Lori Foster’s new novel, THE LAKE HOUSE, continues the story from the opening installment in her Firefly Summer series. 

In THE GUEST COTTAGE, we met Marlow Heddings, who came to Bramble, Kentucky, for a fresh start following the untimely death of her cheating husband, Dylan. Renting a lake house from Cort Easton, a handsome former Marine, she created a whole new life for herself, which included a second chance at love with Cort. Even when 20-year-old Pixie Nolan showed up with her child, fathered by Dylan, she saw past the betrayal and welcomed them into her home and the town at large.

"Lori Foster’s latest amiable read is for those loyal viewers of 'Virgin River' and 'Sweet Magnolias'; fans of authors like Susan Mallery and Debbie Macomber; or anyone who loves a small-town, second-chance, redemptive love story."

Roughly a year later, THE LAKE HOUSE opens with retired Navy SEAL Brogan Rafferty arriving in town with an infant and renting a lake house from Cort and Marlow, who are currently on their honeymoon. Pixie, who has become like a younger sister to Marlow, has agreed to let the rugged Brogan into the rental house, which is just down the lake from hers, and show him around a bit. Since last year, Pixie has become a confident and doting mother to 18-month-old Andy and manages Marlow’s boutique in the neighboring town. 

This is quite a turnaround from the desperate young woman who showed up on Marlow’s doorstep a year earlier. Having Andy changed everything. Pixie was forever indebted to Marlow and Cort for their acceptance and caring, making her feel safe and at home in Bramble. She at least can let this handsome new tenant and his baby into the rental house, and maybe help him assimilate to the town, which is charming but can be tough on new arrivals. 

Pixie, Brogan and their children slip into an easy and effortless friendship. Brogan confesses that  Shayna is actually his niece, the child of his sister, Connie, who died and left him as the guardian. The role comes with a ton of responsibility, along with some guilt on Brogan’s part. Taking care of an infant is new to him, and he appreciates having Pixie there for parental advice.

As days go by watching this burly man be so affectionate to his child, as well as to her own, Pixie finds herself strangely attracted to him. And Brogan is falling, too: “[T]he biggest lure was her kind heart. Everything about Pixie --- even her name --- screamed innocence. She was the light to his darkness, the calm to his storms.” Spending time with her was “like a breath of fresh air after inhaling nothing but smog.” But once Brogan reveals the real reason he has come to Bramble, will Pixie still feel the same? 

Lori Foster’s latest amiable read is for those loyal viewers of “Virgin River” and “Sweet Magnolias”; fans of authors like Susan Mallery and Debbie Macomber; or anyone who loves a small-town, second-chance, redemptive love story. And even though the book is part of a series, it easily can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. It would be perfect to toss into your bag as you head to the beach or the lake, or as you’re relaxing in your yard when you need a sweet escape from the everyday. 

Foster’s books are like the big-hearted characters she writes about so genially: “Good people really do exist, and fate helps us find them when we need them most.”