This book intrigued me as soon as I met Marlow and saw what she had gone through. She taught me through her strength and courage that home is not a place but the people who love you. I liked her compassion to take care of others, when she was not obligated to do so. She easily forgave and tried to move on and find her own place, her own happiness. I am so glad she found the small town of Bramble in Kentucky and how they took her in as one of their own and helped her to heal.
This book was full of interesting turns of events and people showing up in Bramble. They certainly showed Marlow's true character. I was so glad she rented the guest cottage from Cort, saw sunrises and sunsets, and many fireflies. She also was able to open her heart to love, which surprised Marlow, because that was the last thing she was looking for and it found her anyways. She also found family, friends, and a home. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

his book is very well written and the depth of characters are finely honed. I will read this one again when my own life is less hectic but it is worth the double read.

The story is centered around repairing a broken heart in a new place. The details are beautifully done and intricately woven into the place.

I highly recommend this book!

I was given the opportunity to read this book before it was released by Net Galley but all of the opinions, including the star rating, is my personal one.

I love to read Lori Foster’s books! They are always so down to earth and light hearted! As soon as I finish a book then I’m ready for the next one to come out. That happens when you have a favorite author. Thank you Lori for all the wonderful books you write for us!

Marlow has moved to Bramble to start over away from her cheating husband’s family and their expectations. After he unexpectedly dies she’s had enough. She is determined to open her dream store and forget about the past. Helping her with this is Cort Easton, her landlord. She thinks she’s well on her way when Pixie, her ex-husband’s other woman, arrives. Pixie is nothing like Marlow believes. She decides to help Pixie get back on her feet and then she’ll be done with her but as time passes the two women become close. This is a great story about starting over and forgiveness. Wonderful

With the first book in her brand new Firefly Summer series, Lori Foster proves yet again why she's an auto-buy for so many! She beautifully delivers a complex story filled with easy to like characters, lots of turmoil to keep you addicted and a strong female lead who is no longer willing to settle for less than. In this story of revelation and redemption, we embark on a smalltown filled with a goodhearted and quirky cast of characters that will keep you smiling as drama unfolds and hearts are healed. I can't wait to see more of this smalltown family and hope Pixie gets a story! The ending was a tad abrupt, but absolute perfection otherwise. Looking forward to the next book already and highly recommend this one!

** spoiler alert ** This is my first novel by Lori Foster. Based off of what I've read so far, I would not pick up another book written by her. I did see another reviewer mention that this book was a slow read and not indicative of the author's prior works, but it may boil down to me just not being in the mood to read a non-fantasy novel at this time.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I didn't realize when I requested it that it was releasing so soon (that's on me!), and I've been on a full fantasy or magical realism kick for a bit, now. I didn't think that would affect how I felt about this book, but now I'm wondering if it really might.

Every time I have gone to read this in the last week, I have had to force myself to do so. The synopsis sounds intriguing, but I'm currently 35% of the way through this book, and they haven't even gotten to the core premise I read about in the blurb.

I've been trying to pinpoint exactly what it is that I don't like about this book, and this is what I've come up with so far:

1. The writing feels stilted, like the sentences end abruptly and don't have any real flow to them. It pulls me out of the immersion of the story every time I notice, and I really don't like that.

2. Despite the author's bio stating that she writes for Harlequin currently, the story gives me "inspirational Christian fiction vibes," and I am NOT here for it. (It is not categorized as Christian fiction, so this is confusing.)

3. In this vein, the moments that should be exciting to read about, where the FMC interacts with her ex-in-laws feel BORING AS HELL. Like, my brain is imagining what she should say as a woman who was wronged, and is now getting chances to *rightfully* be assertive, stand up for herself, and tell these self-righteous losers off....and she's super chill and overly kind and thoughtful to them.

4. This ties into one of my main issues with this book overall. One of the supporting characters literally says at one point (about the MMC), "...he's our local hero." That in and of itself is not the issue. It's more that both of the main characters are CONSTANTLY touted as "being so nice!" all throughout the story. Because of this, they don't feel like REAL PEOPLE. They feel like the idea of what a "perfect man" or "perfect woman" could be, and it's straight-up boring. It's not that I haven't read other novels where characters are GREAT and we all love them. It just falls flat in this story, because it feels like it's shoved in your face every five seconds.

I hate adding books to my DNF list, but this is likely to be one of them. I will post an update if/when I ever decide to finish it.

This book would make such a great beach read - just make sure you pack a few tissues. When Marlow moved to the small town of Bramble, Kentucky, she was hoping to heal and find herself. But what she found was so much more - peace, a supportive community, love, forgiveness, and new friends. There were some surprises throughout the story but I loved how the three main characters grew and the family relationship that Marlow and Cort developed with Pixie and Andy. This is definitely a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Guest Cottage tells the tale of a widowed almost divorcee who is putting the pieces of her life together again. She moves to a small town that looks out for each other and falls in love with her new landlord.

