Can one summer house bring two broken hearts together?Summer escapes to Lilac House have always been a source of comfort for Anna Harris. Though things will never be the same since her husband’s death, she knows that it is there, nestled in Lake Summers in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, that she and her children Zac and Evie can begin to build a new life.The house is just as beautiful as … life.
The house is just as beautiful as Anna remembers, and caught up in the rhythm of small town life, helping her Aunt Hope run the little shop on Main Street, Anna begins to feel a sense of herself she hasn’t felt in years. Then she meets Aidan. Handsome, strong and quiet, he also knows what it’s like to lose someone. In each other they recognize something they’ve both been missing and they feel a spark.
But Aidan’s past holds a different set of complications. He’s hiding a secret about why he came to Lake Summers. And just as the Lilac House finally starts to feel like home, Anna learns something devastating about Greg’s death that makes her question everything…
The summer might have brought Anna and Aidan together, but can Anna finally let go of the past now she really has the chance for a new beginning?
A beautiful story about moving on and finding yourself, The Lilac House will restore your faith in love and teach you that it’s never too late the find the person who will change your life. For fans of Carolyn Brown, Jenny Hale and Mary Alice Monroe.
What readers are saying about The Lilac House:
“A beautiful story… I was completely entranced.” Book Reviews By Shalini
“This book was special… I cheered out loud! This was a feel-good romance that would be perfect for a vacation read or a day off. Fans of cute romances will not be disappointed!” (e)Book Nerd Reviews
“A heartfelt bittersweet read… Whisks you away to the lake for your summer vacay!!… Absolutely gorgeous summer read.” Bookworms United Book Club
“Will touch your heart… I wanted the book to keep going on… I will read this author again.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“Exceptional… Emotional and inspirational, Barbara Josselsohn has written a charming, winning novel… Honestly, there wasn’t anything I disliked about this book… One of my favorites this year. Please don’t miss it!” Fireflies and Free Kicks
“This book is filled with romance… I don’t want to say goodbye.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“It left me smiling.” Audio Killed the Bookmark
“It’s wonderful to pick up a book and get lost inside its pages. This is exactly what happened with The Lilac House. I was swept up… I didn’t want the book to end. Moving, heartfelt and wonderful… This was just the kind of read I needed right now. Highly recommended.” Jessica Belmont, 5 stars
“Absolutely sensational. The plot was fast-paced and kept you guessing and turning pages until the end. So good!” Goodreads reviewer
“A sweet romance, a feel-good book… This is my first book by author, Barbara Josselsohn, and I look forward to reading more of this series… Perfect summer beach read.” Goodreads reviewer
“Finds a way to your heart.” B is for Book Review, 5 stars
“A romantic novel that you won’t want to put down… By the end of the book, you’ll wish that you could visit and spend time there yourself!” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“Uplifting and lovely… Read it to sooth your frazzled nerves and to restore your faith in humanity.” Dr Janet Gilsdorfmore
The Lilac House is a story about the ups and downs of life. Anna and her two children were going back to the Lilac House for the first time since her husband and their father passed away. They were going for the summer like they always did. Anna was going to help her Aunt Hope in the store she just opened, a ballet studio and store for what a ballerina would need.
Anna learned some things that she didn’t know that her husband hadn’t told her. At first, she was upset but decided the kids might need being there, and maybe it would help them. Anna is picking herself up and knows she has to move forward, and figure out where she is going from here. That is what I liked about this story, it is a story that most can relate to, feel what she is going through, and knows the option is to take one step at a time. Anna hadn’t found her husband’s iPad, and she finally found it. When Aiden saw the dance for the first time, not knowing anything about it, he saw things that Anna had. When she found the iPad, she looked up the video, and she could see what he meant. She also found a file, To Anna. As she read what it said, she realized that she knew what she had to do about his memorial. There was a day that her son got hurt, and nothing was working out, but she didn’t give up, she stood up, and she did what she had to do. Her aunt told her that her children were going to be ok because she had shown them she would keep them safe, she would be there, and when something happened they would do what they had to do to make it through. This is book #1, and just as life continues, so does this series.
I received an ARC from Forever through NetGalley.
I’m not a book cover person. The only reason I even touch a book cover is to get to the first page. And yet, The Lilac House has a stunning book cover. So, if I were to judge a book by its cover, what would I think of The Lilac House? Delightful, right? Beautiful, am I correct?
So let’s go back to how I really judge a book—by what’s inside the cover. And I still consider it beautiful and delightful. And hopeful. This book is filled with hope—something we can all use.
The Lilac House, Book 1 of the Lake Summers series, is everything I had hoped it would be.
Wonderful, well-rounded characters, equally flawed and lovely with their own secrets and desires and pain who come together in this charming little town where they hope to hide, where they hope to forget their past, maybe build a new future, but ultimately determine they must all face their demons in their own way.
I adored this book; go ahead, judge a book by its cover.
