Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Review & Giveaway - - The Summer Cottage

The Summer Cottage
by Annie Rains
Somerset Lake - Book 1
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Reviewed by PJ
 


This summer, they’ll learn that home is where the heart is.


Somerset Lake is the perfect place for Trisha Langly and her son to start over. As the new manager for the Somerset Cottages, Trisha is instantly charmed by the property’s elderly residents and her firecracker of a new boss, Vi Fletcher. But Trisha is less enchanted by Vi’s protective grandson Jake. No matter how tempting she finds the handsome lawyer, Trisha knows that if Jake discovers the truth about her past, she’ll lose the new life she’s worked so hard to build. 

Jake Fletcher left Somerset Lake after a tragic loss, but he’s returning for the summer to care for his beloved grandmother, hoping Vi will sell the run-down cottages and finally slow down. There’s just one problem: Trisha, Vi’s new employee. She’s smart, beautiful, and kind, but Jake’s job is to protect his grandmother’s interests, and his gut is telling him Trisha’s hiding something that could jeopardize Vi’s future. However, as they spend summer days renovating the property and bonding over their love for the town, Jake realizes that Trisha is a risk worth taking—if only she can trust him with her secrets . . . and her heart. 
 
Includes the bonus novella Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs!

PJ's Thoughts:

Annie Rains is an author I discovered only a few years ago but she's quickly become one of my favorites in the genre of sweet but deeply emotional, small-town romance. With The Summer Cottage, Rains launches her new Somerset Lake series, just in time for those lazy summer reading days, and I couldn't be happier. As she did with her long-running Sweetwater Springs series, this first Somerset Lake book introduces us to a community of characters who are vibrant, interesting, and ready to have their stories told. I'm excited to read them all.

Trisha and Jake are compelling, authentic, and relatable characters with whom I connected right away. Jake is such a good guy who deserves a happy ending and after all Trisha and her young son Petey have been through they really deserve a good guy, and a happy ending of their own. Jake and Petey's evolving relationship made my heart so happy and Jake and Trisha's slow-burn journey to love made me smile, sigh, and, yes, shed some tears. It's sweet, fun, and deeply emotional...an Annie Rains' trademark.  

As important to Trisha's life as her relationship with Jake is, the friendships she forms with the women of the Somerset Lake book club are equally important in a different way. I loved the interactions among these women and especially their response when the truth of what Trish's ex-husband did is revealed. And speaking of her ex, I think Rains handles that situation, and especially the impact on young Petey, with sensitivity and care. I appreciate the fact that it's not swept under the rug but dealt with openly and honestly. 

Sweetwater Springs fans will recognize Trisha and her young son, Petey from the last book in that series, Reunited on Dragonfly Lane. It's not necessary to have read that book in order to enjoy The Summer Cottage though I do think it provides an added depth of  understanding of what they faced in their hometown and why a new beginning at Somerset Lake was so necessary for both of them. 

I enthusiastically recommend adding The Summer Cottage to your summer reading list. I'm already looking forward to the second Somerset Lake book, The Christmas Village, which releases October 12, 2021. You best believe I already have it on pre-order. 😀


I love quirky secondary characters in the books I read and there's an exceptionally good one in The Summer Cottage. Tell me about a secondary character who brightened one of your reading experiences.

Have you read any Annie Rains books? Do you have a favorite?

Reading The Summer Cottage took me back to my childhood summers and the lake we lived on. What are your favorite memories from your childhood summers?

The scenes in this book that take place in Jake's plane evoked memories of my first plane rides in my uncle's two-seater. Have you ever flown in a two-seat or four-seat plane? Were you enthralled, like Petey, or terrified, like Trisha?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, June 2, will receive a print copy of The Summer Cottage

*Must be 18
*U.S. and Canada only
*Void where prohibited




22 comments:

  1. Great review, The only plane I been on went from LAX to London England and we ran into a lightening storm half way there I was very scared, they made everyone shut the binds so no one could see outside. I was glad we got to England fine. Then on the way back we had a small child that cried all the way back to LAX and 2 men yelling about it I was glad to get back to California.
    Thanks
    Penney

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    1. Yikes! Not the best first flying experience for sure.

