So pumped that this book was about Teagan!! I loved her in the first Lakeside book so getting to know more about her and getting her story was perfect!

Teagan is such a relatable heroine for me. She has the biggest heart, and wants to make everyone happy. But what she doesn’t realize is what that costs her mentally and physically. She grew so much throughout this entire story and watching her navigate through her struggles was seriously inspiring.

And Aaron…holy hotness. That man has inner demons and is the broody bad boy with a reputation. But when he loves he loves hard, and we see a softer side of Aaron throughout this book.

This was a story that took me on a journey that I wasn’t expecting, but it was one of strength and determination, and I loved every minute of it. I think Teagan and Aaron are two of my favorite Helena characters. Their back and forth was hilarious and swoony at times, and the chemistry between these two was off the charts. This story had some seriously heart wrenching moments, but it’s so freaking good. This is one you don’t want to miss out on!

Teagan Firestone grew up as part of a wealthy family. She was the good girl, always doing her best to keep her family happy. When her dad moves on with his life, Teagan decides that maybe it's time to do the same. She goes to visit her brother, Van, and figure out what she wants to do.

Teagan meets her brother's contractor, Aaron. At first, Aaron wants nothing to do with her, thinking she is just another rich woman looking for a good time. When he sees who Teagan really is, things heat up between the two of them.
But Aaron has a past he keeps hidden from everyone.

As Teagan tries to find her place in Lakeside, she soon is taking on too many projects. She falls back into a bad habit of not being able to say no. Aaron too has to come to terms with his past as well. Both of these characters are good people who struggle hard with emotional issues.

This book will grab your heart and fill you with emotions. I really enjoyed this book.

There was a lot to love and unpack in this book! Aaron and Teagan have had very different lives, neither perfect or great, but they coped and got to this point. There are things below the surface, you can feel it there, and are desperate to itch at it and see what it is. There are also some things that are a bit troubling but seemingly under control. These two things combined made it hard for me to set this book down, I needed the answers, I needed to know how things worked out, I NEEDED these two to have their HEA full of sunshine and rainbows!!!! These were two very sweet, kind, and slightly flawed characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. Things did unfold and come to light, and it was nothing that I expected, and heartwrenchingly painful to go through. Aaron and Teagan, they had already won my heart before their pain was revealed, but they owned my soul by the time they got through to the other side. Beautiful, touching, sweet, and loving, that is what these characters are, and you can’t help but feel with them <3

I absolutely love the Town or Pearl Lake. This is the second book by Helena Hunting that is set in this town and opening this book felt like coming back to a familiar place again! I love all the people in this town and this book allowed us to get to know them even more since Teagan was so involved in the community and the different businesses. I would love for Pearl Lake to be a real place so I could visit it!

Teagan and Aaron's relationship was adorable! I loved the way that Aaron too care of Teagan. The couple blunders he made before he finally told her he was interested in her had me holding on knowing the reveal would be amazing! All in all this was a good book!

Love on the Lake is beyond amazing. I loved this one so much. I love we get a tad bit of a different writing style from Helena Hunting. We know her best for her romantic comedy. With Love on the Lake you still get that taste of humor, but you also get so much more. This book is heavy at times but oh so worth it. It is just that added twist that you needed when it comes to Teagan and Aaron. You got to know them a little in the first book of the series, Love Next Door. Teagan is Van's sister. She is the ray of sunshine who has that problem with saying no. Aaron is that grumpy guy who works for and is friends with Dylan. You feel the pull between Aaron and Teagan early on. Your heart may go through many stages when it comes to the secrets Aaron and Teagan hold. As you get to know Aaron and Teagan on a deeper level your heart reaches out to them. I love being back in the small town of Pearl Lake. It is everything I would want and then some when it came down to Teagan and Aaron. Helena Hunting stole a piece of my heart when it came to this one. I cannot wait for more to come in the Lakeside series. If you haven't had a chance to read this series yet, then you really need to. I'm so in love with this series and this book. Go one click this one now.

<b> “You can’t hide from your past, and you can’t let your past rule your future.” </b>

Love on the Lake packed an emotional punch that I wasn’t expecting. Aaron and Teagan’s story was not an easy one, but it was sooo good. I was completely immersed in both characters and loved watching their journey.

<b> “Because I feel like behind all that sunshine is some darkness. The kind of murky shadows that might match mine.” </b>

Teagan is a people pleaser and doesn’t know how to say no to anything. When she moves to Pearl Lake to figure out what to do with her life, she quickly finds herself with several jobs and a budding romance with Aaron. However, Teagan keeps herself so busy that she never fully copes with the issues in her life.

