As the summer ends, friendship begins… When single mom Joy Lee abandoned her old life to take a job at a lakeside resort, she found something that her family’s wealth and influence could never buy: peace of mind. Not easy to come by for the once-burned divorcée who keeps everyone at a distance. But when her new friend, Maris, dares her to take a chance with the drive-in’s charismatic new … charismatic new owner, everything changes for Joy and her young son.
A difficult childhood has left Maris Kennedy with definite priorities. Her job running Summer’s End, the camp store and café, comes first. Always. Nothing could ever make her risk that hard-won security–especially not her free-spirited colleague. But the more she encourages Joy to open herself up to new experiences, the more Maris begins to wonder what she, too, might be missing.
Learning how to trust will bring Joy and Maris together. And soon they form a friendship that leaves them as close as sisters–and open to love where they least expect it…in Summer’s End.
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I loved this return to Cooper’s Charm where we get two romance stories, a budding sisterhood between Joy and Maris, and Joy’s lovable son Jack. The support that Joy and Maris showed for each other as the story developed is what true friendship is about – from listening to each other without judgment to encouraging each other to be honest and discuss their feelings/thought with their dates. There was also a true sense of family among the workers of Cooper’s Charm as shown by their support for each other.
Sisters of Summer’s End tells the stories of three characters we were introduced to in Cooper’s Charm. Although this book follows Cooper’s Charm, it is a stand-alone novel and you do not have to read the previous book to enjoy this one. Actually, the main characters from Cooper’s Charm are seldom in this story. The most important connection between the books is the setting itself, Cooper’s Charm RV Park. Lori Foster has a talent for connecting characters in her novels and weaving their stories together. This book is no exception. Sisters of Summer’s End tells the story of the developing friendship between Maris and Joy and the men in their lives. Foster demonstrates how it is not always easy for single parents or adult women to develop friendships or be dependent on other people but in turn how important it is to have those friendships in our lives. Lori Foster’s books emphasize how we need people in our lives and being a family does not necessarily mean being blood-related relatives.
I enjoyed this book but I felt like Maris’s story was second to Joy’s. Maris is a strong character in both books and I felt as if her story line could have had a little more read time. As with many of Foster’s books, the characters are real and relatable. Joy, Maris, Royce, and Daron are written in a way that may remind us of people we know, who deal with relatable life situations. Along with friendships and romances, Sisters at Summer’s End shows the joys and challenges of parenting and pet ownership. This is a sweet, light-hearted read, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
“I received an ARC from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.”
The one thing I love about reading a Lori Foster book is how easy they always are to get into. I also enjoy the characters she comes up with. They are never perfect, they have the same faults and issues we have which makes them so…us!
Sisters of Summer’s End has so much going on yet it doesn’t feel too busy. There are two love stories. The first one is the main story, the ones that are most forward in the book is between Joy and Royce and the secondary love story is Maris and Daron.
Joy & Royce
I totally loved Joy. Not many people could come from the life she did and totally take care of herself and a young baby. She shows just how strong she really is. Through all the hard times she’s a great mom and that’s all a kid can ask for.
Royce is no stranger to taking care of people who can’t take care of themselves either. He stepped up when he needed to and you have to love him for that.
What I love about these two are their caring natures. They put those who count on them ahead of themselves. Royce past ended with his moms passing but Joy wasn’t so lucky. She had to deal with a horrible, controlling mother who thought she could tell you, adult child, what to do. I really disliked her. But I did love how Royce was there for her throughout her interactions with her parents. It was about time someone stood with Joy, not against. I also liked how much Royce liked Joy’s son and how they got along. Kids should always come first.
Joy and Royce’s story is very enjoyable. You’ll like them and want them to get together.
Maris & Daron
I think all of us who read the first book wondered when this would happen. I mean, come on…we knew he wanted her. Maris was a different story, she kept everything close to her chest.
Like Joy, Maris had some issues in her past. Ones that really molded her into the women she is today. Where she is a wonderful, caring and capable women the child in her was very neglected. Sad to say her parents sucked. I almost think they were worse than Joy’s in some ways.
I think the only person in the group who hasn’t yet been touch by life’s more uncomfortable aspects is Daron. He has a loving family and has really done well for himself. One of the things I like most about him is just how caring he is. He’s a great guy.
Perfect for Maris. She needs someone like Daron who will just love her and need nothing from her other than her love. Someone she can count on when she needs them. It’s what she’s missed in life and I’m glad she’s now got it.
Even though their story wasn’t the main focus it was very well done and you felt it was just as important as Joy’s and Royce’s.
The whole book
As a whole, this book is very good. I enjoyed that the characters from the first book were there to tie the two stories together. They stayed in their lanes so they didn’t overshadow the new couples. Well done.
