EVOCATIVE!

Author Lauren K. Denton has a special gift for writing evocative Southern fiction and she is on the top of her game in THE SUMMER HOUSE! This is a story of love and loss. A story of Lily and Rose, from different generations who share similar ways of dealing with hidden secrets over their broken hearts. A story of Coach and Rawlins, from different generations (only the younger one has the cutest little daughter) who also know a thing or two about broken hearts but instead of it making them BITTER, it has made them BETTER men. A story of the two men pursuing the two women in order to show them what it feels like for someone else to want to protect and provide for them. A story of a community that comes together to support Lily’s beauty salon and in doing so, it becomes the center of activity. Mainly, it is the story of a spectacular summer that gives hope to the broken-hearted that there may be more to life and love than they have experienced so far. One of my favorite quotes from the book is: “I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Sometimes the hardest step is the first one. After that, it can only get easier.” What a great insight! I was provided a complimentary copy of this novel by Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

This was a lovely book! Lily is a young woman who is married and thinks everything is fine. She wakes up one morning to find her husband gone and a note at the coffeepot. She has no clue what is happening or what to do about it but she pulls herself together and decides to move forward instead of backward. As she searches for her future, she runs into (literally) two older women at the grocery store. They tell her of their community at the end of the island and of a possible job opening and the rest is a perfectly wonderful adventure. All of the residents are very welcoming and Lily seems to fit right in even though she's about 40 younger than everyone else. Rose, the owner of the community, is a little brusque but for some reason she takes a liking to Lily and their journey to new lives and new possibilities is very sweet and very moving. Seems that age is not a barrier to change or reinventing yourself. There is even some very sweet romance too. I will definitely be looking for more of Ms. Denton's work.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In her latest inspiring, uplifting novel, Ms. Denton gives readers a great summer read (would be a great beach read). This is an inspirational novel that examines the past and present of several characters. Their past has shaped their present and each presents a facade that they are afraid of letting others see. The book begins with Lily whose husband has just left her unexpectedly. Lily finds herself alone and in need of a home and a job. Circumstances leads her to a prospective job in a retirement community in Alabama at the gulf. Lily interviews for the job with Rose. Rose has run the Safe Harbor Village for many years. She is predictable and very closed off. However, Rose sees something in Lily to give her a job. Lily has skills in helping break down barriers and mend fences. As Ms. Denton leads readers to the conclusion of this book, they will be inspired and uplifted. This novel shows readers how the hope of pushing against our fears and allowing God to change us and work through us is possible. I highly recommend this book and know you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

Lauren K. Denton is one of those authors that I would recommend buying her entire collection, because if you like one, you will like them all. There are very few authors that can write women the way that she can, with depth, complexity, and likability while not being overly and annoyingly perfect. I honestly want her characters to be my best friends, so that we can all be there for each other and share our lives.

The Summer House is no exception, and I was hooked in the first three pages. That is how you open a book, engage the audience, without having to force unrealistic plot devices. It just happens and the entire story flows effortlessly from there, with a calm, building plot that is perfectly paced.

This is a dual POV story but I never got upset when it switched, which is always the concern for me. I usually like to stick with one person, because I'n invested in their story, so switching changes the mindset and emotional connection for me. But, in The Summer House, the characters were so alive, so vivid, and so involved in each other's story arch that I never missed anyone when we switched.

I only have one bone to pick with Ms. Denton, and that is the ending. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful, satisfying, and I completely understand why she wrote it the way she did. But come on! I needed that one thing, but I guess I just have to use my imagination to make sure it happened. It was nice that Lily's story didn't need THAT to make it complete, she did it all on her own. but I still wanted it, lol.

Another amazing novel from the remarkable Lauren K. Denton. It's not to be missed especially as a feel good, summer read.

