What do you think?
Rate this book
Summer Lake #1
The Best Is Yet To Come
Home Sweet Home Riley, Bella
396 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2017
1123 people are currently reading
3708 people want to read
About the author
Bella Andre
149 books56.2k followersBella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of “The Sullivans” and “The Morrisons” series.
Having sold more than 10 million books, Bella Andre’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 84 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Steven King). Apple iBooks named her one of the "bestselling authors of all time." And Publishers Weekly named Oak Press (the publishing company she created to publish her own books) the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s “The Sullivans” series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.
Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top writers in America” and she has been featured by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.
Bella also writes the New York Times bestselling Four Weddings and a Fiasco series as Lucy Kevin. Her “sweet” contemporary romances also include the new Walker Island series written as Lucy Kevin.
If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country, a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks, and a flat in London overlooking the Thames..
* * * * * * *
For digital/eBook, audiobook, foreign licensing, conference keynote and press inquiries, please contact Bella at bella@bellaandre.com
Having sold more than 10 million books, Bella Andre’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 84 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Steven King). Apple iBooks named her one of the "bestselling authors of all time." And Publishers Weekly named Oak Press (the publishing company she created to publish her own books) the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s “The Sullivans” series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.
Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top writers in America” and she has been featured by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.
Bella also writes the New York Times bestselling Four Weddings and a Fiasco series as Lucy Kevin. Her “sweet” contemporary romances also include the new Walker Island series written as Lucy Kevin.
If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country, a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks, and a flat in London overlooking the Thames..
* * * * * * *
For digital/eBook, audiobook, foreign licensing, conference keynote and press inquiries, please contact Bella at bella@bellaandre.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
November 4, 2017
The Best is Yet to Come by Bella Andre was the start of a new series, Summer Lake. It was a spinoff from the New York Sullivan series.
Calvin Vaughn was the Mayor of Summer Lake, the beautiful small town tucked in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. He lost his parents young and was raising his ten year old sister as a single parent. He loved Summer Lake, the small town feel and everything it represented. It was a great place to raise a family. He had everything he wanted except for a forever love to share his life with. Not for lack of trying but no one seemed to measure up to his first and true love.
Sarah Bartow was coming home from the big city for an expansion project for Summer Lake. She knew it would be a tough sell but she believed it was right for the town’s growth. Her first hard sell was the Mayor, the love she never really escaped or fully mourned. It had been ten years so surely they could conduct business professionally as adults, without the past interfering.....or not.
The storyline was a second chance theme but it was so much more. Yes, it was a story of healing, forgiveness and forever love; but it was also a story of embracing the best of the small town while building a new and complimentary future accepting positive growth and change.
Additionally, it was a story within a story focusing on Sarah’s grandmother with her first love. The additional saga brought another level of depth and dimension to the plot.
The Best is Yet to Come was told in a dual POV but Andre also provided guest POV’s from Sarah’s mother and grandmother and mixed them in throughout the storyline. It was well written and well developed with intrigue, tension and also a little sweetness.
In typical Andre fashion, it was a great start to a new series. Christie’s story is up next in Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.
Calvin Vaughn was the Mayor of Summer Lake, the beautiful small town tucked in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. He lost his parents young and was raising his ten year old sister as a single parent. He loved Summer Lake, the small town feel and everything it represented. It was a great place to raise a family. He had everything he wanted except for a forever love to share his life with. Not for lack of trying but no one seemed to measure up to his first and true love.
Sarah Bartow was coming home from the big city for an expansion project for Summer Lake. She knew it would be a tough sell but she believed it was right for the town’s growth. Her first hard sell was the Mayor, the love she never really escaped or fully mourned. It had been ten years so surely they could conduct business professionally as adults, without the past interfering.....or not.
The storyline was a second chance theme but it was so much more. Yes, it was a story of healing, forgiveness and forever love; but it was also a story of embracing the best of the small town while building a new and complimentary future accepting positive growth and change.
Additionally, it was a story within a story focusing on Sarah’s grandmother with her first love. The additional saga brought another level of depth and dimension to the plot.
The Best is Yet to Come was told in a dual POV but Andre also provided guest POV’s from Sarah’s mother and grandmother and mixed them in throughout the storyline. It was well written and well developed with intrigue, tension and also a little sweetness.
In typical Andre fashion, it was a great start to a new series. Christie’s story is up next in Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.
July 6, 2017
When I want a true romance, I turn to Bella Andre. I love the way she brings her characters full circle; the way she weaves the story around everyone surrounding the main characters and makes them a significant part of the story-line; and, the love that just pours of the pages making it a living thing.
Calvin and Sarah were no exception. They were both frustrating and fun. When they got together, they were sizzling … even when they disagreed. But, it’s going to take a lot for Calvin to truly trust Sarah again. He knows how dedicated to her career she really is and has no idea how he could ever turn her down. But, when it all comes down, he doesn’t have anything to worry about … it’s her own family that brings her proposal to an end. He may be the one that she turns away, but, he can honestly say that he stayed neutral and didn’t let her or his town down. He also knows that he never stopped loving this woman and, in the end, would probably do anything for her.
Sarah’s home. She has no idea how to break the news to her family or the town she loves of what her real reason for being there is. She knows she has to face Calvin. She knows that there are going to be some disappointed people. He knows that she has a long road ahead of her. What she didn’t know is how much she missed the town, her friends, her family … the yarn store. When a scare hits her family, she finally realizes what it means to be home and be surrounded by people who care. Not by people who want nothing more than to judge you, demand things from you and not care about what really matters.
The old saying “it takes a village to raise a child” is what I thought of throughout this whole story. It was Summer Lake that made everything so special. It was the residents of Summer Lake that made Sarah remember what was important. It was Summer Lake that brought Calvin and Sarah together, tore them apart and then brought them back together again. It was Summer Lake, it was Jordan, it was the beautiful story that her grandmother told her, it was everything all rolled into one that gave Sarah and the readers what is truly the only thing anyone is ever looking for … Family, friends and love.
Thank you, Bella Andre, for bringing Summer Lake to life; for bringing us a knitting klatch; for always bringing us to a better and beautiful place in our lives. The Adirondacks are beautiful and I love visiting them. You did an amazing job in bringing it to life in print.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
not-interested
May 10, 2017I think this has been done before. Actually, I'm almost pretty sure. I have seen a plot like this. I just can't pin point it exactly. It's in this sea of romance books. One with second chance romances where someone leaves (majority of time for misunderstanding)when they graduate high school. I just can't place it. LMAO. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
And to make it different the heroine is not likable. Who would thought of that? (Info I get from a couple of reviews).
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And to make it different the heroine is not likable. Who would thought of that? (Info I get from a couple of reviews).
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
May 8, 2017
Disclosure: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
-----------------
It is 5am EST and I just finished reading. I couldn't stop and now I just want to post this review while the story is still fresh in my mind.
