This was more than just a romance. This was about friendships and family that aren’t related by blood. It’s about people with character flaws and backgrounds that influence their present day decisions and how they learn to let it go. And I loved it all.

There are actually two relationships included in this book. The main couple is Joy and Royce who have recently met. With her son Jack as the center of her life, she’s been on her own since her parents disowned her. But when she allows herself to open up to Maris and a friendship develops between them, she also finds herself opening up to Royce. Royce has his reasons for wanting to remain unencumbered but after getting involved with Joy and Jack he’s quickly decided that he’s all for entanglements.

”How could Joy ever be a burden? Wasn’t possible. She brought laughter into his life, warmth and direction. All good emotions, with lots of sizzling physical need, too. Around her, he felt completely alive.
Somehow, without obvious effort, Joy had drawn him from his sad, burdened past and focused him squarely in the positive present.”

I loved Royce and the way he instantly connected with not only Joy but her son as well. A part of that is accepting an injured pup into his household that literally causes chaos. I have to admit, Chaos pretty much stole the story from the main characters but I’m not complaining.

The other couple included here were Maris and Daron. They’ve known each other for years but she was always closed off to him until her friendship with Joy makes her stop and take a moment to just enjoy time with a friend. I actually felt the connection and chemistry between this couple more so than Joy and Royce. Daron was cute and charming and so very careful with Maris. He was pretty perfect as heroes go.

This is a very low angst read, a bit slow because there wasn’t really anything driving the story onward. It centers on the various relationships and the growth of each woman as well as the development of their relationship with each hero. I loved watching these women open up to each other and evolve from that moment on. The culmination of the conflict between Joy and her family was satisfying but the lack of an epilogue left me wanting. I’m sure there will be more books to come and we’ll see these characters again, but that doesn’t curb the craving I have for more right now.

Overall, this is a sweet read heavy on character development, rich with humor and great friendships and electric with sexual chemistry.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and Harlequin. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Will be posted to the Romance Reviews Today site in June. http://romrevtoday.com/

SISTERS OF SUMMER’S END – Lori Foster
Summer Resort series, Book 2
HQN
ISBN: 978-1-335-46832-1
June 2019
Contemporary Romance

Woodbine, Ohio – Present Day

Single mother Joy Lee is happy at Cooper’s Charm, the RV resort where she has worked and lived for several years. Her son, Jack, is the most important man in her life. As SISTERS OF SUMMER’S END opens, Joy is hoping that the new owner of the drive-in at the resort, Royce Nakirk, will be easy to work with since she’s the recreation director and will have to deal with him on a daily basis. To her surprise, Royce is much younger than she expected and very attractive. He also starts flirting with her, but Joy hasn’t the time to get involved with Royce or anyone. But once Jack is introduced to Royce, things begin to click between all three of them. Is it time for Joy to get rid of her “not available” label?

Royce is intrigued by Joy, which surprises him because he’s normally carefree and rarely dates a woman twice. She’s fiercely independent and sexy as hell—a combination that he didn’t know turned him on. He finally persuades her to go on a date with him, where one thing leads to another and they’re soon having sex. But can there be any future between Royce and Joy since she’s not wanting to bring a man into the tight family circle she’s created with Jack?

Readers might remember Joy from COOPER’S CHARM, the first book in the Summer Resort series by Lori Foster. Joy always seems organized and content with her life, though she doesn’t talk much about her past. In SISTERS OF SUMMER’S END, we learn that after she became pregnant with Jack, her parents chose to disown her because she wouldn’t give up her son for adoption. The estrangement continues to this day and Joy will do anything to protect her son from his grandparents, but one day, Joy’s mother shows up at the resort to report that Joy has been named as a beneficiary in her grandmother’s will. Joy doesn’t really care if she gets anything from her family but agrees to go to the reading of the will. Meanwhile, things begin to heat up between Royce and Joy…

Royce slowly builds a friendship with Jack, which leads to Joy dropping the barrier she’s erected all these years to avoid romantic entanglements. However, she doesn’t see the fling with Royce as anything other than one that’s temporary. She might be beginning to trust Royce, but it only goes so far, especially since Joy sees herself as unmarriageable because she has a young child. Yet Royce turns out to be protective and loyal to both her and Jack. But even as their relationship grows into a sexual one, doubt creeps between them as to whether they can have a future together.

