I loved The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster! It hooked my attention from the beginning to the end!
Small-town settings are my favorite! Awesome characters!
Marlow Heddings, after a marriage of betrayal, decides to live a simpler life in Bramble, Kentucky. Bramble is a small town that wants to remain small. People can visit, but they cannot become permanent residents. It is a peaceful place, a place where Marlow can discover who she really is and what she really wants out of life, instead of living someone else's life.
Marlow rents a small cottage on Rainbow Lake from Cort Easton, a former Marine, who is also working through his own issues.
You really get to see how compassionate the citizens of Bramble, Kentucky are when Pixie Nolan appears on Marlow's doorstep.
This story is full of love, compassion, forgiveness, and the promise of a brighter future!
Awesome read!!!

I love small town, second chance romances. This one had all the feels and could not put it down! I loved Marlow's story and her passion to help others and not turn them away. She was a dealt a bad situation and turned it in to something better. And finding love again was a bonus too!

#TheGuestCottage #NetGalley

This is the first of the "Firefly Summer Series". And don't think it will be 'last' of my reads from this series.

Similar to the author's small town vibes found in her "Visitation, North Carolina series" but this time, it's out west, in Bramble, Kentucky. These small town vibes seep thru the pages with the author's descriptions of the lake, colorful townspeople and the fireflies that flutter in the night sky. The little town takes pride in its compact size and that's just one of the challenges, Marlow, has to overcome.

The author takes time to build the relationship between Cort and Marlow before she introduces Pixie to their story. Too often an author will skip over the foundation which can lead to a shaky plot. Not the case here. How they evolve from landlord/tenant relationship to a romantic one doesn't happen overnight. Their respective pasts are weaved in effortlessly so by the time Pixie's introduced, their dual support makes sense.

Publisher was spot on in classifying this as 'women's fiction' rather than 'romance'. This ARC was provided by the publisher, Kensington Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this! You get the small town side characters that bring a little extra to the story. You have the heroine who was treated badly by her husband so she starts over in the small town where she learns to be herself again. And the best part is the quiet, but steady hero who didn’t realize how much he was missing in his life until he meets the heroine. A few other things happen that I adored but I don’t want to give it all away. I really hope the author has plans for more in this series. It was a lovely read.

The Guest Cottage is a sweet story about love and forgiveness, community and belonging.

Marlow Heddings was in the midst of divorce proceedings from her cruel and philandering husband when he suddenly dies in a car crash. The Heddings family owns a large business conglomerate and Marlow’s now deceased husband is their only child. Their grief is all-consuming and results in expectations of Marlow that are selfish and unrealistic. They consider her an extension of their son and make controlling demands of her to step into his empty shoes and run the company. To Marlow’s way of thinking, she is finally free and fulfills her dream of leaving her life in greater Chicago for a quiet, simple existence living by a lake in the town of Bramble, Kentucky.

Here, she meets her landlord Cort Easton, a much younger, fit, and attractive person than she was expecting. Bramble is a small, exclusive place, with a population ordinance that prohibits newcomers from permanently settling into town. This rule becomes an increasing problem for Cort and Marlow as their relationship progresses and they fall in love.

To further complicate matters, Marlow’s husband’s mistress shows up on her doorstep with his baby. A kid herself, Pixie’s life has fallen apart and she has no family, no money, and nowhere else to go. She prevails upon Marlow to help her in any way she can. Pixie and her son, Andy, quickly worm their way into her heart and Marlow is determined to help Pixie get back on her feet. Marlow becomes a kind of big sister and favorite aunt, especially in the face of the control that her former in-laws continue to try to exert on her. When they discover that Marlow is sheltering Pixie, they up their harassment and ultimately want to pay money to Pixie to get out of town. (I had trouble reconciling this part. Pixie had left greater Chicago to seek shelter in Kentucky, so, technically, wasn’t she already out of town? This part of the plot missed its mark a bit for me, but, then again, people can do crazy things when they are grieving. If I misinterpreted this situation, please let me know!)

The whole town has fallen in love with Marlow, Pixie, and the baby, and they ultimately vote to change the population ordinance to instead restrict new development rather than new neighbors. Cort is their adopted hometown hero and, of course, they want a happily ever after for him and Marlow, too.

Bramble is a sweet little town full of lively secondary characters that bring humor and depth to the story. For Lori Foster fans, you may want to note that this book does not have the steamy love scenes or suspense that you may be accustomed to in her other books. The Guest Cottage is purely cozy women’s fiction and I found it delightful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

:Lori Foster’s “The Guest Cottage” was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Her characters give us wonderful examples of forgiveness, selflessness, and loyalty. This novel gives us an entertaining story of resiliency and love.

Lori Foster is an expert at creating small towns that have warm (sometimes eccentric) characters that make you want to move to that town. Marlow is looking for a fresh start and place to heal after a contentious divorce. She couldn’t find a better place than Bramble. It’s a small town determined to keep its population down and the atmosphere the town has created. As Marlow integrates into the town as a temporary resident, she begins to heal and gets attached to many of its citizens, most especially her landlord and former Marine, Cort. After further complications in her life and the townspeople provide support and encouragement, she discovers that Bramble is the place she wants to call home. I’m hoping there are more stories coming in Bramble.

