Sweet Tomorrows (Rose Harbor, #5) by Debbie Macomber | Goodreads
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Rose Harbor #5

Sweet Tomorrows

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The much-anticipated conclusion to Debbie Macomber’s beloved Rose Harbor series, set in the picturesque town of Cedar Cove, Sweet Tomorrows is a vibrant and poignant novel of letting go of fear, following your heart, and embracing the future—come what may.
 
Nine months ago, Mark Taylor abruptly left Cedar Cove on a perilous mission to right a wrong from his past. Though Mark finally confessed his love for her, innkeeper Jo Marie Rose is unsure if he’s ever coming back. The Rose Harbor Inn barely seems the same without Mark, but Jo Marie can’t bear to lose herself in grief once more. Determined to move forward, she begins dating again, and finds companionship when she takes on a boarder who is starting a new chapter herself.
 
Recovering from a twice-broken heart, Emily Gaffney, a young teacher, is staying at the inn while she looks for a home of her own. Having given up on marriage, Emily dreams of adopting children someday. She has her eye on one house in particular—with room for kids. Although Emily’s inquiries about the house are rudely rebuffed, her rocky start with the owner eventually blossoms into something resembling friendship. But when the relationship verges on something more, Emily will have to rethink what she truly wants and the chances she’s willing to take.
 
The inn seems to be working its magic again—Emily opening herself up to love, Jo Marie moving on—until Jo Marie receives shocking news.
 
With Debbie Macomber’s trademark charm and wisdom, Sweet Tomorrows brings to a close the journeys of cherished characters who feel like old friends. Macomber has created an enchanting place in the Rose Harbor Inn that readers will never forget.

352 pages, ebook

First published August 2, 2016

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About the author

Debbie Macomber

806 books18.9k followers
Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.

In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.

Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.

She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.

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5 stars
6,200 (41%)
4 stars
5,381 (36%)
3 stars
2,624 (17%)
2 stars
447 (3%)
1 star
136 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,295 reviews
Profile Image for Cara.
396 reviews760 followers
June 10, 2022
I'm so so so sad the Rose Harbor series has come to an end. Sweet Tomorrows is the fifth and final book in the Rose Harbor series written by Debbie Macomber. I loved this series so much and didn't want it to end, I loved the story line, I loved meeting all these amazing characters, but with this book I was a little bit disappointed with how the story ended. I felt it was a bit rushed, and it didn't give me the answers I was looking for, if i'm being honest I wanted more. But with that being said, I'm still going to give this book 5 stars because it was so good. Sweet Tomorrows made my heart ache, it gave me all the emotions I was looking for in a book. I'm definitely going to miss this story, and all the characters you meet during these books. Sweet Tomorrows is a novel about letting go of fear, following your heart, and embracing the future for whatever may come your way without giving up.

In Sweet Tomorrows we follow the journey of Jo Marie Rose, Mark Taylor, and Emily Gaffney. Jo Marie Rose knows the Rose Harbor Inn was a gift from her late husband, Paul Rose, and offers a place of healing for the guests that come to stay there. Nine months ago, Mark Taylor abruptly left Cedar Cove on a mission to right a wrong from his past. Before leaving Mark confessed his love for Jo Marie, at this point after confessing his love to Jo Marie, she doesn't want Mark to leave. Mark won't tell Jo Marie anything about his past, so Jo Marie is left on her own to find these answers. Jo Marie is unsure if Mark is ever going to come back. The Rose Harbor Inn barely seems the same without Mark, but Jo Marie can't bear to lose herself in grief once more. Mark had one quest for Jo Marie to do while he was gone, and that was to move on in life, and open up to dating again.

Determined to move forward, Jo Marie begins dating again, and finds companionship when she takes on a long term guest who is starting a new chapter herself, Emily Gaffney. Jo Marie attends a fourth of July barbecue, when she meets Greg. Greg is a widow just like Jo Marie. He lost his wife Julie to cancer and hasn't dated much either. Jo Marie and Greg agree to see each other, but they feel they are drawn together because they are both aching to be loved again. One day Greg and Jo Marie agree to stop their relationship because someone returns to Cedar Cove, I won't say who because I don't want to spoil the story, so, you must read this series to find out. Sweet Tomorrows brings to a close the journeys of cherished characters who feel like old friends. I felt like I was along for the ride through these characters struggles.

