The Lighthouse at the Cove by Amy Clipston Review

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I've got another arc review to share with you all today, and let's go ahead and dive right into it.

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The Lighthouse at the Cove by Amy Clipston:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary

Series: Coral Cove

Synopsis:

The Lighthouse at the Cove is a heartwarming Hallmark-style novel perfect for fans of RaeAnne Thayne and Sherryl Woods where a single dad teams up with a journalist to save the town's historic landmark lighthouse.

Kaya Ross, a talented and ambitious journalist, needs a break. Following a tough breakup, Kaya embarks on a road trip along the picturesque coastal route from Maryland to Florida. However, her journey takes an unexpected turn when her car breaks down in the charming town of Coral Cove. Stranded and in need of help, Kaya meets Reid Turner, a local firefighter with a heart of gold.

Reid, a single father to his daughter Piper, offers Kaya a place to stay in the apartment above his garage in exchange for writing a feature article on the town's annual Light the Dark Festival, which celebrates the town's rich history as the home of an old lighthouse that saved sailors in a storm. The festival serves as a fundraiser for the town and is crucial for its survival of the historic lighthouse, a symbol of Coral Cove's giving heart. This year, the festival holds even more significance as the town is in desperate need of funds to repair the lighthouse, which was damaged by a fire.

As Kaya settles into her new temporary home, she becomes deeply involved in the planning and promotion of the Light the Dark Festival, and as she and Reid work together, love starts to bloom. Together, they work tirelessly to create awareness and excitement for the festival, hoping to attract tourists and save the town from financial ruin. However, just as Kaya starts to feel at home in Coral Cove, her ex-boyfriend reappears with a tempting job opportunity that could change her life.

Faced with a difficult decision, Kaya must choose between her newfound love for the town, Reid, and Piper, or the allure of her career and the possibility of a fresh start. With the clock ticking and the pressure mounting, Kaya, Reid, and the community of Coral Cove come together to overcome obstacles, ignite the town's spirit, and make the Light the Dark Festival a resounding success. Along the way, they discover the power of love, friendship, and the importance of preserving their town's heritage.

The Lighthouse at the Cove is a captivating tale that combines the charm of a small-town setting, a blossoming romance, and the triumph of community spirit. Readers will be swept away by the heartfelt journey of Kaya, Reid, and the residents of Coral Cove as they navigate love, loss, and the pursuit of happiness in the face of adversity.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Amy Clipston's Amish fiction titles have long been some of my favorites, but I've definitely discovered a couple of her contemporary titles that I ended up loving as well, and I was hopeful that I would end up feeling the same about this one.

The Lighthouse at the Cove reads very much like a Hallmark movie, with a lot of heartwarming moments thrown in for good measure. When Kaya Ross' vehicle breaks down in the charming small town of Coral Cove, it's the perfect setting for a clean, rom com type of story to emerge. She ends up meeting a Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome who just happens to arrange for her to stay temporarily in his garage apartment. Coincidentally, Kaya is a travel journalist, and the town needs help creating buzz around their local spring festival. As Kaya throws herself into organizing the best festival the town has ever seen, she also finds herself falling for Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome himself, Reid, and his adorable daughter Piper. With her career on the line, can she possibly find a way to her own happily ever after.

As with every Amy Clipston title, this one was sweet and heartwarming, and provided all the warm fuzzies while still touching on a few deeper subjects. It was a cute and clean contemporary that I overall enjoyed, but I did have a few issues with it.

The timeline didn't seem sufficient for Kaya and Reid to truly develop feelings for each other, so for me unfortunately, a lot of the romance ended up feeling like insta love. I personally didn't find the plot points about the festival very interesting, and it got tedious quite quickly. And lastly, the whole having to choose between career or family plot point has been done so many times, that I didn't find myself enjoying that part of it very much.

Overall, a cute title that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys clean romances, but I would have loved a stronger faith element, and for it to have been a little less predictable.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this title.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)