Such a wonderful summer read about starting over and finding your place. If you can’t go to the beach, this book makes you feel like you are there. I intentionally slowed my reading pace at the end because I didn't want this book to end. I miss the characters already.

The Summer House tells the story of two women: Rose, owner of the retirement village Safe Harbor, who keeps herself closed off from everyone; and Lily, a young woman starting over following her husband's abandonment. Through the course of one summer, each woman comes to terms with her own past and learns to let others in.

I really loved this book! While it contains a little romance, it's definitely much more about friendship than anything else. I loved seeing the relationships Lily built with her customers, and watching Rose come out of her self-imposed shell was really satisfying.

In addition to the story being told from Lily's and Rose's perspectives, Denton adds some letters that Rose writes to her deceased sister-in-law, as well as issues of The Village Vine (the community newsletter). These definitely added to my understanding of the story, and the newsletter brought some great humor, as well. Overall, The Summer House is a book full of charm and heart—a perfect summer read. 4-1/2 stars.

Note: While this is published by a Christian publisher, there's not a faith thread to speak of. I'm not sure that God is even mentioned in the novel. I would classify this as clean fiction. Also, I should mention that Lily begins a friendship-and-maybe-more with a man while still technically married. Nothing progresses beyond a dance and some feelings/pining while she is married, but some readers might want to be aware.

#thesummerhouse #laurenkdenton #Netgalley #netgalleyreview We find Lily just awaking for the day to find a note from her husband Ward. What happens next is an exploration of finding yourself. Healing from a heartbreak. And. Friendship. We also meet Rose. An older woman who has experienced life and believes she is paying her penance. As these two woman come together a story blooms. It's the perfect read to forget about life and 2020 that has become somewhat like #jumanji. If you need to forget your cares sink your teeth in to this read. You won't be disappointed. #chicklit #beachread #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookreviews #covid_19 #whattoreadnext🤔 #whattopick #books #books📚 #booklover ✨✨✨✨ 4 stars

The Summer House was such a great summer read. Have you ever heard the song “She Let Herself Go” by George Strait? It’s one of my favorites. In the song, a husband leaves his wife and she “let herself go”. But not in the way you might think. She doesn’t let her looks go. She lets herself go to New York City, the beach, a blind date, etc. You get the point.

Lily wakes up one morning and her husband of barely a year is gone. He left a note and divorce papers like the coward he is. Not only did he leave her, he left her in a town they just relocated to.

Rose is a lady curmudgeon. She likes things a certain way and makes sure the residents of Safe Harbor abide. Her tough exterior is a years built facade and Lily gets through to the real her, after applying for the hairdresser position at the village. These two make unlikely friends. And colleagues.

The Summer House is a story of beginning again, no matter your age. These ladies learn it is never too late to start over, to find love, to say you’re sorry. You’ll love the quirky residents and will root for Lily and Rose (and Coach, honestly). This is a feel good summer novel. Grab a beach chair and get cozy with a cocktail. It’s time to head to the summer house.

I received a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton, is a quick summer read about starting over. If you are a fan of Denton, and a lover of southern charm, this book will not disappoint.

I just loved this book and didn't want it to end, sure hope there is a sequel to see how Lily and Rawlins and Rose and Coach continue their relationships. It was so interesting to see how each person in this book handled their issues. I recommend this book highly.

A beautifully written novel infused with a message of hope and redemption. Lauren K. Denton has a lovely writing style, so honest and unique. Her characters are always delightful as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I feel it is exactly the kind of book I needed this summer.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

The Summer House is the story of Lily Bishop, who wakes up one morning to find her husband Worth has left her a goodbye letter and divorce papers - right after they relocated to Alabama's Gulf Coast for his job. Stuck in a new place with no family, Lily scrambles to find a job. She finds work as a hairdresser at a senior apartment community, where she can live above her shop. At Safe Harbor, she becomes friends with Rose, a divorced woman in her 60's who owns the community. She also slowly becomes friends - with some romantic interest - with Rose's nephew, Rawlins, who is a single father. Over the summer Lily finds a way to reinvent her life, with a little help from her friends.

I wanted to read this book because I have read all of Lauren K. Denton's books and loved every single one of them. The Summer House sounded like a perfect beach read!

This is my favorite Lauren K. Denton book yet! I absolutely loved everything about it. Lily is such a sweet, likable protagonist. She is a kind, gentle soul who longs for a happy life like her childhood in North Georgia. Her husband, Worth, was a poor match for her -- he is very driven, from an Atlanta society family, and he doesn't share Lily's love of the simple things in life.

I loved the slow building friendship/romance between Lily and Rawlins. Rawlins is so sweet with his young daughter Hazel. He is devoted to his Aunt Rose (who is also Lily's boss) and works hard as a shrimper.