<b> “I want to fix all his broken pieces.” </b>

Aaron is gruff and unfriendly to Teagan at first, but he soon realizes there is more to Teagan than meets the eye. He is dealing with his own demons that result in him living a dual life and his reasons for doing so are absolutely heartbreaking.

<b> “I will love you even when you can’t love yourself.” </b>

<b> “And I will love you twice as much on the days when you find it hard to love yourself.” </b>

Both Aaron and Teagan were broken characters that needed to heal in order to fully be in a true relationship. This story was unexpectedly complex, raw, and painful and I don’t want to give too many details away because I want the reader to experience it for themselves. I will say that I loved how supportive and caring these characters were towards each other. They had a deep respect and friendship for each other that built the foundation of their relationship. Aaron especially was such a strong and supportive partner. He was willing to do anything to help Teagan even if it destroyed their relationship. Watching their journey was both inspirational and heartbreaking and I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Teagan is one strong complicated compassionate loving woman.
Aaron is one complicated man with a heart that is in pieces. They have an amazing connection and the chemistry between them is amazing. Teagan helps put Aaron back together. He doesn’t even realize how much she is needed until she needs him for her baggage. Loved the characters and the story. I was hooked from the start. Couldn’t wait to see where everyone was going.

*4 Stars*

ARC kindly received for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, and I definitely liked it more than the first in this series. I liked both our main characters and they both had hidden depths to them that were interesting to get to the bottom of as their journey progressed.

There were some twists I did not see coming, and Aaron and Teagan were a great couple. I enjoyed the small town vibes (I love a good small town book) and would be interested in seeing more from this world. Would recommend.

As one of my favorite authors, Helena Hunting is basically guaranteed to deliver a romance I'll love. I was highly anticipating Teagan and Aaron in Love on the Lake after reading Love Next Door.

After getting past their misconceptions of each other, Teagan and Aaron had a relatively easy breezy romance for the first half or so of the book. I enjoyed it.

THEN Helena brought the drama, angst, secrets. I went from not liking Aaron to really not liking Teagan. Aaron and his secrets were easier to understand, and the ultimate resolution was timely and done well.

Teagan's struggles were a bit more difficult for me. I only know about addiction peripherally. I realize it's a dark, ugly, treacherous thing, and it can bring out the absolute worst in people. Teagan was very difficult to like and understand when she went deep into her downward spiral with the lies, paranoia, rage, etc. BUT I think that goes to show what an excellent job Helena did portraying the complexities and darkness of addiction.

I do wish the timing had been different somehow. Teagan's struggles seemed to coalesce too close to the end. Then Aaron and Teagan seemed to be in such very different places, so the resolution felt a bit rushed. Even though it was months of time for Teagan to detox, go to therapy and be her own person, it occurred over a chapter or two.

Also, I didn't love that we didn't get as much of Aaron's POV.

I am hoping for more of these characters and this series though.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the author and publisher via NetGalley.***

A people pleaser (new to town and needing to prove herself worthy) and a mysterious playboy (longtime resident holding a big secret) meet. Unfortunately his secrets and her compliance make for an epic explosion. This book has a twist in the way that with first impressions, he comes off a bit gruff and almost has a bad guy vibe, but then roles reverse and she's the one who brings out the fangs. Of course all their behaviors are explained and they each redeem themselves. The characters are wonderfully written (their faults and all.) They have a realness about them... particularly her with her demons.. I'm sure there are many readers who will be able to relate. The story keeps your attention, as you can sense things are about to happen. While there are a few humorous moments, this book is more subdued. (It's not all sadness or anything, just not full of laughs.) There is sexual content, some which may be more suitable for mature readers. This is book two of the series (each can be read as a stand alone without any issues.) This one features the sister of the Hero from book one (Love Next Door,) and there is mention of things that happen in book one, so if you don't want any spoilers, you may want to read that book first. It alternates between POVs.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

This book definitely surprised me, and in the best way! Helena is known for her Angst and how she is able to weave emotions into just a few words. This book was no exception!

The second book in the Lakeside Series we have Teagan and Aaron who we met in the previous book. Both of these characters are so much more than what we see in the outer layer, with complex issues and secrets that they harbor inside. They fit so perfectly together, but I also loved that their relationship took work and wasn't just cookie cutter.

Helena is one of my favorite authors and there isn’t a time when I feel disappointed with her writing. This series is a departure from some of the rom-com books I know and love, but Helena writes heavy topics with talent and heart. This book is a great second novel (in a series of interconnected standalones) and covers topics like abandonment and addiction. It still has the sexy elements and steam and is a great dynamic between Teagan and Aaron. I can’t wait to read the next!

