A well-written book about a small town in Oklahoma in 1941, just before America entered WWII. The mixture of love, family turmoil, societally pressures and life in the 40s's keeps you interested as you read through the novel. Well researched and well written, an enjoyable read.

Lovely immersive setting and great character development. I don't usually read historical fiction but this really drew me in and was wonderfully written.

I think this novel just wasn’t my cup of tea. It felt old fashioned and was filled with coloquialisms, which drove me crazy. I liked the premise and the writing had good flow, but I don’t think I was the right audience.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It's about a boarding house and the people that live there. I hope to read more from this author. Nothing vulgar or insulting just clean reading.
Thanks to Inkshares and NetGalley for the ARC.

Read if you like
🦋historical fiction
🦋family drama
🦋secrets
🦋multiple povs
🦋a bit of magic
🦋boarding house setting
🦋lovable characters
🦋Rom-coms
This historical fiction debut is a cozy heartwarming read with incredible characters and character development. Mrs Henderson is like the mother of the house. What I love the most is that this story is told in multiple povs. The secrets are revealed, and relationships are formed. All the drama unfolds lightly and humorously which just makes it all the more better.
Some things did feel a bit far fetched nevertheless It was quite entertaining and I enjoyed it

This is a wonderful story of sisters, secrets and romance which revolves around Mrs Henderson and her boarding house. it is a lovely story that will take you into the house, the small town and the era it is set in. This is such and enjoyable and entertaining read and one I just couldn't put down.

I love the characters and the setting. The story was so well written you could see and feel the atmosphere. There was humour, there was heartache and heartbreak but there were also such tender and loving moments too. I can say I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone and hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkshares for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I liked that the story was based on the author’s aunt, as explained in the afterward.
Boarding houses were microcosms of drama and this one is no exception.
I didn’t grasp why Florence lied so much, I just couldn’t see the reasoning behind most of the fabrications she spun.
An interesting read.

First, thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was drawn to this from the cute cover and from reading the summary. It just sounded like a pleasant, enjoyable read. I enjoyed the little touch of whimsy and magic in the woman who could see colors around people, descriptive of their personality or feelings. I also liked that she had such a connection with her home, the Henderson House, that she sensed how the house felt and reacted to it's visitors.
I quickly connected to the characters and was drawn into their story. It was sweet and nice. And then the sister, went a little crazy. Some of her actions seemed a little much and over the top, which did decrease my enjoyment of this novel. It all comes together as the sisters' story unfolds, but it did cause me to disconnect. Overall, a nice read but not one that I would push friends to read.

A beguiling book set in an Oklahoma boardinghouse during the 1940s, when the war in Europe brings change to small town America. I got involved in the graceful tale with well-developed characters, the rivalry between sisters, real family issues, and the possibility of romance. Perfect for an afternoon read in the garden, sweet tea at hand, and birdsong all 'round. A charmer!

What a simply delightful first novel by Caren Simpson McVicker! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC ebook edition from Netgalley. Set in Bartlesville, OK, this is the story of a widowed woman, Mrs. H., who runs a small boarding house and the six interesting people who reside there with her. Three of the residents, Florence, Bessie, and Eddie are siblings and Florence's 14-year-old son, Johnny, lives there as well. There's a former professor, and then a new resident, Frank Davis, who came to Bartlesville to work for Phillips Petroleum. Florence, Bessie, and Eddie are raising Johnny together, but Florence and Bessie have been keeping an enormous secret that strains their relationship and threatens Bessie's new-found love with Frank Davis.

Told with warmth and humor, this is a novel of love and family in all its varied forms.

What a wonderful debut by Caren Simpson McVicker that touched my heart filling me with joy. Henderson House is a boarding house run by Mrs. Henderson, the landlady, cook, and adopted matriarch of the Blackwell clan. Mrs. Henderson has a gift which I will not give away, but she uses it to select the boarders and etc.

Henderson House did not read like a debut as Caren Simpson McVicker did an awesome job building her characters and the world within they lived. I cannot say more without revealing the plot of this outstanding work. This story should be a definite add to all Historical Romance readers. It truly is my #1 for debut in Historical Romance Fiction this year!

Thank you Inkshares for granting me a copy to read and review via NetGalley. I was not obligated to write a favorable review and all opinions are my own.

A lovely story with a touch of magic in it.