Wow! I did not expect it to be so emotional! I'm sometimes wary of spin offs, as they, most often than not, come up short of the original, but The Best Is Yet To Come has exceeded all my expectations. This is great a second chance love story, with lovable characters (who wouldn't fall in love with Olive??) and situations that anyone can relate to. Even if not the exact same circumstances, any one of us grapple with hard and seemingly impossible expectations and choices, and the inherent desire to please those we love. To be faced with such choices at any age is difficult, and at 18, we don't always see how our choices can impact our lives later on. That's what Calvin and Sarah faced. Both thinking they made the right choice, but hindsight is always 20/20. As adults they had to face that choice again, but would they make same ones or choose a different path?
This was so well written. The story flowed effortlessly and I especially love the way the art of knitting was incorporated into life lessons. Carlos and Olive's story was just heartbreaking! I had tears in my eyes on and off while reading. I truly felt the love, the sense of community, and the strength of these characters, especially Olive, Denise, and Calvin.
This is a runaway winner and a truly worthy semi-addition to the Sullivan series. I can't wait for Christie's story. From the except, it looks like it will be a doozy!
Thanks Bella for always giving us unforgettable stories and characters! Kudos!
-----------------
It is 5am EST and I just finished reading. I couldn't stop and now I just want to post this review while the story is still fresh in my mind.
Wow! I did not expect it to be so emotional! I'm sometimes wary of spin offs, as they, most often than not, come up short of the original, but The Best Is Yet To Come has exceeded all my expectations. This is great a second chance love story, with lovable characters (who wouldn't fall in love with Olive??) and situations that anyone can relate to. Even if not the exact same circumstances, any one of us grapple with hard and seemingly impossible expectations and choices, and the inherent desire to please those we love. To be faced with such choices at any age is difficult, and at 18, we don't always see how our choices can impact our lives later on. That's what Calvin and Sarah faced. Both thinking they made the right choice, but hindsight is always 20/20. As adults they had to face that choice again, but would they make same ones or choose a different path?
This was so well written. The story flowed effortlessly and I especially love the way the art of knitting was incorporated into life lessons. Carlos and Olive's story was just heartbreaking! I had tears in my eyes on and off while reading. I truly felt the love, the sense of community, and the strength of these characters, especially Olive, Denise, and Calvin.
This is a runaway winner and a truly worthy semi-addition to the Sullivan series. I can't wait for Christie's story. From the except, it looks like it will be a doozy!
Thanks Bella for always giving us unforgettable stories and characters! Kudos!
May 12, 2017
THE BEST IS YET TO COME is the first book in the Sullivans spin off series by Bella Andre. While you don’t need to have read the other series in order to understand this one, there are quite a few references to the other characters made throughout this book so I would just keep that in mind while reading it.
As you can expect from Bella Andre, this book is filled with sweetness and charm. Set at Summer Lake in the Adirondacks, it definitely captures the summer feeling well. This book was actually previously published under a different pen name and title (HOME SWEET HOME) so to some, it might feel a little familiar. Andre sticks to what she is good at, keeping the storyline simple yet engaging.
This is a second-chance love story between Sarah and Calvin so there’s quite a lot of backstory to this couple. I was rooting for them from the very beginning and loved how the way they came back together. It was believable and didn’t feel forced.
I’m excited for this new series. While I love the Sullivans, it’s nice to be able to get something a little bit different from this author.
July 1, 2018
Second chance romance. Sarah left for the city ten years ago, their break after an emotional trauma after which Calvin insisted Sarah stay and she insisted on returning to school. Ugly words were said and she hadn't been back, until a work project brings her back to pitch her condo proposal. Right away Sarah is immersed in her family's yarn and knitting store, and the love that never died. Calvin knows he still love's Sarah and wants her back. It's a sweet, feel good love story, even with the sadness and emotional wounds. Bonus romance as Sarah's grandmother relieves the memory of her first love as she watches her granddaughter struggle with embracing her feelings for Calvin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2011
Andi Powell has returned to her small hometown of Emerald Lake to not only be there to commemorate her beloved, deceased father along with the rest of the town, but to save her job. The company she works for in New York City as a management consultant, wants to build condominiums in a perfect vacation town. Andi automatically thinks of Emerald Lake, although she hasn’t been back since she left to go away to college, other than a holiday here and there. Her mother and grandmother love the small town life and running their yarn store where the local women come to knit and gossip. Andi has to appeal to the mayor first about this business venture. She fears talking to him because he’s Nate Duncan, her childhood boyfriend and the only man she ever loved. They're no longer on speaking terms because Nate felt she rejected him for a big city life and didn’t come back and comfort him after his father killed himself and help him take care for his then infant sister.
Nate loves being mayor of Emerald Lake and his ten-year-old sister, Madison’s caretaker. He never had big aspirations unlike Andi who left as soon as she could. He’s never forgotten her and when she arrives back in town, he’s torn between welcoming her back or pushing her away. He aches to have Andi close and decides he will do whatever he can to claim her heart and make her stay with him.
Andi wants Nate to forgive her, which he does, but he wants more than she’s willing to give. They pick up where they left off and soon they’re lovers again. Nate makes such a good case for why she should stay in Emerald Lake and have a future with him and Madison, but she can’t let go of her life in New York City and the fact she feels the small town life is smothering.
Home Sweet Home (Emerald Lake #1) has a sweet romance feel and should appeal to readers who enjoy that setting and a hero who is too perfect for words. Unfortunately, there’s no real tension or drama in this book. The main issue that causes strife for Andi and Nate is she’s afraid to give up her independence and move back home. I found this to be a silly reason and one that brings down the entire plot. She fixates on this far too much to a point it’s unhealthy. She has no reason to have all this stress, especially when she has so many people there to support her, including her grandmother, mother and most importantly Nate. (the only real explanation for Andi's disdain for Emerald Lake is her MIA father who was hardly home to support Andi or her mother.)
Bella Riley tries to give some background on why Andi and Nate act the way they do, but it’s pretty dull and ridiculous. Nate has some great moments where he’ll do whatever he can to show Andi she belongs with him, but Andi continues to make some stupid mistakes and is wary of trusting him. There’s no plausible reason why she acts this way and it becomes very tiresome.
Home Sweet Home lacks that spark I look forward to when reading a type of romance like this. The writing is okay but the story in general and the motivations of the characters are questionable and become a big hindrance to the overall enjoyment of the plot.
Nate loves being mayor of Emerald Lake and his ten-year-old sister, Madison’s caretaker. He never had big aspirations unlike Andi who left as soon as she could. He’s never forgotten her and when she arrives back in town, he’s torn between welcoming her back or pushing her away. He aches to have Andi close and decides he will do whatever he can to claim her heart and make her stay with him.
Andi wants Nate to forgive her, which he does, but he wants more than she’s willing to give. They pick up where they left off and soon they’re lovers again. Nate makes such a good case for why she should stay in Emerald Lake and have a future with him and Madison, but she can’t let go of her life in New York City and the fact she feels the small town life is smothering.
