A New Hope (Thunder Point)

Once again, this book just didn't seem to me to be written in Robyn Carr's own personal style. I don't understand why. It's ok, but it's not better than the run-of-the-mill romance books, and hers ALWAYS were!!!! Instead of not wanting to put it down even to do work that needed to be done, I just felt ho-hum reading it and picked it back up when there wasn't anything good on TV.

Enjoyable, easy read. This story has some drama issues with a mother who wanted her daughter to be an Olympic Skater. Believable characters, interesting and informative dialogue.

"Remembering is good. Agonizing is useless."

I will re-read this story and always look forward to, pre-order when possible, new works by this author.

Enjoyable, easy read. This story has some drama issues with a mother who wanted her daughter to be an Olympic Skater. Believable characters, interesting and informative dialogue.

"Remembering is good. Agonizing is useless."

I will re-read this story and always look forward to, pre-order when possible, new works by this author.

Once again a great story from Robyn. I love how she builds the characters up and the relationships they forge, even though the endings are so predictable. I read these books to get away from bad news and the occasional murder and mahem novels.

SERIES READING ORDER APPEARS AT THE END OF THIS REVIEW!

Robyn Carr is in top form in her eighth entry in the Thunder Point series. A NEW HOPE brings Ginger Dysart, the ‘niece’ of real estate agent Ray Anne, to the Lacoumette farm for the wild and wonderful Basque heritage celebration that is the marriage of Dr. Scott Grant and Peyton Lacoumette. At the wedding, a very drunk, unruly man embarrasses himself by propositioning and groping Ginger. Although Ginger takes it in stride, the man feels remorseful for his out-of-character behavior, and he decides to drive to Thunder Point to find Ginger, with the thought of apologizing in person.

When Ginger meets Matt, he looks and acts quite differently from the drunken clod who humiliated himself at the wedding. Matt does more than apologize…he asks Ginger to dinner, and later reflects on his surprise, not knowing why he made such an impulsive invitation. Fans of Robyn Carr’s writing know, however! Carr gives her characters time to figure themselves out and come to their own conclusions, especially when they are working through a broken heart, as Matt is doing. Matt spontaneously explains to Ginger at their first meeting that he’s nursing a broken heart, having just been through a bitter divorce. He goes on to explain that he’d been married himself in the same orchard in which Peyton and Scott were married, and he simply couldn’t handle the memories or the malaise he felt. Thus begins the friendship, and eventual romance, of Ginger and Matt.

What makes A NEW HOPE so marvelous are the compelling characterizations Carr develops for Matt and Ginger. Ginger is a heartbroken shell of a woman, only just now starting to develop the will to live again, after suffering a devastating personal loss. Ginger is possibly Carr’s most touching character in years, and her journey back to life is reminiscent of Mel’s journey in Carr’s fabulous VIRGIN RIVER book. Matt, however, is no Jack (Mel’s love); he is not in possession of his whole heart, and isn’t ready for a relationship. Matt is bitter and angry about his divorce, has unresolved issues, and a heartbreak of his own that he does not even let himself think about, let along face, for most of the novel. Matt has become fearful of commitment and jaded regarding his belief in love and marriage, to the point of denying to himself his true feelings for Ginger. Watching Ginger regain her emotional footing, take a chance on love again, and work her gentle, nurturing magic on Matt, is truly a joy to read. A satisfying aspect of Ginger’s character development is that she doesn’t look to Matt as the solution to her problems and her loneliness; she is a strong young woman who for the first time is, despite her damage, taking ownership of her personal happiness. Matt’s painful, realistic development as he faces his anger and fear is equally as affecting. It is not a smooth road to their HEA. Carr does a bang-up job of developing her main characters here; both Matt and Ginger are splendidly drawn.

The story is greatly enhanced by the appearance and involvement (not just cameos) of some of our other Thunder Point favorites…Grace and Troy, Winnie and her new young friend Charlie, Scott and Peyton, Ray Anne, and most notably her beau, Al Michel, whose own loss of his son to SIDS makes him the one individual uniquely qualified to offer support to Ginger when her memories threaten the fragile emotional progress she has made.

For this reader, A NEW HOPE is the finest, most heartwarming of the Thunder Point novels to date. It is a beautifully written, poignant story of hope, courage, and second chances. A joyfully-given five stars!

AUDIOPHILES: I highly recommend the audiobook narration (I purchase the ones I want to re-"read" from Audible.com, but they are all also produced in audio CD versions carried by many public libraries). I've listened to each title in the series; they're narrated by the incomparable Therese Plummer, who brings every character to life. And if you haven't read the VIRGIN RIVER series, RUN to your book provider and find it! For a list of the correct Virgin River series reading order, please see my review of the first book, titled VIRGIN RIVER; for me, it's Miss Carr's finest book.

THUNDER POINT SERIES READING ORDER (this series is best read in order):
1. The Wanderer - retired Army pilot (Hank) Cooper & pilot Sara Dupre
2. The Newcomer -- Deputy Sheriff Mac McCain & waitress Gina James
3. The Hero -- coach Spencer Lawson & single mom Devon McAllister
4. The Chance -- auto mechanic Eric Gentry & FBI agent Laine Carrington
5. The Promise -- Dr. Scott Grant & PA Peyton Lacoumette
6. The Homecoming -- Deputy Sheriff Seth Sileski & HS guidance counselor Iris McKinley
7. One Wish -- HS teacher Troy Headly & florist Grace Dillon
8. A New Hope -– Ginger Dysart (Ray Anne’s ‘niece’) & Matt Lacoumette
9. Wildest Dreams -- triathlete Blake Smiley and Lin Su Simmons (Winnie’s caregiver) -- to be published 8/25/15

**I received a complimentary e-copy of A NEW HOPE from MIRA in exchange for my honest review, but I've already ordered my own copy to put on my Robyn Carr shrine -- I mean, shelf!**

Originally posted on The Book Nympho

Ginger Dysart is slowly recovering from the loss of her child on top of the disintegration of her ill-advised marriage. Working in the Thunder Point flower shop and being around a network of interesting and supportive women has raised her from a dark abyss. When she "meets" Matt Lacoumette at his sister's wedding reception, it's an unlikely encounter between two people rebounding from painful life events.

I loved this story for several reasons.
First, Ginger's descent into severe depression was understandable, presenting a very realistic response to the loss of a child. When her cousin, Ray Anne, steps in and moves her to Thunder Point, it begins an extraordinary healing process that exemplifies the best the community has to offer. The town embraces Ginger without pity, just giving her a reason to get up each day and breathe.

Next, when Matt comes to Thunder Point to try and make amends to Ginger for his boorish behavior at the wedding reception, we're introduced to one of the most unconventional, intense characters I've come across. He's passionate, unpredictable and charming but his behavior can also border on oddness at times. Though he's got some serious issues stemming from his first marriage, his romance with Ginger is a delight.

Lastly, family is again a strong theme and both Ginger and Matt are surrounded by caring members who are an important part of their lives. They're a major aspect of the story and make a very big difference.

The books in this series always provide me with a reliable reading experience. I can count on a strong sense of community and family, heartwarming moments and likable characters. I loved everything about Ginger and Matt's romance and rise from despair. It was a lovely return to Thunder Point.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

My Disclaimer:

I purchased a copy of this book at the current price. I am voluntarily providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.

~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review

What it’s about…

Ginger and her husband divorced after the sudden death of their infant son. She’s working at the flower shop learning to build flower designs and trying to find peace.

Matt and his wife divorced because he’s a farmer and she’s a party girl and model. She wanted him to change. But the farm is his life, not just a job. He’s working the farm, teaching at the university and drinking too much so he won’t have time to think about his ex-wife.

Ginger and Matt meet at a wedding where she did the flowers. His touch was more grope. Her shove sent him into a table and to the hospital. Now he owes her an apology she doesn’t want. But he’s persistent. So, she meets him for dinner.

Can Matt convince Ginger to forgive him and become his friend?

Technical Tidbits…

The cover is unexciting and really doesn’t relate to anything important in the story.

The storyline is a tried and true on where two hurting people help each other heal and get a second chance for love.

The characters are old and new. I remember some of them from the last book, One Wish. So they were easy to understand. The new characters were well introduced with their stories. Ms. Carr always does an excellent job with her characters.

The pace was choppy at times, sort of wandered a bit.

The tension was good throughout.

And this is where you STOP if you don’t want to see any SPOILERS…

The good, the bad, and the ugly…and how much it lit up my life… ✰✰✰✰

This is a typical Robyn Carr book. The characters come to Thunder Point hurting and needing a place to fit in and start over. Or they are locals who are hurting and need to heal, to dig themselves out of the hole they’ve gotten themselves into. Ginger Dysart and Matt Lacoumette fit right into these molds. Matt’s the local. Huge family farm and he’s the farmer. He’s so into it, he even teaches the science of it at the university. Unfortunately, when he picked a wife, he didn’t pick one who wanted to live on the farm. He certainly wasn’t going to leave the farm and become a party boy for this model who couldn’t even get a real modeling job. But he wasn’t really in love with her. He was in love with her beauty. And he couldn’t put her aside even after she divorced him. Finally, having a confrontation with her after spending some time with Ginger, he saw her clearly and was able to let her go completely.

Ginger had no trouble letting go of her ex-husband. For her, it was the guilt she carried thinking she had done something to cause the death of your young child. SIDS isn’t a common thing, and no one really understands it. There is no real comfort for parents who lose a child this way. They just die in their sleep for seemingly no cause. No matter what the doctors had told her, she couldn’t quite let go of the idea that she had somehow caused her baby’s death. The guilt was crushing her. The scene of her visit to the baby’s grave was a very moving one.