I also really enjoyed the story between Joy and Maris. I love reading about how their friendship (sisterhood) blossomed. These two fit as friends and let’s be honest here no other two people ever need a friend more than them.
A delightful read filled with the adventures of a single mom, an adorable puppy and 2 friends finding each other and men that they love. Sisters of Summer’s End is the second book of this series. I found it just as entertaining as the first. Joy is a single mom to a fabulous little boy Jack. She is one that has been closed off to men and well even not one to get close to anyone. That is until Maris pushes her way in and they both help each other over come their past. Maris is simply lovely. You can feel the chemistry between Maris and Daron and Joy and Royce from the very beginning. This is a story of finding friendships, mending the past, finding family that isn’t blood and the healing power love can bring. This is such a beautiful read that I couldn’t put down.
“Sisters of Summer’s End” (Summer Resort Book 2) by Lori Foster is a wonderful read. I loved getting to know Joy, Jack, Royce, Chaos, Daron, and Maris. I loved catching with the other entertaining characters at Cooper’s Charm. This story has romance, close friends, interesting characters, humor, and more. I hope we get more of all these characters in the future. I want to spend a summer at Cooper’s Charm RV Resort! Highly recommend to all fans of romance, entertaining characters, and series.
Single mom, Joy Lee and Maris Kennedy worked together at the Cooper’s Charm RV Park for years before they became best friends. You know what I mean by best friends: they could tell each other “everything,” they could count on each other anytime, anywhere, they could be themselves. Once they got the BFF thing down pat Maris challenged Joy to add some spice, some “sexy” spice to her life when Joy found herself very attracted to the new guy in town, new owner of the drive-in next door to Cooper’s Charm, Royce Nakirk. Joy accepted the challenge but also issued a challenge to Maris to stop pushing away Daron Hardy and give him a chance.
Royce bought the drive-in to start anew and just moved on with his life after caring for his artist mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease for years until her recent death. He wanted no one to be responsible for again until he met Joy and her five-year-old son, Jack.
Daron loved Maris for years but she wouldn’t give him a chance. Thank goodness she accepted Joy’s challenge.
Sisters of Summer’s End by Lori Foster is a feel-good story about friendship and love. The author tells her tale in such a way that the reader can’t help but fall in love with all her wonderful characters. The main characters all travel an emotional road to fulfillment and happiness. Lori Foster treats readers to a heartwarming story in this book.
An enjoyable addition to the Summer Resort series. This was a heartwarming easy read that hooked me from the start. I loved Royce and Joy together. Jack and Chaos were so cute. The banter between Marvis and Daron had me laughing.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC received via NetGalley.
Loved this book! Friends, family and romance. With well developed characters that I would welcome into my circle without hesitation.
Can’t wait for more from Lori and this series.
Wonderful continuation to the Summer Resort series! Joy and Maris aren’t sisters, but they become close enough to be like sisters. Little Jack is so cute when he interacts with Royce, the new owner of the drive-in that is next to the RV resort. I didn’t want to put the book down, unfortunately life kept getting in the way. I’m hoping there’s more to this series
This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Wow! Ms. Foster really outdid herself with this one!
A story of true sisters of the heart with Maris and Joy. You really get to see what it means to have someone to talk to and confide in when you have never had that in the past. Learning to let yourself love and realizing that sometimes it’s truly okay to depend on someone else without losing yourself.
*4.5 Stars*
“When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching — they are your family.”—Jim Butcher
Welcome to Cooper’s Charm, a cozy lakeside RV resort where friends have become family.
Lori Foster has written more than a dual love story with Sisters of Summer’s End, she’s created a world where the characters feel like long lost friends, and the reader feels welcome to join Maris and Joy and the rest of the gang for a cup of coffee and maybe a cookie or two.
Loved and highly recommend this heartwarming story of long lasting friendship and romance!
*Received ARC via NetGalley for honest review*
I adored visiting in Summer’s End. I loved every moment and scene while I read the story, every character touching my heart in a special way, connecting with each of them on some level.
Joy Lee – the ultimate superwoman of a single mom who is doing all she can that her son will never feel the kind of burn from the hurt Joy’s parents caused her.
Maris Kennedy – the other superwoman, working her knuckles bloody in the tough business of food service to make a life to her self, climbing up from the poverty she experienced as a child, determined to make it, make something of herself, to stay independent, to stay above the waterline. She is resilient, she is successful, she has talent, and she has the guts she needs to make it happen every single day.
I loved the friendship developing between Maris and Joy, they had that connection one needs to their soul sister, and even though they seemed so different at the first glance, they are more similar than one would think, with the strength of mind and spirit.
