THE LOVE SHACK by Lori Foster. On sale June 11/24

Not the song, but a safe haven for dogs and cats in a place named Cemetery and a safe place for Berkeley, a woman running from her past. In a town where she feels safe, Berkeley runs into Lawson, a guy she knew from her past.

But this town has a habit of embracing its new residents, like Berkeley AND Lawson and just when things start to feel comfortable, Berkeley’s past rears it’s ugly head…

Thank you @canarystreetpress, @htpbooks, and @netgalley for the eARC of The Love Shack by @lorilfoster in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 What are the chances that two individuals with history from small town Kentucky end up in Cemetery, Indiana? Absolutely minuscule but here Berkley Carr and Lawson Sadler are. It’s hard to escape from a past you hope to erase with a constant reminder around. For Berkley, opening an animal rescue is her hope for a brighter future. Lawson chose traveling the world before settling down as his escape. The Love Shack is an uplifting, hopeful book full of beautiful dreams for the future. One of the most wonderful parts of the books is the acknowledgement of how four legged friends can be one of the most vital and healing companions we could ever have. Perhaps all of life’s problems can be solved with a furry friend and a walk on the beach…

4/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

4 people move to the same town for a new beginning for different reasons. They all become major parts of each other’s lives. There are 2 love stories in this book. Stories about new friendship, past trauma, and the family you make.

I found this story to be very cute. The FMC runs an animal shelter, so there are so many cute situations with animals going on. She also lost her mom at a young age & one of the older ladies in the town becomes a mother figure to her and their relationship was beautiful.

Part of this town’s traditions is that they have a mannequin that they move all over town into random positions, clothing, etc. That plays an interesting and funny role in the story.

I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. A very lighthearted read. Would be a great beach book.

Book 3 in the Indiana Summer Series
I always enjoy Lori Fosters books and The Love Shack ranks right up there as one of her best.
Berkley Carr has come to the town of Cemetery, Indiana to run the town’s new animal shelter, The Love Shack. Raised in a small town with a scandal in her youthful past, she wants nothing more than to put it all behind her and lavish love on all the animals in her care. With her dog Hero and a thieving cat named Cheese, Berkley is welcomed with open arms and finally begins to feel she can have a life again.
Lawson Salder, owner of a tee shirt shop in town is from the same small town that Berkley is from, although neither has a clue the other is living in town. He has suffered his own rough past and has traveled the world doing everything possible to overcome it. Neither dream or welcome running into someone from their past.
Little did they know that avoiding each other or the memories they so desperately wanted to leave behind was impossible in the small town they now lived, especially with matchmakers around every corner!
Add in a cast of colorful characters including the town matriarch, Betty Cemetery, descendant of the town founder, Kathleen, the ever-popular town mannequin, two more newcomers to the town Lark and Oliver, the town members from the earlier books and a cast of awesome animals and you have a book that is a pleasure from beginning to end!
Join Berkley and Lawson and watch them find their Happy Ever After!

Berkeley has been trying for years to completely separate herself from a past full of deception, scandal and death. So how crazy is it to have Lawson, one of the few people who knew her “back when”, breeze into the new town and the new life that she has made for herself, igniting both fear as well as interest in her heart? What’s a girl to do? Can she find out what went wrong in the past so she and Lawson can make things right in the present? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
I thank NetGalley for the chance to read and review an advance copy this book, My review is my own and is an honest one.

I enjoyed my trip back to Cemetary to visit with Betty, Kathleen and the new characters of Berkley, Lawson, Lark & Oliver. I adore animals, so The Love Shack run by Berkley, made this story very interesting to me! I love the relationships and friendships formed in this story, as well as how the town all comes together for an "announcement" involving Kathleen, an infamous resident of Cemetary. 5 stars!!!

Fun to read! I thought this was a cute little romance book. I enjoyed the characters! I had a good time reading this one!

Berkley is loving her new life in Cemetery until she see Lawson from her old town. No she doesn’t want to relive the past.

Lawson is shocked to see Berkley but is so drawn to her. Can he get her to trust him?

I love this series. Betty is a hoot! So fun to read!

*Welcome to Cemetery, Indiana: A Place Where Love (and Pets!) Reign Supreme*

Berkley Carr's fresh start in Cemetery could've been straight out of a rom-com, except instead of chasing after love, she's opening "The Love Shack"—an animal haven that promises a refuge not just for her furry friends but for her bruised heart too. Enter Cheese the cat, a furry little bandit with a penchant for pilfering things from Berkley's intriguing new neighbor, Lawson Salder.

Lawson, like Berkley, is running from his past, only his backpack is stuffed with memories from around the globe. Settling down means remodeling a home, opening a business, and dodging the ever-watchful eye of Kathleen, the town’s beloved mannequin mascot. But when Cheese's thieving ways keep bringing Lawson back to Berkley’s doorstep, it seems fate has its own plans for these two.

With Hero, the loyal-to-a-bone dog, and a cast of town characters that light up every page, Cemetery is bustling with quirky charm. Berkley and Lawson's slow-simmering romance is the heart of the story, enriched by deep, thought-provoking chats and laugh-out-loud antics courtesy of Cheese and Hero. As they navigate their shared past and uncertain future, the support from flashy yet supportive local couples like Lark and Oliver, along with the inanimate yet spirited Katherine, makes every moment in Cemetery feel like coming home.

