The Summer House

Name: The Summer House
Rating: 4 (8 reviews)

Lauren K. Denton

June 2020 · Thomas Nelson

4.0

8 reviews

eBook

352

Pages

Eligible

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About this eBook

It's never too late to start over. The Summer House weaves Lauren K. Denton’s inviting Southern charm around a woman’s journey to find herself in a small beach town—with a little help from the local retirement community.

Lily Bishop wakes up one morning to find a good-bye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having just moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated. New to town and knowing no one, Lily finds herself in desperate need of a job and a new place to live. When Lily hears that a hair stylist is needed at small retirement community, she decides to apply.

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 the colorful residents share town gossip and 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.

The Summer House is a:

Cozy novel full of charm and heart that’s perfect vacation reading
Celebration of new beginnings, friendship, and family
Sweet, clean romance set on the Gulf Coast

“The perfect summer read! Situated on the Alabama Gulf Coast, you’ll feel the sun, taste the salt, and linger with new friends—you won’t want to leave. And with lyrical prose and rich characters, The Summer House is a beautifully poignant reminder that we are never too young to find a good place to stand nor too old to start over.”—Katherine Reay, bestselling author of The Printed Letter Bookshop and Dear Mr. Knightley

Ratings and reviews

4.0

8 reviews

Claire McPartlin

2 June 2020

This was a really lovely, easy reading, laid back book with a summery feel set around a retirement village on the coast. Lily has recently moved to Alabama with her husband as he had a new job, but they'd only been there a short time when she woke up one morning and he'd left her, leaving a note and divorce papers, even though they'd only been married just over a year. So Lily is alone in a strange town and has to move out of their house as it was linked to her husband's job. Luckily she comes across a job as a hairdresser, which she used to be, in a retirement community not that far away and after an interview ends up with a job and a place to stay above the salon. The owner of the village is Rose, who is a bit cranky and tends to keep away from all the residents, but soon Lily and Rose help each other out, overcoming their issues and moving forward with their lives. The retirement community sounded such a laugh, full of fun characters, set on the coast with plenty of activities and a pool, but each with their own cottage. Lily was accepted into their village and soon made friends with Rose's nephew and his little girl. The waste of space husband did make a reappearance, but luckily they both accepted they had made a mistake in marrying and moved on without any aggravation. A very easy-reading, laid back book, perfect for reading on a sunny day in the garden.

brf1948

3 June 2020

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Lauren K. Denton, and Thomas Nelson-Fiction publisher. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this Southern novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Denton's characters are fully developed, her portrayal of the bumps of life honest and well-considered, and her story hard to put aside. I am happy to add Lauren K. Denton to my list of favorite authors and to recommend her work enthusiastically to friends and family. The majority of this novel takes place in 2018, in Safe Harbor Village, a planned community catering for the most part to retirees on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. Our main protagonists are Lily and Rose, ladies easily understood by most of us who didn't find true love the first pop out of the box. They represent the two options one has with the death of a relationship - isolation, and a mental and physical reversal to a happier time. The Summer House is an excellent read for that lazy day at the beach or hammock. I am pleased to have found another Southern author to follow.

1 person found this review helpful

Sara Serene

4 June 2021

I loved this book 🥰 Im excited for her next one to come out in July!

About the author

LAUREN K. DENTON is the author of USA TODAY bestselling novels The Hideaway and Hurricane Season. She was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, and now lives with her husband and two daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. Though her husband tries valiantly to turn her into a mountain girl, she’d still rather be at the beach. Website: LaurenKDenton.com; Instagram: LaurenKDentonBooks; Facebook: LaurenKDentonAuthor; Twitter: @LaurenKDenton.

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