A truly enjoyable read. It’s so refreshing to read about a woman finding her self worth, her value and living life on her own terms. Marlow wants her life back. Her soon to be ex was dragging things out for no other reason than to emotionally torture her and because he was intent on “winning” the divorce. He died before the documents were signed so she was free and clear. Her journey is wonderfully written, has some fabulous ups and some major roadblocks and yet, she remains standing and gets stronger with each and every chapter. I am so glad this is a series and I am anxiously awaiting the next one. It's a wonderful quirky little town with some wonderfully eccentric, but very kind people.

4.5⭐️

A beautiful story of love, strength, forgiveness, friendship and moving on.

I loved the story of Marlow, who was about to divorce her husband, and then he died. She moves away for a fresh start and has to now deal with her husband’s mistress and his parents.

The plot was captivating from start to finish with the way the author brought the story telling to life.

The small town setting was so well written that if it does exist, I will want to live there. The characters were superb and relatable. They all did what was expected of them.

The author knocked it off with the quirky town, the lake and the fireflies. The love story between Marlow and Cort was sweet and magical.

This would make an awesome summer read if you like slow burn romance, small town with quirky characters.

I received an advanced copy and the review is mine and voluntary.

I absolutely adored this book about new beginnings, kindness, and love. Marlow is making a new start after the end of her marriage in a town that prohibits new residents. She is renting a guest cottage from Cort, the former Marine that was the last resident accepted by the town. As she settles in she surprises the town by showing interest and kindness and taking a job at the Dry Frog Tavern. Her “summer of fireflies and sunrises and friendship” and getting to know Cort is interrupted by the last person she would imagine would seek her out. Can she get past the hurt and show kindness and support to the other woman? Will the community accept her as a resident or will she have to start over again? This book was just the sweet escape I was looking for. I was immediately invested in Marlow and Cort and felt all of the emotions with them. The setting of Bramble, KY is an interesting small town full of quirky residents and regulations and I hope there will be more books. I highly recommend this book to readers that enjoy books filled with new starts, kindness, and love.

First off I stopped and just admired the cover, so pretty.
This was such a heartwarming read with a cute village and interesting and warm characters.
A young woman, Marlow needed to start over after the destruction of her marriage. A peaceful home with lake views and fireflies seemed the perfect solution. She didn't expect to develop feelings for someone. Then a surprise landed on her doorstep creating a relationship she least expected.
Marlow's ex in-laws were something she'd rather have left in her past altogether but bad luck seems to follow one.
I really enjoyed reading about this little town, the characters were family and supportive. She immersed herself into her new life with loyal friends and deserved a second chance.

I just couldn't put this book down, it's filled with such happiness.

A story of love, forgiveness and starting over.
Marlow Heddings is moving on. After learning of her husband's affair with a much younger woman, filing for divorce and dealing with the expectations of her husband's powerful Chicago family, she has had enough.
Arriving in Bramble, Kentucky Marlow swaps her executive lifestyle for freedom and sweatpants. She finds a small cottage with a wonderful view of the lake and an even more wonderful landlord, a former Marine. The sparks begin to ignite and soon the two begin sharing coffee and firefly gazing.
Her peace and quiet is then disrupted when someone shows up on her doorstep with a shocking secret.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is more than a romance – fear not, it is that – but it is also a story of resilience, grace, compassion and forgiveness. When Marlow is painfully hurt by her husband and his family, instead of harboring anger she finds the strength to protect her inner peace and when given the choice chooses empathy over hate. And while this had a warm cozy feel it also had depth and warmth. But make no mistake, Cort was the perfect romantic interest! The reserved Marine who is also soft and protective. He tried for stoic but too many slight smiles gave that away!
When Marlow has had enough of her cheating husband and his death that left her deal with his grieving but rude and arrogant family, she takes herself away to Bramble, Kentucky which is everything her life was not. As she settles into the guest cottage, she finds herself enjoying time spent with her landlord, Cort. And when the past comes knocking, Cort and the town is there to support even if Marlow doesn’t need it. The grace that Marlow exhibited when Pixie showed up gave hope that there really is goodness in this world. While it was hard to imagine one being so compassionate, it was written so authentically and realistically.

Such a great second chance to love story. Marlow is dealing with her to be ex-husband's affair and wants to leave everything in the past to move on. When he dies before the divorce, things just come to an end.