Home Sweet Home (Emerald Lake #1) has a sweet romance feel and should appeal to readers who enjoy that setting and a hero who is too perfect for words. Unfortunately, there’s no real tension or drama in this book. The main issue that causes strife for Andi and Nate is she’s afraid to give up her independence and move back home. I found this to be a silly reason and one that brings down the entire plot. She fixates on this far too much to a point it’s unhealthy. She has no reason to have all this stress, especially when she has so many people there to support her, including her grandmother, mother and most importantly Nate. (the only real explanation for Andi's disdain for Emerald Lake is her MIA father who was hardly home to support Andi or her mother.)
Bella Riley tries to give some background on why Andi and Nate act the way they do, but it’s pretty dull and ridiculous. Nate has some great moments where he’ll do whatever he can to show Andi she belongs with him, but Andi continues to make some stupid mistakes and is wary of trusting him. There’s no plausible reason why she acts this way and it becomes very tiresome.
Home Sweet Home lacks that spark I look forward to when reading a type of romance like this. The writing is okay but the story in general and the motivations of the characters are questionable and become a big hindrance to the overall enjoyment of the plot.
May 6, 2017
Yowzah!!!
Darn you Bella Andre, you made me cry!!!
Bless you Bella Andre, you took me deep enough into a book for a HUGE emotional cry!!! I do not know which story made me cry more Sarah and Calvin, or Olive and Carlos. What do I mean by “which story”? Sorry, you will need to read the book to find out.
I really LOVE the second chance love story of Calvin and Sarah. The angst of feelings throughout the whole story, wow! One of my favorite lines in the book: “It’s okay to be scared, pretty Olive. But life is unpredictable. Don’t wait too long to take a risk.” Well, that is the biggest hint I will be giving about the other story.
Thank you, Ms. Andre for this spectacular, emotional, thought provoking roller coaster ride of a story.
And after reading the sneak peek at the end, I cannot wait for Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, book 2 in this Summer Lake series.
I was gifted with a copy of this wonderful story for my honest opinion.
Bella Andre has done it yet again, penned a phenomenal story!!!
Thank you for reading my review.
Darn you Bella Andre, you made me cry!!!
Bless you Bella Andre, you took me deep enough into a book for a HUGE emotional cry!!! I do not know which story made me cry more Sarah and Calvin, or Olive and Carlos. What do I mean by “which story”? Sorry, you will need to read the book to find out.
I really LOVE the second chance love story of Calvin and Sarah. The angst of feelings throughout the whole story, wow! One of my favorite lines in the book: “It’s okay to be scared, pretty Olive. But life is unpredictable. Don’t wait too long to take a risk.” Well, that is the biggest hint I will be giving about the other story.
Thank you, Ms. Andre for this spectacular, emotional, thought provoking roller coaster ride of a story.
And after reading the sneak peek at the end, I cannot wait for Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, book 2 in this Summer Lake series.
I was gifted with a copy of this wonderful story for my honest opinion.
Bella Andre has done it yet again, penned a phenomenal story!!!
Thank you for reading my review.
May 12, 2017
THE BEST IS YET TO COME is the first book in the Sullivans spin off series by Bella Andre. While you don’t need to have read the other series in order to understand this one, there are quite a few references to the other characters made throughout this book so I would just keep that in mind while reading it.As you can expect from Bella Andre, this book is filled with sweetness and charm. Set at Summer Lake in the Adirondacks, it definitely captures the summer feeling well. This book was actually previously published under a different pen name and title (HOME SWEET HOME) so to some, it might feel a little familiar. Andre sticks to what she is good at, keeping the storyline simple yet engaging.
This is a second-chance love story between Sarah and Calvin so there’s quite a lot of backstory to this couple. I was rooting for them from the very beginning and loved how the way they came back together. It was believable and didn’t feel forced.
I’m excited for this new series. While I love the Sullivans, it’s nice to be able to get something a little bit different from this author.
*ARC provided by author
Reviewed by Annie❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
May 22, 2017
Received a ARC for review.
I love Bella Andre and I love the Sullivans. I liked this book, but it wasn't awesome like the Sullivans. The female lead character was not very likable. I loved Calvin and I loved the town, but she just rubbed me the wrong way, only in the end she redeemed herself.
I just couldn't get her aversion to the town, it didn't make sense, I mean if you had a bad experience I could understand, but she had a wonderful childhood there and she had wonderful parents, so really didn't get her hostility towards the town.
But giving it 4 stars because I did like the story over all and I did like the ending. And I will read the next one in the series.
I love Bella Andre and I love the Sullivans. I liked this book, but it wasn't awesome like the Sullivans. The female lead character was not very likable. I loved Calvin and I loved the town, but she just rubbed me the wrong way, only in the end she redeemed herself.
I just couldn't get her aversion to the town, it didn't make sense, I mean if you had a bad experience I could understand, but she had a wonderful childhood there and she had wonderful parents, so really didn't get her hostility towards the town.
But giving it 4 stars because I did like the story over all and I did like the ending. And I will read the next one in the series.
February 10, 2019
Good read
A sweet second chance story set in the idyllic fictional Summer Lake we first visited with the NY Sullivans. Sarah and Calvin are reunited when Sarah returns to Summer Lake. She left for college and never returned. He stayed due to responsibilities. Recommended read
A sweet second chance story set in the idyllic fictional Summer Lake we first visited with the NY Sullivans. Sarah and Calvin are reunited when Sarah returns to Summer Lake. She left for college and never returned. He stayed due to responsibilities. Recommended read
May 20, 2017
The Best Is Yet To Come,
My god I hope so.
2 stars because Bella Andre is a great author.
the only good parts is calvin and jordan,the town is nice to.
and that is it
My god I hope so.
2 stars because Bella Andre is a great author.
the only good parts is calvin and jordan,the town is nice to.
and that is it
July 6, 2017
A new series from Bella Andre with some familiar characters but can definitely be read as a standalone.
Loved it. Great characters. Passion, love and romance at its best.
Cannot wait to read the next in the series.
4.5****
Loved it. Great characters. Passion, love and romance at its best.
Cannot wait to read the next in the series.
4.5****
August 20, 2018
Sweet romance. Pretty good read. I enjoyed it.
October 8, 2011
Andi and Nate have the perfect high school romance living in their small town of Emerald Lake. After finishing high school, Andi, driven by her state senator father, heads off for college in the big city. Despite the distance, Nate and Andi do a great job of maintaining their relationship.
When tragedy strikes Nate, Andi rushes home immediately to be by his side. Before she leaves, Nate asks her to make the ultimate sacrifice; to stay in Emerald Lake with him. Andi’s worked hard to get to the place she is now, and she’s resistant to throw away a future and dreams that she’s been waiting her whole life for. Though she loves him deeply, she refuses his plea and is devastated when he abruptly breaks up with her.
