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Blessed Inlet #1
Birthday Gift
He’s everything she thought she never wanted. She’s everything he never knew he needed.
Juniper Bell had no intention of having her baby in the middle of the bush by the light of a haloed moon. But when a truck runs her off the road and handsome stranger, William Locke, comes to her rescue, what can you do?
With a bouncing baby boy safely delivered, Juniper and William part ways, never expecting to see each other again.
Cupid, however, has other plans. When they meet by chance three years later, in the sunny seaside town of Blessed Inlet, he’s all business and she’s all boho. Still, sparks fly like the Fourth of July.
But disaster strikes when, madly in love, Juniper tries to step into William’s world. A world she thought she’d left behind for good.
Can these star-crossed lovers conquer the ghosts of their pasts to build the future they both long for?
Juniper Bell had no intention of having her baby in the middle of the bush by the light of a haloed moon. But when a truck runs her off the road and handsome stranger, William Locke, comes to her rescue, what can you do?
With a bouncing baby boy safely delivered, Juniper and William part ways, never expecting to see each other again.
Cupid, however, has other plans. When they meet by chance three years later, in the sunny seaside town of Blessed Inlet, he’s all business and she’s all boho. Still, sparks fly like the Fourth of July.
But disaster strikes when, madly in love, Juniper tries to step into William’s world. A world she thought she’d left behind for good.
Can these star-crossed lovers conquer the ghosts of their pasts to build the future they both long for?
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2021
1019 people are currently reading
3201 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
did-not-finish
April 16, 2022At 38%. I tried speeding through to make it but I just can’t. It’s an interesting premise but the writing could use some editing. The point of view pops around too much.
February 15, 2022
The relationship between William and Juniper is so freaking amazing. The history, the chemistry, all of it. I love the way William is with Billy, the way Billy just goes with the flow when it comes to Juniper and William’s relationship. I loved reading every line of this novel. I even started crying at the end of it. Especially because what I wanted to happen, happened. And I didn’t see it coming
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 9, 2022
first review - October 9th 2022 ⭐
this was something... 🤨
the book was poorly written
I don't think the characters had any chemistry at all
overall the book was pretty boring
this was something... 🤨
the book was poorly written
I don't think the characters had any chemistry at all
overall the book was pretty boring
May 15, 2023
Este libro deja en claro que cuando la vida quiere que las vidas de dos personas se crucen lo harán como sea, porque aunque ambos protagonistas sintieron algo mutuo no estaban seguros, pero luego se le dio el momento y todo lo qué pasó adelante fue grandioso.
April 6, 2024
I wish I DNF.
I wish I was strong enough to DNF but I had to finish it , story line was goodish, but I didn’t like them talking in the second person it was annoying. Some of the wording I didn’t enjoy either.
I wish I was strong enough to DNF but I had to finish it , story line was goodish, but I didn’t like them talking in the second person it was annoying. Some of the wording I didn’t enjoy either.
January 11, 2026
I'll be honest with you this book made me cry at the end but I absolutely love it the characters the story the build-up was absolutely brilliant and you know I must thank the author for a wonderful read. Happy reading.
February 7, 2023
Would be higher but its written in 3rd person which is so much harder to get into.
February 21, 2023
Episode dupe
March 11, 2025
Did not particularly enjoy this. A couple of scenes were good. Did not enjoy it being written in 3rd person, I found it confusing to understand which character was speaking etc. 3*s is being generous
May 23, 2022
This was a nice kinda short story with a sweet romance! Nothing too scandalous and an adorable single mom and a business man!
A few critiques, I didn’t love William’s attitude when they were back in Sydney. For the most part, he was just kinda a jerk. Another issue I had with this was the writing style/POV switches. It was really difficult to tell when we switched POVs or we had a significant time jump. It was like an extra blank line….
