Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (7)
- France (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Lakeside Healing Novel A Wordy, Just Okay Read
7:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
It's been a year since Susannah Gilmore's husband of 20 years died in a bicycle accident and she's still trying to pick up the pieces. In an effort to start over, the widow moves herself and her two teens from Brooklyn to her family's summer cottage in tiny Eastwood, New Hampshire. Sixteen-year-old Calista is already boiling over with grief and anger; relocation to the middle of nowhere only makes her more surly. Her younger brother tries to keep the peace, but the tension in the family never seems to cease, despite their tranquil new surroundings.
When Susannah discovers an intriguing item—a love note addressed to her mother, written in a script that is not her father's—in the house, she finds a needed distraction. That's not the only thing grabbing her attention, though. She's researching another puzzling mystery for a novel she's writing, spending more time than she should thinking about handsome Corbin Bailey, and desperately trying to ease her family's heartbreak so they can heal together. Can Susannah find the answers she's looking for, the peace she's seeking, and the second love she doesn't know she needs?
The wounded-woman-coming-home-to-heal trope is one I'm always up for, especially when it's done well. The House on Primrose Pond by Yona Zeldis McDonough fits the first bill, but not necessarily the second. While the novel has some compelling elements, it's way too long and wordy. Susannah is a sympathetic heroine, but she's also a selfish, annoying pushover who lets her bratty teenager call all the shots. I had a hard time respecting her or really caring all that much about her plight. In the end, then, I found The House on Primrose Pond to be an okay read, nothing more.
(Readalikes: A million titles should be coming to mind, but I'm drawing a blank. Help!)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), innuendo/sexual content, and references to illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
3 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
Book Blogger Hop – TV or Book4 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Audiobook: The Mango Tree10 hours ago
-
FO Friday: SaltPixie Studio Rolags10 hours ago
-
Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose11 hours ago
-
The Lady of Larkspur Vale15 hours ago
-
Need a laugh?16 hours ago
-
-
Long Time Dead by T M Payne17 hours ago
-
First Lines Fridays: April 26, 202420 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Final Cut by Marjorie McCown2 days ago
-
-
-
-
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth3 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Reading as a retreat from reality1 week ago
-
Reading Recap March 20242 weeks ago
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up3 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?6 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra10 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ▼ 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
If this one's just an okay read then I think I'll pass. Too many other better books to read. :)
ReplyDeleteNovels that are long and wordy and so not for me. I get frustrated and want them to get to the point. :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah. I probably would have DNF'd it, but I really needed a New Hampshire book for the Literary Escapes reading challenge! LOL.
Delete