Daron – the hard working, always smiling, flirt of the resort, who has more depth and layers than Maris was willing to admit. He turns out to be just a solid good guy, a person Maris, and his friends, could trust, who was not afraid to say how it was, and who adored Maris.
And then there is Royce – the new guy in town. The one who seems almost too good to be true, who says he wants to just heal and chill and recuperate after taking care of his mother with dementia for years. I wanted to hug Royce silly, cause I know what a tough, all-consuming lifestyle being a caretaker for a person with dementia is. Royce has kindness, goodness, and sexiness that’s palpable, he was so perfect with Jack, Joy’s son, and together with Joy, they made the perfect unit, one within two.
The different relationships and connections between the friends are tested in the obstacles life throughs at them, with their own issues, pain, and past hurts.
The story balances between serious character development, heartbreak, and growth from life lesson to fun banter, sexy flirting, and love scenes that left me all swoony and smiling. The story wasn’t only vastly entertaining, it took a look at life from several different angles, and showed how the past and prestige does not matter if people are willing to find the common ground and make a life together.
An inspiring and uplifting tale about friends, life, learning to trust, and daring to love. The smoothly flowing, well-written story engaged my emotions, I connected with the characters, and I wanted to be part of the gang at the cafe. I found the book to be unputdownable from the moment I started to read it until the oh, so satisfying ‘the end’.
This summers ‘must read’ in my opinion!
~ Five Spoons
What a fun read about strong independent women, relationships, cute kid and a dog! Oh and some gorgeous sexy men too!
What a wonderful story of families, no matter how they’re made up. This book explores to very independent women, Joy and Maris, two ladies that couldn’t have been raised more different but found had more in common than they thought, once they opened up that is. Joy is a single mother determined to give her son all her love, she didn’t need a man they were fine with their full life, mother and son. But the new drive-in owner showed up and it made it clear Joy had needs, womanly needs but she was still a mother first, her needs came in second to her son’s. Royce is a charming guy, and very attracted to the single mother but he’s just starting a new life, not ready for a relationship, they could do a no strings kind of thing right? Lots of attraction, a lost dog needing a home and an irresistible little boy and perspectives change.
Maris has had a hard life, she’s determined to make a success of her business she doesn’t need and young, handsome flirting man distracting her. She finds herself unexpectedly friends with Joy, a very foreign situation but their connection works. But the teasing of Daron, the camp’s young handyman has her all in a tizzy!
This was a fun summer read, and I enjoyed heading back to Cooper’s Charm RV resort! There were 2 romances running simultaneously, while also showing the growing friendship between 2 strong, smart, independent women. I enjoyed it so much.
Joy is a single mom to a boisterous, smart, adorable 5-year-old boy named Jack. She’s been the activities director for Cooper’s Charm resort since she was heavily pregnant with him. Coop took a chance on her, and she’s determined to repay his kindness with her hard work. But make no mistake, she loves her job. She loves the other people who work at the resort, and they’ve become a family over the years, especially to her son. But, she’s always held herself a bit apart. She grew up wealthy, with all the THINGS she could ever want, but none of the real attention or affection from her parents. When she ran off and married a musician, who got her pregnant, and then wanted a divorce, she was disowned by her parents, and she and Jack were on their own. She’s done her best to give her son everything she can, while living frugally.
Royce is the new owner of the small town drive in theater. He was his mother’s caretaker before her death, and he’s come to town to start his life anew, and unencumbered. When he has a meeting with Joy about special events at his drive in for the renters at the resort, he’s flummoxed by his instant attraction to her. As their acquaintance deepens, he begins to really fall for Joy, and Jack, and he’s rethinking their agreement to basically a fling, with no attachments. Because he is becoming fully attached.
Maris grew up poor, with nothing, with a semi-functioning alcoholic father, and a quiet, prayerful mother. Neither did much to keep a roof over their heads or food in their bellies. Maris vowed she’d never be like them. She left home at 18 and never went back, except to bury her parents. She’s been working hard ever since then, and she’s carved out her own place at Summer’s End, her camp store on site at Cooper’s Charm resort. Her store/cafe is everything to her, and she has no time for people who don’t take anything seriously, which is why she has trouble with her feelings for the resort’s handyman, Daron.
Daron is 6 years younger than Maris, but he’s no boy. He’s 25, and he has his life pretty well settled. He got his associates degree in business, he owns his home, and he loves his job as the resort’s go-to fix-it guy. He’s wanted Maris for years, but she won’t give him the time of day. Everything he does seems to tick her off, and he can’t figure out how to break through. She doesn’t really see him, and he really wants her to. When she and Joy both start opening up a bit, he finally sees his chance.
