Sunday, August 26, 2012

Review: Return to Willow Lake



About the Book:
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…sister? 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 of 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. At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Return to Willow Lake plumbs the deepest corners of the human heart, exploring the bonds of family, the perils and rewards of love, and the true meaning of home. Profoundly emotional and resonant, this is Susan Wiggs at her finest.

My Comments:
What do you get when you combine the friend who is a guy with a reality tv show and a sperm donor father who is trying to manipulate you life?  In this case, you get a charming romantic novel that explores what parenting and love are all about.  Sonnet seems to have it all--the glamorous  New York City job, the handsome boyfriend, the good friend who is male, and finally, her father in her life.  Over a short period of time she gives up the job and the boyfriend and seems to lose the friend.  She is afraid of losing her mother, and finds out that her father isn't what she thought.  Working on a reality tv show with a famous star and some poor children from New York City gives her yet more food for thought.

I really liked Zach.  He seemed so comfortable in his own skin, so grown-up, so caring.  Sonnet was the opposite, always striving toward something, always trying to please others.  I liked the idea that there are those under our noses who need help and it doesn't take moving mountains to make a difference in people's lives.  

The book included pre-marital intimate scenes but they weren't terribly graphic.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.  

No comments:

Post a Comment


View My Stats