Ten years later, Andi works in Manhattan for a big real estate developing company. After the recent death of her father, Andi’s quality of work has decline and it doesn’t take long for her superior’s to notice. In a desperate act to save her dream job, she suggests the quaint small town she grew up in as the next site for development. Naturally, management loves it, and suddenly Andi finds herself on the road back home to not only convince the town population to let her come in and build luxury condo’s, but also convince Nate, who’s now the town mayor and a major advocate for the town, that their past is exactly that, the past. She doesn’t expect to fell the host of things she does not only for her town and family, but for the man she walked out on ten years ago
In a really good small town romance, the town is every bit a character as the character’s themselves. Think Robyn Carr’s Virgin River and Toni Blake’s One Reckless Summer . These series bring you right into the town and not only make you love the resident’s, but the uniqueness of the town and the memories and history that it holds. Home Sweet Home, I’m happy to say, falls right in line with these other great series. Although it did get off to a rocky start for me, (mostly because I wanted to smack the heroine upside the head) Bella Riley did an excellent job of creating Emerald Lake. Her imagery was breathtakingly beautiful and I could feel the history and memories leap up off the page
Nate is a hero I just want to wrap up in my arms and take him home to my Mama. This man has endured some major trials for his short almost thirty years, but despite his unfortunate past, he stands up and takes care of his family and his town in a way that had me swooning. He’s a little bit too beta for my standards, but a delicious hero all the same.
Andi and I got off to a rough start. I respect a woman who’s motivated and career driven, but there were so many times I wanted to smack this woman that I began to develop a nervous tick in my hand. I don’t think I’ve ever read a heroine who said more inappropriate things at inappropriate times EVER. Fortunately, I she came around and I was very satisfied with how things turned out in the end.
My favorite character in this book, hands down, was Andi’s grandmother, Evelyn. Bella Riley gives us a brief glimpse at the history behind Evelyn’s love life that was so touching. Evelyn is full of life and spunk and such an encouragement to Andi.
On a side note, I’ve never known what the big deal about knitting was. After reading this, and seeing how much of a part knitting played in this story (Andi’s mother and grandmother own a knitting store), the craft intrigues me in a whole new way.
Even though this story did get off to a slow start for me, I thoroughly enjoyed in and look forward to reading the next in this series!! Four stars!!
When tragedy strikes Nate, Andi rushes home immediately to be by his side. Before she leaves, Nate asks her to make the ultimate sacrifice; to stay in Emerald Lake with him. Andi’s worked hard to get to the place she is now, and she’s resistant to throw away a future and dreams that she’s been waiting her whole life for. Though she loves him deeply, she refuses his plea and is devastated when he abruptly breaks up with her.
Ten years later, Andi works in Manhattan for a big real estate developing company. After the recent death of her father, Andi’s quality of work has decline and it doesn’t take long for her superior’s to notice. In a desperate act to save her dream job, she suggests the quaint small town she grew up in as the next site for development. Naturally, management loves it, and suddenly Andi finds herself on the road back home to not only convince the town population to let her come in and build luxury condo’s, but also convince Nate, who’s now the town mayor and a major advocate for the town, that their past is exactly that, the past. She doesn’t expect to fell the host of things she does not only for her town and family, but for the man she walked out on ten years ago
In a really good small town romance, the town is every bit a character as the character’s themselves. Think Robyn Carr’s Virgin River and Toni Blake’s One Reckless Summer . These series bring you right into the town and not only make you love the resident’s, but the uniqueness of the town and the memories and history that it holds. Home Sweet Home, I’m happy to say, falls right in line with these other great series. Although it did get off to a rocky start for me, (mostly because I wanted to smack the heroine upside the head) Bella Riley did an excellent job of creating Emerald Lake. Her imagery was breathtakingly beautiful and I could feel the history and memories leap up off the page
Nate is a hero I just want to wrap up in my arms and take him home to my Mama. This man has endured some major trials for his short almost thirty years, but despite his unfortunate past, he stands up and takes care of his family and his town in a way that had me swooning. He’s a little bit too beta for my standards, but a delicious hero all the same.
Andi and I got off to a rough start. I respect a woman who’s motivated and career driven, but there were so many times I wanted to smack this woman that I began to develop a nervous tick in my hand. I don’t think I’ve ever read a heroine who said more inappropriate things at inappropriate times EVER. Fortunately, I she came around and I was very satisfied with how things turned out in the end.
My favorite character in this book, hands down, was Andi’s grandmother, Evelyn. Bella Riley gives us a brief glimpse at the history behind Evelyn’s love life that was so touching. Evelyn is full of life and spunk and such an encouragement to Andi.
On a side note, I’ve never known what the big deal about knitting was. After reading this, and seeing how much of a part knitting played in this story (Andi’s mother and grandmother own a knitting store), the craft intrigues me in a whole new way.
Even though this story did get off to a slow start for me, I thoroughly enjoyed in and look forward to reading the next in this series!! Four stars!!
May 6, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I am a big Bella Andre fan and I have read all her books. I am a BIG Sullivan fan and this story is the first in a series of books not about the Sullivans but rather the city the NY Sullivans live in called Summer Lake.
Its star is Calvin, who is the mayor and who we have met in the NY Sullivan stories. I totally loved him and was excited to read his story and meet his heroine.
The heroine is Sarah who left Calvin 10 years before and who is the daughter of the owner of the yarn store in town. This story has her romance but we also see her grandmother Olives love story from back in 1941.
This book is tough to rate. One I did not really care about Olive's love story. IT is with a man that was not even Sarah's relative and its not even told to Sarah, its more done through memories and shown to show how significant a carousel is to the town.The second is that I could not understand Sarah's choices.I just kept thinking she was a fool.
You see Sarah is in town for work. She wants to get rid of the carousel an build condos, which is why she cannot void Mayor Calvin and how they rekindle their previous relationship.
It is a well written story. I kind of felt the sex scenes were very tame for a Bella Andre book. I loved Jordan, Calvin's sister and I loved Calvin and I even loved Sarah's mom Denise.
My real stumbling block in loving this story was Sarah.Sarah feels her place in the world is her job and the big city and well I just could not understand that. Even the Mayor, Calvin was willing to move to be with her but she could not see that a job and a city, they do not make a life and so I had a really hard time reading her side of things. For most of the book I thought she was a fool and an idiot that she'd pick a place over love.
I am a big Bella Andre fan and I have read all her books. I am a BIG Sullivan fan and this story is the first in a series of books not about the Sullivans but rather the city the NY Sullivans live in called Summer Lake.
Its star is Calvin, who is the mayor and who we have met in the NY Sullivan stories. I totally loved him and was excited to read his story and meet his heroine.
The heroine is Sarah who left Calvin 10 years before and who is the daughter of the owner of the yarn store in town. This story has her romance but we also see her grandmother Olives love story from back in 1941.
This book is tough to rate. One I did not really care about Olive's love story. IT is with a man that was not even Sarah's relative and its not even told to Sarah, its more done through memories and shown to show how significant a carousel is to the town.The second is that I could not understand Sarah's choices.I just kept thinking she was a fool.
