Lauren K. Denton: The Summer House

By Kelly Bridgewater

Sometimes it takes losing everything to find yourself again.

Lily Bishop wakes one morning to find a good-bye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated but forced to contemplate her next steps when she sees a flier at the grocery store for a hair stylist position in a local retirement community.

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 residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets of their own. Lily even 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 they expected to be, but the summer makes them both wonder if there’s more to life and love than what they’ve lived so far. The Summer House weaves Lauren Denton’s inviting Southern charm around a woman’s journey to find herself.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I have read all four of Lauren K. Denton's novels. They definitely belong in the Southern fiction genre. I really enjoyed her first novel, The Hideaway. In The Summer House, Denton crafted Lily and Rose, two women who needed to learn to carry on with their lives and move forward from the past. Having a story take place at a retirement community is different, yet nice. I enjoy talking to the older generation and learning about their pasts. it was nice to see how well Lily fit right in and Rose learned to fit in. Their is some romance, but nothing to take away from the overall plot. The only issue I had with the plot was the "gossip rag" that was published by Shirley that got inserted into the pages of the story. Most of the time, I just skipped right over them to return to the story. This is definitely a delightful little read that any one of any age would enjoy to read. I recommend picking up a copy.

I received a complimentary copy of The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Lauren K. Denton: Glory Road

By Kelly Bridgewater

The only thing certain is change—even in a place as steady as Perry, Alabama, on a street as old as Glory Road.

Nearly a decade after her husband’s affair drove her back home to South Alabama, Jessie McBride has the stable life she wants—operating her garden shop, Twig, next door to her house on Glory Road, and keeping up with her teenage daughter and spunky mother. But the unexpected arrival of two men makes Jessie question whether she’s really happy with the status quo. When handsome, wealthy businessman Sumner Tate asks her to arrange flowers for his daughter’s lavish wedding, 

Jessie finds herself drawn to his continued attention. Then Ben Bradley, her lingering what-could-have-been from high school, moves back to the red dirt road, and she feels her heart pulled in directions she never expected.

Meanwhile, Jessie’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Evan, is approaching the start of high school and navigating a new world of emotions—particularly as they relate to the cute new guy who’s moved in just down the road. At the same time, Jessie’s mother, Gus, is suffering increasingly frequent memory lapses and faces a frightening, uncertain future. Once again, Jessie feels her protected and predictable life shifting.

In one summer, everything will change. But for these three strong Southern women, the roots they’ve planted on Glory Road will give life to the adventures waiting just around the curve.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Lauren K. Denton is a southern writer who writes about the people and culture of the lower southern American states. I was first introduced to her writing when I read The Hideaway. I enjoyed the time-slip novel and the characters. Her second novel, Hurricane Season, didn't wow me like the first one. But then I heard she was writing another novel entitled Glory Road. I prayed it was as well-written as The Hideaway was. Fortunately for Denton, I really enjoyed Glory Road.

Her writing is clear and concise. She does a wonderful job at creating the southern way of life and bringing it to life for this Yankee. I have visited the south once to visit my aunt, but I have really never traveled down there. I have spent most of my life traveling across the northern part of the country. But Denton allows me to experience and slower and more polite way of life in her novels through her characters.

I really liked this coming of age story with Evan and flashbacks told in third person from Jessie. I really liked how she dived into the realistic dilemmas of a teenager and a mother who are trying to survive after moving home ten years ago. As for Gus, the grandmother or mother, who is dealing with the early signs of forgetfulness, she gripped my heart with her boastful mouth, but then I felt bad when she couldn't remember simple things. I liked seeing Evan, the teenage girl, struggle with life and early romance.

The story doesn't just feature the mother's romance. It features all three heroines. I enjoyed seeing them ride the rollercoaster of emotions as they chased the different feelings weaving through their lives. The romance didn't overshadow the main storyline. It strengthens the women and made each of them stronger heroines.

Overall, Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton was a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. I loved seeing three generations of strong women and watching them interact with each other with love and respect. It was a relief with all the hatred floating around through the generations today. It was a nice change. I enjoyed the novel, and I believe fans of Catherine West and Beth K. Vogt might enjoy this literary women's fiction novel too.

I received a complimentary copy of Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Lauren K. Denton: Hurricane Season

By Kelly Bridgewater

Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have long since buried their desire for children of their own. While Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. But when her free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.

As the two weeks stretch deeper into the Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world—and revel in the laughter that now fills their home. Meanwhile, record temperatures promise to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.

