This was a very sweet summer read. I love the small town, the cast of characters, and the sisters' relationships. I felt the romance aspect of this book a bit lacking in chemistry and overall they somewhat felt forced. But it was a good light and easy read.

This is the new sequel to Home for the Holidays and I'm glad I read them back to back. The story starts about seven months after the first novel. Dahlia Buchanan is now living in the Colorado mountains. She is trying to get her two children acclimated to their new home and working with her younger sister Rose to renovate the Juniper Inn. Rose takes on the lion share of supervising the project. They need to finish in time to celebrate the Inn's re-opening along with a great celebration for Aunt Sassy's 70th birthday.

Of course things get more complicated when Sassy returns early from her vacation and their mom shows up too. The two haven't spoken in over two decades. Rose is recognizing her attraction to the hardware store owner only to find he plans to sell his business. Dahlia wants to move forward with a relationship with Dr. Ike only to find her kids might not be ready for that.

I really love the supportive sisters from this series. They are great characters with distinct personalities and they each evolve. I liked getting Lillian's (the mom) story and was happy with Aunt Sassy's story as well. This book felt more rushed with a lot happening very quickly. I don't think you can close on property as fast as the book makes it seem. I almost wish the author had taken the time to give each sister a book instead of combining Dahlia and Roses romances into one.

This is a clean read for language and intimacy. It is all about family, love and forgiveness. The Juniper Springs series should be read in order or you will miss the first meetings for the couples and a first date and kiss. Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed them first book in this series, which is a Christmas book. So I was delighted to return to the characters and the lovely inn! This was a fun summer book featuring lovely characters. It was so fun to reunite with the characters I was invested in and see their story develop. I loved the Inn in the summer setting and the bits of Christmas magic still sprinkled throughout. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

The Buchanan sisters are back! The Jupiter Inn is about to re-open and life is moving fast. Rose is running the inn and determined to make it better than ever and bring new life into the now desolate inn. Dahlia and her kids have also moved back to town, a fresh start after Dahlia's divorce. Maggie is loving life as a new mom, despite being far away from her sisters and the inn. Aunt Sassy and Lillian are still at odds after a decades-long feud and as the opening of the inn draws near, the feud comes to a breaking point.

Richardson deftly captures three women in different stages of life in this return to Jupiter Inn, sequel to Home for the Holidays. I loved catching up with Rose and Dahlia, but I did miss Magnolia. If you are looking for a delightful summer read this is the perfect choice.

This is a sequel to Home for the Holidays, and I recommend reading them in order. This review contains spoilers for the first book.

Dahlia and Rose have both relocated to Juniper Springs, Colorado and are renovating the Juniper Inn that their Aunt Sassy passed on to them. They own it with their sister, Marigold, and Sassy's adopted son, Colton. Dahlia has gotten divorced and moved her children tp Colorado. While her interest in Dr. Ike is still strong, she's committed to her children and doesn't want to do anything (like date) that might upset them. Rose is working hard at ensuring the renovations are happening on budget and on time and is feeling like she might be in over her head. Plus she has this attraction to Colton and isn't sure if it's one-sided. Sassy just completed an amazing trip and is glad to be home. She's faced with an exciting new opportunity, an intriguing man, and headaches that are worrisome.

This was a wonderfully warm, small-town story that reflects day to day lives with their ups and downs with an emphasis on the positive. There's a theme of hope, love and resilience. It was definitely a feel good novel, and I really enjoyed it! It seems like the storylines might be wrapped up; however, I"d be happy go back to Juniper Springs if there are more in the series!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thanks to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for and honest review.

The Summer Sisters was the second in Sara Richardson's Juniper Springs series and picks up not too long after Home for the Holidays left off. Just like the first novel, it was full of family and sweet romances that provided a lovely story.

Here's the book's description:
The Buchanan sisters share everything—including their inherited Juniper Inn. But when their mother won’t let go of a decades-long feud with their Aunt Sassy to attend the inn’s grand re-opening, the sisters decide a family reunion is long overdue.
Youngest sister Rose is determined to put together an extravagant celebration. Only she needs to convince a certain surly hardware store owner to help finish the inn’s renovations.