Recovering from a twice broken heart, Emily Gaffney, is a young teacher who is staying at the inn while she looks for a home of her own. Emily has given up on marriage, and dreams of adopting children someday because she was born without a uterus (I don't know if this is a thing or not). Emily has her eye on one house in particular, with five bedrooms for kids. Emily goes on morning runs when she stumbles upon this house, and she notices the owner, Nick is so rude and completely ignores her. One day Emily meets Nick and she learns why he keeps himself holed up in his house all day. Nick lost his brother Brad in a car accident. Emily ad Nick have a rocky start, but eventually they blossom into a friendship. But then they suddenly have feelings for each other because they are both hurting. When the relationship verges on something more, Emily will have to rethink what she truly wants and the chances she's willing to take.

The Rose Harbor Inn seems to be working its magic again- Emily opening herself up to love again, Jo Marie moving on, until she receives shocking news. I'm so sad this series is ending but I loved it so much. YOU NEED TO READ THIS SERIES ASAP, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED, YOU WILL THANK ME LATER!!! This book was so heart warming, yet it still shattered my heart.
Profile Image for Gail.
1,481 reviews
August 28, 2016
So sorry that is the final story in the Rose Harbor series. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the wonderful characters.
This book was AWESOME! Written with so much emotion that will make you laugh and cry. The story draws you right into Cedar Cove and has yo rooting for the characters.
I loved every minute of it and hated to see it end!
Profile Image for Sue .
1,793 reviews112 followers
June 5, 2016
This is book 5 and the final book in the RoseHarbor series. This is a series that you need to read in order for maximum enjoyment.

As always, Debbie Macomber comes through with the perfect light read of the summer. This is the end of the Rose Harbor series and she wraps up the main plot involving Jo Marie and Mark, a secondary plot involving Emily and Nick plus brings us up to date on various couples from the first four books in the series. It's wonderful to see the Rose Harbor b&b work its magic and provide peace and happy endings for the people who stay there and to bring the readers so much enjoyment.

It's a great series and if you haven't read it yet, it's time to read it. I promise that you'll enjoy Debbie at her best!
(Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.)
Profile Image for Debra.
2,707 reviews35.8k followers
August 2, 2016
Received from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 5th in a series. It stood as a stand alone book for me as I have not read the previous book in this series. This book focuses on the love lives of two female characters (Jo Marie and Emily). Jo Marie has been left behind by her love interest Mark who has some unfinished business. When he leaves and she does not hear from him, she begins to move on with her life. Emily has come into town for a job and meets Nick while running on his property (and also trying to purchase his home). Both have things in their past which make it difficult to move on.

I liked this book. I did not love it. I really enjoyed the Emily/Nick story line. My one complaint with this book and all romance books is the abrupt fast endings. There is angst, there is a man in uniform,two wonderful women and a sexy contractor with troubles. Once they get past the angst boom bam the book is over. The ending felt very abrupt to me. I think a chapter or two more would not have hurt.

Overall an enjoyable read especially for summer. Nice light romance (this is not a bodice ripper) in a lovely setting. My only complaint is the abrupt fast ending.

Profile Image for Hilary Grossman.
Author 21 books339 followers
July 23, 2016
I really enjoyed the new book Sweet Tomorrows. Once again, it was wonderful reading about the Rose Harbor Inn and the people involved. It kept my interest - wondering how Mark and Jo Marie's relationship would evolve, as well as how Emily (a new resident) would find her healing place at the Inn. All in all, once again I'm hooked on this series. I hope the Rose Harbor series continues.
Profile Image for Janet.
911 reviews20 followers
Read
May 30, 2016
This is the final book in the Rose Harbor . And in normal Debbie fashion it was done well. We do get to find out the result of JO Marie and Mark's relationship and we get to read Emily's story. We also get a little catch up from the previous books and what I love is you don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy this one.
1,224 reviews1 follower
November 15, 2016
2 stars was generous. I've been reading Macomber for many years. Either I've raised my standards or she's getting worse. The writing was unintelligent and it seemed to be written for an unintelligent audience. It was like a badly written soap opera with very few characters who kept repeating the same lines over and over again. Thankfully, it was the last in this series and I will not start another Macomber series ever again.
Profile Image for Lauricia Dawn.
100 reviews16 followers
February 4, 2019
From the start of this book I loved the vibe and setting it exuded. It felt like a mix of Hallmark and Nicholas Sparks and I quite enjoyed that.
Unfortunately, as it progressed, the amount of stars I planned to give it at the end kept decreasing.