There were a lot of very painful scenes in this book. Each of the main characters had a terrible scene with their ex. And there was the scene at the baby’s grave. There was the scene when Ginger and Matt were angry. And there was the scene when Grace found the place where Charlie lived with his mother. Is the series getting darker as it winds down? Only one more book left in the series, Wildest Dreams.

Recommended

I continue to love Carr's writing and her focus on small-town life, whether it be in her Virgin River series or this one. I didn't think the last book had much romance to it and I'm glad to say this did - I wasn't reaching for the tissues but it did make me turn the pages faster and it made me smile, hallmarks of a good emotional story. Matt and Ginger had a lovely second-chances story but it was only two-thirds of the book; the rest was taken by Troy and Grace.

Both Matt and Grace were realistic characters, something Carr excels at writing. Matt was burned badly by his ex and kind of jerks Ginger around a little. She had a guy that jerked her around and won't put up with it anymore so Matt has to figure things out on his own, something his big Basque family - especially Peyton - is more than willing to help with. It all rings true and was such a pleasure to read. When they finally come together it's sweet and passionate even though Carr never gets too explicit.

The rest of the book is taken up by Troy and Grace's upcoming wedding, the finishing of their house and the impending arrival of her mother. I loved getting to know Troy and Grace in the last book and it was nice seeing the progression of their relationship and how they fit in with the town.

All in all, this was a pleasant visit to Thunder Point. I wish I could get carried away and give it five stars - the books always seem to get close but never there - but this was as close as the recent books have ever been. Matt and Ginger and Troy and Grace have romantic stories and I hope Carr writes the next book as well as she wrote this one.

Loved the story and how it developed. Matt and Ginger were great characters that stayed with me for a long while after the story wrapped up. Ginger was uniquely prepared to help (and insist that) Matt fight his demons and put the past to rest so they could move forward together. Very well done. Loved the secondary characters like Ginger's ex-husband.

Narrator Therese Plummer did an amazing job with both male and female characters' voices. Unique. Fresh. Different. She captured humor and laughter in the presentation. Plummer's performance doubled my enjoyment of the novel.

My only aggravation? I wish the store would acknowledge the purchase ("Verified Purchase") of their OWN company's (Audible) audio-book sales. I'm reviewing the audio-format (specifically Audible), and the page tells me "Our records show you purchased this book on...(date)" so why not show a verified purchase review? That isn't Robyn Carr's problem and it's not Therese Plummer's problem. The story and presentation: definite 5 stars.

Sensuality Level: Rated R
Language: Rated R but strong language wasn't constant (reserved for expression of significant emotion)
Violence: None

I have wanted to read a Robyn Carr book for a while. I jump in the middle of this series and I'm glad I didn't delay doing it. Yes, I felt lost at times. I didn't realize that Robyn writes her books with the last heroine's life still developing and she begins the path to her next book storyline while getting a full story on the current hero and heroine. Regardless, I thought it was great. I get so much more than just one love story. I felt like these characters were part of a huge ensemble and everyone play an important part in it.

Ray Anne gave her cousin Ginger Dysart shelter when she needed it the most. Ginger had gone through a divorce and a major loss in her life. Moving to Thunder Point has helped start healing. Her job at the flower shop brings her happiness. Despite all this she is lonely. During her first big job at the Lacoumette's wedding she gets groped by a drunk Matt, the bride's brother. Ginger defends herself and the guy ends up in the ER.

Matt Lacoumette can't believe his own behavior and goes in search of Ginger to apologize. After a dinner together, they realized they have a lot in common. A new friendship blossoms. From friendship, loves develops.

“They look like dawn and dusk,” Corinne said.
“The princess and the dark knight,” Ginny said.
“Matt and a second chance,” Ellie said. “She’s so lovely in her heart, isn’t she?”
“Do you think he knows he’s in love with her?” Lori asked.
“He’s a blockhead. He won’t know for months,” Paco said.

I liked both characters. Ray Anne was not going to let a guy become the center of her life again. She was happy with her job and the new friendships. She had lost so much but she was willing to open her heart again. Matt took longer to recognize what he had in front of him but he didn't wait too long either. They made a good match.

“The whole time he was getting closer to Ginger he’d been focused on Natalie and a relationship that hadn’t worked from the start. That was mistake number one. Then he’d built a barrier of self-protection, aloofness. Distance from the woman he knew better after a couple of months than he’d known his own wife in a year. Mistake number two. So, mistake number three would be sitting there like a doofus, acting confused and licking his wounds.”

I'm sure I want to read the next installment to see what is going to happen with Charlie and his mother Lin Su. I wonder who the neighbor is....

“He was going to remember that—your woman needs to be talked to and touched every day. When your woman feels you’re moving away, she feels abandoned and alone. And she changes her phone number.”

Cliffhanger : No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My Review:
I have to say...this is one of the most unlikely starts to a romance ever and I loved it for that.

Matt has been having a hard year since he and his wife divorced. His family now calls him Mad Matt and his unhappiness overflows onto Ginger when they both attend his sister's wedding and he gets too drunk to function respectably. In an effort to make amends they end up in a friendship...tied by their respective bad marriages and resulting unhappiness.

It doesn't really start out that way, but I love that these two had a friendship before their romance really developed. In the end, the romance feels fast, but they really established a good base of friendship first...with their nightly phone calls and texts. I like that. And I couldn't help but feel for these two. They both were fully committed to their marriages so when they ended so horrifically, they are both understandably horse-shy to try that ever again. The joke when they're just friends is that they might give their romance a try when they turn 50. It's a sweet, slow-moving romance set in a really romantic vista...the back of the truck, on the farm, in the blooming trees...the visuals are amazing and so romantic.

Matt is from the Basque family that remind me of gypsies. I did love the moments on his family farm and the traditions within the family. They farm pears, grapes, livestock and it seems like there was one other crop. I loved how Ginger just jumped right in to life on the farm and it just fit...especially with her interests in plants. I also love that while yes, Matt is a farmer, he has the scientific degrees to back that up. That was a good detail.

And the whole story takes place in the normal, sweeping stories of Thunder Point. As there has been in all the other books, there are several stories happening in the background. Ginger works for Grace (heroine in #7) at the flower shop. Grace is getting married in this book while trying to settle her demanding mother who has ALS into her new life at TP. So with that story line, we also meet two new characters...LinSu, the nurse, and her son Charlie. They will be featured in Book #9, which I didn't realize until after I finished the book. I definitely look forward to that story, because I did enjoy their interactions in this book.

Overall, it was a good read. As the series goes on, I'm getting to where I enjoy the sporadic story lines and mishmash of characters better, and I do enjoy to revisit the other characters from the other books.

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

Ginger Dysart’s and Matt Lacoument’s emotional wounds are still raw when they meet, in a notably inauspicious manner. Matt, intoxicated to ease his pain, makes a “you-know-what” of himself. Then a HUGE apology is in order. His big sister Peyton reads him the riot act about his manner with Ginger, who is her friend.

A New Hope, a Thunder Point novel, invites the reader to meet new people who become a part of a village of people who support each other, accept each other “warts and all,” and certainly share information freely about everyone. While a novel that stands alone very well, A New Hope is richer and more delicious if blended with other Thunder Point novels.

Robyn Carr weaves together remarkable human relationships that encompass all level of love. Emotions run strong and often hot, as life problems are dealt with and love, with its innate wisdom, makes itself at home, even when it doesn’t seem to have been invited in. Family love, love for fellow human beings, and love between a man and a woman that sizzles at times, keeps A New Hope bubbling and bustling with activity.

If you’ve read earlier Thunder Point novels, you’ll get to revisit Grace who is moving her wealthy mother, who has ALS, to Thunder Point, while all the time planning to marry Troy, her love. You can catch ups with Cooper, Raye Anne, and so many others in the previous novels. They add depth and strength to the story.

Matt’s and Ginger’s exes, who don’t want to stay exes, create their share of conflicts, but they also help Matt and Ginger resolve to face the future with courage as they work to let their wounds truly heal before making a commitment.

Matt and Ginger share fun, simple pleasures, gentle caring, mutual interests, and finally love that is patient, kind, and enduring as they gain emotional good health and best of all the reader get to share their journey to a happy-ever-after and be a part of the endearing community of Thunder point.

Delightful reading!

originally posted at long and short reviews.

A New Hope is my first Robyn Carr book. I wasn't exactly sure it was my type of contemporary romance going in, but I was drawn to the cover and the blurb, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It was a good book. I just don't think it was a "Kim book." It might've been the pacing of the novel (which I found slow), the lack of kissing in the book (which was understandable, somewhat), or the fact I'm coming in late in the series, but I had a tough time getting into this one and sticking with it.

I liked both Ginger and Matt, but I never felt like I truly connected with them. Don't get me wrong, I hated to see the things they'd gone through in their recent pasts. They were both struggling to accept and move on from painful situations. I liked how they could understand what the other was dealing with. They were a perfect match from that perspective. I just never felt consumed by their story. I do think, however, it was a great second chance story for both characters. I respected both characters' journey and growth. There were also a lot of great secondary characters (who I have to assume were leads in one of the other books in the series). The family dynamic was strong and the friendships were wonderful. For the right reader, I think this could be a fantastic book. I'm sorry to say, however, that reader isn't me. All in all, it was an ok read for me.

If I gave half stars, this would be a solid two and a half stars. I just can't give it three. But, I'm clearly in the minority with this opinion, so if this looks like your type of book, you should ignore me. :)

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

4 STARS

A New Hope starts right away with the drama of Lacoumette Wedding. Matt Lacoumette is drunk and full of bitter emotions offends Ginger and gets knocked out.

