Peaceful Pastime : Refuge at Pine Lake Book Review + Giveaway

About the book

Refuge at Pine Lake
By Rose Chandler Johnson
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages
March 6th 2019 by Chanson Books

Robin Lancaster, a twenty-six-year-old former kindergarten teacher, has her summer and her life all figured out. She’s ready to be on her own, writing and illustrating her children’s stories at her family’s beloved lake house. Once there, she intends to rekindle a romance with Caleb Jackson, the area’s top hunting and fishing guide, and bag him for herself.

Complications arise from the start when Robin finds out her mother has rented the lake house to a man they know nothing about.

Matthew McLaughlin, forty-year-old widowed university professor and author from California, shows up at Pine Lake in crisis. A sabbatical might be his only hope to save much more than his career. He needs a place of refuge. Sharing the lake house with a lighthearted young woman and her dog is the last thing on his mind.

Caleb Jackson has his own plans. He’s used to things going his way, but a man staying in Robin’s house presents unforeseen challenges. When paths unavoidably tangle for these three, hearts are on the line.

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My thoughts:

Rose Chandler Johnson is a new to me author but it was the cover that caught my eye and after reading the description, I immediately knew it would be a book that I would enjoy reading. What I thought would be an enjoyable book actually became a book that I loved!

Robin Lancaster is a charming character although at first I had my doubts about her when she's determined to move to the family lake house for the summer knowing her mother had rented it to Matthew McLaughlin. I understood why Robin would want to spend her summer there since she was writing and illustrating her children's series. There was another deciding factor in her decision by the name of Caleb Jackson who she wanted to reconnect with.

Matthew the professor who is on a sabbatical quickly became one my favorite characters and his first few interactions with Robin are so sweet it just melted my heart. It isn't just the three main characters who made this such a good and fast read but the secondary characters were well developed, too. Did I like all of them? No ,I did not but they were interesting and important to the storyline. One of my other favorite characters was Charlie who became a good friend to Matthew and I looked forward to the time they spent together just as much as they did.

Overall, I loved this wonderfully crafted story with likeable characters and thought it flowed at a nice pace. I genuinely like the authors writing and will read more of her work and for those reasons, I recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Prism Book tours. I was under no obligation to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Rose Chandler Johnson is known for her heartwarming, inspirational writing. In addition to works of sweet contemporary fiction, her devotional journal, God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments won the Georgia Author of the Year Finalist Award in 2014.

In her novels, Rose brings to life fascinating characters with compelling relationships embracing family, community, and faith. In distinctive southern settings, Rose creates memorable stories that will stir your heart. Readers often say her writing warms the soul as it reaffirms belief in love and wholesome goodness. Don’t be surprised if you sigh with pleasure as you savor the final pages of her stories.

Rose has lived in a suburb of Augusta, GA for thirty plus years. Before retiring from Georgia’s school system, she taught English, French, and ESOL. Currently, she is an English instructor at a community college. In addition to reading and writing, Rose enjoys cooking, sewing, gardening, and spending time with her six children and her beautiful grandchildren.

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