I loved this story mostly because of the growing friendship between Joy and Maris. They really formed a sisterhood and I adored watching them open up to each other. They were honest, and helpful, and great for each other, and watching that develop was so special. Joy and Royce really had an instantly strong physical attraction that grew into something so much more. Daron and Maris had been friends for years but neither really knew the other, beyond what they let everyone else see. Once they opened up, things started to flow between them.
Joy has some family drama that occurs, and Royce doesn’t really know how to be there for her through it. That was part of their struggle to happiness, and I liked how they both realized what they really wanted. Jack was such a doll, and he was so lovable. I enjoyed how much everyone at the park loved and cared for him. Royce’s rescued puppy, Chaos, loved Jack too, and their friendship was adorable. Joy and Royce really had great chemistry, but they had to learn to open their hearts again. In general, and for each other.
Maris was so strict in her rules for herself, that she had to relax and let Daron in. Daron is a happy-go-lucky guy, and she thinks he doesn’t take anything seriously, but she learns how wrong she is. They have chemistry from the start too, but Maris thinks that just how Daron is with everyone. He has to work to make her see that he only wants her, and make her believe it. I enjoyed their squabbling for the most part, but there were a few times where Maris really hurt Daron’s feelings with her misconceptions. I hated that, but I liked that she was always willing to rethink things and apologize.
This was a fun story, and I enjoyed seeing more of the characters at the resort from book 1 as well. I liked getting 2 romances in the book, and I really loved the friendships that solidified along the way. Joy and Maris were the real story here for me, and I loved watching them both find their HEA. I recommend this book for anyone who loves a great love story between friends, and each of them having some romance along the way!
Sisters of Summer’s End is not only a story of romance, it’s also a story of friends becoming family. You’ve got Joy and Royce who start something casual that ends up turning into so much more. Then you’ve got Maris who finally relents and gives Daron the chance he’s been hoping for. Toss in a precocious kid, some dogs and a group of friends and you’ve got another great read from Lori Foster.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy.
This is an amazing read! Ms. Foster is a master at describing families who are not limited by blood ties, and we again meet friends who become closer than family. This is a stand-alone book set in the Cooper’s Charm RV resort; it is Summer Resort #2. Cooper Cochran is the park owner, and in Cooper’s Charm (the book) we met him and Phoenix, his wife as well as the head groundskeeper. We also meet Baxter McNab the scuba instructor, who marries Phoenix’s sister Ridley.
Joy Lee is the recreation director of the park. She doesn’t talk about life before she came to Cooper’s Charm, pregnant and alone. Now her son Jack is 5 years old. She does not relax and make friends easily. Maris Kennedy runs the camp store called Summers End. Maris and Joy start bonding over morning coffee, then develop a deeper friendship. Maris also does not talk about her life “before”. They become sisters of the heart and gradually we learn of the struggles they overcame to get where they are now.
The warmth of friendship between these people, who become truer families than those linked by blood, is great fun to read. There are two couples and two Happily Ever Afters.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This book is not only about love but also sisterhood. I loved that there was a happily ever after for the main characters but also the friendship. I highly recommend this book for anyone that’s a romantic at heart but also likes to see a wonderful relationship between two friends. I received an ARC for an honest review.
Sisters of Summer’s End (kindle)by Lori Foster …. This is worth more than 5 stars… Lori Foster has done it again …thanks so much for letting me preview this book on #NetGalley. This book is about two women who both have family issues who work at a RV resort and become friends(close as sisters) Joy (mother of five year old Jack) meets Royce (new owner of the Drive In) and Maris (owner of Summer’s End camp store) and Daron (RV maintenance man). Their budding romances have it all …I laughed, cried, laughed and cried again… I was totally involved from the beginning and hated for the book to end…Then there is Chaos…who is part of the glue that gets us to two very HEA’s.
I received an ARC of Sisters of Summer’s End from NetGalley and this is my honest review
Lori Foster does it again what a great story. I was hooked on this story from the beginning. It is a great follow up to Cooper’s Charm where we are back at the park.
Everything about this book was fantastic.
From seeing Cooper and Phoenix, Baxter and Ridley , Maris and Daron again and getting to know Joy, Jack and Royce.
Just such a wonderful book. Thank you Lori Foster.
I would recommend this to everyone.
I absolutely loved this book and had a hard time putting it down.
Sometimes, the people we choose as friends turn out to be more of a family than the one we’re born into. Maris and Joy have known each other for years, but haven’t been much more than acquaintances until the day they realize they’re much more alike than they knew. As the weather turns colder on the lake, two women who have been alone for much of their lives choose to open their hearts to each other and to other possibilities.
I read an advanced copy of this book