Matt Lacoumette has gone through a divorce in the past year. He is full of anger at his ex-wife but he keeps the reason a secret. Matt is a farmer with his family he is also a visiting Professor at the local university.

Ginger Dysart I was afraid it would be a really sad story, but it is not. Ginger is coming out of her depression in Thunder Point. She loves working with the flowers. Everyone knows her story without having to tell them and they reach out to her. Ginger has been divorced and a year ago her baby died of sids.
One scene did bring tears when Al and Ginger were talking about both losing their babies to SIDS.

I love that we get to see more of Thunder Point residents. We see a lot still of Grace, Troy and family. I love the two new characters with them.

There is a couple of love scenes that I skipped over.

Robyn Carr writes such a community of characters with her books that draws you into there lives and makes the characters ones that you care what happens to them and you want to keep coming back and seeing what they are all up to now. You want to visit with them and help them.

The setting is Thunder Point a little beach community on the Oregon coast.

I definitely want to read more about Thunder Point in the future. I want to see more of Winnie and Charlie's characters again. I hope Charlie's mom is the next story.

I was given this ebook to read by Net Galley and Harlequin. In return I agreed to give a honest review of A New Hope.

The latest entry in the Thunder Point series by Robyn Carr, "A New Hope" is primarily the story of Ginger and Matt. Ginger was introduced in the last book as a young woman who is struggling to overcome her grief at losing her infant son to SIDS only one year before. When this story begins, Ginger has been able to find her feet and is starting to make a new life for herself. Matt is the younger brother of another resident in Thunder Point and is an agricultural scientist and a farmer. He is still in a state of anger over the ending of his short marriage. The story is how these two individuals learn to deal with their previous lives so they can learn to make a new one together.

There are two transition stories that are also included. The last novel was about Grace and Troy and in this story, their story continues. Their house is close to being finished so that Grace's very rich and very ill mother, Winnie, will be able to move in with them. Her private nurse, Lin Su and Lin Su's fourteen year old son, Charlie, are introduced. I predict that Lin Su will be one of the main characters in the next entry in this series - perhaps involved with a new next door neighbor.

Ms. Carr is able to once again breathe life into her characters. They have good times and bad, good characters and some not so great flaws. Thunder Point ends up sounding like a place where real people would live and a place I would like to visit. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to more in the series.

I received a complimentary book from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is the eighth book in the Thunder Point series, and I think that this is the best book of the series so far. I loved it so much that, I have to admit, I read the book very slowly because I didn't want it to end. This book is a little bit different then the other books in the series because it mostly takes place in a rural area that includes a farm.

The couple are Ginger Dysart and Matt Lacoumette. Ginger was in the last book and helped Grace run the flower shop. She had a child from a very bad marriage who died of SIDS. Matt is a farmer who works on the family farm who also came out of a very bad marriage. Both are gun-shy of marriage.

The two met at Matt's sister's wedding when Matt was extremely drunk and made a play for Ginger. When Matt came to apologize, the two go out to dinner and their romance begins. Unfortunately Ginger and Matt have a lot of baggage from their former marriages. They also have to deal with their exes and Matt has to deal with his anger.

This book is well-written and the story flows beautifully. The characters are complex and very well-developed. You can read this book without having read the first seven, but you will probably decide to get the others to find out about the other characters.

When Ginger Dysart agrees to attend the wedding of the town doctor and her new friend, Peyton LaCoumette, she doesn’t anticipate being groped by the brother of the bride. Matt LaCoumette is gorgeous, drunk and disorderly and Ginger knocks him out. A big step on her part.
Ginger is beginning to move out of the depression caused by the death of her baby son and the disintegration of her marriage. Her ex-husband didn’t even bother to come to the funeral.
Matt LaCoumette now known as Mad Matt used to be the most loving person imaginable, according to his sister. But the breakup of his marriage left him bitter and aching. Seeking solace in all the wrong things.
Matt’s attempt to apologize to Ginger is the start of an unlikely friendship. Their almost nightly talks on the phone begin a relationship which deepens into love. But before they can believe in the possibilities, they both have more healing to do. How do you go forward into a new love until you understand what happened in the old love?
Much of the pleasure in Robyn’s writing is meeting old friends and setting up new ones. A New Hope follows old friends like Troy and Grace, and introduces us to Lin Su and her fourteen year old son Charlie. I bet that Lin Su and Charlie, whom I already adore, will be the focus of her next book.

I read the first four books in this series, each one with decreasing enjoyment. So I kinda gave up. But I saw the blurb on this one and it seemed intriguing. I wondered if it would recapture some of the magic this author has had for me in the past?

Kinda but not really.

The beginning of the book is interesting with the awful meeting between Matt & Ginger where he drunkenly gropes her at a wedding. How many heroes in a romance novel these days start off that boorish? It was intriguing. And there was some requisite angsty back story for both Ginger and Matt who are getting over bad divorces and in Ginger's case the death of a child.

But then the story kinda just slides along. I wasn't invested in them and their romance didn't pull me along. It was fine. But it didn't have the same pull at it did in the beginning.

I also think some of it comes from my fatigue with these sorts of long running series with a lot of couples/people popping in and out. There is catching up with old couples, set ups of forthcoming couples etc. This should have also been enough to keep me involved but it really didn't.

So I will just say this was an ok read and a fine way to spend a summer day.

A New Hope is the 8th book in the Thunder Point series by Robyn Carr and it picks up immediately after the 7th book leaves off. Which is really great for me because I read the two books back to back.

A New Hope is Ginger Dysart and Matt Lacoumette’s story. But it is really a story about forgiveness and the ability to start over. At some points, it was better than a self-help book. Ginger is a character who endured a tremendous loss, hit rock bottom, and managed to climb her way back up to the light with the help of family and friends in her new hometown of Thunder Point. Matt had also gone through some tough times and had hit rock bottom but had no interest of climbing anywhere near the light when we first meet him. But falling for Ginger begins to change all of that and Robyn Carr allows the readers to go on the journey with him. Matt and Ginger go into their relationship as friends and it grows into so much more as their story progresses. Matt is attracted to Ginger from the very beginning but he knows that things with her will have to be different because of what she has been through. It was a refreshing change from characters who meet, fall into bed together immediately, and then try to figure out their differences.

But Ginger is no wilting flower that needs Matt’s love to bring her back to life. It is Ginger who has already done the healing and the growing. Matt realizes that right away and also realizes that spending time with her is changing him for the better. Matt (and the readers) learn a lot about the power of forgiveness and the real meaning of making a new start from Ginger. But when she does need him to be strong for her, he is there for her in the best way possible.

Besides Matt and Ginger’s story, we also get the continuation of Troy and Grace’s story and check in on how Grace’s relationship with her mother is evolving. I enjoyed reading about Troy and Grace but I found Winnie’s story a bit boring. Mikhail, who I loved in One Wish, just did not sparkle for me as much as he did in the previous book and I just couldn’t get into Lin Su’s story (she is the heroine for the next book). But the slow pace of Winnie’s story was more than made up for when we got back to the main romance, so I’m not going to complain about that.

All in all, this was a classic Robyn Carr romance novel with characters we love, strong family scenes and wonderful friendships. I recommend this one to all of her fans out there.

Carr takes us back to Thunder Point with a heart-warming & inspirational story. Emotions run high as readers get up close and personal with a number of individuals from the community. I was inspired by the number of different topics that Carr draws into this very lifelike story. I’ll admit the beginning of this novel was a bit slow as Carr recaps the previous novel. Because of the overlap with the previous story

The intimate talks between the characters about intricate topics were very revealing. Life and death, love and loss all shine through. It also served to bring every aspect of the Lacoumette farm to life. Matt’s passion and intelligence really shone through. The growth and change in Ginger’s character since we first met her was also a joy to see. Her recovery and desire to return to the land of the living was so realistic, yet completely heart-warming.

This novel was yet another welcome addition to Carr’s Thunder Point series. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

Robyn Carr: A New Hope

Life often hands us difficult deals and Ginger and Matt have gone though some hard times before coming together and meeting in Thunder Point. Author Robyn Carr takes these two characters on a journey that will bring smiles, tears, frustration and hope to all those who believe in happy endings. But, before you can have a happy ending you need to focus and deal with the past and be ready for changes in the present. Ginger just came off of a marriage to a man who was only concerned with making himself happy, becoming famous in the music world and had little or no passion for her or anything else. Matt was married to a model that wanted more than just being the wife of a farmer. Matt’s wife Natalie appears to be self-absorbed and self- consumed with her own wants and needs. Neither Matt nor Natalie seem to consider the other person. Matt comes off as being immersed in his farm, harvesting and all that his family needs him to do. His mother is domineering and his sister Peyton has her own take on him but Matt at times falls within himself, shuts out the world and seems distant and angry.

Ginger came to Thunder Point and went to work for Grace in her flower shop. After a difficult divorce and losing a child she needed to not only find a place that she felt and safe and comfortable but could restart her life.

