The Hideaway

Starred review from April 3, 2017
In this fine debut, Denton crafts a beautiful, heartbreaking story of true love that never dies. Margaret Van Buren was a young socialite growing up in post-war Alabama who married the man chosen for her. After enduring his unfaithfulness for years, she decided to flee to Sweet Bay, Ala. There she discovered the Hideaway, a B and B that became her refuge. Though Margaret longed for an “uncomplicated love,” instead she found a devastating love that changed her forever. Her life was a mystery to most, but her death opened up many secrets she had hidden. Margaret wills the Hideaway to her only granddaughter, Sara, with one request: that she refurbish the quaint B and B to its former glory. When Sara receives news of Margaret’s death and her ownership of the Hideaway, she is stunned. Leaving her New Orleans antique shop behind, she immediately begins work on the old house. During Sara’s extended visit to her childhood home, she longs to know the woman she had believed was eccentric, realizing that she had never bothered to look behind the protective wall that surrounded her grandmother. While cleaning out the attic, Sara discovers an old box that unveils many secrets of a Margaret she never truly knew. This book will please inspirational, contemporary, and historical fans alike. Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates

Starred review from March 15, 2017

Returning to Sweet Bay, AL, for the reading of her grandmother Mags's will, Sara Jenkins finds that she has inherited a B&B and its senior residents--but only if she promises to renovate the house. Sara is unsure she can carry out the terms of the will without losing her thriving business back in New Orleans. A box found in the attic reveals a side of her grandmother she never knew existed. A land grab by a tenacious developer reveals the path she needs to walk, and it is not in New Orleans. VERDICT Inspiring in tone, with well-drawn, appealing characters, Denton's delicious debut is a treat for the senses and the heart. Her exquisitely lyrical writing and character-driven story is a must-read, especially for those who loved Beth Moore's The Undoing of St. Sylvanus.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2017
Sara Jenkins is enjoying the busy life of a young entrepreneur running a successful antique shop in New Orleans. When her beloved grandmother Mags dies, Sara returns to Sweet Bay, Alabama, to the ramshackle B&B called the Hideaway that Mags and her quirky friends called home. Sara's hopes to quickly settle her grandmother's estate and return home are defeated when she discovers she has not only inherited the property but is charged with its complete renovation. As the new and improved Hideaway takes shape, Sara begins to discover the joys of life in Sweet Bay, including the attentions of a local contractor, and learns some surprising secrets about the grandmother she thought she knew. Denton's first novel charms readers with her idyllic settings and wonderful cast of characters, making Sweet Bay and the Hideaway places readers will dream about. The Hideaway is a deeply satisfying exploration of family, friendship, and the meaning of home.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)