A few critiques, I didn’t love William’s attitude when they were back in Sydney. For the most part, he was just kinda a jerk. Another issue I had with this was the writing style/POV switches. It was really difficult to tell when we switched POVs or we had a significant time jump. It was like an extra blank line….
August 5, 2022
3.5 stars
October 11, 2022
This lighthearted romance told a sweet story revolving around a couple who were dealing with a right-person-wrong-time situation. Though the plot was straightforward, it had a rich setting with intricate characters that took this book from ordinary to something special. Having said that, this book wasn’t without its flaws, though the story was entertaining enough to overlook them.
This book’s character-driven plot stayed focused on the most important aspect: the romance. While other things were going on in the plot, I appreciated that the budding relationship between the main characters always had a prominent place and was the driving force behind any decisions the main couple made. The addition of the main character’s son added a perfect pinch of innocence to the plot that tied together nicely with the sweet romance and the fulfillment of creating a family bond. This story and its characters were heartfelt and adorable, and I really enjoyed reading their journey to finding each other again.
Unfortunately, this book could’ve used a couple more rounds of editing to polish both the story and the writing. The unreliable narration meant the POV would sometimes flip between the main characters no matter who’s POV the chapter was meant to be in, often in the middle of a paragraph. A third POV from a side character was included several times without any announcement to the reader, again often changing in the middle of a paragraph or a scene. Though this isn’t a big deal and can be overlooked easily enough, it was distracting and should’ve been caught before the book was published. Having finished the book and realizing it was written by two sisters who live in different countries, I understand why the issues with consistency happened, but I’m still a tad bit disappointed with the execution of this book.
This book also had a big problem with telling the reader what was going on rather than showing; this unfortunately made a lot of the text unnecessary and if I’m being honest, easily skipped as a lot of it wasn’t actually important to the plot. The sad thing is that this book told a beautiful story, but the need for more editing was distracting enough that it took away from the good.
Focusing on the positives, I really enjoyed reading about these characters and their heartfelt story, and I’m happy I picked this book up.
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
A quick mention for the MC having a panic attack (on page), a parent having a stroke (off page), and a car accident resulting in a roadside birth (accident off page; birth on page).
This book’s character-driven plot stayed focused on the most important aspect: the romance. While other things were going on in the plot, I appreciated that the budding relationship between the main characters always had a prominent place and was the driving force behind any decisions the main couple made. The addition of the main character’s son added a perfect pinch of innocence to the plot that tied together nicely with the sweet romance and the fulfillment of creating a family bond. This story and its characters were heartfelt and adorable, and I really enjoyed reading their journey to finding each other again.
Unfortunately, this book could’ve used a couple more rounds of editing to polish both the story and the writing. The unreliable narration meant the POV would sometimes flip between the main characters no matter who’s POV the chapter was meant to be in, often in the middle of a paragraph. A third POV from a side character was included several times without any announcement to the reader, again often changing in the middle of a paragraph or a scene. Though this isn’t a big deal and can be overlooked easily enough, it was distracting and should’ve been caught before the book was published. Having finished the book and realizing it was written by two sisters who live in different countries, I understand why the issues with consistency happened, but I’m still a tad bit disappointed with the execution of this book.
This book also had a big problem with telling the reader what was going on rather than showing; this unfortunately made a lot of the text unnecessary and if I’m being honest, easily skipped as a lot of it wasn’t actually important to the plot. The sad thing is that this book told a beautiful story, but the need for more editing was distracting enough that it took away from the good.
Focusing on the positives, I really enjoyed reading about these characters and their heartfelt story, and I’m happy I picked this book up.
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
A quick mention for the MC having a panic attack (on page), a parent having a stroke (off page), and a car accident resulting in a roadside birth (accident off page; birth on page).
September 12, 2023
•Woah, that was so good!!!!! It's been a while since I read a book in one sitting. Started this book at 11pm and finished it at 2 a.m., no breaks in between to say I was determined to finish it before I went to bed was no joke.