The book begins with a wedding between Peyton and Scott and this is where the fun begins as Ginger meets Matt in a scene that is really quite hilarious. Ginger Dysart went to this small town to help her Ray Anne. Moved in and has a new job at a flower shop little did she expect a wild confrontation from Matt Lacoumette at the wedding. Attending this wedding to assist with the flowers and help at the wedding when Matt comes up to her drunk as a skunk her reaction is priceless and the guests well you have to read it for yourself. But, Matt is relentless and cannot forgive himself for what he tried to do to Ginger and finds himself at the flower shop hoping to make amends. Sometimes the least expected can turn out to be better than a fine wine when Matt and Ginger finally put what happened aside and developed a true friendship based on common interests.
Author Robyn Carr brings to light several issues within this novel. We learn about Winnie, Grace’s mother who has ALS and whose strong mind and attitude will not allow her to feel sorry for herself or bring anyone else down. As Ginger helps out at the flower shop, Grace and Troy are preparing not only for their wedding but for Grace’s mother to come and live there hoping she likes how they decorated her house. Added in we meet LinSu, Winnie’s nurse and her son Charlie who suffers from allergies and asthma but is a computer whiz. Throughout the story we meet many other characters that have issues to resolve within their pasts before moving on in the present. Ginger not only had a failed marriage due to being married to a self-absorbed and unemotional man, but she lost a child to SIDS too. Grace is trying to setting her mother whose personality you have to love, whose spunk and energy level far surpasses what you would expect of someone with ALS and yet she is inspiring. Charlie and Winnie form a special bond and she wants to make sure that he is able to attend a better school in Thunder Point. With the help of Troy and Scott that is made possible. With Mikhail to keep her centered we have a strong cast of characters that blend well together. The Basque celebration and wedding of Dr. Scott Grant and Peyton Lacoumette might have started the events and put Matt and Ginger’s friendship in motion but both of them learn a lot about themselves as their stories evolve.

While Matt is trying to explain his relationship with his ex-wife Natalie who keeps coming back into his life thinking she can repair the damage and get him back, we learn more about Matt and find out that although he is often kind, understanding and hopes to find his way with Ginger, we learn later on that he does not always process information the right way, look at situation from someone else’s point of view and when the author reveals what really happened between him and his ex you the reader will decide who is at fault.

Ginger then relates what happened between her and Mick and how his music took control of his life, his aspirations and when she needed him to support her when she became pregnant he was not there. Not his kind of life and he never ever acknowledges that he was the father by stating it was her child. Throughout the novel Mick tries to reenter her life for selfish reasons and this leads Ginger to having conflicts within herself trying to see where her true feelings are: with Matt or Mick. But, she becomes embroiled in working in the flower shop, Grace is now pregnant, her mother is there and things start to fall into place until they don’t. Matt has a strong personality and when Ginger tells him that Mick called and want to see or speak to her his reaction is quite startling and she realizes that he tends to take over and not allow others to make decisions for themselves.

Needing to come to terms with her son’s death, finding it in her heart to forgive Mick for what he did and Matt needing to finally confront Natalie and deal with his true feelings this novel brings to light these conflicts and more. Can you forgive someone that has done so much to make your life miserable? Can you forgive yourself for not listening and hearing someone’s point of view? Natalie is a model and totally absorbed in that life, hates farming which Matt is attached to and passionate about and although she is repulsed by so many of the things he does she still wants to find a way back to him but why? Natalie feels threatened by Matt’s family and his brothers and sisters. She feels that she I out of place and yet he feels he tried but does not ever really see Natalie.

Things spiral out of control and both Matt and Ginger give each other some distance and yet at times she needs him close. What will they decide? Will they realize that their destiny is to be together? What about Peyton, his sister and her negative point of view about their relationship? When the mist clears and the fog rolls up will they see that they now have a New Hope that might lead to happiness? Happy endings do not come easily so when you read this one the author leaves room for a sequel The Wildest Dreams which comes out in September and you, the reader will revisit Thunder Point and find out what’s next.

A great novel that I read in one hour and could not put down but one which brings to light so many issues besides ALS, Asthma, allergies, understanding, loyalty, listening and forgiveness. A NEW HOPE! Let’s hope they find one!

OMG I want to send a wedding gift!!! I get so caught up in the men of Thunder Point that I feel like they are real and I want to visit with them. Each guy just makes me fall in love and I wonder how the next one can compare ---but then, he does. The latest love of my life is Matt. he is so my kind of guy. Big, sweet, caring, loyal, honest, he has it all. Coming from a big Catholic family he has honor and a love of family - no matter what they do. his oldest sister Peyton is one busybody but thank goodness he sets her straight and Yea for him.

This is a great story. There is a wounded heroine, divorced, lost her 4 month old son to SIDS. She is trying to get her life back on track. She is stronger than she realizes and with the help of some very caring friends she finds her feet on solid ground. then she meets Matt. another walking wounded. He is divorced, a hard burden to carry for a strong Catholic boy. he is also carrying a big secret, one that is about to crush him.

These two come together and you can feel the chemistry and love between the two of them. It is hard to put this book down once you start. The story just carries you away and you are living every moment. There is a lot of things going on with side characters. If you have read the Thunder Point books, you will recognize and revisit these characters. If you haven't, and you should, then you will find enough information to help you know them. all these books are stand alone but once you read one, you will not want to miss the next one.

The town of Thunder Point is created and then the characters come to live, love, and stay . You really want to go visit this spot. I think about these characters for days after finishing a book. There is always a happy ever after and I love that!! A great read and I strongly recommend it. You really don't want to miss this story. I loved it. Of course, I have to admit, I love anything Robyn Carr writes!~! I would probably read a phone book if she wrote it!!! Great read.

Two things that I think are important to note here – 1) if you haven’t read any of the Thunder Point books it is probably a good idea to at least start with One Wish, which is the book before this one, because it has some of the characters from A New Hope but 2) it shouldn’t be an issue because these books are just so darn good that you should be reading them all anyway :)

I always feel like a broken record with this series – emotional plots involving realistic characters with real troubles. But when you have something as perfect as this why mess it up, right? And Carr is so talented at bringing a variety of people and their issues to the page, I never feel like I’m getting just a repeat.

We got to know Ginger some in One Wish and I’m thrilled that we get to see her continue to heal, make friends and build a new life for herself. She’s understandably a little unsteady on her feet but she’s making great strides. She shows an amazing sense of self and maturity coming out of the amazing hardships she’s had to face and that is exactly what Matt needs. He’s having to address a few things of his own and meeting Ginger definitely shakes things up for him - living a life he’s not proud of since his divorce, seeing what Ginger has overcome has him re-examining things.

I recommended reading One Wish not just because of Ginger, but we also get a continuation of Grace & Troy’s story, which I loved. It added even more sweetness to an already touching story. Plus they help us get a little sneak peek at the next story. I’ve said this before too, the sense of continuation and community, of old friends and new acquaintances, is one of my favorite parts of this series.

With A New Hope, Carr once again brings us characters that we grow to care about. And I love that even though they help each other, they face their demons themselves. It helps lead to a healthy HEA that left me all giddy and happy and oh-so-ready for the next story.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Other Thunder Point reviews available at Romantic Reads and Such on Wordpress.)

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

I want to thank NetGalley for me being able to review this book! I love Robyn Carr. I have to admit it was a little weird reading a Carr book on my Kindle because I usually grab them off the shelf as soon as they come out. Which I'm still going to pick up a physical copy because I have all of her books and even though I have the kindle version I need the paperback in my hands!

Blurb
After losing her child, Ginger Dysart was lost in grief. But since moving to Thunder Point, a small town on the Oregon coast, and with the help of her cousin Ray Anne, Ginger is finally moving forward. Her job at the flower shop is peaceful and fulfilling, and she's excited to start her first big assignment, assisting with the Lacoumette wedding.

In spite of her lasting heartache, Ginger finds herself swept up in the pleasure of the occasion. But the beauty of the Lacoumette farm and the joy of the gregarious family are ruined by an unfortunate encounter with the bride's brother, Matt. Struggling with painful memories of his own recent divorce, Matt makes a drunken spectacle of himself and Ginger when he tries to make a pass at her, forcing Ginger to flee the scene in embarrassment.

But when Matt shows up at the flower shop determined to make amends, what started out as a humiliating first meeting blossoms into something much deeper than either of them expected. Discovering they have a lot in common, they form a solid friendship, though everyone around them worries that Ginger will end up with a broken heart yet again. But if Ginger has the courage to embrace the future, and if Matt can finally learn to let go of the past, there may still be hope for a happy ending.

Thunder Point becomes a home away from home when you start reading it. You know everyone, it's just a place to escape to.

The way Matt & Ginger met was disastrous and the way he made it up to her was perfect! I love when both characters go through similar situations because I think it makes them closer together. Matt was everything that Ginger needed and the same goes for Ginger. Even if they didn't realize it in the beginning. It was there. You could feel the chemistry coming off of the pages.

I felt so bad for what both Matt & Ginger had to go through to get them to this moment. Lots of heartbreak.

A New Hope is full of new beginnings and new chances.

Robyn Carr does it again! A wonderful read!

My rating 4.5.
Ginger had fallen under the spell of a second rate musician who warned her he wasn’t really the settling down type. She worked hard but the marriage failed and she suffered more than just the lose of a self-centered husband; she lost a child too. Ginger moved to Thunder Point to get a new start and to regroup from the emotional losses. She finds herself enjoying new friends in a warm community although she has no plans to try romance again for years.

Matt got married in a fever. It took a little less than a year to learn that their chemistry wouldn't survive their different goals and life styles. Matt spent the next year running through women and figuring it would be a long time before he risked marriage again.

Matt met Ginger at his sister’s wedding when he was drunk and practically groped her. His apology dinner turns out well and they quickly find they enjoy being friends with long, late-night phone calls and visits to share time. Soon they each have to decide if they are willing to risk their hearts to share more than friendship.

This is a strong romance for Ginger and Matt plus the reader gets to enjoy more romance with two other newly wed couples. The characters are well developed, the dialogue is natural and the smooth pacing makes for easy reading. The romances are sweet, conflicted and with just the right touch of sizzle. There are details of work and local interests that add to the story.

