Daughters of the Lake

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb
After the end of her marriage, Kate Granger has retreated to her parents’ home on Lake Superior to pull herself together—only to discover the body of a murdered woman washed into the shallows. Tucked in the folds of the woman’s curiously vintage gown is an infant, as cold and at peace as its mother. No one can identify the woman. Except for Kate. She’s seen her before. In her dreams…

One hundred years ago, a love story ended in tragedy, its mysteries left unsolved. It’s time for the lake to give up its secrets. As each mystery unravels, it pulls Kate deeper into the eddy of a haunting folktale that has been handed down in whispers over generations. Now, it’s Kate’s turn to listen. As the drowned woman reaches out from the grave, Kate reaches back. They must come together, if only in dreams, to right the sinister wrongs of the past.


Man, did I love this book. I read a ton of books, some better than others, and then every once in awhile I stumble across a story I become completely enraptured in and can't put down - this is one of those books. Daughters of the Lake truly has everything for everyone - from romance, to mystery, even a little fantasy thrown in there - who doesn't love a good mysterious sea creature? Oh, and did I mention ghosts?

I especially love books with alternating stories from the past to present and in this case, I was not disappointed with either story. Of course, this book revolves around the main character, Kate, stumbling across a murdered woman, Addie, washed ashore with an infant. If that's not creepy and horrifying enough, Kate has seen this woman before; in her dreams. Kate becomes an instant suspect - because I mean, who has dreams about a dead woman from years ago? Thus begins Kate's quest to find out who Addie is, why she's dreaming of this mysterious woman and the special affinity women in Kate's family have for water.

In addition to Kate's story in the present, I loved Addie and Jessy's story in the past and the shocking secret and surprise we learn involving Addie's murder and how exactly it relates to Kate's own family history and story. There were so many twists and turns, I couldn't wait to find out what happened. Why did Addie wash ashore now when she was murdered years ago? Who is the baby? Who murdered Addie? So many questions which were all answered in the best possible way. Truly a great book which I would recommend to anyone.

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak.

That is, until Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview.

Nick and Budgie Greenwald are an unwelcome specter from Lily’s past: her former best friend and her former fiancé, now recently married—an event that set off a wildfire of gossip among the elite of Seaview, who have summered together for generations. Budgie’s arrival to restore her family’s old house puts her once more in the center of the community’s social scene, and she insinuates herself back into Lily's friendship with an overpowering talent for seduction...and an alluring acquaintance from their college days, Yankees pitcher Graham Pendleton. But the ties that bind Lily to Nick are too strong and intricate to ignore, and the two are drawn back into long-buried dreams, despite their uneasy secrets and many emotional obligations.

Under the scorching summer sun, the unexpected truth of Budgie and Nick’s marriage bubbles to the surface, and as a cataclysmic hurricane barrels unseen up the Atlantic and into New England, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional cyclone of their own, which will change their worlds forever.

I really, really loved this book. Right from the very first pages, I could not put it down. I loved Nick and Lily's love story and wanted nothing more throughout the novel, for them to have their happy ending. I feel like this would have been a great summer beach read given the Rhode Island coastal town setting. Even with a few things from the story that I could have gone without (Budgie and Kiki), I still loved every minute. Perfect story of long lost love and a happily ever after romance.

