Summer at Willow Lake (The Lakeshore Chronicles)

by Susan Wiggs

Book Overview

The Lakeshore Chronicles have captivated thousands of readers with unforgettable characters, warm humor and engaging stories. Summer at Willow Lake is the story that started it all. Meet Olivia,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0739471716
• ISBN13: 9780739471715
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Mira Books
• Length: 672 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Lucky to find the whole series, at least 10, in my library

Read the series to completion if you like family stories that go on from start to finish -- kind of like Evergreen by Belva Plain or A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford series'.

Wonderful Willow Lake

Set in Avalon NY on Willoiw Lake and Camp Kioga Olivia Bellamy and family collide with old memories and romances, meet challenges of the past and face the future with hope while restotring a resort camp for a wedding. This is not a fluff romance story of the summer but a many layered tale of people who are all striving to live their best life. Camp Kioga offers them a place to think and restore their hopes while encouraging one another to face the joys and possible heartaches of living a full life. The prospect of the continuation of these chronicle is gladness to this readers heart! Thank you Susan Wiggs for your insight and sophistication in writing good romance fiction.

I couldn't put it down...

Great book! I read it in one day and evening. Very enjoyable; great characters and I liked the idea of being able to "go back" and fix the past. Would that we all could... :-) Go ahead, you won't be disappointed.

What a great book!

I picked up this book at the grocery store and could not put it down. It truly is one of those books that every page keeps you intrigued. I can't wait for the next book and if I had anything negative to say, that would be it, I wish that I didnt have to wait until Feb. 2007! I loved the characters and feel as if I was part of their lives. One of those stories you read and feel like you are living that life! This is the first book that I have read of Susans and I am on [...] looking for others right now! Thanks for a great read!

A pleasure to read...

Olivia Bellamy decides to spend her summer renovating Camp Kioga, the resort camp that has been in the family for over 3 generations. Her grandparents plan to celebrate their 50th anniversary by "renewing their vows" at the camp where they had first met, but since the camp has been closed for the last nine years it needs an "extreme makeover" before it can host such a huge family event. Olivia is reluctant to accept the job at first, because she spent all of her summers growing up there, and they were not happy memories. But after being dumped by her third fiance, she is overwhelmed with the need to get out of Manhattan, and away from her disappointed parents. Returning to Camp Kioga brings back many uncomfortable memories of her childhood growing up an overweight "smart mouthed" kid, with thick glasses and no friends ... no friends except for her older cousins, and one very handsome boy who was as unhappy and lonely as she was. His name was Connor Davis, and on Olivia's very first day back at the old camp, she finds out that he is the only building contractor available in town. Even though she loved Connor growing up, Olivia is not anxious to see him again, because he broke her heart when she was eighteen, the summer before she started college. When Connor arrives at camp to give a renovation estimate, he sees a beautiful, slender blonde, hanging from a flag pole. He doesn't realize that she is his childhood friend "Lolly", because Olivia Bellamy has changed quite a lot in the last several years... This story goes back and forth between "present day" camp renovation, and Olivia's childhood memories of camp, (and a few memories from her parents' generation), but it does not distract from the story at all. It's a really good story, and the book was a joy to read from beginning to end. This is one of Susan Wiggs' best written books, and I find it very similar in style to many of family sagas written by Nora Roberts.

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!

Read this while traveling to Virginia. What a great start for this new series Lakeshore Chronicles. The main characters are beliveable and have SUCH chemistry. The present and past narratives add much to the story. Thank you Susan for another terrific read. Anxious for the next installment.