suejmorrison's review against another edition
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jillyfay's review against another edition
4.0
Finally the Sloane sister!! Another great book in the series. Wonder who is next.....
4windsart's review against another edition
5.0
I love Carla Neggers. She is one of my favorite authors. She's writes the type of books I can sit down and read regardless of the mood I'm in. Are most of her books similar? Yes, but it doesn't matter. I love the characters and I love the stories. You can call her my guilty pleasure if you have to characterize her. I can't wait to read her next book.
whiskeyinthejar's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Vic is a retired ambassador and quite possibly losing his mind in his retirement. Phone calls that when answered there is no one there, items misplaced in his home, and a general feeling of unease. Adrienne, his housesitter for when he was away on work and now his wine expert and Heather, the woman in charge of renovating his home haven't noticed anything unusual but Vic is uncomfortable enough to call on Brody a DSS agent (Diplomatic Security Service) and friend. Brody grew up in the small town of Knights Bridge but left without looking back after an "incident" with Heather's brothers. Brody's not especially looking forward to being back but after a few meetings with Heather, he is starting to feel differently. As secrets, truths, and feelings get revealed our characters will learn a little bit about themselves while growing together.
First off, I have to say that my rating for this book fluctuated crazily as I was reading it, from 2 stars to 4 stars so my review may seem all over the place. Basically, I feel like the writing was high quality, interesting, and charming but I didn't read the story promised in the blurb. I wouldn't really call this a romance, mystery, or suspense; it probably falls under women's fiction or just general. In my synopsis I started with Vic, who is barely mentioned in the actual book blurb but this story is 80% about him. I commented in my notes how "in Vic's head too much in the beginning" before I realized he was more or less going to be the star of the show. Vic struggles over the decision to retire early, looking back over the moments of his life, and dealing with the reveal of a long held secret. Again, his character was interesting but not what I thought I signed up for.
This is fourth in a series and for the first couple pages I felt thrown into the story, as if I was suppose to know the characters and scene but after a few chapters I was able to nestle in. Echo Lake definitely offers a small town series feel, just be prepared for an overall feel instead of a focused concentrated interest on one main romance couple. It's not until the second half of the book that Brody and Heather show any sign of truly coming together and get any major screen time together. Even then, the process is pretty slow and except for a handful of paragraphs, this is basically a clean romance. Heather was the easier character to get to know as her family life (a little overwhelming and repetitive at times with the talk of her five older brothers) and feelings were discussed more. She came across sturdy and believable as a character but did not overly peak my interest. Brody was meant to be a stoic, still waters run deep, and man of few words, unfortunately, that was all I got from him as a reader. There weren’t enough pov scenes or screen time from Brody for him to become a prominent figure in my mind.
Even with all this said, I still found Brody and his, limited, interactions with Heather charming, which I have to put down to the author's writing style/voice and like I said, Vic was interesting if not a bit overdone with “someone’s out to get me” tangent. If you have read the previous books in the series and enjoy the author's writing then you will definitely want to continue with this one, past characters are sprinkled throughout and definitely some future ones. If looking for a comfortable mellow read and wanting to immerse yourself in the feeling of small town life with an open door into the life of an array of those town people's lives then this would be a good choice.
Vic is a retired ambassador and quite possibly losing his mind in his retirement. Phone calls that when answered there is no one there, items misplaced in his home, and a general feeling of unease. Adrienne, his housesitter for when he was away on work and now his wine expert and Heather, the woman in charge of renovating his home haven't noticed anything unusual but Vic is uncomfortable enough to call on Brody a DSS agent (Diplomatic Security Service) and friend. Brody grew up in the small town of Knights Bridge but left without looking back after an "incident" with Heather's brothers. Brody's not especially looking forward to being back but after a few meetings with Heather, he is starting to feel differently. As secrets, truths, and feelings get revealed our characters will learn a little bit about themselves while growing together.
First off, I have to say that my rating for this book fluctuated crazily as I was reading it, from 2 stars to 4 stars so my review may seem all over the place. Basically, I feel like the writing was high quality, interesting, and charming but I didn't read the story promised in the blurb. I wouldn't really call this a romance, mystery, or suspense; it probably falls under women's fiction or just general. In my synopsis I started with Vic, who is barely mentioned in the actual book blurb but this story is 80% about him. I commented in my notes how "in Vic's head too much in the beginning" before I realized he was more or less going to be the star of the show. Vic struggles over the decision to retire early, looking back over the moments of his life, and dealing with the reveal of a long held secret. Again, his character was interesting but not what I thought I signed up for.
