The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton

The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton

Doesn’t that look like a lovely spot to settle in and read a summertime novel? 

Let’s begin with the summary:

Sometimes it takes losing everything to find yourself again. 

Lily Bishop wakes up one morning to find a goodbye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated, but a flyer at the grocery store for a hair stylist position in a local retirement community provides a refuge while she contemplates her next steps.

Rose Carrigan built the small retirement village of Safe Harbor years ago—just before her husband ran off with his assistant. Now she runs a tight ship, making sure the residents follow her strict rules. Rose keeps everyone at arm’s length, including her own family. But when Lily shows up asking for a job and a place to live, Rose’s cold exterior begins to thaw.

Lily and Rose form an unlikely friendship, and Lily’s salon soon becomes the place where residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets. Lily soon finds herself drawn to Rose’s nephew, Rawlins—a single dad and shrimper who’s had some practice at starting over—and one of the residents may be carrying a torch for Rose as well.

Neither Lily nor Rose is where she expected to be, but the summer makes them both wonder if there’s more to life and love than what they’ve experienced so far.

And now, my review:

Our heroine is challenged to tackle something new as she heals from her painful past. Fortunately, a no-nonsense mentor has mercy, hires her, and encourages her to take that first step because the rest will follow. I loved Rose’s strength and how she readily shared it with Lily.

The author’s descriptions evoke feelings as we live in Lily’s world. You’ll find themes of sympathy and grief, but also recovery and healing and choosing life.

I found a few missed editorial issues, like rambling narrative. I also felt we needed a stronger through-line story question to keep readers hooked. Of course we wonder if our heroine will thrive and rebuild her life, but it wasn’t enough. The story lost my interest at about two-thirds of the way through, after I'd skimmed several scenes.

We get to enjoy fun secondary characters, but unfortunately this novel didn’t work for me. Still, I wish the author and publisher all the best.

Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter

Carolina Breeze

I enjoyed the first book in Denise’s Bluebell Inn Romance series, so I was grateful to read this book about the second of three adult siblings running an inn in North Carolina.

Let’s begin with the summary:

A jilted bride. A struggling innkeeper. And a romantic mountain getaway that changes everything.

Rising Hollywood star Mia Emerson is looking for a safe place to land in the wake of a public breakup and celebrity scandal, and she finds it in the lake town of Bluebell, North Carolina—the location of her canceled honeymoon. She wants nothing more than to hide and wait for the tabloids to die down.

Soon after her arrival at the Bluebell Inn, Mia meets Levi Bennett, who runs the inn along with his two younger sisters. Drawn to one another from the start, Mia trusts Levi to keep her location from the press, and Levi confides in Mia about the precarious financial state of the inn—a secret he’s been keeping from his sisters.

When Mia and Levi discover an old journal that hints at a rare diamond necklace hidden in the inn, they set off on a treasure hunt to find the long-lost heirloom. What they don’t expect to surface are feelings they thought were safely locked away. Mia and Levi must decide if falling in love again is too big a risk—or if it will uncover a treasure of its own instead.

And now, my review:

I love the setting and revisiting characters I’ve come to care about. Levi is a by-the-rules kind of big brother, shouldering the responsibilities of the family’s inn, at least financially, on his own. He’s keeping secrets from his sisters. He's also against dating any of their guests.

Our heroine is an actress, which was a fun profession to follow. Denise does a great job naming male motives, which I appreciated. I liked that they had to fake a relationship for the sake of her PR, but it wasn’t as romantic as it could have been, perhaps due to missed opportunities.

There were a few places where the males didn’t sound like males, and I’m not referring to Alpha versus Beta male POVs. They just sounded syrupy. Overall, the book felt an effort to avoid any type of conflict or danger or trouble. Conflicts were resolved quickly. The characters got over their problems quickly.

Also, unusual for her writing was a lack of well-written romantic scenes. Many of those scenes felt contrived rather than natural. We also had some head-hopping, but that was likely worked out in the later version. There were several clichés in the narrative and/or dialogue that made her characters seem older, in terms of their generation, than they were supposed to be. Some of the conflicts and character reactions also felt contrived and dull, juvenile.

Unfortunately, I also found some redundancies at least in the ARC. The story lost me when the romance seemed to resolve too early. We lost touch with the why-not—why they cannot be together. The external conflicts regarding the inn didn’t keep me hooked. I gave up at about 70 percent.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series since I enjoyed the first one so much. I wish the author and publisher well. 

Rakes and Roses by Josi S. Kilpack

Rakes and Roses by Josi S. Kilpack

Let’s begin with the summary:

Lady Sabrina endured an abusive marriage, a miscarriage, and early widowhood to emerge as a smart, successful, confident woman who found a way to make her mark in a man’s world. She has friends and purpose, but cannot hide from the emptiness she feels when the parties are over and the friends have gone home to families she will never have.

