The Getaway Cabin

by Sage Parker

Book 1 of 6 in the Blue Ridge Mountains series.

Her greatest fear came true. Now what? 53-year-old Valerie Schuster was a great mother and wife for over 30 years…until she wasn’t.

When her husband decides to leave her days before their anniversary, and their kids move across the country, her sister suggests it’s time for a change. So, Valerie decides to hide away in her parent’s old run-down cabin. But Banner Elk, the small mountain town where Valerie spent many childhood vacations, has plenty waiting for her, including a hidden family secret that changes everything.

Amidst the steep winding roads, and cool mountain breeze, Valerie rekindles old friendships, sparks new flames, and confronts her greatest fear - being alone.

Maybe loneliness will lead to the exact second chance she needs.

Visit the beautiful small town of Banner Elk, where friendship, hope, love, and hot chocolate are plentiful. This small-town women’s fiction series is perfect for readers who like happy endings and a little bit of mystery.

Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Womens Fiction, Divorce, Small Town Romance, Second Chance

85 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2024

Reviews

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining relationships listening 🎶🔰

This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book 1 of 6

Her husband has left her for another woman 🚺. She and her sister travel to the family cottage in Kentucky. It needs a lot of help to bring it back to safety livable.

I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic family relationships novels. 2024

[Malissa Jolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this series so far. Every book that I have read by this author including this one grabs you from the beginning and draws you in. It always leave me wanting to read more and more of the series. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. Great read!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book just intriguing enough to keep my interest. It felt super short though which is good when you want something quick and simple to read in between larger, more intense books. I just wanted it to be a bit longer so I wasn't left with as much of a cliff hanger at the end as I was. I felt like it was just getting started and then it was over. I think that might be the intent the author has for this series though so that you can't wait to read the next one. I definitely am looking forward to finding out:

1. Why Matt is so mad at Val and didn't want to work on her family cabin for her?
2. Who the heck is Sharon and why did they never know her parents also owned her cabin plus her dad's belongings were in it when he seemed to rarely visit there?!
3. Will Val grow a spine and fight her husband tooth and nail after he left her with nothing?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynn White · Rating 1 out of 5]

not A novel

I dislike what should be a novel broken into many novelletes just to get the reader to spend more money

[Carla HUCKABEE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read which is great since I was on a plane and traveling. It was just getting started and to the meat of the story when it ended which made me aggravated. An obvious marketing ploy to sell a the next book in the series.

[Katie O’Reilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I’ve never had cr@ck, but I think this is what it would be like

[Linda Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short contemporary women’s fiction. Great story.

[Mary Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another paragraph ending book

I don’t know why a writer writes a series when they don’t have enough to write about . Ending a book on a paragraph is wrong.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her greatest fear came true. Now what?

53-year-old Valerie Schuster was a great mother and wife for over 30 years…until she wasn’t.

When her husband decides to leave her days before their anniversary, and their kids move across the country, her sister suggests it’s time for a change. So, Valerie decides to hide away in her parent’s old run-down cabin.

But Banner Elk, the small mountain town where Valerie spent many childhood vacations, has plenty waiting for her, including a hidden family secret that changes everything.

This contemporary sweet second chance romance is page-turning with exceptional world-building in the small town of Banner Elk, and characters that are realistic and captivating. Their journey is enthralling with the getaway cabin that belongs to Valerie's parent's, it is old and run down, family secrets, rekindling old friendships, sparks new flames, and confronts her greatest fear-being alone, action, adventure, heartfelt emotions that will have readers' needing Kleenex or Puffs to wipe the tears that threaten to fall down their faces, friendship, hope, love, and hot chocolate are plentiful, mystery, and a happy ending, family saga, and more. I recommend reading the book by an extraordinary author who knows how to captivate her readers' hearts and attention with the getaway cabin and a clean sweet, second chance romance that will be sure to transport readers into a world that is engulfed by beautiful land and second chance romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stox4story · Rating 5 out of 5]

And Now It Begins … lets hope for a BIG comeuppance

The mystery begins right at the start…. or maybe I should say, ‘mysteries’. By the end of part one in this six book series, we have a lot to look forward to, a lot of questions are roaming about my mind.

