Thanks for the review copy. I was not able to read this one, so I did not leave a review on social media.

If you love heartfelt southern fiction, I highly recommend this book. As an animal lover, I really enjoyed the strong, loving bond between a very special dog and his mistress. THE SUMMER OF NEW BEGINNINGS has all the feels.Thanks for bringing me back to the south, Bette. Even though I reside far from family, you have that a way of taking me home.

This was a nice read. There was a lot of forward movement and development of the characters' lives. It was a nice, easy, summer read and best part - has a happy ending! Was really cheering for this family to succeed!

The summer of new beginnings is a story of a family whose lives were changed when George, Lila’s husband & Meghan & Tracy’s Dad suddenly passes away the day before Meghan was leaving for college ; Life as they all knew changed for ever. Meghan decides to put going to college on hold and run her father’s business snip and save, it was the one way to help financially and keep her father’s memory( while her sister Tracy runs off with a Dominic a boy who did not love her the way she deserved to be love. Life changed again for the whole when Sox the dog arrived in Meghan’s life; she was positive he was sent to her by Dad who was watching from above. I don’t want to give this beautiful story away, but the most important lesson Meghan learned and taught me is; sometimes when tragedies come and redirect our lives, how we react and move forward opens us up to a beautiful new life with people and opportunities that would of never come our way. I love how Meghan is certain that George really never left them; that he is watching from above and guiding them to find love & happiness. This once broken family has found happiness and moving forward even though it’s different from the original path they had planned. Betty Lee Crosby for sharing such a beautiful story.

This is not a book to read on the train or at lunch in the office. It’s a book to read curled up on the couch at home with a warm blanket, cup of tea and box of tissues, where you can laugh and cry without feeling conspicuous.

Every family has its rough times and the Briggs family is working through a lot of issues - the death of beloved husband and father George, rebellion by older daughter Tracy and the abandonment of Meghan's dream of attending journalism school so she can take over producing her father's newsletter.

Through the ups and downs of that summer, the family grows closer and stronger. Tracy loves and loses and returns home a single mom of an adorable, challenging little boy. Meghan relives the trauma of losing her childhood dog Clancy when she rescues a dog from the lake. Is he going to be hers or will she lose him too? And what about the new vet in town? Through it all Tracy realizes Meghan has always been there on her side, supporting her. And Meghan comes to recognize Tracy's importance in her life.

I must admit I've never read anything by Bette Lee Crosby that I didn't rate 5 stars so I started this book with high expectations. I was not disappointed. I didn't get any housework done today but I feel SO good after finishing this book. Since it's listed as a Magnolia Grove novel, I'm hoping this is the first in a series of stories. After all we need to know what happens with Lucas and with Tracy and Gabriel. What about Lila and Bruce Pendergast? Is there something there?

I loved this story. I’m a huge fan of this author and I but anything she writes. It’s always great. It’s always an important message. It’s always a story you can’t wait to share. Those are the best kind.

When George Briggs passes away he leaves behind a wife, Lila, and two daughters, Tracy and Meghan. Lila worries about how her husband’s death is going to effect them all. Tracy ends up falling in love and moving away. She ends up with a baby boy and struggling to make amends. Meghan had a close relationship to her father and decides to stay and run the business that her father started. She also is struggling but finds hope in a rescue dog named Sox and a local veterinarian named Tom. This book is the first in a series so it will be interesting to see what happens in the next book. I highly recommend this book to all readers!

I read this book as an advanced reader. I loved the story and the characters. One of Bette 's best! I truly hope there will be a sequel.

I enjoy this author's connection with her characters and fully feel that she's invested in their lives. The Summer of New Beginnings includes two daughters and their mother as the sources for the story and daughter Meghan is the main voice. I liked though, that despite being secondary characters, the mother and Tracy both were clear in their positions and challenges.

I was inspired by Tracy when she made the decision to take her life into her own hands. She needed to be in control to be able to help her young son. I also enjoyed their mother, she is a strong personality but not overbearing (not completely at any rate!).

