The Summer House - Lauren K. Denton

From christianbook.com :
"When Lily Bishop wakes to find her husband's goodbye note and divorce papers, she takes a position as hair stylist at the Safe Harbor retirement community for income. She soon livens up the place Rose Carrigan founded just before her spouse ran off with his assistant. Will these jilted women become friends---and discover second chances at love? "

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.

You can find The Summer House HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.

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

A Gilded Lady - Elizabeth Camden

In this second installment of the Hope and Glory series, we get to revisit the Delacroix family, this time with the focus on Caroline Delacroix, as she serves as secretary to the First Lady, Ida McKinley.  While she is hoping to solidify her political connections in order to request a presidential pardon for her twin brother Luke, Nathaniel Trask is working to solidify security surrounding the president. 

I really enjoyed this view of William McKinley's presidency, and I appreciated the historical notes included by the author to clarify which parts of the story were historically accurate.  I did find myself tempted to Google the event that I knew was coming, to see when/where it was going to happen, but I resisted in order to let the novel's suspense build at its own pace. 

Caroline was a complicated character, and it was interesting to watch her internal processes as she tried to balance a difficult First Lady, a potential relationship with a guarded man, and the drama of her twin brother in a Cuban prison.  The peek into White House life, and the picture of political life and the delicate dance it requires was fascinating. 

I give this book 4 stars.  I am looking forward to continuing this family's story, and learning more about Luke in the third installment to come!

You can find A Guilded Lady HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.