The Guestbook

By: Andrea Hurst

Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Guestbook: weaves together the heart of Nicholas Sparks' books, the romance of Nora Robert's work, and the charm of Debbie Macomber.

Fleeing her picture-perfect life among the privileged set and the wreckage of a failed marriage, Lily Parkins moves to the only place that still holds happy memories: her grandmother's farmhouse, now a converted B&B on the enchanting Madrona Island. After learning her grandmother has passed away, Lily is left with only an old guestbook as her guide - a curious book full of letters, recipes, and glimpses into her family history. She is determined to embrace her newfound independence and recreate herself, one page at a time.

With the help of quirky island residents, she finds the strength to follow her passion and culinary dreams. But as soon as she has sworn off men and is standing on her own two feet, Lily meets Ian, the alluring artist who lives next door, and her new life is suddenly thrown off course. The last thing she wants to do right now is fall in love. Ultimately, Lily must decide if it's worth giving up her soul for security or risk everything to follow her heart.

©2012 Andrea Hurst (P)2014 Andrea Hurst

Calming and happy

This book is full of comfort and happiness. The main character is trying to find peace after she finds out her marriage is ending. She finds her passion, romance, friendship, and peace by restoring the old Inn her grandmother used to own. I loved how vivid everything was in this book; from the emotions, to the scenery, to the recipes. It made you want to be a guest there and meet these people. I love stories like this.

A Delightful and Heartwarming Story of Renewal

The Guestbook is a warm and endearing story about a woman Lily leaving her failed marriage and finding hope and renewal at her grandmother's old bed and breakfast on Medrona Island in upstate Washington where the apples and the air are crisp and the people are friendly and accepting and the love is contagious. She meets so many new and wonderful friends such as Jude, outgoing and helpful, who owns the the Island Time Cafe. Kyla, quiet yet friendly and battling her own issues, who owns the Tea and Comfort shop. She meets and befriends her neighbor John who is an elderly man whose grandson Ian becomes Lily's love interest over time.
Lily finds her grandmother Maggie's old guestbook and initially finds a few cookie recipes inside it. She reads the entries written in the guestbook from the people who had stayed at the bed and breakfast over the years and always feels a sense of renewal afterwards. The guestbook keeps her moving forward with plans of re-opening the inn. The one thing she can't find though is her grandma Maggie's heavenly brownie recipe.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and pleasant and I would love to see a follow up book to The Guestbook. I would recommend this book for a great summer listen or read.
I also thought that Teri Schnaubelt did an absolutely terrific job with the characters in this book. All the characters were distinctly different and she had great flow in her performance. I look forward to more from her and the author Andrea Hurst.
I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.

Sweet story of woman seeking to heal and love

Would you consider the audio edition of The Guestbook to be better than the print version?

Good reader...yummy recipes at end.

Would you recommend The Guestbook to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, easy engrossing read. Best for women.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It was easy to take breaks.

Milk Toast

This was a pleasant story, in a pleasant setting, with build-ups that pleasantly went away. Like milk toast is pleasant on the digestion. Pleasant .

Nice story, but took awhile to listen

What did you like best about The Guestbook? What did you like least?

I liked that Lily (the Female lead) decided to find out more about who she is as a woman, and that it felt nostalgic.

Would you be willing to try another book from Andrea Hurst? Why or why not?

Yes, I would. The story was good, it did drag a bit through the middle. But overall I enjoyed the writing.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration did set the tone for the story, and matched it well.

Did The Guestbook inspire you to do anything?

It did make me realize that we are in charge of our own happiness. We chart our own course in life, and it's never too late to start over and live the life you want in order to bring you personal happiness!

Any additional comments?

I'd recommend this story for readers who like contemporary romance, that focuses more on the story, and not about the intimacy between two people. There is romance, but this is more of a coming into yourself story!

great book!

easy listen.... pleasant...happy story....loved it!! bonus: can't wait to try the recipes at the end!!!!

Good Book- nice read.

What did you love best about The Guestbook?

Presentation and added recipes- location description having lived in WA.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ian

Which scene was your favorite?

The getaway at the lodge

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not really- pretty mellow

Any additional comments?

The part about the secret was a little bit of a let down- could have had more of a punch to it.

Enjoyed

I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait to start on book 2 in this series. I thought it was well written and the descriptions made me feel like I was a part of the story. I loved that there wasn't foul language or explicit sex, so I didn't have to worry about who was around me when I was listening to it.

The Guest Book

Great story line !!! I listened to it thru Audio able.com S pleasure as always. I have found myself another Author to search for !!

Memories loved it!

Good book with lots of very friendly people and some not so nice. Even the not so nice had reasons. What made this a difficult book to read? It was crammed full of delicious food! It made me want to go find chocolate, and bake cookies. Oh and the wonderful sea food recipes. I am certain I gained 10 lbs reading it!