•We have our main characters who meet one fateful night after the fmc has been involved in an accident and the mmc comes to lend a hand to find her heavily pregnant as if that isn't enough she goes into labour luckily all goes well <3
•Fast forward 3yrs later, they met again, and sparks fly and guess what she named her son after him🥺🥺it was so cute and heartwarming 💕
•They start dating. it's just a bundle of happiness between them🥺💕he loved her son so much like he did anything and everything for them without expecting anything inretun.
•Now in such books, you would obviously expect the 3rd act breakup due to miscommunication, but in this book, it was due to them living in different cities. He lived in Sydney, and she lived in Blessed Inlet, a small town that he had gone thier due to business. She couldn't move to Sydney due to some factors that affected her emotionally & mentally and he couldn't move to Blessed Inlet due to having to run his father's company so they had a mutual breakout 🥺🥺I loved how he didn't try to force her into his flashly lifestyle and how they didn't try to force the other to move but our mmc mom was not having so she fired her son🤣🤣yes you read that well fired her own son and a few weeks later he went back to the girl he loved💕
•I often read books where the girl gives up her life in the city to be with the guy, so it was quite refreshing to see the mmc make the move. I love a man who makes me feel like I'm the only girl in the world 🫢🧍🏾♀️
Disclaimer
This is a fast-paced sort of insta love book, and I can understand why some people did not Enjoy it but I just need a sweet fluffy romance book to give me butterflies in my tummy and did the trick so 4 stars felt deserving.
Tropes
•Single Parent
•Small Town romances
•Grumpy x Sunshine (in a way, I feel like before the mmc, I met the fmc he was so grumpy, but he's like all Sunshine 🌞)
•We have our main characters who meet one fateful night after the fmc has been involved in an accident and the mmc comes to lend a hand to find her heavily pregnant as if that isn't enough she goes into labour luckily all goes well <3
•Fast forward 3yrs later, they met again, and sparks fly and guess what she named her son after him🥺🥺it was so cute and heartwarming 💕
•They start dating. it's just a bundle of happiness between them🥺💕he loved her son so much like he did anything and everything for them without expecting anything inretun.
•Now in such books, you would obviously expect the 3rd act breakup due to miscommunication, but in this book, it was due to them living in different cities. He lived in Sydney, and she lived in Blessed Inlet, a small town that he had gone thier due to business. She couldn't move to Sydney due to some factors that affected her emotionally & mentally and he couldn't move to Blessed Inlet due to having to run his father's company so they had a mutual breakout 🥺🥺I loved how he didn't try to force her into his flashly lifestyle and how they didn't try to force the other to move but our mmc mom was not having so she fired her son🤣🤣yes you read that well fired her own son and a few weeks later he went back to the girl he loved💕
•I often read books where the girl gives up her life in the city to be with the guy, so it was quite refreshing to see the mmc make the move. I love a man who makes me feel like I'm the only girl in the world 🫢🧍🏾♀️
Disclaimer
This is a fast-paced sort of insta love book, and I can understand why some people did not Enjoy it but I just need a sweet fluffy romance book to give me butterflies in my tummy and did the trick so 4 stars felt deserving.
Tropes
•Single Parent
•Small Town romances
•Grumpy x Sunshine (in a way, I feel like before the mmc, I met the fmc he was so grumpy, but he's like all Sunshine 🌞)
June 22, 2022
DNF 20%
I’m not a fan of the writing style. I feel like I am reading a story with no emotions or feelings. It’s as if it is lacking depth somehow. Even when the fmc was giving birth I was just not feeling it. Also, the few funny scenes I read was not funny to me. For example this I think this is an attempt to be humorous but I’m not feeling it:
I’ve only read 20% so you really should take this review with a grain of salt. If I was being fair I would have read a bit more instead of giving up on so quick. It is possible that i could have gotten used to the writing style and that it would grow on me. But I am not in the mood to give it a fair shot. Lol.
