Review for The Lily Garden by Barbara Josselsohn

 

The Lily Garden by Barbara Josselsohn 

Kindle Edition, 265 pages

Publication: July 2nd 2021 by Bookouture

 

She held the letter that she had found in the garden, and noticed the distinctive curls of her father’s handwriting etched on the worn paper. Her life had already been turned upside down by one family secret, would his last words force her to leave her childhood home forever?

When Caroline left Lake Summers thirty years ago, she thought she’d never go back to the place where she lost her parents. But when she finds out that the town’s lily garden lovingly built by her mother is going to be destroyed, she knows she must return from Chicago to save it.

Caroline and her daughter Lee are welcomed home by the warm smile of her mother’s best friend Maxine, and piles of pancakes at her cozy little restaurant in town. And Caroline soon learns that she isn’t the only person invested in saving her mother’s legacy, when she meets handsome historian Aaron. As she gets to know him, strolling along the sparkling lakeshore, she can’t imagine anywhere else she’d rather be.

But then Caroline learns a terrible secret about the day her mother died. And soon the real reason Aaron is in Lake Summers comes to light. Will the truth about the people she loves force her to give up a future with Aaron, and the beautiful town that has always been in her heart? 

My Thoughts… A small-town romance, so fun to read and so easy to fall into.    It started slow, but then picked up speed.   I was wondering when the romance was going to happen and when it happens, I was so excited to see it build.   The romance was sweet and fun. 

The small-town setting was perfect.  The nosy neighbors, the wonderful friendships, and the great families all make this a wonderful summer beach read.  The characters were all realistic.  None were perfect but their problems were real world problems.  I liked that the characters all came together to help when needed, called each other out when necessary, and stood by everyone in the community. 

I felt like the ending was rushed.   There was more to tell, and I wanted to be told.   The buildup to the end was slow, the ending left me wanting more but I still enjoyed the book a lot.   I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a slow burn, fun romance, small town story. 

**Thank you Chick Lit Central and Bookouture for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

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Meet Barbara Solomon Josselsohn…Barbara Solomon Josselsohn is the author of two novels, The Lilac House (Bookouture, 2020) and The Last Dreamer (Lake Union, 2015). Her articles and essays appear in a range of publications, including New York Magazine, Parents Magazine, the New York Times, Westchester Magazine, WorkingMother.com, and NextAvenue.com. Barbara also teaches writing at the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute and other venues, and is the founder and coordinator of the Scarsdale Library Writers Center, which supports and promotes local writers. She and her husband have three adult children and an indefatigable shih-poo named Mosley, and she is currently at work on her third novel, which is scheduled for release this fall.

You can connect with her on Instagram @barbara_josselsohn_author, on Facebook at Barbara Solomon Josselsohn, and on Twitter @barbarajoss.