… How did Val not know about Walter’s double life? Was she blind or blindly trusting?
… Was that Aruba pamphlet in the car for Walter’s ‘play time’ and who is she?
… What role will the children play? After-all, one daughter is in contract law. That could be interesting if she represents her mother in the divorce.
… How does Val have the money for cabin repair if she couldn’t even afford a cheap bed frame?
… What is Matt’s problem, why is he so angry at Val? What happened?
… Just who was/is Sharon? It doesn’t look good, that’s for certain.

It seems like those long office hours probably weren’t for Walter’s work. And that note he left for Val was a joke, he wasn’t a bit sorry. Oh, and he left her with nothing… closed the credit cards, emptied the bank accounts and snuck the furniture out of the house while she was at a luncheon. He did all this in one afternoon. Thirty years of marriage and all he leaves her is a farce of a note. Oh my, that man needs, no… he requires, a huge comeuppance!

The first few chapters really drew my interest, as did the last couple chapters. The middle section got somewhat confusing, maybe because I didn’t follow all the ‘chit-chat’. I was looking for more development of the Walter situation. It was easy to form an immediate dislike for him. I so want him to have to look in the mirror …. and for the glass to splinter in pieces when he does!

The last couple chapters drew me back into the book.They brought about more mystery, more intrigue and a lot more questions. I look forward to the second part of this series. Hopefully we’ll get some questions answered while new ones will build. And what is going on with Becky? Why does she seem so ditzy? I’m guessing there is more to her story than meets the eye.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Megann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is it that at a certain age some men feel that they need to move over to where the grass is greener and leave the wife they have had for years. For years these wives have taken care of them, their house, their children but they think the on the other side of the fence will be better. They only then find out that the other side of the fence has just as many weeds, maybe more and they want to reunite. I do hope that in most cases the wives say "Take a hike bro" and move on.
Valerie decides that instead of staying in the home that has been pirated by her husband and his new fling she is going to go to the family cabin and start to find out who she is and what she wants. With her is her sister and so she will not be alone but will have someone who she grew up with in the cabin to cause problems and solve things that need fixing. She hopes that they can bring the cabin up to snuff and then decide if they should sell it or maybe she will just sell the house and keep living up in Banner Elk where she was always happy.
But, like all Sage Parker stories everything is not cracked up to be and we are left with a cliff hanger before we delve into book two.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melinda A Tobey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea behind these books was appealing; an abandoned wife going back to a summer cabin of her childhood to reconnect and recover. Several family relationships were explored with the female bonding being especially poignant.
This series of six books should have been combined in one or two books. Usually books in a series can stand alone, however, these cannot. Nothing is resolved until book number 6. Also, there were a number of minor but irritating mistakes that an editor should have caught. For example, what should have been a plural name used 's as in a possessive and the possessive form did not use an apostrophe, thus making it a plural(i.e. Johnson's to mean more than one Johnson and Johnsons to mean something belonging to a Johnson). There were other minor anachronisms and misuses of homonyms.
One other minor irritant: the cover shows not a cabin but a large house. Perhaps it the book should have been called The Getaway Cottage or some other variant, or the cover should have been a picture of a true cabin.
Bottom line: I read all six books in the series to find out what the "secrets" were but was frustrated by problems that should have been corrected by a decent editor.

[Jeannine Wickliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to the story

Valerie is at a turning point in her life. She came home found a note from her husband that he was filing for divorce and he had cleaned out most of their bank accounts. She is afraid to tell her adult children, so she calls her sister Becky, who suggests getting away to their parents cabin. When they get there, the cabin is in a run down state, so they decide to fix it up. When a neighbor stops by and they tell her about fixing up the cabin, Mrs. Dixon tells them they will need permits from the heritage foundation. After getting the permits, they ask about the cabin that their mother's best friend stayed out. To their surprise, their parents owned that cabin as well. When they get back to the cabin they find their old friend,Matt working on the cabins porch. He is friendly til he comes out from under the porch and realizes he was talking to Val. Then he turns cold and withdrawn, and before she ask why he was acting that way, Becky shows up. She has clothes and papers in her arms and wants to know why her Dads clothes and store papers are in the other cabin. Now the sisters want to find out who Sharon really was and why were their fathers things in that vabin

