Simple Wishes [Kindle Edition]

Lisa Dale (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The only flaw in Dale's haunting debut is its reliance on the old chestnut that small town life is superior to the big-city crush. Adele Martin flees her mistakes in New York for the Pennsylvania cabin inherited from her long-estranged mother, Marge, who died six years earlier. Beatrice and Al Lopresti, Marge's friends and neighbors, befriend Adele, though Beatrice refuses to divulge Marge's secrets. Taught that love means indebtedness, Adele is confused by the attentions of woodworker Jay Westvelt. He prefers the simple life, wants stability and a family and doesn't identify as an artist despite his talent. Dale strongly communicates Adele's fears about the future and anger over the past through her relationships with vivid secondary characters such as the Loprestis' troubled teenage granddaughter, Kayleigh, as she puts the reader through a well-paced emotional wringer. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

GOING HOME IS THE LONGEST JOURNEY OF ALL...


Adele Matin couldn't wait to put her lonely childhood and hometown behind her. Amid the bright lights and hustle and bustle of New York, she built a life for herself--until one terrible mistake brought it crashing down. Now Adele is running again, this time to a cottage she inherited from her mother in rural Pennsylvania. And she's about to realize that a small town has more to offer than she ever dreamed.


An artist and woodworker, Jay Westvelt knows a thing or two about living in the country. Adele is intrigued by her mysterious and sexy green-eyed neighbor, a man who took care of her house and soon cares deeply for her. But even as Adele's heart begins to soften toward him, secrets from her mother's past threaten to send her fleeing back to the city. Can Jay convince her to stay with him?


Only if she can learn an important truth: that happiness begins with SIMPLE WISHES.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 506 KB
• Print Length: 388 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0446406899
• Publisher: Forever (January 1, 2009)
• Sold by: Hachette Book Group
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001QAP35K
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,963 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

I am nerd who likes smart, romantic stories that are emotional and character-driven! When I'm not writing, I'm reading, knitting, or hanging out with friends.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comfort Read, January 20, 2009

By 

Kelly Moran "Author and Reviewer" (WISCONSIN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Simple Wishes (Mass Market Paperback)

I am impressed with Simple Wishes, by Lisa Dale. Admittedly, I haven't heard her name before doing this review, but I won't hesitate to recommend her. Simple Wishes and Seeds of Affection are her two titles, though I am unsure which came first. Lisa Dale grew up in rural Northwestern New Jersey before attending McDaniel College in Westminster , Maryland . She worked briefly in publishing before going back to school to get an MFA in fiction at Fairleigh Dickinson University . Lisa resides in New Jersey with her boyfriend.

Adele Matin moved to New York years before to escape a lonely childhood and small hometown life. She built a life for herself and appreciated the anonymity the city gave her, until one horrible mistake brought all that contentment crumbling down at her feet. Fleeing to the rural cottage she inherited from her mother in Pennsylvania , Adele determines that the situation is only temporary, and as soon as she is back on stable ground she'll go back and resume her life again. However, her extremely attractive green-eyed artist neighbor, Jay Westvelt, is proving that living in the country has its perks. As Adele begins to soften and dare to hope for a normal life, secrets from her mother's past resurface, making her want to flee once again and get swallowed up by the big city. Can she get over the past to truly move on? And can Jay convince her to stay with him and take the risk to love someone?

It's pretty rare, even for the most gifted of writers, to genuinely and effortlessly invoke powerful emotions in the reader. Lisa Dale throws you into the characters heads and hearts, making you feel their pain, their joy, and their triumph. There wasn't a dead spot in the whole book where I lost interest and, this is saying a lot because I'm a quick reader, I had this done in no time as I couldn't put it down. The setting was superb and I adored the secondary characters greatly. I especially liked the little bit of Korean culture she snuck in there, too, through Beatrice's character. Lisa Dale was very good at dropping bombshells throughout the storyline, as well. I think in this genre, you always root for a happy ending, even when you know it's coming. But this book makes you stand up and shout, growl with frustration, and almost needs an applause at the end.

Simple Wishes, by Lisa Dale, is a well-written, emotionally packed, blissful read and unlike others of its kind.



Kelly Moran,

Author and Reviewer

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this debut!, January 7, 2009

By 

K. Matrisch (Close to NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple Wishes (Mass Market Paperback)

Lisa Dale's debut novel is absolutely darling and soul-enriching. I relate so much to the heroine so much that it's creepy, especially when it comes to falling for a guy named Jay and the constant struggle between city and country life. All of the characters in here are so real that you'll feel like a part of them are living with you, even after you've finished (at least that's how I felt).

If you're looking for a coming-of-age novel for a thirtysomething woman, then this is definitely for you!

Looking forward to Dale's next novel!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant story full of hope and love; it has a depth and sincerity that will satisfy the romantic in all of us. BCM, March 31, 2009

By 

Bobbie Crawford McCoy "Nurture Your BOOKS" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple Wishes (Mass Market Paperback)

Simple Wishes was a really delightful surprise. This book has restored my faith in contemporary romance novels! The author is clearly a very gifted storyteller. The characters are well written and very down-to-earth. This is a fantastic story that left me with a warm feeling of contentment.
It has a very thought-provoking story, written very ingeniously to keep the reader entertained and yet it doesn't give away too many details too soon. I was really pleased with the plot twist and it caught me completely unawares; what a pleasant surprise that was!
I highly recommend this book!

(9 out of 10 Diamonds) - Loved it!


© 2008-2009 Bobbie Crawford-McCoy (Book Reviews By Bobbie).
All rights reserved.