Love on the Lake is the second standalone book in the Lakeside series by Helena Hunting. Here we spend time with Teagan and Aaron and explore the dynamics of their relationship while overcoming their individual pasts. Their own relationship shows them both how to become the best versions of themselves through an emotional journey that leaves uncertainty for their future but never without love in their hearts. Once again Helena Hunting manages to give us a story that hits you right in the soul.

<b>Angsty and Healing Romance </b>

4.5 Stars

What you need to know about “Love on the Lake”:
✔ Return to the world of Pearl Lake
✔ Dual Point of View
✔ Grumpy x Sunshine Romance
✔ Teagan Firestone, Van’s (from Love Next Door) sister, 26
✔ Aaron Saunders, works construction with Dillion
✔ Enemies to Lovers Romance
✔ Lakeside #2
✔ Can be read as Complete Standalone but recommend reading “Love Next Door” first

Teagan Firestone is going through a bit of an existential crisis. This is due to the fact that after the fallout from the previous book in the series, “Love Next Door”, Teagan and her father have had to downsize their lives and reduce their previously lavish lifestyles. When Teagan’s Dad has his new girlfriend move in with them, Teagan decides to escape to Pearl Lake to visit her brother, Van and his fiancée, Dillion.

Teagan is realizing that she’s mostly lived her life to please her father and she doesn’t really know herself. Van suggests that she extend her stay in Pearl Lake and figure things out.

When she arrives at the apartment over the garage at Van’s house it is still under construction. That is, a seriously hot man is working on it and she disrupts him. It turns out that the hot man is Aaron who works with Dillion. He acts a little surly towards Teagan for unknown reasons.

At first glance Teagan is a real sunshine character but there is also damage lurking beneath the surface. She’s trying to find out what she likes so she takes on a variety of jobs with a smile and her innate smarts. It’s similar to “It Happened One Summer'' by Tessa Bailey, in which someone the other characters might underestimate shows how incredibly competent they are. I *love* this trope. However, this first impression is very deftly subverted in this book.

Aaron is a bit of an enigma to Teagan and the reader as he doesn’t have a chapter devoted to his point of view until 32% of the way into the novel. He has a bit of a reputation in Pearl Lake and he hasn’t done anything to dispel the rumors.

The romance is slow to start with the first quarter of the book more about Teagan laying down roots in Pearl Lake and Aaron remaining a grumpy mystery. When they do finally have a meaningful conversation they quickly move to a sexual relationship. It seems sudden and we don’t know much about Aaron other than he’s hot and available but I think that’s exactly the point.

Helena Hunting is great at creating this slow slide from the reader thinking that Teagan is doing well and is really put together to us finding out that all is maybe not as it seems. Teagan’s coping mechanisms are poor and the book is fantastic in revealing them in a slow and insidious manner.

Aaron is also keeping some secrets. He’s been holding everyone at arm's length to keep those secrets but now, being with Teagan is starting to threaten his status quo.

“...there are parts of my life and my past that are the kind of ugly even I can’t face.”

Love on the Lake starts off light but eventually becomes a book about two broken people fighting their demons of grief, guilt and substance abuse.

“I want to fix all his broken pieces.”

The romance gets back burnered in the majority of the last quarter of the book and becomes secondary to the problems and healing of its protagonists. Helena Hunting handles Teagan and Aaron’s issues really well and realistically. It’s angsty, vivid and dealt with with great sympathy and sensitivity.

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting. I would have liked the romance to have been given a little more focus but I appreciated getting to know the main characters’ struggles and watching them develop into two people who are truly ready for love. Part of that is being able to love oneself.

I received a review copy of this angsty romance and this is my honest review.

Wow! This book is fantastic! I loved me some Aaron and Teagan. What a pair… the chemistry between them was from the start! How their relationship grew was fun to read, the layers they each had, what the layers brought to their relationship and how they understood they each needed time to figure things out. I loved Aaron’s parents getting some time in the book and I felt like this story was about them, but finding themselves and dealing with very real issues in their life.

Truly in the end, you can’t love, truly love someone until you love yourself….. and this was a beautiful story to see this all unfold.

This next installment in the Lakeside series was a great read that I could not get enough of once I started it. There was an instant spark between the characters that had me nervous from the start that it would peter out too quickly but in the end, continued to burn.

In this book, we return to Pearl Lake where Teagan comes to the lake to find herself. She was living at home with her father, doing everything to she felt needed to do to care for her father, making him happy and working with him while living a less than happy life. She feels torn between her brother Van, who already lives on Pearl Lake and her brother Bradley who is currently serving prison time for attempting to frame Van for embezzlement. Her kryptonite is her inability to say no to others and her desire to please everyone causing her to take on more than she can handle.

