SOLVED. Girl returns to family summer home on island broke, sells honey at roadside stand to survive. Boy from her teens has grown up & tries for her affection. Her childhood best friend lived next door & had a child with Bree's childhood boyfriend. [s]

[Valarie]

Contemporary romance very similar to Susan Elizabeth Phillips. A girl (I believe her name is Bree) returns to her family's summer home (its on an island maybe around the Great Lakes area or even in New England) after her marriage has failed. When she had been a teenager, she was in love with a local kid named David and her bff was Star. Star lived next door. after Bree went away to college, David and Star began dating and had a child, maybe his name is Henry? Anyway after Bree returns to her family home, the grandmother is passed and had been raising the Star's child who is now left there alone and trying to evade Child Services. Another teenager from Bree's past still lives there and he is now a prominent member of the community and is a realtor. Bree did not like him as a teenager and thought he was creepy. Now she must rely on him to help her survive the winter on the island and help her get back on her feet. I believe his name is Mike and he also befriends the boy.
There is a side story to the plot. A friend or associate of Bree's follows her to the house and decides to stay while she works out personal issues. Her personal issues turns out to be she is in love with a woman and is not able to admit this because she is a TV personality or talk show host. She has a type A personality and exercises a lot.
Bree will revive the bee hives out back and sell honey at a road side stand to get by. At one point, the road side stand becomes vandalized. turns out it was the boy. Eventually the 3 make a family and care for the boy.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Valarie, since we have hundreds of people looking for contemporary romances, please add plot details (derived from what you've already written) to your header. This will help people who only have a few minutes to read through the headers.

[Valarie]

Thank you, I did change the topic as requested.

[Karen]

I want to know the name also..sounds so familiar

[Valarie]

The hero is now a realtor and a prominent member of the community. He befriends the boy and tries to gain her affection. She rejects him at first but becomes to see him differently than the boy she remember growing up.

[Valarie]

I believe the boy had African American heritage from his Father, who has passed away already. The heroine will sometimes bike into town to buy ice cream at the local snack shoppe.

[Mai]

I'm pretty sure this is part of the book The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. The main characters are Lucy and Panda but there is a side story of Bree (who sells honey, like you said), Mike (the realtor) and Toby (not Henry). Toby is part African American.

[Valarie]

You are close. It is not a SEP book; believe it or not, i asked her! lol. In the story, Toby lives in the house that was his g'mothers (deceased). Bree's family owned the house next door when she was growing up. that's how she met Starr. But she is renting now I believe. The side story is that TV personality lady that comes to stay with her. I can't remember her connection to Bree. It does sound very similar to The Great Escape, but Lucy Juric was not connected to Toby's father or the family home. I am sure it is not the same book. If I could pin point the side story I would almost have this! But you are correct about the other details, you've read this book!!!

[Valarie]

AH yes, NVM, you are absolutely correct. It IS the Great Escape. I swear, SEP emailed me back and said it was not her book! Anyway, thanks so much!!! another one solved!

[Mai]

That's very odd.. maybe she's written so many books that she forgot about this one! Or she has a PA, intern or someone like that to answer emails and they haven't read all her books!
I'm glad this was the book you were looking for!