3.5 sweet stars

The Cottage at Firefly Lake is a sweet second chance romance that was a great way to fill a couple of afternoons.

Sean and Charlie/Charlotte's story is filled with lots of history, family secrets and lies, and love - first love, love lost, love rekindled. And doing what is right - maybe not right for them but right for those around them.

Not going to lie, at times Charlie frustrated me. She is the kick ass international investigative journalist, but sometimes she came across as weaker than I knew she was. I wanted to shake some sense into her at times. But this could just be me.

I adored Sean. He was constant in what he wanted in his life, put it all out there and on the line.

At times I felt that the characters just kept having the same argument and never resolved things - the development, their families, their feeling. It was as though they were stuck on a roundabout, unable to exit.

The story held my interest and I did need to know what would happen with the characters. It is a good debut, and I look forward to seeing where there author takes us and the development in her writing as the series continues.

Charlotte returns to Firefly Lake with her sister and nieces to sell their family cabin after her mother dies. Growing up, her family spent summers at the lake. She and Sean started out as best friends then became lovers in their teen years, until Charlotte turned 18 and broke it off to follow her dreams, never looking back. Now, 18 years later, she’s back to settle her mother’s affairs.

Sean never left Firefly Lake. He took over his family’s business, growing it, got married, had a son and divorced. He never got over Charlotte breaking his heart. He’s shocked to find her back in town, and to realize he’s still in love with her. However, he’s not going to put himself through that when she’s just going to leave again.

Charlotte has secrets she’s been keeping from Sean. So many misunderstandings, miscommunications. It’s a tug of war for these two as they rediscover what they mean to each other. Sean has his son to think about, as well as the rest of his family that he takes care of. Charlotte is determined to return to her work and keep her walls up.

Charlotte and Mia used to be close growing up but drifted apart with Charlotte jet setting all over the world to get her stories. As Mia’s marriage falls apart, they slowly find their way back, leaning on each other to get through it all.

We get both Charlotte and Sean’s POV. The author does a good job of not overwhelming us with their internal dialogues. The story draws you in and has you rooting for the two of them from the beginning. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

Jen Gilroys' The Cottage At Firefly Lane is a heart-stirring debut centering around forgiveness and second chances. Charlotte "Charlie" Gibbs returns home to sell her mothers cottage and is almost immediately faced with her past, her first and only love Sean Carmichael. Their deep but long ago connection, one that is nearly beyond repair, forms the basis for the story line but the story is not limited to these two characters and the past. The family interactions that Gilroy paints shows the intensity and significance in these relationships and the far reaching impacts of one families decisions on this community.

Both Charlie and Sean captured my interest from the start. They are both flawed but highly likable.
As they begin spending time together they recognize their past and the mistakes they made. It's pretty clear who did the leaving and how that felt like an all out rejection, but there's family history and secrets that must be shared before either can move forward, together or separately. One thing I really liked about this story was how honest and real it felt. When we are in Sean's head, we feel the conflict he has over Charlie just being around, his natural draw to her. But Sean has a hard time letting go of the past. As for Charlie, she has every intention of returning to her real life after she and her sister complete the sale of their summer cottage so she tries to keep her distance. One thing she does really well is keeping her guard up. I felt equally sympathetic for both of them but it's clear neither plan to take their re-connection further. It's definitely got a shelf life neither want to expand on. Plus as secrets start to get out, they find there is much more to contemplate and to hang onto. But ultimately, this is a story about forgiveness and leaving the past behind.

Obviously since this is a debut, this is the first book by Jen Gilroy that I've read. I do plan on reading the follow-up to this so that tells you that I really enjoyed the writing and all the characters. I found myself invested in Charlie's sisters family, her sister Mia and her niece Naomi greatly influence Charlie's life. As well, Seans' son Ty and his interactions with Naomi added another level to the dynamics. All in all, Gilroy weaves a delightful story and I'm happy to recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this book, it is my first by this author and I am impressed. It was very heartwarming and I loved that it was a second chance love story, those are my favorite. The characters and story line were amazing, they felt real.

Susan Wiggs meets Sweet Home Alabama and The Notebook in Jen Gilroy's The Cottage at Firefly Lake. For a lover of all three of these, I quite enjoyed Gilroy's sweet story about the career-driven woman who had fallen for a man she only saw during her childhood summers at Firefly Lake. His family owned the local marina, but her parents didn't think he or his family were up to par -- financially and otherwise. Now, eighteen years later, they have a second chance at love; Charlie Gibbs come back to sell her parent's cottage and the feelings she has for her long lost love, Sean Carmichael, return. But she's got secrets that could make or break their rekindled relationship. Really fast read and can't wait for more!

Sometimes you just want some easy reading. Maybe you just finished something heavy, or maybe your life is a little crazy and an effortless read is just what the doctor ordered. The Cottage at Firefly Lake is your medicine, baby.

After her mother's death, Charlotte returns to her family's summer cottage to get it ready for the real estate market. She runs into teenage sweetheart Sean, whose family business is in town - has always been and will forever be. Their past love is now colored by adult responsibilities and expectations... and emotional baggage.

Though the plot and writing were very simple, I enjoyed the way Gilroy seamlessly wove in the lakeside setting and that vacation-y feeling. She also did a great job including Charlotte and Sean's families. Even though the main plot line was about a possible romance between the couple, Gilroy gave the supporting characters meaningful and fun roles.

I think Gilroy went a little heavy on trite romance novel phrases, but I can forgive that for a first-in-a-series. With a little more originality, Gilroy could have a series that sits up with Robyn Carr's Virgin River books. I sure hope so!

https://randombookmuses.com/2017/01/09/review-the-cottage-at-firefly-lake-by-jen-gilroy/

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1873666517