Dream Lake (Friday Harbor, #3)

Aug 10, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

The best so far in the Friday Harbor series, but....

Zoe Hoffman is a great cook, her creations are almost magical. With her grandmother needing full-time care, Zoe takes on the responsibility, renovating her cottage. Alex, the youngest Nolan brother is in a bad place. With his marriage break-up and now financially broke, Alex is spiraling down into alcoholism. Zoe hires Alex to renovate the cottage.

As with the previous books in this series there are some paranormal elements to the contemporary s...more
The best so far in the Friday Harbor series, but....

Zoe Hoffman is a great cook, her creations are almost magical. With her grandmother needing full-time care, Zoe takes on the responsibility, renovating her cottage. Alex, the youngest Nolan brother is in a bad place. With his marriage break-up and now financially broke, Alex is spiraling down into alcoholism. Zoe hires Alex to renovate the cottage.

As with the previous books in this series there are some paranormal elements to the contemporary setting. Alex has a ghost who needs his help. And at times the relationship between Alex and the ghost tends to rival the romance between Alex and Zoe for centre-stage. And like the other books this leans more to women's fiction, than contemporary romance.

Individually I liked both Alex and Zoe. And though their romance was fraught with problems (of course) I enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom. This has so far been my favourite romance of the series. Zoe is sweet, kind and loving. Alex is bitter and brooding. A perfect match.

This is a sweet story. And there is some of the trademark Lisa Kleypas magic with the writing, humour, characterisations and emotion. The beginning was fairly slowly-paced, only picking up steam for me in the second half. Dream Lake runs in parallel time with Rainshadow Road book #2. Zoe's food creations were beautifully and mouth-wateringly described.

I haven't been overly impressed with this series. For me, the contemporary romance and the magical realism/paranormal elements doesn't quite work. Personally I can't wait for Ms Kleypas to be done with Friday Harbor and get to writing Joe's story for the Travis series!

However, readers who have enjoyed the first two books, will love this. If you haven't enjoyed the first two books but still enjoy Lisa Kleypas's writing I suggest you put a hold at the library. I think Dream Lake is worth reading and I will probably be reading the next installment in the series, but like this book I'll be picking it up from the library. Scrapes in at 4 stars.

Steam: 2.5-3

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Sep 13, 2012 Annie (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, books-i-own, genre-contemporary-romance, covers-to-covet, favorites, read-in-2012, review-requests, author-lisa-kleypas, series-friday-harbor, tortured-bad-boys, for-fresh-fiction-review

Lisa Kleypas has made me fall in love with many of her heroes – Kev Merripen, Derek Craven, Sebastian St. Vincent, Jack Travis – now I can add Alex Nolan to this list.

I felt that Zoe and Alex were a great match for one another. Though they bicker with one another often, it showed people how willing they were to deal with one another even though they are difficult. I find it more interesting to have a couple work at being in a relationship than reading about one that falls so easily into place.

Zo...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Carol *Young at Heart Oldie* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star-books

I really loved this book and it is my favourite in the Friday Harbor series so far. It's an original and charming story of two unlikely people who find love with a little help from a very outspoken ghost, with a bittersweet love story of his own to tell. If, like me, you love fantasy movies like Ghost and Just Like Heaven, you’re sure to love this book.

I do have an insatiable craving for brooding, emotionally tortured heroes and Alex more than satisfied that craving. He acts a complete ass, at t...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Blacky *Mistress of doom* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, favorite-contemporary, read-contemporary, of-course, 4-stars-for-quality, 5-stars-for-enjoyment

Lisa Kleypas has certainly put some magic in her work, on the page and out of it <3 Dream Lake is the best book from this series! (yet anyway lol)

The first two were very good, but they just didn't have that something for me. Dream Lake certainly did

The story - Well, it was pretty slow in developing, it kinda got me frustrated because I wanted to see some action lol, but was I ever wrong! Almost the entire first half of the book is building the characters, and it was so superbly done, I had...more Lisa Kleypas has certainly put some magic in her work, on the page and out of it <3 Dream Lake is the best book from this series! (yet anyway lol)

The first two were very good, but they just didn't have that something for me. Dream Lake certainly did

The story - Well, it was pretty slow in developing, it kinda got me frustrated because I wanted to see some action lol, but was I ever wrong! Almost the entire first half of the book is building the characters, and it was so superbly done, I had a feeling they were alive and I was with them while reading it. Anyway, it's about Alex, the third and the most tortured brother. He's an alcoholic, has serious problems bonding with people, infact he stays away from everyone that might make him feel something. One day he comes to the house his brother Sam bought, estimating it for renovation, and he hears/sees a ghost. After a while, that ghost begins to follow him and pretty much drives him crazy XD
So this book is about those two, an unusual pair, a broken man and a dead man forming a friendship of sorts and looking for redemption.