After a heartbreaking end to her marriage, Dahlia and her kids are just starting to rebuild their lives. Dahlia’s even considering opening herself up to love again, but will that upset the stability she’s worked so hard to give her children?
Sassy McGrath has never stopped missing her sister, Lillian, and though they’ve both been too stubborn to reconcile, some shocking news might finally change everything. As family bonds are tested, will these two very different generations of women find the strength to believe in themselves and each other?
As you can see, this book focused on two (instead of three) Buchanan sisters along with their Aunt Sassy. I wasn't expecting that but I wasn't too surprised either. The third sister, Magnolia, had a clear Happily Ever After in the first book plus she lives across the country from the Inn. She did pop in at the end so the reader is able to see just how great life has been for her since the first book. And I really did enjoy getting to know a bit more about Sassy.

And, bonus, I appreciated that a mainstream romance featured a love story for a woman who was just turning seventy. True, she was one of three characters in the story but there don't seem to be many romances that have heroines over the age of forty, let alone all the way up to seventy. It's not a personal need for me right now but I know by the time I get up there in years I'm going to want to see heroines my own age in the romances I read.




Like with most romances, there's a certain amount of non-communicating that happens amongst a lot of the characters. Sassy refuses to acknowledge worsening headaches which, from an outside perspective, was frustrating. Colt and Rose had such great chemistry but couldn't seem to talk about anything important, like their feelings for each other. And Dahlia was afraid to have any sort of conversation with Ike or her daughter about what a relationship could look like. Ah, but if everyone discussed what they needed to, we wouldn't have romance novels, would we? It was just a bit much to get through as I was anxious for all the Happily Ever Afters I knew had to be coming.

Like the first book in the Juniper Springs series, The Summer Sisters wasn't groundbreaking but Sara Richardson's novel provides a sweet, romantic escape for those who love their small town romances (and prefer them to be closed door). It was a lovely way to spend a summer Sunday and I was so happy with the way the storylines were wrapped up.

My review of Home for the Holidays is here.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

this is the second book in the series, you need to read the books in order. It is about 3 sisters whose aunt sassy gives them an inn. sweeet story about the sisters running the inn.

The Summer Sisters is the second book in the Juniper Springs series. I read the first book, Home For The Holidays. Honestly, I liked the first book in the series more. With that said, I did enjoy The Summer Sisters. It was fun catching up with Rose, Dhalia and Aunt Sassy.
A nice, light summer read for sure!
I do recommend you read Home For The Holidays to know the backstory to the characters.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book is all about relationships...sister to sister, mother to daughter/children and of course romantic relationships. We find out why Sassy and her sister no longer talk in this book and how each of the 3 sisters come to terms with what they find out. While Dally is still attracted to Ike and wants to be with him, she has to work through some adjustment and trust issues with her kids. Rose finds she really likes Colt but he's leaving town and then there's Sassy...she's always good at bringing everyone together with her quick wit and no nonsense attitude. Let's not forget Lillian, being in the mountains seems to work some magic on her as well. Although this is the second book in the series, it's easily read alone. Well written story with great characters that tell a realistic story with just the right amount of humor thrown in! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my review.

The Summer Sisters is the second book in the Juniper Springs series by Sara Richardson. In the first book, sisters Dahlia, Rose, and Magnolia are invited to spend a last Christmas with their dear Aunt Sassy at her Juniper Inn in Juniper Springs, Colorado. The girls have such lovely memories of their winter and summer holidays spent at the inn until the summer about 17 years ago when their mother, Lillian, and Sassy had a disagreement that had Lillian cut Sassy from their lives. Never knowing what the issue was, the sisters feel rather cheated of their relationship with their favorite aunt and the experiences they may have had there.