I’m not a fan of the writing style. I feel like I am reading a story with no emotions or feelings. It’s as if it is lacking depth somehow. Even when the fmc was giving birth I was just not feeling it. Also, the few funny scenes I read was not funny to me. For example this I think this is an attempt to be humorous but I’m not feeling it:
Okay. It’s coming again, I can feel it. Oh god, I can’t. I can’t.” “Look at the moon. Just look at the moon.” William cursed himself as soon as the words were out. “The moon! Why the fuck would I want to look at the fucking moon! The moon’s not going to come down here and get this fucking baby out of meeeee….aahhhhhh!” “Fair point,” William said.
I’ve only read 20% so you really should take this review with a grain of salt. If I was being fair I would have read a bit more instead of giving up on so quick. It is possible that i could have gotten used to the writing style and that it would grow on me. But I am not in the mood to give it a fair shot. Lol.
July 14, 2022
for me
I almost gave this book a 3 but then I remembered this book was torture for me. I hated it. I started reading it months and months ago before finally finishing it. I can’t get myself to ever DNF a book but shit this book almost made me. I was so disappointed. Blessed inlet sounded like such a cute town but no. I saw this book on TikTok with the scence of the little boy going to the love interest but besides that it sucked. That was truly the only good part of the book. It was sooo boring and so hard to read. I skim so much because I just couldn’t do it anymore. The time skips in this book are horrible. Like it’s seems like the author wrote down the major plot points she wanted and added a couple filler chapter and then gave up on connecting the points. The time jumps are done so badly. Also the point of view in this book is really weird to me and I don’t like it. I wouldn’t recommend this book. It just wasn’t for me. 2/5 it complete bad or it would have gotten a 1 (it was close).
I almost gave this book a 3 but then I remembered this book was torture for me. I hated it. I started reading it months and months ago before finally finishing it. I can’t get myself to ever DNF a book but shit this book almost made me. I was so disappointed. Blessed inlet sounded like such a cute town but no. I saw this book on TikTok with the scence of the little boy going to the love interest but besides that it sucked. That was truly the only good part of the book. It was sooo boring and so hard to read. I skim so much because I just couldn’t do it anymore. The time skips in this book are horrible. Like it’s seems like the author wrote down the major plot points she wanted and added a couple filler chapter and then gave up on connecting the points. The time jumps are done so badly. Also the point of view in this book is really weird to me and I don’t like it. I wouldn’t recommend this book. It just wasn’t for me. 2/5 it complete bad or it would have gotten a 1 (it was close).
January 29, 2024
Cosy contemporary romance
A heart-wrenching small town single mom romance.
Juniper left behind Sydney and its heart ache, only to find herself on the side of the road alone in labour. William, a workaholic who lost the love of his job stopping to help her. A beautiful bond was forged that night. Not knowing, they run into each other 3 years later on a beach in Blessed Inlet. A heartwarming romance ensues.
Excellent side characters. The book is written in 3rd person, and I am not used to reading it, but that did not stop me from falling in love with characters and small towns.
Trope:
Small town. Single mom. Artists meet businessmen. Found family. Multi pov. Cosy.
Quote:
“I saw you at the beach,” he announced upon entering the shop. “So you did. I saw you, too.” “Mummy says you’re special.”
He’d cut the cord minutes after he’d been born. He felt a little overwhelmed, all of a sudden, a rush of something unfamiliar flooding him; a sense of connection so completely unexpected that it left him speechless.
A heart-wrenching small town single mom romance.
Juniper left behind Sydney and its heart ache, only to find herself on the side of the road alone in labour. William, a workaholic who lost the love of his job stopping to help her. A beautiful bond was forged that night. Not knowing, they run into each other 3 years later on a beach in Blessed Inlet. A heartwarming romance ensues.
Excellent side characters. The book is written in 3rd person, and I am not used to reading it, but that did not stop me from falling in love with characters and small towns.