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding out that her husband left her and took everything, Valerie decides to return to her childhood cabin with her sister Becky. Unfortunately, the place hasn’t been maintained and needs major work done to get it back in shape. They are visited by an old family friend who informs them they need permits to fix the cabin. Returning home after getting the required permits, they see a truck park in front of the cabin. The contractor, Matt, hasn’t seen Val in over 30 years and when he comes out from under the porch, he realizes who he is talking to and his attitude turns cold. What happen that he is giving her the cold shoulder? While Val is trying to talk to Matt, Becky comes running with their father’s belonging that were at the other cabin. The cabin had been used by their mother’s best friend. Why were his clothes there? Can’t wait to read the next book to learn what’s going on.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

53-year-old Valerie Schuster was a great mother & wife for over 30 year. Their kids had moved away on their own in other states. Just before their anniversary her husband decided to leave & take almost all their money, savings & some furniture. Valerie was devastated & had no clue what to do. After talking to her sister they decided it’s time for a change. Her sister suggested she go to the cabin where they used to go every summer as kids & were very happy there. So that’s what Valerie decides to do. Boy is she in for a shock! 😳 The place is run down & in need of repairs and the inside isn’t much better. The guy that was suppose to be looking after it just kept the money she was sending but doing no upkeep on the property. Now what? So, Valerie decides to hide away in her parent’s old run-down cabin. What will she do now?

I received this advance copy & am giving my free review in my own words.

[Trina Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way this book started, it intriuged me and I kept reading straight through to the end.

Something is going wrong with Valerie's bank account she discovers this when she offers to pay for lunch with her friends. But how could it be? it must be some kind of error. She is convinced that she will be celebrating her anniversary with her husband in Aruba so there had to be a mistake. She tries to call he husband but he dos not answer. She is certain he is just busy, one thing leads to another and Val soon realizes after 30 years of marriage everything has changed. She eventually finds herself in the beautiful mountain setting of Elk Banner with her sister, there she will heal from her husband's decision to walk out, and maybe discover something more. I cant wait for book 2!!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Coffeenbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Getaway Cabin series. After her husband leaves her for another woman, taking all of their money and most of her furniture, Valerie and her sister Becky decide to take a month off to visit their family cabin in Maine. Neither have been back for years and are dismayed at the condition of the home since they have been paying a caretaker to keep the house maintained.

Valerie and Becky reminisce over some old photos and want to look up their mother's old friend. However, no one seems to know who she was.

Valerie is also anxious about looking up her childhood love interest, Matt. She finds out he still lives in town. Will it be too awkward to see him again?

As the first in the series, this book lays the groundwork for the mystery we have to look forward to.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Curvy Girl Book Nerd (Jen S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Getaway Cabin is the start of the Blue Ridge Mountain Series. It's a short, mid-life starting over, chick lit, cozy family mystery that does end in a cliffhanger. Valerie is a mom to three grown daughters getting ready to celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary. One day, while out with friends, her cards are declined. She is unable to reach her husband, only to find he has left home with another woman, leaving only a note and taking most of their things. Devastated, she goes with her sister to an old family cabin, only to find it in disrepair. An old friend who is a contractor turns cold when he realizes what family they are from. It appears there are other family secrets to be discovered, too. This is my first Sage Parker book, and it's drawn me in. I can't wait for the next installment.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the life of me I don’t know why The Getaway Cabin has a label of best seller. It’s 80 pages long and has no ending. You must go on to book two through six to get the full story... so it’s a serial book.

I’m borrowing book 6 to see it this goes anywhere. The first book was so full of filler "stuff" about everyday falderal I was bored. Just enough information about the marriage breaking up and her sister who insisted on a trip to the family cabin (not far from my home as it turns out) that I continued reading.

But the ending caught me off guard because it was so abrupt.

A few poor choices of swear words and a lot of drinking I'm sad to say.

