Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Dream Lake-Lisa Kleypas

Dream Lake


Lisa Kleypas

St. Martin’s Griffin, Aug 7 2012, $14.99

ISBN: 9781250008299



The ghost cannot remember anything as he is stuck inside a lake house that has no occupants until Sam Nolan buys the property. Over the next two years Sam with help from friends, his work crew and his brother Mark fix up the place. Sam’s other brother Alex arrives at the house. The ghost sings a song; Alex hums it. Stunned the ghost says he is here and Alex sees him. Alex leaves and the ghost goes with him.



Over the next two years, the ghost detests Alex but cannot leave the alcoholic who still has sex with his ex-wife though she plans to sell his house. Sam introduces Zoe Hoffman to Alex. He is attracted to her but acts surly and avoids her. Zoe’s marriage to Chris ended when he left her for a man. Her father remains distant from her and her beloved grandma Emma suffers from dementia; her mother left them years ago. She plans to have Emma live with her in the cottage that her cousin is fixing up for them using Alex as the contractor. The ghost tells Alex to get rid of him; he needs to know who he is and what he did; and believes the evidence is in the attic of Sam’s house.



The second Nolan Brother contemporary romance (see Rainshadow Road) is a wonderful drama starring flawed individuals. The relationship between the ghost and Alex comes across as real as does Alex’s relationships with Zoe, his brothers and his ex-wife. Although Zoe comes across as the Mother Theresa of Washington State as she is too nice, fans will root for her and Alex to make it and need to know who the ghost was when he lived.



Harriet Klausner





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