Lauren K Denton has another bestseller! What happens when your husband leaves you out of the blue and you have no family to step in and help you. Lily meets some women by chance who invite her to be the hairdresser at their retirement village, but she must meet with Rose's approval. Lives change, friends are made and people can be family without being related.

The Summer House is a heartwarming tale of new beginnings. I particularly enjoyed how Lauren K Denton lead her characters to face their lives and the mistakes they'd made and offered them a second chance.
It's a nice read for people who like to think about life and enjoy a warm tale with a happy end.

I received a free advanced readers' copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

In all of the best ways, this book was "quaint." It felt like a piece of home and you could connect with most of the characters on some level. The writing was fantastic and I never felt like I was being burdened with a page of fluff.

Lovely easy going read. I really enjoyed this one. It was well written. Great plot perfect for these cold winter nights dreaming about summer coming

The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton
Source: NetGalley and Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins
Rating: 5/5 stars

Lily Bishop’s life hasn’t been easy, but she had hoped once she married, her life would at least improve. As it turns out, not only did her life not improve, but her husband turned out to be feckless and left her high and dry with nothing more than a note and a week to move out of their shared home.

With nothing to do but pack her bags and move forward, Lily ponders her options. She’s in a new city, a new state, and knows no one, but that isn’t going to stop her. Though she isn’t as confident as she may appear, Lily takes a chance on a supermarket flier advertising for a hairdresser in a local retirement village. At this point, Lily has nothing to lose and during her interview with the surly Rose Carrigan, she goes for broke with stark honesty.

Rose Carrigan isn’t known for her friendly demeanor and she certainly isn’t known for having a soft spot for anything or anyone. However, her interview with Lily Bishop is private so no one must know she bent just a bit and is giving a young woman in a bad spot a chance to turn it all around. As if to temper her moment of kindness (weakness?), Rose makes sure Lily understands all the cleaning is on her and the job is only a trial run. Yeah, that should be enough to ensure her reputation.

As Lily begins her new (temporary) journey at the retirement village, she has time to reflect on her past and how she ended up where she is now. For Lily, the walk down memory lane takes her back to her own mother’s salon and the fond memories she has of those days. More than anything, Lily wants to create the same environment she once so loved in her mother’s salon. Lily wants to create an atmosphere of friendship, comradery, and safety for the women who come to see her. What’s more, Lily hopes to create a place where she can blossom and flourish just as her clients do. She knows she has big shoes to fill, but Lily is willing to put in the hard work and the effort despite her fears and insecurities.

As Lily is learning to find her own path, Rose Carrigan is discovering her life choices, her general bad attitude, and her standoffishness has kept her from truly enjoying her life. As the owner and manager of the retirement village she also lives in, Rose has had plenty of opportunity to become involved, make great friends, and be a real member of her community. However, her past has mired her in sadness and regret and that has prevented Rose from moving forward. As she watches Lily Bishop begin to rebuild her own life, Rose starts to reevaluate her own life and though it is difficult, make small changes that may allow her to have a happy and fulfilled life.

The Bottom Line: Yet again, the wait for a new Lauren K. Denton book has been well worth the wait. Though separated by decades, Rose and Lily are companion souls both searching for a way to improve their lives and no longer live in the darkness. Through Lily’s strides, efforts, and attempts, Rose sees a second chance, a chance to make for all she has voluntarily given up because of her fear and regret. What I love most about this book is the healing environment and acceptance both women find themselves in; the setting is as much a part of this story as the characters and one absolutely enhances the other. Once again, Denton has offered a poignant and compelling story that will resonate with many readers. Ultimately, this is the story of friendship, loyalty, love, and courage and the ability of two women to rise above what they have endured.

I want to start off by saying thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book, it was a very good read easy to follow along with storyline and characters. This was a new author for me but I very much enjoyed it, thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to reading more by this author again. I highly recommend this book to everybody.

First, thanks to #netgalley for this opportunity to read another Lauren K. Denton book.
Another inspiring book by Lauren K. Denton. If you have read the other Lauren K. Denton books, you know how they flow.

With this one, you get to see how the characters help each other out to get past issues they are dealing with in their lives. I love that the books take place in the south, and also that the author helps you know the people during the story.

Totally recommend #TheSummerHouse

I picked this book because I wanted an uplifting, gentle read and this didn't disappoint. This new book is set in and around a coastal retirement community in southern Alabama with believable characters spanning the expected (quirky) personalities to a few solid thirty-somethings. Angst, regret, love and new beginnings all drive the story and have you pulling for the new beginnings to take root and blossom into love. It's good to be reminded that love and acceptance does not have an age limit, and especially in a book that you'd feel comfortable giving to an older relative to read.

This book is enjoyable. It’s a quick, fun read perfect for the beach or by the pool.
The story flows well and is pretty predictable.

The story follows a young woman as her short marriage falls apart shockingly. Without notice she has to build a new life for herself while she learns about herself and does some healing. The characters are so fun. They are delightfully well developed and each ones makes you want to move into this special place!

If you are looking for a fun summer read this one will not disappoint.

