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Return to Willow Lake (The Lakeshore Chronicles) [Hardcover]

Susan Wiggs
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (152 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 28, 2012 The Lakeshore Chronicles
Sonnet Romano's life is almost perfect. She has the ideal career, the ideal boyfriend, and has just been offered a prestigious fellowship. There's nothing more a woman wants—except maybe a baby…brother?

When Sonnet finds out her mother is unexpectedly expecting, and that the pregnancy is high risk, she puts everything on hold—the job, the fellowship, the boyfriend—and heads home to Avalon. Once her mom is out of danger, Sonnet intends to pick up her life where she left off.

But when her mother receives a devastating diagnosis, Sonnet must decide what really matters in life, even if that means staying in Avalon and taking a job that forces her to work alongside her biggest, and maybe her sweetest, mistake—award-winning filmmaker Zach Alger. So Sonnet embarks on a summer of laughter and tears, of old dreams and new possibilities, and of finding the home of her heart.


Frequently Bought Together

Return to Willow Lake (The Lakeshore Chronicles) + Marrying Daisy Bellamy (The Lakeshore Chronicles) + The Summer Hideaway (The Lakeshore Chronicles)
Price for all three: $31.77

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"With the ease of a master, Wiggs introduces complicated, flesh-and-blood characters into her idyllic but identifiable small town setting..."--Publishers Weekly Starred Review on The Winter Lodge (Best Books of 2007 selection)

"Susan Wiggs paints the details of human relationships with the finesse of a master."

-Jodi Picoult

"Wiggs's storytelling is heartwarming... clutter free... [for] romance and women's fiction readers of any age."

--Publishers Weekly

"Wiggs's talent is reflected in her thoroughly believable characters as well as the way she recognizes the importance of family by blood or other ties."

--Library Journal

"Susan Wiggs writes with bright assurance, humor and compassion."

--Luanne Rice

"Empathetic protagonists, interesting secondary characters, well-written flashbacks, and delicious recipes add depth to this touching, complex romance..."

--Library Journal on The Winter Lodge

"Emotionally intense."

Booklist on The Winter Lodge

"Wiggs is at the top of her game here, combining a charming setting with subtly shaded characters and more than a touch of humor. This is the kind of book a reader doesn't want to see end but can't help devouring as quickly as possible."

--RT Book Reviews [Top Pick] on Snowfall at Willow Lake

"Rich with life lessons, nod-along moments and characters with whom readers can easily relate.... Delightful and wise, Wiggs's latest shines."

--Publishers Weekly on Dockside

"Wonderfully evoked characters, a spellbinding story line, and insights into the human condition will appeal to every reader."

--Booklist on Summer at Willow Lake

About the Author

Susan Wiggs is the author of many beloved bestsellers, including the popular Lakeshore Chronicles series. She has won many awards for her work, including a RITA from Romance Writers of America. Visit her website at www.SusanWiggs.com.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Harlequin MIRA; First Edition edition (August 28, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0778313840
  • ISBN-13: 978-0778313847
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (152 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #435,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's Talk of the Nation, and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.

From the very start, her writings have illuminated the everyday dramas of ordinary people. At the age of eight, she self-published her first novel, entitled "A Book About Some Bad Kids."

Today, she is an international best-selling, award-winning author, with millions of copies of her books in print in numerous countries. Her recent novel, Marrying Daisy Bellamy, took the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List, and The Lakeshore Chronicles have won readers' hearts around the globe. Her books celebrate the power of love, the timeless bonds of family and the fascinating nuances of human nature.

She lives with her husband and family at the water's edge on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where she divides her time between sleeping and waking.

Customer Reviews

The plot was engaging and the characters well developed. Donna McBroom-Theriot  |  14 reviewers made a similar statement
I have read several books written by Susan Wiggs and love her writings. Ginny  |  12 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars B rating... August 28, 2012
Format:Hardcover
My Review:

This is the first Susan Wiggs book that I've ever read. I know, right? She was a huge romance writer when I was working in the bookstore 20 years ago. I can't believe it's taken me this long to pick up one of her books. But this book is so much more than just a romance novel. This is a book about family and what's really important in life. Just to put it in perspective, the book starts and ends with scenes of Sonnet talking to her mom...not scenes with Zach, although he definitely still plays a big part in the book.

For Sonnet, she doesn't realize it, but her life is at a crossroads. She's had an interesting life that has shaped her into an overachiever. Raised by her single mother and an absent, overachieving father, she has always shaped her life for his approval. She works in NYC at a worldwide agency that helps under-priviledged children. Children are her passion and although the job doesn't put her in direct contact with the children as much she's still convinced herself that she's doing good for them and that's good enough. She has an amazing boyfriend who is her father's senate campaign manager. They met through her father and although they don't have passion, she feels that they are a good match.

When she goes home to attend her step-sister's wedding, she sees her childhood best friend, Zach. They've been best friends since kindergarten although they haven't seen each other in years. In an after-wedding tryst, everything between them changes and not for the better...at least not for the first few months afterwards.

Honestly, I would probably classify this book as women's fiction rather than romance. Yes, there is a romantic element to it and it's a beautiful romantic story, but I did't feel like it was the main bulk of the story. For that, I think it was Sonnet's relationship with both her parents. Her mother who is battling cancer through an unexpected pregnancy and her father who is focusing on winning a senate office and trying to force Sonnet into making all the right moves for HIS career. You definitely start to see a lot of the contrast in Sonnet's life as she begins to realize what's really important. It was an interesting book and is a nice read to while away a quiet Sunday afternoon.

