Summer by the Lake by Mandy Baggot a charming five-star read. I can honestly say that this was my favourite by this author, I have enjoyed the last few but they didn’t blow me away, this one did, I just had that little something extra, all of the novels have likeable and easy going characters but this one just made them extra somehow. This is filled with secrets and hurt, but its how the characters deal with the hurt that gives this the extra special warmth. Robyn will entertain you and Cole will add the sparkle to the water.

Mandy Baggot has written yet another super novel, with twists and turns and maybe a surprise na
ear the end. Family saga with romance but never straight forward but it must be read as it is well worth doing so. I really enjoyed it and I an sure you will too. This is a 5 star novel and I recommend it.

A lovely sunny read with a feel good ending. What more could you want? Set off on an adventure and with lovely characters and s fab setting

Robyn Mathers is heading home to Michigan. It is the first time that she has been back since she left aged just sixteen - nine years ago. Her Dad is seriously ill in hospital and somebody needs to be there to run his business and be the coach of the town's ice hockey club. Leaving London isn't hard but going back home could be the thing that finally breaks her.

At the airport with little time for her to make the connecting flight, the handle on her carry-on luggage breaks. Rushing to her rescue is Cole Ryan who is heading for the same flight she is. Tall, dark and handsome he is the perfect gentleman and the chemistry between them is instant. After their short flight they are soon good friends. Robyn is nervous about trusting anyone with her feelings especially as the secrets of her past are back with a vengeance as she goes back home.

Cole is looking for a new start as well. Betrayal and hurt feature in his recent past and he is just looking to bury himself in his new job and maybe play a little hockey. The feelings that have surfaced after his chance meeting with Robyn are startling and a little daunting. Can he share his secrets and his past and learn to move on?

As always Mandy Baggot's books are filled with likeable and relatable characters that you want to be best friends with. The small town setting sounds pretty idyllic. In an odd turn of events I find myself reviewing two consecutive books set in Michigan. It wasn't planned and I honestly can't remember any other books set there but they have ice hockey and nice diners so it sounds pretty good to me. If this latest book by Mandy Baggot sounds a little familiar it was previously published under the title <em>Taking Charge</em>.

Supplied by Net Galley and Aria in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aria and Mandy Baggot for the ARC of Summer By The Lake. In exchange this is my personal honest review.

Robyn was on her way home to see her Dad who is in the hospital. She is planning to run her father’s roadhouse and local ice hockey team, that her father manages. Both are in desperate need of her to oversee them.
While at the airport her backpack handle breaks, and this is how she meets Cole. He offers to carry her bag to her flight which is the same one he is on.
The chemistry between the two is just what they both need in their lives.
This is a very enjoyable likable mix of characters in the story.

I wanted to like this book and I wanted to give Mandy Baggot another try because people love her work.

I have come to the sad conclusion that her books just aren't for me and that upsets me.
I love the premises to all the books I've tried but I just find it so hard to connect with the characters and sadly end up losing interest.

Dont let this review stop you from reading this book. Like I said a lot of people love this book and all her other ones and you may find that this is the book for you.

I absolutely loved this book, such an easy read with characters I couldn't help but love. Very fast paced but that was perfect for the storyline. Perfect feel good factor read

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another brilliant book from Mandy, couldn’t put it down.

Robyn returns to her home town after 9 years because her dad is sick. She meets Cole at the airport on her way after her bag handle breaks. Little did she know when she met him that he has relocated to her home town. Cole changes Robyn’s life for the better. A brilliant book of love and loss.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This was a wonderful book. I loved Robyn and Cole and found myself really rooting for them. Plus the book had the added bonus of having a bit more depth than what I've come to expect from this genre!

-- Read this review, and others, on my blog www.hookedbythatbook.com –

Robyn and Cole meet at the airport, and coincidentally both are on their way to Portage, Michigan. Robyn is returning home to take over her father’s business and managing his hockey team, while he is in the hospital for heart surgery. Cole is moving there to take on a new job and to put some distance between him and his family.
The tone of the story was definitely reflected by Robyn’s high-strung personality. She talks a lot, in any kind of situation, and she is a very high-energy person, sometimes it’s exhausting to read. Cole was a great counter-point, a calming presence, you could say. But he had his volatile moments, and he tended to react quickly with violence, like punching people. I suppose he had reason to, when he found out about Robyn’s past, but still, most rational people don’t go around hitting other people, even though they feel like it.

Robyn had quite the story, and I cannot imagine what she had to go through and deal with, and then to have it all re-examined years later. But she definitely grew a lot, learned how to let go of some things, how to accept situations and people, and how to let Cole in. Cole learned that he was still capable of receiving and giving love, and of forgiveness.