Harry Stillman may be charming and handsome, but he’s a gambler and a rake who has made a mockery of his privileges. He turns to the mysterious Lord Damion for financial relief from his debts, but still ends up beaten nearly senseless by thugs and left in an ally.

When Lady Sabrina comes upon Harry after the attack, she remembers the kindness Harry once showed to her six years ago and brings him to her estate to heal. Though their relationship begins on rocky footing, it soon mellows into friendship, then trust. But Lady Sabrina needs to keep Harry at a distance, even if he is becoming the kind of man worthy of her heart. After all, she is keeping a secret that, if exposed, could destroy everything she’s so carefully built.

And now, my review:

I love regency romance, and Josi is one of my go-to authors for this genre. Unfortunately, this novel didn’t appeal to me. The hero is exceedingly unlikable. He’s in a very dark place in the first third of the book where we spend time watching him make foolish choices. Since I didn't detect any nobility once he's a grown man, I didn't keep reading.

The heroine has suffered a lot of losses but I couldn’t feel them with her. She doesn’t seem to grieve or care, so readers won’t feel emotions either, which is a disconnect most readers may not appreciate. It's possible, as this is the third book in a series, that reading the earlier books would have helped. I read Daisies and Devotion and enjoyed it. I don't recall the tie-ins, if there are any. 

I did like that she’s an independent, wealthy woman who didn’t need to scrape out a living alone. The heroine is likable in some ways, but I couldn’t quite connect with her. If either character changes later, I didn’t read far enough to see it. I also didn’t read far enough to find the romance, which, paired with my other concerns, probably influenced my choice to give up on this story.

Normally, I love Proper Romances, but this one was too cold, in my opinion. Still I wish the author and publisher all the best. I will check out Josi's future work. 

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

I hadn’t read anything by this author in the past, but many of my reader friends loved this book. Glad I checked it out.

Let’s begin with the summary:

Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds of a church with no parishioners, and he’s dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes.

When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, Murph’s mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end of the world takes a dangerous turn. Drawn to Summer, and desperate to find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery.

With help from some unexpected new friends, including a faithful Labrador he plucks from the ocean and an ex-convict named Clay, Murph must race against the clock to locate the girl before he is consumed by the secrets of his past—and the ghosts who tried to bury them.

And now, my review:

This novel hooked me from the first scenario. The hero is larger than life, overcoming repeated life-threatening injuries, something you can get away with in fiction. I liked how, though he was flawed and broken himself, he risked himself to help others. Along his rescue journey, he picks up a crew of misfits, like himself. They rescue each other and heal some of their hurts together. The topic of modern-day slavery feels immediate and will keep readers engaged.


As I read the e-book, I highlighted several lines. The author is insightful, and his prose requires a double take at times. As a general fiction novel, this book tackles heavy topics of human trafficking and the violence of pursuing the traffickers. Expect blood. There is a thread of romance, along with a thread of a previous love story. I liked the sense of justice and clearly contrasting values/morals, where we root for the good guys and delight when the evil ones fall. If you’re a sensitive reader, as I am, you may need to skim a few passages, but I didn’t find those elements overwhelming.

I found repeated patterns of “to be” verbs paired with -ing words: like “was swimming” or “were making,” and there were several POV missteps. The jarring pattern of “began _____-ing” pulled me from the story multiple times. (It’s impossible to turn off the inner editor.) I also became a little lost on occasion. But by the end, readers will understand earlier mysteries. There were moments of melodrama and what some might call schmaltz, but the good outweighs the bad here. Any or all of these issues may have been reworked from the ARC (advanced reader copy, which I read) to the final version.

The other missing element for me was deep POV. Readers are kept in the dark about what the MC is thinking/feeling. This may be because this novel leans toward the suspense genre, which hides things from readers for the sake of mystery.

I recommend this novel, and I’ll watch for the next book in this series.

The Thief of Lanwyn Manor by Sarah E. Ladd

The Thief of Lanwyn Manor

Isn't that a lovely cover? This is book two in the Cornwall Novels series.

Let’s begin with the summary:

In Regency England an advantageous match could set up a lady for life. Julia knows Matthew Blake, copper mine owner and very eligible bachelor, is the gentleman she should set her eyes upon. But why can’t she steal her gaze away from his younger brother, Isaac?

Cornwall, England, 1818

Julia Twethewey needs a diversion to mend her broken heart, so when her cousin invites her to Lanwyn Manor, Julia eagerly accepts. The manor is located at the heart of Cornwall’s mining industry, and as a guest Julia is swept into its intricate world. It’s not long, though, before she realizes something dark lurks within the home’s ancient halls.

As a respected mine owner’s younger son, Isaac Blake is determined to keep his late father’s legacy alive through the family business, despite his brother’s careless attitude. In order to save their livelihood—and that of the people around them—the brothers approach the master of Lanwyn Manor with plans to bolster the floundering local industry. Isaac can’t deny his attraction to the man’s charming niece, but his brother has made clear his intentions to court the lovely visitor. And Isaac knows his place.