I had a really hard time with the male characters in this book.
Nick, especially.
His and Emily's relationship was like an exposé in codependency.
When I hear a character is dealing with PTSD, I normally think, "great, even more opportunity for a charged emotional experience and things not being so shallow". Um, what ACTUALLY happened was, yes, emotionally charged, but oh so distasteful.
Nick seemed so weak and needy and unable to take responsibility for his healing unless it involved Emily making out with him, which he argued he "NEEDED" and couldn't be okay without. I felt irritated that he staked his healing on her being physically available to him, and that friendship wasn't enough to make him better. Like what the hey?! They never had sex (or at least it wasn't stated), but it seemed like he was obsessed with the physical side of what their relationship offered, and he literally couldn't seem to breathe without it.
I liked Emily well enough, but their relationship became very irritating.
Mark wasn't endearing...AT ALL. I tried to come up with something he'd done or some personality trait I liked about him, but I just couldn't. He didn't really seem worth Jo Marie, and his stubbornness was maybe supposed to be endearing, but it wasn't.
My last complaint was the kissing.
I love me some romance, and I don't need it to be chaste pecks on the cheek, but gosh. Debbie Macomber loves her french kissing, yikes!
Every kiss was explained like "he kissed her like she was an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. He consumed her so deeply it basically broke history" (plus a bunch of unnecessary detail about how far the french kissing business got, ugh). Not a fan.

I really had high hopes for this one. It had the atmosphere and setting going for it, that's for sure. But I myself, just couldn't get passed the other stuff.
Profile Image for Nirit.
343 reviews12 followers
July 25, 2020
סידרה מקסימה וכיפית לקריאה.
ג'ו מרי מתאלמנת מבעלה החייל פול רוז. כחלק מתהליך ההחלמה שלה מהאבל היא מחליטה לרכוש בית הארחה בעיירה סידר קוב ולהפעיל אותו. בלילה הראשון שבו היא ישנה במקום מופיע בעלה בחלום ומבטיח לה שהמקום יהיה מקום להחלמה, שלה ושל כל מי שיתארח בו. חמשת הספרים בסידרה מראים לקורא איך ההבטחה הזאת מתממשת. בכל אחד מהספרים מסופר הסיפור של 2-3 אורחים והדרך שבה הלב שלהם מחלים מכאב שהם נשאו איתם כשהגיעו לבית ההארחה. במקביל לאורחים גם הלב של ג'ו מרי לאט לאט מחלים.
קצת התבאסתי שהסידרה נגמרה אחרי 5 ספרים, אבל אני מבינה למה לדעת הסופרת לא היה טעם להמשיך אחרי שהלב של ג'ו מרי החלים.
סידרה מומלצת לחובבי קיטש רומנטי נטול סקס. (הספרים מאוד נוצרים שמרנים באופיים. אין שם סקס ואין הפלות)
Profile Image for Maureen Timerman.
2,984 reviews484 followers
July 9, 2016
First this is the final book in this series, and yes I am sad to leave here, but it does wrap up beautifully. We revisit or I should say we are reminded and updated on the lives of some of the past patrons of the Rose Harbor Inn, and it brings back some great memories.
Jo Marie has a new visitor at the Inn, and in the beginning she tries to tell her about the healing properties of the Inn, but Emily is not yet wilingl to share or feel the healing. She has taken a position of a kindergarten teacher in Cedar Cove, and is looking for to buy a home. What she doesn’t expect is to find the perfect home, only to be yelled at for being on the property. Not a great way to maybe meet a new romantic interest? Because she is looking for a home, Jo Marie has allowed her to take up a long-term residence at the inn, and in the end what a blessing this turns out to be.
Jo Marie is still missing Mark, he told her to get on with her life when he walked away, saying he may never be back. Jo Marie’s tender heart was crushed, she was already shattered by loosing her husband Paul, and now Mark. She does decide after much trepeditation to meet someone new, and surprise she embarks on a new life.
You won’t be able to put this one down, and I had a hard time letting to of whom I wanted each of these women to end up with, yes love is in the air, but what a journey, and you don’t want to miss this one!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Ballantine Books, and was not required to give a positive report.
Profile Image for Dawn ♥ romance.
1,830 reviews28 followers
April 15, 2019
This may be more enjoyable after reading the series but as a standalone it was kind of slow with lots of negative ruminating. It spent most of the time on the conflicts of the relationships and little on the romance. I skipped a few chapters and just read the ending. Mark left innkeeper Jo Marie a year ago and she is dating again. Teacher Emily has a run-in with owner of a house she loves.
Profile Image for Dixie-Lee Campbell.
331 reviews18 followers
Want to read
February 24, 2016
Cannot wait to read this book and find out what is going on with Jo Marie and Mark. !