All-in-all, I liked this book. I enjoyed the relationship development between Robyn and Cole, even though they jumped on the marriage boat super fast. It felt right for the two of them.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an e-book Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the author, publishers and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book.
And apparently this book was first published in 2012 under the title of "Taking Charge".

I was very excited to start this book after reading the description, even putting it ahead of others I need to read first. I grew up in western Michigan, and there aren't many books set in that part of the world, so it's always fun for me to read familiar place names. I was excited to learn the story of Robyn and finding her back story. The book started off interesting and grabbed my attention. I found Robyn's half American. half English accent and word choices interesting, and can't think of another book that has done that.

However, soon the story lost me. After just a few chapters, I found I didn't really care for Robyn and her constant chatting, her moodiness and what seemed like really unrealistic plans and dreams. I actually struggled to finish the book, and felt like I was reading a very different book than what was described. By the description of the book, the fun little cover and the categorization of Chick Lit & Contemporary Romance, I was really surprised to read of Robyn's rape trauma - and the ways she's dealt with the lingering memories. That's actually how I discovered that it had previously been released under a different title, because I looked for other reviews of the book and couldn't find the title anywhere.

"Don't judge a book by its cover." I thought this would be a lighthearted Summer read but there was a deeper element to it. Robyn and Cole meet at the airport, where their love story begins. But along the way they run into obstacles. The biggest one is what happened to Robyn when she was in high school. Together, they persevered and their happily-ever-after happened.

I absolutely love Mandy Baggot books but this one was something else, It had it all: great characters, a sizzling romance, a strong and capable heroine and even an element of mystery.
Robyn, the heroine returning to Michigan 9 years after a devastating event; meets Cole, a man haunted by his father's death and his brother's betrayal, at the airport and they just click. Can their romance survive Ice hockey, her dad's illness, a stepmom-to-be and relaunching a roadhouse diner as well as the ghosts that haunt their pasts?
I really loved the relationship between Cole and Robyn - it just felt right. There was passion but also the elements that keep relationship going. Their relationship was whirlwind but just felt right. Robyn was great: sparky, fun, strong and yet also vulnerable. I loved that Cole was there for her and she needed him but ion no was suggested that she wasn't enough on her own. I loved the Ice hockey team especially Henrick and although I guessed the whodunnit part it wasn't really obvious. This has to be one of my favourites.

Where to start with this amazing book! I loved every minute and ended up thoroughly falling in love with Robyn and Cole! I absolutely loved the twist and although I picked up on some subtle hints throughout, I still loved reading all about it. It is so cleverly written that I just couldn’t put it down. It is an easy read but so enjoyable that you do get lost in the story. I never wanted it to end!

Wow oh wow!! I did not think I would love this book as much as I have. It is just completely and utterly perfect. This is a perfect escapist read and I honestly didn't know I would love it as much as I have. 
I have been completely sucked into the pages of this one and devoured the book from start to finish in a matter of hours. I am a fan of this author anyway and this book has just reinforced why. 
This is heartwarming and guaranteed to leave you smiling as a reader. I loved the plot, the characters and no one can deny that the cover of this is absolutely beautiful. 
This is a great author and this is a book which deserves more than five stars. Five stars does not show how fantastic a read this book is.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Another fabulous book from Mandy.

Robyn meets Cole at the airport on her way back home as her fathers not well, and gets talking to him, telling him about her family.

When she goes to meet her father, he’s not that happy to see her and she tells him she’s back to take care of things.
She then goes to his business and let’s her fathers girlfriend Nancy know that she’s here to take over and asks her to leave and clear out those that are there. She also meets her old boyfriend and best friend Sarah.
Unfortunately her cousins aren’t that pleased to see her. When she meets her fathers hockey team, again it’s not as she was expecting. Cole arrives there and practices with the team, he also buys her a car, something that Brad, her ex-boyfriend isn’t happy about.
Things get a bit awkward at her aunts house and she leaves and moves in with Cole.
Robyn is trying to put what happened in the past behind her and move on(the reason why she left).
As the story progresses we find out what happened and what she’s been doing in England.
Unfortunately, she has to go over what happened again to put things right. She also has to deal with Brad, wanting things between to be as they were, but Cole is there for her every step of the way. They plan to get married but don’t get the response they were expecting from family.
The hockey team start doing well, Robyn gets the business up and running and her father, uncle and aunt visit on opening day. Robyn finds out who the real culprit was involved with the incident that happened with her and she’s shocked.
Kept me hooked. Definitely recommend it.