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holly_keimig's review against another edition
4.0
I love the Lakeshore Chronicles series and this was no exception. It did take me a moment to figure out how these characters were connected to the rest of the books but it wasn't crucial to this storyline to disentangle all of that. This story follows a mother who is recovering from the ski accident that killer her husband. Her children are trying to find someone to care for her and they find that and more in Faith. As secrets from the past make themselves known, everyone struggles to find who they are in their new lives. I highly recommend!
judithdcollins's review against another edition
5.0
A special thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A huge long-time faithful fan of talented Susan Wiggs, and her captivating Lakeshore Chronicles Series-- having read all the books in the series, her latest, STARLIGHT ON WILLOW LAKE (Lakeshore Chronicles #11) is by far, my favorite—lots of scandalous secrets, intriguing characters, and life lessons!
With the popular TV Hallmark series adaption of Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series, and the new and upcoming Sherryl Woods, Chesapeake Series, I have my fingers crossed, Susan Wigg’s Lakeshore Chronicles Series will be next in line-- centered on this idyllic town of Avalon's Willow Lake, a remote lakeside town in the much loved Catskills, featuring the exciting Bellamy family and friends.
Meet the characters:
Faith McCallum, in her early thirties, widowed, a home care nurse and caretaker; raising a teenage daughter and a younger daughter with diabetes. She spent years taking care of her mother, her husband, and now her daughters. She cannot catch a break. She is currently being evicted, due to the past hospital bills from her husband’s diabetes, and loss of her job. She fights everyday to keep her family afloat, while looking for a new job. Best of all, with all her tragedies, she maintains a great attitude.
Alice Bellamy, now a paraplegic, is a miserable rich woman. After multiple surgeries, drug therapies, and intensive rehab, Alice had agreed to move to Avalon to settle into her new life as a widow and a quadriplegic, determined to find what independence she could, a few hours by train from New York City.
A former successful athlete, businesswoman, community leader, wife and mother; full of life-now shattered. With her spinal injury, she would never walk again--much less ski, salsa dance, cliff dive, run a triathlon, or even drive a car--she had raged against her fate. She has fired all her caretakers, with her negative attitude and sharp tongue. Everyone is afraid of her and no one wants to be around her. She has lost her husband in a skiing avalanche accident, and left her without any way to do anything on her own. She also has recently discovered secrets within her marriage, and she no longer has her independence, or her will to go on. She has lost complete control of her own life.
Mason Bellamy, Alice’s oldest son, is a successful man, wealthy, and smart, living in Manhattan with a stunning fiancée. He takes care of all the finances of his mother, and has set her up in Avalon, equipping her home, with a full staff, and environment with everything she could ever need; except his time.
When Alice’s daughter, Ivy has to leave for Paris, and her younger son, Adam has to go away for a firefighter’s mission training, Mason has to leave Manhattan to return to Willow Lake, to help with his mother’s care until they hire a new live in nurse and caretaker. He has spent his entire life since age seventeen escaping his mother. He feels guilty he knew the secret of his parent’s past.
Cara McCallum, a teen who is smart, intelligent, and a hard worker, yet she is aware she cannot dream of driving, getting a car, going to college, or other dreams, due to their financial situation. She does not have the means to expect clothes and material possessions.
Roby McCallum, younger sister, a diabetic, is smart, funny, and lights up a room. However, she has many fears to overcome. Alice may be the one person who can help her, while helping herself in the meantime.
As the book opens, we see Faith and her girls struggling, near being homeless; on the way to the interview with Alice and Mason Bellamy—when she discovers an accident and being the altruistic person she is, she stops to help a victim of a motorcycle accident, and is late for her interview. She helps save his life, and Mason witnesses a demonstration of her tenacity and skills.