Upcoming reads

The Perfume Garden by Kathleen Lord Kent High in the hills of Valencia, a forgotten house guards its secrets. Untouched since Franco's forces tore through Spain in 1936, the whitewashed walls have crumbled, the garden, laden with orange blossom, grown wild.Emma Temple is the first to unlock its doors in seventy years. Guided by a series of letters and a key bequeathed in her mother's will, she has left her job as London's leading perfumier to restore this dilapidated villa to its former glory. It is the perfect retreat: a wilderness redolent with strange and exotic scents, heavy with the colours and sounds of a foreign time. But for her grandmother, Freya, a British nurse who stayed here during Spain's devastating civil war, Emma's new home evokes terrible memories. As the house begins to give up its secrets, Emma is drawn deeper into Freya's story: one of crushed idealism, lost love, and families ripped apart by war. She soon realises it is one thing letting go of the past, but another when it won't let go of you. Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey Late on a frozen February evening, a young woman is running through the streets of London. Having fled from her abusive boyfriend and with nowhere to go, Jess stumbles onto a forgotten lane where a small, clearly unlived in old house offers her best chance of shelter for the night. The next morning, a mysterious letter arrives and when she can’t help but open it, she finds herself drawn inexorably into the story of two lovers from another time. In London 1942, Stella meets Dan, a US airman, quite by accident, but there is no denying the impossible, unstoppable love that draws them together. Dan is a B-17 pilot flying his bomber into Europe from a British airbase; his odds of survival at one in five. The odds are stacked against the pair; the one thing they hold onto is the letters they write to each other. Fate is unkind and they are separated by decades and continents. In the present, Jess becomes determined to find out what happened to them. Her hope—inspired by a love so powerful it spans a lifetime—will lead her to find a startling redemption in her own life in a powerfully moving novel perfect for fans of Sarah Jio and Kate Morton. Tiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams In the summer of 1966, Christina Hardcastle—“Tiny” to her illustrious family—stands on the brink of a breathtaking future. Of the three Schuyler sisters, she’s the one raised to marry a man destined for leadership, and with her elegance and impeccable style, she presents a perfect camera-ready image in the dawning age of television politics. Together she and her husband, Frank, make the ultimate power couple: intelligent, rich, and impossibly attractive. It seems nothing can stop Frank from rising to national office, and he’s got his sights set on a senate seat in November. But as the season gets underway at the family estate on Cape Cod, three unwelcome visitors appear in Tiny’s perfect life: her volatile sister Pepper, an envelope containing incriminating photograph, and the intimidating figure of Frank’s cousin Vietnam-war hero Caspian, who knows more about Tiny’s rich inner life than anyone else. As she struggles to maintain the glossy façade on which the Hardcastle family’s ambitions are built, Tiny begins to suspect that Frank is hiding a reckless entanglement of his own…one that may unravel both her own ordered life and her husband’s promising career.

But with its persistent beauty, Far surpasses and finally tames the flame

The Flame and the Flower - Kathleen Woodiwiss
Doomed to a life of unending toil, Heather Simmons fears for her innocence—until a shocking, desperate act forces her to flee... and to seek refuge in the arms of a virile and dangerous stranger. A lusty adventurer married to the sea, Captain Brandon Birmingham courts scorn and peril when he abducts the beautiful fugitive from the tumultuous London dockside. But no power on Earth can compel him to relinquish his exquisite prize. For he is determined to make the sapphire-eyed prize. For he is determined to make the sapphire-eyed lovely his woman...and to carry her off to far, uncharted realms of sensuous, passionate love.

As I’ve mentioned before I am a huge, HUGE fan of Historical Romance. I really have a love for all genres, but HR has a special place in my heart! I just love everything about it – the different time periods, the culture, the love stories, etc., etc. The Flame and The Flower is no exception to my obsession: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It’s pretty incredible to think this is Kathleen Woodiwiss’s debut novel, the first book in her brilliant career and the first of her many amazing love stories!!

I absolutely love the plot and especially the romance/relationship between the two main characters, Brandon and Heather. Of course, I am completely in love with Brandon Birmingham. Okay, so yes, he’s somewhat of a pompous asshole…..but dealing with Heather who at times was VERY naive and clueless when it came to life & love, (and pretty much EVERYTHING else) I can’t really blame him. Maybe that’s what I actually liked about their relationship? That is the whole premise of the novel; the flower taming the flame. I just love how Brandon, president of the Mr. Arrogant club becomes totally smitten and whipped by sweet little innocent Heather. It’s quite amusing (and oh so romantic!) and such a classic tale!

A la “Shanna” & “The Reluctant Suitor” there are tons of twists & turns that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole story. Definitely one of those books that I had a hard time parting with at the end of the night. A totally captivating love story and I cannot wait to get my hands on “Elusive Flame” the second book in the Birmingham series!

Happy Valentine's Day

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!
Right now I am reading, "The Flame and the Flower" by Kathleen Woodiwiss and it is seriously the perfect book to read this Valentines day. I absolutely love Historical Romance, by far my favorite genre (along with Historical Fiction). As the queen of romance, Kathleen Woodiwiss is one of my favorite authors and not only is this her debut novel but it is also the first in a trilogy series of which I've read nothing but rave reviews!

I am about half way through right now and it is definitely holding up to my expectations. As with any love interest in a Woodiwiss novel, I am secretly in love with Brandon Birmingham and would love nothing more than to be whisked away into the story. Sighhh.. if only, right?

The Flame and the Flower - Kathleen Woodiwiss
Doomed to a life of unending toil, Heather Simmons fears for her innocence—until a shocking, desperate act forces her to flee... and to seek refuge in the arms of a virile and dangerous stranger. A lusty adventurer married to the sea, Captain Brandon Birmingham courts scorn and peril when he abducts the beautiful fugitive from the tumultuous London dockside. But no power on Earth can compel him to relinquish his exquisite prize. For he is determined to make the sapphire-eyed prize. For he is determined to make the sapphire-eyed lovely his woman...and to carry her off to far, uncharted realms of sensuous, passionate love.