Henderson House has a great storyline - a boarding house, interesting characters and their stories intertwining are fun to see develop. There is a wee bit of magic in the storyline, the house can feel. It made things interesting and I enjoyed the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Henderson House is a relaxing respite from the busy world we live in. Caren Simpson McVicker’s debut novel is a flashback to 1940’s Bartlesville, Oklahoma and the simpler life of Wednesday night church suppers, Saturdays at the local cinema, and Sunday walks in the park after church. Based on family history and stories, Caren’s main character, Mildred Henderson, turns her grand home into a boarding house after the unexpected death of her husband. Mrs. H. and her beagle, Louie, captivate readers as she uses her special gifts- sensing houses and seeing a person’s color along with an interview checklist to choose her tenants. Frank Davis, a newly hired petroleum engineer at Philips Petroleum, checks all the boxes, changing the lives of the other boarders, the Blackwell family. In a few weeks’ time readers fall in love with Mrs. H.’s wisdom and Frank’s mild-mannered, genuine interest in the family, but most importantly his attraction to spinster Bessie, and where their friendship might lead.
Our group especially enjoyed the storytelling Caren weaves into the plot, along with the suspense of family secrets and sister loyalty. One of the threads in the novel is women in the workplace in the early 1940’s. We discussed jobs women from past generations have held, from millinery shops in south Texas to restaurants in Germany! We shared our own versions of “self-talk,” kitchen ladies from church, and the supporting roles of the “menfolk” and their impact on the story. Dinners around the table with boarders recounting the day’s activities, special recipes shared, and even cooking lessons, make food and conversation a tantalizing feature.We unanimously loved Henderson House and are anxiously awaiting the sequel.
A Delectable Recipe for Summer Reading: A copy of Henderson House by Caren Simpson McVicker, two shortbread cookies, one cup of tea. Timeless storytelling perfection

Henderson House is a historical romance novel with Christian values. I had a hard time getting into this book at first, there are some rather dull places where it was easy to lose interest. In the last third of the novel things get more interesting. Mrs. Henderson runs a boarding house where the Blackwell family resides, along with other boarders. Sisters Bessie and Florance have family secrets that are slowly revealed. This book was good but did not make it to my favorite list. Thanks to author Caren Simpson McVicker, Inkshares, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This book started off a bit slow for me. But I am glad I kept going, as it turned out to be really good. It mostly revolved around the people living in a boarding house in a small town. There were family connections and relationships with the others they turned into their own family. Two grown sisters had unresolved issues, the lady who owned the house seemed to know things before they happened, as did the house itself! When a stranger moves in, he becomes the catalyst for change. With several sub plots it did reach the point I didn't want to put it down! Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC. Definitely glad I kept reading!

I loved this historical novel and the characters that brought this story to life. The Blackwell siblings have resided as the Henderson House for years now but when a new tenant shows up, Florence fears that Bessie just might lay bare their secrets over a silly crush. Secrets she has worked hard to bury to keep everyone safe and in line. Mrs. Henderson senses that the house knows a storm is brewing and she also has her own decisions to make about her future. As this novel unfolds, we get bits and pieces of the past that eventually bring together the story of how the Blackwells ended up at Henderson House and what lies at stake if the truth comes out. I also loved that the author wound the house into this story. I find it fascinating to think of the secrets that buildings, houses, and walls hold and this gives us an interesting glimpse into that very idea. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the free ebook. I really enjoyed this story as it was light hearted, with some mystery, light romance and historical. I look forward to more from this author. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

An enchanting tale set in small town Oklahoma before the start of WWII. The Blackwell family have resided in Mrs Henderson's charming boarding house for a long time. Plans are afoot to save to buy their own home but the arrival of new boarder Frank Davis throws the Blackwell sisters' long laid plans into disarray and threatens to reveal a long concealed family secret. An easy summer read that invites a sequel

(book for review courtesy of NetGalley)

The word home conjures up many images - safe haven, family, food, laughter, but home can evoke past trauma and buried secrets. Author Caren Simpson McVicker's novel Henderson House involves all of those things with a dash of romance thrown in to create an engaging portrait of family, both blood and chosen.

Mrs. Henderson runs a boarding house in the quaint town of Bartlesville, Oklahoma just before the beginning of World War II. Amongst her boarders are the Blackwell family, sisters Florence, Bessie, younger brother Eddie, and Florence's young son Johnny. Florence is a widow, having lost her husband to World War I shell shock. Bessie is a spinster, an copy room manager at a prominent company in town. Eddie is a cabbie, and Florence is a clerk at the town department store. The family dreams of better opportunities and the chance to purchase their own home, but when new boarder Frank Davis moves in, he and Bessie fall instantly head over heels for one another, and for the first time the family's happiness seems doomed. Florence becomes desperate when her plans of a promotion to the Tulsa store are interrupted by Bessie's sudden romance. Both sisters have secrets that they are willing to keep for the sake of family togetherness, but keeping those secrets become less important to Bessie as she realizes her future just made may bewith a man she never expected to meet.

Mrs. Henderson, owner of the house, loves her tenants like family, but feels it's time to move on. She has a romance of her own, though the plotting seems a bit rushed. Eddie is not well fleshed out and seems to serve as an echo of Johnny's reaction to one of the family secrets. Still the book is a heartwarming look at family and love.

Henderson House is a wonderful look at a 1940s boardinghouse family and their motherly landlady.I enjoyed the book because of the wonderful characters and the twists and turns in their lives.If you like cozy Southern fiction ou will enjoy this story!

Interesting premise - a landlady of a boarding house that can 'hear' houses but just didn't do it for me