Reviews

Dream Lake, by Lisa Kleypas

madelise's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

bookfun's review

dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

I liked Zoe, I liked Alex, I like their relationship and how most of it was focused on Alex healing before he was ready for a relationship and how they really kept it seperate in a way. Yes, she helped him get through withdrawl, but they were not in a relationship while he got sober, which I think is a massive thing for Alcoholics, so yay on keeping it somehow realistic?

I liked again the subtle, realistic magic, even if I didn't like that Zoe never learned about Tom. 

Honestly, some of the timing was just a bit off.

Spoiler

Emma dies right after the accident and Zoe doesn't seem to mind that much... She is sad, but not destroyed which she should be condiering everything. Emma and Tom say goodbye to Alex, but Emma doesn't want to stick around to say goodbye through Alex to Zoe? Doesn't seem right.

just little things like this, that happen at several instances. 

But all in all, they are cute and their chemistry is off the charts!

wheems01's review

4.0

Alex's heart is as hard as stone, or at least that is what he wants. After a bitter divorce from a wife who didn't love him anyway, he has been jaded and drinking too much. Zoe's husband left her for another man, and she has no interest in love anymore. When Zoe's grandmother has to move in with her because she can no longer take care of herself, Zoe hires Alex to remodel the cottage at Dream Lake so they can live there. As the two get to know each other, they also begin to change each other, and maybe time can open a closed heart to a new love. With a ghost whose connection to Zoe's grandmother Emma keeps drawing them together, these two don't stand a chance apart.

Okay, not my best summary ever.... I hate writing summaries.

This was a charming romance. I did enjoy the ghostly element, though couldn't help but wonder if the people around Alex thought he was losing his mind. I wasn't really sure how this romance would work at first. Alex was so hard, coarse, and troubled, I wasn't sure a relationship with him would be possible. Still Zoe softened his edges and made him a more appealing leading man. I loved how he looked out for Emma, Zoe's Grandmother. Charming romance with a ghost--this was a fun read.

robinhigdon's review against another edition

3.0

not a romance fan and I am not sure how I ended up listening to this book on audio. (thought it was a ghost story? and it was of sorts) I would probably given it a 2 rating, but don't want my own lack of love for the romance genre get in the way.

celebrin's review against another edition

3.0

This was a perfectly fine romance. That being said Lisa Kleypas has done much better. I don't know why the book didn't work on all levels for me, but it didn't. I usually love books with ghosts and books that allude to other love stories I've read.

The characters were great but something was missing.

book_grinch's review against another edition

3.0

Review here:
http://paperbackwonderland.blogspot.pt/2013/12/dream-lake-friday-harbor-3-by-lisa.html

jbenando's review

5.0

I really like this way this series is real and yet sprinkled with magic. It’s fun and sweet and makes me teary. And then makes me wish I grew up in that small town.

nikki_knack's review

4.0

Such an easy read, I really loved Alex and his character arc. He really had to get better on his own before he could love someone and that’s the character growth we like to see folks.

And Zoe was really sweet (the descriptions of her cooking and food was more enticing than the sexy bits though lol!!).

The ghost sometimes worked well, and other times was too anachronistic and the weird mystical ending was so unbelievable and out of place.

Overall this book dragged me out of my reading slump, so I’m grateful.

jroxy13's review

2.0

Not all of them can be winners. This series is so stupid, damn.

tommykayreads's review

4.0

The third installment in the Friday Harbor series by Lisa Kleypas was a decent addition. It has been interesting how Kleypas has overlaid the three stories so far across each other. All of the books begin before the death of Victoria, if for no other reason than to give the back story of the family. This story took place over most of Rainshadow Road although you did not know any of this was going on in that book. There were a couple of scenes from that book that have been given a new perspective with the reading of Dream Lake.

This is definitely a series that I think you would want to read all in one gulp. It looks like the next book will take place after the events in the first three, but the characters have been introduced already.

I think this has been my favorite of the series so far.