My Book Journey Review
The Lilac House
by: Barbara Josselsohn
narrated by: Kate Handford
This summery novel, featuring flowers, dance, family, and community charm, is first in the Lake Summers series. Narrator Kate Handford made a summer season bloom beautifully in the audiobook version of “The Lilac House”. Captivated by Josselsohn’s characters and Adirondacks setting, I’m quite content here in Lake Summers and will stay for her follow-up floral- themed books “The Bluebell Girls” and soon to be released “The Lily Garden”.
Trip Companions: Anna, a recent widow and mother two. Hope, Anna’s aunt. Their relationships with each other and Lake Summers community members are strong, complex and evolving.
Destination: Anna’s summer home, the Lilac House, is two-story golden and tan Colonial, surrounded by trees and grass. The lilacs bloom in May, and are gone before Anna arrives each summer. It sits in the town of Lake Summers, nestled in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. Anna’s Aunt Hope lives here, and owns The Lilac Pointe, a contemporary dance and ballet studio/shop on Main Street. A local university and special smoothie shop add depth to the setting.
Travel Journal: Loved the aunt/niece relationship, dance and ballet theme, and small town charm.
Ballet and dance are part of both Anna and Hope’s complicated and unresolved pasts. One special season in Lake Summers changed their lives. In their quaint community, both tackle life circumstances of secrets, grief, career, old and new life choices, love, and family bonds. Local resident add interest to the story, including flavor concoctors Stan and Trey, owners of The Smoothie Dudes! References to The Lilac Variation in Sleeping Beauty led me to look up this beautiful dance and music. So many themes are enjoyed in this sweet, small town beauty of a book.
Barbara Josselsohn The Lilac House
Barbara Josselsohn whisks the reader away to a charming village, a perfect summer getaway where you’ll wish you could stay forever. She beautifully uses ballet as a metaphor for life -for moving on after tragedy and devastating heartache. You’ll root for Anna and all the characters and want Aiden’s lips on your own. A perfect book to take you away from all the craziness in the world.
Recently widowed Anna Harris, along with her two children, moves back into the family’s lake house for the summer. The memories of her beloved late husband are everywhere, but she keeps going, knowing that her children need her to be strong. Her Aunt Hope has a newly established ballet supply shop and dance studio in the same town, and this helps Anna tremendously as she navigates her first summer at the lake without her husband. As Anna spends time at her aunt’s shop she meets up with the local merchants she’s known for years. One of the new people she connects with is Aidan, whose job is to promote the local businesses. Aidan lost his wife two years ago and he and Anna both make some progress on the new road they are traveling in their lives.
This was a bittersweet story that was a true pleasure to read. Anna is a grieving woman who has lots on her plate. Her children both begin exhibiting behavioral issues as a result of their own grief, and (spoiler alert) the newly discovered fact that Anna’s husband gave her aunt a portion of their savings to finance her store. The author did an excellent job of describing Anna’s pain, fear and bravery when life gets complicated. Strongly recommend. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this new series.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author Barbara Josselsohn, and the publisher Bookouture for the free ARC I received upon my request to read and review it. This is my completely honest opinion.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Lilac House” by Barbara Josselsohn, Bookouture, March 13, 2020
Barbara Josselsohn, author of “The Lilac House” has written a memorable, poignant, captivating and intriguing story. The Genre for this novel is Literary Fiction. The timeline for the story takes place in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. Most of the story takes place in Lake Summers in the Adirondack Mountains. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex and complicated.
Anna Harris is a recent widow with two children taking their last trip to The Lilac House, their summer home in Lake Summers. They also will be helping their Aunt Hope, who is opening a ballet and dance store. Both of Anna’s children seem to be handling their father’s loss in different ways.
Anna tries to get the new store going with Hope and speaks to Aidan, who is handling the public affairs for retail stores. Aidan has a 15-year son. Anna starts to find herself drawn to Aidan, but there is something mysterious about him. Aidan has secrets of his own.
Anna’s Aunt Hope also has some secrets that will affect Anna and her family. It seems Anna’s husband Gregg had secrets as well, and never had the chance to share them with Anna.
I appreciate that the author discusses such important subjects as mental illness, forgiveness, and second chances. Also mentioned is the importance of family, friends, emotional support, self-worth and taking chances. I would recommend this thought-provoking novel for readers who enjoy a memorable story.
Written in a lyrical style that emulates ballet (which plays a pivotal part in the story), this book about second chances both wrenched and warmed my heart. I could relate to both Anna and Hope’s stories concerning their dance backgrounds, which made me sympathetic to their personal struggles. I liked how the author also gave the males in the equation interesting backstories as well, instead of just being characters. And the town itself is one I would love to visit. I highly recommend this book. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.
This was a light breezy story. I enjoyed the story and the characters. The town seemed like a nice place to visit.
At times I thought the story rambled, maybe alittle too wordy. There was too much thinking at times. Thanks to Netgalley for the early