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    The Summer House
    The Summer House
    The Summer House
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Summer House

    Written by Lauren K. Denton

    Narrated by Devon O'Day

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateJun 2, 2020
    ISBN9780785232551
    The Summer House
    Author

    Lauren K. Denton

    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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    Reviews for The Summer House

    4.5/5

    94 ratings9 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 5/5
      It’s a Lauren K Denton book.
      Predictable- yes
      Women cast adrift- of course
      But great writing and characters you care to hear more about.
      A really great story.
    • 5/5
      My first dive into a audio book and I absolutely loved it. Great to hear the story with an authentic Southern accent. Beautiful story. I am motivated to read/listen more of her books.
    • 4/5
      As someone who works in a nursing home, I loved reading this book! I can totally place myself in Lily and Rose's shoes. My heart breaks for them and their hardships, but I felt connected to them. I didn't want to put the book down. Such a nice, heartfelt book.
    • 5/5
      ***** That's double the 5 stars we can give for reviews. I sped through this summer read, I knew I would and now I'm sad. Knowing I'll have wait another year for a new book by Lauren K Denton but that is why we spend so many years developing our reading habits, looking forward for new stories. This was a great story and it was fun to think about the young and old mixing it up and having a nice time with each other. I know we will all want to find a place like the little village in this book to spend any years in!
    • 5/5
      The Summer House is the first book I have ever read by Lauren Denton, but it most certainly will not be the last. I absolutely devoured this magnificent story of starting over and rediscovering yourself.Lily Bishop, barely past celebrating her first anniversary, wakes up one morning to find a note from her husband that he has left and their marriage is over. Although devastated, Lily knows she needs to find a job and a place to live. She meets quite an interesting pair of ladies at the grocery store who live in a nearby retirement village who Lily just happens to see an ad is in need of a hairdresser.When she shows up for the interview, she meets Rose, the owner and manager of the retirement village. Although hesitant, Rose gives Lily a chance and allows her to move in the apartment above the shop. Rose herself is also in need of learning how to live again due to her own circumstances. Together, they move past their grief and learn to live and love again. I just love that the name of the place where they live is called Safe Harbor as it serves as a refuge for Rose and Lily in the storm of their lives.This is the perfect summer read. It has a gorgeous southern Alabama coastal setting complete with some fabulous, quirky, characters whose banter is hilarious. I laughed out loud at the ladies debate over which mayo is the best to use in deviled eggs because it was so realistic. I think I have actually witnessed one of those mayo debates myself. ;)I know the old saying goes that you can't judge a book by it's cover, but I would say it would be just fine to do in this case. It is an absolutely perfect cover to house the beautiful words inside.I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
    • 3/5
      New author for me. Charming, light read...perfect for summer. Lovable characters, easy plot to follow, descriptive writing. I want to retire to Safe Harbor! Definitely not a deep book, but it’s was a great diversion. Will definitely read this author again. Beautiful cover!Divorce is hard, heartbreaking, gut wrenching. Then, you have no choice but to grieve and move on. Lily moves with her husband Worth to Alabama. She wakes up one morning and he’s gone, leaving only a note and divorce papers. She moves to a retirement community and meets adorable senior citizens, and opens her eyes to a whole new world. Thanks to Ms. Denton, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
    • 5/5
      The Southern charm typical of Lauren K. Denton’s writing thrives in The Summer House. It proves absolutely heartwarming from beginning to end—a perfect summer read.One day, Lily Bishop wakes up to find her husband gone. Now, she must figure out how to start over in a new town—and a hairdressing job in Safe Harbor, a retirement village, seems to be the way to do it. This surrounds her with a valuable community, including Rose Carrigan, the woman in charge of the village—and someone that just might benefit from learning how to move forward, too.Engrossing, captivating, transporting, uplifting. Denton’s The Summer House is a delight to read, and I enjoyed it immensely. Readers of contemporary Southern fiction, you do not want to skip this book—add it to your summer TBR today!I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
    • 4/5
      Lauren K. Denton's books are always fun to read and this one is no exception. The characters are well written and the scenery on the Gulf Coast is beautifully described and makes you feel like you are in Alabama with the characters in the book.Lily wakes up one morning and finds that her husband of one year is gone and left behind a note - that's all just a note with no explanation of why he left or how she could find him. They had only lived in Alabama for 2 weeks and she had no friends or family so she had nowhere to turn. She realized that she needed a job and replied to a flyer that she found at the grocery story to be a hair stylist in a local retirement community. Her mother, who had died several years earlier had a hair salon in her home and taught Lily everything she needed to know. When Lily first meets Rose, the owner, at her interview, it looks like things may not work out but after Lily explains what has happened in her life, Rose feels a strong urge to help her out. Rose is the other main character and after losing her husband years earlier, she became a rule maker at the village and ship avoided getting involved with any of the residents. So as the novel starts out, we have two main characters,, both in need to change and struggling to find happiness in their lives.The retirement community was full of fun and quirky people. They were all in the end stages of their lives but they were full of life and loved to have adventures and parties. Once Lily is accepted as their hair stylist, she begins to enjoy having fun with them. Also, she and Rose's nephew begin to be more than a little interested in each other and there may be romance in their future. Will Lily and Rose be able to find happiness and contentment in their lives with a little help from the residents of the community?The Summer House is an uplifting book about love and friendship, loss and starting over. It's a charming book that is a bit predictable at times but is still fun to read and enjoy. It will definitely put a smile on your face.
    • 5/5
      The Summer House by Lauren K. DentonSource: NetGalley and Thomas Nelson/Harper CollinsRating: 5/5 starsLily 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 revaluate 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.