I was ecstatic to have the privilege to read this book as an advanced reader copy, as I love Lauren Denton! Just like her others, this book did not disappoint. It follows the story of Lily, who without forewarning, finds herself facing divorce after her husband leaves her a note and has left. The story follows her finding a new start and also finding herself. The story of Lily is intertwined with the story of Rose, who gives Lily a job, and a chance at a new life, while battling her own past. I love that the characters are able to learn and grow from one another. It is a cozy, feel good read, and I recommend you check it out. It would be a great book to take to the beach this summer!

I received an advance copy of The Summer House by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A very well written romance. Great plot, believable characters and a fantastic southern setting. Love this author’s books and The Southern House was no exception. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

And honestly? I loved this book. I requested it because of the cover alone...I have always had a thing for porch swings. It only took me a couple of pages to get into the book. The main character in the beginning is Lily. Fresh from moving to a new city and a new house, she wakes up one morning to find a goodbye letter and some divorce papers. He didn't even make the coffee before he propped the letter up by the machine. THAT is bad enough but then she finds out that the place they were staying in was contingent on the job he had, which he also walked away from. So now she is alone and without a place to stay. She comes upon some women talking about how a hairdresser is needed at their retirement community and since that is what she used to do, she decided to apply. Rose becomes another main character and Rose is the owner of the retirement community. As she is applying, Lily finds out that as a perk, she would get to live above the shop and things go from there. We meet so many people in that community and there are so many stories within stories that I was not quite ready to let them go.

Maybe I liked it so much because I am middle aged and thinking towards that direction, I have no idea. But I am telling you that if this place were real, I would seriously be contemplating going there when it was time to retire and settle in somewhere. I would seriously love to meet these people if they were real.

What is it with books set in the South? Just the setting and you are instantly transported to a magical place... I love all of Denton books. I anticipate her next book ever since I read The Hideaway. She has a talent in descriptions that transport you and make your fall in love with the South! This is a charming and heart warming novel about new beginnings, the courage to make your own destiny and the power of friendship and community. A truly relaxing story, full of Southern Charm...

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Summer House was a cute, fun read! The characters were likable and I loved the coastal Alabama setting. It was your typical starting over novel. It would be a great beach read!

Lauren K Denton has another bestseller! What happens when your husband leaves you out of the blue and you have no family to step in and help you. Lily meets some women by chance who invite her to be the hairdresser at their retirement village, but she must meet with Rose's approval. Lives change, friends are made and people can be family without being related.

The Summer House is a heartwarming tale of new beginnings. I particularly enjoyed how Lauren K Denton lead her characters to face their lives and the mistakes they'd made and offered them a second chance.
It's a nice read for people who like to think about life and enjoy a warm tale with a happy end.

I received a free advanced readers' copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

In all of the best ways, this book was "quaint." It felt like a piece of home and you could connect with most of the characters on some level. The writing was fantastic and I never felt like I was being burdened with a page of fluff.

Lovely easy going read. I really enjoyed this one. It was well written. Great plot perfect for these cold winter nights dreaming about summer coming

The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton
Source: NetGalley and Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins
Rating: 5/5 stars

Lily Bishop’s life hasn’t been easy, but she had hoped once she married, her life would at least improve. As it turns out, not only did her life not improve, but her husband turned out to be feckless and left her high and dry with nothing more than a note and a week to move out of their shared home.

With nothing to do but pack her bags and move forward, Lily ponders her options. She’s in a new city, a new state, and knows no one, but that isn’t going to stop her. Though she isn’t as confident as she may appear, Lily takes a chance on a supermarket flier advertising for a hairdresser in a local retirement village. At this point, Lily has nothing to lose and during her interview with the surly Rose Carrigan, she goes for broke with stark honesty.

Rose Carrigan isn’t known for her friendly demeanor and she certainly isn’t known for having a soft spot for anything or anyone. However, her interview with Lily Bishop is private so no one must know she bent just a bit and is giving a young woman in a bad spot a chance to turn it all around. As if to temper her moment of kindness (weakness?), Rose makes sure Lily understands all the cleaning is on her and the job is only a trial run. Yeah, that should be enough to ensure her reputation.

As Lily begins her new (temporary) journey at the retirement village, she has time to reflect on her past and how she ended up where she is now. For Lily, the walk down memory lane takes her back to her own mother’s salon and the fond memories she has of those days. More than anything, Lily wants to create the same environment she once so loved in her mother’s salon. Lily wants to create an atmosphere of friendship, comradery, and safety for the women who come to see her. What’s more, Lily hopes to create a place where she can blossom and flourish just as her clients do. She knows she has big shoes to fill, but Lily is willing to put in the hard work and the effort despite her fears and insecurities.

As Lily is learning to find her own path, Rose Carrigan is discovering her life choices, her general bad attitude, and her standoffishness has kept her from truly enjoying her life. As the owner and manager of the retirement village she also lives in, Rose has had plenty of opportunity to become involved, make great friends, and be a real member of her community. However, her past has mired her in sadness and regret and that has prevented Rose from moving forward. As she watches Lily Bishop begin to rebuild her own life, Rose starts to reevaluate her own life and though it is difficult, make small changes that may allow her to have a happy and fulfilled life.