I loved Alex and Zoe <3 They had so much layers, were so far from one dimensional characters it isn't even funny. And that alone makes this book a 5 star material

He is attracted to her, as is she to him, but he fights it like hell, becase Zoe isn't a girl to have just for a bit of fun, she's got commitment written all over her, and that scares him. Once divorced, he's convinced marriage and relationships are not for him, believing it was his fault his marriage didn't work, and that he destroys everything good that comes his way. Their progress was slow and so beautiful, she brought him out bit by bit, and I loved every bit of it loool

But the saddest parts of this book were the scenes with Emma

when Alex dances with her

I kept crying through the entire next chapter Xd And the ending, LORD it was sad, LK certainly knows how to write emotional <3 It was simmply beautiful <3

This book goes to my favorites, it really got to me

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Aug 15, 2012 Kelly22 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-releases, 2012-contemporaries, widow-widower-divorcee, tortured-hero, small-town-setup, opposites-attract, lisa-kleypas, hh-alcoholic-addicts, hero-bashful-starchy-silent, gorgeous-handsome-attractive-hero, ghosts-ghouls, fantasy-magic-sci-fi, family-moments, contemporary-romance, brooding-dangerous-hero, 1st-marriage-or-lover-was-disaster, alpha-hero, beloved-favorites, favorite-hero, favorite-couple, favorite-heroine, favorite-story, gamma-anti-hero, hero-accomplished-lover, hero-blackgrd-ruffian-outcast-crook, hero-i-am-crazy-abt, hero-real-jerk-yet-irresistible, heroine-beautiful-pretty-covetted, heroine-in-love-in-pursuit, hottest-love-scenes-ever, made-me-cry, notorious-playboy-commitment-phobic, powerful-secondaries, prim-proper-prudish-heroine, hero-makes-good-girls-go-bad, hero-unworthy-of-happy-ending, favorite-series

4.00 Stars – Contemporary Small Town Romance.

We head back to Friday Harbor to visit the third Nolan brother Alex Nolan’s story. Once again Kleypas fluently pens down exquisite story-telling at its best with subtle yet larger-than-life characters who accomplish to hold a permanent place in your memories like a DREAM.

Alex is a cynical, broken and wrecked younger brother in the Nolan’s family, haunted by a tremulous childhood and disruptive divorce. Zoe Hoffman, a lovable baker of the town, hires...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Kris (KC) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

"You and I both got it wrong, Alex: Love does last. In fact...it's the only thing that does."

This story was sweet, touching, and magical...and the writing- impeccable. The characters were so well-rounded and complete; I just adored them all!

Alex: Brooding, sexy, gorgeous, tortured but not beyond redemption, and one heck of a carpenter... What more could a girl want?

Zoe: Beautiful, sweet, caring, shy but not to a fault, not to mention her cooking which is LITERALLY magical and healing! I'm telli...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Mollie *scoutrmom* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of contemporary romance

Shelves: romance, paranormal, read-in-2012, read-in-2013

This is one of the best ghost stories I've ever read. The characters are fantastic.

Zoe is one of those people who is Nice with a capital 'N'. Warm and kind and loving and giving, yet life has never done anything to reward that. She cooks like a goddess, and is trapped in a Betty Boop body so nice fellas don't take a chance on her. The rest of the guys expect that she has no brain. The worst part is that she is drawn to the kind of bad boy who is guaranteed to be terrible for her. Her ex-husband...more This is one of the best ghost stories I've ever read. The characters are fantastic.

Zoe is one of those people who is Nice with a capital 'N'. Warm and kind and loving and giving, yet life has never done anything to reward that. She cooks like a goddess, and is trapped in a Betty Boop body so nice fellas don't take a chance on her. The rest of the guys expect that she has no brain. The worst part is that she is drawn to the kind of bad boy who is guaranteed to be terrible for her. Her ex-husband left her...for another man. She does not date...at all.

Alex has a lot of the troubles one would expect from the youngest son of a couple of alcoholics. He and his ex-wife have a mutually destructive relationship. He does not believe he deserves any kind of happiness. I like that his personal battle with alcohol is described in detail.