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  2. Flew in a six seater into Maine ... over the coastline - amazing view but I was nervous ... thank heavens for the beauty I saw or I would have vomited for sure .

    Looking forward to the book and yes will download!

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    1. Maine is a state I've yet to visit. One of these days, hopefully!

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  3. Yes I have read Annie's books and no, I have not ridden in a 2 or seater.

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    1. Riding in a small plane is a unique experience for sure!

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  4. I have never flown in a tiny plane but I know that I would have a big problem since I do have motion sickness. I haven't read Annie Rains books. The Summer Cottage sounds captivating and wonderful. When I was young the family spent 2 weeks at a very rustic cottage by a lake. We would swim, fish and enjoy the beauty of the area. For kids it was a great experience and we loved it.

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    1. Sounds like you have some wonderful memories.

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  5. When I think about the summers we enjoyed at a rental cottage I would love to go back to that time and do it again. Life was easy, relaxing and we had no t.v., no radio and nothing but books and writing materials. Oh, I miss the quiet, and fun days filled with swimming and reading and fishing for trout, pike and perch. I long for it once again. I never flew in a two or 4 seat plane. Thank you for your lovely review of a sweet book for summer.

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    1. We fished off the end of our dock with cane poles and nightcrawlers we dug up in my mom's garden. Simple pleasures. Sweet memories.

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  6. I have never flown in a 2 or 4 seater plane although I have flown in prop planes. I wouldn't ride in a 2 or 4 seater unless I had absolutely no choice. I love to fly but small planes make me very nervous.

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    1. What I learned at very young age is that a small plane can land just about anywhere. It lessened any anxiety I may have had significantly.

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  7. Never flown in a small plane. You and your reviews are ruining me...I got this book cause you made it sound so wonderful.

    Hope everyone is well and safe.

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    1. Oh, I hope you enjoy it! Annie Rains is an author I recommend without reservation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am excited for the rest of the series. I also highly recommend her previous Sweetwater Springs series.

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  8. Just from your review PJ, this sounds like a must read book. Memories of my childhood are the road trips we took as a family, of 5, to visit family members that didn't live nearby the Chicago area or just to explore the country. There's the every other year trips to South Carolina to visit my dad's favorite uncle. The long drive along Route 66 from Chicago to Claremont, CA (near Pomona) where my dad's brother lived. The weekend trip to the Dearborn, MI to visit The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village. Another year we drove to Niagara Falls. My dad always took different routes so we kids could visit various parts of the country. Because of this trips, we've done a lot of driving trips to visit family with my kids and hubby. The memories that were created during these drives, even the fights, are still priceless.

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  9. I read this the day it downloaded. Loved this book and can't wait for the next one. She is a must read for me. If you read the book, it had several chapters for the next book. I can hardly wait.

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  10. I have never read Annie Rains before but she sounds like an author I'd love!

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  11. I haven't read her books, but this one sounds good.

    denise

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  12. I have not read an Annie Rains book, but this one sounds like a good summer read. I enjoy quirky secondary characters in general. Recently, I raced through Sarah Morganthaler's Moose Spring series, enjoying the townspeople along the way.

    Favorite summer memory is spending time at my grandparents' farm with my cousins. We helped out on the farm, learning a lot of skills (canning! gardening! raising cattle!)and had a lot of fun with our ponies and dirt bikes!

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  13. I haven't read any of Annie's books. I enjoy reading about secondary characters, but the only ones I can think of right now are from the Kaitlyn and The Highlander series. I've read all 12 of them so far, and still have to read Lady Mairead's story. There's a few secondary characters in this series that I absolutely adore.

    I've always flown on large planes, except for one time flying in from England to PA, we needed to go to Ohio. They put us on a 10 seater and I was behind the pilot and co-pilot. I was absolutely terrified, and so glad to get on the United plane at Dulles that took us to Cleveland. Never again!

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  14. I would love to win this book! It sounds good to me!

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