37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Perfect Series Debut!, September 14, 2010
This review is from: Making Waves: A Novel (Lake Manawa Summers) (Paperback)
I absolutely LOVE getting to read debut novels by new authors. Lorna Seilstad had got what it takes to create a novel to fully capture the reader instantly, and make them feel right at home with the wonderful characters. Ms. Seilstad has the skills to pen novels that are sure to be best selling!
Making Waves is the first book in this amazing, brand-new series, Lake Manawa Summers, and oh what a start it is! It's 1895 in Iowa and Marguerite just wants to live life adventurously for herself and not like some of the high society women attending dinners and balls. And that's just what she tries to do. She was such an adorable character. She had that real-to-life feel and reminded me of myself at that age, wanting to do what I wanted to do and not meaning to cause raucous. And oh what raucous she caused! Let's talk about her "intended" Roger....DID NOT LIKE HIM! Come on, really? Did he have to be so boring? Oh, and how about Trip? Now THAT was a DREAMY character! I fell in love with him at the first description of his tender hearted, yet strong soul! He really completed the depth to the characters and made the book that much more fun!
Lorna Seilstad packed this series start full of laugh-out-loud humor and antics, a hint of mystery, lots and lots of love, and a spiritual message of never settling for less than God's will in your life, no matter what or whom may think otherwise.
If you like a story full of love, laughter, and God, than this is a 5 star story you won't want to miss. It's a perfect start to a new series and book 2, A Great Catch will be at the top of my wish list until it's Summer '11 release! Great job, Lorna!!
*This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Company*
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Fun-loving, never-get-bored, page-turner!", January 19, 2011
This review is from: Making Waves: A Novel (Lake Manawa Summers) (Paperback)
I am delighted to add new author, Lorna Sielstad, to my favorites list!! What an unexpected treasure "Making Waves" turned out to be! Lorna combines romance and humor with just the right amount of depth and suspense to make this a fun-loving, never-get-bored, page-turner!
Marguerite Westing is a headstrong, fearless, risk-taking beauty who turned out to be one of the most hilarious heroines I have ever had the pleasure of reading! She is always somewhere polite society says she shouldn't be, doing something polite society says she shouldn't be doing, but it's her explanations out of such situations and her reasoning for finding herself in them in the first place that makes for a most enjoyable read! But within her explanations and reasonings, however well intended they might be, is a little web of lies- lies she tries to justify but soon finds out (rather painfully, might I add) that every lie has its day in the sun.
To her credit Marguerite has none of the airs you would expect from a girl of her station- her dearest friend (who is more like a sister to her) is Lilly, her personal maid- and she also possess a sacrificial love for her family, which showcases more as the story goes on. But there is a dark cloud hovering over the Westing family in the form of Roger Gordon, Marguerite's self-proclaimed fiancé, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants- and what he wants is the beautiful Marguerite for his own. Our heroine started her summer with dreams of adventure and fun but soon finds that secrets, be they hers or someone else's, have a way of catching up and putting a real damper on things. Is there a silver lining to be found on Lake Manawa?
Tripp Andrews is a strong, handsome, sailing instructor, with a heart as gold as the setting sun and a smile to match its warmth. He reluctantly agrees to teach Marguerite's younger brother how to sail, yet the clever beauty with the azure eyes manages to convince him to let her tag along. He's never seen anyone, let alone a girl, take to sailing as fast as she does and her love for life and adventure is contagious and beckons him like waves to the shore. But he can't seem to shake the feeling she's hiding something from him. Will misunderstandings and good intentions gone awry be enough to destroy this burgeoning love? Will their relationship survive its sifting when the winds of unforeseen circumstances threaten to carry it away? Sorry, I can't tell you but I promise you're gonna thoroughly enjoy finding out! :)
I really liked how Lorna portrayed family in this book. Tripp and his dad have a strained relationship. All he wants is to make his father proud but feels he'll never measure up. But a revelation from his childhood might be just the balm that's needed to repair and restore. Marguerite is a "daddy's girl." She and her father have always had a close relationship, but that bond will be tried and tested when she realizes her father is hiding something that affects them all. From the start of the book she has a strained relationship with her mother (which reads quite comical at times!), but her father has always been her hero and ally, so this revelation is a devastating blow. I like that Lorna shows that parents are human too and capable of making mistakes like anyone else. I also love how Lorna portrayed faith in this book and the struggle her characters have in finding it. But will Marguerite take problems into her own hands or will she leave them in the very capable hands of the Lord and trust Him to work the outcome for their good? The Truth will set you free!
This book was wonderful and just the summer escape I was needing during these cold winter months! I can't wait to get my hands on Lorna's next book, "A Great Catch", coming out in May!!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent historical romance - so fun!, November 21, 2010
This review is from: Making Waves: A Novel (Lake Manawa Summers) (Paperback)
One of the most clever, fun books I have read this year. Lorna Seilstad takes a period of history and weaves a delightful story around the setting. The setting (Lake Manawa, Iowa) actually becomes one of the characters as the story progresses and I had so much fun visualizing the area around the lake. Marguerite Westing is a fantastic heroine - she is full of vim and vigor and won't conform to anyone's expectations, including the man who wants to marry her. Though her mother is pushing for the marriage, she is relying on her dad to let her marry for love not money... right? There are mysteries surrounding happenings at the lake, where everyone who's anyone is camping for the summer. It's hard for me to imagine camping as a sign of the "in crowd", but okay... I loved the history surrounding the lake as explained in the back of the book and I adored this story.
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