In my opinion Robyn Carr is in the top of the writer field when it comes to contemporary, small town romance. Her characters are real and there are always true to life problems and emotions to overcome. Ms. Carr describes human relationships with such insight and feeling that I have to wonder if she has studied psychology. I wouldn’t want a steady diet of small town, family drama and relationships, but when I am in the mood, I know I can pick up a Robyn Carr novel and enjoy a lovely reading experience.

This is part of a series but read fine as a stand alone. I highly recommend this book, and this author, for a touching, uplifting read.
I received this title for an honest review.

3.5/5 A New Hope is the 8th entry in the Thunder Point series by best selling author Robyn Carr.

I don't read a lot of romance, but a co-worker mentioned that she had enjoyed quite a few Robyn Carr titles. I was looking for an easy, feel good read, so A New Hope seemed like a good bet.

Ginger Dysart has suffered great personal loss. Still grieving, she moves to the small town of Thunder Point, Oregon, to help out her cousin. Carr quickly introduces us to the many residents of the town, each with their own story and personality. I must admit to feeling slightly overwhelmed in the beginning, with the sheer number of story lines and connections.

Ginger is a likable character, as are most of the players. Thunder Point is that mythical little town, where everyone knows your name (and your business) the neighbours pitch in and help is always just around the corner. Idyllic and a perfect setting.

At a local wedding, Ginger is hit on by a drunken Matt Lacoumette, who has also suffered loss. Sober, he comes by to apologize to Ginger and.....well, you can see it coming can't you? No surprise - - their relationship grows from no thanks, to friends and onward. Carr grows this relationship nicely, with more than a few truths and some thoughtful introspection along the way.

My only complaint would be the inclusion of what I viewed as somewhat gratuitous sex scenes. No, it's not me being prudish. I just thought they felt forced, or injected into the story as a prerequisite element. I was enjoying the story without these insertions.

What I did really enjoy was that caring town and its residents. Carr has included a wide variety of characters, from young to old, each with their own story. It's easy to see why readers get hooked on such series. It's lovely to imagine such a place as Thunder Point might exist.

The growing relationship between Ginger and Matt is of course a given, despite the setbacks thrown in their paths. But that's why we read romance isn't it? For that happy ever after. Readers will find that ending in A New Hope.

I look forward to each installment in Robyn Carr's Thunder Point series. The books do stand alone, however they share the wonderfully special Thunder Point setting and a cast of quirky supporting characters. In addition, characters from prior and future books appear in other stories, so for that reason, as well as how exquisitely they are crafted, I suggest you read the series in order. A New Hope is the eighth book set in Thunder Point, and it features two very broken people as it's hero and heroine. Each is coping with a loss; and all the baggage that goes with loss including the cessation of dreams. Their meeting is not cute, but their journey back to life and love is emotional and enchanting. This one was a difficult read for me, because the heroine was dealing with the loss of her child. I appreciated Robyn Carr's very realistic and layered portrait of grief. It took me awhile to warm up to the hero, but he does eventually redeem himself. Waiting patiently for book 9.
*I received my copy through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Ginger Dysart is suffering from a broken heart. Over the last year, her marriage to a wanna-be rock star failed and her infant son died from SIDS. Looking for a fresh start and wanting to heal, Ginger moves to Thunder Point and starts working in a flower shop. Matt Lacoumette, a part-time professor/farmer, has turned to the bottle, still reeling from a stunning betrayal from someone who’d sworn to love him. When the two meet at a wedding, fate pushes them together and they soon find themselves falling in love. However, Ginger is reluctant to continue a relationship with someone so filled with hurt and rage. Instead she wants Matt to forgive the person that has wronged him, learn to trust again, as not to bring those feelings into a new relationship, which would kill their budding future.

Overall, this was an easy to read novel. However, I was at a disadvantage because I hadn’t read any other novels in the Thunder Point series. I am sure that Robyn Carr intended this to be a stand along novel, but clearly there were storylines developed in previous books. As a result, some of the intuitive things about the story confused me, which made some of the storylines seem forced or underdeveloped. There were also times that some of the characters seemed overwhelming, irritating or over the top. For example, there were times that Matt seemed too broodish, too stubborn, even though I agree he had been wronged but still …pull… it…together. Meanwhile, Ginger seemed a little too forgiving….I mean forgive, but don’t forget…in other words, why bend to meet with an ex-husband who clearly didn’t give a darn about you or his deceased son, only to say that you were the better person? And then there were certain other characters whose storylines, I am assuming, were explained in previous novels or will be explained in future ones. These just seemed to be thrown in there. Perhaps if I was familiar with this series, I would have really enjoyed this story a lot more than I did. Regardless, I would give this book a 2.5 to 3 stars.

Ginger and Matt have had serious heartache in their previous marriages. Ginger is starting to come back to herself when a drunken Matt gropes her at a wedding. You’d think that would be the end of their relationship right? Wrong. That night starts a beautiful friendship.

I loved the start of the book, meeting was hilarious! A great “the first time we met” story to share with folks years later and laugh about. I loved their friendship. How they ended up being two people with more in common than they thought and how they found it so easy to open up to one another.

I loved their romance. It wasn’t rushed, it didn’t feel forced or fake. It felt right.

So why only 3 stars? Somewhere along the line it got kind of boring and I lost my focus. Somewhere around the ¾ mark I think the pace stalled and I found myself easily setting it aside. I started out laughing and thinking this would be another favorite… Unfortunately it fell a little flat.

Cherise Everhard, July 2015

Ginger is recovering from so much personal tragedy; a failed marriage, a baby who died from SIDS, and she has come to Thunder Point to stay with her aunt. After a short time, Ray Anne insists she venture outside, get a haircut, some new clothes that fit her, and attempt to get her life on track. Ginger gets a job in the flower shop with Grace and things begin to slowly improve.
Ginger and Grace have to do the flowers for Matt's sister Peyton's wedding. At the reception, Matt approaches Ginger, but because of his drunken state, he accidently gropes Ginger, who pushes Matt away. He is unsteady, falls to the ground, and hit his head on the table and on the ground "knocking" himself out. Paco, Matt's father, poured a bucket of ice water over Matt's head to wake him up and then the family took him to the ER to make sure he didn't bust his head. A short time later, Matt shows up in Thunder Point to grovel to both Ginger and his sister because he knows he needs to "man up". Ginger, of course, accepts Matt's apology and against her better judgment, agrees to have dinner with him. Once the awkwardness is over, they find they enjoy each other's company. Segments of their past slowly are shared with one another and a friendship develop.
This is a beautiful story filled with new hope for several characters within the book, some we've met before in previous stories, and new friends we meet in this one. I thoroughly enjoy Ms. Carr's books and this one didn't disappoint.

Once again Robyn Carr hit it out of the park. A New Hope is the story of two people who need fresh starts in their lives. Ginger Dysart was a divorced mom who lost her baby to SIDS almost a year prior, and struggled with her grief. Matt Lacoumette was struggling with life after divorce and the feeling of failure. The two meet when Matt is stinking drunk at his sister Peyton's wedding to Scott Grant. Ginger pushes Matt away when he makes a pass at her and he knocks himself out when he falls to the ground. Their romance begins as Matt apologizes. They both see something in each beside their shared experience of being divorced. Carr takes us through their journey as they deal with their ex-spouses, their past hurts and their growing love for each other.

I enjoyed reading about their journeys as well as other members of town of Thunder Point. Ms. Carr neatly wove into this story the wedding of Grace Dillon (Ginger’s boss) and Troy Headly along with the move of Grace’s mother, Winnie, who suffers from ALS, to Thunder Point. Other members of the town of Thunder Point also made appearances, showing how strong of a community it was.

I loved the way Robyn Carr took the reader along on Ginger and Matt’s journey to finding themselves, letting go of their anger and their pasts. She showed the growth in the relationship between these two characters as well as how their love for each other continued to grow. I highly recommend this book to all readers and I cannot wait for the next story in this series.

Robyn Carr does not disappoint as she tells the story of Ginger Dysart and Matt Lacoumette. Surrounded by others we have come to know in her Thunder Point series the story flows off the pages. I was pleased that this is not a "formula romance" where boy meets girl, they connect, the relationship grows until there is a major misunderstanding that is resolved in the final pages and they live happily ever after. Instead, we witness two people who got off to a very rocky start at their first meeting. He, being drunk, comes on to her in about the worst way possible, she resists, shoves him and the resulting head injury results in paramedics taking him to the hospital. He seeks her out to apologize and the journey to happily ever after begins, but not without tests and trials. But in their case, they stick together and work out their problems together. Robyn teaches us much about the emotional toll of divorce, the grief in loosing a child, and the role of supporting families and friends. This was a page turning story with protagonists worthy of emulation.

I've read and enjoyed all the Thunder Point books but this one was kind of uninteresting. Part of the problem for me was neither Ginger nor Matt had a backstory that made me sympathize with them and understand why they got together now. Ginger married a wanna-be rock star with a huge ego and Matt married a wanna-be model who just wants to party. Both marriages end in divorce which one would expect except these weren't teenage marriages, they were both in their late twenties. Ginger goes from a hot mess to some type of Yoda dispensing wisdom and kindness while Mad Matt (I hated that name) finally learns to forgive. And that's after they meet where he's drunk and gropes her and she pushes him away and he falls down and knocks himself out.
I was much more interested in all the other folks who appeared in the story from previous books. I would have like to hear more about them. One of the reasons I like Ms. Carr's books is that she incorporates the whole town, weaving in several stories, but in A New Hope I felt she concentrated on the main couple too much. Charlie and his mother were introduced as new members of the town but not enough happened with them.
The writing was a little abrupt and the sex scenes seemed off. There were times when I thought Matt didn't have to just grab Ginger and take her to bed, they could have a little conversation first. I like this series and I'll continue to read but I was disappointed with this one.

