Book Review: Summer On Firefly Lake.

Like eating stew and dumplings on a cold day in winter, reading the second book in Jen Gilroy’s Firefly Lake series left me feeling happy, warm and satisfied.

Actually “reading” is probably the wrong way to describe what happened when I opened Summer On Firefly Lake because it felt more like I’d been invited to pull up a chair and sit for a while. Jen’s writing is so rich in colour that the place felt like home and the characters like friends.

Here’s the blurb:

Sometimes love is better the second time around . . . 

Mia Gibbs spent her marriage putting her husband’s needs before her own. And now, after a painful divorce, she’s building a new life for herself and her two daughters back home at Firefly Lake. The last thing she needs is a man to complicate things. But former bad boy turned friend Nick McGuire-and the one kiss they’ve shared-has turned everything upside down . . .

Attorney Nick McGuire wasn’t meant to be a family man. His career has always been his focus and after taking time out to help his mother, he’s ready to get back to the city . . . until Mia and her daughters arrive at Firefly Lake. Mia is beautiful and intriguing, and it doesn’t take long to realize being “just friends” will never be enough. As the summer nights turn colder, Nick will have to choose between the life he’s always wanted . . . and the woman he can’t live without.

I could use words such as gentle, heartwarming, charming and sweet and still not really cover just how lovely this book is. That’s not to say the story is without action and drama, oh no, there’s plenty of that. While the main characters are Mia and Nick, a wonderful supporting cast definitely help throw in a few twists and turns – and they certainly earn their happy ending.

As I said, this is book two in the series – and several of the characters from the first book, The Cottage At Firefly Lake, make a welcome reappearance – but it works well as a standalone.

And while I might have mentioned winter stew at the start, this book is perfect whatever the season.

I’m already looking forward to book three.

Format: Kindle.

Price: £3.49.

My rating: Four and a half stars.

Thank you to Jen and her publisher, Forever, (via NetGalley) for the ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Jen also featured in my Behind The Book series where she talks about her path to publication.