In this book, the three sisters, along with Sassy’s sort of stepson Colt, have become the new owners of the inn, with Rose at the helm of the inn’s restoration. While Sassy and Colt are traveling to tick off the items on Sassy’s bucket list, Rose is working closely with a local contractor to revamp the cottages, making needed repairs and updates. They already have the cottages reserved for the Cleary family to celebrate a special anniversary of the elder Clearys. This grand reopening will coincide with Sassy’s 70th birthday so Rose is working tirelessly to make sure things go without a hitch. However, nothing ever does. Rose’s attempt to repair a roof on the day of Sassy’s return results in her foot going through the roof and Colt coming to her rescue, changing their cool relationship to something much warmer.

Meanwhile, Dahlia is dealing with her relocation from Minneapolis to Juniper Springs with her two children. While her son is adjusting more readily, her daughter is not and resists much including the possibility of her mother beginning a relationship with the local doctor.

Magnolia and her husband are remaining in south Florida with their infant son and will only visit on occasion. The occasion of Aunt Sassy’s birthday is one they won’t miss. It seems neither will their mother, albeit quite by accident and adding an extra stress to Rose and Dahlia to keep her away until the sisters come up with a plan to reunite Lillian and Sassy.

Another unexpected occurrence is when Aunt Sassy’s former Juniper Springs fellow commissioner, one she was always at odds with, approaches Sassy to become the interim mayor upon the departure of the prior mayor. The biggest issue is to acquire a property for a community garden which had been promised to the town but then the donor’s will was changed and it was left to the mineral museum instead. One of Sassy’s first tasks is to get the property back with some surprising results.

This is a very intricately plotted story with wonderful characters and carefully imbedded life lessons from which all readers can learn. I very much enjoyed this delightful story and I do recommend it!

"The Summer Sisters" was the perfect light-hearted book I needed after reading some heavier novels. This book was the perfect combination of family drama and romance. I also enjoy books with multiple POVs and Richardson does such a good job spinning a tale from each characters point of view. I hope we are reunited with the sisters and Juniper Springs again soon!

The Summer Sisters in the second book in Sara Richardson's Juniper Springs series, set in a small town in Colorado, and unfortunately, I'd not read the first book in the series which was set over the Christmas holidays, and I strongly suggest you start with the first book in the series. The first and second times I tried to get into this novel, I suffered from character confusion--all of the sisters in question, as well as their aunt Sassy, and even their dog, are named after flowers--Dahlia, Rose, Magnolia, etc., and there's Aunt Sassy (Sassafras) as well, but the third attempt was the charm and I was finally able to get into this rather sweet, slow moving novel about the bonds of sisterhood and family, and for this reader, and for several reasons, it was a 3-star read.

What I liked about this novel was that it was well-written and also told with alternating narration, which did eventually make it easier to understand which character was which. Only one sister has been lucky in love, and just prior to her 70th birthday, Aunt Sassy has given them, and Colt, the son of a former lover whom she raised to adulthood, her run-down and currently ramshackle Juniper Inn, which she owned and operated for decades, and Rose has upended her life to move there, restore and improve it, with the help of Dahlia, if they're to have any hope of being able to open it and turn it into a profit-making venture. Aunt Sassy, accompanied by Colt, has been traveling and checking items off her bucket list for the past two months, and is due to return soon, and the inn and it's cabins are far more dilapidated than Rose had anticipated, and repairs are taking too long and costing far too much, and they want to reopen in time to celebrate both the grand reopening and Sassy's 70th birthday, and get their mother, Lillian, to reconcile her 18-year grudge against her sister, Sassy, too. It's a tall order, but they are committed to making the Juniper Inn a popular and profitable tourist venue.

While this is billed as a romance novel, and the ladies all have rather complicated, and often one-sided relationships with some of the local men, The Summer Sisters is a Hallmark movie of a novel, and I'd have listed it as more women's fiction than a romance. As an only child, I found little in this novel that I could relate to, never having personally experienced the deep bonds of sisterhood. While it's a pleasant read, I had a problem understanding how these grown women couldn't seem to honestly and openly express their feelings for the men who come into their lives and their interest in deepening those relationships. Even Aunt Sassy is keeping secrets, and in a novel where not much actually happens and in which there is no real momentum, drama or romance, this novel simply wasn't my cup of tea. It was a sweet read, and will probably be more well-liked by those who do relate to the sister experience more than this reader was able to do.

