Return to Haven Point for one last summer by the lake…
Ian Somerhill knows a sabbatical in Haven Point is exactly what his children need to recover from their own mother’s death. And even if he and Sam got off on the wrong foot, she has a way with Miranda and Thomas. As Sam—and her adorable puppies—bond with his children, they fall into a friendship unlike any he’s had in a long time. But Ian has obligations in England her can’t ignore—and a complicated past that might just stop this summer romance from ever blooming into something more.
Samantha Fremont sees two children playing near her dock on Lake Haven. She hears a splash, then a scream and runs to the dock. Sam jumps into the frigid water and rescues Thomas Summerhill. Sam meets Ian Summerhill- Thomas’s father- at the dock and notices his blue eyes and tousled appearance. A spark of attraction passes between the couple. I loved the pairing of the quiet, creative Sam with Ian the serious, biology professor, in this novel of second chances.
Samantha Fremont is at a crossroads. Her dream is to design bespoke wedding gowns. Her mother’s sudden death has presented a series of challenges for her. She has inherited her family’s lakeside home as well as her mother’s busy dress shop. The dress shop requires her attention-supervising her employees, ordering merchandise and assisting clients. Creating these special gowns is her heart’s desire and managing the store means she has less time to focus doing what she loves. Ian lives and breathes for his studies. He spends his mornings on the lake studying salmon and the afternoons with his children. Sam adores Ian’s children and is drawn to him. She realizes that Ian has his own set of challenges .Ian is coming to terms with his brother’s death, his divorce followed by ex-wife’s death. He is trying to balance family responsibilities with his love of teaching.
Summer at Lake Haven is a character driven story. I loved the author’s decision to have the Summerhills rent the house next door for a month. Sam and Ian had a month to figure out if they wanted to remain friends or pursue a relationship. Loved the couple’s passionate kisses by the lake and the truly romantic slow burn relationship the author creates for the couple. I was invested in their story from the first few pages of the novel. Both Sam and Ian were lonely – this realization pulled at my heartstrings .Both of them were afraid to step out of their comfort zone. This important piece resonated with me. Loved the conflict in the story; Sam and Ian had to overcome past mistakes, move past self-doubts and embrace the possibility of change.
RaeAnne Thayne draws you into Summer at Lake Haven with her romantic prose but’s it was her characters emotional, poignant journey that kept me reading. I loved reading about their dreams, hopes, friends and family.
If you are looking for a romantic, second chance love story with all the feels, pick up a copy of Summer at Lake Haven. Settle in with a glass of wine and enjoy!
Reviewed by Susan Gorman
ARC provided by Net galley
Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged.
After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist.
Through it all — through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor — I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love.
I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try — their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 60 books later, I’ve come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the “that’s—it!” feeling I get when a story is flowing.
I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains.
Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can’t imagine my life any other way.