It seems such a long way off to wait to catch up !!!
Profile Image for Bookworman.
931 reviews118 followers
June 9, 2019
So this series was nice but not great. I'm glad I read it but probably won't re-read it in the future.
Profile Image for Maha.
277 reviews32 followers
March 18, 2017
No one writes Women’s fiction better than Debbie Macomber. With Sweet Tomorrows, the final installment of Rose Harbor series, Debbie Macomber concludes one of her best women’s fiction series.
Unfortunately, I was late to the party. I haven’t read the previous installments in Rose Harbor series. I was hesitant whether to wait till I read the previous books or dive into this very nice book on hand. Unable to wait, I chose to read Sweet Tomorrows. I also read some parts of the first book in the series The Inn at Rose Harbor. To my delight, Debbie Macomber doesn’t let her readers down. There’s always a place for late comers such as myself. She fills the gaps in Sweet Tomorrows for those who haven’t read the previous books in the series so that they don’t feel lost. Thanks!
Sweet Tomorrows is a book about new beginnings, love and hope. Jo Marie, the owner of Rose Harbor Inn, is trying to restore her life back. She had been through serious grief and loss when she had lost her husband years ago. So when Mark Taylor, her best friend in Cedar Cove and the man who had recently confessed his love to her, leaves Cedar Cove to right a wrong from his past Jo Marie is both angry and devastated. She knew she loved him, but she also didn’t know if he was ever coming back. He had asked her not to wait for him. So, unwilling to live the agony of loss and grief once again, Jo Marie starts dating again.
The arrival of Emily Gaffney in Rose Harbor Inn helps. Emily is renting a room in Rose Harbor Inn for the summer. Though Emily is the sweetest person on earth, her heart had been broken twice. Now she’s here to recover and rethink her life.
Together Jo and Emily help each other to embrace the chances of new beginnings. Through a warm story, both encounter new chances and new lives. Each woman meets someone who can make a difference. However, there are always decisions to make and both women are strong enough to face that.
The story is very warm and touching. It’s filled with love, joy and hope. But to me, the thing is never the story when it comes to Debbie Macomber’s books. It’s the world that I enter when I read her books. That cozy feeling of warmth and family. Her books are really amazing and her writing style touches my heart.
Now that I read this book, I know I am missing a lot. Though you can read this book as a standalone thanks for Debbie Macomber’s filling the gaps, you will be missing a lot of fun. I believe I will go back and read the previous books in the series to enjoy. Debbie is one of my favorite writers and I’m looking forward to all her upcoming books.

**Special thanks to the NetGalley & Ballantine Books for supplying my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. **

For all my reviews please visit http://www.meshascorner.net
Profile Image for Debbie.
2,103 reviews66 followers
July 19, 2016
The fifth and final book in the Rose Harbor series. Loved them and sad to see it end.

I've always found Debbie Macomber's books to be quick easy yet delightful reads. They always make me feel good when I read them.