Ginger is finally healing and our tale begins at the Lacoumette Wedding where she is unexpected accosted by the bride’s brother Matt, who may have had a few too many. Ginger’s response only reaffirmed my feeling for her. The tale really gets interesting when Matt shows up at the flower shop to apologize. A slow friendship develops between these two damaged characters. I loved how it unfolded and had to laugh at friends and family’s interference. The little town of Thunder Point is very protective of Ginger. Unless you are Rae Ann, who believes a good toss in the hay cures all.

Carr made their growing relationship feel genuine as they confessed their secrets, shared their pain and declared they would never love again. Ha, we all know how those declarations go. Their romance was sweet and weaved in heat beside tender moments that gave me the feels.

Of course, we could not return to Thunder Point without updates from townsfolk. We get updates on Grace and Dillon who are working on getting her Momma situated and I loved seeing the couple again. We see development in their relationship as well, but my lips are sealed. You will need to discover those for yourself. Carr also introduced a new character Lin Lu and her son. Of course, she already has me caring for this proud woman and I cannot wait for their story. Copy provided by publisher and review originally posted at caffeinated book reviewer

Imagine, you are having a leisurely walk down the beach, and you meet lots of people, who gets the chance to tell you part of their history. And you feel like these people become your friends as you hear them tell their stories. They are warm, friendly, helpful and caring. They are willing to do anything for their friends, and protect them if needed. And then there, in the midst of these people you meet Matt and Ginger.
Both of them have such a painful past, disappointments, pain, hurt, anger, and sorrow. They have the most unconventional way of meeting each other, but soon they form a solid friendship, including lots of late night phone conversations, where they share parts of their lives, help each other cope, confront their past, heal, and mend old wounds, and finally forgive. They have a journey to take, to get through all the obstacles, but they support each other, lean on each other when going gets rough, are there for each other, get to know each other, until more, deeper feelings, love, grows in between them.
This is a powerful story about moving on, forgiveness, and letting your past failures go. It is heartfelt and touching, I laughed out loud, smiled and teared up. It's filled with stories from the Thunder Point, from several points of views, a summer with friends, big families, and a new hope for a brighter future.
~ Four Spoons

In Robyn Carr’s “A New Hope”, Ginger and Matt meet under less than ideal circumstances. Still grieving over the loss of her infant son, Ginger is just starting over by having moved to Thunder Point and getting a job in a florist’s shop. At a wedding of her friend the florist who is also Matt’s sister, Ginger meets Matt. Unfortunately he is fully drunk as he too is recovering from loss…in his case the loss of his marriage. In his drunken state, Matt offends Ginger. When he shows up in Thunder Point to apologize, sparks fly between the two. Matt and Ginger are both gun shy; however, author Carr builds a well-crafted and engaging story exploring whether Matt and Ginger will be able to overcome past grief and forge a path ahead together.

Another great reading filled with great characters, and a well-paced story…

I am still a huge Robyn Carr fan!

I really loved this story. Which is not unusual when it comes to this series. I loved the way both Ginger and Matt decided to be "friends" and would talk to each other on the phone for hours, like teenagers. It was very sweet. I loved how that phone connection enabled them to tell each other things they haven't (couldn't) tell anyone else.

I know a lot of readers of this series have issues when the author gives too many details of other characters, but I love that aspect of her books. It really makes me feel like I know the whole town and shows that the main characters in each book aren't living in a bubble. In this story in particular, I enjoyed the side story of Charlie and his mom. Of course, it's a great set up for the next book, too. I have a soft spot for nerdy kids and I'm hoping the next book is just as much about Charlie as it is about Lin Su.

A New Hope, the newest addition to Robyn Carr’s heartwarming Thunder Point series, is a wonderful story of healing. This incredibly sweet friends to lovers romance pairs up two wounded people who are struggling to overcome the heartbreak from their previous relationships.

A new job in Thunder Point is just what Ginger Dysart needed to begin healing from a devastating personal loss. She loves working in Grace’s flower shop and she is also enjoying the new friends she has made. Ginger has made significant progress on figuring out what went wrong in her marriage and she has forgiven herself and her ex-husband for the mistakes that lead to their divorce. Despite her lingering grief, she is at a good place in her life but while she may be prepared to make a commitment to staying in Thunder Point, Ginger is not ready for a new relationship.

Matt Lacoumette is still deeply bitter and angry over his divorce and he is nowhere near ready to relinquish his animosity towards his ex-wife. He also maintains an emotional distance from his close family and he has not confided in them about what lead to his divorce. Although he has been dating for the past year, Matt has no intention of committing to a serious relationship. However, after his disastrous incident with Ginger at his sister’s wedding reception, Matt knows it is time to clean up his act and settle back into his normal life.

Matt and Ginger quickly move past their embarrassing first meeting and their recent divorces unexpectedly provide common ground between them. They both find it relatively easy to discuss their failed relationships and their casual acquaintance soon deepens to friendship. They gradually transition from friends to lovers with both of them agreeing to take things slow. Matt has the most difficult time with their new romance and when he withdraws from her, Ginger has enough confidence in herself to let him go. Although their relationship easily recovers from this misstep, Matt’s unresolved issues continue to plague their blossoming romance. Ginger gently encourages him to let him go of his lingering bitterness and anger but it is not until he is finally able to confide his deepest hurt that he can truly forgive and fully commit to a future with Ginger.

A New Hope by Robyn Carr is a beautiful novel of friendship, family and love. It is well-written with a poignant and emotional storyline. The characters are lifelike and vibrantly developed with realistic issues and problems to overcome. Heartfelt and moving, it is a powerful addition to the Thunder Point series that old and new fans are sure to enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

I got this book for my mom as she was looking for a new author to read. After getting this book thru the the store VINE program, it is my understanding that this is the 8th book in the series. Guess I am going to have to buy mom 7 other books after what she said about this book. She loved it and wants me to get all of Robyn Carr books.
Thunder Point comes alive in this book. With characters like Ginger Dysart and Matt Thunder Point is like so many small towns in America.
Robyn Carr does an excellent job taking the reader thru a journey with Ginger Dysart as she try’s to find new hope starting over in small town Thunder Point.
This is a well written book and I am not buying the rest of series for my mom.

Every visit to Robyn Carr's fictional town Thunder Point, Oregon makes me wish I could become a permanent resident! This is the 8th addition to her Thunder Point series and focuses on the characters Matt and Ginger, two people who have suffered the tragic loss of faith in love, having children, and their own ability to move forward from the past and embrace a better future together. Along their journey, they encounter the wonder and the strength of the community that is Thunder Point. I can't wait til my next visit. Although this book is part of a wonderful series, it can be read as a standalone and has no cliffhangers.

"New Hope" by Robyn Carr is the 8th novel in the Thunder Point series. I got hooked on Robyn Carr's books when I read the Virgin River series. The Thunder Point series is a spin off from the Virgin River series. The books can be read as a standalone book but I think you get more out of the books if you read them in order. "New Hope" is about hope, renewal, and second chances. I loved catching up with the other characters from the other books in the Thunder Point series. Ginger and Matt's romance was sweet. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow and learn to forgive and move on. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. If you haven't read any of the Virgin River or Thunder Point series, I recommend that you do. These are two great series!

I loved Ginger. She’d been through so much and had learned from her past experiences. The scene where she met Matt made me laugh out loud. Their story picked up from there and on the last page of the book I was very happy with their progress. Matt was all about getting over his first marriage but he had never truly faced why that marriage failed – that perhaps he shared some of the responsibility. He had a lot of anger to let go. I appreciate how Carr wove the theme of forgiveness through the novel.

There are a couple of related subplots that will arc into the next book (or two). I can’t wait to see how they progress. I really enjoyed A New Hope and recommend it to fans of the series and Robyn Carr. 4.5 stars
*I received a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion

After losing her child, Ginger Dysart was lost in grief. But since moving to Thunder Point, she is finally moving forward. Her job at the flower shop is peaceful and fulfilling, and she's excited to start her first big assignment, assisting with the Lacoumette wedding.

It's there she meets the bride's brother, Matt. Struggling from his own recent divorce, Matt makes a drunken spectacle of himself and Ginger when he tries to make a pass at her.

Matt shows up in Thunder Point determined to make amends and what started out as a humiliating first meeting blossoms into something much deeper than either of them expected.

I found the building of the relationship between Ginger and Matt believable. It didn't feel rushed or fake and held true emotion. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series to see what else the future holds for Ginger and Matt.

As is true of all the Thunder Point books you're introduced to additional new characters as well as given updates on some from the past. Haven't read the rest of the series? It won't take away from the telling of this story but I recommend reading the series. It'll provide you with the in depth stories of the other characters you'll read about.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Here we meet Ginger, a young woman who has suffered a great loss. Thanks to her aunt Deanne, the local realtor Ginger has a shot a starting over in a new town. I feel in love with the character as she regained her strength and found her heart with Matt Lacoumette who has had his own form of heartbreak! Once again I loved the character stories which includes continuing stories from the previous book in the series.

I love Robyn Carr books. Her Virgin River series is my favorite series. I have read all of the books in the Thunder Point series as well and I must say they do not disappoint. Strong characters and story lines. In each book there are characters from previous books so it is as if you are reconnecting with old friends each time you read a Robyn Carr book.

Matt and Ginger are a great couple. Each coming off disasterous marriages, not looking for a relationship. They are drawn to each other as friends first. Pick up a copy and let yourself relax at the beach of Thunder point.