I’m sure I picked this up because has Blue Ridge in the title, which is what we call "down the road" from us…half the distance over the mountain that separates Asheville from us.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts off with Val's husband leaving her after wiping out their accounts. She was shocked and her sister talked her into going up to their parents cabin which they found in shocking disrepair. They started cleaning it up and then had to get permission to do the rest of the repairs. Their old friend, Matt is the leading contractor around and was suggested. When they got back to the cabin, he was already their but when he foud out who they were, he said he wouldn't work with them. What was going on, and there were several mysteries they were discovering about their parents. I can't wait to see what the answers are.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carmela Dimattia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great mystery to get stuck in to by Sage Parker. Val has been left by her husband and has basically cut her off so she goes to her family cabin with her sister and there we start to find out that there are mysteries surrounding their parents and when the sisters decide to start repairs on their cabin they wish to hire Matt, Val’s childhood friend, but his reaction to Val tells me that something is definitely going on that Val is not aware of. Loved this first book and I am so excited to get my hands on the next.

I received an arc copy via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Rose Grabowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valeries life has just taken a dramatic turn. She came home to a house missing a lot of its contents and a goodbye note from her husband. He also cleaned out the bank accounts and took her off the credit cards. She calls her sister who suggests that they get away to their parents' old cabin to take a break and figure out her next move. They hadn't been there in many years and were shocked by its poor condition. They started the process of necessary repairs. That opens the floodgate of mysteries as they realize there is a lot they didn't know about their parents. There is a cliffhanger ending and be prepared to read the whole series to understand what's going on.

[Dianne Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

A fantastic start to a new winning series by Sage Parker. I love the connection between Valerie and her sister, Becky, who provides Valerie with her full support and love after her husband's betrayal. The return of the sisters to a small town where they spent their summers as children, brings back memories and tensions. Once again, Sage has pulled off a cliff hanger ending that has me waiting with bated breath for the next book in the series.

I read this book as part of an advance reader team and am providing my honest opinion

[Vicki Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Getaway Cabin, Book 1, is the beginning of this new series and introduces Valerie, who has stayed at home raising her children and then assisting Walter, her attorney husband, in obtaining useful information for his career from the wives of the law firm. She is an empty nester of three daughters until her life crashes down around her. Her sister Becky talks Val into traveling to her parent’s cabin with her to recover. The book ends in a cliffhanger.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Baby Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only book one of Sage's new series and I am giving her five stars. This story has so much potential and there is so much mystery to several situations that I am excited to see where they lead. Val and Becky are sisters about to possibly fall into family secrets that were hidden from them. Where will this story take us remains a mystery of its own and I am riding along for the ride! So exciting!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story starts with Valerie's husband leaving and wiping out their bank accounts. She agrees to vacation with her sister at their family cabin. They're in for a rude surprise when they get there and realize it needs some major repairs. Along the way are new discoveries and mysteries to be solved. I'm looking forward to the next book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are freely given.

[PW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valerie (Val), is in for a rude awakening in several aspects of her life. This book is an excellent introduction to the characters, their personalities, and just a touch of angst. I am so hooked to learn the answered to the questions presented. The push-pull emotional rollercoaster that Val is on definitely had me for company. I am so ready to delve into the remaining books in this series.

This Booksprout ARC is a must read.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe everyone's greatest fear is being alone...which is true for Valerie. She's used to being a wife and mother...until she's not anymore. Her kids are grown...decide to move across the country and her husband of over 30 yrs decides to leave right before their anniversary. Her sister suggests a change and she goes back to her parents run down cabin...what will she find when she gets there? I'm excited to find out.

[Tammie Renea Prather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Getaway Cabin Book 1

As I began the book I thought oh it’s going to be a good read about overcoming a divorce and rediscovering one’s true self but it’s so much more. Sisters reconnecting and discovering that the happy memories they have of summers spent at the cabin with their mother are about to be seen in a different light as they discover the true reason their dad was not there with them during the summer.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valerie's husband has left her and emptied their bank account. She is devastated and doesn't know how to tell her children. Becky, her sister convinced her to go to their summer cottage where they went when they were kids. Things are not as they seem. I received a free book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.