After moving and trying to start or think of a new business to start, she ends up having to take care of his other woman and the child they had together.

I really enjoyed the story and how each character moved on.

This was a delightful summer read. Marlow arrives in Bramble determined to find a fresh start. I loved the characters in Bramble, especially the cottage landlord, Court. The sparks fly between Marlow and Court from the beginning. When people from Marlow’s past arrive in Bramble, things get complicated. But Court and the other Bramble residents pull together to show Marlow what being in a small town is all about. Thank you to the author and Uplit reads for the opportunity to read and early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Guest Cottage is a cute small town romance . The book is full of love , friendship and family.
Marlo’ moves to Bramble to start over after her soon to be ex-husband dies suddenly. While she starts to find herself, her in-laws try to convince her to come home to keep up their family appearances. She finds a friend in Cort, her landlord. there's a connection but is this just a summer fling, rebound romance or could this be Marlo's HEA?
Lori Foster always does a wonderful job drawing you into a story .Happy Reading!

This is such a sweet and heartwarming story. Marlow moves to Bramble to start a new life. Her journey is not without its struggles but she also gets the opportunity to find her true self (plus a hot ex-Marine boyfriend and some new “family” that she wasn’t expecting). 5 stars!!!

Starting over is the only thing Marlow has on her mind. Moving to a tiny town and keeping things simple will be just what she needs. Meeting her landlord Cort, may make things a little less simple. Enjoy the beautiful sunrise each morning has her off to a great start. With the challenges she faces she seems to become more at peace with herself. Heartwarming, laugh out loud moments and even a few tears makes this one of the best books you will read this year! Than you Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to Lori Foster, Kensington Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC. My review is voluntary. Any opinions are my own.

When Marlow's life is rocked, she wants to get away and start over. Her first encounter with Cort, her landlord has her picturing someone else entirely. She loves the small town she is staying in. Bramble quickly becomes the only place she wants to be. This book has so much going for it! A great hook, wonderful characters and a cute baby too. It was a great read taking me about a day and a half to finish. I would refer to friends.

A beautiful and lovely story of second chances, starting over, love and forgiveness. With tears, laughter, uncertainty and happiness this charming small town beach read is an uplifting page turner. The wonderful characters are realistic and heartwarming. This sweet, easy read is filled with happiness and love and I enjoyed every entertaining page of it. A wonderful story!

The Guest Cottage is the first book in the Firefly Summer series. After Marlow's husband dies during a nasty divorce, she is ready to cut all ties with his family and start over. She ends up in the little tow of Bramble and quickly realizes that this little town has a big heart.

This was the perfect story to kick off the month of June and upcoming summer. It made me want to go out to the countryside and look for fireflies. I adored all of the relationships that Marlow made with the people in the town. I also loved that her relationship with Cort began gradually and effortlessly. At its heart the story is about acceptance and forgiveness. The grace and forgiveness that Marlow is able to give to Pixie had me really admiring her character. This is a sweet story that will leave you with a sense of hope and belonging. I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for early access to this book. This is a book I had saved on my Goodreads from browsing new releases earlier on in the year. I was excited to read this from what the synopsis mentioned as it focused on healing, self journey after a bad marriage, deepened connections, and forgiveness. I went into this book excited and hoping to shed some tears lol. It was a slow start to the romance which I don’t mind but then all of a sudden 20% into the book the characters personalities seemed to switch and they became sort of annoying. Mainly, the FMC constantly bringing up her wealth and ex-husband, which I understand is part of the healing process but the way it was brought up just felt cringe. I also did not feel any chemistry between the MMC and FMC even though the writing would describe they were into each other but I just wasn’t buying into it. It overall felt bland and the writing felt too scripted at times in their responses. I found myself wanting so much more from them. It just didn’t make sense how they went from being wary and slow at getting to know each other to all of a sudden he call la her babe one scene out of nowhere, does not do it again, and then calls her honey randomly as well.

There were moments the FMC’s personality and comments made me feel she was a mature woman but then other comments she would make felt cringe or as if she was someone in her early 20’s.

There were also conflicting messages from MMC. Some of the things they would say to each other just felt off and I didn’t feel the connection or how we got there. Their conversations also seemed to lack some flow.

I unfortunately had to DNF this book at 48%. I didn’t do it sooner because I really wanted to know how the flow changed once it got to the part where she meets the woman her ex-husband was having an affair with. I wanted to know more about this dynamic and how this contributed to the FMC journey of starting over and finding her own identity and interests but again the conversations just seemed strange and unfinished. I could not continue.