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

The latest Thunder Point book and as I always say they keep getting better and better. Ginger the main character in this book, made a brief appearance in the previous book, but she takes center stage in this one. Matt our other main character also made an appearance in the previous book, but you hear more from him in this one.

Matt and Ginger come across each other in the first chapter at a wedding that Ginger is helping with the flowers and Matt is brother to the bride, but still reeling from the break up of his own marriage and a wedding isn't the place for him to be at the moment.

I love the Thunder Point series. However, this book was by far the least enjoyable. Some of the emotional scenes were very well written...enough to bring you to tears. However, I did not think nearly enough attention was paid to the development of the relationship between Matt and Ginger. It started off great. But then all of a sudden, they were in love. Way too contrived. Also, I have already read the story of Grace and Troy. This book seemed to be as much about them, or Grace's mother, as Matt and Ginger. Bottom line, I did not like it, but I am looking forward to the next book. I did like the way Lin Su and her son were introduced. Again, I do love the series.....just not this book.

I received this product for free for my unbiased and honest opinion. I was not paid for this. I really wanted to enjoy this series but I do not think this is the type of story for me. The writing appears bland and just does not grab me. These will be likely a slow read for me so I will update if I actually am able to finish. I think it might be due to the fact I am from Washington but need something more from my books from the beginning instead of descriptions of beaches or North Bend.

I really like this series a lot but not every book is a 5 star read in a series. This one is. It crafts a complex rapport between 2 people who have lost at love. These are adults who have suffered loss and the community comes together to support them. I always love the Basque content and it is strong here.

It is great to see a series this far along still coming up with depth of character and plot. Ginger and Matt make a fine backdrop to the ongoing regional storyline. Carr has done a very good job making me care about new characters.

I am falling in love with Robyn Carr’s Thunder Point series. This is the eighth book in the series and the fifth one I’ve read; I really need to go back and read the few I’ve missed. In this book both Ginger and Matt are recovering from broken hearts, Ginger over the devastating loss of her child and Matt over his divorce. I loved reading how an initial embarrassing encounter turned into a friendship which turns into a romance, and I loved reading each character’s healing journey. Each and every one of these books contains a beautiful love story, and A New Hope is no exception.

A New Hope is the eighth book in Robyn Carr’s Thunder Point series. I have been a fan of this series from the beginning. I have enjoyed all the books so far, and I was so looking forward to Ginger’s story after meeting her in the previous book. I fell in love with Ginger and my heart broke for her as she came to Thunder Point to put her life back together after the loss of her marriage and her infant son. Sadly this book was such a let-down for me.

Have you ever read a book that you just could not put your finger on why you didn’t like it? That happened with me after finishing A New Hope. I can’t tell you oh I didn’t like this book because of… When I finished the book I just thought that’s it. That’s Ginger’s story. That is what I waited for. I just felt blah, and that has never really happened to me after reading Robyn Carr. I was kind of thrown off by it. I just felt that Ginger’s story could have been so much more. I could not decide if I liked Ginger with Matt or not. I could not even decide if I liked Matt for that matter. For me there was just something missing and still after finishing the book weeks ago and re-reading parts, I just can’t put my finger on it. It just did nothing for me and I hate to say that, because I love Robyn Carr and her writing. I can’t tell you how many times I recommend her Virgin River series as well as this series to others looking for great contemporary romance.

I did enjoy seeing into the lives of the past couples. I am still missing the interaction between the teens, who are now in college. I will say even after being let-down with Ginger’s story, Ms. Carr still managed to get me interested in Lin and Charlie who will be the focus of Wildest Dreams the next book in the series.

My blah feelings for A New Hope will not stop me from continuing to read this series. I am still very much looking forward to see what happens with Lin and Charlie.

Review copy provided for an honest review.

Robyn Carr is a favorite author of mine and I've really enjoyed her Thunder Point series. This is yet another installment and it definitely lives up to all of the previous titles.

A New Hope is a wonderful story about love and healing and moving forward and when you learn to do that in Thunder Point, you'll find yourself surrounded by lots of people who love you.

I am giving A New Hope five stars and I highly recommend it. It is a great summer/fall read.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book 8 in the Thunderpoint Series continues the series as if this is one extended story continuing with the wedding we ended with in book seven. The focus simply shifts to another couple.

What has always made these books worth reading is the fact that the action takes place inside a community in which all the characters are given equal attention. The world they live in isn’t just background, it becomes real in our minds.

One quibble, the dog on the cover should be a Great Dane like Ham, Sarah’s dog....

This book was a slow read for me. Characters revolve around the Town of Thunder Point, they are predictable in the love story factor. Some of it is sad to see the hardships Ginger went through, and things to overcome in life, and how she comes together with Matt slowly through the storyline. Each Robyn Carr book has these typed of storylines from this town, but you don't have to read chronologically to understand them.

Another Thunder Point novel, this time Ginger Dysart, who works at Grace's flower shop, is finally coming out of her grief following her baby's death from SIDS. She's set aside her disgust that her musician husband couldn't be bothered to be there for her. If only he'd leave her alone; after all, they've been divorced for two years. Then, at a wedding where she's helping out, drunk Matt Lacoumette comes on to her and gropes her. In her effort to get away from him, he ends up knocked out on the floor, creating a scene that is both embarrassing for Ginger and disgusting for the bride and groom.

Matt's still hurting from his ex-wife's behavior, not fully explained until late in the story, which gives him an excuse for living up to the Mad Matt nickname his sister has given him, but still... Groping a wedding guest is a bit much.

Matt is mortified at his behavior--after he realizes what he did--and insists on coming to the flower shop to apologize to Ginger. She doesn't need an apology, but can't help herself and decides to satisfy her curiosity about him. What accepting his apology leads to is not something either she or Matt would have predicted, but each deserves a happily-ever-after and the author delivers nicely. Not a surprise, but nicely.

I got this book for my mom as she was looking for a new author to read. After getting this book thru the the store VINE program, it is my understanding that this is the 8th book in the series. Guess I am going to have to buy mom 7 other books after what she said about this book. She loved it and wants me to get all of Robyn Carr books.
Thunder Point comes alive in this book. With characters like Ginger Dysart and Matt Thunder Point is like so many small towns in America.
Robyn Carr does an excellent job taking the reader thru a journey with Ginger Dysart as she try’s to find new hope starting over in small town Thunder Point.
This is a well written book and I am not buying the rest of series for my mom.

Every visit to Robyn Carr's fictional town Thunder Point, Oregon makes me wish I could become a permanent resident! This is the 8th addition to her Thunder Point series and focuses on the characters Matt and Ginger, two people who have suffered the tragic loss of faith in love, having children, and their own ability to move forward from the past and embrace a better future together. Along their journey, they encounter the wonder and the strength of the community that is Thunder Point. I can't wait til my next visit. Although this book is part of a wonderful series, it can be read as a standalone and has no cliffhangers.

"New Hope" by Robyn Carr is the 8th novel in the Thunder Point series. I got hooked on Robyn Carr's books when I read the Virgin River series. The Thunder Point series is a spin off from the Virgin River series. The books can be read as a standalone book but I think you get more out of the books if you read them in order. "New Hope" is about hope, renewal, and second chances. I loved catching up with the other characters from the other books in the Thunder Point series. Ginger and Matt's romance was sweet. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow and learn to forgive and move on. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. If you haven't read any of the Virgin River or Thunder Point series, I recommend that you do. These are two great series!

I loved Ginger. She’d been through so much and had learned from her past experiences. The scene where she met Matt made me laugh out loud. Their story picked up from there and on the last page of the book I was very happy with their progress. Matt was all about getting over his first marriage but he had never truly faced why that marriage failed – that perhaps he shared some of the responsibility. He had a lot of anger to let go. I appreciate how Carr wove the theme of forgiveness through the novel.

There are a couple of related subplots that will arc into the next book (or two). I can’t wait to see how they progress. I really enjoyed A New Hope and recommend it to fans of the series and Robyn Carr. 4.5 stars
*I received a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion

After losing her child, Ginger Dysart was lost in grief. But since moving to Thunder Point, she is finally moving forward. Her job at the flower shop is peaceful and fulfilling, and she's excited to start her first big assignment, assisting with the Lacoumette wedding.

It's there she meets the bride's brother, Matt. Struggling from his own recent divorce, Matt makes a drunken spectacle of himself and Ginger when he tries to make a pass at her.

Matt shows up in Thunder Point determined to make amends and what started out as a humiliating first meeting blossoms into something much deeper than either of them expected.

I found the building of the relationship between Ginger and Matt believable. It didn't feel rushed or fake and held true emotion. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series to see what else the future holds for Ginger and Matt.

As is true of all the Thunder Point books you're introduced to additional new characters as well as given updates on some from the past. Haven't read the rest of the series? It won't take away from the telling of this story but I recommend reading the series. It'll provide you with the in depth stories of the other characters you'll read about.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Here we meet Ginger, a young woman who has suffered a great loss. Thanks to her aunt Deanne, the local realtor Ginger has a shot a starting over in a new town. I feel in love with the character as she regained her strength and found her heart with Matt Lacoumette who has had his own form of heartbreak! Once again I loved the character stories which includes continuing stories from the previous book in the series.

I love Robyn Carr books. Her Virgin River series is my favorite series. I have read all of the books in the Thunder Point series as well and I must say they do not disappoint. Strong characters and story lines. In each book there are characters from previous books so it is as if you are reconnecting with old friends each time you read a Robyn Carr book.

Matt and Ginger are a great couple. Each coming off disasterous marriages, not looking for a relationship. They are drawn to each other as friends first. Pick up a copy and let yourself relax at the beach of Thunder point.

