This Time

The Blue Canoe Cottage #3

by Barbara Kellyn

Three sisters, a fading final summer at the Blue Canoe, and a bombshell buyer—Lake Whippoorwill doesn’t do quiet goodbyes.

Eldest Pelletier sister Lark is the one who holds it all together… until she can’t. Fresh off a divorce and grieving both parents, she returns to the Blue Canoe Cottage with her young daughter, Nova, determined to clear out the century-old family retreat before its inevitable sale and finally move forward. But the lake has a way of rewinding time, especially when Aidan—her best friend of thirty years—slips back into her days like he never left. Lark has always known exactly where she stands with him. Lately, her heart doesn’t seem to agree. The complication? Aidan already belongs to someone else.

Enter Donovan, an intriguing potential buyer who throws down a shocking offer Lark can’t ignore—and a story that shakes the very foundation of everything she holds true. Much to her dismay, he insists the Blue Canoe was never the Pelletiers’ to sell in the first place.

With her sister’s backyard wedding racing closer, a stolen kiss she can’t undo, and a roof that chooses the worst possible moment to cave in, Lark digs in to protect her family’s legacy. But the deeper she investigates, the more personal the stakes become, and the sabbatical she hoped would bring closure starts to feel more like the beginning of something she never quite planned for.

ebook

Published October 13, 2026

About the author

Canadian romcom author Barbara Kellyn writes funny, steamy stories about likeable heroines worth rooting for and alluring heroes worth the trouble of falling for, and is tickled that readers have crowned her “the Queen of Banter.”

Barbara has published eight, full-length standalone romantic comedy novels and two holiday novellas, including Kobo Originals' 2024 Holiday Romcom Writing Contest winner, Polar Opposites, and thanks her lucky stars that she got her happily ever after in real life.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This Time” brings back our favourite Pelletier sisters, this time with a focus on eldest, Lark. Without giving any spoilers, Lark’s journey has a few twists that I did not expect. In the end, everything feels as it should be and satisfies. A fantastic work by Barbara Kellyn. She has made the reader feel invested in the Pelletier family and this last book in the series ties it all up with a bow.

[Kelcey T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I was prepared to take a final trip to the Blue Canoe, but as I sit here in tears, I guess I wasn't ready to say goodbye yet. After her divorce is final, Lark retreats to the cottage to help put it up for sale and in the process, relives old memories and unspoken feelings for her bestie, Aidan. When Donovan enters the picture, Lark questions everything she knows to be true about the cottage, her family, and even if she and Aidan are MFEO. Lark's story was worth the wait and this is a fitting finale for the Pelletier sisters (YAY for Robin & Rick and Dove & Ben!). I smiled and shed some tears, yes, but much like Lark’s nostalgic reset at the Blue Canoe, this was just the comfort read I needed to feel grounded again.