Learning at 40

Lakeside Cottage, Book 2

De: L.B. Dunbar

Narrado por: Stephen Dexter, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker

She didn’t want a one-night stand. He couldn’t promise more than a 10-day fling. Sometimes compromise is all you need.

Zack Weller is timely, orderly, and meticulous. Too bad his seven-year-old twin sons are hellions. With his divorce final, a two-week vacation beckons him to his best friend’s cottage. Unfortunately, he can’t help the magnetic pull of memories from the house next door - the one that was once his childhood home - or fight the force of nature in the naked woman sunbathing in that backyard.

River Nagle is a free spirit. She understands the trials and tribulations some people face and offers the compassion to deal with them head-on. When she inherits a lakeside home, she takes the blessing for what it’s worth: a gift and a new beginning. Until one day two little boys make themselves at home in the tree fort in her backyard and she meets their hot, growly dad, who steals her wine, her time, and her heart.

Newly divorced, single father grump meets a ray-of-sunshine next-door neighbor in this small-town second-chance romance where learning to love over 40 works with the right teacher.

Welcome back to Lakeside Cottage.

©2021 L.B. Dunbar (P)2021 L.B. Dunbar

Good Story Overall

This is the second book in the series and it was a bit heavier than the first one as Zach has a lot of emotional baggage that he has to work through.

Meeting River helped him see that and she helped him process that baggage and put some of it away and work on sorting out the rest.

Stephen Dexter was a wonderful choice for the male lead in this story. His voice fits very well with the baggage of Zach and his voice is wonderful to listen to.

I don’t recall if I’ve ever listened to a book performed by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker but I will definitely keep her on my list to keep a look out for. I very much enjoyed her soft but strong voice.

So connected!

I loved the story of this book and how much it is intertwined with the first book! I love book series, and this one is awesome because of how it constantly reminds you of what happened to get everyone here. The characters are not just friends and relatives, but they all share in a sorrow that makes them who they are. I can’t wait to see what happens in book 3!

Another fabulous listen!

This series is fantastic. This book was lighter than the first one (Which as amazing and stayed with me for many days!), and I loved the variety. Looking forward to the next in the series!

Love this series

This series makes you stop and smell the roses. Life is HARD and we tend to make it harder on ourselves. LB Dunbar has gift of making all the noise settle into a beautiful melody.

The narrators have fabulous voices and makes the story comes to life. They make listening so enjoyable.

This is a GROWLY leading man!!

This is an ARC review. All opinions are solely my own.

Learning at 40 by L.B. Dunbar is book two of the Lakeside Cottage series. There are not enough words to describe how much I LOVE this series. L.B. Dunbar is always a one click purchase for me. Stephen Dexter is a super growly narrator. I tend to have to speed him up as I'm listening. Stephanie Nemeth-Parker is great as a leading lady. She really brings River to life.

I knew that this book was going to get me in all the feelings. And it did not disappoint. This series follows some 40-something friends as they navigate life changes after the loss of their north star. This book will make you laugh and cry but it's all worth it. As someone who is going through these life changes, I can say that L.B. Dunbar has captured the moments.

Zack happens upon River when he's at a vulnerable time in his life. He feels adrift and she's a life preserver. He didn't know that he was saving her at the same time.

This book has an equal balance of hot and sexy times with sweet and tender moments.

Entertaining

The narration team of Stephen Dexter and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker did a great job bringing this story and the characters to life.

I’m becoming addicted to my visits to Lakeside Cottage and Learning at 40 is the perfect addition to the series. This is single dad Zack Weller and River Nagle’s story and if you love single dad romance you won’t want to miss this emotional roller coaster.
Zack is finally divorced and trying to do his best for his out of control 7 year old twin sons, he decides a holiday to Lakeside Cottage is in order for everyone take a breather and try and recoup and this is where he meets his neighbour River.
His sons may have brought River into his life just when he needs her most, having his life turned upside down by a messy divorce and with the anniversary of Bens death coming up, he certainly needs some light in his life. So will River be the one to bring light out of the darkness……
This is an emotional roller coaster, the friends are all determined to keep Ben’s memory alive but that’s hard to do when you feel like your own life is falling apart. This story touched me on so many levels but watching River engage with Zack, Oliver and Trevor took this book to another level for me. This is a emotional romance about new beginnings, trust, love and friendship and I highly recommend this beautifully written read.

Never disappoints

Dunbar’s stories never fail to capture your attention. This is no different. Having already read Learning at 40, listening to it gave me a whole new experience with it. Highly recommend.

My heart

What an epic journey with this read with all the feels. I love how the characters are older in life and I found them so easy to relate to. Zack is just a lost man who is going through the motions without realizing what is missing. River is the sunshine in his life he didn’t know was missing. Their story had incredible build up and truly stole my heart.

I originally read this story and then was able to listen and wow how the narrators brought this story to life all over again for me was just amazing!

I loved all the supporting characters too and so need to know more about mason and Anna

A Second-Time-Around Emotional Romance

Returning to Lakeside Cottage was an emotional ride that left me feeling connected to amazing characters. The feelings and emotions that were brought out in Learning at 40 gave me a sense of accomplishment, as if I had read a book filled with meaningful moments that left me a little wiser. The story broke my heart and put me through the wringer, but in the end, it gave me hope and filled my heart with happiness.

This is an awesome series to listen to on audible. The emotions are brought out 10-fold by narrators Stephen Dexter and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. I love when the voices match the characters for me, and in this case, they definitely did. I was able to read and listen at the same time which totally lets me escape and become one with the story. I highly recommend giving it a try.

Second-chance romance is my kryptonite, and LB’s over 40 stories are always perfect. She knows how to pen stories that those of us who have experienced a little more life than others can really immerse ourselves in. Possibly even live vicariously through. Her words always hit home. They always resonate deep within my soul while they bring my imagination to life.

River is the perfect sunny companion to stand alongside the newly divorced, single father, Zack, and help him heal while he builds a new life. He doesn’t exactly make it easy on her, and he may not even deserve her friendship, but lucky for him, she stays the course and helps him see things through a totally different set of eyes. Her optimism and outlook gives Zack a whole other side of seeing things.

I enjoyed this couple and summer vacation lakeside cottage stories get me every time. Do yourself a favor and start at the beginning with Living at 40 to really enhance your overall enjoyment and love of the characters.

A celebration of life, love, learning to let go.

Learning at 40 - L B Dunbar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was anticipating another wonderful and heartwarming story of the Lakeside Cottage gang but this story caught me completely off guard. I felt every emotion and every tear that was shed AND I LOVED IT!!!

When Zack Weller and his twin boys return to lakeside cottage a year after Ben’s passing, little does Zack realise that his childhood home next door, now holds a new and angelic owner who captures his eye and ties his heart in knots.

River Nagle is a woman who’s sees the positive in every situation. A free spirit and a caring and compassionate paediatric conchology nurse, Rivers past keeps reminding her of peoples preconceived ideas and judgements of her.
She see the best in Zack and falls hard for his twins Oliver and Trevor, who see River as a mother figure, something they’ve sadly been missing.

Loved the depth of emotions that L B Dunbar drew out of these characters and the audio story was delivered perfectly. The supporting characters were once again pivotal to the plot and gave a wonderful sense of family and community.

A thoroughly wonderful and joyous celebration of life, love, learning and letting go. Brilliance to the ears.