They are thrown together by his carpentry and her need for a carpenter.

Lisa Kleypas takes these two characters and adds in an amnesiac ghost who does not know what his mission might be, or why he is trapped in this realm. I like that although the book has a ghost, the rest of the story is prosaic, deeply rooted in modern reality. Conversation includes:

"Trust me on this: don't ever let Sam near your computer. By the time he leaves, he's changed all your passwords, illegally hooked you up to the Department of Defense grid, and Bluetooth-enabled everything in your house until you can't use your toaster because it's not discoverable."

Those who are reading the series will note that the time frame overlaps some with the two previous books. The book opens before the events in Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor and covers all past Rainshadow Road. This one would also work well as a stand-alone. Fans of the series will want to know that Mark and Maggie have only peripheral impact on the story, and Sam, only slightly more. The big house on Rainshadow Road has more impact than any character from a previous story.

One of the most lovable characters is Zoe's grandma Emma, who moves in due to health issues. She loves big band music and, when told there is a nurse coming, wants to know if she'll give manicures.

Now I just want to turn back to page one and start it all over again.

A well-crafted gem. (less)

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Aug 18, 2012 Layla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-release, 2012-august, author-lisa-kleypas, genre-contemporary-romance, part-of-a-series, rating-4-stars, tortured-alpha-hero, steamy-romance, reviewed

My rating: 4.25/5
First line: “The ghost had tried many times to leave the house, but it was impossible.”
Favourite quote: “Once you said that if I wasn’t with you, it wouldn’t be heaven. I can’t let go of you. Come back and haunt me. Come back.”
Song of choice: We Are Young by Fun.

Dream Lake is the third instalment in the Friday Harbor series by Lisa Kleypas. It tells the story of two mismatched individuals, who against all reason, fall in love with each other no matter how much they fight it. A...more

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Sep 10, 2012 edzkie♥§*.*§♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fave-lisa-kleypas, books-i-read-again-and-again, books-i-love-so-so-much

“You are everything that’s ever been my favorite thing,” she wanted to tell him. “You are my love song, my birthday cake, the sound of ocean waves and French words and a baby’s laugh. You’re a snow angel, crème brulée, a kaleidoscope filled with glitter. I love you and you’ll never catch up, because I’ve gotten a head start and my heart is racing at light speed.”

Just when i thought this will be the last of the series, i think there's another one.:)))

Reading LK book is like having a birthday gi...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-also-listened-to, currently-listening-to-audio, favorite-authors, have-from-library, have-in-audio, listened-to-audio-only, only-listeneed-to, adult-contemporary, romance, words-with-friends-challenge, k

Now this book approaches the greatness of Lisa Kleypas of the Hathaways, Wallflowers and Travis series -- not quite as good as those, but definitely much better than the first two in the Rainshadow Road series.

This book was fun, good, and sexy. I loved it. I listened to the audio and it was read by a very sexy sounding male narrator. My one complaint is how the narrator read the female voices, but in the end ... the story was written so well and performed so well it was forgivable.

The first tw...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Lisa Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-magical-realism, genre-romance-contemporary, authors-k, authors-l, m-audible-dot-com, xyzcover-sea-lake-water, animal-cat-in-story, vocation-chef, vocation-architect, theme-small-town-lovin, challenge-krazy-klepas, 2012-in-2012-group-challenge, zzcover-green, character-female-u

Dream Lake, Washington

★★★★½ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Dream Lake is narrated by Jeff Cummings who does NOT seem to be the right fit for this one. Not a great job, but not a disaster, either. An “okay” performance. I’d probably like him better reading something else, as he has a nice voice. Here he falls a little short due to making Zoe sound a bit too “wispy” – a common trait among male narrators trying to do female voices; though, he does a fair job on Zoe’s grandmother, “Upsie.” Whi...more Dream Lake, Washington

★★★★½ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Dream Lake is narrated by Jeff Cummings who does NOT seem to be the right fit for this one. Not a great job, but not a disaster, either. An “okay” performance. I’d probably like him better reading something else, as he has a nice voice. Here he falls a little short due to making Zoe sound a bit too “wispy” – a common trait among male narrators trying to do female voices; though, he does a fair job on Zoe’s grandmother, “Upsie.” While I liked his Alex, I didn’t care for his Sam, who is the hero of book #2 in the Friday Harbor series. I also felt that later in the book he began to make Alex sound like Sam at times. He also didn’t differentiate the voice of the Ghost enough for me.