This book revolves mostly around Jo Marie & Mark (who we know from prior books). Jo Marie owns a magical B&B. In previous books we know she lost her husband (military) and we go into this one with Mark off on a mission in Iraq and her not knowing whether he is alive or dead. We follow her story as she again deals with this deja vue (she didn't know her husband was definitely dead for a year). She is the kind of person you want to sit on the porch with and have a drink or coffee and just chat!

We also meet Emily - kindergarten teacher twice burned by men carrying a sad secret she thinks will keep her from ever being loved. She moves to Cedar Cove start over and stays at the inn while she house hunts. She finds the "perfect" house and meets Nick, the owner, who is less than welcoming at first. Nick is dealing with his own issues and the two are soon drawn to each other.

Will Mark return to have his happily ever after with Jo Marie? Will she move on to find love?

Will something come of Emily & Nick? Or will there separate issues be more than the can overcome?

Travel to Cedar Cove in this wonderful book & you too can find out!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine and Netgalley for the opportunity to receive and ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Tiffany.
524 reviews11 followers
February 19, 2017
The fifth and final novel of the Rose Harbor Inn series and it couldn't have been better. This was a sweet lovely novel that kept me wanting to stay up late reading.
Profile Image for Amanda McGill.
1,265 reviews55 followers
July 18, 2016
The final novel of the Rose Habour series.

After the last novel I was torn if I was going to continue with the series. Realizing that Sweet Tomorrows is the final novel of the series, I figured I would give it a shot and read the conclusion.

The story has 4 different points of view, whereas the previous novels were in 3rd person with Jo Marie being the primary character. The 4 views were: Jo Marie (the B&B owner), Mark (the contractor who use to work on the B&B, also Jo Marie's love interest), Emily (a long term guest staying at the inn) and Nick (Emily's love interest).

Jo Marie is trying to live her normal daily life, after Mark left a year ago to finish a secret mission. She doesn't know if he is alive or dead and needs to try to move on so she doesn't avoid more heartache.

Emily just got out of a broken engagement and is looking to buy a house in town. She runs into Nick who is living in a beautiful house that she loves. The two begin a heated love/hate relationship.

I enjoyed this novel more than the other novels in the series. It was nice getting the closure at the end of the novel and knowing how all the characters ended up. There was also little updates of the past guests that were in the previous novels.

Overall, a good conclusion, but not sure if I would recommend this series to those who are not already fans of Debbie Macomber.

Thanks to Netgallery for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Diana.
1,807 reviews10 followers
September 7, 2016
Very possibly, the worst book that I have ever read. From the ridiculous & downright freaky male characters, to the weak-willed and unlikable female charters, this book is just a hot mess.
And the writing....HORRIBLE! Here is a snippet: " How my body cried out to be one with her, to love her and plant children inside her and watch them grow there and give life to the future". And another passage: " She called it the Lavender Room and I understood why the moment I walked inside. The walls were painted a lovely shade of lavender".
And then there is the plot, from four different POV's. I will concentrate on only one, Mark Taylor. Mr. Taylor was a handyman by day, but a super-secret spy/warrior at night! And this handyman was the ONLY man in the entire Armed Services who could save the world from ISIS. Truly amazing! How absolutely ridiculous (and sad) that the author would think so little of her readers that she would even dream up such pathetic plots for such a well-loved series. I have read a lot of Ms. Macomber's books and this book did not even "sound" like her in many areas. I can only wonder, if she had some "help" writing this mess, or has a new editor, who is not doing his/her job. What a shame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for zainab_booklover.
158 reviews25 followers
August 24, 2017
I liked much the opening lines of Debbie Macomber’s Sweet Tomorrows :
‘‘Life is filled with the unexpected. I know that sounds rather dramatic— sort of like: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Trust me, I’ve been through both, but then I suspect everyone who breathes in oxygen has experienced this.’’
Profile Image for Kathryn.
3,250 reviews29 followers
August 15, 2016
Sweet tomorrows is the perfect title for this the last book in the Cedar Grove series. As always a happy ending with a little hiccup here and there to keep everything interesting.
Profile Image for DeAnn.
1,473 reviews
July 23, 2017
My favorite in the series is still #4, but this one was a good resolution to the series. I got mad at Mark and Jo Marie at one point, which I guess is the sign of a good writer. A good sweet series and a great departure from murder/mysteries.
Profile Image for Bettina_kPunkt.
238 reviews47 followers
May 1, 2020
Leider gab es hier einige Logikfehler und der Schluss war so gehetzt. Das wichtigste Kapitel war meiner Meinung nach das letzte, da alles in diesem Buch auf diese Situation vorbeireitet hat. Doch was war ein sehr kurzes Kapitel. Ich hätte mir so viel mehr Details gewünscht. Wirklich schade
Profile Image for Lisa Baillie .
303 reviews10 followers
June 17, 2018
Sweet Tomorrows Debbie Macomber