SISTERS OF SUMMER’S END is a wonderful tale of redemption and finding love again. Joy is a hard worker who fiercely protects her son, so it’s going to take a special man for her to let him into her life. But Royce is a special man and one that readers will fall in love with themselves. As with COOPER’S CHARM, there is a dog involved and also a minor storyline with fellow workers at the resort, Maris and Daron, who are having their own romance going on. Will both couples find a happily-ever-after? SISTERS OF SUMMER’S END is a joy to read and one that I highly recommend.

Patti Fischer

Lori Foster does a great job when wrting women characters. When 2 co-workers move from acquaintances to close friends the reader can see how they help each other grow and become more confident. Both have been avoiding men for years but when there is a chance for Joy to meet Royce, the new drive-in theater owner, her friend Maris schemes to get them together. Joy returns the favor to help Maris open us to the one man who has been in love with her for years.
The book weaves the two romances together while each woman helps the other outgrow their doubts and learn to let love into their lives. As with Cooper's Charm before this book one of the favorite characters is the puppy, Chaos.
I received an advanced copy of this book

*4.5 Stars*

"When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching -- they are your family."—Jim Butcher

Welcome to Cooper’s Charm, a cozy lakeside RV resort where friends have become family.

Lori Foster has written more than a dual love story with Sisters of Summer’s End, she’s created a world where the characters feel like long lost friends, and the reader feels welcome to join Maris and Joy and the rest of the gang for a cup of coffee and maybe a cookie or two.

Loved and highly recommend this heartwarming story of long lasting friendship and romance!

I loved this book.....it proves family doesn’t have to be blood related. This book is a nice summer read...it’s lite on drama and full of love.....I love Lori foster and everything she writes.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I have started this book a few times and it just does not hold my interest it's like one sob story after another.

I adored visiting in Summer's End. I loved every moment and scene while I read the story, every character touching my heart in a special way, connecting with each of them on some level.
Joy Lee - the ultimate superwoman of a single mom who is doing all she can that her son will never feel the kind of burn from the hurt Joy's parents caused her.
Maris Kennedy - the other superwoman, working her knuckles bloody in the tough business of food service to make a life to her self, climbing up from the poverty she experienced as a child, determined to make it, make something of herself, to stay independent, to stay above the waterline. She is resilient, she is successful, she has talent, and she has the guts she needs to make it happen every single day.
I loved the friendship developing between Maris and Joy, they had that connection one needs to their soul sister, and even though they seemed so different at the first glance, they are more similar than one would think, with the strength of mind and spirit.
Daron - the hard working, always smiling, flirt of the resort, who has more depth and layers than Maris was willing to admit. He turns out to be just a solid good guy, a person Maris, and his friends, could trust, who was not afraid to say how it was, and who adored Maris.
And then there is Royce - the new guy in town. The one who seems almost too good to be true, who says he wants to just heal and chill and recuperate after taking care of his mother with dementia for years. I wanted to hug Royce silly, cause I know what a tough, all-consuming lifestyle being a caretaker for a person with dementia is. Royce has kindness, goodness, and sexiness that's palpable, he was so perfect with Jack, Joy's son, and together with Joy, they made the perfect unit, one within two.
The different relationships and connections between the friends are tested in the obstacles life throughs at them, with their own issues, pain, and past hurts.
The story balances between serious character development, heartbreak, and growth from life lesson to fun banter, sexy flirting, and love scenes that left me all swoony and smiling. The story wasn't only vastly entertaining, it took a look at life from several different angles, and showed how the past and prestige does not matter if people are willing to find the common ground and make a life together.
An inspiring and uplifting tale about friends, life, learning to trust, and daring to love. The smoothly flowing, well-written story engaged my emotions, I connected with the characters, and I wanted to be part of the gang at the cafe. I found the book to be unputdownable from the moment I started to read it until the oh, so satisfying 'the end'.
This summer 'must read' in my opinion!
~ Five Spoons

Joy and Maris have developed a true sisterhood at Coopers’s RV park. When they open themselves up to others they find true love. ARC from Net Galley.

This was a fun summer read, and I enjoyed heading back to Cooper's Charm RV resort! There were 2 romances running simultaneously, while also showing the growing friendship between 2 strong, smart, independent women. I enjoyed it so much.

Joy is a single mom to a boisterous, smart, adorable 5-year-old boy named Jack. She's been the activities director for Cooper's Charm resort since she was heavily pregnant with him. Coop took a chance on her, and she's determined to repay his kindness with her hard work. But make no mistake, she loves her job. She loves the other people who work at the resort, and they've become a family over the years, especially to her son. But, she's always held herself a bit apart. She grew up wealthy, with all the THINGS she could ever want, but none of the real attention or affection from her parents. When she ran off and married a musician, who got her pregnant, and then wanted a divorce, she was disowned by her parents, and she and Jack were on their own. She's done her best to give her son everything she can, while living frugally.

