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The Summer Cottage
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From the bestselling author of The Charm Bracelet and The Recipe Box comes the perfect summer escape about the restorative power of family tradition, small-town community and the feel of sand between your toes.
Adie Lou Kruger’s ex never understood her affection for what her parents called their Creaky Cottage, the charming, ramshackle summer home—complete with its own set ...more
Adie Lou Kruger’s ex never understood her affection for what her parents called their Creaky Cottage, the charming, ramshackle summer home—complete with its own set ...more
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Kindle Edition, 416 pages
Published
April 16th 2019
by Graydon House
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Rule#1: Leave Your Troubles at the Door. Rule#3 Nap Often. Rule#13 Everyone Must Be Present for Sunset.
A charming story bursting with sunsets and love. Viola Shipman Rights such delightful books filled with engaging characters and good vibes. Stories about The importance of family tradition and friendship. Tales that make you realize we are all forever tied to our loved ones that came before us.
Adie Lou has returned to her families summer cottage after divorcing her philandering husband, quitt ...more
A charming story bursting with sunsets and love. Viola Shipman Rights such delightful books filled with engaging characters and good vibes. Stories about The importance of family tradition and friendship. Tales that make you realize we are all forever tied to our loved ones that came before us.
Adie Lou has returned to her families summer cottage after divorcing her philandering husband, quitt ...more

I enjoyed reading this story and the setting was just the perfect get-away. It is women's fiction/ chick-lit and the author's flowing writing style had me wanting more.
There is a Creaky Cottage summer home (in need of some renovations) that Adie Lou inherits from her parents. The characters all feel authentic and are well developed. Its about starting fresh, re-connecting with the past, making choices and following your heart. There is plenty of light-hearted humor that made me smile.
I am alrea ...more

This was my first book by Viola Shipman and was super fun to read over Valentine's week!!
The Summer Cottage is a touching and moving story about Ade-Lou finding herself after a painful divorce and the death of her parents.
Ade-Lou decides to literally quit her job and leave her old life behind traveling to the place she loves the most to her parents summer cottage. The summer cottage is literally falling apart and Ade-Lou is trying to re-build it into a Bed and Breakfast. Along the way, nothing i ...more
The Summer Cottage is a touching and moving story about Ade-Lou finding herself after a painful divorce and the death of her parents.
Ade-Lou decides to literally quit her job and leave her old life behind traveling to the place she loves the most to her parents summer cottage. The summer cottage is literally falling apart and Ade-Lou is trying to re-build it into a Bed and Breakfast. Along the way, nothing i ...more

Her family's cottage about to be sold?
Adie Lou couldn’t do it...The Summer Cottage had too many memories.
Instead of selling the cottage, Adie Lou decided to turn it into a bed and breakfast and a retreat for women.
We follow Adie Lou as she moves through getting a divorce, struggling with her decision to keep the cottage, having the cottage updated and made into what she wanted, and hoping she can make ends meet.
THE SUMMER COTTAGE had me in tears at times because of the sad but mostly the happy ...more
Adie Lou couldn’t do it...The Summer Cottage had too many memories.
Instead of selling the cottage, Adie Lou decided to turn it into a bed and breakfast and a retreat for women.
We follow Adie Lou as she moves through getting a divorce, struggling with her decision to keep the cottage, having the cottage updated and made into what she wanted, and hoping she can make ends meet.
THE SUMMER COTTAGE had me in tears at times because of the sad but mostly the happy ...more

3.5 stars
Viola Shipman is actually the pen name for male author Wade Rouse, who writes under his grandmother’s name as a way to honor not just her, but also all of the elders in his family. In addition to the pen name, all his novels are inspired by both of his grandmothers’ heirlooms as well as the lessons they taught him and the lives they led. At its core, his books are all “feel-good” stories that pay homage to family. In his latest novel The Summer Cottage , Shipman finds inspiration in ...more
Viola Shipman is actually the pen name for male author Wade Rouse, who writes under his grandmother’s name as a way to honor not just her, but also all of the elders in his family. In addition to the pen name, all his novels are inspired by both of his grandmothers’ heirlooms as well as the lessons they taught him and the lives they led. At its core, his books are all “feel-good” stories that pay homage to family. In his latest novel The Summer Cottage , Shipman finds inspiration in ...more

Sometimes a book comes out to a time when the reader is able to appreciate it and what it says. This is one of those books for me. I would have never appreciated and loved reading this story in my 20´s, 30´s or even parts of my 40´s. At those times I needed exciting--something totally different to the life I was living (which was good, just not exciting). A sort of mind vacation.
The Summer Cottage took this reader in a slower paced (this is NOT meant negative) showing of letting one dream and ac ...more
The Summer Cottage took this reader in a slower paced (this is NOT meant negative) showing of letting one dream and ac ...more