You see Sarah is in town for work. She wants to get rid of the carousel an build condos, which is why she cannot void Mayor Calvin and how they rekindle their previous relationship.
It is a well written story. I kind of felt the sex scenes were very tame for a Bella Andre book. I loved Jordan, Calvin's sister and I loved Calvin and I even loved Sarah's mom Denise.
My real stumbling block in loving this story was Sarah.Sarah feels her place in the world is her job and the big city and well I just could not understand that. Even the Mayor, Calvin was willing to move to be with her but she could not see that a job and a city, they do not make a life and so I had a really hard time reading her side of things. For most of the book I thought she was a fool and an idiot that she'd pick a place over love.
June 7, 2023
Calvin and Sarah are high school sweethearts and in love. Sarah, the daughter of a US Senator is headed to college. Calvin needs some time and money before he can head to school. Calvin’s mother recently had a baby girl but then died after her birth. One day he comes home to discover his father has committed suicide and his sister crying in her crib. Sarah comes home but now what? Is she suppose to drop out of college, become a mom? What will Calvin do?
Ten years later Calvin has raised his ten year old sister with the help of Summer Lake. He is also the mayor. Sarah works for a consulting company and has suggested Summer Lake to a builder with a condo plan. She heads home to present her plan to the city. She and Calvin, the mayor, butt heads. Not totally happy with her job she needs this plan to come together. Neither Calvin or Sarah have had an adult committed relationship. They only know and remember high school. But let’s have them jump into bed to continue to complicate the situation.
Truthfully I just wanted to put both Calvin and Sarah in a timeout. I get attraction and familiarity are still there. But they were kids and are now adults and I wanted to shake them. This storyline never works for me because I have to read through the angst and bluntly the BS until an apology is give, again and again. Snap your fingers and poof, they act like adults.
I have throughly enjoyed this series in the middle of the New York Sullivan’s. Two books have also mentioned Calvin and Sarah and wondered what happened to them. All good. Next book, please.
Ten years later Calvin has raised his ten year old sister with the help of Summer Lake. He is also the mayor. Sarah works for a consulting company and has suggested Summer Lake to a builder with a condo plan. She heads home to present her plan to the city. She and Calvin, the mayor, butt heads. Not totally happy with her job she needs this plan to come together. Neither Calvin or Sarah have had an adult committed relationship. They only know and remember high school. But let’s have them jump into bed to continue to complicate the situation.
Truthfully I just wanted to put both Calvin and Sarah in a timeout. I get attraction and familiarity are still there. But they were kids and are now adults and I wanted to shake them. This storyline never works for me because I have to read through the angst and bluntly the BS until an apology is give, again and again. Snap your fingers and poof, they act like adults.
I have throughly enjoyed this series in the middle of the New York Sullivan’s. Two books have also mentioned Calvin and Sarah and wondered what happened to them. All good. Next book, please.
October 9, 2011
In one word--Wonderful
Home Sweet Home is a story of going home only Andi Powell has ulterior motives. I really have to say I didn't like Andi at all. She came across as one of the coldest excuses of woman I have read. Her priorities are just all wrong for me from her younger years when she turned her back on Nate when he needed her so badly up until present day when she bounces back into her hometown head strong on trying to make huge changes to a place she left ten years ago and expecting folks including her own family to just step aside and not question her.
On the other hand I adored Nate who took on a huge responsibility when he was too young to really have to and he went on to become mayor of the beautiful town of Emerald Lake. He deserves a good woman in his life and I so totally felt he was to dang good for Andi.
Bella has created a wonderful town that makes you just wanna hop in your car and take off even if for just a weekend getaway and the hometown folks remind me of most small town people who know everybody and everything about each others business but who are usually always there when needed. I do eventually come around on Andi but not until towards end of story when she quit acting like a horses......well you know what I mean.
Home Sweet Home is a story of going home only Andi Powell has ulterior motives. I really have to say I didn't like Andi at all. She came across as one of the coldest excuses of woman I have read. Her priorities are just all wrong for me from her younger years when she turned her back on Nate when he needed her so badly up until present day when she bounces back into her hometown head strong on trying to make huge changes to a place she left ten years ago and expecting folks including her own family to just step aside and not question her.
On the other hand I adored Nate who took on a huge responsibility when he was too young to really have to and he went on to become mayor of the beautiful town of Emerald Lake. He deserves a good woman in his life and I so totally felt he was to dang good for Andi.
Bella has created a wonderful town that makes you just wanna hop in your car and take off even if for just a weekend getaway and the hometown folks remind me of most small town people who know everybody and everything about each others business but who are usually always there when needed. I do eventually come around on Andi but not until towards end of story when she quit acting like a horses......well you know what I mean.
July 9, 2017
The Best Is Yet To Come Sarah Barstow comes from a family of extraordinary women, but somewhere along the way she lost the strength to back it up. She left home to find herself and wound up losing more than she could have ever dreamed. Calvin Vaughn has seen his share of tragedies. From losing his parents in the most heartbreaking of ways to finding out that sometimes love, may just not be enough. In his darkest moments, his brightest light of hope was his precious sister that gave him the will to move forward and build a secure life for her. But when love calls his name, will he heed the call of his broken heart and first love? In order to build a future, you must face your past. We live, we learn and we move on. Bella Andre writes stories that trigger many emotions all at once. The Best is Yet to Come is like taking a blind leap of faith and gaining a reward on the other side. Remarkable story.
Read
May 31, 2015The characters and plot did not engage me. I skimmed ahead to see if there were any story elements that would keep me interested but there were not. I love small town stories that have a very modern feel, yet this one didn't. There was also a lot of knitting metaphors which I didn't really relate to (though the knitting needles and wool on the cover should have given me a clue this plays a big part in the book). The heroine knitting a thread of hair into the hero's sweater was also a bit strange.
I think readers of sweet romances will enjoy this book but anyone looking for a contemporary romance with a bit of punch should give this a miss.
I think readers of sweet romances will enjoy this book but anyone looking for a contemporary romance with a bit of punch should give this a miss.
May 10, 2023
Read it for my buzzword challenge. Didn’t like her. At all. Way to selfish, always about her and what she wants, even when the person she loved lost both his parents within months and is left to care for his baby sister. It literally took her 3/4 of the book to realize she screwed up there, and worse, he kept forgiving her. The miscommunication was annoying. Saying he’s your best friend but not being there for him? Sorry, but no. Wasn’t even turned around by the ending.
January 23, 2020
Not my favorite of Bella Andre's books. And now that I'm writing this review, I see there are two authors.
Just a bit repetitive for my taste. I like to read a book where the author assumes the reader has basic reading comprehension skills. I don't say that to be snarky, but I just don't need things repeated to me throughout the entire novel.
Just a bit repetitive for my taste. I like to read a book where the author assumes the reader has basic reading comprehension skills. I don't say that to be snarky, but I just don't need things repeated to me throughout the entire novel.