Royce is the new owner of the small town drive in theater. He was his mother's caretaker before her death, and he's come to town to start his life anew, and unencumbered. When he has a meeting with Joy about special events at his drive in for the renters at the resort, he's flummoxed by his instant attraction to her. As their acquaintance deepens, he begins to really fall for Joy, and Jack, and he's rethinking their agreement to basically a fling, with no attachments. Because he is becoming fully attached.

Maris grew up poor, with nothing, with a semi-functioning alcoholic father, and a quiet, prayerful mother. Neither did much to keep a roof over their heads or food in their bellies. Maris vowed she'd never be like them. She left home at 18 and never went back, except to bury her parents. She's been working hard ever since then, and she's carved out her own place at Summer's End, her camp store on site at Cooper's Charm resort. Her store/cafe is everything to her, and she has no time for people who don't take anything seriously, which is why she has trouble with her feelings for the resort's handyman, Daron.

Daron is 6 years younger than Maris, but he's no boy. He's 25, and he has his life pretty well settled. He got his associates degree in business, he owns his home, and he loves his job as the resort's go-to fix-it guy. He's wanted Maris for years, but she won't give him the time of day. Everything he does seems to tick her off, and he can't figure out how to break through. She doesn't really see him, and he really wants her to. When she and Joy both start opening up a bit, he finally sees his chance.

I loved this story mostly because of the growing friendship between Joy and Maris. They really formed a sisterhood and I adored watching them open up to each other. They were honest, and helpful, and great for each other, and watching that develop was so special. Joy and Royce really had an instantly strong physical attraction that grew into something so much more. Daron and Maris had been friends for years but neither really knew the other, beyond what they let everyone else see. Once they opened up, things started to flow between them.

Joy has some family drama that occurs, and Royce doesn't really know how to be there for her through it. That was part of their struggle to happiness, and I liked how they both realized what they really wanted. Jack was such a doll, and he was so lovable. I enjoyed how much everyone at the park loved and cared for him. Royce's rescued puppy, Chaos, loved Jack too, and their friendship was adorable. Joy and Royce really had great chemistry, but they had to learn to open their hearts again. In general, and for each other.

Maris was so strict in her rules for herself, that she had to relax and let Daron in. Daron is a happy-go-lucky guy, and she thinks he doesn't take anything seriously, but she learns how wrong she is. They have chemistry from the start too, but Maris thinks that just how Daron is with everyone. He has to work to make her see that he only wants her, and make her believe it. I enjoyed their squabbling for the most part, but there were a few times where Maris really hurt Daron's feelings with her misconceptions. I hated that, but I liked that she was always willing to rethink things and apologize.

This was a fun story, and I enjoyed seeing more of the characters at the resort from book 1 as well. I liked getting 2 romances in the book, and I really loved the friendships that solidified along the way. Joy and Maris were the real story here for me, and I loved watching them both find their HEA. I recommend this book for anyone who loves a great love story between friends, and each of them having some romance along the way!

I am loving this series. I got the ARC for this book as part of Ms Foster’s review team. I liked the 2 stories and that equal amount of time that was devoted to both. First Joy and Royce -As I am not a fan of insta love I liked that they both decided initially that it will ‘non-committal relationship based on convenience works best for both of us. I have no expectations, and you shouldn’t either.” I liked Royce’s relationship with her son. I loved that they showed their love for each other by doing things for each other rather than grand gestures.
The romance between Daron and Maris worked because his character was built over the 2 books , if not 26 would seem too young for a 31 year old . I can understand Maris’ reluctance due to his age.
The third relationship in the book between Joy and Maris was fun to watch grow and how a healthy gal to gal support system can help you grow was a person.

I love Lori Foster's double romances! These two couples were easy to read about and easy to love. Single mom Joy and her amazing son can't help but fall for Royce, the new owner of the drive-in. And Maris, the laser-focused nurturer, fights the attraction to young Daron. A fun beach read!

I loved this book. I really enjoyed that there were 2 romances, I highly reccommend this book. It will make you laugh Nd cry all at the same time.

I have to admit that I'm really loving the two for one romances Foster has been providing!

The friendship bonds that are created are something we all strive to achieve and in these wonderfully heartfelt relationships, you can't help but find yourself drawn in.

