5 True Friendship Stars!!
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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 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
My Review…
It’s another book with two true love stories inside!! I love it when Lori Foster can make two love stories happen in one book and yet you don’t feel like anything is missing from either story. Both of these ladies have had to fight for something in their past to bring them to be the strong independent women they are today.
Joy wasn’t too hard of a nut to crack, she’s stubborn but she has to be. She has a son to raise by herself, or so she thinks you see Coopers Charm is full of non-blood related family she just hasn’t figured that out yet. I love how Lori Foster always creates family out of friends in all of her books, because honestly isn’t that how it really is in real life? Jack her son is amazing, and adorable, and kind. He really takes to everyone who lives at the RV Park, and I loved that. I loved how he thought the park’s swing set was his own even though it was for the RV Park. Royce was a delight and not just because he had instant chemistry with Joy, but because he connected with Jack. He came to Jack’s level, he treated him with respect. I think he won me over right there.
Maris we met in a previous book (you don’t need to read that one to read this one) and she is an enigma. She works from sun up to sun down, with no down time. Daron keeps trying to insert himself into her space and distract her with his charming smile, and flirtatious attitude but she won’t let it work. I think that their relationship may have been a little more interesting than Royce and Joy just because they were more explosive. I liked that Daron was completely respectful of all of boundaries that Maris set up even when Maris wanted to go back on the deal. I felt bad for Maris’s background but she grew from it and learned and that’s the most anyone can do.
The girl power and friends club is the best in this book, maybe one of the better ones Lori Foster has created. There is a scene and I don’t want to do too many spoilers but someone tells someone they love them with their best girlfriend there. I literally laughed out loud because the scene is hilarious. It’s almost like these two are kindred spirits.
Thank you to NetGalley, HQN, and Lori Foster for a copy in lieu of my honest review. I honestly recommend this to everyone 😀
About the Author…
Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN.
Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.
alwaysbooking 
I love when there’s a great friendship and two love series in a book. This one sounds delightful! Great review!
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There was a great sisterly bond in this book for unrelated characters.
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