Faith, and her funny, witty, and heartwarming daughters may just be what the doctor ordered for Alice, and for Mason. As the past and the present connect, these two families from different financial status, and walks of life, may be the perfect match for rebuilding, renewal, facing old fears, while gaining newfound courage and purpose to move on to an exciting future. Each person receives a gift from the other, creating a bond, closer than family.
As most of my book friends and followers are aware, I am typically not a huge fan of women’s fiction, romance, or chick-lit, as lean more towards crime, suspense, legal thrillers, or historical/literary fiction. However, there are a select number of contemporary authors, such as Susan, I always place at the top of my list, and anxiously await the next in the series.
If you have read any of Susan’s books, you are aware, they are not fluff and all feel good. They are rich in character, diversity, travel, and delve into social issues, emotions, and struggles of family and daily contemporary lives ---with suspense, intrigue, and sometimes a budding romance, despite all odds.
Fans of Luanne Rice, Jodi Picoult, and Emilie Richards will be drawn to Susan’s style and talent for a complex, yet inspiring tale of strong women, overcoming fears, facing the past, and the ability to allow others inside their hearts for much-needed change; leaving room for exciting new ventures. A great mix of characters (loved Faith, Alice, Cara, and Ruby)! Being a total wanderlust, I always enjoy Susan's books, filled with adventure, travel, music, art, culture; exotic, intelligent, and intriguing characters and settings--making for an ideal book club discussion.
While STARLIGHT ON WILLOW LAKE can be read as a standalone, recommend reading all of the books in this suspenseful series, rich in character and charm. Always love catching up with familiar characters. An inspiring and beautiful journey of self-discovery (for those with disabilities, caregivers, friends or families), of love, and healing.
A compelling tale, a romance, and one which will leave you awaiting the next group of characters, drawing you back to the captivating unspoiled Willow Lake, and the picture perfect storybook setting.
JDCMustReadBooks
A huge long-time faithful fan of talented Susan Wiggs, and her captivating Lakeshore Chronicles Series-- having read all the books in the series, her latest, STARLIGHT ON WILLOW LAKE (Lakeshore Chronicles #11) is by far, my favorite—lots of scandalous secrets, intriguing characters, and life lessons!
With the popular TV Hallmark series adaption of Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series, and the new and upcoming Sherryl Woods, Chesapeake Series, I have my fingers crossed, Susan Wigg’s Lakeshore Chronicles Series will be next in line-- centered on this idyllic town of Avalon's Willow Lake, a remote lakeside town in the much loved Catskills, featuring the exciting Bellamy family and friends.
Meet the characters:
Faith McCallum, in her early thirties, widowed, a home care nurse and caretaker; raising a teenage daughter and a younger daughter with diabetes. She spent years taking care of her mother, her husband, and now her daughters. She cannot catch a break. She is currently being evicted, due to the past hospital bills from her husband’s diabetes, and loss of her job. She fights everyday to keep her family afloat, while looking for a new job. Best of all, with all her tragedies, she maintains a great attitude.
Alice Bellamy, now a paraplegic, is a miserable rich woman. After multiple surgeries, drug therapies, and intensive rehab, Alice had agreed to move to Avalon to settle into her new life as a widow and a quadriplegic, determined to find what independence she could, a few hours by train from New York City.
A former successful athlete, businesswoman, community leader, wife and mother; full of life-now shattered. With her spinal injury, she would never walk again--much less ski, salsa dance, cliff dive, run a triathlon, or even drive a car--she had raged against her fate. She has fired all her caretakers, with her negative attitude and sharp tongue. Everyone is afraid of her and no one wants to be around her. She has lost her husband in a skiing avalanche accident, and left her without any way to do anything on her own. She also has recently discovered secrets within her marriage, and she no longer has her independence, or her will to go on. She has lost complete control of her own life.
Mason Bellamy, Alice’s oldest son, is a successful man, wealthy, and smart, living in Manhattan with a stunning fiancée. He takes care of all the finances of his mother, and has set her up in Avalon, equipping her home, with a full staff, and environment with everything she could ever need; except his time.
When Alice’s daughter, Ivy has to leave for Paris, and her younger son, Adam has to go away for a firefighter’s mission training, Mason has to leave Manhattan to return to Willow Lake, to help with his mother’s care until they hire a new live in nurse and caretaker. He has spent his entire life since age seventeen escaping his mother. He feels guilty he knew the secret of his parent’s past.
Cara McCallum, a teen who is smart, intelligent, and a hard worker, yet she is aware she cannot dream of driving, getting a car, going to college, or other dreams, due to their financial situation. She does not have the means to expect clothes and material possessions.
Roby McCallum, younger sister, a diabetic, is smart, funny, and lights up a room. However, she has many fears to overcome. Alice may be the one person who can help her, while helping herself in the meantime.
As the book opens, we see Faith and her girls struggling, near being homeless; on the way to the interview with Alice and Mason Bellamy—when she discovers an accident and being the altruistic person she is, she stops to help a victim of a motorcycle accident, and is late for her interview. She helps save his life, and Mason witnesses a demonstration of her tenacity and skills.
Faith, and her funny, witty, and heartwarming daughters may just be what the doctor ordered for Alice, and for Mason. As the past and the present connect, these two families from different financial status, and walks of life, may be the perfect match for rebuilding, renewal, facing old fears, while gaining newfound courage and purpose to move on to an exciting future. Each person receives a gift from the other, creating a bond, closer than family.
As most of my book friends and followers are aware, I am typically not a huge fan of women’s fiction, romance, or chick-lit, as lean more towards crime, suspense, legal thrillers, or historical/literary fiction. However, there are a select number of contemporary authors, such as Susan, I always place at the top of my list, and anxiously await the next in the series.
If you have read any of Susan’s books, you are aware, they are not fluff and all feel good. They are rich in character, diversity, travel, and delve into social issues, emotions, and struggles of family and daily contemporary lives ---with suspense, intrigue, and sometimes a budding romance, despite all odds.
Fans of Luanne Rice, Jodi Picoult, and Emilie Richards will be drawn to Susan’s style and talent for a complex, yet inspiring tale of strong women, overcoming fears, facing the past, and the ability to allow others inside their hearts for much-needed change; leaving room for exciting new ventures. A great mix of characters (loved Faith, Alice, Cara, and Ruby)! Being a total wanderlust, I always enjoy Susan's books, filled with adventure, travel, music, art, culture; exotic, intelligent, and intriguing characters and settings--making for an ideal book club discussion.
While STARLIGHT ON WILLOW LAKE can be read as a standalone, recommend reading all of the books in this suspenseful series, rich in character and charm. Always love catching up with familiar characters. An inspiring and beautiful journey of self-discovery (for those with disabilities, caregivers, friends or families), of love, and healing.
A compelling tale, a romance, and one which will leave you awaiting the next group of characters, drawing you back to the captivating unspoiled Willow Lake, and the picture perfect storybook setting.
JDCMustReadBooks
jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
Starlight at Willow lake by Susan Wiggs
Saga of the Bellany family. I think I've read all of them and appreciate how the author brings you up to date without telling you everything-taking up 80% of the book.
This one starts out with the 3 children and they are spreading their dad's ashes when they get a call about their mother having fallen down the stairs. It's now up to Mason, the oldest to step up and take care of their mother, Alice.
The family is at their wits end as to who to hire to tend to the older woman who's wheelchair bound. Faith is a widow with 2 kids and she's late for the interview. Mason sees her in action as she helps a motorcycle accident man who was very lucky she was around at the time.
Story goes back in time to when Mason joined his father in Paris, along with his mistress. Faith thinks the old woman had tried to kill herself...and then Mason learns of the day his father died...Alice helps the youngest girl to learn to swim as they bring Alice into the lake.
Mason and Faith are getting closer together as they discuss Alice's recovery and possible cure...Mason's girlfriend Regina is high class and he needs to talk to her...
Love excursions they take Alice on-so caring!
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Saga of the Bellany family. I think I've read all of them and appreciate how the author brings you up to date without telling you everything-taking up 80% of the book.
This one starts out with the 3 children and they are spreading their dad's ashes when they get a call about their mother having fallen down the stairs. It's now up to Mason, the oldest to step up and take care of their mother, Alice.
The family is at their wits end as to who to hire to tend to the older woman who's wheelchair bound. Faith is a widow with 2 kids and she's late for the interview. Mason sees her in action as she helps a motorcycle accident man who was very lucky she was around at the time.
Story goes back in time to when Mason joined his father in Paris, along with his mistress. Faith thinks the old woman had tried to kill herself...and then Mason learns of the day his father died...Alice helps the youngest girl to learn to swim as they bring Alice into the lake.
Mason and Faith are getting closer together as they discuss Alice's recovery and possible cure...Mason's girlfriend Regina is high class and he needs to talk to her...
Love excursions they take Alice on-so caring!
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
kdurham2's review against another edition
5.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
My second book that I have read from the Lakeshore Chronicles and now I am really wanting to go back and start at book one. This book I am reviewing today is book 11, and I have read book 9, so still have a lot of catching up!
This book felt like a stand alone most of the time, but I could tell that there was some back story that I was missing on, but it didn't ruin the read for me. The Bellamy family is dealt a crisis with a father dying and a mother left confined to a wheelchair so the three child return home to get their mother in a good place and to spread their father's ashes. Faith McCallum is a nurse who has been out of work for a while and her and her two girls are at the end of their line until the perfect job falls in their lap.
My second book that I have read from the Lakeshore Chronicles and now I am really wanting to go back and start at book one. This book I am reviewing today is book 11, and I have read book 9, so still have a lot of catching up!
This book felt like a stand alone most of the time, but I could tell that there was some back story that I was missing on, but it didn't ruin the read for me. The Bellamy family is dealt a crisis with a father dying and a mother left confined to a wheelchair so the three child return home to get their mother in a good place and to spread their father's ashes. Faith McCallum is a nurse who has been out of work for a while and her and her two girls are at the end of their line until the perfect job falls in their lap.
kbranfield's review against another edition
5.0
Fan favorite Susan Wiggs returns with her beloved Lakeshore Chronicles series with her newest release, Starlight on Willow Lake. This heartwarming novel has a light romantic element but the deeper issues and personal growth of the main characters provide an extra layer of depth to the overall story.
Just as Mason Bellamy and his siblings are spreading their father's ashes in New Zealand, they get news that their mother, a quadriplegic, has been injured in an accident at her home in Avalon. Even worse, they quickly discover their mom, Alice, has driven yet another caregiver to quit without notice. With neither his brother Adam nor his sister Ivy able to stay with her until a new home health aid is hired, Mason has no choice but to move in temporarily and help interview prospective employees. Although the two were once extremely close, Mason has kept both an emotional and physical distance from her for the past twenty years and he is not looking forward to extended visit with her.
In the years since her husband's death, Faith McCallum has struggled financially and things have reached a crisis level for her and her two daughters Ruby and Cara when she is hired to work for Alice. Although they are unused to such elegant surroundings, the three settle in at the Bellamy estate and quickly breathe new life into the household. Faith is taken off guard by her reaction to Mason, but she has absolutely no plans or desire to act on her unwanted attraction for her employer's son.
Faith is no pushover and she easily holds her own when Alice's bitterness about her situation spills over into her treatment. She quickly recognizes there is more to Alice's accident that a simple fall and she immediately takes her suspicions to Mason. Despite his reluctance to return to Avalon, his concern for his mother means a complete reorganization of his life until his brother returns from firefighter training. Mason is astonished by how much he begins to enjoy the slower pace of life in the small town and he begins to re-evaluate his future.
Alice shows a surprising interest in Faith's daughters and although she is a bit gruff, the three share an uncomplicated friendship. Eight year old Ruby's observations are insightful and she easily cuts through the nonsense to the heart of whatever subject they are discussing. Seventeen year old Cara has been forced to grow up too soon and she is rather cynical and jaded about her future. Alice challenges both girls to face their fears and in doing so, she becomes less prickly and more accepting of her new circumstances in life.
Faith and Mason bond over their shared concern for Alice. For the first time, Mason is able to discuss the precipitating event that caused him to pull away from his parents twenty years earlier. Their day to day lives overlap and an easygoing friendship slowly grows between them. When their feelings for one another run a little deeper than expected, Mason rethinks what he wants for his future while Faith must decide whether or not to risk her heart again.
Starlight on Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs is a beautiful journey of self-discovery and healing for Mason, Faith and Alice. The entire cast of characters are multi-faceted and immensely appealing. The storyline is realistic and blissfully free of unnecessary drama or conflict. The romance between Faith and Mason is low-key and simmers in background as they each come to terms with their respective issues. A fast-paced and emotionally compelling novel that old and new fans of the Lakeshore Chronicles are going to absolutely LOVE.
Just as Mason Bellamy and his siblings are spreading their father's ashes in New Zealand, they get news that their mother, a quadriplegic, has been injured in an accident at her home in Avalon. Even worse, they quickly discover their mom, Alice, has driven yet another caregiver to quit without notice. With neither his brother Adam nor his sister Ivy able to stay with her until a new home health aid is hired, Mason has no choice but to move in temporarily and help interview prospective employees. Although the two were once extremely close, Mason has kept both an emotional and physical distance from her for the past twenty years and he is not looking forward to extended visit with her.
In the years since her husband's death, Faith McCallum has struggled financially and things have reached a crisis level for her and her two daughters Ruby and Cara when she is hired to work for Alice. Although they are unused to such elegant surroundings, the three settle in at the Bellamy estate and quickly breathe new life into the household. Faith is taken off guard by her reaction to Mason, but she has absolutely no plans or desire to act on her unwanted attraction for her employer's son.
Faith is no pushover and she easily holds her own when Alice's bitterness about her situation spills over into her treatment. She quickly recognizes there is more to Alice's accident that a simple fall and she immediately takes her suspicions to Mason. Despite his reluctance to return to Avalon, his concern for his mother means a complete reorganization of his life until his brother returns from firefighter training. Mason is astonished by how much he begins to enjoy the slower pace of life in the small town and he begins to re-evaluate his future.
Alice shows a surprising interest in Faith's daughters and although she is a bit gruff, the three share an uncomplicated friendship. Eight year old Ruby's observations are insightful and she easily cuts through the nonsense to the heart of whatever subject they are discussing. Seventeen year old Cara has been forced to grow up too soon and she is rather cynical and jaded about her future. Alice challenges both girls to face their fears and in doing so, she becomes less prickly and more accepting of her new circumstances in life.
Faith and Mason bond over their shared concern for Alice. For the first time, Mason is able to discuss the precipitating event that caused him to pull away from his parents twenty years earlier. Their day to day lives overlap and an easygoing friendship slowly grows between them. When their feelings for one another run a little deeper than expected, Mason rethinks what he wants for his future while Faith must decide whether or not to risk her heart again.
Starlight on Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs is a beautiful journey of self-discovery and healing for Mason, Faith and Alice. The entire cast of characters are multi-faceted and immensely appealing. The storyline is realistic and blissfully free of unnecessary drama or conflict. The romance between Faith and Mason is low-key and simmers in background as they each come to terms with their respective issues. A fast-paced and emotionally compelling novel that old and new fans of the Lakeshore Chronicles are going to absolutely LOVE.
elenajohansen's review against another edition
2.0
A solid family drama masquerading at the last minute as a romance, which is what I thought I was getting when I started reading it.
Most of the story on the hero's side is actually about his family's struggles after their father's death and mother's spinal cord injury in a skiing accident. Most of the story on the heroine's side is actually about raising two daughters after her husband's death from diabetes complications and being unable to move on (romantically and with life in general) because she's still paying off the debts that incurred and she's constantly one step ahead of homelessness.
The two of them don't have their first date until around page 400. I can't even call this a slow burn, because there's no burn! They spend very little time together and have very little chemistry! He's engaged to someone else for most of the book!
It's not a bad story, but it's only about 10% what I consider "romance," and that 10% is weak. Its strengths lie in other directions, notably the two daughters being rather good/realistic representations of their age groups.
Most of the story on the hero's side is actually about his family's struggles after their father's death and mother's spinal cord injury in a skiing accident. Most of the story on the heroine's side is actually about raising two daughters after her husband's death from diabetes complications and being unable to move on (romantically and with life in general) because she's still paying off the debts that incurred and she's constantly one step ahead of homelessness.
The two of them don't have their first date until around page 400. I can't even call this a slow burn, because there's no burn! They spend very little time together and have very little chemistry! He's engaged to someone else for most of the book!
It's not a bad story, but it's only about 10% what I consider "romance," and that 10% is weak. Its strengths lie in other directions, notably the two daughters being rather good/realistic representations of their age groups.
araleith's review against another edition
5.0
I usually love Wiggs' books, but this one felt extra lovely and special for some reason. I don't know what it was, but this one was AMAZING and sweet and wonderful and just what I needed right now.
karak's review against another edition
3.0
I wish we had half stars to rate books with. Because this was more than a 3, but less than a 4. A good book, but not great.
bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
4.0
Starlight at Willow Lake is one of my favorite Lakeshore Chronicles books so far, despite (or maybe because of) the fact that it isn’t really a romance. It’s primarily a story of two families, with a romantic relationship at its apex. It’s about courage and perseverance, the nature of family, optimism in the face of adversity, and pushing past your fears for the things that really matter.
Two thirds of the way in, I began to wonder if the two main characters would ever get together. Although there are hints of attraction between Faith and Max from the start, there’s no romantic relationship until almost nine-tenths of the way through the book. But Wiggs’s writing is so good that I didn’t care. Or rather, I did care, a lot, about all the characters, not just the main characters… so I was happy to wait for Max and Faith to set aside or be freed from the various obstacles (external and internal) that kept them from acknowledging the attraction between them.
Faith is a lovely person, if a bit too perfect: a young widow in dire financial straits, fiercely protective of and loving toward her children. She’s an excellent caregiver, both by training and from practice. Frankly, she needs a flaw – well, other than her refusal to accept help from anyone, which is probably a failing, though it’s easy to see where it comes from as you find out more about her. So I was relieved when she finally admits to a very understandable fear.
Max’s emotional distance from his parents was well-handled, as was his thawing toward his mother and his eventual opening up about what had happened to him as a teen. I had my doubts about him as a hero initially, but they melted away as I got to know him better. Several chapters of the book are flashbacks to Max’s past; they give him both depth and motivation, and make his contradictions much easier to understand.
I was a little worried that the book was heading in a bad direction, since Max has a girlfriend/fiance when he and Faith meet. I hate cheating, and that would pretty much have killed the book for me. But fortunately, Max is both too honorable and too opposed to cheating to betray someone like that, and Faith views him as off-limits. Wiggs deals with the situation very sensitively; there is attraction on both sides, but nothing that gave me any qualms.
For the most part, I enjoyed the other characters as much as I did Faith and Max – and it’s a good thing, because some of them are nearly as important as the two main characters. Alice starts out as a bitter, grouchy sourpuss – it’s understandable, given her recent disability and the blows she has suffered. But she slowly improves in attitude, though she never loses her sharpness entirely. She really grew on me, and I came to like and admire her and even, by the end of the book, to love her. Even in a wheelchair, she’s a formidable woman.
Faith’s daughters, Cara and Ruby, are both well-drawn. Cara is a good kid and very bright, but she has a certain amount of teenage attitude – not surprising given the stress of their difficult financial circumstances. Wiggs shows excellent understanding of how teenagers (and people general) think, and how a smart kid reacts to tough family circumstances. Ruby is adorable, a mix of matter-of-fact acceptance and maturity regarding her diabetes, and fears and anxieties about the rest of life, but with a loving, cheerful, optimistic nature when she’s not afraid.
Starlight at Willow Lake would make great vacation reading, but it’s not mindless entertainment. It has too much heart for that. If you’ve never read any of the other Lakeshore Chronicles, you’ll have no trouble jumping in; a few characters from previous books show up here and there, but anything you need to know is right there in this book.
So grab a tall glass of iced tea, put your feet up, and take a few hours to visit Willow Lake. You’ll be glad you did.
Review originally published on The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
Two thirds of the way in, I began to wonder if the two main characters would ever get together. Although there are hints of attraction between Faith and Max from the start, there’s no romantic relationship until almost nine-tenths of the way through the book. But Wiggs’s writing is so good that I didn’t care. Or rather, I did care, a lot, about all the characters, not just the main characters… so I was happy to wait for Max and Faith to set aside or be freed from the various obstacles (external and internal) that kept them from acknowledging the attraction between them.
Faith is a lovely person, if a bit too perfect: a young widow in dire financial straits, fiercely protective of and loving toward her children. She’s an excellent caregiver, both by training and from practice. Frankly, she needs a flaw – well, other than her refusal to accept help from anyone, which is probably a failing, though it’s easy to see where it comes from as you find out more about her. So I was relieved when she finally admits to a very understandable fear.
Max’s emotional distance from his parents was well-handled, as was his thawing toward his mother and his eventual opening up about what had happened to him as a teen. I had my doubts about him as a hero initially, but they melted away as I got to know him better. Several chapters of the book are flashbacks to Max’s past; they give him both depth and motivation, and make his contradictions much easier to understand.
I was a little worried that the book was heading in a bad direction, since Max has a girlfriend/fiance when he and Faith meet. I hate cheating, and that would pretty much have killed the book for me. But fortunately, Max is both too honorable and too opposed to cheating to betray someone like that, and Faith views him as off-limits. Wiggs deals with the situation very sensitively; there is attraction on both sides, but nothing that gave me any qualms.
For the most part, I enjoyed the other characters as much as I did Faith and Max – and it’s a good thing, because some of them are nearly as important as the two main characters. Alice starts out as a bitter, grouchy sourpuss – it’s understandable, given her recent disability and the blows she has suffered. But she slowly improves in attitude, though she never loses her sharpness entirely. She really grew on me, and I came to like and admire her and even, by the end of the book, to love her. Even in a wheelchair, she’s a formidable woman.
Faith’s daughters, Cara and Ruby, are both well-drawn. Cara is a good kid and very bright, but she has a certain amount of teenage attitude – not surprising given the stress of their difficult financial circumstances. Wiggs shows excellent understanding of how teenagers (and people general) think, and how a smart kid reacts to tough family circumstances. Ruby is adorable, a mix of matter-of-fact acceptance and maturity regarding her diabetes, and fears and anxieties about the rest of life, but with a loving, cheerful, optimistic nature when she’s not afraid.
Starlight at Willow Lake would make great vacation reading, but it’s not mindless entertainment. It has too much heart for that. If you’ve never read any of the other Lakeshore Chronicles, you’ll have no trouble jumping in; a few characters from previous books show up here and there, but anything you need to know is right there in this book.
So grab a tall glass of iced tea, put your feet up, and take a few hours to visit Willow Lake. You’ll be glad you did.
Review originally published on The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.