‘THE RED DOOR INN’: A COZY CONTEMPORARY NOVEL
The vibrant setting, lovable characters and sense of community support a gentle and memorable story in Liz Johnson’s The Red Door Inn.
There are some books that stick with you from the very first time you hear about them. This was one of those novels. From the moment the cover of The Red Door Inn made it debut, plus with its series title, I knew it’d be a story to suit my reading sensibilities.
STORY: The story is about Marie Carrington, a woman on the run from a past she cannot forget. As she nears Prince Edward Island, she befriends fellow traveler, Jack Sloane, a kindly older gentleman looking to make his deceased wife’s dream of a B&B happen. With some reluctance, Marie agrees to work for Jack as his interior decorator, and in exchange she finds herself a safe place to stay while she plans her future. While working with Jack, Marie also meets his nephew, Seth. A man embittered by heartbreak, Seth immediately recognizes something familiar in Marie. But he is distrustful of pretty faces—they always leave him—and Marie is on a hesitant journey of healing and second chances.
The Red Door Inn, by Liz Johnson | Book Review
The best stories combine the author’s nostalgia for something—a location, a character, a story arc—with new inspiration to become an entity of its own. Liz Johnson performs this perfectly in this cozy romance. Talented author that she is, Liz stepped outside the familiar comfort zone that most authors tend to write their characters into. The Canadian setting is already a unique idea, but moving it to Prince Edward Island (or PEI as these pages refer to it) is genius. Who among us doesn’t immediately think of Anne of Green Gables when we hear the very name? I know I do. The writing gives us a vivid visual armchair journey. To further reinforce the sense of nostalgia, Liz’s character, Marie is a fan of L.M. Montgomery.
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‘THE RED DOOR INN’: A COZY CONTEMPORARY NOVEL #bookarchives #BookReview Share on XSince Liz has won awards for many of her romantic suspense novels, this story was a kind of debut for her. As her first with Revell, The Red Door Inn is everything a “debut” should be and then some. The characters have interesting and heartbreaking pasts which are, for the majority of the story, fleshed out and well written. Unfortunately, I did think Marie’s process of healing came with too little fanfare and her journey reaching this pinnacle felt a bit too easy. This being said, she’s still a compelling heroine as are the characters who surround her. Not only are Marie and Seth’s “notes” to each other an adorable romantic device, this book also contains one of the most swoon-worthy, spark-infused first kisses I’ve read in a long time. The chemistry crackles on the pages as does the “near miss” in the pages preceding it.
The vibrant setting, lovable characters and sense of community support a gentle and memorable story in Liz Johnson’s The Red Door Inn. With each new page, this novel pulls me a little more into the lives of these characters.; by the time it’s trough, I’m wishing this isn’t only book one of a new series! I was ready to step back inside the comfort of The Red Door Inn where a fresh cup of coffee is sure to be waiting along with a warm cinnamon roll.
ABOUT the BOOK:
Author: Liz Johnson
Publisher: Revell
Publication Date: 2016
Source: Publisher Provided ARC
Find the Review Elsewhere: Goodreads | Life is Story
Find the Book Elsewhere: Goodreads
Series: Prince Edward Island Dreams #1
Genre: Fiction; Romance, Inspirational
Rating: 5 out of 5
Sincere thanks to the publisher for an ARC copy of this novel for the purpose of reviewing it. This review first appeared on Life Is Story.
Great review! I loved learning more about this book since I saw it in passing at the library a couple of weeks, ago and was intrigued by the title and the setting. It's going on my to-read list!
Hooray! I hope you enjoy it, Candice; it's a charming armchair adventure. :)
Eeek! Your review is making me even more eager to open the pages of this one! Especially your opinion of the quaint setting & great romantic chemistry.
This one is SO sweet, Courtney. Definitely a wonderful "relaxing" read – plus the "armchair" travelling was amazing. I always look for more journey novels that are literal. :)
I'm interested in this one but am not sure if I'll pick it up yet. What author/book would you compare her writing to? I'm curious…
:)
I understand that, Cassie. It's tough to pick and chose. Gosh… who would I liken Liz's style to? That's a great question! I don't feel like her writing is the same tone as authors like Becky Wade or Melissa Tagg, but it's not "dark" either. Maybe more along the lines of Hillary Manton Lodge? I feel like this story was more "practical" than swoony or comedic.
*Tries to think of other similar authors*
Maybe a comparison could be made to Johnnie Alexander's contemporary too. Or Katie Ganshert. :)