Rose is also an interesting character. She is cool and reserved, but she has been hurt in the past too, and is just cautious with her heart. As she spends takes care of Hazel for Rawlins, befriends Lily, and has an unlikely romantic interest of her own, she blossoms. At one point Hazel remarks: "'Aunt Rosie is named after a flower too,' Hazel said. “Rose and Lily.” (Kindle position 1638).

The descriptions of small town southern life on the Alabama Gulf Coast are just lovely. They made me want to pack my bags and spend some time there! For instance:

"The weathered cedar house was up on stilts, with a screened porch up a set of stairs. Twinkle lights were strung all along the ceiling of the porch. Down below the house, two hammocks and a wooden swing hung from the rafters. On the other side of the patio, grass stretched all the way to the water and a short dock. As she watched, a brown pelican glided to a stop and perched on top of one of the posts. She laughed. 'It doesn’t get more picturesque than this.'" (Kindle position 2939).

Safe Harbor is also a charming place, full of quirky active seniors. The chapters are punctuated by little daily newsletters about life at Safe Harbor. They are fun to read and sometimes have some humor too!

I highly recommend The Summer House as a perfect summer read. It is such a lovely, relaxing book getaway!

Rating: 4.5/5

*Thank you to Lauren K. Denton, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Denton does it again! I purposefully put off reading this book because I just didn't want to finish it and I knew once I started it, I would zoom through it. I was right and it was SO good! I have been a fan of Denton's writing since her first book and always find her books welcoming and full of life. They are the perfect vacation read (or I wish this were a vacation read). Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this one- you won't be sorry!

Lily has moved to Alabama with her husband and still adjusting to the move when one morning, she woke to find a note and divorce papers from her husband stating he's left her and she deserves better. How can this be when only the night before he snuggled against her back in their bed?
It only gets worse for Lily from there when she's told she has a very short time to vacate the rental house her husband's company was providing for them. What is she to do?
While shopping for groceries, she sees a notice for a hair stylist. She was a hair stylist before marrying. After that, her life became second to what her mother-in-law dictated, so she no longer worked. But...could she possibly get hired for this job?
She discovers it's in a lovely retirement community called Safe Harbor. It was built years ago by Rose Carrigan and her husband-make that ex-husband. The scoundrel left her years ago when he ran off with his lovely assistant. Time and life has hardened Rose. She lets no one get close. She has severed family ties with the exception of her nephew, Rawlins and his darling little girl.
Rose hires Lily for the job and allows her to live in the upstairs of the beauty shop. This has solved two of Lily's problems, which is a huge relief for her.
Soon, Lily's shop becomes a place where women sit, share their lives, and become friends with Lily.
Lily finds more than friends at Safe Harbor. She also begins to heal.
Nice, laid back easy read. My disappointment was that I thought it was labeled as Christian fiction, but there was no Christianity in the story. There was, however, a bar and some drinking. Not what I expected to find in this book. On the plus side, there was no sex or profanity.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton

This book could quite handily adapt to a very nice Hallmark Channel movie. It includes a charming community, a gruff manager, a newly divorced new-girl-in-town, a hurt single dad and an irritatingly cheerful coach, plus an assorted cast of unique residents. In addition, all the right characters end up happily together and experience a certain amount of healing and personal growth.

This book would make a great beach read. It was positive and light for the most part. Even though it was published by Thomas Nelson, there was only a mention of the Bible once and no church or minister was mentioned as part of the community. It was definitely a clean read.

I am thankful to the publisher for a free copy and this is my honest review.

I absolutely loved this novel and couldn’t put it down. I felt like I was right at home amongst all the characters, some quirky and some down-to-earth. All of the characters were relatable and believable, even “bad guy” Worth! And I love that the author included not just Lily’s love story, but senior Rose’s too. There is much here about owning one’s own life story, and forgiveness as well. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes good stories with deeper meaning woven through.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Just what I needed.....a sweet, engaging, quick, summertime read! Lily has only been married a short while, but suddenly finds herself all alone in a new town after waking up one morning to find that her husband has left her. She struggles with what to do now, but in the end decides to stay in this unfamiliar town and try to make it on her own. She lands a job as a hairdresser in a retirement village and ends up finding much more than just a job....she finds a new family.

This is the first book that I have read by Lauren Denton, but I definitely plan to read more!

Lily wakes to find her husband missing and divorce papers on the counter. From there she finds her way to what should be a temporary position for the summer among a cast of unique characters. It was an interesting store. Overall good read but slow to really pick up.

How grateful I am to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for introducing me to Lauren K. Denton through her newest book, “The Summer House.” Because I enjoyed this one so much, I have already ordered the other 4 that she has written.

“The Summer House,” set on the Alabama coast, featured good people who were doing the best they could to move along in their lives following some sort of personal whammy. It’s not deep and there’s no mystery nor suspense. There’s very little action. And yet, the reader comes to know and love the characters as he/she watches them grow: grow out of the grip of guilt or blame and grow into the freedom of the person they were meant to be.

