Lily Bishop left behind a life in shambles and wondered into Safe Harbor Village. She was looking for somewhere that wasn't where she had been. Somewhere to work and live. That’s it. She didn’t want to think about what just happened or what happened before that. She found the perfect place to bring her skills back to life. Lily found a job styling hair for some very unique people that would become her family. Lily also found Rose Carrigan. A woman with a tough exterior and a kind soul. Then we have Rawlins Willett. With a name like that how could I not mention him. Rawlins is Roses nephew and the village handyman. This story is filled with so many interesting, lovable characters and lets not forget the best gossip newsletter around. The Village Vine the residents go to for all information large and small. For example what time the tide will be in and the best time to take a walk. Lily will learn though that spending a lovely summer in a quaint, quirky village won’t erase the past. The past still wants to be dealt with. Lily will have decisions to make about herself and her future.

Laura Denton has become a new favorite author after I devoured her latest book. The main character starts out as a meek and oblivious wife who is deserted in the middle of the night by her coward of a husband. However, as she makes a new home among st the members of a retirement community, she finds her voice and passion in life. The supporting cast was good as well and there were few surprises. One thing that always bothers me in these type of books is how no one seems to be able to communicate with each other and problems seem to fester for far to long. However, this did not take away any from my enjoyment of the book. Thank you Netgalley!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I need to start off by saying that I am a sucker for a good starting over book. Woman who has lost everything and starts over.

This book was a really cute read. I was completely invested in the lives of the characters. At one point I could almost picture the little community and I thought oh how much fun this must be to live there.

This is a great beach read. If you are looking for something nice and light to read - definitely give it a chance.




#TheSummerHouse #NetGalley

This book was great! The characters were all so likeable and it was really a heartwarming story about women supporting each other and finding themselves-and love-in the process.
This was a quick and fun read.

In this story of change and growth, I appreciated that Lily ended up in a village filled with retirees. I found the setting refreshing. So often people forget that folks over fifty-five live interesting lives. Lauren K. Denton explores not only rising up after losing everything, as Lily does, but also letting go and enjoying life as we watch Rose bloom (pun intended.) I love how the author captures the endearing personalities of the folks in Safe Harbor. I can't forget to mention Rawlins. He's a single dad and a sweetheart with a touching story. The only thing I don't like about the story is the presence of alcohol. Otherwise, The Summer House is a charming story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was given to me by Netgalley for an honest review.
Well this is definitely one of those books you want to curl up on a beach with your sunhat and just enjoy the stories being unraveled. I enjoyed the comradrie between the senior woman...although a few more jokes and fun between the fellow neighbors would've been nice. Besides the two main woman characters Rose and Lily, the other woman residents seem to have the same voice. Perhaps instead of having so many extra characters, maybe just a couple different ones showcasing their personality more.
The book however, has a very light reading feel, it's not heavy at all. And even the heavy moments seem to really not be that big of a deal. It is definitely a light summer read!

I received an advance copy of The Summer House by Lauren K Denton, Thomas Nelson and Netgalley to review. I was ready for a relaxing easy read and this was perfect for that. Lily wakes up to a note and divorce papers. She finds a place to live and a job in a retirement community. Loved all the characters and characters they are. Friendship and a new start come in unexpected places. This book will release in June 2020.

A simple story about starting over. Lily Bishop's husband leaves her by leaving a note on the kitchen counter, and divorce papers in an envelope by the coffee maker. A chance encounter leads to a hairdresser opening in a small seaside village nearby. Rose, the village manager, takes a chance on Lily and employs her. Soon Lily is learning to be part of the small community and comes out of her shell.

I do mean a very simple story. Not a huge fan of the coincidence factor of Lily finding not only a job but also a place to live exactly when she needed it, but that fact didn't derail the whole story for me. I did find the back and forth between Lily and Rose's stories slightly confusion (both flower names?? odd choice), but I read until the end. Looking forward to the next one by this author.

I just finished this wonderful book by Lauren Denton. This was my first novel by Ms Denton and oh what a wonderful journey it was! Lily finds herself starting over rather suddenly, as I’m sure a lot of us have. She lands in an Active Living Community with so many characters. You will love them all! Being from the south myself, I felt her descriptions of the land, people and mannerisms were perfect. This is a fun book and beautiful story of starting over, forgiving yourself and others and new friendships. I will definitely read more by Ms. Denton. I received this book as an advanced reader copy for an honest review. Definitely a great book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved all the characters, young and not so young. I always enjoy books that have back story in them. I would love for the author to write another book that takes place in Safe Harbor, too many fun characters not to revisit them. Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced reader edition. #TheSummerHouse #NetGalley

Living through all of the heartbreak of losing her mother and the disappointment of disastrous marriage, Lily learns to find her own way. With the help of Rose, Rawlins, and Hazel she discovered what she needed most in her life—a place to call home.