I am sad I did not love it the way I thought I would but I think that’s they beauty of having so many book options that there are books for everyone and this one was not for me.

I've read a lot of books by Lori Foster but this has to be one of my favorites. The small town atmosphere, the aggravating ex inlaws, The homeless young girl with a baby and a handsome retired marine give Marlow more than she bargained for in this wonder easy to read summer offering. I loved the little town of Bramble Kentucky and I hope that there are several more books set there. Since this is listed as series, Firefly Summer, Book 1 I'm seriously waiting for the next. A keeper on my reread shelf.

Marlow Heddings is ready to move on and start over. Her husband, who has died, was having an affair with a Mich younger woman. She was a part of his family's business but no longer wants to remain there and fake her feelings. She rents a cottage and wants to spend some time figuring out what where she wants her life to go. She settles in to her new place and starts to get to know her very handsome landlord. This new way of life is calling to her until her dead husbands mistress shows up on her new doorstep. She new the girl he was with was young but had no idea she was just nineteen and to add insult to injury the girl is pregnant. Marlow isn't a cruel person so she takes the girl in and tries her best to help her. The two soon form a friendship and Marlow realizes she is truly loving her new life and this town she is visiting is beginning to feel like home.

If you love small-town romances with heart, you’ll want to grab The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster. This charming tale takes us to Bramble, Kentucky, a lakeside community with some quirks. It is where our heroine, Marlow Heddings, heads to heal and find herself. Perfect for your beach tote!

I enjoy curling up with one of Lori Foster’s novels. I always know I will find delightful characters, swoon-worthy slow burns and quaint/unique towns. In The Guest Cottage, book one in the Firefly Summer standalone romance series, we meet Marlow Heddings as she buries her cheating husband. She is suffering from betrayal and loss. She turns her back from her old life and rents a lakeside cottage in Bramble, Kentucky, and begins anew. The tale that unfolds delivers found family, new begins and characters you will want to spend time with.

I liked Marlow, and that feeling only grew as the story progressed. This is a story of a strong woman with class, who uplifts others, and deserves a happily ever after.

I loved Bramble, Kentucky, with its strange council that controls the population. From her handsome, quiet landlord to the local ladies and their casserole I was all in. Marlow has ideas about the way her new life will look, but her in-laws in Chicago have other ideas. Then someone she does not expect shows up at her door and Marlow’s grace knows no bounds.

The romance was a slow-burn, and I loved their chemistry and interactions. Former Marine Cort Easton is Marlow’s landlord, and the town loves him. Trust me, you will fall for him, too. He is always there to lend a hand, and the townsfolk think of him as their son. Seeing Marlow and Cort fall was sweet. The story was a magical experience, like catching fireflies on a summer night in July, with the perfect amount of warmth.

If you love uplifting, sweet small-town romances with a touch of heat and a whole lotta heart you’ll want to grab The Guest Cottage.

This is a heartwarming read that will take you away to a great little town of Bramble, Kentucky.

Marlow Heddings is starting over. She’s carried the outrage of her husband Dylan’s affair with a younger woman—and the expectations of his family’s powerful Chicago holdings company—long enough. Now, after another devastating twist of fate, she’s unapologetically moving on.

I enjoyed Marlow. She is struggling with the loss of her cheating husband but she exudes strength and determination. Then there is Cort…OOOOOLALALA! And you talk about having Marlow’s back…everyone needs a Cort in their life! Add in Pixie with her big secret and you have three strong people who, as the reader, you root for through the whole book!

Oh, and I cannot forget the setting of this sweet town of Bramble, Kentucky. The townspeople are fantastic. And you can just picture the lake and the dock! Perfect for Marlow to start over!

Need a tale which will have you smiling one minute and gasping in shock the next…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

This sweet summer romance, isnt my normal type of story, but this was just a sweet book. Marlow lives in a small town with overbearing in laws and an unfaithful husband, who eventually dies in an accident. After the funeral Marlow leaves town to start afresh. Marlow moves to a new small town and finds a cottage on a lake, which is described in the most perfect, idealistic way. The cottage comes a a handsome landlord called easton, and a small town where the residents might be a bit quirky, but are welcoming and the complete opposite to where marlow used to live.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lori Foster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.