This is the 9th book in this series and while you definitely don't need to have read the other books to enjoy this one, I'm intrigued by some of the other stories (you get glimpses of them throughout this book) and may just pick up a few of them.

I received a complementary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Great women's fiction but romance is almost non-existent September 5, 2012
Format:Hardcover
I am giving this book 3-stars. Not because it wasn't really good. It was. Not because it wasn't well written. It was wonderfully written. By all rights based on enjoyment and connection with the story this should be a 4-star or higher book.

But it isn't. And it is because the romance in this book was almost non-existent.

Sonnet Romano, daughter of Nina (heroine of earlier Willow Lake book Dockside (The Lakeshore Chronicles)), is feeling a bit blue after her best friend Daisy has gotten married. By all rights her life should be perfect. She is connecting with her estranged father, she has a great new boyfriend and she has just learned that she's won a prestigious fellowship. And yet, all that seems bland in light of Daisy's happiness at her wedding. Prodded by her post-wedding glow mood and a bunch of jell-o shots, Sonnet has sex with her best friend Zach, now a hot and handsome videographer.

The next day she realizes it was a colossal mistake and runs back to New York, determined to move on with her life. Except she is dragged back home by some devastating news.

Here's the thing...I have been reading the Willow lake series since forever. It is a romance series. Well, it was a romance series. And therein lies my problem. You start out reading a series that is romance and the somewhere along the way it becomes less about romance and more about the inner struggles of the heroine. You get a serious sense of disconnect. I noticed this first with the preceding book in this series, Marrying Daisy Bellamy (The Lakeshore Chronicles) which featured Sonnet's best friend and step-sister Daisy. I also gave that book 3-stars for the same reason I am giving this one three stars. To wit, I expected romance but I got women's fiction. I thought it was an anomaly. I guess not.

My affection for the characters and town that I have gotten to know is a large part of the reason why I do continue to read. And frankly SW writes a good story. However, you can't go into a book expecting a romance and not get that. It will have an effect on how you perceive the book.

After Sonnet and Zach's hook up at the wedding, their romance stalls until pretty much the last fourth of the book. The lion's share of the story is taken up with Sonnet helping Nina out with some bad news. And with Sonnet working on a reality show. And with Sonnet's preoccupation with her father's senatorial campaign. Basically with all kinds of things that have nothing to do with Zach. He disappears for whole swaths of the book. As I was reading I kept wondering when he would come back and we'd get some forward action on the romance front.

All in all this is a good book. Romance readers will find it a disappointment in the romance dept. Wiggs fans and fans of the series should still enjoy it with the caveat to expect it to be more about Sonnet and Nina than Sonnet and Zach
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Return to Willow Lake August 28, 2012
By jbarr
Format:Kindle Edition
Return to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
ISBN: 9780778313847
Daisy Bellamy's wedding at Camp Kioga, finally.
Love how Susan brings you up to date on who the person was and what they did in younger years-that's what made the bell ring for me :}
Sonnet Romano is her best friend and everything went off without a hitch. She doesn't want to get married anytime soon and works at UNESCO.
Zachery Alger is there also, a videographer but just a guest at this party. Their renew their friendship after many swigs of champagne. He is saving money to pay off his fathers debt to the community.
Sonnet has to leave her boyfriend that her father set her up with, as they continue the campaign for government office, and she goes back to Avalon to be with her mom who's having a medical crises.
Zach has news from a west coast film production company that they want him for their next 16 week reality show.
He informs her of her mothers cancer and she changes all her plans to stay in Avalon to help her along with the treatments and the pregnancy. They both end up working for the same company.
Throw in the reality show and you have mayhem. Have they made the right choices????
With some hot steamy sex this is a good read.
Love the refresher on the surgeries and all the tests-been there done that, it's horrid. But good comes out of it in the end...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars great
I loved all the lakeshore chronicles series interesting reading I don't read as much in summer as I have flowers to tend to
Published 3 days ago by R. A. White
5.0 out of 5 stars Where you least expect it
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lots of story lines intertwined and it kept me interested. Sometimes we're looking for something, but don't know what it is. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Phyl
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
I have read all of the Lakeshore Chronicle books so far and really enjoy them. So much fun to follow the characters over time. These books should be read in the correct order.
Published 7 days ago by Thelma L Powers
4.0 out of 5 stars Judging a book!
It stayed interesting through out the entire book, that is the stop priority for me in judging a book when I read it.
Published 8 days ago by William B Glafke
4.0 out of 5 stars Another Susan Wiggs classic
True to her writing history, Susan Wiggs delivers another heartwarming tale of small town life with it's idealistic roots, character flaws and foibles that speak to us of both... Read more
Published 9 days ago by BlueRose
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Was a good book there didn't seem quite as much of a story then previous books but still a good book
Published 10 days ago by lcmwecdkk
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
This story kept me riveted through out the entire book.
Susan Wiggs always has and always will be one of my favorites .
Can't wait for the next one. Keep em coming Susan!
Published 12 days ago by Bette D. Watson
4.0 out of 5 stars Willow Lake
I have read all the Willow Lake books and enjoyed this one a lot. I had forgotten some of the past history, but caught up to it again in the book.
Published 13 days ago by Desert Susie
5.0 out of 5 stars Return to Willow Lake
This was the first book I read of Susan Wiggs and have continued to read other books in her Lakeshore Chronicles. Read more
Published 16 days ago by donnasal
5.0 out of 5 stars another feel good story
you can't go wrong with Susan Wiggs. Her books just take you to a place you would want to live. I love the continuing stories of the people I have reading about for years. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Tina Anway
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