A review by joreadsromance
Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

4.0

Pleasant character driven tale
4 stars

This is the first book in the Lakeside Chronicles series and was first published in 2006. There are currently 8 books in the series and a novella. Although I suppose this book stands alone, it does set up the characters for the subsequent novels so I suppose your desire to read the rest in the series will depend upon your interest in those other characters.

Overall I liked the writing style of the book and it was a pleasing read if nothing hugely exceptional. The story was also engaging and very character driven with the focus of the story often switching back and forward between past and present. I didn't feel that this slowed down the story too much and it still kept my interest throughout.

I really liked Olivia and Connor and felt that I could both relate to and route for the pair as a couple. There was also a multitude of other characters throughout the book which took some time away from the main pair and I could have done with less. Having said that, since this is the first book in the series they'll probably turn into well loved characters in the future if you continue to read the series. The book also clocks in at 544 pages so you have enough time to get to know everyone in lots of detail!

Overall this was a nice book to pass the time away. It's pleasant, nothing too dramatic and a good starting point for the Lakeside Chronicles series. 4 stars.