I received this ARC copy of Sister of Summer's End from HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada)-HQN. This is my honest and voluntary review. Sister of Summer's End is set for publication June 11, 2019.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Lori Foster
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: HQN; Original edition (June 11, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1335468323
ISBN-13: 978-1335468321
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Summer...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sist...
Itunes: https://books.apple.com/br/book/siste...
3 likes

Sisters of Summer's End is not only a story of romance, it's also a story of friends becoming family. You've got Joy and Royce who start something casual that ends up turning into so much more. Then you've got Maris who finally relents and gives Daron the chance he's been hoping for. Toss in a precocious kid, some dogs and a group of friends and you've got another great read from Lori Foster.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy.

This is an amazing read! Ms. Foster is a master at describing families who are not limited by blood ties, and we again meet friends who become closer than family. This is a stand-alone book set in the Cooper’s Charm RV resort; it is Summer Resort #2. Cooper Cochran is the park owner, and in Cooper’s Charm (the book) we met him and Phoenix, his wife as well as the head groundskeeper. We also meet Baxter McNab the scuba instructor, who marries Phoenix’s sister Ridley.
Joy Lee is the recreation director of the park. She doesn’t talk about life before she came to Cooper’s Charm, pregnant and alone. Now her son Jack is 5 years old. She does not relax and make friends easily. Maris Kennedy runs the camp store called Summers End. Maris and Joy start bonding over morning coffee, then develop a deeper friendship. Maris also does not talk about her life “before”. They become sisters of the heart and gradually we learn of the struggles they overcame to get where they are now.
The warmth of friendship between these people, who become truer families than those linked by blood, is great fun to read. There are two couples and two Happily Ever Afters.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This was great! This book is two stories set in the same small town. I loved both stories but I think the first was my favorite. I love how all the characters are interconnected but the stories are so different. I loved everything about them. This book is a great summer read! I highly recommend it!

I always enjoy Lori Foster. She writes sweet stories with well-defined characters. Sisters of Summer's End is another winner.

I enjoyed Joy and Royce and watching their relationship grow. Jack was a cutie and won my heart as easily as he did Royce's. The things that were said early in their relationship and hard to overcome later were so true to life.

I really wished Maris and Daron had their own book. It seemed too easy for them to break through Maris's brick wall of self-protection. I also would have liked more suspenseful for Joy than dealing with her parents and her inheritance.

That being said I can still recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.

I requested this book because I fell in love with the dog on the cover and then I appreciated this sweet, lovely and entertaining novel.
I liked the fleshed out characters, the setting and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I have been reading Lori Foster for years, and absolute adore her alpha heroes. Reading the second book in the Summer Resort series was a true delight because I got to enjoy the continued friendship of two women close enough to be sisters.

In this story, Joy Lee, a single mom, has taken a job managing a lakeside resort. Joy comes from an affluent family, but that did not bring her happiness. What she finds while working at the resort brings true happiness and peace to her life. She is especially close to her new friend Maris, who we met in the first book of this series. Joy is all but dared by Maris to take a chance on the resort's new owner, Royce Nakirk. Since Joy's divorce, she expected to be alone and to concentrate on raising her son Jack.

Not only is Joy thinking of risking her heart again, but Maris is as well. This will involve trust. Can either woman let go enough to give themselves a chance at love? With regard to Maris, she has held Daron Hardy at arms' length. He has made it clear time and again that he really wants her, but with her baggage, she just is not ready. As far as Joy is concerned, Royce is pretty much the perfect man, but Joy just isn't sure she can take the chance.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the bond between Joy and Maris. I also really enjoyed little Jack and the times he appeared in the story. Royce was a terrific guy and I looked forward to Maris falling for him. I also absolutely loved Daron's persistence.

Ms. Foster writes character-driven stories and I devour each and every one of them. Somehow, through the pages of this book, each person felt real. I was truly connected. Let us not forget the cutest puppy ever, Chaos. He truly made my heart smile. This touching story warmed my heart and I can definitely see myself reading it again.

Many thanks to Lori Foster, Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sisters of Summer's End (kindle)by Lori Foster .... This is worth more than 5 stars... Lori Foster has done it again ...thanks so much for letting me preview this book on #NetGalley. This book is about two women who both have family issues who work at a RV resort and become friends(close as sisters) Joy (mother of five year old Jack) meets Royce (new owner of the Drive In) and Maris (owner of Summer's End camp store) and Daron (RV maintenance man). Their budding romances have it all ...I laughed, cried, laughed and cried again... I was totally involved from the beginning and hated for the book to end...Then there is Chaos...who is part of the glue that gets us to two very HEA's.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Entertaining Happily Ever After Page-turner Tear-jerker Steamy Romantic Easy-to-read Great world building Funny Wonderful characters Original