Loved this book. Marlow was married to Dylan but getting a divorced that just about final when he was killed in a car crash. Right after the funeral , Marlow explained to her in laws that she was quitting her job(she worked in the family business) selling the house and moving on. to start a new life. They are having a hard time accepting Dylan's death. Marlow moves to Bramble Kentucky. She rent a cottage from a marine named Cort, goes to work as a waitress in the pub and ends up taking care of Piixie, who has Dylan'd baby Andy and comes to her destitute Follow her through this journey and see how it turns out . So many questions for the read to find the answers too. A GREAT READ

I hope to never be put in the predicament that Marlow was put in. But if I were, I know that I would not have handled it with the grace that she did. That's not something that's taught. You either have it or you don't.
Cort is a natural protector. Marlow and Cort make the most perfect couple. I can't help but root for them. Pixie comes along and added another level of closeness to this already lovely story.

Marlow Heddings finds out about her husband Dylan’s affair with a younger woman. She files for divorce and after devastating news, she packs up and moves to Bramble, Kentucky. She is renting a little house by the lake and she is loving it. Her landlord is a handsome former Marine Cort Easton. Cort brought his mother to Bramble years ago where the town looked out for her while he was away. He is the towns handyman and has his own past that still haunts him. They start having coffee on the dock and watching fireflies at night. One day there’s a knock on Marlow’s door and it’s the other woman. Pixie Nolan can’t believe she fell for Dylan’s lies but now she turns to Marlow for help. Marlow forgives Pixie and helps her against her in-laws. Marlow becomes like a big sister to Pixie. Now they just have to convince the townspeople to let them stay.
I have read many of Mrs. Foster’s books and this one was very emotional. There is no explicit sex scenes. Just a couple of curse words. It will tug at your heartstrings. Marlow is a strong , forgiving woman. I teared up towards the end. Secrets. Forgiveness. Second chance for love.

* VOLUNTARILY READ AND REVIEWED FOR NETGALLEY *

This was such a really good read. I went into this book without reading the synopsis of it because I always know this author will give me a great story. I loved Marlow and Cort. Seeing Marlow find herself after the death of her husband was really what kept me glued to the story. I love how through everything that happened, she just seemed to roll with it and not let it suffocate her or stifle her. I also loved discovering who Cort was. And as always with her books, you have some amazing secondary characters that you find yourself invested in. I absolutely recommend this book.

Lori Foster is a wonderful story teller. This book is no exception. A sweet read that makes you feel good.

Loved this story of hope, happiness and starting over on your terms! Marlow moves to a new town after divorce/tragedy and sets out to start over and do her life in a way that suits her happiness and finds community and laughter and peace along the way. Highly recommend this book for a quick beach read!

I love reading books by Lori Foster. This one was really good. I think it's the best one so far this year. The ending was really good, better than I thought it would be. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers, let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read this author in awhile. Thai was a sweet and intriguing read. The characters were genuine and the fun romance warmed my heart
It was such a sweet small town romance.

I absolutely loved this book! Marlow is the character we all strive to be and her landlord, Cort, is the reward she deserves for her goodness. Marlow is just beginning to live her best life when Pixie enters the picture. Marlow is the textbook definition of turning the other cheek while setting firm boundaries and Cort is her rock. They will get through the turbulent and joyful times as a chosen family. An inspirational, romantic and entertaining read!

As a lover of small town romance I really wanted to love this book. It had really good bones, but unfortunately it ended up falling a little flat for me. Overall, if you want a very easy to read small town romance then definitely pick up this book!

Pros: easy to read small town romance, very mature main characters (the main FMC sets healthy boundaries which I love to see in a book) and there are plot lines outside of just romance.

Cons: The interactions between characters seemed a little too scripted and repetitive at times. Because to this I didn’t feel as invested in the characters and their stories. I think it would have been helpful to start the book a bit earlier in both of the FMC’s timelines (or include flashbacks of their time before moving to the small town) so we could experience and understand their character growth and development on a deeper level.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC!

First, I just want to say WOW! What a fantastic start to a new series! This book has all the feels. Marlow leaves her old life behind after her soon to be ex-husband dies in a car crash before the divorce is final. This was after she learned of his infidelity. Her in-laws hovered over her relentlessly and wanted her to come back, but Marlow refuses them every time. They weren't very nice or understanding and felt their son could do no wrong. Marlow ends up in a small town called Bramble. She meets Cort who lets her rent the guest cottage that he owns. Together, they end up healing each other and find that special love that everyone wants. Cort is a true hero throughout the entire story. The town embraces Marlow and supports her throughout the book. Great character development and I really liked the way Marlow stayed kind and caring. This shows true when her husband's betrayal knocks on her front door looking for help. Marlow and Cort are passionate and compassionate when it comes to those they love. Sometimes family is what you make it, not necessarily what you're born into. This was a great read, and I really enjoyed it.

I received an advanced copy and this is my honest and unsolicited opinion.

The Guest Cottage is a simply enchanting tale of starting over. Marlow picks a cute little town, with a charming rental cottage by a lake, in which to move on from the betrayal of her husband and the stranger she had become to herself during her marriage. With plenty of knocks along the way, Marlow begins to find happiness in the little town and her growing affection for her landlord. However, she is confronted by her husband’s mistress and we see Marlow’s nurturing nature and desire to help people become as happy as she is. This book was a beautiful Hallmark-type story that makes the reader think that anything is possible. The characters mesh so perfectly and the story just flows. It sends a message of the importance of the family we choose that are not given to us by blood. A truly heartwarming read with a HEA.

Marlowe’s quest to start over lead to a great story with 3 great main characters, which we got to know well. The story of the town of Bramble is sincere and really contributes to the whole arc. I do think I may have preferred this written from the characters point of view, because while the characters are well developed, I think first person insight would have made the development even better!