Review: The Country Guesthouse

The Country Guesthouse by Robyn Carr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed all of the books in Robyn Carr's Sullivan's Crossing series, but I think "The Country Guesthouse" may be my favorite one so far. It is a sweet story populated with well-developed, likeable characters, and despite the amount of tragedy in this book, the overall tone remained upbeat. I especially loved how the individual characters came together to create a family of their own choosing. I have always believed that family is what you make it; the people you love and who love you don't have to be limited to those related by blood. This story serves as an excellent demonstration of that idea.

The female lead character, Hannah, was carrying a fair amount of emotional baggage due to two failed engagements, but I admired how she stepped up to care for her best friend's young son, Noah, when he needed her the most. The relationship Hannah and Noah developed was adorable, and I really appreciated that she tried to keep memories of his birth mother alive for him while still establishing her own place in his life. Noah was a great kid, and surprisingly adaptable given the circumstances. He seemed to thrive under Hannah's care.

Owen, the male lead character, had suffered more than his fair share of tragedy years earlier, but I loved that he managed to find comfort in his photography career and heal enough to make a place in his heart for Hannah and Noah. I also thought it was really sweet that Owen and his ex-wife were still in touch and managed to maintain such a cordial, caring relationship. It seemed like they still loved each other, just in a different way from when they were married. In a way, they acted like siblings and really seemed to want what was best for each other.

In addition, I enjoyed the mystery of what was going on with Noah's grandmother and her motivation for trying to establish a relationship with him. It was great to spend time with some of the characters from earlier books in the series too, particularly Sully and Helen. They were so kind and welcoming when Hannah and Noah came to stay in Timberlake, eventually becoming something like surrogate grandparents.

Hopefully this is not the last we will see of these characters! I can't wait to see what happens next in Sullivan's Crossing.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

View all my reviews