The chosen cover for this book is apropos. This is not a beach read; this is a 'lazy-afternoon-on-the-porch-swing-sipping-sweet-tea' kind of read. Brimming with heart and Southern charm, 'The Summer House' is a must-read for Summer '20.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson--FICTION, and Lauren Denton for an ARC of 'The Summer House' in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

Lily wakes up to a missing husband a divorce papers. Lily is no stranger to having to make ends meet and isn’t afraid of hard work. In fact that is what she needs to heal from her husband’s betrayal.

Rose runs the community where lily applies for a job.

I enjoyed this book. I found lily to be a strong character and this community to be one I would like to visit.

The Summer House by author Lauren K. Denton is a wonderful story about life, disappointments and second chances. The characters are all likable and I wanted to know their secrets. It starts with Lily waking one day in Foley, AL and finding her husband has left her a note telling her goodbye and a stack of divorce papers for her to sign. Her reaction was a bit mild, I thought, but as you read further Lily admits there were problems with Worth's ability to totally commit. The fact that Worth left her with no financial support or a home was horrible! Lily sees an ad for a hairdresser in a little village of Safe Harbor. She goes there to seek a job and she finds so much more! This is written with insight into the mistakes people can make which let old hurts linger far too long in life.
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I loved the book because I am in my 60's also. Rose Carrigan built the small retirement village of Safe Harbor and we get to see the things going on there. Rose ran a tight ship but the people at Safe Harbor were learning new things, excited about exercise, celebrating and having parties.
Lily Bishop woke up one morning to divorce papers and a note that he couldn't do it anymore. She had just moved to Alabama because of her husbands job so she didn't know anyone. She saw an ad for a hairstylist at Safe Harbor Retirement Home. She got the job and moved there. She met Rose's nephew, Rawlins, and his daughter and it was nice to see them forming a friendship. Lily and the residents of Safe Harbor also created a wonderful bond which was so nice because Lily truly was alone in the world. her mother who had taught her to cut hair had passed away and that was her only family.
We learn why Rose is the way she is and she has choices. She can continue on the way she has been or she can take a chance of letting people into her life and correct some mistakes that were made along the way. read the book because if you are in your 20's or your 60's, there is so much community spirit that comes through the book and makes you a part of it. Reading the book, I decided I should be learning new things and enjoying life just like the people at Safe Harbor. For me, it was a reminder that at any age you have to live and enjoy life. Take chances and see where the journey leads you. There were many wonderful friends and neighbors in this book. They inspired me.

"The Summer House" by Lauren K. Denton is a fantastic southern romantic novel.

"She realized she'd been waiting for this, probably since the day he slipped a ring on her finger and asked her to marry him."

Usually reading a book, I find characters that I don't like, but not this one. I loved them all!
Sweet, sad, romantic all around wonderful book.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson, author, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own

This is the cutest little story and the perfect little town to start over! This was well written and the character development was excellent.

Lily Bishop's husband leaves her one day out of the blue. She wakes up to find a note and divorce papers on the counter. He has left, leaving all his belongings behind. Lily is devastated but by chance sees a flyer at a local grocery store advertising for a hair stylist

Rose Carrigan runs the retirement community where Lily applies for the job as being a hair stylist. She is known for running a tight ship, keeping others at arm’s length, and yet she sees something in the younger woman and knows she must hire her and allow her to live over the salon. She even enlists her nephew and his friend to help Lily move.

Soon, Lily becomes a part of the "active" community and learns about the community members, their lives and is told all the local gossip. She also begins to heal after being left high and dry and begins to form a friendship with Rose's nephew.

Both women in this book are on their own path of growth and along the way make friends, form relationships and begin to see that no matter how old (or young) you are, you can always start over and begin again.

I really enjoyed Lauren K. Denton's book [book:The Hideaway|30649413] and was hoping that this would be just as good. Sadly, it fell a little short of that book but was still charming and enjoyable. Sure, it was predictable, but I didn't mind that at all. One issues that I had was the changing back and forth between the two women's stories was a little choppy and it interrupted up the flow of the book for me.

Overall, I think fans of Lauren K. Denton will be happy with this book. The book does have some romance but no graphic scenes or language. I also appreciated that the relationships in this book did not feel rushed - including the friendships that are started in this book. I found this to be very realistic.

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.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
This was a feel good book, I finished reading it filled with emotion. Lilyand Rose, two women with history, with loss, searching, and trying to start over in some aspect. Change can be hard, but change can also be necessary, when Lily finds herself alone after her husband leaves her she’s left to make some big changes. Rose is the owner of Safe Harbour Village, thinking about making some changes of her own, takes a risk on a young women who needs a fresh start. From there the story ensues, you meet charming characters each with stories and secrets to hide. It’s story to remind us that life is beautiful, and that growth at any age possible; life doesn’t always go the way we planned, but it finds its way of working out.

This is a sweet, slow moving southern story. Lily finds herself alone after her husband of one year walks out on their marriage. She finds a job and a home at Safe Harbor Village, a retirement community. The story also follows Rose who owns and manages the Village. Over the course of a summer she comes makes amends for some long ago mistakes and changes her outlook on life. There is a bit of romance and a lot of Southern charm in this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I didn’t finish reading this one. It started out strong with great character development of Lilly, but then really slowed down. In the end I couldn’t get into the story.