Another fun book in the Cemetery, Indiana series! Berkley and Lawson have each come from pasts they'd like to forget and are suprised to find each other in their 'do over' town of Cemetery. But they slowly open up to each other- both about the past and the present- and the connection is magnetic.

Berkley didn't think she'd let anyone past her walls again, but since Lawson grew up in her neighborhood and already knows her horrible past, she finds it easier to let him in. Between Lawson, the powerhouse Betty Cemetery, and an animal shelter of dogs and cats to love, Berkley finds herself becoming a part of the town in ways she hadn't expected, and letting Lawson into her life as well. I enjoyed watching her slowly letting down her guard with him, and watching Lawson work out how best to move forward to have a chance with her- while not being quite sure what he was doing!

Lark and Oliver were the other couple in the book and I enjoyed them a bit too much for them to be the side couple. They could have been a book all on their own. Both had complicated back stories we only glimpsed and hard pasts that could have easily been a stand alone book of another couple coming to Cemetery to start over and finding love along with their new start.

As with all Lori Foster's book, there is heart and humor here, and a good read.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC. Publish date: June 11, 2024.
—————————————————————————

This story follows Berkeley Carr and Lawson Salder as they operate as business owners in a small town of Cemetery, Indiana. Berkeley runs an animal shelter which is how we get the name, “The Love Shack”. Both characters grew up on the same street in a different city that was full of crime, drugs and scandal. They leave their town in hopes of starting fresh and hope to leave their old lives behind. Berkeley and Lawson are both surprised to see each other in this new small town; they have intentions of staying far away from each other, and they end up becoming close. Berkeley starts to feel like she can start over in Cemetery when her old life’s scandal comes around again.

This story has multiple POV lines, which I usually like, but here it kind of felt like a lot of filler. It was extremely predictable, not in a typical romance novel way either. The characters didn’t get a ton of development and if I’m being honest, I would have DNF this book if it wasn’t an ARC.

Sometimes the format of this e-book made it a little tough to differentiate who was saying what, typos and repeat sentences.

Closed door romance which I like. All the other story line relationships in this book just felt forced.

It is good to go back to Cemetery, Indiana where everyone is so nice. Berkley has found refuge in Cemetery. So did Lawson. They knew each other when they were younger, but Berkley didn't want to be noticed then and Lawson just wanted to get out of their hometown. Now Berkley is running The Love Shack, a shelter for animals, and is happy with her life. Lawson has been all over the world and has seen so many good and bad things. He wanted to live is a small town with good people and Cemetery fits the bill. He didn't expect to find Berkley and he didn't expect to find love. Betty sure has changed through this series, and she has become a good friend to Berkley. Berkely has closed herself off to others for years and is now thinking that she just might get involved in a few other things. When her past comes calling again, Berkley doesn't want to leave the wonderful town that has welcomed her, but she can't go through another scandal. What to do? She sure doesn't want to leave Lawson.

The Love Shack
Are you looking for a cute, clean romance? Well, The Love Shack is just that. This story centers around and animal shelter and a budding romance but, it is more complicated than that….enter past trauma on both sides. With a quaint small town setting will Berkley and Lawson make it work?
This title is expected to be released on June 11, 2024.
Thank you, Net Galley, Lori Foster and Harlequin Trade Publishing, for the opportunity to preview this title and the opinions shared are my own.

It has been a while since I read Lori Foster, This was a cute sweet little story. When Berkley Carr opened The Love Shack Animal Haven, she thought she’d finally put her past behind her. But she keeps crossing paths with her handsome neighbor and he brings up bad memories of her past.

Lawson Salder moved to Cemetery, Indiana, to escape from the poverty of his childhood. He barely knew Berkley from their old neighborhood, but every time he sees her, the shame and pain come crashing back. They both have pasts that they want to forget and should avoid each other,

But that’s hard to do when you feel such a strong attraction to each other.

This is the perfect summer read! I loved the small town romance and especially loved all of the animals! The author does a great job of reeling you in and making you feel you’re a part of the town.

