REVIEW: The Summer Cottage by Annie Rains

The Summer Cottage by Annie Rains is the first book in the new Somerset Lake series, and it’s a great introduction to Somerset Lake. Trisha Langly and her young son, Petey, have left Sweetwater Springs looking for a fresh start after her now ex-husband was found guilty of embezzling from his clients. Now working as the property manager of Somerset Rental Cottages, Trisha knows the owner, Vi, is struggling financially and the cabins need some work. She’s determined to help the woman who helped her when she needed it. What she doesn’t count on is Vi’s grandson, Jake Fletcher, to enter the picture.

Jake is in town after being recruited by his parents and uncle to convince his grandmother to sell the cabins and move to Florida to be closer to the rest of their family. Somerset Lake was always a special place for him, until his high school died, followed by his grandfather. Now it’s just a reminder of all that he lost. He wants to get in and get out, until he meets Trisha. The closed-of property manager intrigues him, and he likes her son, whose curiosity about how things work rivals his own. Soon he finds himself helping Trisha fix up the cabins, as well as questioning what his family wants. When Vi has another medical emergency, will it Jake be able to convince his family selling isn’t the answer, while convincing Trisha to open her heart once again?

I really liked Trisha and Jake as a couple. Jake knows Trisha is keeping things from him, but he never pushes her to reveal her past until she’s ready. Even when he realizes the connection to something that happened to his family, he never holds it against her. Instead, he works hard to make her feel comfortable in Somerset Lake, taking both her and Petey out around town to introduce them to other residents so they can start building up friendships and really start feeling like the town is their home.

I also really liked Jake’s relationship with Petey. He seamlessly slides into the role of the father figure Petey desperately yearns for, all while never overstepping Trisha authority. When Petey wanted to do something, he always made sure it was ok with her first. Readers will feel for Petey, who misses his father terribly, along with his aunt and uncle who reside in Sweetwater Springs.

The town has what is called the Lost Love Cemetery, where people go to bury the memories of lost loves. Jake himself has something buried in there, and the story behind it is touching. It was an interesting concept, and I hope the author continues to showcase the Lost Love Cemetery in future books in the series.

The only issue I had with the book was that I really wanted to see Jake confront his uncle about something he did to Trisha. He knew Jake cared about her, so he really ended up hurting both of them. It felt like Jake should have said something to him about it, but he didn’t.

A sweet romance filled with secrets, friendships, and love, The Summer Cottage will draw readers in from the first page until the last. If you enjoy small town romances, few write them better than Annie Rains.

Book Info:

Publication: May 25, 2021 | Forever | Somerset Lake #1

This summer, they’ll learn that home is where the heart is.

Somerset Lake is the perfect place for Trisha Langly and her son to start over. As the new manager for the Somerset Cottages, Trisha is instantly charmed by the property’s elderly residents and her firecracker of a new boss, Vi Fletcher. But Trisha is less enchanted by Vi’s protective grandson Jake. No matter how tempting she finds the handsome lawyer, Trisha knows that if Jake discovers the truth about her past, she’ll lose the new life she’s worked so hard to build.

Jake Fletcher left Somerset Lake after a tragic loss, but he’s returning for the summer to care for his beloved grandmother, hoping Vi will sell the run-down cottages and finally slow down. There’s just one problem: Trisha, Vi’s new employee. She’s smart, beautiful, and kind, but Jake’s job is to protect his grandmother’s interests, and his gut is telling him Trisha’s hiding something that could jeopardize Vi’s future. However, as they spend summer days renovating the property and bonding over their love for the town, Jake realizes that Trisha is a risk worth taking—if only she can trust him with her secrets . . . and her heart.