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

The latest Thunder Point book and as I always say they keep getting better and better. Ginger the main character in this book, made a brief appearance in the previous book, but she takes center stage in this one. Matt our other main character also made an appearance in the previous book, but you hear more from him in this one.

Matt and Ginger come across each other in the first chapter at a wedding that Ginger is helping with the flowers and Matt is brother to the bride, but still reeling from the break up of his own marriage and a wedding isn't the place for him to be at the moment.

I love the Thunder Point series. However, this book was by far the least enjoyable. Some of the emotional scenes were very well written...enough to bring you to tears. However, I did not think nearly enough attention was paid to the development of the relationship between Matt and Ginger. It started off great. But then all of a sudden, they were in love. Way too contrived. Also, I have already read the story of Grace and Troy. This book seemed to be as much about them, or Grace's mother, as Matt and Ginger. Bottom line, I did not like it, but I am looking forward to the next book. I did like the way Lin Su and her son were introduced. Again, I do love the series.....just not this book.

I received this product for free for my unbiased and honest opinion. I was not paid for this. I really wanted to enjoy this series but I do not think this is the type of story for me. The writing appears bland and just does not grab me. These will be likely a slow read for me so I will update if I actually am able to finish. I think it might be due to the fact I am from Washington but need something more from my books from the beginning instead of descriptions of beaches or North Bend.

I really like this series a lot but not every book is a 5 star read in a series. This one is. It crafts a complex rapport between 2 people who have lost at love. These are adults who have suffered loss and the community comes together to support them. I always love the Basque content and it is strong here.

It is great to see a series this far along still coming up with depth of character and plot. Ginger and Matt make a fine backdrop to the ongoing regional storyline. Carr has done a very good job making me care about new characters.

I am falling in love with Robyn Carr’s Thunder Point series. This is the eighth book in the series and the fifth one I’ve read; I really need to go back and read the few I’ve missed. In this book both Ginger and Matt are recovering from broken hearts, Ginger over the devastating loss of her child and Matt over his divorce. I loved reading how an initial embarrassing encounter turned into a friendship which turns into a romance, and I loved reading each character’s healing journey. Each and every one of these books contains a beautiful love story, and A New Hope is no exception.

A New Hope is the eighth book in Robyn Carr’s Thunder Point series. I have been a fan of this series from the beginning. I have enjoyed all the books so far, and I was so looking forward to Ginger’s story after meeting her in the previous book. I fell in love with Ginger and my heart broke for her as she came to Thunder Point to put her life back together after the loss of her marriage and her infant son. Sadly this book was such a let-down for me.

Have you ever read a book that you just could not put your finger on why you didn’t like it? That happened with me after finishing A New Hope. I can’t tell you oh I didn’t like this book because of… When I finished the book I just thought that’s it. That’s Ginger’s story. That is what I waited for. I just felt blah, and that has never really happened to me after reading Robyn Carr. I was kind of thrown off by it. I just felt that Ginger’s story could have been so much more. I could not decide if I liked Ginger with Matt or not. I could not even decide if I liked Matt for that matter. For me there was just something missing and still after finishing the book weeks ago and re-reading parts, I just can’t put my finger on it. It just did nothing for me and I hate to say that, because I love Robyn Carr and her writing. I can’t tell you how many times I recommend her Virgin River series as well as this series to others looking for great contemporary romance.

I did enjoy seeing into the lives of the past couples. I am still missing the interaction between the teens, who are now in college. I will say even after being let-down with Ginger’s story, Ms. Carr still managed to get me interested in Lin and Charlie who will be the focus of Wildest Dreams the next book in the series.

My blah feelings for A New Hope will not stop me from continuing to read this series. I am still very much looking forward to see what happens with Lin and Charlie.

Review copy provided for an honest review.

Ginger is in the process of letting go all the anger she feels for her ex. She is making new friends. She is learning a new job. Matt is another angry person. His marriage fell apart and tends to drink to much. At Peyton's wedding things changed. Suffice it to say, Matt owed Ginger an apology. She accepted. They had such a good time at dinner, they agreed to be friends. They actually understood each other. Only the anger they each had for their ex's could harm them. It was all about letting go and forgiving in order to be happy together. Enjoyed the book.

Robyn Carr is a favorite author of mine and I've really enjoyed her Thunder Point series. This is yet another installment and it definitely lives up to all of the previous titles.

A New Hope is a wonderful story about love and healing and moving forward and when you learn to do that in Thunder Point, you'll find yourself surrounded by lots of people who love you.

I am giving A New Hope five stars and I highly recommend it. It is a great summer/fall read.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book 8 in the Thunderpoint Series continues the series as if this is one extended story continuing with the wedding we ended with in book seven. The focus simply shifts to another couple.

What has always made these books worth reading is the fact that the action takes place inside a community in which all the characters are given equal attention. The world they live in isn’t just background, it becomes real in our minds.

One quibble, the dog on the cover should be a Great Dane like Ham, Sarah’s dog....

This book was a slow read for me. Characters revolve around the Town of Thunder Point, they are predictable in the love story factor. Some of it is sad to see the hardships Ginger went through, and things to overcome in life, and how she comes together with Matt slowly through the storyline. Each Robyn Carr book has these typed of storylines from this town, but you don't have to read chronologically to understand them.

Another Thunder Point novel, this time Ginger Dysart, who works at Grace's flower shop, is finally coming out of her grief following her baby's death from SIDS. She's set aside her disgust that her musician husband couldn't be bothered to be there for her. If only he'd leave her alone; after all, they've been divorced for two years. Then, at a wedding where she's helping out, drunk Matt Lacoumette comes on to her and gropes her. In her effort to get away from him, he ends up knocked out on the floor, creating a scene that is both embarrassing for Ginger and disgusting for the bride and groom.

Matt's still hurting from his ex-wife's behavior, not fully explained until late in the story, which gives him an excuse for living up to the Mad Matt nickname his sister has given him, but still... Groping a wedding guest is a bit much.

Matt is mortified at his behavior--after he realizes what he did--and insists on coming to the flower shop to apologize to Ginger. She doesn't need an apology, but can't help herself and decides to satisfy her curiosity about him. What accepting his apology leads to is not something either she or Matt would have predicted, but each deserves a happily-ever-after and the author delivers nicely. Not a surprise, but nicely.

This story is a continuation of the Thunder Point stories so it helps to be familiar with the characters from the previous novels as they often return to play a part in the narrative. One of the things I like most about Carr's novels is that, mostly, her characters are not superfluous, they all help keep the story moving along and are often fairly 'real' representations of people. This was another enjoyable entry in the Thunder Point series and is recommended for fans of Carr or for someone who is looking for a nice, light read.

Robyn Carr has delivered, in this reader's opinion, the best Thunder Point installment so far. The pain that Matt and Ginger must overcome could have easily depressed the story, but the author handled the difficulties impressively. I attribute the friendship that develops between the two main characters as the reason the plot flowed so naturally. Also, these late additions to the series complement the established characters perfectly; looking forward to reading about Lin Su finding love in Wildest Dreams.

Robyn Carr is an excellent author. Even though it had been awhile since I had read the last book in this series, it was easy to catch up with the information provided in the first chapter. I can't wait to read her next book!!

A New Hope fits so many people, it was scary to realize how much the story hit home. Robyn Carr captures real life emotions, love and fear of understanding true feelings. Each story captures all the emotional things in every day life.

Robyn Carr has a way of getting you hooked on the story from the first page. And if you follow the different series she has written, the characters in the book have already been introduced. Thunder Point has become a town I am familiar with and I feel like I am visiting friends and people I care about when I read each story.

This is the story of Ginger and Matt and well worth the read. Both have similar history but have dealt with it in different ways. In order for their relationship to work Matt needs to get over his anger of his failed first marriage. Ginger needs to move forward knowing she is doing everything for the right reasons and not letting emotions take over. Can they make their relationship work? Can they each get past the history that has them on hold and move forward together? I really liked this couple, down to earth type people, who found their place in Thunder Point with the help and support of family and friends.

Once again Robyn Carr hit it out of the park. A New Hope is the story of two people who need fresh starts in their lives. Ginger Dysart was a divorced mom who lost her baby to SIDS almost a year prior, and struggled with her grief. Matt Lacoumette was struggling with life after divorce and the feeling of failure. The two meet when Matt is stinking drunk at his sister Peyton's wedding to Scott Grant. Ginger pushes Matt away when he makes a pass at her and he knocks himself out when he falls to the ground. Their romance begins as Matt apologizes. They both see something in each beside their shared experience of being divorced. Carr takes us through their journey as they deal with their ex-spouses, their past hurts and their growing love for each other.

I enjoyed reading about their journeys as well as other members of town of Thunder Point. Ms. Carr neatly wove into this story the wedding of Grace Dillon (Ginger’s boss) and Troy Headly along with the move of Grace’s mother, Winnie, who suffers from ALS, to Thunder Point. Other members of the town of Thunder Point also made appearances, showing how strong of a community it was.

I loved the way Robyn Carr took the reader along on Ginger and Matt’s journey to finding themselves, letting go of their anger and their pasts. She showed the growth in the relationship between these two characters as well as how their love for each other continued to grow. I highly recommend this book to all readers and I cannot wait for the next story in this series.

Ginger is in the process of letting go all the anger she feels for her ex. She is making new friends. She is learning a new job. Matt is another angry person. His marriage fell apart and tends to drink to much. At Peyton's wedding things changed. Suffice it to say, Matt owed Ginger an apology. She accepted. They had such a good time at dinner, they agreed to be friends. They actually understood each other. Only the anger they each had for their ex's could harm them. It was all about letting go and forgiving in order to be happy together. Enjoyed the book.