This was a cute story.
I think I would have liked a prologue to hear a little about Berkley’s troubles before coming to Cemetery.
I liked that there was a side story between Lark and Oliver. Kathleen and Betty were a riot, also.
I feel like this could have been a shorter read. I lost focus a time or two.
But it’s a solid 4 stars.

Lori Foster can always be counted on to deliver emotion, humor and heartfelt entertainment! Hunky heroes, tenacious heroines and adorable rescue animals are always at the forefront of a visit to quirky, smalltown Cemetery, Indiana and I always leave with a warmed heart and a satisfied smile. I was quickly engrossed in getting to know newcomers Berkley, Lawson, Lark and Oliver and watching them pair off into friendships and romances quickly. Seeing more of Betty and getting to know a softer side yet again of her was really enjoyable. I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a small town romance with lots of spice that is filled to the brim with humor, heart and happily ever afters!

This is such a fun beach read. I just loved the characters and the wonderful little beach town they live in. Berkley Carr moved to Cemetery to put her past behind her. Berkley had a relationship with a man that she didn't know was married, he told her he was single. Berkley was made to feel like she was a piranha. Berkley just wanted to get away from it all. When she moved there she never expected to run into someone from her old neighborhood. Lawson Salder moved away to get away from his mother and his family. Berkley became the head of the Love Shack, an animal shelter. Lori Foster has a way to grab your attention with the first few sentences. She keeps you interested and you just can't put it down until you finish it. Thank you for the ARC. It is a wonderful enjoyable read and can't wait to tell everyone about it.

Lori Foster never fails. This book pulled me in right from the beginning. The characters were amazing. I definitely suggest reading this book

A charming small town romance that features plenty of sweet animals, a mannequin the entire town is obsessed with, and a creepy ex coming for one of the characters. If that appeals to you, then this is a series you will want to read!

Berkley opened The Love Shack, an animal rescue shelter, in the town of Cemetery in an attempt to escape her past. She was essentially driven out of her last town because of decisions she made, and she is determined not to let that happen again. As she rebuilds her life and finds new friends, and even a potential new love interest, her trusty dog and cat are at her side through it all.

But when her ex reaches out wanting to reconnect, everything Berkley has wanted to get away from threatens to come back with a vengeance.

My biggest complaint is that I thought I was getting a beach read based on the cover and that's not really what this was! It was definitely a cute small town story, but I can't say anything necessarily stuck out to me as incredible. I enjoyed it and had fun with the characters, but I am not dying to read the other books in the series based on this one.

I also have noticed that sometimes in these small town romances the dialogue feels weird - the people talk like they're in a book, not real people, if that makes sense? And sometimes that makes it hard to truly enjoy the book for me!

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Lori Foster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a standalone book but book #3 in a series. I didn’t read the first 2 and didn’t feel like I missed anything important.

3.5⭐️

Berkley is happy to start over in Cemetery, IN and live in relative isolation and care for the pets at the new shelter. Lawson is 1yr into living in town and happy to be living under the radar as much as he can.

Berkley and Lawson both are running from a rough past that happened to overlap. They grew up in the same rough neighborhood and knew of each other. They are drawn to each other and determined to avoid the other.

Enter Betty, the feisty elder town matriarch who has a soft spot for Berkley and animals. Betty helps Berkley stretch her comfort zone by giving the town and Lawson a place in her heart.

I enjoyed Berkley and Lawson but did feel like things escalated a little fast at the end. Lark and Oliver were a fun secondary story and I’m wondering if they’ll get a book in the future.

Overall it was a cute story, I felt the writing was a little bit “tell” instead of “show or feel” so maybe that’s why it wasn’t more of a connection for me. However it was a quick, easy read.

Berkly “..made the right decision when she’d accepted the new job and, basically, a new life. The notoriety that so often haunted her couldn’t possibly bother her here, not in this quaint rural setting bustling with activity and filled with kindness.”
Berkely has left her old life and started working at a pet rescue. All is better for her until she runs into someone from her past.. someone who knows the reason she ran away.

