Lauren K. DentonThe Hideaway

Amazon always wants to know why the 5-star rating! Here are several good reasons: 1st ...there are no grammatical errors or typos. I know that sounds odd to mention, but I read copious numbers of books each year. Many of them are not edited well and there are enough errors to be distracting....not this book! Thank you for such careful editing. 2nd: a very well-developed storyline. The plot and the idea are always clear and very interesting to follow...enjoyable because there is no "muddy" part...all fits together to create a beautiful story that actually made me the reader, feel invested in the outcome . 3rd: character development is superb. Each person is so vivid and fits into the story perfectly. I loved this book because it is a real novel...not a simple book that is weak and short. This is your first book Lauren? Wow! You have what it takes. This as good as it gets....at least by my definition. Thank you for giving me a wonderful few hours to be lost in the pleasure of an excellent read.

I loved this book. It is a story of love and loss and coming on the other side stronger and wiser. The characters are very relatable and believable. This was the first novel by this author but was written like a seasoned writer. I appreciated the wholesome way she chose to write this love story and if she gives in to the pressure to write smut I will no longer be a fan. Recommend to anyone who loves romance novels with unexpected plot twists and turns. Bravo! A must read!

I loved, loved, loved this book. The story that's told is kind of unique and tells how a woman runs away from a bad marriage in a time when society thought a woman should quietly stay in her place while her husband cheated. The story unfolds as Sara Jenkins (a successful shop owner in the French Quarter of New Orleans) receives notice her grandmother "Mags" has passed away, leaving her a ramshackled B&B (The Hideaway) in Sweet Bay, Alabama. Raised by Mags after the death of her parents, Sara, feels an obligation to go back to the old place, but has no intention of keeping it.One of the conditions of the will is that Sara return the old house to its original glory. Part hippie, part eccentric beach bum, Mags was never what could be considered an conventional grandmother and some of the outrageous outfits and hats she wore embarrassed Sara as a child ... that's the reason she left. So, in Sara's mind, it's only a case of taking care of whatever needs to be done before putting the old relic on the market to be sold. However, once she arrives, she realizes there's a lot more to the house than she remembered or ever imagined. When she discovers a hidden box that belonged to her grandmother, Sara goes on a journey she never imagined undertaking as she learns the real story of her grandmother and what she was running from.I couldn't help but be caught up in Mag's story and appreciate how brave she was to set out on her own. This is a very moving story and sad in places. I highly recommend it.

I chose this book for my Christian book club. I was aghast that this book is considered Christian Fiction. It isn't until Chapter 39 that anything "Christian" appears in the book and then it is rather sarcastic, perfunctory, and a non-event. One of the main characters trails off to bed right after meeting a man. There are no underlying Christian values nor overtly espoused Christian values in this book. It is a secular book in Christian clothing.

I wish I could give this book four stars, but the legal real estate parts are so wrong that I can't get past it. I know it added drama to the story but the author should have done a better job of learning the law. The ending was somewhat obvious but that didn't detract from it being a good story. Probably a solid 3 and a half star offering in my opinion.

It's not often that I can classify a book as "an experience," but this one truly fits the bill.I felt at home in the clear, painterly descriptions of this novel; I could see myself walking beneath those mossy oaks, meandering in the back garden, and inhaling the fresh air of the bay. Upon finishing the story, I felt as though I just returned from a lovely vacation, thoroughly refreshed from my charming, immersive stay in this sweet Southern town.The primary locale of the book, the Hideaway, deserves mention as a character of its own right. The Hideaway is filled to the brim with secrets, and it bursts with a transformative energy, as it too is transformed.As a bridge between past and present, the Hideaway enriches the inner lives of a grandmother and granddaughter who both come to know it on their own terms. I enjoyed the parallel storylines in this book, and found these narratives to hit just the right balance of depth and lightness - illuminating the needs and desires of these two women, while revealing their quirks and - yes, even their playful sides, in a beautiful ode to the human experience.This book may cause you to look a little deeper at yourself, as you examine what you really want in your life. This book may also inspire you to look a little deeper at others - including the elderly generation, whose rich and important tales deserve to be told.

I read this book in a few days. It was easy to read if perhaps a bit predictable. It reminds me of a slightly cheesy hallmark movie but for something to sit back and relax with it was ideal. I enjoyed the uncomplicated storyline.

I loved this book, it is a really good read. I got lost in the setting and the main characters. Although it dIdn't make me cry it was sad. I thoroughly recommend. Can't wait for her next novel.

Good holiday read.

The Hideaway wasn't the book I expected, one does have expectations on a storyline that is described on the back cover... I read with amazement. I was drawn in quietly, almost shyly, from the first page and the words that the author wrote didn't leave me until I read the last word. And not even then.Lauren K. Denton is a author whose books I will be watching out for. I found that her powers of characterization simply amazing. She didn't just characterize just people but also the house and Sweet Bay, where the house was located. I loved the diversity of all the people she wrote about and could actually picture them, hear them speaking. I also adored the descriptions of the Hideaway (the house) and the surrounding area, all my senses came alive.While I realize that this simple but powerful story will not be for everyone, for those who come to this book and loves it like I do, it will be a comfortable hideaway.

I disliked this book.I did not know from reading the first page that her story was written in the first person.I never buy these kind of books.I’m on the old side of age, never ever bought this type of book.Extremely extremely angry and sad that I did not know this.I am now afraid to order any book from you...and I’m a darn good customer.