From The Inn at Rose Harbour series. Back with the owner Jo Marie and her dog Rover. Following on her life since the last book. Great to catch up with her again. The book is so well written you become involved with the character of Jo Marie, and her on/off relationship with handyman Mark. Have wanted to scream at them both to stop being so pig headed and see there both meant for each other. The book definately brings you right into there world.

Nice to have another new character move to Cedar Cove, Emily. Will look forward to finding out what life has instore for her following this book.

The Inn at Rose Harbour sounds amazing. The writer describes it so well. I can picture it in my head and wish i could visit. A place of healing, that has worked on so many lives that have been there.

Been nice watching Jo marie and Marks relationship blossom from that of a fractious working relationship to love. Not been easy for either of them and look forward to hopefully a smooth ride for them now.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for a free copy of the book in return for a honest review
Profile Image for Amber.
1,097 reviews
December 8, 2017
Jo Marie Rose is living her life without Mark ever since he packed up and moved out of Cedar Cove without saying Goodbye. When she finds out that he is alive, will she take him back and get the happily ever after she has always wanted? Read on and find out for yourself.

This is the final book of the Inn at Rose Harbor series by Debbie Macomber and the first series I have ever read from her. I enjoyed reading about these characters and am sad that it had to end. If you guys like love stories set around a bed and breakfast and enjoyed the cedar cove characters, definitely check this book series out and enjoy. It is available at your local library and wherever books are sold.
Profile Image for Tara.
1,223 reviews
September 25, 2016
I'm glad to see that this series is ending. I have loved nearly every one of Debbie Macomber books with the exception of this one. I really did not connect with the character of Emily. She had a good thing in front of her and she just stood in her way. I felt that there were a number of lines repeated over and over and it was a struggle for me to finish this book.
Profile Image for Jasbr.
912 reviews13 followers
March 1, 2018
Am Anfang war ich wirklich erschrocken, als ich gesehen habe, dass das der fünfte Teil einer Reihe ist und habe damit gerechnet, nichts zu verstehen. Diese Bedenken waren jedoch unbegründet: Ganz am Anfang wird im Schnelldurchlauf alles Wichtige wiederholt, sodass man Bescheid weiß, was bereits passiert ist und an welcher Stelle im Leben von Jo Marie Rose wir uns befinden. Das Tempo, mit dem die Infos vermittelt wurden, was zwar etwas schnell, aber verständlich: Leser, die die Reihe schon kennen, hätten sich sonst gelangweilt.

Ich kam also - auch ohne Vorwissen - sehr gut in die Geschichte hinein, die abwechselnd aus verschiedenen Perspektiven geschrieben wird. Im Mittelpunkt stehen die beiden Frauen Jo Marie und Emily, aber auch die Männer, Mark und Nick kommen nicht zu kurz. Dieser Perspektivenwechsel hat mir gut gefallen, weil man sich so ein sehr detailliertes Bild der Personen und ihren Gefühlen machen konnte. Allerdings war es manchmal etwas nervig, dass Dinge wiederholt wurden. Zwar dann eben aus einer anderen Perspektive, aber eben doppelt.

Grundsätzlich hat mir der leichte, lockere Schreibstil sehr gut gefallen. Man konnte das Buch schön vor sich hinlesen, dadurch, dass die Perspektiven immer mit dem jeweiligen Namen überschrieben waren, kam es nicht zu Verwirrungen und grundsätzlich hatte man aufgrund der geringen Personenzahl keine Probleme, der Handlung zu folgen.