The book was a very slow read for me. I love Lori Foster but I wouldn't have picked up this book had she not been one of my favorite authors.

The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster
Firefly Summer #1

~ From a rainy funeral to bright days and firefly nights, this book was a deligiht from beginning to end ~

What I liked:
* Marlow Heddings: widowed before finalizing divorce, bright, wealthy, talented, friendly, generous, looks for the best in situations, hard worker, kind, finding herself after a decade of losing a bit more of herself every year, attracted to Cort
* Cort Easton: ex-Marine, handyman, loving supportive son, misses his mother, considered hero of Bramble, generous, man of few words, strong, lethal, protective, difficult childhood, survivor, attracted to Marlow
* The open, hones,t mature communication between Marlow and Cort and the development of their relationship
* Bramble: a small town with a big heart filled with a close community
* Pixie Nolan: single parent, young, has no family, wants what is best for her 3-month-old Andy, willing to take a longshot by contacting the last person who should be willing to help her
* Herman: owner of the local pub, hires Marlow to work in the bar, a good man, knows all the gossip
* Remembering fireflies of my childhood and spending time by a lake
* What happened when Pixie showed up and how it all played out
* The way the situation with the Hedding matriarch and her husband worked out…eventually
* Knowing that there is another book in the series to look forward to

What I didn’t like:
* Dylan Hedding: Selfish, spoiled, abusive, the way he treated Marlow and Pixie, wasn’t upset Karma did him in
* Sandra & Aston Hedding: wealthy, entitled, obnoxious, selfish, focused on social standing, unable to see their son’s faults, difficult to like
* What Cort, his mother, Marlow, and Pixie endured at times in their lives
* Having to wait for the next book

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This is a fantastic book and I couldn’t stop reading until I finished. It’s a fun and also emotional book and I even cried. Marlow has come to stay at a guest cottage in the small town of Bramble. Loved the town, but will she be able to convince them to let her become a permanent resident? Loved how hard she and Cort fell for each other. Cried over how she helps Pixie and is like an older sister to her. What will her former in laws do? Will they ever get over the loss of their son? This is now one of my favorite books and is worth re reading. I loved their happy ever after. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy and I highly recommend this book.

What a positive story of starting over and forgiveness. Marlow is a character we should all aspire to be. Despite all of the horrible things that she had happen to her, she remains positive in the idea of starting over. I loved how she melded into her new life in Bramble. The characters that live there are fun. Her outlook and her ability to add Pixie to her life was so heartwarming. How this act caused so much more to be added to her life was such a great example of forgiveness. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to more from this author. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

Thank you Lori Foster, Kensington Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review the ARC.

Marlow Heddings has just buried her husband, and once the ordeal is over, she's leaving it all behind; the job, the house, and the manipulative in-laws. "He'd been been a lying, unfaithful, deceitful bastard. He'd hurt her, then mocked her with a cruel lack of remorse." I wasn't sure where the story would go fom there, and once Marlow escaped the clutches of the senior Heddings, the relief was palpable.

I love a book with great side characters, and small towns have the best ones! Marlow finds herself in Bramble, population 201, and a on the receiving end of a "welcome" that is equal parts curious and suspicious. The Bramble "originals" like their small town small, and they don't take kindly to visitors over staying their welcome or visitors settling in too comfortably long. The way is eased for her by her landlord, local hanyman, and all-around good guy, Cort Easton.

Marlow may have wanted to escape to small town life, but her old life isn't done with her yet. Drama follows her to The Guest Cottage, where she might yet win over the community, find a loving and supporting partner, build a new life, and gain some unexpected family.

"That's what home was all about. Not the building you lived in but the people in your life. The ones who filled you up and understood you, who questioned you and laughed with you. People who sometimes frustrated you but didn't stop caring."

This book is such a warm hug, representing the best of human connectivity with characters that are patient, accepting, and forgiving. A truly lovely, feel-good book that will make you sigh with contentment.

Marlow has had a lot to put up with in the past couple of years, and she is done. She leaves her old life behind to go to Bramble and stay in Cort's guest cottage. She has plans for what her new life will look like, but that's not how things go. She never expected to love waitressing or Pixie or Cort. But she does get peace and happiness while she helps others. This is a lovely, uplifting story that keeps things pretty PG. I loved the characters and the town, and I can't wait for more.

A sweet romance read by Lori Foster. It’s set in a small town that makes you want to visit and then stay and be a part of. Marlow wanted a new beginning, she found it and more in that town. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advanced copy of The Guest Cottage.

Marlow is setting out for her new life. She is leaving her cheating husband and his family drama behind her. She rents a cottage from Cort and they enjoy spending time together. Then her husband’s mistress who is young and pregnant shows up on her doorstep needing help.

This was just way too cheesy and hallmark like for me. I wish the story had more depth to it.

