Review: The Country Guesthouse by Robyn Carr (audio)

Title: The Country Guesthouse

Author: Robyn Carr

Series: Sullivan’s Crossing, #5

Narrator: Therese Plummer

Published: January 2020, Recorded Books / MIRA

Length: 8 hours 37 minutes / 336 pages

Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print: (Hardcover) – Publisher via Little Bird Publicity

Summary: 

A summer rental, a new beginning…Hannah
Russell’s carefully crafted plans for her life have been upended
without warning. When her best friend died suddenly, Hannah became
guardian to a five-year-old named Noah. With no experience at
motherhood, she’s terrified she’s not up to the challenge. She and Noah
need time to get to know each other, so she decides to rent a country
house with stunning views on a lake in rural Colorado.

When they
arrive at the house, they are greeted by the owner, a handsome man who
promises to stay out of their way. But his clumsy Great Dane, Romeo, has
other ideas and Noah immediately bonds with the lovable dog. As Hannah
learns to become a mother, Owen Abrams, who is recovering from his own
grief, can’t help but be drawn out of his solitude by his guests.

But
life throws more challenges at this unlikely trio and they are tested
in ways they never thought possible. All three will discover their
strengths and, despite their differences, they will fight to become a
family. And the people of Sullivan’s Crossing will rally around them to
offer all of the support they need.

 

My thoughts: This
is the fifth book in Robyn Carr’s Sullivan’s Crossing series and I
have
to say, this series just keeps getting better and better. I just recently finished book 4, The Best of Us, and picking up this next one was pure delight. I adore this small town series, something I think Robyn Carr really has a knack for writing – I loved both her Virgin River and Thunder Point series.

I
really love this series and I love that familiar faces
pop up as the series goes on – it’s like visiting with old friends. You
get to find out how they are moving on, while still having the latest
book feature new characters. But with that being said, while it’s not necessary to read this series in order as each book really does stand on its own, if you don’t want any “spoilers” as to how certain characters end up together, I would read them in order.

This
latest installment centers around Hannah and Owen. They each have challenges from their past that has left them a bit wounded so to speak. Hannah now has a little boy, Noah in her charge and has come to Sullivan’s Crossing for some bonding time. She’s renting Owen’s place for a few weeks. Owen is typically not there when his place is rented out, but his latest trip was cancelled. Do you see where this is going? Of course, if you know this series, you know where it will ultimately end up, but again, it’s all about the journey and what a sweet journey it is. There is a bit of heartbreak here and but so many heartwarming moments as well.

I think what Robyn Carr really does well in this series is give us real, relatable people who are given real life challenges. I could easily imagine myself being put in Hannah’s position and having to change my life in an instant. How would I cope? What would I have to change to make things work? I love books that put me in situations where I can see myself and make me wonder how I would handle it but where I still enjoy the overall story.

I love this series and hope that Robyn Carr continues to keep writing it. If you enjoy women’s fiction, this is definitely one to pick up!





Audio thoughts: After listening to the previous book in this series, I decided I had to keep listening – Therese Plummer brings these books to life! She really has a way of understanding these characters and getting all their nuances, even the children. I’m glad I decided to go the audio route again as this was a delight to listen to and I hope if there are more books in this series, Therese Plummer continues to narrate them!

Books in this series:   

1. What We Find
2. Any Day Now
3. The Family Gathering 
4. The Best of Us
5. The Country Guesthouse