The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster
Marlow resigns from her corporate role in Chicago, moves to Bramble, KY, population 401, to restart her life after a messy divorce. She meets former Marine Cort, but her past follows her… her in-laws, her dead husband’s lover, and their child. A romance.
Marlow Heddings is confident and capable, moving from an executive position to a server at The Dry Frog Tavern. Is there nothing that she can’t excel at? Absolutely nothing. Cort Easton is also capable and confident. His past includes a traumatic childhood and “Twelve Marines died, including my best friend.” The town folk love these two newcomers. They are a matched set and instantly attracted, but romance takes time to develop. The third (and fourth) newcomers to Bramble are Pixie and Andy. Pixie is the lover of Marlow’s dead husband, Dylan. Andy is the child of this affair. A romance.
Pixie was a nineteen-year-old Heddings factory worker when Dylan Heddings, the spoiled scion of Heddings Holdings, found her. Eventually, with Marlow’s help, Pixie found her strength. Pixie didn’t waver. She didn’t shout or cry. She said simply [to Dylan’s parents], “Since you’re not interested in meeting Andy, and you’re only being rude, you should go.”
Cort had three buildings on his lakefront property: his home, the guest cottage, and the lake house. He lived in the big house, Marlow lived in the guest cottage, and Pixie (with her infant, Andy) lived in the small lake house.
Marlow regretted her marriage beyond her husband’s affair. Somehow during the ten years of her marriage, she’d completely lost herself. Gone was the happy, relaxed young woman she’d once been, replaced by a staid, conservative-dressing, matronly businesswoman whom, honestly, Marlow didn’t even like. Regardless, she was independent. She had her own accounts, in her name only. She neither needed nor wanted the Heddings’ money. There were many things she’d let slide over the years, but she’d always protected herself financially.
Fireflies: As [Marlow and Cort] rose to leave the restaurant, she realized that the sky had darkened all around them. Candles glowed from all the tables. Everywhere she looked, she saw the twinkling of fireflies. In that moment, after eating scrumptious food and sharing her news with Cort, the fireflies were positively magical. A perfect accompaniment to a wonderful day. She didn’t want it to end.
The first kiss came a third of the way into the book. “Kiss me.” In the next second, his mouth settled on hers. No timid kiss from this Marine, no sir. He took her order seriously and completely dismantled her understanding of a kiss. This was more. This was amazing. It was the type of kiss that could sweep a levelheaded woman completely away. Happily. When he eased up, she said, “Whew. Way to excel.”
Sex was at the halfway point. Pushing back his chair, Cort said, “I have one stipulation.” He got to his feet and held his hand out to her. “We enjoy that shower together.” “You’re a tough negotiator.” Grinning, Marlow placed her hand in his. “But I’ll agree to your terms.”
Surprisingly, the book has at least two typos. Cort didn’t ask a single question about the conversation he’d surely overhead. She gave Colt a big squeeze.
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