Attending an art retreat four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She finally has time and energy to focus on her photography, a lifelong ambition. But she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home as a single mom.

When Hurricane Ingrid aims a steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that will change her family’s future, even as Betsy and Ty try to protect their beloved farm and their hearts. Hurricane Season is the story of one family’s unconventional journey to healing—and the relationships that must be mended along the way.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I read and enjoyed Lauren Denton's debut novel The Hideaway. It was a neat Women's Fiction novel with rich characterization and an unique setting. So I knew what I was getting into when reading her second book, Hurricane Season. A southern setting with interesting characters is what I expected from Denton, and she delivered.

The writing was clear and concise. I had no problem visualizing the setting and watching Betsy and Ty interact with each other and the little girls on their farm. The farm came to life and made for a rich setting for this story.

The characters of Jenna and Betsy were rich and literary in nature. Denton does a great job at bringing the character's deepest sorrows to life and allow me to understand their dilemma even though I haven't dealt with their exact issues. I could feel Betsy's struggle with wanting kids of her own. I could feel Jenna's desire to seek her artist outlet. I loved the struggle between Ty and Betsy as a married couple. Denton does a great job at inviting into their lives and their internal struggles.

The plot flowed well and kept me entertained. I had a hard time putting the novel down. I kept thinking the worst would happen with Jenna and Betsy. One of the two problems I had with the plot was the happy ending. Too easy for what the plot has been leading up to. My other problem was the idea of the symbolism of Hurricane Season. It also felt very anti-climatic of an idea. I think the whole hurricane thing should be more important to the novel instead of something coming in the background. Then 95 percent into the novel, it makes it appearance and then disappears.

Overall, Hurricane Season by Lauren Denton is a character rich novel filled with an interesting and heart-felt plot I really enjoyed. But the ending and the hurricane element left something to be desired. If you enjoyed Denton's debut novel, The Hideaway, then this book might be right up your aisle. Fans of Catherine West and Julie Cantrell, I believe, might enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Hurricane Season by Lauren Denton, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Lauren K. Denton: The Hideaway

By Kelly Bridgewater

When her grandmother’s will wrenches Sara back home from New Orleans, she learns more about Margaret Van Buren in the wake of her death than she ever did in life.

After her last remaining family member dies, Sara Jenkins goes home to The Hideaway, her grandmother Mags's ramshackle B&B in Sweet Bay, Alabama. She intends to quickly tie up loose ends then return to her busy life and thriving antique shop in New Orleans. Instead, she learns Mags has willed her The Hideaway and charged her with renovating it—no small task considering Mags’s best friends, a motley crew of senior citizens, still live there.

Rather than hurrying back to New Orleans, Sara stays in Sweet Bay and begins the biggest house-rehabbing project of her career. Amid Sheetrock dust, old memories, and a charming contractor, she discovers that slipping back into life at The Hideaway is easier than she expected.

Then she discovers a box Mags left in the attic with clues to a life Sara never imagined for her grandmother. With help from Mags’s friends, Sara begins to piece together the mysterious life of bravery, passion, and choices that changed Mags’s destiny in both marvelous and devastating ways.

When an opportunistic land developer threatens to seize The Hideaway, Sara is forced to make a choice—stay in Sweet Bay and fight for the house and the people she’s grown to love or leave again and return to her successful but solitary life in New Orleans.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

With Lauren K. Denton's debut novel, The Hideaway, I think I found a new book I enjoyed. The Hideaway reminded me a lot of Rachel Hauck's The Wedding Dress, The Wedding Chapel, and The Wedding Shop. It also reminded me of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Denton wrote a book with two competing time periods, present day mingled with the 1960's until the present, and two different narrators, Sara and Mags. Both of these strong women changed their lives around for the sake of family and finding where they really belonged. I really enjoy reading stories where there is something left as a clue for a future grandchild or someone who buys the house. Then I read the other perspective to learn more deeply what actually happened in the past. Denton does a good job at allowing my imagination to see the renovations and improvements that needed to be done to the Hideaway. I believe the improvements to the house mirrored the improvements to Sara's life. The plot moved at a nice pace, keeping me focused on the story and wondering what was going to happen to Mags and Sara. I highly recommend The Hideaway for fans of stories that go through time to share a life lesson. Since The Hideaway was such a good book for Denton's debut novel, I anxiously await what else she writes.

I received a complimentary copy of Lauren K. Denton's The Hideaway from Thomas Nelson Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

What draws you to a story that switches time periods? Do you like it? Do you know any other authors who do this and do it well?