All in all, The Summer Sisters isn't a bad read, but it's a sweet, clean read, and I tend to prefer a little more heat and lot more action, suspense and drama than this novel delivered.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. This is the second book in a series, and I have not read the first book, but I was still able to enjoy the second book despite that.

The Summer Sisters is the second book in the contemporary romance Juniper Springs series. I received this book from #Forever as part of their influencer program, so I listened to an audio of Home For The Holidays because I prefer to read series in order. I liked that the author stuck with the same characters between the two books, with the exception of Sassy swapped out for Magnolia. I liked Magnolia in the first book, but it was fun to learn more about Sassy too.

I'd recommend reading the series in order, but one could probably follow along just fine if they started with The Summer Sisters.

If you like cute, summery, small-town romances, this book is for you. I loved watching each of the characters spread their wings after some big life changes, and I really liked how we got to watch four romances blossom over this short summer. If you haven't read any books from the Juniper Springs series yet, I highly suggest you pick them up!

I was happy to see a follow-up book to 'Home for the Holidays' since I did complain about the lack of an epilogue or conclusion to the romances in that book. By the end of this book, we now know who ends up with who and how their story plays out, which is nice.

This book is told with 3 point-of-views - Rose, Dahlia and their Aunt Sassy. I loved Aunt Sassy getting to share her POV. At first I was unsure about getting the every 3rd chapter POV from a 70 year old woman, but I just loved her. And she gets her own love story! I'm not usually one for an over-50 romance, but I found it utterly adorable. And of course, she's as sassy, kind, warm and charming as ever.

While I loved Sassy, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first because Rose and Dahlia frustrated me oftentimes. Rose refused to communicate with Colt and tell him how she felt. She got angry that he was leaving, yet did nothing about it until push came to shove. .This went on for most of the book. Dahlia at least told Ike she couldn't be with him at the time because of her kids, so I'm happy she was at least somewhat honest with him. But she also made a lot of assumptions that were incorrect and should have just talked to Ike. Then there's how she let Maya control her life. I get that her kids came first and their feelings were important, but at the end of the day, you also need to make sure you're happy, else you'll be miserable. Ike made her happy (which Maya eventually sees) and she should have made that clear to her kids and took it slowly from there.

The book did drag for me and that made me give this only 3.5 stars. I didn't finish it as quickly as I would normally do. I think it may be because it was all so predictable and I didn't feel the need to rush to see what would happen next. We also lost some of the charm of the town and inn since the focus shifted to the individuals with less importance on the community aspect. I've never really watched a Hallmark movie, but based on what I've heard, this is pretty much a replica of a Hallmark plot, minus the romance since this was still lacking in that department, much like Book 1. It's a good chick-lit book though, I just wish we had more romance and less theatrics.

The ending was great and I loved how things turned out for Sassy & Rose. I assume Dahlia gets her HEA as well since it was omitted.

If you like chick-lit or want a light summer read, then you'll love this duo of books.

THE SUMMER SISTERS is the second book in the JUNIPER SPRINGS series that takes place in a small mountain town in Colorado. Renovations are being made to the Juniper Inn, which is owned by the titular sisters’ aunt. The inn and the cottages play a strong role in the story, as does the small town. THE SUMMER SISTERS is told in alternating chapters by two of the three sisters, Rose and Dahlia, along with their aunt, Sassy. It was sometimes confusing to realize who was telling the story without looking at the chapter title again.

There are multiple stories being told in this novel. The characters have a depth to them as well as romance in the wings for both Rose and Dahlia. Happily married sister, Magnolia, has a newborn son and lives in Florida. Their mother, who’s estranged from her sister, Sassy, comes to town thinking Sassy is still on an extended vacation. Look out when their paths meet! Mom fits into the town better than her daughters expected. (Typically, Mom always knows best and has no problem letting others know what she’s thinking.)