Meanwhile, we also learn more about Aaron, lifelong resident of Pearl Lake. He is a man of mystery in that he went away to college but returned home for unknown reasons without finishing college. He has avoided relationships choosing to have encounters with the rich wives from across the lake and disappears from town one weekend a month. He is drawn to Teagan instantly and at first is horrid to her as a means to deny what he was feeling until ultimately giving in to his attraction.

The attraction between the pair was instant with chemistry that burned hot. Both characters are damaged and relatable and as the story goes on, we learn the truth about Aaron's circumstances from college that turn out to be a tragic tale while also learning and realizing the extremes that Teagan will go to as a way to be the people pleaser even when it is unhealthy. In the end, this was a great read that I would recommend to others as well as this series as each book can be easily read as a standalone read.

This is the second book in the Lakeside series featuring Teagan Firestone. Teagan is the consummate people pleaser. Her mother died when she was six, and she felt that it was her job to take care of her father and family. Her world is in upheaval since the last book, her family lost their wealth, her boyfriend dumped her for her ex-best friend, and her younger brother is in jail. When her father moves his girlfriend into their shared house, Teagan decides to quit her job with her father’s company and move into her older brother, Van’s, apartment in Pearl Lake. At 26, she decides she needs to figure out what she is going to do with her life. She meets Aaron Saunders, and while he flirts with every other woman, he is grumpy with her. Both Teagan and Aaron put on a friendly facade, but both are dealing with their own demons. Overall a good installment in the series. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the author and NetGalley for my honest review.

Great book! I absolutely loved everything about this book! Aaron & Teagan are such wonderfully, real characters. Thank you for writing about people with real problems, supporting family & friends and realistic timelines for results.

Love on the lake was a huge surprise for me ! A great surprise !
Helena Hunting is capable of writing hilarious scenes, steamy scenes but also serious and heartbreaking scenes. She is able to make her characters solar and wacky but also tormented and unhappy. She has an incredible gift ! In short, this novel is exactly the communion of all these aspects. What seems to be a simple story of enemies to lovers with sexual tensions and humor turns into a much deeper novel that touches on sensitive subjects written with accuracy.
Teagan moves in with her brother and his fiancée and immediately meets Aaron, the handsome and shirtless Aaron. Yum yum !! Aaron has prejudices about her, so he is not very. As for her, she is awkward with him. Aaron flirts with every woman he meets except for Teagan. As a reader, we know how it will end between them but for Teagan who likes to please everyone (she can't say no for example), this is difficult to accept. Especially since Aaron really has a Don Juan reputation. Little by little, they tame each other and everything becomes natural. Even if they do not put a label on their relationship right away, they thoroughly enjoy the time spent together and appreciate these moments of happiness. Of course, not everything can be so simple and there are shadows in the picture. Each of them has their demons.
Teagan knows Aaron is hiding something from her but respects his secret until she finds out everything by accident. And what a secret ! I expected a detail but not everything. Our heroine being a wonderful woman, she supports and helps her man, which brings them closer and allows Aaron to heal from his wounds and reveal his secrets to all. It is all the more touching and their relationship comes out stronger.
Aaron discovers that Teagan has her own demons and does everything possible to help her, he even goes so far as to take the risk of losing her for her own good. Without going into details because that would deprive you of the complexity of this story, I felt close to Teagan, I easily put myself in her shoes and my experience had an impact on my reading. When you read it is never totally objective after all. So I was very touched by what she was going through and I loved the way the author portrayed the situation.
Teagan and Aaron's love story is fraught with pitfalls but is so beautiful and true. Aaron is truly wonderful, very mature and caring, responsible and extremely patient. I adore this man ! Yet life has not always been kind to him. What happened to him is a real nightmare, I was heartbroken for him.
Helena Hunting offers us a panel of secondary characters, each more adorable than the other. Characters who bring many touches of humor but also emotion. Their respective families in particular. I loved the presence of the couple from the first volume, they are just amazing !
This novel is about forgiveness, communication, unconditional support, acceptance, assertiveness, mourning... But in the end, we end this reading with a big dose of love and hope.

I was sent on a roller coaster of emotions with this book. The story of Aaron and Teagan starts of as a sweet and fun grumpy-sunshine romance but it ended up being so much more.

Teagan is on a journey of self discovery when she moves to Pearl Lake. Aaron is determined to keep her at arms length.
The chemistry between these to characters gave me all the feels. From their light hearted moments to the really deep ones, you can feel that connection coming off the page.

Both Aaron and Teagan have skeletons in their closets and some hard truths to deal with. And seeing their story unfold and evolve was amazing.

This book shows us a love story that deals with the good times and the bad. It made me laugh, it made me mad, it made me tear up... and I loved every bit of it.