What wasn't so great for me was Meghan. I didn't really get to know her and felt her attachment to her father a little overwhelming for her plot lines. She seemed so intently devoted to carrying on his business and I never really understood why there was the need to continue it, unless it was financial? It wasn't clear why she needed to persevere. I grasped that she wanted to pursue his legacy but not why she felt such a responsibility. I suppose this is the heart of why I didn't connect with Meghan, I liked her I just didn't fully understand her.

It was a fun read but I didn't connect as much as I have done in the past with this author.


Thank you to the author for our review copy. All opinions are our own.

Loved, loved, loved it! I knew I would being written by one of my favorite authors but it exceeded my expectations! I preordered a copy for my Mom, sister and sisters-in-law. I want to live in Magnolia Grove. I want to be friends with these people. This is a feel good book. Thank you for the chance to read it ahead of others!

Every now and again I hear about books by authors that I've heard of, but really have never come across their books to read. Today's post is about exactly that kind of book. I've heard of author, Bette Lee Crosby, and I have actually seen her books out there, but invariably, I have 10 or 20 books in my "to be read" pile, and I think to myself, "oh, I'll have to read one of her books when I have a spare weekend" and then it never happens. I've finally been able to put on the breaks, push some of the TBR books back, and I've been able to read my first Bette Lee Crosby book. Boy am I glad I did!

Before I tell you about the book, let me tell you that if any of the following things interest you, then this book is for you:

Are you a fan of the television show, This Is Us?
Do you like author, Debbie Macomber?
Do you love dogs?
Are you fan of "sisterhood" books?
What about books on family and motherhood?
Do you like Southern fiction?
Do you enjoy small town life fiction stories?
Do you like fiction that encourages your career aspirations?
Are you in a multigenerational book club group?
Do you need a gift for your mother, sister, best girlfriend?
Okay, now on to the book: 

When George Briggs suddenly died, he left behind his wife, Lila and two daughters, Tracy and Meghan. Tracy worked at a bank and Meghan was just about to go off to college to become a journalist. Losing her father changed everything for Meghan when she decided to stay home and run her father's business.

Meghan had always been very close to her father and losing him affected her differently than her sister, Tracy.  Meghan was thought of as the sensible daughter, while Tracy was a bit of a "wild child" - the rebellious one. Tracy fell in love with "bad boy" Dominic, and she even went against her mom's wishes and moved to away to Philadelphia.  When Tracy arrived back home to Georgia after a couple of years, she was single, she had baby Lucas with her, and Lila took on the role of grandmother.

Meghan rescued a stray dog she named Sox and while she was trying to find the pup's owner, everyone fell in love with him, especially Lucas. Meghan was positive Sox was sent to her by dad who was watching from above. 

The Summer of New Beginnings read speed of light fast for me, and I blew through this book cover to cover. It's the kind of book where the characters are so easy to connect with to the extent that you feel like you know what they are thinking. Some of the chapters actually feel like diary entries.

I really enjoyed Bette Lee Crosby's style of writing, and while this was my first Crosby book, I can't wait to read the next book of this series!  I would highly recommend this book (and the series) to anyone who enjoys a great, well developed story with characters you will want to know.

The Summer of New Beginnings is a sweet story that begins with a moment of great sadness, when George, husband of Lila and father of Tracey and Meghan dies suddenly of a heart attack. This upends everything Meghan had planned, especially going to journalism school, when she decides to take over the weekly magazine that her father had published for years.


While somewhat predictable, the family embarks on a journey with unexpected twists and turns, as well as moments of extraordinary love and connection that leave the reader feeling satisfied that their lives are on a steady path, almost as though George has been guiding them at every turn.

My thanks to the author and Lake Union Publishing for providing me a copy of this book.

The Summer of New Beginnings is a marvelous women's contemporary fiction. It tells the story of the Briggs family, notably of Meghan, and how they try to deal with several problems after her father died. One of the reasons why I've requested for a reading copy of this novel is because of the dog "Sox" in the story. Although the dog was not immensely mentioned because the story centers on Meghan, dog lovers such as I will be deeply moved by how huge the part of our furry friends plays on helping us through our ordeals.

