannah McCrae, who has returned to her hometown of Blueberry Cove in Maine for her brother Logan’s wedding. Determined to hide her own heartbreak and rejoice in her homecoming and renewed sense of family, Hannah is unprepared for the alluring effects of multiple encounters with Cade Blue, a scion of a long-estranged former Blueberry Cove inhabitant. Contrasting with the flurry of preparations and excitement over the upcoming nuptials, an unsettling undercurrent of change threatens to disrupt the comfortable sense of community that is part of Blueberry Cove, and unfortunately, Cade seems to be at the heart of the disturbance. Hannah will have to decide where her loyalties lie and what her heart really wants, but others will definitely have influence on her decision—whether she wants to admit it or not.


This delightful contemporary romance is set in a small town in Maine and evokes the beauty and camaraderie that is so attractive about a community where generations of families have grown up together. This author has a wonderful talent for painting word portraits and creating an endearing story that makes one wish to be part of Blueberry Cove. The sniffle-inducing warmth and kinship that is immediately apparent when the siblings get together is heartwarming, and the comfort with which they shift from unconditional support to razzing to sibling solidarity makes one wish for a family exactly like theirs.  


The challenges that each of the main characters is facing gives depth to the story and an opportunity to understand their underlying strength and vulnerabilities while their repartee and interactions demonstrate how suitable it is for a relationship between them to flower. This passage aptly demonstrates the wry self-deprecating humor of the heroine, who is contemplating the disconcerting aftereffects of an accident—“It was now Friday morning, and the color under her eyes was turning a lovely shade of seaweed green with a soupcon of eggplant purple. It gave her a certain Zombies of the Apocalypse je ne sais quoi.” And this gives an inkling of her impact on the hero—“Something about a woman dressed like a bad Vivien Leigh stunt double, but still looking as cool as Grace Kelly on her best day, driving a hot rod—and a stick shift, no less—turned him right around. And on.” Sigh.

I love that there are so many vivid and quirky characters who will undoubtedly get their time in the spotlight and I definitely want to read the stories that lead up to this point, as I suspect is implied in ‘The Bachelors of Blueberry Cove’ series. There are many great scenes in this story (and a delicious recipe at the end) which reminds me why small town romances are so much fun to read and makes me anxious to visit Blueberry Cove again and again through other stories by this wonderfully talented author.  

© Night Owl Reviews 

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.