This was an on time book. I unexpectedly lost my daughter a year ago and this took me on the getaway that I needed this week. I would love to really have a B&B like the Summer Cottage to go to and spend the year. So many lessons to learn. I felt like I was living in the cottage and the book ended way to fast for me. I wanted it to go on forever.
I am forever a fan of Shipman (Rouse). This is a must read book for all my bookworms. Don't let this summer pass by you without diving into this book. ...more
I am forever a fan of Shipman (Rouse). This is a must read book for all my bookworms. Don't let this summer pass by you without diving into this book. ...more

Viola Shipman’s latest release is out! I LOVE LOVE LOVE all of his books!! First, let’s just say how awesome the cover is! It screams ... summer, relaxation, beauty!!! This is a quick read and I enjoyed it very much. I would love to stay a week or a weekend at The Summer Cottage. Another 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ book by this fabulous author!!

The Hope Chest was my first introduction into the wonderful world of author Viola Shipman. The Summer Cottage, the latest is even more lovely and inspiring.
Adie Lou Kruger spent her summers as a child at her grandparent's summer home called Creaky Cottage, and then as a married adult with a child and husband at the same cottage when her parents took it over. There were very simple rules which had to be followed while at the cottage such as "Leave your troubles at the door" and my personal favori ...more
Adie Lou Kruger spent her summers as a child at her grandparent's summer home called Creaky Cottage, and then as a married adult with a child and husband at the same cottage when her parents took it over. There were very simple rules which had to be followed while at the cottage such as "Leave your troubles at the door" and my personal favori ...more

This book just was not for me. It was very uninteresting and very predictable. Adie Lou decides instead of selling the family's beach house that she will turn it into a bed and breakfast. She gets enough money from her divorce to do renovations and turns the cottage into a beautiful place. There are some interesting characters in the book, some historical references, and a lovely dog, Sonny. Not much else to add about this book.
...more

The premise of this book was good. I usually enjoy the going-through-troubles-and reconnecting to my past storylines. Where this fell short was the continual boosting of the lead character’s ego/confidence by all the other characters. It felt like a redundant self help book for “women’s empowerment “. Perhaps the fact that the author is a male writing under a female pen name bothered me. It sounded as if he were writing what he thought women want to hear. Not likely to read more of his books. Di
...more

Two point five stars. I love stories about restoring old houses, but in this respect the novel fell flat. The "cottage" on Lake Michigan was more like a three-storey mansion, complete with turret. The divorced woman who inherited it from her parents shows up and decides to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. The house then undergoes a massive restoration which would have been very expensive and would have taken months of disruption and stress, yet it all seemed to happen as if by magic. In the mea
...more

The Hope Chest was my first introduction into the wonderful world of author Viola Shipman. The Summer Cottage, the latest is even more lovely and inspiring.
Adie Lou Kruger spent her summers as a child at her grandparent's summer home called Creaky Cottage, and then as a married adult with a child and husband at the same cottage when her parents took it over. There were very simple rules which had to be followed while at the cottage such as "Leave your troubles at the door" and my personal favori ...more
Adie Lou Kruger spent her summers as a child at her grandparent's summer home called Creaky Cottage, and then as a married adult with a child and husband at the same cottage when her parents took it over. There were very simple rules which had to be followed while at the cottage such as "Leave your troubles at the door" and my personal favori ...more

May 05, 2019
Kristin
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-fiction,
read-first-reads-giveaway
I won this book on a Goodreads first reads giveaway.
While I thought this was a cute book, I'm sorry to say I don't really think it was my cup of tea.
I realize this was supposed to be a feel good story and it is...but at the same time every is just way too perfect.
While I thought a lot of the characters were interesting...the problem was everyone is practically perfect in every way. What few flaws people have are quickly explained away with a sob story or excuse. Everyone is always cheerful and s ...more
While I thought this was a cute book, I'm sorry to say I don't really think it was my cup of tea.
I realize this was supposed to be a feel good story and it is...but at the same time every is just way too perfect.
While I thought a lot of the characters were interesting...the problem was everyone is practically perfect in every way. What few flaws people have are quickly explained away with a sob story or excuse. Everyone is always cheerful and s ...more

A woman's life is on the brink of disaster facing divorce after quitting her job now embarks on a new journey -converting the inherited lakeside home into a bed and breakfast hot spot.
This entire story brings me back to the famous verse," I once was lost but now I'm found."
It has the emotionally appeal and that summer good feeling that just grips you tight and refuses to let you go.
It was a light and refreshing read that develops at the perfect pace under the best circumstances and settings.
I do ...more
This entire story brings me back to the famous verse," I once was lost but now I'm found."
It has the emotionally appeal and that summer good feeling that just grips you tight and refuses to let you go.
It was a light and refreshing read that develops at the perfect pace under the best circumstances and settings.
I do ...more