Lori's storytelling magic makes you adore the animal antics as much as the human drama. Whether it's a tender moment softened by Hero's nuzzles or a mischievous escapade by Cheese, this tale balances its emotional beats with lighthearted relief perfectly. If you're in the mood for a story that’s as comforting as it is engaging—with just the right sprinkle of whimsy—Cemetery, Indiana might just be the next stop on your reading journey. And yes, you'll probably want to visit more than once!

The Love Shack by Lori Foster is a quick read. This is the first book I have read by Lori Foster. This book was a little cheesy but cute. Hero was my favorite. There wasn’t any spice really but I will definitely check out more of Lori Foster books now!

LOVED IT! Another visit to Cemetery, Indiana in this great read.

Berkley Carr runs The Love Shack Animal Haven in Cemetery. Berkley was involved in a scandal in her youth and has moved to Cemetery to get away from her past and everyone she knows. Little does she know, Lawson Sadler, from her hometown, has also moved to Cemetery and knows the details of the scandal. I loved watching the relationship develop between Berkley and Lawson. Throw in tons of great animals including Hero, Berkley's overly protective dog, Cheese her klepto cat and all the other animals at the shelter make it a must read for all animal lovers! We also get to reacquaint ourselves with Cemetery residents Betty, Yardley, Saul, and Emily among others and of course Kathleen! Grab this one up ASAP and enjoy!

Loved this book,
Always a fan of a good sun and beach romance and Lori didn’t disappoint!
The chemistry between two people avoiding each other is my favorite …the more they avoid the more they fall against their set plans.
I also enjoyed the doggie hero and Berkeley so much.

This was a hard book to get into for me. It had a lot of spacing and grammatical errors which made it more stressful for me to get into.

Ok- a cover with the beach & a cute pup - I was sold with just that! The Love Shack by Lori Foster is just as you would expect - super fun romantic beach read. This is a small town romance and the main characters, Berkeley & Lawson, are impossible not to love. I devoured this one- while sitting on the beach of course. I will definitely check out more of Foster’s titles.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing & Canary Street Press for the ARC copy of this book.

Totally fell in love with this couple, Lawson and Berkley, along with her pets Hero and Cheese! And most of all, I loved being back in Cemetery with all the great folks there! It was like coming home! 5 Love Shack stars for this one!
When Berkley settled into Cemetery, and opened the Love Shack animal shelter, the last thing she expected was to see someone from her past in this town, but there he is, Lawson, and she doesn't know what to do. He was front and center when the scandal hit their small town, and she still hasn't fully recovered from it even though it was ten years ago. But Lawson, with a horrible past of his own, makes her feel comfortable, and when she finds out what he did for her back then, she can't help but fall a little bit each day they spend together!
Follow their story as it unfolds here, Lori does an amazing job giving you all the feels, while making you fall in love with these two as well as Cemetery! And let's not forget Kathleen, the star of the town, her antics will have you laughing out loud! This is a must read!

A 3.5 star super sweet romance with no spice.

The story lines between both Lawson and Berkeley and the bonus love story between Oliver and Lark were both adorable, and I loved hearing from all of their POVs!

Thanks Netgalley, Harlequin and Lori for the ARC!

What's better than a small town romance, you wonder? A small town romance that is also a second chance, of course. Especially because the two main characters, Berkley and Lawson, had fled from the place where they grew up.

As always, this series got to me. I love how the different people who live there are always present when needed - and when Berkley needed help, they were all there for her. Starting with the matriarch.

This is one of those feel-good romances that will leave you feeling fulfilled when you finish reading, and also with the satisfaction of a story well-told.

The Love Shack
by Lori Foster
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGAlley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is not my regular genre but I know Foster is a best seller so I wanted to read this one.
Where I struggled with is how our main characters dealt with their trauma. It's been years of repression and convincing themselves that they are fine but really not and they still haven't spoken to a professional about this? Which is fine, maybe it's inaccessible to them but then Berkley in particular lets this trauma define her whole personality.
So for me... not a good fit but maybe it will be for you!

ARC RTC
STORY LIKES
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
rounded to 4

SPICE
N/A - closed door

RECOMMEND
💳 yes - for a different ‘romance’ reader audience

The Love Shack
By Lori Foster
Release date June 11, 2024

Another five star by Lori Foster !

Berkley Carr needs a new start. She was in a relationship that did not end well! She was lied to ridiculed and embarrassed. She comes to Cemetery Indiana to open The Love Shack a haven for animals. She just wants to leave the past behind!

Lawson Salder also settled in Cemetery. He has traveled the world trying to leave his poverty stricken life behind.

When he and Berkley run into each other, they are both quite surprised to find out that they are now neighbors. They were both from the same hometown. They both know about each other’s past.

Berkley’s cat Cheese is bound and determined to keep Lawson and Berkeley running into each other. You see Cheese just so happens to be a thief. He steals Lawson stuff, and Lawson comes to Berkley’s to retrieve it.
Then we have Hero , Berkley’s dog. He is her protector, and he is loyal to a fault.

You know, you have read a great book when you love the animal characters as much as you do the human characters. Lori definitely has a way of making you fall in love with ALL her characters. In the town of Cemetery we also have Kathleen. She is a mannequin and you will fall in love with her too.

Thank you, Lori Foster for this very entertaining book!

I was given this book by Lori via NetGalley in return for my honest review.