October 18, 2011
3 ½ stars – Contemporary Romance
May 10, 2017
Original review: A Novel Glimpse
Note: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an unbiased review.
I was excited to have the chance to read Bella Andre's newest Sullivans spin-off, The Best Is Yet to Come. I've always been a fan of the Sullivan family and their friends. In The Best Is Yet to Come, we get to know Calvin from the New York Sullivans series better.
Years ago, Sarah and Calvin were more than just lovers. They were everything to each other. When an unforeseen tragedy struck, their futures and relationship were forever changed. Ten years later, they get a second chance when Sarah returns home to Summer Lake.
The Best Is Yet to Come was a sweet second chance romance. Written in third person, the story rotates between Sarah and Calvin's perspectives. Neither has been the same since they broke up. Both have matured and grown stronger as individuals, but they've never healed from the scars of their break up. I enjoyed how they dealt with their past issues, and made new discoveries about each other. Calvin and Sarah were definitely a match made in contemporary romance heaven.
Calvin and Sarah's relationship wasn't the only romance in this story, though. The story also takes the reader back to Sarah's grandmother Olive's past. She tells the story of her first love, Carlos. Sarah is startled by her grandmother's tale, since it's not about her grandfather. What Sarah learns from her grandmother's story helps her discover what her future holds. I loved what Olive's history added to Sarah's story. It almost gave this book more of a women's fiction/mystery feel.
So here's my one complaint about The Best Is Yet to Come. I love contemporary romance series. The Sullivans is one of my favorite ones. I like that Bella Andre has made not one but two spin-offs for the series. My problem is that I'm starting to feel bogged down by all the name dropping of old characters in newer books. This happened to me with The Best Is Yet to Come. Referencing the old characters when they have no part in the new story felt out-of-place to me. If they're not impacting the new romance/story in some way, they probably don't need to be mentioned. I know I'm probably in the minority with this opinion, but I just couldn't help but mention it.
The Best Is Yet to Come was what I would call a great traditional contemporary romance. Everything about this book was sweet and subtle. The characters had their flaws, but found their happiness by rediscovering each other. Fans of Bella Andre's are sure to love this book.
Note: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an unbiased review.
I was excited to have the chance to read Bella Andre's newest Sullivans spin-off, The Best Is Yet to Come. I've always been a fan of the Sullivan family and their friends. In The Best Is Yet to Come, we get to know Calvin from the New York Sullivans series better.
Years ago, Sarah and Calvin were more than just lovers. They were everything to each other. When an unforeseen tragedy struck, their futures and relationship were forever changed. Ten years later, they get a second chance when Sarah returns home to Summer Lake.
The Best Is Yet to Come was a sweet second chance romance. Written in third person, the story rotates between Sarah and Calvin's perspectives. Neither has been the same since they broke up. Both have matured and grown stronger as individuals, but they've never healed from the scars of their break up. I enjoyed how they dealt with their past issues, and made new discoveries about each other. Calvin and Sarah were definitely a match made in contemporary romance heaven.
Calvin and Sarah's relationship wasn't the only romance in this story, though. The story also takes the reader back to Sarah's grandmother Olive's past. She tells the story of her first love, Carlos. Sarah is startled by her grandmother's tale, since it's not about her grandfather. What Sarah learns from her grandmother's story helps her discover what her future holds. I loved what Olive's history added to Sarah's story. It almost gave this book more of a women's fiction/mystery feel.
So here's my one complaint about The Best Is Yet to Come. I love contemporary romance series. The Sullivans is one of my favorite ones. I like that Bella Andre has made not one but two spin-offs for the series. My problem is that I'm starting to feel bogged down by all the name dropping of old characters in newer books. This happened to me with The Best Is Yet to Come. Referencing the old characters when they have no part in the new story felt out-of-place to me. If they're not impacting the new romance/story in some way, they probably don't need to be mentioned. I know I'm probably in the minority with this opinion, but I just couldn't help but mention it.
The Best Is Yet to Come was what I would call a great traditional contemporary romance. Everything about this book was sweet and subtle. The characters had their flaws, but found their happiness by rediscovering each other. Fans of Bella Andre's are sure to love this book.
May 9, 2017
Sarah Bartow and Calvin Vaughn were best friends and lovers in high school. They head off to different colleges with the intention of staying together. Instead, when his dad commits suicide two months after his mom dies giving birth to his sister, he stays home to raise her. Sarah continues on, gets her degree and moves to the big city to follow her dream career.
Now ten years later, Calvin is Mayor of their small town, Summer Lake. His sister is 10, and thriving. The whole town pitched in to help him raise her. He is still single.
Sarah has the career she’s dreamed about. However, in the last year since her father died, she’s struggled to keep up. She returns home in a last ditch effort to revitalize that career by trying to convince the town they need to build waterfront condos for vacationers and retirees looking to downsize.
Sarah’s mom, Denise, and grandmother, Olive, own and operate a knitting shop. They sell yarn, give lessons and hold a knitting group every Monday evening. Sarah never felt like she belonged at the store, so when she is thrust into running it when her grandmother becomes ill, she struggles to handle all the emotions she’s feeling, including her daddy issues.
When Calvin and Sarah meet again after 10 years, they discover they are still attracted to and have feelings for one another. Circumstances haven’t changed though. Calvin still wants to remain in their small town and Sarah’s career is in the city. Calvin is a great guy, giving back to the community who has given so much to him and his sister. However, he has some issues he needs to work through even though he doesn’t realize it.
This small town is a tight community. You can feel their connections. I loved Olive.
I did find it hard to believe a 28 year old man would be elected Mayor, even having to grow up as quickly as he did. I also got frustrated with Sarah a few times, but she figures it out in the end.
I enjoy Bella Andre’s book because she has the ability to draw you into her stories, make you feel like you want to belong to the community, make you run through the gamut of emotions and leave you anticipating the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by the author.
Now ten years later, Calvin is Mayor of their small town, Summer Lake. His sister is 10, and thriving. The whole town pitched in to help him raise her. He is still single.
Sarah has the career she’s dreamed about. However, in the last year since her father died, she’s struggled to keep up. She returns home in a last ditch effort to revitalize that career by trying to convince the town they need to build waterfront condos for vacationers and retirees looking to downsize.
Sarah’s mom, Denise, and grandmother, Olive, own and operate a knitting shop. They sell yarn, give lessons and hold a knitting group every Monday evening. Sarah never felt like she belonged at the store, so when she is thrust into running it when her grandmother becomes ill, she struggles to handle all the emotions she’s feeling, including her daddy issues.
When Calvin and Sarah meet again after 10 years, they discover they are still attracted to and have feelings for one another. Circumstances haven’t changed though. Calvin still wants to remain in their small town and Sarah’s career is in the city. Calvin is a great guy, giving back to the community who has given so much to him and his sister. However, he has some issues he needs to work through even though he doesn’t realize it.
This small town is a tight community. You can feel their connections. I loved Olive.