It was a cute, clean little romance. I liked that it showed more than one couple coming together in the book. You get to know the characters from their own thoughts and by seeing them through the eyes of the other couple in town. I also enjoyed that you get to see the relationships start and grow and the attachment to the town itself grow. Also, the added drama of the ex and his effects throughout the story added just a bit of drama.
I didn't like how quickly some of the characters seemed to change their minds about what they wanted in life. It didn't feel like it gave them time to actually change and truly understand themselves.
Overall, I liked the story and would recommend it to someone looking for a quick, clean, summery read..

The Love Shack
Lori Foster
June 11, 2024

We are back in Cemetery, Indiana for another part of Lori Foster’s series. She brings home a duo, Berkley Carr and Lawson Sadler. Two people who went to high school together. He always had a secret draw to her but she was younger and caught in a web caring for her mother who was ill. She became involved with a guy who was older, and unbeknown to her, married. When caught in a situation by his wife her name became ugly amongst townsfolk. After her mother's past Berkley left hoping she could shed the past but it always was there in her mind and heart.
The Love Shack will be published by Harlequin Digital Sales on June 11, 2024. I was able to read and review part 3 in the Cemetery series via recommendation from Rachel Brown of Foster’s Crew team and NetGalley. It is such a delight to read. The series is fun and enlightening. The story of Berkley and Lawson as well as other new characters gives the reader contemporary views of the little burgh. It’s such a pleasure to explore the latest in her series. The Love Shack is a surprise and delight. Don’t pass this one by - do enjoy!!

⭐⭐⭐
🌶️
netgalley arc

*A very OK Hallmark romance
*I honestly enjoyed the plot and the kooky small town antics, and the four main characters were likeable enough.
*The writing itself is what was lacking for me; it felt disjointed and very tell-not-show. Everyone fell into love with no explanation. Time passed, but not in a way that made sense.
*Overall, it was fine. A solid 3 stars

Welcome back to Cemetery, Indiana ( home of Kathleen IYKYK). I have enjoyed this series but this one just couldn’t hold my attention. I never felt a real spark between any of the characters and the plot moved extremely slow. It is still a nice little beach read though

Unfortunately, "The Love Shack" by Lori Foster didn't quite connect with me. I found it difficult to relate to the main character and her closed-off approach to life, which might be more a reflection of my preferences than the writing itself.

Additionally, I felt that Oliver and Lark's story started too late in the narrative, making it challenging to fully engage with their relationship and root for their romance.

While Lori Foster's writing is usually enjoyable, this particular story just didn't resonate with me. However, I appreciate the opportunity to read and review it.

3.5 Stars- small-town clean romance
~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to say I have some mixed feelings about this book. Normally I’m a big Foster fan because she writes sweet, clean romance stories full of heart. While this one was a fun, delightful, Chick Lit type romance, I really didn’t feel a connection between the people.

That’s not to say Foster did not include a lot of interest in characters. Oh, she certainly did. And I think that’s where some of my issue lies. I think there are too many people.

She wrote the story including so much about the townspeople and I really wanted a more in-depth connection between the two main characters. They had a history and that history was binding them together. That was the great part!

There’s also a tiny bit of suspense scattered through for a heightened level of security. But there was a deeper level of spark that was missing for me.

I’ve always loved Foster's writing as her stories are always unique and entertaining. The Love Shack is no different. I was just looking for a little bit more fire and passion and less small town in your business story. This is of no fault to the author. I’m kind of about that right now.

This was the perfect summer read. I enjoyed the characters and the story. I can tell Berkley and I would be quick friends, her love for animals drew my interest and my connection to her. Small town, feel good read.

This is a very cute read. I really enjoyed all of the characters. Berkley is a someone you really want to see good things happen to. She runs a shelter and we get lots of entertaining moments with the animals. Her dog Hero is such a wonderful part of the book. Her cat Cheese cracked me up, I have a cat that opens and closes doors behind him and it is hilarious to watch. Lawson was from Berkley's hometown and watching them reconnect was lovely. There was a secondary couple Lark and Oliver that you get to watch meet each other. I feel like they could have had their own book, I wanted to spend more time with them. This has a very beach read feel to it and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants an easy read that is full of characters you can root for. I always enjoy Lori Foster, if you haven’t tried any of her books you should definitely pick one up.