The Apple Hill Bay Books in Order

The Apple Hill Bay books are set in a sun drenched coastal town where the sea glows emerald, the sands glitter and brightly painted beach huts line the shore. Holly Martin uses this new setting to explore familiar themes of second chances, long held crushes and the kind of community that quickly starts to feel like family.

In Sunshine and Secrets at Blackberry Beach we meet Fern Lucas, an artist who has finally found the place she wants to call home. She lives in a tiny beach hut overlooking Apple Hill Bay with her dog Bones, making a living from her paintings and soaking up the town’s easy rhythm. When a competition to paint a mural at Blackberry Beach pits her against Fletcher Harrison, a handsome rival with his own creative ambitions, sparks fly. Their relationship deepens quickly, but Fletcher’s hidden past threatens the future they are building.

The Cottage on Strawberry Sands follows Roo Clarke as she returns to Apple Hill Bay after fourteen years in America. As a teenager she left both the town and her best friend Theo Lucas behind. Now she is back to take up a new job and move into a quirky beachside cottage, hoping to finally feel settled. Discovering that Theo never left, and that the shy crush she once had still burns, throws her plans into disarray. Their story explores whether childhood friends can catch up on lost years and take a risk on something more.

In Christmas Wishes at Cranberry Cove the bay shifts into winter mode. Snow falls on the promenade, hot chocolate steams in beachside cafés and Cranberry Cove becomes the place where Orla Kennedy and Shay Lucas meet under the stars. Orla has loved Shay, her best friend, in secret since they were teenagers sharing dreams on the clifftops. Shay believes they are just friends and carries his own reasons for guarding his heart. A brush with danger and the possibility of real loss finally forces them to confront what they mean to each other.

Throughout the series Apple Hill Bay itself is a constant presence. There are seasonal festivals, from summer events on Blackberry Beach to Christmas markets at Cranberry Cove. Locals feel like extended family, and supporting characters drift between books, so that each new couple inherits a backdrop of friendships, rivalries and in jokes.

The Apple Hill Bay novels will appeal to readers who enjoy small town romance with a slightly more modern, summery feel, while still offering all the warmth, humour and emotional payoff associated with Holly Martin’s earlier coastal series.