When tragedy strikes, mysteries arise, and valuables go missing, Julia and Isaac find they are pulled together in a swirl of strange circumstances, but despite their best efforts to bow to social expectations, their hearts aren’t so keen to surrender.

And now, my review:

The story opened with a strong hook and a harrowing situation. Both our hero and our heroine are courageous, which is a trait that made me root for them.

We have the usual Regency elements: balls and societal expectations of finding the right match for matrimony. The escape of a distant time period setting. Julia goes to live with her meddlesome aunt, while Isaac has the unstated competition of his brother for Julia’s affections.

I could relate with the heroine’s desire to reinvent herself and refresh her life after her loss. The author’s descriptions of locations helped me experience the setting with her.

Unfortunately, I found melodrama and wording that didn’t sound as if it came from a male POV. The mining focus reminded me of the Poldark Saga novels. Fans of the books or the PBS adaptation may appreciate this story.

I’ll confess I only made it to 30 percent of this novel as at that point, I was no longer hooked. I didn’t find enough advancement in their relationship to keep me reading. Still, I wish the author and her publisher all the best.

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

The Dating Charade

I heard a lot of recommendations for this book, so I was grateful for a chance to read an early copy.

Let’s begin with the summary:

Just when you think you’ve met your match . . . the charade begins.

Cassie Everson is an expert at escaping bad first dates. And, after years of meeting, greeting, and running from the men who try to woo her, Cassie is almost ready to retire her hopes for a husband—and children—altogether.

But fate has other plans, and Cassie’s online dating profile catches the eye of firefighter Jett Bentley. In Jett’s memory, Cassie Everson is the unreachable girl-of-legend from their high school days. Nervously, he messages her, setting off a chain of events that forces a reluctant Cassie back into the dating game.

No one is more surprised than Cassie when her first date with Jett is a knockout. But when they both go home and find three children dropped in their laps—each—they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong? 

And now, my review: 

I wanted to enjoy this story. After all those glowing recommendations, I was excited to dig in. Unfortunately, at least with the ARC (advanced reader copy), there were several concerns. I felt I’d missed an earlier book in a (nonexistent) series because I was lost in the sea of people, from both the hero’s and the heroine’s POVs (points of view). I don’t mind a lot of characters, but we had both their first names and their last names, used independently in the same scene, so instead of say, seven characters, we had fourteen to track per POVC (point-of-view character).

I liked the heroine’s trick of speech in some of her fun phrases. I liked that she does a noble work, like the hero who is a firefighter. The author’s prose and descriptions, now and then, required highlighting. 😉 Unfortunately, there were also odd descriptions that didn’t fit. I liked that the hero has had a crush on the heroine since they were in high school together. That could have been a fun element, containing anticipation or adoration and then discovery when she figured it out.

The story doesn’t advance as the usual romance, which was unsatisfying. I don't need strict formula in the fiction I enjoy, but I like to find romantic moments that fit the romance's timing, don't feel contrived, and are earned. I found premature elements occurring too early. I also found several missed opportunities in terms of the romance’s advancement—elements I would recommend “milking” rather than grazing. I skimmed much rambling narrative and unfortunately gave up on this book at about 30 percent.

Readers who want something outside the usual may enjoy this story. I'd give it 2.5 stars. I wish the author and publisher all the best.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

The Fifth Avenue Story Society

What a lovely cover! A reader’s delight—shelves of books in a cozy room. An unexpected element? This novel is not a time-slip novel like Rachel's other recent books.

Let’s begin with the summary:

An invitation to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society gives five New York strangers a chance to rewrite their own stories.

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great-grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to reveal their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls.

And now, my review:

I like the premise of mysterious invitations to join a story society. At first, I thought it’d be a book club, but the objective is deeper than that. Picturing the setting of an old library made me want to grab a hot beverage, a throw, and curl up with this book.

Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses in this ensemble cast. I liked the multiple-POV approach. Rachel is always clear about whose POV we’re in, and her characters had distinct voices.

Though this wasn’t a time-slip novel, which I'd expected (I don't read back covers before reading books—too many spoilers), I was interested and invested. But I was interested and invested. The only downside was that we never go too deeply into any one character’s history. Because we’re spread over several, there isn’t page space.

Rachel kept me hooked through withholding information. There are plenty of secrets to learn about each person, and we unravel those as we read. She gave us enough info to both care about the characters and root for them.

As is her trademark, we have a supernatural element in the book. This novel would work well as a crossover as the God-element is subtle for three-quarters of the story. Her prose is often so insightful, I have to highlight it.

I loved watching the characters have victory. Through sharing their real struggles with each other, they find healing and their burdens lift. These varied folks find friendship. I enjoyed that theme. They also find courage to do what they need to do for those victories.

I'm always watching for Rachel's next book to release. She's a must-read for me. Whether it's a time-slip or not, I enjoy her distinct writing style.

Recommended.