The Bottom Line: Yet again, the wait for a new Lauren K. Denton book has been well worth the wait. Though separated by decades, Rose and Lily are companion souls both searching for a way to improve their lives and no longer live in the darkness. Through Lily’s strides, efforts, and attempts, Rose sees a second chance, a chance to make for all she has voluntarily given up because of her fear and regret. What I love most about this book is the healing environment and acceptance both women find themselves in; the setting is as much a part of this story as the characters and one absolutely enhances the other. Once again, Denton has offered a poignant and compelling story that will resonate with many readers. Ultimately, this is the story of friendship, loyalty, love, and courage and the ability of two women to rise above what they have endured.

I want to start off by saying thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book, it was a very good read easy to follow along with storyline and characters. This was a new author for me but I very much enjoyed it, thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to reading more by this author again. I highly recommend this book to everybody.

First, thanks to #netgalley for this opportunity to read another Lauren K. Denton book.
Another inspiring book by Lauren K. Denton. If you have read the other Lauren K. Denton books, you know how they flow.

With this one, you get to see how the characters help each other out to get past issues they are dealing with in their lives. I love that the books take place in the south, and also that the author helps you know the people during the story.

Totally recommend #TheSummerHouse

I picked this book because I wanted an uplifting, gentle read and this didn't disappoint. This new book is set in and around a coastal retirement community in southern Alabama with believable characters spanning the expected (quirky) personalities to a few solid thirty-somethings. Angst, regret, love and new beginnings all drive the story and have you pulling for the new beginnings to take root and blossom into love. It's good to be reminded that love and acceptance does not have an age limit, and especially in a book that you'd feel comfortable giving to an older relative to read.

This book is enjoyable. It’s a quick, fun read perfect for the beach or by the pool.
The story flows well and is pretty predictable.

The story follows a young woman as her short marriage falls apart shockingly. Without notice she has to build a new life for herself while she learns about herself and does some healing. The characters are so fun. They are delightfully well developed and each ones makes you want to move into this special place!

If you are looking for a fun summer read this one will not disappoint.

The Summer House is a delightful read! Parallel characters face the task of starting over. The main character accepts the talent she instinctively learned from her mother to become self-sufficient. She finds her place as a cosmetologist in a small coastal community, and as her business grows, her confidence increases, allowing her the freedom to be happy and content. As hairstyles are reshaped, lives are transformed. Decades of guilt and self-imposed penance shift and finally are addressed as truths are uncovered. The simplicity of activities purely organized for fun and social opportunities refresh the beauty of face-to-face personal interactions too often missed in today’s social media world of communication. Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed with laughter and camaraderie where each person feels value and self-worth, recognizing the unique talents of people working together for the good of a community is a treasure these characters celebrate!

This was a heart warming story about starting over that I really enjoyed! This was my first read by this author but not my last. She created an enjoyable setting with enjoyable characters!

This is yet another captivating read by Lauren K. Denton that was engrossing from the first page and kept me turning the pages until the last.

Lily wakes up one morning to find that her husband left in the middle of the night, leaving a note of apology with divorce papers on their favorite coffee maker. In the aftermath she winds up as the hairstylist for a senior living community and winds her way into the heart of the owner, Rose, who is nicknamed the Ice Queen.

I really was drawn in by these realistic characters who both had stories that kept me interested and the fun that fellow neighbors brought to the story.

My main downside with this novel is that I felt that it wrapped up way too quickly and could have been expanded upon.

Despite this I think it's a great read and I loved my time spent in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had not read this author before but I really loved this book. This is the story of Lily Bishop who wakes up with her husband gone and divorce papers on the table, then finds out from her husband's job that since he left the rental they have is for the person who is taking the job. Following a job lead Lily ends up in Safe Harbor, a retirement community running her own salon. Read the story to see how things work out for Lily and the community owner Rose. See how the whole community supports each other. A Good Read.

A warm, relaxing fresh air of a book, such an enjoyable experience for these hectic, unsettling times life hands us.

It feels weird to say that I really liked this book, when it started on such a rocky note. But, if you can get past the opening of a woman's husband leaving her out of the blue, there's a lot to gather here about second chances and opening up to the people whom you find in your life. Between Lily's fresh start, and Rose's path to forgiving herself and letting people in, the characters in this story were heartrendingly realistic, and down-to-earth, yet colorful and engaging. I loved watching the interplay between the members of this community who had lived among each other for years, yet with the fresh perspective of 28-year-old Lily becoming part of them. I could see a series set in this community of Safe Harbor, delving into the rich histories of those who live here, and perhaps interacting with and passing on their wisdom to the next generations.

I give this book 4 stars. Lily and Rose were traveling separate paths, yet both needed forgiveness, healing, and fresh starts, and I loved watching how their journeys affected each other and the community they were a part of.

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