This is fourth in a series and for the first couple pages I felt thrown into the story, as if I was suppose to know the characters and scene but after a few chapters I was able to nestle in. Echo Lake definitely offers a small town series feel, just be prepared for an overall feel instead of a focused concentrated interest on one main romance couple. It's not until the second half of the book that Brody and Heather show any sign of truly coming together and get any major screen time together. Even then, the process is pretty slow and except for a handful of paragraphs, this is basically a clean romance. Heather was the easier character to get to know as her family life (a little overwhelming and repetitive at times with the talk of her five older brothers) and feelings were discussed more. She came across sturdy and believable as a character but did not overly peak my interest. Brody was meant to be a stoic, still waters run deep, and man of few words, unfortunately, that was all I got from him as a reader. There weren’t enough pov scenes or screen time from Brody for him to become a prominent figure in my mind.
Even with all this said, I still found Brody and his, limited, interactions with Heather charming, which I have to put down to the author's writing style/voice and like I said, Vic was interesting if not a bit overdone with “someone’s out to get me” tangent. If you have read the previous books in the series and enjoy the author's writing then you will definitely want to continue with this one, past characters are sprinkled throughout and definitely some future ones. If looking for a comfortable mellow read and wanting to immerse yourself in the feeling of small town life with an open door into the life of an array of those town people's lives then this would be a good choice.
ssejig's review against another edition
3.0
The book opens with Knightsbridge hometown girl Heather Sloan slogging through the snow chasing a golden retriever puppy, Rohan (my favorite breed, I was hooked pretty fast). She isn't dressed for the weather but she can't let the puppy get away. He belongs to Vic Scarlatti, a newly retired diplomat who bought a house in Knightsbridge twenty years ago but has just moved in. He's hired Heather to do the renovations. He also called in Brody Hancock, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent. There have been some strange things going on and Vic is worried that someone might be after him. Brody isn't so sure, and he's not enamored of going back to a town he gladly left behind, but he sure is enchanted by the woman chasing a cute ball of fluff.
A very surface-level romance between Brody and Heather as the stay-at-home girl and traveling man work through their attraction. They were both nice enough characters but I didn't really feel like we got to know either of them very well. And while the lust was slow burning, the insta-love was there.
Also includes a sub-plot with Vic and his house sitter, Adrienne Portale. Both felt like sequel bait. Well see them again.
Not my favorite in this series but certainly not bad enough to make me quit reading.
A very surface-level romance between Brody and Heather as the stay-at-home girl and traveling man work through their attraction. They were both nice enough characters but I didn't really feel like we got to know either of them very well. And while the lust was slow burning, the insta-love was there.
Also includes a sub-plot with Vic and his house sitter, Adrienne Portale. Both felt like sequel bait. Well see them again.
Not my favorite in this series but certainly not bad enough to make me quit reading.
shell74's review against another edition
4.0
He slipped his arms around her. “What am I going to do about you?” Before she could get a decent breath, never mind respond, he lowered his mouth to hers. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I don’t want to stop.”
“Is that why you’re leaving?”
New England charm and romance abound in Echo Lake, the fourth full-length novel in Carla Neggers’ heartfelt Swift River Valley series. With a potential mystery to solve and sparks of attraction flying, settle in for a while. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Echo Lake, to me, was a novel about second chances, family, and new beginnings. Set in the quaint town of Knights Bridge, Massachusetts, Ms. Neggers did a fantastic job painting a picture of how a small town in New England functions.
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“Is that why you’re leaving?”
New England charm and romance abound in Echo Lake, the fourth full-length novel in Carla Neggers’ heartfelt Swift River Valley series. With a potential mystery to solve and sparks of attraction flying, settle in for a while. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Echo Lake, to me, was a novel about second chances, family, and new beginnings. Set in the quaint town of Knights Bridge, Massachusetts, Ms. Neggers did a fantastic job painting a picture of how a small town in New England functions.
Read More
samwlabb's review
4.0
I am a fan of the Swift River Valley books. I have read several, and have grown to love this small town. This book focuses on the romance between Brody, the former town bad boy, who is now a Diplomatic Security Service agent, and Heather, the youngest of the Sloan family. As with all the SRV books, there is also a little mystery. I cannot lie, I sort of saw THAT coming, but I give Neggers credit for trying to make me think there was going to be more to the mystery. The thing that really keeps me coming back for more is the community of SRV. I love that feeling of everyone knowing each other, and helping each other. Since this one featured another Heather, we got to spend more time with the Sloan family, which is always amusing. Another fine addition to this charming series.
thefox22's review
4.0
My heart for that ending. <3 I just love this series so much. There is something about this setting, these characters, and their stories that I fall in love with book after book. I would have liked just a *bit* more development on the romantic side, but oh, how I adored this. And the characters, especially head-strong Heather and intense Brody. Not to mention, the wonderful network of friends and family in this fictional town of Knights Bridge. I am such a sucker for amazing familial relationships, especially, so I loved all of the scenes with Heather and her five older brothers. Gah, I can't wait for more! :)
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