The story is filled with family and friends, secrets, small town happenings, conflict, and of course, romance. It was fun to watch the sisters form bonds with their love interests. The romances take a backseat to the bonds of the sisters and their family, as they should. I enjoyed getting to know the sisters better since I had met them in the first book, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. The story has closure but did end a bit too abruptly for me.

Ms. Richardson is an author of contemporary romances. I’ve enjoyed a few of them and have many more on my TBR pile. I look forward to reading them all.

This book was so cute! I had no idea it was the second book of a series but I don’t think you need to read the first one to enjoy it. It was such a sweet story and had major hallmark movie vibes - loved it!

I enjoyed this book, which was a cross between women’s fiction and sweet romance. While it centered on Rose and Colt, sister Dahlia and aunt Sassy both played large roles in the story. Each of them has a potential love interest, as well as some big changes happening in their lives. The male characters were actually a bigger draw for me than the female leads, but I enjoyed each couple. And Dahlia’s children were treated as actual characters, not just props in the book. I enjoy when children’s roles are fully fleshed out.
I’m not a fan of the channel, but I think this would make a great Hallmark movie!

3.5 stars-THE SUMMERS SISTERS is the second instalment in Sara Richardson’s contemporary, adult JUNIPER SPRINGS story of women’s fiction focusing on the Buchanan sisters (Rose, Magnolia, Dahlia), their mother Lillian, and their aging aunt Sassy.


Told from three third person perspectives (Rose, Dahlia, Sassy) THE SUMMER SISTERS advances the series approximately eight months after Aunt Sassy ‘gave’ the Buchanan sisters the Juniper Inn, in Juniper Springs, Colorado. Magnolia went home to start a family with her husband Eric, while Rose and Dahlia remained behind to work on the repairs and upgrades at the Juniper Inn.


Dahlia is a divorcee, single mother who has fallen in love with Juniper Springs’ only doctor but Dahlia’s ten year old daughter is struggling in the wake of her parents divorce, and begins to make life difficult for her mother going forward.Believing her children have already suffered enough, Dahlia is willing to push Dr. Ike out of her life, and in doing so, pushes away the man with whom she will fall in love.


Rose, as the youngest, walked away from her last relationship realizing she wasn’t in love with a man who wanted something different but Rose had fallen in love with the local hardware store owner Colt, Aunt Sassy’s ‘step-son’ of a sort, but nothing seemed to have progressed in recent months. When Colt announced he was selling the store, and moving out of state, Rose began to withdraw believing she wasn’t worthy of Colt’s love.


Meanwhile, Sassy’s return from a few months on the road finds the spunky spinster struggling with health issues. When the town’s mayor stepped down, Sassy was voted in as the interim mayor, and walked into a potential minefield of small town problems, falling in love in the process with the man at the center of the controversy.


Rose, Dahlia and Magnolia’s mother Lillian has been estranged from her sister Sassy for years, and neither one is willing to reveal the truth about what happened or why. As the Buchanan sisters struggle with their mother’s anger towards their beloved Aunt Sassy, secrets will be revealed, and a health scare pushes the sisters together, at last.


THE SUMMER SISTERS is an ensemble storyline following several paths and relationships, friendships and love but as individuals, each of the heroines struggles with issues of self-esteem, acceptance, a lack of communication, and a stubborn streak that knows no end. Rose and Dahlia’s love lives are threatened by headstrong women, and persistent doubt, while Lillian’s embattled relationship with her sister Sassy stems from resentment and perceived betrayal at a time when she needed her sister the most. At times, it was a struggle to like or accept any or all of the heroines’ -their immature behavior was often difficult but in the end, forgiveness, acceptance and friendships aka character development overcame any of the aforementioned attitudes and behaviors. The premise is entertaining; the characters are energetic, and colorful; the romances are mostly implied.


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