If you are looking for a light-read and a little motivational story, try to check out this astounding novel of Bette Lee Crosby. It is also a great summer-read or even a weekend-read that will also make you reflect on whether you're still living in the past and needs to move on.

A touching story about a mother and her two daughters. The relationships between the three aren't always "perfect", but when the going gets tough these three women can always lean on each other. I can not wait to see where the rest of the series will take us....

The thing I enjoy most about ALL of Bette Lee Crosby books are that she writes about ‘real’ people. People whose lives you become part of as you read the book. You can laugh with them, grieve with them, worry about things together and share their joys as well. And even though there are some tough issues dealt with in THE SUMMER OF NEW BEGINNINGS such as death, sacrifice, disability and domestic abuse; these are counter-balanced by love, support, selflessness and laughter.

At the start of the story George, dies and leaves a Lila a widow and their two daughters grieving his loss and to pick up the pieces. Meghan, closest to her father, gives up her dreams to take over the family business, however she feels that her father may not be fully gone and is still there guiding her. Tracy rebels without her father’s firm and loving hand and runs off to another state with her boyfriend’ Lila, his wife, has lost her reason for being and is struggling to find out what her role is in life now – she was happiest cooking huge meals – but with only two at home now she is at a loss. Tracy returns home with her baby boy, Lucas, her dreams broken. Her return is the turning point for a family that is merely existing – not living. Lila now has a purpose in life – being a grandmother – and cooking gain. Just after Tracy’s return, Meghan rescues a drowning puppy from the lake when a sudden storm blows up – and so Sox comes into their lives. He plays an important part. Through him they discover that Lucas has a medical problem and Meghan meets the local vet who becomes a love interest.

The two sisters start to work together for a common goal, helping Lucas. There are squabbles – come on, they are sisters after all; lessons are learned, chances taken and slowly the story works its magic. By the end, there is the hope that each of the Briggs family will get their happy ever after. But this is the first of the Magnolia Grove Series so no matter that most of the threads have been tied, there is a ‘wait, there’s more’ for one of the family members. I can hardly wait until October when the next book is released.

This was a charming story about family and love, with a little drama thrown in to keep it balanced. Crosby's writing is comforting, homespun, the town is one I'd like to visit. A small community filled with interesting characters. The love at first sight thing always makes me roll my eyes, I'm just not a sucker for that. But otherwise, I enjoyed it. Sox was my favorite. ;)

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it certainly won’t be my last! Get the tissues ready tho! “The Summer of New Beginnings” is a heartwarming story that evokes so many emotions that even lingered every time I had to make myself stop reading. A wonderful contemporary women’s fiction must read that addresses many issues that many families face in the real world. With a fresh new plot, characters that are well-defined & attention-to-detail that brings the story to life, readers will be engaged & turning pages. I volunteered to read this and was fortunate to be able to through NetGalley, without any outside influences & I can honestly recommend this to fans of fiction. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Crosby!

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby that I read and reviewed.
I did enjoy this book but the problem I had with it was that it moved really slow. I enjoy books that move a bit faster and for me this book dragged on a bit more then I would have liked.
However, the story was very good and interesting. I enjoyed the bond between the sisters and how they were there for each other when they were needed.
I am giving this book four out of five stars.

I loved this story! It is beautiful and heart-warming, and it made me smile. My favorite aspects of the story are the family & sister relationships and the way Sox came into their lives. Well worth reading and I look forward to the next book in the series!

Having read a bunch of Bette’s books I couldn’t wait to read this first book in her new series.

There’s no one thing I can point to as why I loved this book. It’s many things. The genuine characters. The anticipation of what’s to come. Feeling all of those feels. Sorrow, heartbreak, frustration, hope, happiness and love. And how easily the story flows. I read this in one sitting. No way could I put it down until I was done.

Meghan is the main character. After her father dies, she gives up her dreams to keep his legacy alive. Along the way you’re introduced to her family. Shown how they struggle to move on and adapt. And Bette throws in a sprinkle of something magical. It comes with four legs and goes by Sox.

I could gush on and on about this book. I adored it. Will be reading it again. And am happily amazed that Bette got me to read outside my normal genre and showed me how good that could be.