At first, this seemed like just another chick lit novel- romantic, light and frothy, with easy characters and a simple story line. I'm happy to say that it turned out to be MUCH more than that! The main character, Adie Lou, is renovating her family's very old summer cottage on Lake Michigan, and it turns out to be a bigger project than anyone anticipated. Adie Lou is at a real transition point in her life and as the cottage is renovated and renewed, so is Adie Lou. There is much in this beautifu
...more

Any time I pick up or listen to a book by Viola Shipman, I know I'm in for a treat of a comfort read. This time around, I was transported to Saugatuck, Michigan, which had a cozy, small-town feel.
In each of Viola's novels, the story is carried along by some element (i.e. in The Charm Bracelet, each part of the story centered around a charm). This time, the rules of the cottage were used for each part. And these rules were good ones, like "take a nap," "jump in the lake," "leave your baggage at ...more
In each of Viola's novels, the story is carried along by some element (i.e. in The Charm Bracelet, each part of the story centered around a charm). This time, the rules of the cottage were used for each part. And these rules were good ones, like "take a nap," "jump in the lake," "leave your baggage at ...more

May 24, 2019
Blodeuedd Finland
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobook,
women-s-fiction
I remember seeing something about 50+ people finding love, and no, this is not a romance, but maybe she finds love (she totally does!). And it felt nice to see someone mature find love too.
Adie Lou has been through a divorce (her hubbie left her for a college student, that asshat!). And even though she has a well paid job, she wants more. She wants something new. She is tired of her jo, tired of seeing men pass her for promotions. She needs to find herself again.
So she decides to make her grandp ...more
Adie Lou has been through a divorce (her hubbie left her for a college student, that asshat!). And even though she has a well paid job, she wants more. She wants something new. She is tired of her jo, tired of seeing men pass her for promotions. She needs to find herself again.
So she decides to make her grandp ...more

The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman
Love the idea of this book and was very close to doing something similiar when my mother passed away and left her estate to the children. I was 1 of the 5 but others wanted to sell the houses and land.
Adie Lou always wanted it to become a quilt retreat where others would go and spend time on the quiet island and learn how to quilt and be taught how to do so-you could live in the houses and be fed. Just sold last house a week ago.
Starts out with a woman who's go ...more
Love the idea of this book and was very close to doing something similiar when my mother passed away and left her estate to the children. I was 1 of the 5 but others wanted to sell the houses and land.
Adie Lou always wanted it to become a quilt retreat where others would go and spend time on the quiet island and learn how to quilt and be taught how to do so-you could live in the houses and be fed. Just sold last house a week ago.
Starts out with a woman who's go ...more

The very best books are those into which you can completely disappear as the world around you fades away and your existence is entirely within the pages of the book! And when something finally pulls you out of the magical rabbit hole into which you have fallen down, its like a rude awakening to find yourself back in your own reality and not in the lovely place you've been visiting. And you can't wait to go back. (This is why people read books in one sitting!)
Viola Shipmans The Summer Cottage is ...more
Viola Shipmans The Summer Cottage is ...more

Out camping, close to home, great summer read... Loved it!

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the publisher, as I do not regurgitate the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it.
From the bestselling author of The Charm Bracelet and The Recipe Box comes the perfect summer escape about the restorative power of family tradition, small-town community and the feel of sand between your toes.
Adie Lou Kruger’s ex never understood her affection for what her parents called th ...more
From the publisher, as I do not regurgitate the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it.
From the bestselling author of The Charm Bracelet and The Recipe Box comes the perfect summer escape about the restorative power of family tradition, small-town community and the feel of sand between your toes.
Adie Lou Kruger’s ex never understood her affection for what her parents called th ...more

The Summer Cottage is about love, family, regrets, and new beginnings. Adie Lou leaves Chicago behind along with her arrogant ex-husband who left her for a younger woman, to flip her family's old cottage into a Bed & Breakfast. Little does Adie Lou know how much it's going to take mentally and physically to make her families creaky cottage into her dream come true. I hope as you read The Summer Cottage it takes you right there with Adie Lou, as it did for me. A wonderful feel good story for this
...more
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Madison County NC...: Light reading to get your mind off of things.... | 1 | 2 | Apr 23, 2020 09:57AM |
Dear Reader:
Do you have a BFF? Do you know more about each other than anyone else in the world? Than my new novel, The Clover Girls, (May 18) is for you!
The Clover Girls is about four very different girls who become best friends at summer camp in the 1980s until life, death, adulthood and childhood betrayals draw them apart.
The novel is an ode to friends and dreams, how each changes our lives ...more
Do you have a BFF? Do you know more about each other than anyone else in the world? Than my new novel, The Clover Girls, (May 18) is for you!
The Clover Girls is about four very different girls who become best friends at summer camp in the 1980s until life, death, adulthood and childhood betrayals draw them apart.
The novel is an ode to friends and dreams, how each changes our lives ...more
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