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bookloverchelle 's review for:
Dream Lake
by Lisa Kleypas
Another great read in the Friday Harbor series from Lisa Kleypas. I also won this title in a contest run by the website Heroes and Heartbreakers (still love them so much!). I have found that in her contemporary romances, Ms. Kleypas does not shy away from some of the tougher subjects. In the Travisis series, spousal rape, and in this book, Dream Lake, alcoholism. Sometimes exploring some of the darker parts of the world is not fun but with the way she attacks each subject brings out such a richer story with more defined and well developed characters. Alex Nolan grew up the youngest child of alcoholics and when faced with his own divorce became a functioning alcoholic. Zoe was abandoned first by her mother and then her father. Faced with losing the one woman who helped to raise her, her grandmother Upsie (which was one of the cutest grandparent nicknames I had heard in a while), Zoe decides to help care for her grandmother in her declining years. Because of the downturn in the economy, carpenter Alex has a free schedule and is able to help restore an old lake house that Zoe and Upsie can move in to. With her perpetual optimism and his constant fight with the bottle, they are such opposite characters but can’t help be drawn together. I’ll admit, I thought it took a little longer for them to actually get together but I understand why it was written that way. Alcoholism is not a quick and easy battle. Alex had to take many steps before he was able to reach a point where he could let anyone in to his life. Again, these are some elements of the unbelievable in this story but it just added to the story telling for me. Another fun read and I can’t wait to the final in the series!