Starlight on Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

By: Unknown on Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Title:  Starlight on Willow Lake
Series:  Lakeshore Chronicles #11
Author:  Susan Wiggs
Publication Date:  August 25/15 by MIRA
Length:  384pgs
Genre:  contemporary romance
Shelf:  Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★★

Back Cover Blurb:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs sweeps readers away to a sun-drenched summer on the shores of Willow Lake in a stunning tale of the delicate ties that bind a family together… and the secrets that tear them apart…

When caregiver Faith McCallum arrives at the enchanted, lakeside estate of Avalon's renowned Bellamy family, she's intent on rebuilding her shattered life and giving her two daughters a chance at a better future. But she faces a formidable challenge in the form of her stubborn and difficult new employer, Alice Bellamy. While Faith proves a worthy match for her sharp-tongued client, she often finds herself at a loss for words in the presence of Mason Bellamy—Alice's charismatic son, who clearly longs to escape the family mansion and return to his fast-paced, exciting life in Manhattan…and his beautiful, jet-setting fiancée.

The last place Mason wants to be is a remote town in the Catskills, far from his life in the city, and Faith McCallum is supposed to be the key to his escape. Hiring the gentle-hearted yet strong-willed caregiver as a live-in nurse gives his mother companionship and Mason the freedom to return to his no-attachments routine. For Faith, it means stability for her daughters and a much-needed new home. When Faith makes a chilling discovery about Alice's accident, Mason is forced to reconsider his desire to keep everyone, including his mother, at a distance. Now he finds himself wondering if the supercharged life he's created for himself is what he truly wants…and whether exploring his past might lead to a new life—and lasting love—on the tranquil shores of Willow Lake.

My Review:

Family secrets & personal truths combine in a unique way in Wiggs’ latest foray back to Willow Lake. Wiggs shows how tough things really can get and where happiness can come from. Wiggs had me bawling like a baby and giggling like a teen with her first crush. I’ve never laughed so hard or cried so hard, especially at the same time. This is such a vivid story. The crises are as easy to picture as the characters, setting and romance. The beauty of this novel is in the details, the little interactions between two people, the scenery from the garden, the emotions that Wiggs portrays.

The characters in this novel truly made the story. The dichotomy between money and happiness, wants and desires really hit hard. Mason’s dilemmas were polar opposites to those faced by Faith. These two were such easy individuals to fall in love with. Not that they were simple characters, but they were so complex that I couldn’t help but feeling as if I’d truly met them. I enjoyed the way that the entire family played a role in this novel, and a big one at that. The romance between the main characters was a natural thing, building throughout the story as the characters all dealt with the hand that they were dealt.

I had so much fun with this new-found branch of the Bellamys. These guys definitely bring some extra flair and life to Willow Lake, making this my favourite in the series.

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