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The Lights By The Sea: A heartwarming Small Town, Grumpy/Sunshine cozy romance
A heartwarming Small Town, Grumpy/Sunshine cozy romance
Fresh starts, old movies, and the magic of finding family.
Autumn Hayes bought a crumbling 1920s cinema on impulse and a bottle of wine. Okay, mistakes were made.
But she's done with Boston, done with burnout, ready for a fresh start in a Maine fishing village where nobody knows her name. She’s got six weeks to restore the Grand Lady before opening night and prove she can build something that lasts.
Except the town's Police Chief won't let her breathe at all.
Ryan Cole shows up with code violations and pointed silences. He speaks in dry harbor humor that lands just wrong enough to make her blood pressure spike. The man still tends his grandfather's lighthouse in his off-hours and watches Autumn with those same steady keeper's eyes, like he's cataloging exactly how she'll disappoint him, because Ryan Cole rations words like they cost money.
The worst part? The insufferable man keeps showing up exactly when she needs him.
With a building that breathes and settles around her work, Gatsby, an aristocratic black cat that supervises from secret wall passages and a reclusive projectionist, Autumn just might be finding home.
For readers who love the magic of old buildings coming back to life, small towns that feel like a warm blanket, and the kind of romance where love is built with quiet devotion, one stubborn renovation at a time.
Fresh starts, old movies, and the magic of finding family.
Autumn Hayes bought a crumbling 1920s cinema on impulse and a bottle of wine. Okay, mistakes were made.
But she's done with Boston, done with burnout, ready for a fresh start in a Maine fishing village where nobody knows her name. She’s got six weeks to restore the Grand Lady before opening night and prove she can build something that lasts.
Except the town's Police Chief won't let her breathe at all.
Ryan Cole shows up with code violations and pointed silences. He speaks in dry harbor humor that lands just wrong enough to make her blood pressure spike. The man still tends his grandfather's lighthouse in his off-hours and watches Autumn with those same steady keeper's eyes, like he's cataloging exactly how she'll disappoint him, because Ryan Cole rations words like they cost money.
The worst part? The insufferable man keeps showing up exactly when she needs him.
With a building that breathes and settles around her work, Gatsby, an aristocratic black cat that supervises from secret wall passages and a reclusive projectionist, Autumn just might be finding home.
For readers who love the magic of old buildings coming back to life, small towns that feel like a warm blanket, and the kind of romance where love is built with quiet devotion, one stubborn renovation at a time.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 27, 2026
Typical frenemies to romance story. Bought sight unseen the old cinema could be wonderful if restored to it's former glory but it will cost more than she can afford unless there is help which shows up in the way of the townspeople.
April 18, 2026
Looking for a new start after working in the corporate world Amanda purchased an old theater site unseen. Little did she know how much work this theater required, that the town would show up to help, that the town, the theater and the theater cat would adopt her as a member of their community and that love would shortly follow but not without a lot of struggle, disappointment and resilience. A heart warming story about small town living.
May 3, 2026
This is the first book in a new series and one which I fell in love with after a couple of chapters.
Set in Northlight Cove, Maine in a small fishing village. Autumn buys a run down cinema on a whim and moves her life from Boston to Northlight Cove. What she didn't realise was how bad the cinema was until she got there!
A typical cosy romance, Autumn meets Ryan, the town's Police Chief and they immediately butt heads. There is also a cat called Gatsby who is typically aloof and disappears through walls it appears.
I've read books by this author before and enjoy her work. Leafwood Falls is a lovely, small town series and one I recommend.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Set in Northlight Cove, Maine in a small fishing village. Autumn buys a run down cinema on a whim and moves her life from Boston to Northlight Cove. What she didn't realise was how bad the cinema was until she got there!
A typical cosy romance, Autumn meets Ryan, the town's Police Chief and they immediately butt heads. There is also a cat called Gatsby who is typically aloof and disappears through walls it appears.
I've read books by this author before and enjoy her work. Leafwood Falls is a lovely, small town series and one I recommend.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
January 26, 2026
Oh wow!! Wonderful Story!
Story started rather slowly and held the pace. Characterizations are fantastic. I felt as though I was in the heart of the action in the small Maine town. I would love to be a town person who cared enough, was skilled enough to help with the cinema's restoration. The details were spot on and absolutely perfect. Loved the book so much, I would like to give it 10 stars. The book deserves no less.
Story started rather slowly and held the pace. Characterizations are fantastic. I felt as though I was in the heart of the action in the small Maine town. I would love to be a town person who cared enough, was skilled enough to help with the cinema's restoration. The details were spot on and absolutely perfect. Loved the book so much, I would like to give it 10 stars. The book deserves no less.
April 11, 2026
I wanted to give this 3 stars but I can't. The FMC does everything she can to get the theater up and running and the story was really good, but suddenly the FMC becomes completely stupid and makes the dumbest mistake despite having every opportunity to avoid it. I started to dislike her at that point cause it felt like she risked all the hard work the community did by being ignorant. Such a great book until then and after that I couldn't bring myself to care about her anymore.
March 4, 2026
I wasn’t sure with the slow start at first, thinking Leafwood Falls was so much better, but then I turned a page and the magic burst forth. Excellent story and so many great characters. I hope there are many more coming.
April 9, 2026
Excellent Read
The book never disappointed. It was a good story to keep you captivated. Just as balanced and invigorating like her other series. I hope she writes more about this town.
The book never disappointed. It was a good story to keep you captivated. Just as balanced and invigorating like her other series. I hope she writes more about this town.
May 23, 2026
I loved the setting of this book. I love the idea of renovating an old movie theater. I love romance books, but this one fell flat. The dialogue gave nothing and the characters had no depth. At 69% I was so annoyed with the FMC that I dnf’d this book.
June 25, 2026
Nice read
This was a sweet heartwarming story, well told and written. I fell in love with the characters and wished they were real. It was a nice, easy read that warmed my heart. Couldn’t ask for more.
This was a sweet heartwarming story, well told and written. I fell in love with the characters and wished they were real. It was a nice, easy read that warmed my heart. Couldn’t ask for more.
February 5, 2026
Absolutely phenominal!
Loved the beginning of the book but as I continued to read, the characters got much more interesting and the book was a must read.
Loved the beginning of the book but as I continued to read, the characters got much more interesting and the book was a must read.
March 31, 2026
Fantastic
Need more please!! Have read all of the bookstore books now need more Lights by the Sea !! I've been lost in these and don't want to be found!!
Need more please!! Have read all of the bookstore books now need more Lights by the Sea !! I've been lost in these and don't want to be found!!
May 9, 2026
Struggled.to keep reading
The characters all had their quirks amd.closeknit fronts. They knew what they wanted and helped with all they had. They were lovely.
The characters all had their quirks amd.closeknit fronts. They knew what they wanted and helped with all they had. They were lovely.
July 19, 2026
I wouldn’t say this was a grumpy / sunshine novel, and it was way too predictable. The only thing that wasn’t predictable was the cat.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews