A great summer read by Lori Foster. A heartwarming story about loss, love, forgiveness, and moving on. Definitely throw this one in your summer beach bag!

Thank you #netgalley and #kensingtonbooks for the eARC.

The Guest Cottage is an enjoyable book to read about new beginnings and becoming part of a small town community. As you read this book you will become enchanted by the residents of Bramble, Kentucky and the visitors to this tight-knit community. I highly recommend this book.

The struggles of Marlow Hedding ended and began when her cheating husband died. Her in-laws refused to believe he was anything but saintly. Marlow was completely done with them. When she moved to Bramble to restore herself, she also found a community and a man to love. The arrival of Pixie and her infant son (of her ex) was a shock. Marlow’s heart opened to her and life again began to change.
A completely lovely story of a woman’s strength and determination.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. 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 find herself and start over after her soon to be ex-husband dies suddenly. While she starts to find herself place , her in-laws try to convince her to come home to keep up their family appearances and business. She finds herself a fast friend and new Romantic interest in Cort, her landlord.
Lori Foster always does a wonderful job drawing you into a story . Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy for my opinion.

I loved this book! My heart broke for Marlow and all she endured in her loveless marriage and with how her in laws treated her but I was so proud of her for moving on once her marriage was over. Little did she know that her new landlord Cort would help her heal. Her friendship with Cort grew organically and I appreciated how helpful he was to her but also helped her forge her new path in life. The town of Bramble is full of fun and quirky characters and I can't wait to go back and watch others in that town find their HEA.

Another amazing book by Lori Foster. I love the characters and each of their personalities. I love how the storyline is. Everything about this book is just so amazing.

The Guest Cottage is a cozy romance that leans heavily into the sweet side—so sweet, in fact, it might just give you a toothache. The characters are kind-hearted, and everyone seems to have nothing but the best intentions, which makes for a feel-good, low-stress read. There’s no spice here, just gentle, closed-door romance, making it perfect for readers who prefer their love stories clean. While the plot doesn’t offer many surprises, it’s an easy, breezy read that kept me entertained throughout. A solid pick when you’re in the mood for something light and heartwarming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Hardcover for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is an amazing story of love, growth, forgiveness, moving on and family. It’s a beautifully written book! The perfect cozy read to get your emotions flowing! The little town is charming and the banter between the characters is perfect. I wanted to not like Pixie but you can help but accept her the same way Marlow does. The found family aspect is a deserving end for Marlow!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book!

The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster is a charming starting over novel. It certainly is now one of my favorite books by this author. A strong heroine, Marlow, who is kind, compassionate but not a pushover. An equally strong hero, Cort, who has his won struggles but owns them. It has friendship which comes before romance, my favorite trope.

Bramble, Kentucky has quaint characters that make a statement compared to the high-power wealthy in-laws of Marlow. If I can’t move there, at least I can visit there with Marlow. A great story. 4.5 Stars

This is such a heartwarming book. I loved the townspeople. Cort and Marlow are the sweetest people. My heart went out to Pixie. This book has so much heart and love in it. It’s a good feel book. I highly recommend reading it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

A truly delightful story! I loved it so much!

I've read a few books by Lori Foster and I have enjoyed them all, but this one stole my heart. It was wonderful.

After finishing, I read some of the other reviews to see if people loved it a much as I did. (They Did!) I saw one person state that this story was a Small Town Romance/Cozy Women's Fiction. I think I agree with that. It was Cozy! It was delightful. It made me smile, laugh and cry. The perfect Spring/Summer read.

Harlow was a powerhouse. I loved that about her. She was in a terrible position, but her attitude and strength really shined.

Cort! Hello Mr. Wonderful. I loved him. He was described as the Town Hero and I agree. He was a total Hero. I liked that he was quiet but his strength shined just as much if not brighter than Harlow's.

Pixie was a surprise. When she showed up, I wasn't sure if it would be a good thing, but I took to her character easy and loved her ability to ask for help. Even when the person she's was asking for help had every right to turn her away.

Lori Foster sure can write strong characters. Personality or strength it doesn't matter. I cannot forget to mention the town and the townspeople. Loved them!
Herman! I loved Herman! He was a fantastic character.

This story really was all about starting over, love and friendship.

This was a sweet read with wonderful characters set in a quirky, loveable town with residents that made you chuckle. Bramble was the perfect place for Marlow to come and heal and once there she never wanted to leave, unfortunately the town had a rule against expanding the population. It doesn't take long for Marlow to catch the eye of her landlord, Cort, who is a natural born protector. Marlow's peacefulness is interrupted by her in-laws and an unexpected visitor, who turns into a friend, protege and family. Bramble game Marlow everything she needed- "love, true friendship, family and fireflies."

In Firefly Summer #1: The Guest Cottage : A Novel by Lori Foster we meet Marlow and Easton. Marlow needs to start over. But as unforeseen events seem to keep bringing her past back to her front door (literally) she must make a decision. Is fighting for this new life with its breathtaking views, wonderful new landlord and her new arrivals what she really wants.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book, and this is my honest voluntary review.

For fans of the Hallmark Channel, I give you, The Guest Cottage, by Lori Foster - the first book in her new Firefly Summer series.