Trope:
Small town. Single mom. Artists meet businessmen. Found family. Multi pov. Cosy.
Quote:
“I saw you at the beach,” he announced upon entering the shop. “So you did. I saw you, too.” “Mummy says you’re special.”
He’d cut the cord minutes after he’d been born. He felt a little overwhelmed, all of a sudden, a rush of something unfamiliar flooding him; a sense of connection so completely unexpected that it left him speechless.
August 9, 2022
I’ve got mixed reviews on this book. I’ve wrote notes throughout to help me keep track of my thoughts and feelings throughout so let me share them with you. This book had a lovely story line but at about 20% through I really thought I was going to have to give up and it be a book I never finished. I found some of the plot unrealistic (more unrealistic than any other fairy tale romance) I stuck with the book though and it had a lovely ending. I loved the way William was with Juniper and how he instantly bonded with Billy. I did find how the book was written confusing though as I’ve never read a book written in the 3rd person before. I loved that they included how the second book would continue on and the ending made me shed a tear it was lovely. I will be reading the second book of this series at some point and I’m hoping I will have lots of good things to say about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2021
This is the 1st book I've read written by Mary Waterford; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
This is the 1st book in the Blessed Inlet Series; it is a stand-alone book. The story is about Juniper & William; she pregnant and running away from her life when a truck runs her off the road causing her to go into labor in the middle of nowhere. William stops and helps her. Three years later they meet again.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the 1st book in the Blessed Inlet Series; it is a stand-alone book. The story is about Juniper & William; she pregnant and running away from her life when a truck runs her off the road causing her to go into labor in the middle of nowhere. William stops and helps her. Three years later they meet again.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
June 19, 2022
3.5 ⭐️ Cute read. It was super fast paced, written in third person and it randomly switched from Juniper’s pov to William’s pov which disturbed me a little. It was super cute and Billy is just adorable, although I didn’t really understand some of his outburst. It’s mentioned multiple times how he sees people as colors but I found it sad that it didn’t go further than that. I wouldn’t have minded more background to Juniper’s and William’s story before they actually started dating immediately after they saw each other again after 3 years. Otherwise, cute, quick read.
July 25, 2022
3*
It was in 3rd person, so that marks it down, and there were only 10 chapters so each were quite long.
Anyway it was an ok read, felt as if the prologue was better than the rest of the book.
I did like the relationship between H (William) and the h’s (Juniper) son (Billy), loved that he was named after H.
Thought I was going to hate H’s family? But thanks to them H and h got back together.
I’d call this a HFN- there was no epilogue but they get engaged and they are going to move in together.
It was in 3rd person, so that marks it down, and there were only 10 chapters so each were quite long.
Anyway it was an ok read, felt as if the prologue was better than the rest of the book.
I did like the relationship between H (William) and the h’s (Juniper) son (Billy), loved that he was named after H.
Thought I was going to hate H’s family? But thanks to them H and h got back together.
I’d call this a HFN- there was no epilogue but they get engaged and they are going to move in together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2024
1.5 ⭐️
I don’t know why I kept reading this book. I essential skim read it and jumped sections. I just wasn’t all that hooked and there just didn’t seem like there was anything substantial in the plot or story. If I’m being real honest there wasn’t a lot of story building or character growth to be seen. The story was lacking a lot of depth, for me. Nothing really happened. Not to mention I do really struggle with third person pov. I always feel disconnected, so this wouldn’t have helped anyway.
I don’t know why I kept reading this book. I essential skim read it and jumped sections. I just wasn’t all that hooked and there just didn’t seem like there was anything substantial in the plot or story. If I’m being real honest there wasn’t a lot of story building or character growth to be seen. The story was lacking a lot of depth, for me. Nothing really happened. Not to mention I do really struggle with third person pov. I always feel disconnected, so this wouldn’t have helped anyway.
October 15, 2024
Birthday gift was my first time reading a Mary Waterford book and it was okay.
