The Cottage at Firefly Lake: Firefly Lake, Book 1

Gilroy’s debut contemporary is packed with potent emotions. Worldly reporter Charlotte “Charlie” Gibbs is back in Firefly Lake, Vt., to sell her parents’ summer home after her mother’s death, and to try to heal from a devastating accident incurred in the line of duty. Sean Carmichael has never left Firefly Lake or gotten over his summer fling with Charlie 18 years ago, though she left him for reasons unknown. Now he’s a divorced father with a teenage son and is running Carmichael’s, the family’s long-established boating business. When a large foreign developer tries to buy the Gibbs cottage, Sean knows he’ll have to fight to preserve his way of life, but he can’t fight his feelings for Charlie. In the midst of this all, longtime secrets are revealed, bringing into question whether Charlie and Sean’s romance will flourish or remain a thing of the past. Gilroy’s protagonists tug at the heartstrings from the beginning of the story and don’t let go. The strong group of supporting characters includes Charlie’s sister, Mia, and her daughter, Naomi, whose stories are to be later told. Long on charm, this story invites readers to come in and stay a while. Agent: Dawn Dowdle, Blue Ridge Literary. (Feb.)