A woman named Marlow is in need of a fresh start after her recent ex-husband unexpectedly dies. He used to be her whole life, until her job with his highly successful family became her focus, and they lost sight of their relationship. This series of events brings with it a complex set of emotions, and she finds she just needs to get away. After some research, Marlow finds a place that is perfect, a little lake town called Bramble Kentucky. The landlord turns out to be an emotionally intelligent ex-marine named Cort who helps her work through her feelings and next steps. Just when Marlow feels like she's starting to settle into the slower lifestyle of Bramble, her ex's mistress shows up in need of help in more ways than one. And though Marlow feels like she's found her forever home, the town itself is not accepting of outsiders.

Told in a very calm and measured tone of voice, The Guest Cottage is full of drama and conflict that never tips over the scale into stressful territory. If I had to describe it in a word, I'd give it: cozy.

Everyone deserves second chances, including just about every character in this book. More than anything, I feel this story is about community, compassion, and found family. After reading it, I felt on some level that something inside me somewhere was healed a little bit. It wasn't quite as engaging and high-stakes as I generally prefer my fiction to be, but it was certainly worth the time spent reading it.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Guest Cottage is the latest book offering from Lori Foster and the first in her new series Firefly Summer. While Foster is well known for her romantic suspense novels The Guest Cottage is a lighthearted, emotional and charming small town novel about recently widowed Marlow as she strives to find her way and break free from her former life. Bramble, KY offers a delightful cast of local characters who will make you want to pack up and move immediately.

I received an electronic ARC from Kensington Publishing through NetGalley.
Foster captures the magic of ordinary settings in this first book in her new series.
Marlow has moved to the small town of Bramble to escape a nasty divorce that was interrupted by the sudden death of her husband in a car accident. She leaves the high power business world behind to rediscover who she is. When she meets her landlord, Cort is so much more than she expected. Readers watch their romance unfold and their relationship handle revelations from their pasts and unexpected challenges in their present. A third character is introduced and Marlow has to face her past and find a way to welcome the young woman her husband had an affair with. Pixie is ill and destitute but comes to find help for her baby.
I appreciate the way Foster slowly reveals the depths for her characters and does not simply jump to happy ever after. This is a realistic look at difficult situations and characters respond as humans would. She uses this book to set the stage in this small town and I look forward to future books in the series.

A book about starting over. In the middle of a contentious divorce, Marlow's husband died. After settling his affairs she moves to a small town to start over. She went from a high paced corporate job to a small town where she worked as a waitress.
This is a story about a woman finding herself and learning how strong she actually was. Standing on her own she found a new life that suited her. On her own for the first time, she was strong and self reliant. She was able to meet here new landlord, Cort, as an equal. Even as their relationship started to heat up she was faced with another surprise.
Answering her doorbell she was surprised to see her dead husband's mistress standing their holding a little baby. She had every reason to hated the woman who broke up her marriage but instead took pity on the young, sick girl. Pixie hadn't know her boyfriend was married and when he found out she was pregnant he didn't do anything to help. After his death his parents refused to rehire her and had her black balled in town so she couldn't find work anywhere. Now, her she was on Marlow's doorstep with no where to go.
Marlow steps up and takes care of Pixie and baby Andy. Rather than blame her for stealing her husband she knows that he was the one at fault. Together with Cort they form a little family unit each taking care of the other. As Cort and Marlow grow closer, their support helps Pixie grow in self confidence and strength. All three of them find happiness in their small town.

The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster is the newest release by the author. The first book of the Firefly Summer series.

Marlow was in the process of finalizing her divorce when her deadbeat ex went and got himself killed. Now her demanding in-laws want her to forget all about his seedy life and rejoin the company as a united front. Marlow quickly squashes their plans and heads out of town. After losing herself throughout the years of her marriage, she was well on her way to being true to herself again. Finding a tiny rural town that doesn’t let in strangers seems like the perfect opportunity. She rents a guest cottage on the lake from the gorgeous owner Cort hopefully for more than just the summer. Slowly winning over the townsfolk, Marlow is ready to make Bramble her forever home.

Cort is an ex marine that moved his mother to Bramble many years ago, to get them away from her abusive husband aka Cort’s father. The small town welcomed them with open arms, and he knew when he left for the service, that the townspeople would take care of his mother. He prides himself on helping his neighbors as much as he can. Marlow quickly draws him in with her charm and confidence.

When a surprise turns up literally at Marlow’s door, will she finally break, or will this new situation force her to face her fears and then put them behind her?

This story has such wonderful lead characters, and secondary characters. You feel like you are part of the scene with the depth of description Ms. Foster goes into with each section of storyline. I felt like I was a part of Bramble, sitting on my bar stool taking in the action. Such a welcoming town, with a kinship that is very much lacking these days. Great new release from the author, pick up a copy soon but beware that you won’t want to put it down.

This is book one in the Firefly Summer series. If you are a fan of her other summer, light romance series this will be a winner for you.

Marlow Heddings is going through a divorce then her estranged husband passes and wants out of town mostly away from his parents. She leaves Chicago for the small quaint town of Bramble KY.

Colt Easton is a transparent to town and found family in the people here.

I honestly thought this book was over around 32% then bang HUGE surprise.

The spice is light, heartwarming characters and an easy summer read.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One of the reasons that I enjoyed this book is that characters were a little “older” than your standard couple and were more secure with themselves. I, also, enjoyed the small town feel with somewhat welcoming natives even though they didn’t want anymore permanent residents. I loved how Marlowe and Cort were in their interaction with Pixie and Andy. There’s not a lot of people who would react the way they did when confronted by an ex husband’s affair and the aftermath. This would be a fantastic read when on vacation. Very heartwarming and a feel good read!