Review of Up at Butternut Lake by Mary McNear

 Rating - 4

 After ten years away, Allie Beckett has returned to her family's cabin beside tranquil Butternut Lake, where as a teenager she spent so many carefree days. She's promised her five-year-old son, Wyatt, they will be happy there. She's promised herself this is the place to begin again after her husband's death in Afghanistan.

Allie and her son are embraced by the townsfolk, and her reunions with old acquaintances—her friend Jax, now a young mother of three with one more on the way, and Caroline, the owner of the local coffee shop—are joyous ones. And then there are newcomers like Walker Ford, who mostly keeps to himself—until he takes a shine to Wyatt . . . and to Allie. (Amazon Desc.)

McNear easily draws the reader in with likable characters, a beautiful setting, and an interesting plot. The romance between Allie and Walker is hot and problematic given the past issues both must overcome. The glimpse we see into Jax's life and Caroline's, leaves the reader wanting to know more about this interesting little town and the people who live there.