This book reminded me of the Sweet Magnolias series by Sherryl Woods. Filled With southern references and humor, a sweet cozy little town, and a woman re-finding herself after getting through an unexpected divorce. Certain parts will have you smiling to yourself and others will have you patiently awaiting what other corky mayhem the retirement community called Safe Harbor finds themselves in. Told in alternating POvs between crass manager Rose and newcomer/ hair dresser Lily Bishop. It’s the perfect book to throw in your bag before heading to the beach this summer!


Thank you to @netgalley and @thomasnelson for the early readers’ copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes a book reminds you that there is hope, no matter your age or circumstances. The Summer House by Lauren K Denton takes on that hope and helps you believe. The novel is set in Alabama on a secluded piece of land.

Lily was suddenly alone. Her husband gone, his whereabouts unknown, and a few days to find a new place to live. A chance encounter and a flyer on a bulletin board lead Lily to a Safe Harbor, a small retirement village. Lily’s skills as a hairdresser has opened up a new path, if she can take it.

Rose runs Safe Harbor. She is standoffish and sharp to many people. Rose’s ex husband wants her to sell the land and village, but Rose is not sure. The land holds memories.

Lily and Rose form an unlikely friendship and both find this a summer of change and growth. The title of the village - Safe Harbor - was just that of a safe harbor for growth and change.The slow unraveling of the past and the caring of others allows for safety. It doesn’t hurt that there are love interests for both Lily and Rose.

I enjoyed reading this novel very much. I loved the quirky people at Safe Harbor. I loved the unraveling of the backstory of Rose. I liked how Lily’s partial role as a change agent helped herself as well as others. The Summer House by Lauren K Denon is a wonderful, hopeful read.

Thanks, @thomasnelson #netgalley for the complimentary e copy of #thesummerhouse. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

From the author of Hurricane Season and Glory Road…

Lily is devastated to find a goodbye note and signed divorce papers on the kitchen table when she awakens. Before her brief marriage, she was a hairstylist, and she contemplates the possibility of leveraging this skill to make a fresh start. By chance, she notices a flyer advertising the need for a hairstylist in a nearby retirement community. Desperate for a job, she makes the call and shows up for the interview and also negotiates for the apartment above the salon.

Second chances….

If you’ve heard the term “Up Lit,” The Summer House fits nicely into this categorization. I think of Up Lit as a heartwarming story with hopeful elements. Up Lit doesn’t avoid life’s difficult issues but the story is generally uplifting.

If you are a fan of Lauren K Denton, you might be familiar with Hurricane Season or Glory Road (a favorite!). Denton’s books fall into the Southern Fiction sub genre and certainly in the Up Lit category. If you’re looking for an uplifting and heartfelt story filled with likable characters and elements of hope, you will enjoy her stories.

In The Summer House, I especially love the variety of characters including many of retirement age. I appreciate the multi-generational cast of characters. And yes, there’s a romance or two brewing!

Poignant themes in The Summer House include second chances, friendship, taking risks, starting over, and women supporting women.

The Summer House is recommended for Denton fans, for readers who appreciate uplifting and heartfelt stories, for those looking for lighter women’s fiction, and for book clubs looking for a gentle and heartwarming read.

3.5 Stars (rounded up to 4)

A Summer of Second Chances and New Hope
This book is a heartwarming story of healing, second chances, and new growth. It is primarily women's fiction, but there are several romances in the background. The story is well done with believable characters reacting to hard situations in a believable manner. This book was so well written that I am going to check out more of this author's books. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

I enjoyed reading about Lily and Rose, both strong women, who befriend each other and help each other move forward in their lives. I thought the characters were interesting and the relationships as well. A charming book. My first by this author.