As far as storyline, I just loved this one! The talented Ms. Kleypas does an excellent job of making me like Alex Nolan – who is not only an alcoholic, but the child of two hard-core alcoholics, and therefore a bit of an a$$hat – which is a pretty hefty feat. He is visited by a ghost, who only he can see; their interactions made me smile more than once and out right laugh several times. For those readers who did NOT like the magical realism in Rainshadow Road, this ghostly manifestation blends in quite effortlessly with the main plot.

Zoe was easy to like, as I enjoy gentle, kind-hearted heroines, not to mention all the yummy things she cooks. Here Ms. Kleypas shines, you see her brilliance as she carefully picks just the right descriptive, sensuous word to convey something that is a very visceral experience. While Alex’s sobriety was relatively pain free compared to Real Life, it was believable that tender Zoe could pierce his “bulletproof reserve.” I also liked that this story runs parallel in time to parts of Sam and Lucy’s story; we get to see Sam falling in love from another perspective.

The only thing I had to laugh at was that Zoe decides to remodel her grandmother’s lake cabin, which is what brings Alex back into the picture after their first disastrous meeting. I happen to be remodeling my house right now and Zoe’s demolition and modernization goes a lot smoother than what I’m experiencing – or ever heard tell. Where is delicious Alex Nolan when I need him?

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Aug 03, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: family_sibling_series, for_review, contemporary

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

“At first I wasn’t all that tempted by him, but then he killed the spider. Which was a huge point in his favor.”

“Absolutely. I love men who kill bugs.”

“And then when I was freaking out and couldn’t breathe, he was so…gentle.” Zoe sighed and colored, remembering. “He was holding me, and talking to me in that voice…you know, sort of low and rough around the edges…”

“All the Nolans sound like that,” Justine said reflectively. “Like they’ve got a mild case...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

“At first I wasn’t all that tempted by him, but then he killed the spider. Which was a huge point in his favor.”

“Absolutely. I love men who kill bugs.”

“And then when I was freaking out and couldn’t breathe, he was so…gentle.” Zoe sighed and colored, remembering. “He was holding me, and talking to me in that voice…you know, sort of low and rough around the edges…”

“All the Nolans sound like that,” Justine said reflectively. “Like they’ve got a mild case of bronchitis. Totally hot.”

My first impression of this story was I couldn’t believe that a ghost’s POV was starting out the book. The ghost, who has no idea what his name is, where he came from or even what he looks like, can only be seen by Alex, a man spiraling downward at a fast pace, losing himself in a bottle every night and watching his life fall apart after a failed divorce. Alex can see and talk to the ghost and where Alex goes, so does he. The ghost has a strong attachment to Rainshadow Road and asks Alex to go through the many boxes in the attic in the hopes of figuring out who he is and why he might be stuck here. The start of this book was very ghost heavy, setting up his connection to Alex and how he’s also connected to Zoe.

Even with this ghost being a major presence in the story, Alex is a man that stood out. He’s struggling to live, was in a bad marriage, the divorce left him with nothing, the economy took a dive taking his business with it, he’s becoming an alcoholic like his parents and he doesn’t believe in love. All of this adds up to a man who’s just a shell of a person. His brothers are there, but not really. Even though the series centers around this family, they aren’t that close knit. Alex is in a bad place and desperate for work, he takes on a job for Zoe. Her cousin and business partner Justine, bought a small home that is being renovated for Zoe so she can live there with her Grandmother who’s suffering from dementia. Alex is hired and it’s the start of a new beginning for him; it’s anything but easy.

What Lisa Kleypas does so well is create characters that I feel deeply for. Both Zoe and Alex didn’t have perfect childhoods, they both battle with issues now, Alex and his fight against the bottle and Zoe who’s shy and introverted and dealing with her own failed marriage. In different ways, these are two broken people who find themselves again, with each other’s help. Zoe is the fun, sweet spirit of the story. She’s ready to put her life on hold to take care of her Grandmother, the woman who raised and loved her when no one else wanted her. Zoe puts all her love into her cooking, and uses it through daily breakfasts to help Alex help himself when he turns his own corner in his life and quits drinking. It’s a slow build up for these two, and well worth the wait.

