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A review by bookwyrm_lark
Return to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
4.0
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard, along with an interview with author Susan Wiggs.
I really enjoyed Return to Willow Lake. I've read (and loved) a number of books by Susan Wiggs before, but hadn't read any of the Lakeshore Chronicles until now. Before starting this book, I checked several of the earlier books out of the library and read them first. I'm very glad I did. Although Return to Willow Lake can certainly stand on its own, having some familiarity with the recurring characters and their backstories made reading it more satisfying.
Sonnet and Zach are high school students in the first books in the series. Here, the former best friends get their chance at romance, though for a long while Sonnet remains willfully blind to what she could have with Zach. (In fact, there were times I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her, which shows how involved with the characters I became.)
Also returning are Nina and Greg Bellamy, Sonnet's mother and stepfather, whose romance is the focus of Dockside, and Zach's father, a convicted embezzler. Several other characters show up in cameo roles. Getting to "visit" with old friends is one of the delights of a series, though in this case, Nina's illness remains a concern throughout much of the book. The scenes depicting her treatments and the toll they take on Nina and those who love her are well written, sometimes even wrenching to read.
Sonnet's desire for her successful-but-absent biological father's love and approval have influenced many of her adult decisions, but her mother's illness and Sonnet's return home provide an opportunity to re-evaluate what really matters to her. Sonnet's father, a decorated general with a perfect family, is making a bid for the Senate, and the existence of Sonnet (conceived out of wedlock during his years at West Point) could prove an embarrassment to his campaign unless it's handled carefully. That's one of the jobs of campaign aide Orlando, whose other role is as Sonnet's "ideal" boyfriend. Ideal, that is, from the point of view of pleasing her father, something the reader sees immediately although Sonnet cannot. She tries to ignore the fact that their relationship lacks... sparks. Both the campaign and Sonnet's relationship with her father remain intermittent but significant issues in the book, and provoke some of the tensest moments. Yet watching Sonnet reconnecting with her true self and her dreams is one of the major satisfactions of Return to Willow Lake.
Meanwhile, both Zach and Sonnet are working for a reality TV show filming in Avalon, one involving an ex-con female rapper named Jezebel and a group of poor, inner-city children. Jezebel is a fascinating young woman: street-smart, irreverent, funny, and outspoken, but also compassionate and even wise. One of my few regrets about Return to Willow Lake was that we did not get to see more of Jezebel; she's one of the best characters in the book.
Zach Alger is almost too good to be true: gorgeous, sexy, and absolutely smitten with Sonnet. Thankfully, he has a few flaws. For one thing, he used to be a bit of a womanizer (though of course, now that he's in love with Sonnet, that's in the past.) And his heart is firmly planted in Avalon, while Sonnet's life has been in New York until now. But how could any woman resist the combination of best friend and passionate lover? It beats me, but Sonnet manages to for most of the book, before finally (inevitably!) coming to her senses. One mark of a skilled romance writer is the ability to maintain the reader's interest in the principals' relationship despite the fact that the end result -- their "happily ever after" -- is a foregone conclusion. Wiggs is indeed good at this; I never lost interest in Sonnet, Zach, or their relationship. Wiggs doesn't rely on sizzling scenes of physical intimacy to keep the reader's interest, either; although there are a few distinctly sensual scenes, this is mainly a book about Sonnet's emotional journey.
My only other regret about Return to Willow Lake is that there is so much going on -- Nina's pregnancy and illness, the reality TV show, Sonnet's relationship with her father and his Senate campaign -- that the book occasionally seemed a little choppy. I felt that I didn't get to experience the emotional highs and lows quite as deeply as I wanted to because of the frequent shifts in focus from one subplot to another. Nonetheless, I had no trouble connecting to and caring about these characters and their stories, particularly Sonnet, Zach, and Nina. Kudos to Susan Wiggs for a very satisfying and heartwarming Return to Willow Lake.
FCC disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
I really enjoyed Return to Willow Lake. I've read (and loved) a number of books by Susan Wiggs before, but hadn't read any of the Lakeshore Chronicles until now. Before starting this book, I checked several of the earlier books out of the library and read them first. I'm very glad I did. Although Return to Willow Lake can certainly stand on its own, having some familiarity with the recurring characters and their backstories made reading it more satisfying.
Sonnet and Zach are high school students in the first books in the series. Here, the former best friends get their chance at romance, though for a long while Sonnet remains willfully blind to what she could have with Zach. (In fact, there were times I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her, which shows how involved with the characters I became.)
Also returning are Nina and Greg Bellamy, Sonnet's mother and stepfather, whose romance is the focus of Dockside, and Zach's father, a convicted embezzler. Several other characters show up in cameo roles. Getting to "visit" with old friends is one of the delights of a series, though in this case, Nina's illness remains a concern throughout much of the book. The scenes depicting her treatments and the toll they take on Nina and those who love her are well written, sometimes even wrenching to read.
Sonnet's desire for her successful-but-absent biological father's love and approval have influenced many of her adult decisions, but her mother's illness and Sonnet's return home provide an opportunity to re-evaluate what really matters to her. Sonnet's father, a decorated general with a perfect family, is making a bid for the Senate, and the existence of Sonnet (conceived out of wedlock during his years at West Point) could prove an embarrassment to his campaign unless it's handled carefully. That's one of the jobs of campaign aide Orlando, whose other role is as Sonnet's "ideal" boyfriend. Ideal, that is, from the point of view of pleasing her father, something the reader sees immediately although Sonnet cannot. She tries to ignore the fact that their relationship lacks... sparks. Both the campaign and Sonnet's relationship with her father remain intermittent but significant issues in the book, and provoke some of the tensest moments. Yet watching Sonnet reconnecting with her true self and her dreams is one of the major satisfactions of Return to Willow Lake.
Meanwhile, both Zach and Sonnet are working for a reality TV show filming in Avalon, one involving an ex-con female rapper named Jezebel and a group of poor, inner-city children. Jezebel is a fascinating young woman: street-smart, irreverent, funny, and outspoken, but also compassionate and even wise. One of my few regrets about Return to Willow Lake was that we did not get to see more of Jezebel; she's one of the best characters in the book.
Zach Alger is almost too good to be true: gorgeous, sexy, and absolutely smitten with Sonnet. Thankfully, he has a few flaws. For one thing, he used to be a bit of a womanizer (though of course, now that he's in love with Sonnet, that's in the past.) And his heart is firmly planted in Avalon, while Sonnet's life has been in New York until now. But how could any woman resist the combination of best friend and passionate lover? It beats me, but Sonnet manages to for most of the book, before finally (inevitably!) coming to her senses. One mark of a skilled romance writer is the ability to maintain the reader's interest in the principals' relationship despite the fact that the end result -- their "happily ever after" -- is a foregone conclusion. Wiggs is indeed good at this; I never lost interest in Sonnet, Zach, or their relationship. Wiggs doesn't rely on sizzling scenes of physical intimacy to keep the reader's interest, either; although there are a few distinctly sensual scenes, this is mainly a book about Sonnet's emotional journey.
My only other regret about Return to Willow Lake is that there is so much going on -- Nina's pregnancy and illness, the reality TV show, Sonnet's relationship with her father and his Senate campaign -- that the book occasionally seemed a little choppy. I felt that I didn't get to experience the emotional highs and lows quite as deeply as I wanted to because of the frequent shifts in focus from one subplot to another. Nonetheless, I had no trouble connecting to and caring about these characters and their stories, particularly Sonnet, Zach, and Nina. Kudos to Susan Wiggs for a very satisfying and heartwarming Return to Willow Lake.
FCC disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.