Nicht so überzeugt hat mich allerdings der Plot: Ja, es ist eine Liebesgeschichte und grundsätzlich weiß man, worauf man sich einlässt und ich habe nicht viel Spannung, sondern ein Happy End erwartet. Allerdings finde ich, dass es gerade bei Emily und Nick viel zu schnell geht. Im einen Moment hassen sie sich, um nächsten sind sie unsterblich verliebt und wissen, dass sie den Partner ihres Lebens gefunden haben. Generell konnte mich Emily nicht überzeugen: Sie ist meiner Meinung nach sehr naiv und anstatt mal zu sagen, was sie denkt und fühlt, verhält sie sich eher wie eine 15-Jährige, die etwas sagt, aber das Gegenteil meint. Mit solchen Protagonistinnen werde ich einfach nicht warm. Da war mir die taffe Jo Marie schon um einiges lieber. Sie steht nicht nur mitten im Leben, sondern sagt und macht auch, was die denkt.

Insgesamt ist das Buch sicher ein noch größerer Genuss, wenn man die anderen Teile schon kennt. Gerade wegen Jo Marie überlege ich auch, mich der Reihe weiter zu widmen. Allerdings konnte mich dieser Teil nicht in allen Bereichen überzeugen. Deswegen von mir: 3 Sterne!
Profile Image for January.
1,869 reviews86 followers
June 15, 2022
Sweet Tomorrows by Debbie Macomber 337 pages HB,
Rose Harbor #5
Related series Cedar Cove

Genre: Womens Fiction > Chick Lit; Romance > Contemporary Romance; Adult Fiction, Christian Fiction

Featuring: Author's Letter, Puget Sound Washington, Cedar Cove, Widow, Military, Bed & Breakfast, Tri-Storyline, Multiple POVs, Sex - alluded to, Dogs, Grudges, Summer, Girlfriends, Dates, Family Get-togethers, Clichés, PTSD, Trust Issues, Survivor's Guilt, Family Planning, Updates and Spoilers

Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult themes

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thoughts: 57 of 337 Ch. 7 - So much to whine about. There are lines repeated from the previous book. Sadly this is the final book.
90, Ch. 11 - I know how it should end and all of this turmoil is getting on my nerves.
129 Ch. 16 - I think this might be the worst book of the series. It's dull and depressing and I don't like any of the storylines, any of them. Emily's motivations are crazy.

I remember loving The Baby-sitters Club but I never warmed up to Shannon, Abby, or even Sunny and friends. I think that is partially why I didn't enjoy this book. The vibe was very different from the other books. One of the biggest changes was 4 narrators and the switch to first person POV. I didn't like any of the storylines, if this was a sitcom it would a reminisce/reunion episode, and you know the ratings aren't great on those. I couldn't stand the dialogue and the over use of analogies and metaphors. Jo Marie got on my nerves, but not as much as Emily. Emily was in the previous book and they wove in an issue for her that wasn't previously present, but I was most annoyed by her house hunting tactics. Then enters Nick, if you've ever seen He's Just Not Into You or read the book, this storyline tries to make it the rule. I didn't like Mark's journey either, completely unrealistic, it's the military not the CIA. Basically, I was waiting for this book to be over shortly after starting it, but I wasn't expecting a rush ending after the drawn-out filler so I was disappointed from start to finish. Even the updates on all of the guests was stuff we already learned and some I questioned how Jo Marie knew. On the brightside, after reading this book I'm not wishing for more Rose Harbor books.

Recommend to others?: Only of you've already started on the series.
Profile Image for Stefanie.
942 reviews66 followers
November 21, 2018
Sweet Tomorrows, the final installment of the Rose Harbor Series, was a perfect novel to end with.
It tied everything together for Jo Marie’s story and if you love happy endings this is the book for you!
This novel also features one more guest of Jo Marie’s. Emily Gaffney is boarding at Rose Harbor Inn until she finds a place of her own and starts her life over. Too much heartbreak has her sworn off of men for life. Sworn off, of course, until she meets Nick. An enigma of a man, a stubborn man, a man she wants nothing to do with.
Sweet Tomorrows brings about healing and restores love as both Emily and Jo Marie work through hurts and heartaches together and find the happiness that they have been searching for.
I absolutely loved this series by Debbie Macomber and I’m so happy I picked it up and read it!
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