Are you a person that can bounce back from what life throws at you? If so, you may can relate to Lily. I think she is a little of many of us or we are a little of her. I loved getting to know her. Another character I loved getting to know was Rose. I think we all may have something in our past that maybe we wish would have happened a different way. I hope you enjoy your trip to Alabama and meeting all these wonderful folks. I think you’ll really enjoy Coach, Rawlins, Kitty, Shirley, Edna, Tiny and the rest of the folks who hang around Safe Harbor Village. I received the book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

3 stars. I have to be honest I did not finish this book. I don’t want to give it a lower star rating though because the writing was very good, I just personally had a hard time getting into the story and connecting with the characters. The reviews are quite high for this one and I can see where a lot of people would enjoy it...it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy on exchange for an honest review

Lauren K. Denton's books are always fun to read and this one is no exception. The characters are well written and the scenery on the Gulf Coast is beautifully described and makes you feel like you are in Alabama with the characters in the book.

Lily wakes up one morning and finds that her husband of one year is gone and left behind a note - that's all just a note with no explanation of why he left or how she could find him. They had only lived in Alabama for 2 weeks and she had no friends or family so she had nowhere to turn. She realized that she needed a job and replied to a flyer that she found at the grocery story to be a hair stylist in a local retirement community. Her mother, who had died several years earlier had a hair salon in her home and taught Lily everything she needed to know. When Lily first meets Rose, the owner, at her interview, it looks like things may not work out but after Lily explains what has happened in her life, Rose feels a strong urge to help her out. Rose is the other main character and after losing her husband years earlier, she became a rule maker at the village and ship avoided getting involved with any of the residents. So as the novel starts out, we have two main characters,, both in need to change and struggling to find happiness in their lives.

The retirement community was full of fun and quirky people. They were all in the end stages of their lives but they were full of life and loved to have adventures and parties. Once Lily is accepted as their hair stylist, she begins to enjoy having fun with them. Also, she and Rose's nephew begin to be more than a little interested in each other and there may be romance in their future. Will Lily and Rose be able to find happiness and contentment in their lives with a little help from the residents of the community?

The Summer House is an uplifting book about love and friendship, loss and starting over. It's a charming book that is a bit predictable at times but is still fun to read and enjoy. It will definitely put a smile on your face.

Lily Bishop wakes up to find her husband, Worth, is not in bed next to her. They recently moved into a rental home in Alabama so Worth can start a new job working for his wealthy family. Then she sees a note from him saying he can’t do this anymore, along with a complaint for divorce. Now, she must move out of the rental home, find a new place to live, and find a job. When she sees an ad for a hairstylist at a retirement home called Safe Harbor Village, she immediately applies.

Rose Carrigan built Safe Harbor Village and runs it. She has lived there for many years and knows all of the residents and their quirks and personalities. The characters of the Village are welcoming to Lily and bring her into their lives.

This story is like sitting in your yard in the summertime sipping a glass of iced tea and chatting with good friends. Safe Harbor Village sounds like a nice place to live filled with good people. I would be delighted to have neighbors like this. I really loved Lily’s character and found her to be a very strong woman. So, come to Safe Harbor Village this summer and have a fun, wholesome time. Enjoy!
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Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Title: The Summer House
Author: Lauren K. Denton
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

Lily Bishop wakes one morning to find a good-bye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated but forced to contemplate her next steps when she sees a flier at the grocery store for a hair stylist position in a local retirement community.

Rose Carrigan built the small retirement village of Safe Harbor years ago--just before her husband ran off with his assistant. Now she runs a tight ship, making sure the residents follow her strict rules. Rose keeps everyone at arm's length, including her own family. But when Lily shows up asking for a job and a place to live, Rose's cold exterior begins to thaw. Lily and Rose form an unlikely friendship, and Lily's salon soon becomes the place where residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets of their own. Lily even finds herself drawn to Rose's nephew, Rawlins--a single dad and shrimper who's had some practice at starting over, and one of the residents may be carrying a torch for Rose as well.

