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.

Holly‘s review of Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor, Book 2) by Lisa Kleypas

Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington, with a boyfriend, Kevin, who she believes is her soul mate. She has always had a magical side – a gift that finds its way into the breathtaking glasswork she creates – and she struggles to keep it contained. But when Lucy is blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal, she questions many of her choices. Her boyfriend leaves her and his new lover is none other than Lucy’s own sister. Lucy’s bitterness over this devastation is multiplied buy the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life.

Meanwhile, facing the severe disapproval of Lucy’s family, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on the San Juan Island, to “romance” Lucy so that she can more easily move on. But when Sam and Lucy begin to feel real sparks between them, Lucy must ask herself if she can easily risk her heart again.

As Lucy questions her beliefs about love, loyalty, and old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings, she explores the possibility that some things in life – even after are being broken – can be re-made into something beautiful. And that is the only by discovering who you really are that you can find the one who truly deserves you.

This is a sweet, magical story. It took a small suspension of disbelief to buy into the paranormal element, but in the end I think Kleypas made it work.

Speaking of the paranormal element – which is really more mystical than paranormal – I have to say it took me by surprise at first. I didn’t read the blurb (I rarely do when I’m reading an auto-buy author, which Kleypas is for me) so I didn’t realize there was a magical undercurrent. After thinking about it, however, it shouldn’t have surprised me. The theme of the first book was magic, and that carried over here. By adding a touch of whimsy, Kleypas gave the story some much needed air. Otherwise I think it would have been bogged down by both Lucy and Sam’s past disappointments. To be fair, the blurb does mention the magic, and it’s introduced in the first paragraph. It doesn’t come out of left field or not make sense in the context of the story. For those of you who don’t care for paranormal, I’d recommend you try it. It’s a very small part of the story and incorporated well.

There was something very real about the characters. Though its fun to read about the uber-alpha hero, I enjoyed how *normal* Sam was. Here was a man who wanted sex without complications, but was willing to offer friendship as well. There was no dark brooding if he was denied her bed, no emo-like sulking of she didn’t call or fall in line with what he wanted. There were only two mature adults dealing with life and learning each other. I wouldn’t say Sam was beta necessarily, just a more modern-day man. He worked hard and knew what he liked, but wasn’t afraid to let Lucy have a life of her own.

It was refreshing that they had interests outside each other. Lucy was passionate about her glass making and Sam about his wine making. Sam had his brothers and niece, and Lucy had her friends. Too often in contemporary romance the hero and heroine find themselves wrapped up in each other, or meshing their lives completely. I’m glad that didn’t happen here.

The shadow comes from Lucy’s sister Alice, and her relationship with her parents. While I understood the reason Lucy thought she needed to forgive Alice, I wasn’t at all impressed with the way Kleypas handled that story-arc. Though this is more about Lucy and Sam growing individually as well as together, I wanted to see a progression in the relationship with her family as well. Or at least a more satisfying resolution.

I was also annoyed at the POV hopping as sequel bait. I didn’t need to read things from Alice’s perspective, nor from Alex or Zoe (Sam’s brother and one of Lucy’s best friends, who will be featured in the next book).

Overall this was an enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to the third book in August.

4 out of 5

The series:

This book is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.