The Summer House is a delightful read! Parallel characters face the task of starting over. The main character accepts the talent she instinctively learned from her mother to become self-sufficient. She finds her place as a cosmetologist in a small coastal community, and as her business grows, her confidence increases, allowing her the freedom to be happy and content. As hairstyles are reshaped, lives are transformed. Decades of guilt and self-imposed penance shift and finally are addressed as truths are uncovered. The simplicity of activities purely organized for fun and social opportunities refresh the beauty of face-to-face personal interactions too often missed in today’s social media world of communication. Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed with laughter and camaraderie where each person feels value and self-worth, recognizing the unique talents of people working together for the good of a community is a treasure these characters celebrate!

This was a heart warming story about starting over that I really enjoyed! This was my first read by this author but not my last. She created an enjoyable setting with enjoyable characters!

This is yet another captivating read by Lauren K. Denton that was engrossing from the first page and kept me turning the pages until the last.

Lily wakes up one morning to find that her husband left in the middle of the night, leaving a note of apology with divorce papers on their favorite coffee maker. In the aftermath she winds up as the hairstylist for a senior living community and winds her way into the heart of the owner, Rose, who is nicknamed the Ice Queen.

I really was drawn in by these realistic characters who both had stories that kept me interested and the fun that fellow neighbors brought to the story.

My main downside with this novel is that I felt that it wrapped up way too quickly and could have been expanded upon.

Despite this I think it's a great read and I loved my time spent in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had not read this author before but I really loved this book. This is the story of Lily Bishop who wakes up with her husband gone and divorce papers on the table, then finds out from her husband's job that since he left the rental they have is for the person who is taking the job. Following a job lead Lily ends up in Safe Harbor, a retirement community running her own salon. Read the story to see how things work out for Lily and the community owner Rose. See how the whole community supports each other. A Good Read.

A warm, relaxing fresh air of a book, such an enjoyable experience for these hectic, unsettling times life hands us.

It feels weird to say that I really liked this book, when it started on such a rocky note. But, if you can get past the opening of a woman's husband leaving her out of the blue, there's a lot to gather here about second chances and opening up to the people whom you find in your life. Between Lily's fresh start, and Rose's path to forgiving herself and letting people in, the characters in this story were heartrendingly realistic, and down-to-earth, yet colorful and engaging. I loved watching the interplay between the members of this community who had lived among each other for years, yet with the fresh perspective of 28-year-old Lily becoming part of them. I could see a series set in this community of Safe Harbor, delving into the rich histories of those who live here, and perhaps interacting with and passing on their wisdom to the next generations.

I give this book 4 stars. Lily and Rose were traveling separate paths, yet both needed forgiveness, healing, and fresh starts, and I loved watching how their journeys affected each other and the community they were a part of.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lily Bishop left behind a life in shambles and wondered into Safe Harbor Village. She was looking for somewhere that wasn't where she had been. Somewhere to work and live. That’s it. She didn’t want to think about what just happened or what happened before that. She found the perfect place to bring her skills back to life. Lily found a job styling hair for some very unique people that would become her family. Lily also found Rose Carrigan. A woman with a tough exterior and a kind soul. Then we have Rawlins Willett. With a name like that how could I not mention him. Rawlins is Roses nephew and the village handyman. This story is filled with so many interesting, lovable characters and lets not forget the best gossip newsletter around. The Village Vine the residents go to for all information large and small. For example what time the tide will be in and the best time to take a walk. Lily will learn though that spending a lovely summer in a quaint, quirky village won’t erase the past. The past still wants to be dealt with. Lily will have decisions to make about herself and her future.

Laura Denton has become a new favorite author after I devoured her latest book. The main character starts out as a meek and oblivious wife who is deserted in the middle of the night by her coward of a husband. However, as she makes a new home among st the members of a retirement community, she finds her voice and passion in life. The supporting cast was good as well and there were few surprises. One thing that always bothers me in these type of books is how no one seems to be able to communicate with each other and problems seem to fester for far to long. However, this did not take away any from my enjoyment of the book. Thank you Netgalley!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I need to start off by saying that I am a sucker for a good starting over book. Woman who has lost everything and starts over.

This book was a really cute read. I was completely invested in the lives of the characters. At one point I could almost picture the little community and I thought oh how much fun this must be to live there.

This is a great beach read. If you are looking for something nice and light to read - definitely give it a chance.




#TheSummerHouse #NetGalley

This book was great! The characters were all so likeable and it was really a heartwarming story about women supporting each other and finding themselves-and love-in the process.
This was a quick and fun read.

In this story of change and growth, I appreciated that Lily ended up in a village filled with retirees. I found the setting refreshing. So often people forget that folks over fifty-five live interesting lives. Lauren K. Denton explores not only rising up after losing everything, as Lily does, but also letting go and enjoying life as we watch Rose bloom (pun intended.) I love how the author captures the endearing personalities of the folks in Safe Harbor. I can't forget to mention Rawlins. He's a single dad and a sweetheart with a touching story. The only thing I don't like about the story is the presence of alcohol. Otherwise, The Summer House is a charming story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.