I did find it hard to believe a 28 year old man would be elected Mayor, even having to grow up as quickly as he did. I also got frustrated with Sarah a few times, but she figures it out in the end.
I enjoy Bella Andre’s book because she has the ability to draw you into her stories, make you feel like you want to belong to the community, make you run through the gamut of emotions and leave you anticipating the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by the author.
August 29, 2023
Long winded and to be truthful, it is hard to like Sarah. Sarah just grated on me from the beginning and her attitude was awful.
A pity as I really liked Calvin in other stories he’s participated in and was eager to read about his lost love we’d heard mention of.
These two together still felt like they were adolescents rather than adults.
Spewing vitriol at each other may have cleared the air but it also proved they should never have been a pair.
I honestly hoped they wouldn’t get back together.
Sarah is selfish and has no redeeming qualities for most of this book.
She comes to the lake under false pretences to start with, then basically entices Calvin to meet for a catch up, then ambushes him about the condo plans. She gets hurt feelings when he calls her on her BS.
Sarah seems to use people and situations for her best gain and has a real daddy issue going on.
We also get an older back story about Sarah’s grandmother and her first love thrown in too, which threw me.
Calvin did nothing wrong. But he kept apologising, which annoyed me.
He grew up pretty much overnight when he lost both parents, separately and in such terrible ways, and decided to raise his baby sister single handedly.
Sarah, his love, his supposed everything, decided to continue pursuing her own dreams rather than support her lover and best friend. Not even by long distance did she help him with the awful and overwhelming situation he was in.
Yes, she says Calvin told her to go and never contacted her, but crickey, he’d just had everything in his young life stuffed up beyond belief and has a one month old baby sister to look after.
I think I’d have been happier if Calvin had been in at least one soIid committed relationship in ten years, but he seems to have not done so.
Total disappointment for me that Calvin ends up back with Sarah.
I originally rated this two stars but after thinking it over realised my dislike of Sarah clouded my decision.
A pity as I really liked Calvin in other stories he’s participated in and was eager to read about his lost love we’d heard mention of.
These two together still felt like they were adolescents rather than adults.
Spewing vitriol at each other may have cleared the air but it also proved they should never have been a pair.
I honestly hoped they wouldn’t get back together.
Sarah is selfish and has no redeeming qualities for most of this book.
She comes to the lake under false pretences to start with, then basically entices Calvin to meet for a catch up, then ambushes him about the condo plans. She gets hurt feelings when he calls her on her BS.
Sarah seems to use people and situations for her best gain and has a real daddy issue going on.
We also get an older back story about Sarah’s grandmother and her first love thrown in too, which threw me.
Calvin did nothing wrong. But he kept apologising, which annoyed me.
He grew up pretty much overnight when he lost both parents, separately and in such terrible ways, and decided to raise his baby sister single handedly.
Sarah, his love, his supposed everything, decided to continue pursuing her own dreams rather than support her lover and best friend. Not even by long distance did she help him with the awful and overwhelming situation he was in.
Yes, she says Calvin told her to go and never contacted her, but crickey, he’d just had everything in his young life stuffed up beyond belief and has a one month old baby sister to look after.
I think I’d have been happier if Calvin had been in at least one soIid committed relationship in ten years, but he seems to have not done so.
Total disappointment for me that Calvin ends up back with Sarah.
I originally rated this two stars but after thinking it over realised my dislike of Sarah clouded my decision.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2017
Sarah Barstow and Calvin Vaughn grew up in Summer Lake in the Adirondacks and were so in love. Sarah went off to college and Calvin stayed in Summer Lake to help his father raise his baby sister since his mother sided in child birth. One day Sarah got an upsetting call from Calvin telling her that he walked in his home and found his father dead as he shot himself. Sarah came straight home to be with Calvin. Calvin asked her to postpone school a year to help him, but she said she couldn't. Calvin was so upset that he told her to leave and it was over.
Sarah had always been close to her father who was a senator of New York. She always did everything to make him proud of her. Her had a heart attack and died. It was ten years since she had come back for any length of time to Summer Lake. She was there now for her job to try to sell the town on building condos around the lake for her client. She was scared to see Calvin again as she was still in love with him, but knew they couldn't be together. She wasn't sure if the town, let alone Calvin would approve of the condos.
I loved that Sarah had to finally grow up and realize that some of the things she thought were true about her and her life wasn't really true. She loved her mother and grandmother very much and had a chance to grow closer. Calvin has always been loved by everyone in town and is such a great guy. He has been raising his sister for the past ten years by himself and she is such a sweetheart. Their small town sounds like such a wonderful place to live, at least I would like to live there! Bella Andre has such a wonderful way with words and telling a story that you don't want to put the book down. I can feel everything that the characters are feeling. This is such a beautiful love story. I strongly encourage you to read the book. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
Sarah had always been close to her father who was a senator of New York. She always did everything to make him proud of her. Her had a heart attack and died. It was ten years since she had come back for any length of time to Summer Lake. She was there now for her job to try to sell the town on building condos around the lake for her client. She was scared to see Calvin again as she was still in love with him, but knew they couldn't be together. She wasn't sure if the town, let alone Calvin would approve of the condos.
I loved that Sarah had to finally grow up and realize that some of the things she thought were true about her and her life wasn't really true. She loved her mother and grandmother very much and had a chance to grow closer. Calvin has always been loved by everyone in town and is such a great guy. He has been raising his sister for the past ten years by himself and she is such a sweetheart. Their small town sounds like such a wonderful place to live, at least I would like to live there! Bella Andre has such a wonderful way with words and telling a story that you don't want to put the book down. I can feel everything that the characters are feeling. This is such a beautiful love story. I strongly encourage you to read the book. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
May 5, 2017
Two love stories being delivered at the same time. One in the present, one in the past. Can the lessons learned in the past prevent tragedy in the present?
Sarah Bartow has come home to Summer Lake. Not for her family or the past but because of her job. During a meeting with a client, Sarah brought up her hometown. Now she's supposed to sell the small town on building condos. Of course the new mayor & head of the architectural review board has to be the boy she left behind, Calvin Vaughn.
Calvin gave up everything to raise his sister in their small town after his father committed suicide. He thought his girl friend would realize this was more important than going away to college & stay with him. The impatience & stubbornness of youth - it had to be stay or go. There was no compromise. Now she's in town again. Could Sarah want to pick back up where they left off?
Bella Andre has created an entire series around offshoots of one family, the Sullivan's. In this spin-off, Summer Lake was the site of Smith Sullivan's wedding. In this series, we get to learn the stories of the town's inhabitants & get introduced to another great group of characters. I can already tell that Olive, Sarah's grandmother, is going to be one of my favorites! Summer Lake is a typical small town where everyone knows each other's business, sticks their nose in it & looks out for each other.