The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster, book one in The Firefly series, is an amazing, heartwarming story of secrets and lies, betrayal and heart break, family and relationships, acceptance and love. Bramble, Kentucky is a unique town that keeps its population tightly controlled. No one is allowed to permanently move here unless approved by the “originals.” Cort Easton moved his abused mother to Bramble several years prior to leaving the military; staying after she passed. Bramble accepted his mom and they’ve also accepted him. Cort is a jack of all trades, helping the elder residents and has bought up a couple of empty lake houses that he rents out.

Marlow Heddings is in need of a fresh start. She has lost herself after learning that her husband was cheating and then died before their divorce could be final. She quits her job at the family firm, sells her house and leaves her in-laws, renting a vacation home in Bramble. This Kentucky town seems to be the perfect place for her to heal and figure out her future.

The guest cottage she rents is from Cort and as they spend time together, they discover that they are kindred souls; both recovering from their pasts. When their feelings change from friends and their attraction grows. When her former husband’s ex-girlfriend, Pixie, arrives, with some secrets of her own, everything is thrown into chaos. With Cort’s help, he and Marlow pick up the pieces; helping Pixie find her own footing; being supportive and caring. Cort and Marlow are amazing together as they find their footing in an unexpected relationship.

Bramble is the perfect place for two people who are lost in their own ways, to find themselves again and to find each other. There is a large ensemble cast of interesting and quirky secondary and supporting characters most of whom live and work in Bramble Kentucky. There’s so much to love about the story: the strength of a woman; the kindness of others; a strong supportive man; and descriptions of a beautiful home on the lake. I am looking forward to revisiting this quirky town in the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Harlequin #TheGuestCottage

The Guest Cottage is the first book in the new series A Firefly Summer by Lori Foster. I am so grateful that I was able to read this book. I got to know Marlow Heddings and truly cared for her and how her life was unfolding. Her husband has changed the direction of what her life was going to be. She went to Bramble Kentucky and was happy with her life now. I am looking forward to seeing how things go for her in the future.
I was able to connect with the characters in this book. Lori Foster has made the people in the book come to life for me.
Thank you NetGalley, Lori Foster and Kensington Publishing for the Arc of the book The Guest Cottage. This is my personal review.

This beautiful cover invites you to the small lakeside town of Bramble, Kentucky. Marlow Heddings wants to go somewhere quiet and start over. She was married and worked for her husband’s family company till she learned he was cheating on her. To make matters worse he is cruel and drags out the divorce only to die before it is settled. In Bramble she rents a guest house from Cort. He is the town handyman and a former Marine. She settles in, makes friends and works at the local Tavern till she can decide on how to set up her small business. Sparks fly between her and Cort. There is more shared in the blurb which gives away almost too much of the story.

This is the gentle kind of book you want to read while snuggled up and enjoying the sun rise or set. The characters are likable and the town is filled with well meaning busy bodies. Her MC’s communicate well and are caring and forgiving. I like that there are no miscommunications or last minute break ups. I was disappointed that intimacy is behind closed doors but that may be the standard for this author. This is the first book in a new series and I will be on the lookout for the next.

This is an uplifting book and I am thrilled that it is the first book in a series as I cannot wait to read the next one. Marlow is a strong woman who was betrayed by her husband Dylan, misused and totally misunderstood by her in-laws and on the brink of divorce after Dylan’s affair. When he tragically dies before the divorce is finalized, Marlow does her duty, attends his funeral and says a dignified farewell to his parents and the town that held so much sadness for her. She ends up in the small town of Bramble, Kentucky, determined to make a new life for herself that is far removed from her high-powered position in Dylan’s family’s company and the scandal of Dylan’s betrayal. I loved how Marlow was willing to leave everything behind and start fresh in a new and unknown place, all alone. I admired her bravery and her steadfastness to find her own happiness. She has an adventurous spirit that is not afraid to try new things and to trust others again, in spite of her past circumstances. Once she gets to Bramble, she starts a new job (one her former in-laws would be appalled by) and meets her landlord Cort, a former military member who is in Bramble seeking solitude and peace after his own devastating loss. The two make a sweet couple and I was eager to see them unite quickly, but the plot twist of Dylan’s former lover Pixie showing up and asking for help interrupted the romance between the two, but it didn’t destroy their growing attraction by any means. Pixie arrives destitute and with a secret that requires help from someone, anyone willing to help. Marlow shows her big heart and compassion when she takes in Pixie and the two of them become more like sisters than former rivals. I loved the hope offered by this story, with a romance destined from the start and an emotional depth that was skillfully plotted and believable. This story is a refreshing breath of fresh air in a well-crafted plot and a setting with charm that just made the story thrum with realism. I could picture the sunrises that Marlow enjoyed every morning on her dock and her banter with Cort as he fished there. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and the strong message of hope for a new future that is central to this delightful and satisfying story.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.