Reviews

Keeper of the Light by Diane Chamberlain

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darbyart's review against another edition

4.0

This book was a very easy read. I really enjoyed the story and how it unfolded. I thought the characters were developed well. And the story had a really good pace. It was a page turn as I wanted to know more about the characters and the story that was unfolding. It is the first book of 3 books. I have the next two ready to read. I am sure I will enjoy them just as much as the first book and am sure I will enjoy other books by this author.

kelly_e's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

Title: Keeper of the Light
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Series: Kiss River #1
Genre: Women's Fiction
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: March 1, 1992

T H R E E • W O R D S

Melodramatic • Unexpected • Complex

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Dr. Olivia Simon is on duty in the emergency room of North Carolina’s Outer Banks Hospital when a gunshot victim is brought in. Midway through the desperate effort to save the young woman’s life, Olivia realizes who she is—Annie O’Neill. The woman Olivia’s husband, Paul, is in love with.

When Annie dies on the operating table, she leaves behind three other victims. Alec O’Neill, who thought he had the perfect marriage. Paul, whose fixation on Annie is unshakable. And Olivia, who is desperate to understand the woman who destroyed her marriage.

Now they are left with unanswered questions about who Annie really was. And about the secrets she kept hidden so well.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Keeper of the Light was the June selection for our yearlong Diane Chamberlain buddy read. I'd honestly never heard of this one beforehand and didn't know much going in. It started with the trademark Diane Chamberlain mystery and intrigue, but it soon went in directions that made every single character seem sketchy, and definitely felt dated.

As the story progressed, I really struggled with the characters behaviour. I found myself caring less and less about them, which caused my interest to wane significantly. If not for Alec (the widower) and Lacey (Alec's daughter) I'd likely wouldn't have made it through. I struggled with the structure at times, as reading smaller chunks at a time made me lose my momentum.

It's safe to say that Keeper of the Light was my least favourite DC book so far. I struggled with the infidelity trope, and I had to keep reminding myself it was written in the 90s. There is definitely some poor choices of words that doesn't hold up over time. Although I still saw traces of her signature style with building mystery early on, this one just wasn't for me. I'm still curious in seeing where book two goes and how connected it is to this one.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Diane Chamberlain fans
• fans of the love triangle

Content Warnings

jla's review against another edition

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sad fast-paced

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

3.75

Spoiler

Libby audiobook
TW infidelity

The characters in the book were not loveable. Olivia gave me second-hand embarrassment with the stained glass and shelter work. Annie, Paul, and Mary were awful. You would think Mary would have stopped enabling Annie after the first abortion. Or maybe she wouldn't have helped her at all given what happened to Caleb.

I liked Alec, Lacey, and Clay. I felt so bad for Alec.</ spoiler>

Content Warnings

02_adele's review against another edition

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4.0

i think i would give it a 3.5 but its closer to four than to three, so this rating is fine ~
i had extremely low expectations when starting this book and, at first, these started to become a reality. it took quite a while to pick up. but, once i was halfway through, i couldnt put it down!
i really love how the twists and turns of the book actually felt like twists and turns (i was genuinely shocked by them), and how likeable characters were flipped so suddenly. i like a book that can keep me on my toes!
i found the love triangle a bit confusing at one point… i couldnt figure out olivias feelings or intentions because they, perhaps, werent told clearly enough.
overall though, i really enjoyed the concept and settings of the book. it was a nice read!

mj5291's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

asanford's review against another edition

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4.0

I really ended up enjoying this book, despite a rocky start. The twists and turns and the different points of view ended up making this book worth the read. Warning, there are some fairly graphic love scenes (R-rated) that I didn’t feel were at all necessary - especially the one when there was an hour and a half left of the audio book.