This book was an emotional read from the beginning. Sarah starts out shaken from the death of her beloved father. Her strength & drive seem to have deserted her. She comes home & realizes her mother is tired & not dealing with the loss well while her grandmother is ill & suddenly seems old. Calvin has never gotten over his father's suicide & what he felt was his girlfriends betrayal. He can't seem to move forward. I cried, laughed, & lost my heart in this one!
Sarah Bartow has come home to Summer Lake. Not for her family or the past but because of her job. During a meeting with a client, Sarah brought up her hometown. Now she's supposed to sell the small town on building condos. Of course the new mayor & head of the architectural review board has to be the boy she left behind, Calvin Vaughn.
Calvin gave up everything to raise his sister in their small town after his father committed suicide. He thought his girl friend would realize this was more important than going away to college & stay with him. The impatience & stubbornness of youth - it had to be stay or go. There was no compromise. Now she's in town again. Could Sarah want to pick back up where they left off?
Bella Andre has created an entire series around offshoots of one family, the Sullivan's. In this spin-off, Summer Lake was the site of Smith Sullivan's wedding. In this series, we get to learn the stories of the town's inhabitants & get introduced to another great group of characters. I can already tell that Olive, Sarah's grandmother, is going to be one of my favorites! Summer Lake is a typical small town where everyone knows each other's business, sticks their nose in it & looks out for each other.
This book was an emotional read from the beginning. Sarah starts out shaken from the death of her beloved father. Her strength & drive seem to have deserted her. She comes home & realizes her mother is tired & not dealing with the loss well while her grandmother is ill & suddenly seems old. Calvin has never gotten over his father's suicide & what he felt was his girlfriends betrayal. He can't seem to move forward. I cried, laughed, & lost my heart in this one!
February 12, 2018
The Best Is Yet To Come (*reprint see below) is the first book in the Summer Lake spinoff of the Sullivan series by Bella Andre. I’ve had this book on my kindle for a while but it got shuffled back into the pack with each new download. I have been a fan of Bella Andre for a few years but this novel left me wondering about the author.
The main characters are Calvin Vaughn and Sarah Bartow. We met Calvin in the first books in the New York Sullivan branch of the series. Sarah is his lost first love and someone he hasn’t been able to get over for 10 long years. Calvin is mayor of Summer Lake, a beautiful place in the Adirondack Mountains. He is raising his 10 year old sister after the death of their parents and running Summer Lake to the best of his ability.
Sarah Bartow left Summer Lake 10 years ago for the city. She was reaching for the proverbial brass ring to get successes in life and ultimately please her father. After the unexpected loss of her Dad less than a year ago she hasn’t had the same drive she once possessed. A new job project she pitches brings her back to Summer Lake and all those she left behind.
After reading all the Sullivan series books, this Summer Lake spin off (Book 1 and 2) both felt removed from the writing style of Bella Andre I've come to know and love. After a little investigation I found that this is actually a reprint (and slight rewrite) of a book written by Bella Andre as Bella Riley titled Home Sweet Home (Emerald Lake #1). Without having read either Emerald Lake novels I feel like this explains why I felt so disconnected with this book. Although I liked it overall I felt it didn’t pull me in totally like all the other Sullivan books had. The writing style was definitely different for me with flashbacks and abrupt story line changes that left me scratching my head at times.
The main characters are Calvin Vaughn and Sarah Bartow. We met Calvin in the first books in the New York Sullivan branch of the series. Sarah is his lost first love and someone he hasn’t been able to get over for 10 long years. Calvin is mayor of Summer Lake, a beautiful place in the Adirondack Mountains. He is raising his 10 year old sister after the death of their parents and running Summer Lake to the best of his ability.
Sarah Bartow left Summer Lake 10 years ago for the city. She was reaching for the proverbial brass ring to get successes in life and ultimately please her father. After the unexpected loss of her Dad less than a year ago she hasn’t had the same drive she once possessed. A new job project she pitches brings her back to Summer Lake and all those she left behind.
After reading all the Sullivan series books, this Summer Lake spin off (Book 1 and 2) both felt removed from the writing style of Bella Andre I've come to know and love. After a little investigation I found that this is actually a reprint (and slight rewrite) of a book written by Bella Andre as Bella Riley titled Home Sweet Home (Emerald Lake #1). Without having read either Emerald Lake novels I feel like this explains why I felt so disconnected with this book. Although I liked it overall I felt it didn’t pull me in totally like all the other Sullivan books had. The writing style was definitely different for me with flashbacks and abrupt story line changes that left me scratching my head at times.
May 4, 2017
Return To Beloved Summer Lake
I am voluntarily reviewing an advanced reader copy of this book, The Best Is Yet To Come by Bella Andre.
I fell in love with Bella Andre's work with her first book in the Sullivan series, The Look Of Love, and that love has grown with each book of hers I've read. I've read other books she has written, besides the Sullivans and loved every one because they are so magnificently written. She is one of the few authors, whose books I will buy no matter how much they cost
(Don't tell my husband).
The Best Is Yet To Come is book #1 of The Summer Lake series, a spinoff of The Sullivans. It is the story of Calvin and Sarah's second chance at love. Ten years prior, Calvin was faced with a horrendous tragedy that no one should have to face and it almost destroyed him. Sarah was not there for Calvin when he needed her most and neither one of them has ever gotten over it. Now Sarah is back in Summer Lake for business and personal reasons that require her to see Calvin and she is hoping its doesn't blowup in her face. Seeing each other makes them both aware that they have unresolved issues between them that need to be addressed and dealt with before they can move on. It also becomes obvious that they still have feelings for each other besides anger, resentment and animosity.
Is there hope for a reconciliation between Calvin and Sarah? Can they let go of past hurts and open their hearts to love a second time? And what about the fact that Sarah is just in town for a couple weeks and plans to leave when her business is complete?
I am voluntarily reviewing an advanced reader copy of this book, The Best Is Yet To Come by Bella Andre.
I fell in love with Bella Andre's work with her first book in the Sullivan series, The Look Of Love, and that love has grown with each book of hers I've read. I've read other books she has written, besides the Sullivans and loved every one because they are so magnificently written. She is one of the few authors, whose books I will buy no matter how much they cost
(Don't tell my husband).
The Best Is Yet To Come is book #1 of The Summer Lake series, a spinoff of The Sullivans. It is the story of Calvin and Sarah's second chance at love. Ten years prior, Calvin was faced with a horrendous tragedy that no one should have to face and it almost destroyed him. Sarah was not there for Calvin when he needed her most and neither one of them has ever gotten over it. Now Sarah is back in Summer Lake for business and personal reasons that require her to see Calvin and she is hoping its doesn't blowup in her face. Seeing each other makes them both aware that they have unresolved issues between them that need to be addressed and dealt with before they can move on. It also becomes obvious that they still have feelings for each other besides anger, resentment and animosity.
Is there hope for a reconciliation between Calvin and Sarah? Can they let go of past hurts and open their hearts to love a second time? And what about the fact that Sarah is just in town for a couple weeks and plans to leave when her business is complete?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews