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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
This was the very first audiobook I listened to on my car's CD player. I love listening to books on my way to and from work! It makes even traffic jams delightful. :) Listening takes much much longer than reading for myself, but that's OK.
In this particular story, a dying George Bellamy hires a young private nurse, Claire Turner, to take care of him in his final days...and to fall in love with his grandson, Ross. George's family thinks Claire abducted him, since they don't understand why he is returning to the town and summer camp where he spent several significant summers during his youth. Claire, however, merely wants to keep a low profile and do her job. She & Ross both object to George's matchmaking scheme.
The story is really three alternating stories: present day, George's youth, and Claire's traumatic past. I was very impatient to get back into my car every day to hear what happened next! The funny thing about listening was how obvious it was when Wiggs got a little repetitive, however. For example, I'd recommend removing a few of the times Claire insists (to herself) that she can never ever have a family, as well as most instances where Claire is described as "intriguing." I got it the first time!
The one thing I had a hard time listening to was at the beginning when Wiggs is telling of Ross's final day as a med-evac pilot in Afghanistan. Although my husband is not being redeployed this spring, I still have a hard time listening to tales of war.
Overall, I loved this book. Time to check out more audiobooks!
For readers' advisors: story doorway, with character secondary
In this particular story, a dying George Bellamy hires a young private nurse, Claire Turner, to take care of him in his final days...and to fall in love with his grandson, Ross. George's family thinks Claire abducted him, since they don't understand why he is returning to the town and summer camp where he spent several significant summers during his youth. Claire, however, merely wants to keep a low profile and do her job. She & Ross both object to George's matchmaking scheme.
The story is really three alternating stories: present day, George's youth, and Claire's traumatic past. I was very impatient to get back into my car every day to hear what happened next! The funny thing about listening was how obvious it was when Wiggs got a little repetitive, however. For example, I'd recommend removing a few of the times Claire insists (to herself) that she can never ever have a family, as well as most instances where Claire is described as "intriguing." I got it the first time!
The one thing I had a hard time listening to was at the beginning when Wiggs is telling of Ross's final day as a med-evac pilot in Afghanistan. Although my husband is not being redeployed this spring, I still have a hard time listening to tales of war.
Overall, I loved this book. Time to check out more audiobooks!
For readers' advisors: story doorway, with character secondary
"Great characters - you will have to read all her books to catch up with all the players in the Lakeshore Chronicles! "
This was a harder book for me to read since it dealt with terminal illness, but it was also a beautiful display of family love with an intriguing, but small amount, of mystery worked in as well.
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Claire works as an end of life nurse because it helps her to keep moving on, and she must keep moving on. George Bellamy hires her to care for him as he tries for a reconciliation with his estranged brother. Ross has been serving in Afghanistan and returns to find his beloved grandfather facing death. I always include major spoilers (hidden), to help with my memory issues. Read them at your peril! Claire has to keep moving because as a teenager, she witnessed her foster father murdering his other 2 foster children who had found out about his crimes. As a trusted police officer he was untouchable, and every time Claire has reached out for help, people have been hurt or killed.
The story was entertaining, nothing out of the ordinary.
The story was entertaining, nothing out of the ordinary.
3 STARS
"Never get attached—Private nurse and protected witness Claire Turner lives by this motto. Fleeing a treacherous past, she knows no other way.
Never give up—In the twilight of his life, George Bellamy makes it his final wish to reconcile with an estranged brother. He and Claire journey to Willow Lake—where it all went wrong for him fifty years ago.
Never let go—George's grandson Ross is ruled by a fierce devotion to family and a deep mistrust of the mysterious Claire…yet sparks fly whenever she's near. In the face of a wrenching loss, amid the enchantment of Willow Lake, Ross and Claire dare to risk everything for love." (From Amazon)
Took me two tries to get into this book. It was okay but does not have the same heart as the others.
"Never get attached—Private nurse and protected witness Claire Turner lives by this motto. Fleeing a treacherous past, she knows no other way.
Never give up—In the twilight of his life, George Bellamy makes it his final wish to reconcile with an estranged brother. He and Claire journey to Willow Lake—where it all went wrong for him fifty years ago.
Never let go—George's grandson Ross is ruled by a fierce devotion to family and a deep mistrust of the mysterious Claire…yet sparks fly whenever she's near. In the face of a wrenching loss, amid the enchantment of Willow Lake, Ross and Claire dare to risk everything for love." (From Amazon)
Took me two tries to get into this book. It was okay but does not have the same heart as the others.
Susan Wiggs added a bit of suspense to this book. The main character witnessed a murder when she was a teen and has been on the run since. She changed her identity and went on the run. Somehow she managed to get a nursing degree, and takes jobs taking care of terminal patients so that she doesn't have to worry about getting too close to somebody and endangering their lives with what she knows. It was a nice twist to the straight romance novel. I enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed that this book was a little different from the main character meeting an unlikely new romantic interest and fall in love. I completely fell in love with George! I cannot wait to read the next book!
This could have been a great book. It's definitely readable, but the storyline wraps up in too trite and pat of a way. The romance wasn't convincing. I didn't buy it. The author seemed in a rush to tie things up at the end. Her other books are better with more believable characters.
The Lakeshore Chronicles
George Bellamy finds that his brain tumor has become inoperable and untreatable without a great deal of pain, so he decides to stop treatment and live his remaining days enjoying life. He has made a list of all the things he want to do before he dies and that means traveling back to Willow Lake and Camp Kioga. He hires a private nurse and sets out on his way.
Meanwhile, George's grandson, Ross is returning home from Afghanistan as he has completed his tour of duty and the whole family is counting on him to "talk sense" to his grandfather and get him to return home for treatment. When he reaches Camp Kioga and talks to his grandfather, Claire the nurse and reviews his grandfather's medical reports, even talks to some doctors after a trip to the emergency room for George, he realizes he has to bend to his grandfather's wishes.
One of the first things George wants to do is reunite with a brother he has not seen in 55 years, then he also wants to skydive, ride a Harley, and have a big family reunion. As Claire and Ross work together to make everything happen they grow closer and closer, (something that was also on George's list.) but her past keeps holding her back.
Yes this story was a little predictable but there were some surprises too. Susan Wiggs is one of the best current day storytellers around. She weaves the words so wonderfully and takes us right into the story. The flashback parts of the story are truly a treasure. There are so many characters that have come from all the books in the series and most where present for the family reunion and it is no small task to keep them all fresh, and remind us of their history. If you have read the other books in this series this is a family you want to read this and find out what is going to happen next at Willow Lake.
As a side note, the covers on the books in this series are fabulous.
http://dollycas.blogspot.com/
George Bellamy finds that his brain tumor has become inoperable and untreatable without a great deal of pain, so he decides to stop treatment and live his remaining days enjoying life. He has made a list of all the things he want to do before he dies and that means traveling back to Willow Lake and Camp Kioga. He hires a private nurse and sets out on his way.
Meanwhile, George's grandson, Ross is returning home from Afghanistan as he has completed his tour of duty and the whole family is counting on him to "talk sense" to his grandfather and get him to return home for treatment. When he reaches Camp Kioga and talks to his grandfather, Claire the nurse and reviews his grandfather's medical reports, even talks to some doctors after a trip to the emergency room for George, he realizes he has to bend to his grandfather's wishes.
One of the first things George wants to do is reunite with a brother he has not seen in 55 years, then he also wants to skydive, ride a Harley, and have a big family reunion. As Claire and Ross work together to make everything happen they grow closer and closer, (something that was also on George's list.) but her past keeps holding her back.
Yes this story was a little predictable but there were some surprises too. Susan Wiggs is one of the best current day storytellers around. She weaves the words so wonderfully and takes us right into the story. The flashback parts of the story are truly a treasure. There are so many characters that have come from all the books in the series and most where present for the family reunion and it is no small task to keep them all fresh, and remind us of their history. If you have read the other books in this series this is a family you want to read this and find out what is going to happen next at Willow Lake.
As a side note, the covers on the books in this series are fabulous.
http://dollycas.blogspot.com/
This book had a lot of promise and I really liked all the characters, however as it went on it got more and more rushed and in the end the whole thing was wrapped up in just a few short scenes. I haven't minded the flashback chapters in the previous books in this series but they really distracted and took away from the current stories in this one and totally stopped the flow, it would have been much more interesting for the past to come out in other ways, reliance on the flashback is getting dull.
I ended up wishing that these stories had been told separately somehow rather than rushed through and combined meaning both lost. After getting us to feel for George and be interested in him his demise ended up being a quick mention and I didn't find the relationship between Claire and Ross to be believable because it happened so fast and was based on so little...
Will keep reading them because I do like the writing, but this one left me feeling like it could have been a lot more than it ended up being.
I ended up wishing that these stories had been told separately somehow rather than rushed through and combined meaning both lost. After getting us to feel for George and be interested in him his demise ended up being a quick mention and I didn't find the relationship between Claire and Ross to be believable because it happened so fast and was based on so little...
Will keep reading them because I do like the writing, but this one left me feeling like it could have been a lot more than it ended up being.