I wasn’t head over heels in love with this book, it was fine.
The story follows William who helps deliver a strangers baby at the side of the road. 3 years later they bump into each other and he finds out she names the baby after him. The book is insta lovely and quite short, so it felt like there wasn’t much of a story there.
It was okay for a nice quick short read but I feel like I need more substance in a book that this one has to offer.
I gave this book a 2 stars
I wasn’t head over heels in love with this book, it was fine.
The story follows William who helps deliver a strangers baby at the side of the road. 3 years later they bump into each other and he finds out she names the baby after him. The book is insta lovely and quite short, so it felt like there wasn’t much of a story there.
It was okay for a nice quick short read but I feel like I need more substance in a book that this one has to offer.
I gave this book a 2 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2023
sweet
Adorably sweet story. Loved how we get right into the thick of it with juniper in a car accident stranded and in labor and William stopping to help. Loved how he just jumped in. Not everyone would do that. Then them meeting up again. Loved all the sweet moments with William and billy. Just too adorable. Loved how the blessed inlet crew are like a family. And I’m so excited for mikayla and rafes story.
Adorably sweet story. Loved how we get right into the thick of it with juniper in a car accident stranded and in labor and William stopping to help. Loved how he just jumped in. Not everyone would do that. Then them meeting up again. Loved all the sweet moments with William and billy. Just too adorable. Loved how the blessed inlet crew are like a family. And I’m so excited for mikayla and rafes story.
November 17, 2024
A great short lovestory with everything I want in it, sure, one always wants more. But it was cute, and I liked that she already had a kid, AND the fact that he was there for the birth BEFORE the relationship began. I appreciated the breakup because, for once, it was a logical one. And last but not least, I am both excited and intrigued to read everyone else's lovestories, I mean, Leah's will be devastating, and Mikayla and Rafe will rock the world🎉
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2026
sweet story
sweet story, felt like i was watching a lifetime movie. I wish there was just a little bit more. A little more on getting to know the characters deeper and getting why they fell in love.
Also the one thing that threw me off was how Billy acted. For a 3 year old he spoke and acted like a 8 year old but at the same time back to a 3 year old. His character was aged a bit and it made it hard to connect with a toddler behaving that way.
overall good love story
sweet story, felt like i was watching a lifetime movie. I wish there was just a little bit more. A little more on getting to know the characters deeper and getting why they fell in love.
Also the one thing that threw me off was how Billy acted. For a 3 year old he spoke and acted like a 8 year old but at the same time back to a 3 year old. His character was aged a bit and it made it hard to connect with a toddler behaving that way.
overall good love story
July 30, 2022
⭐️✨️ 1.5 stars
Back at it again with another booktok recommendation fail.
I liked the premise of it but I did not like the writing at all. It could have been a great story if it had been executed properly instead it fell flat. Also the way Billy an almost 3yr old talked seemed incredibly unrealistic at times.
Back at it again with another booktok recommendation fail.
I liked the premise of it but I did not like the writing at all. It could have been a great story if it had been executed properly instead it fell flat. Also the way Billy an almost 3yr old talked seemed incredibly unrealistic at times.
August 29, 2022
i dnf-ed a couple of chapters in. i loved the idea on tiktok but the way it was written was too predictable and awkward for me. i think the one part he said something abt “oh the last time i was here i was with her” and boom she appeared. boom here meet my kid. it was too fast paced with not enough tension or realistic aspects. i loved the idea just thought it couldve been executed better :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2021
The book is a good, and enjoyable steamy romance read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 27, 2022
DNF. Apart from when she gave birth in the prologue everything else was boring. I tried. I went up to 45% and gave up 😭😭 I quickly scrolled through the end and even that was boring but it was a HEA if anyone wanted to know 🫠
July 10, 2022
I absolutely loved this debut novel from my first ever 2 sister writing team. The characters were well defined and the plot moved quickly. I will definitely be checking out the rest of the books in the series.
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