The time period is the present and the time covered is just 3 or 4 months during the summer. Our protagonist is in her 20s, but most of the characters are in their retirement years.

I loved it and am looking forward to reading her others.

If you are looking for a book that is both emotional and empowering, this story will bring you on that journey. For fans of women’s fiction and clean romances, this one will bring you through a calm, charming, feel good, community.

Books like these are a great way to cleanse yourself from those hard-to-read, epic fantasies which I tend to gravitate towards. The characters and small-town setting create that classic beach-read feel that we love to binge during the summer.

I gave this one a solid 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it for readers who want a down-to-earth read.

I am not sure what the title of the book has to do with the book itself. It's not so much a summer house, as it is a house in a retirement village in Southern Alabama. When Lily wakes up to find that her husband of one year has left her with divorce papers, she is left with having to leave the house where she's been living. Lily finds that the retirement community wants a hairdresser and she is a licensed beautician, so she applies.

Rose is the owner of the village and the one who hires the help and the one to whom Lily applies for the beautician position. Because there are sleeping quarters above, Lily believes this will be the perfect place for her to light and land. Rose begrudgingly hires her for a trial period. Lily finds in Rose an unconventional friend who sees her through some tough days.

The Summer House is a book about forgiving yourself, picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and making the best of a bad situation. Lauren K Denton has written an entertaining book that has some interesting characters who make the plot move along at a good clip. The setting is quaint and interesting at the same time. I found the book very hard to put down and quite compelling.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a new hair do that fits you to a T.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

"This life is a beautiful thing - it's precious and fleeting, and we'd all be crazy not to reach out and grab it with both hands and hang on tight."

From the first page of this story, I felt like I was transported to the small village called Safe Harbor on the Alabama coast. With her signature Southern charm and grace, Lauren K. Denton has written a beautiful story about starting over, taking chances, and becoming who you were meant to be. Rose and Lily couldn't have done that without the community around them, and there are definitely some some fun, slightly eccentric characters who add both lightheartedness and depth to the story! Besides the beautiful setting, which could be a character itself, my favorite part of the story was seeing Lily's transformation from a betrayed, hurting woman to one who has found her purpose and is ready to open her heart again. When I finished the book, I wished I could stay in Safe Harbor a little longer - that's a sign of a great story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4..5 stars What a perfectly uplifting book that's a perfect "beach read". Lily wakes up one morning to find a note from her husband telling her he just can't do it anymore, leaving her to figure out her life. She finds solace in the retirement village of Safe Harbor as a hairdresser. As she makes a life for herself, she befriends many of the residents, even crusty Rose, the owner of the village who's harboring a lot of hurt herself. If you're looking for a light read with a happy ending, this is the book for you. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lauren K. Denton's books are an automatic read for me. I get excited and happy when she has a new one coming out--usually starting with the gorgeous covers that grace them and then excited for the escape I find in them. This is her fourth book and the fourth one I have reviewed for TLC Book Tours. I love that they are hopeful, usually about second starts and chances and finding your place in the world, and they are filled with quirky and endearing characters. She also manages to work in delicious food and have me longing to move to a small Southern town or community despite having spent almost no time in the south. Take The Summer House for example, if someone asked me if I wanted to become a hairstylist in a retirement village in coastal Alabama, I'd think they were crazy but by the end of the book, I want to do just that. ;-)

In The Summer House, Lily awakes one morning to find her husband has left her with a brief note and signed divorce papers. Not sure what she is going to do, she knows she doesn't want to back to her home town and his family in Georgia but they just moved to Alabama for him to take a new job and she knows almost no one. She stumbles across a flyer advertising for a hair stylist--something she grew up doing in her single mother's salon and something she has missed since her mother passed away. The position is in a retirement community and soon she is interviewing with Rose, the owner and caretaker of Safe Harbor, a woman who has known her own heartache and has closed up to others because of it. Something in Lily causes Rose to take a chance on her and she is soon living above the hair salon and becoming friends with the colorful group of seniors that live in Safe Harbor. The story is told from the points of view of both Lily and Rose and each begins to craft a new life.

I think this may be my new favorite of Denton's books--something about the setting and characters and their stories that made me devour this book and wish for more than one summer with Lily and Rose. There is romance for each character, but friendship and growth are the main players in the story. Set in the summer on Alabama's coast, it's a perfect summer book for tucking in a beach bag or curling up on the lanai with a cold glass of lemonade or sweet tea, and immersing yourself in Safe Harbor. I recommend The Summer House to anyone looking for a brief, languid escape from all of the crazy in the world lately and I am already looking forward to the author's next book.

Here are my reviews and accompanying recipes of the first three books, The Hideaway, Hurricane Season, and Glory Road. They are each separate books and stories so you can dip into them as you please.