Holly‘s review of Dream Lake (Friday Harbor, Book 3) by Lisa Kleypas
Dream Lake takes readers once again to the exquisite setting of Friday Harbor, and tells the story of Zoe Hoffman, an innkeeper who has all but given up on love. She’s a gentle, romantic soul, but has been so hurt in the past that she dare not trust her heart with anyone. Especially not Alex Nolan. Alex is the most haunted of all the Nolan brothers. He drinks to keep his demons at bay and not only has he given up on love, he has never, ever believed in it. Zoe and Alex are oil and water, fire and ice, sunshine and shadow. But sometimes, it takes only a glimmer of light to chase away the dark. Dream Lake is classic Lisa Kleypas: romantic, powerful, emotional, and magical.
I started this a few months ago but couldn’t get into it. I wasn’t in the mood then for a contemporary or a ghost story. I’m glad I decided to try again. It was just what I was in the mood for.
The mysticism of this series really works for me. I know others are really bothered by the paranormal elements, but I think they set the stories apart. The hints of ‘other’ add just a touch of whimsy to what might have been dark, emotional stories otherwise.
I wasn’t too keen on Alex in the beginning. He’s a man on the edge of a breakdown. He’s going through a divorce with a viper of a woman who is taking him to the cleaners, his business has taken some major hits, leaving him close to broke, he’s being haunted by a ghost, he drinks too much and he is, quite frankly, an asshole. These are not the qualities of a hero…usually. Lucky for us, Kleypas is a master at making unlikely heroes lovable Early on we see flashes of tenderness and vulnerability in him, which offers us a whole new side of him. As the novel progresses, he becomes more vulnerable. He’s a very honest hero, sometimes brutally so. That should have made him seem ever more of an ass, but it didn’t. I have to tell you, when he finally realizes he has a drinking problem? That was one of the most emotional scenes of the book.
Too often in romance the heroine of the piece is absolutely beautiful and either doesn’t know it, or hates all the attention it gets her. More often than not, this comes off as silly and ridiculous. What woman doesn’t want to be beautiful? I thought – based on the excerpt I read and the glimpses in the previous books – Zoe would be another of these frustrating women who complains that she’s beautiful. That wasn’t the case. Instead, her frustration with the attention she gets because of her looks came across as authentic and very real. Sure, it would be great to be beautiful, but it would suck to never be taken seriously because of it. Especially if sexual harassment comes with the package. There were times Zoe was a bit too naive to be realistic, but mostly I enjoyed her character. I admired her strength and commitment to taking care of her grandmother.
The ghost plotline worked well in the context of the story. I was just as interested in finding out why the ghost was still here as he and Alex were. That he acted as a sort of conscience for Alex also worked. That it tied in to Zoe and Alex in some way was hinted at early on. I enjoyed finding out exactly how.
Overall a solid story. Though parts of it were a bit over the top, I was fully immersed in the story and became emotionally attached to the characters.
4 out of 5
This book is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
I’m glad you liked it! I hope I can read it soon because I just read Rainshadow Road and enjoyed it a lot.
Thanks for the review, Im really excited to read the book 😀
I enjoyed this story. I didn’t like any of the paranormal elements in the first book, but they worked here.
I didn’t think the divorce plot was very realistic. In many states, you divide the assets equally. Since they didn’t have children, I found it unrealistic that Alex lost almost everything in the divorce. It would have worked better if LK blamed it solely on the economy.
Alex, I hope you like this one too.
Kim, I actually think it was a fair split. She got the house and most of the liquid assests, but she didn’t touch his business. In most states she would have been entitled to half ownership. I took it as he bought her out of it.
Glad you enjoyed this one, Holly. I had it out from the library last month but ended up having to return it unread because there was a wait list for it. I’m back on the list, though, so hopefully soon!