Neither Lily nor Rose is where they expected to be, but the summer makes them both wonder if there's more to life and love than what they've lived so far. The Summer House weaves Lauren Denton's inviting Southern charm around a woman's journey to find herself.
I’m just going to say it: I love Lauren K. Denton’s writing! This was another entrancing summer read! If only I’d been at the beach reading….I was glued to the page from the moment Lily woke up to find her husband gone without warning.

Rose changed the most during this novel, and her journey was wonderful to read. Despite her emotionally barricaded life, she learns to open up and trust people, just as Lily does. Even the secondary characters are wonderful, and this is definitely a book worth binge reading!

Lauren K. Denton is a bestselling author. The Summer House is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My first book by this author. Wonderfully written book about loss and starting over. With hope and determination you can succeed. Ms. Denton weaves a fabulous, engaging story with phenomenal characters. A must read! Enjoy! 📚

This book arrived at the right time. Full of inspiration, the friendship between Rose and Lily is like a flower in bloom. The characters navigate through different situations until they find themselves forging a very sweet friendship. Such a lovely story!
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I hope to read more from this author.

The Summer House is the summer 2020 offering by author Lauren K. Denton. Lily Chapman Bishop has not had an easy life. As a youngster her father died leaving her mother, Lillian, to figure out how to provide for them in the future. Lillian opened her own hair salon as well as doing cleaning chores for the ladies of Fox Hill, GA. When Lillian unexpectedly succumbs to pneumonia at a young age, Lily, as her daughter and protégée, does her best to keep things going but eventually has to say Uncle, sell off the tools and the house, and move on.

Soon after Lily moves to Atlanta to start over she meets Worth Bishop, wealthy young man governed by his controlling mother Mertha. In a whirlwind courtship and subsequent marriage, Lily hopes she has found the one. But soon after they move to Foley, Alabama for his new job, Worth takes off leaving an apology and divorce papers.

Left at loose ends and no direction, an idle grocery store conversation leads Lily to apply for the hairdresser position at Safe Harbor Village, a coastal retirement community. When she interviews with the hard-nosed manager Rose Carrigan, she is surprised to land herself not only the job but also a place to live above her shop.

As colorful and endearing characters are introduced and the story unfolds, the reader cannot help but root for both Lily and Rose as they each find their direction and pull ahead to be the best they can be. This is a delightful story written by an author that has never failed with her consummate story telling. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

I've loved Ms. Denton's previous books, and this one didn't disappoint! It was exactly the kind of comfort read I needed given these last few months. Ms. Denton's writing draws me in each time. Her sense of place and relate-able characters always make for a good combo. Definitely perfect summer reading!

Lily wakes up one morning to find a note from her husband and divorce papers. She wasn’t as devastated as most spouses would be and you learn a little about their short-term relationship throughout the book.

Rose, who is the owner and manager of Safe Harbor Village, is closed off and doesn’t get involved with the residents. Her history is shown bit-by-bit throughout the story but no real depth of emotions after her husband left her years ago. I did enjoy that she made the step to have Lily work on her hair and it seemed to give her a new outlook on life.

Rose had such terrible secrets that tore her family apart and yet there was little to it. She mentioned what had happened to her nephew who didn’t even know the issues. When she spoke to her brother after 30 years, a sentence or two and it was over.

It was interesting to see how Lily worked to move on and find a place for herself without any family or other place to call home. Even though the village has much older residents, she started to feel a part of the place.

The description of Safe Harbor Village, the water views, the residents and the homes were enticing and made me want to live there

The book was slow and with very little drama, even with topics of infidelity, spouse disappearing, family disagreements where they hadn’t spoken in years, etc., There is a bit of romance involved but very tame. The story ended on a feel-good note with hopes of a HEA.

And yet, it was exactly what I needed during these turbulent times. I felt like I could be sitting on a swing or in a hammock, relaxing in a light breeze and it was comforting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Great read! So many complex emotions. I love how the characters let their trials make them stronger. The story made me think differently about how I let circumstances and events in my life affect me. Good story for teenagers all the way up.