The Nolan brothers are for the most part absent. Mark’s own love story with Lucy is playing out at the same time as Alex and Zoe’s so we get references to a few cross over scenes that happened in Rainshadow Road, otherwise this is fully about Alex and Zoe. The Nolan’s don’t come across as a very close family. They care about each other, but there’s a distance between the brothers that’s obvious. I’m kind of a sucker for those loving family scenes, but that’s not what the Nolan’s are about. It almost feels like a missing piece of the story, that tight knit family element. But it makes me want for Alex even more to find someone to love, someone to be there for him, through good and bad.

The ghost is present throughout and even has the secondary love story connected to Zoe’s Grandmother. I started out not caring one bit about the ghost (yes, he does eventually figure out his name). But the most emotional scene involved him at the end, and I maybe, might have needed to blink really quickly for a short period of time. If anybody’s going to make me get teary over a ghost, it’s Kleypas.

The pace at the start was slow, but once Alex and Zoe starting finding reasons to see each other, and be together, the pace picked up and I ended up enjoying their story. Alex is the hero you want to hug and make everything better and Zoe is the woman you want to have as your best friend. They’re an unlikely couple, but one that ended up fitting. (less)

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Nov 14, 2012 Brittany B. marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-authors, coolest-cover, rom_contemp, rom_kleypas, not-for-me, disappointed, great-author-bad-book

for audio listeners This audio version of this book is so unabashedly awful, that I can no longer listen. The the narrator should be quartered... Ok at least he should be fired from future narration. And this should be immidiety rerecorded. His female voices are so unacceptable, as to make it a farce.
What on earth were you thinking LK? Do you not retain any power over your work?

I'me ordering this book in hard copy. And hope my audio-listening friends will join me, in expressing our dissatisfa...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-contemporary, audiobooks

I'm rating the book 4 stars because Kleypas delivered a terrific story. However...what were they thinking (Brilliance Audio, I'm looking at you) in casting Jeff Cummings? Clueless dude committed my two most unforgivable sins. One, he reads the heroine in that drag queen, breathy, I-am -a-stupid -blond -bimbo voice. Two, the ghost, a major character with a lot of lines, sounds whiney and annoying--which is not how the character is written.

So many talented narrators both male and female who could...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2012

This review was posted at Under the Covers

Dream lake was an emotional book from beginning to end and I loved every minute of it, every tear and every smile. Alex has been through the ringer. Everything that could go wrong for him has. His wife divorced him, she's selling the house that he lives in, business is slow, and he's becoming an alcoholic like his parents. He is not in a good place and definitely not where he should be to meet a good girl.

But he does. And Zoe is sweet and understanding,...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Mersina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-fav-s

"You are everything that's ever been my favorite thing, you are my love song, my birthday cake, the sound of ocean waves and French words and a baby's laugh. You're a snow angel, creme brule, a kaleidoscope filled with glitter. I love you and you'll never catch up, because I've gotten a head start and my heart is racing at light speed"

What an amazingly beautiful story. Everything flowed so gracefully and effortlessly that before I knew it I finished the book.

Kleypas is truly a magician with her...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Visionary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So I made no secret of my anticipation for this book. In fact I wanted Zoe’s and Alex’s book right after reading Rainshadow Road. Alex’s knightly heroics against the evil and vile spider won me over! Imagine my short-temper and impatience for this book.

To make certain I got this book on release day I pestered my husband for a gift card to pre-order. However my copy did not arrive. There was a problem and it was shipped back to Amazon much to my displeasure (that I let Amazon and UPS know)

Two...more
So I made no secret of my anticipation for this book. In fact I wanted Zoe’s and Alex’s book right after reading Rainshadow Road. Alex’s knightly heroics against the evil and vile spider won me over! Imagine my short-temper and impatience for this book.

To make certain I got this book on release day I pestered my husband for a gift card to pre-order. However my copy did not arrive. There was a problem and it was shipped back to Amazon much to my displeasure (that I let Amazon and UPS know)

Two days after release day I finally get my copy and life keeps butting in! Bad! Very very bad. So I finally get some reading in… and as I feared I get so sucked into the words and phrases that the world around me disappeared, enough that I am laying on the floor with my doggies when the boom of thunder spooks me where arms go flying akimbo.

144 pages in - Kleypas glosses and refreshes us on the important bits of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor and Rainshadow Road, catching us up to speed for Dream Lake. It is neat to see the behind the scenes of those two books with this one. In the time scale Rainshadow and Dream Lake overlap.

Zoe - there was just something wholesome about her character that gripped me. Usually I latch onto the strong heroines, the snarky ones. The ones with a Xena complex. Zoe’s not like any of that but neither is she whiny or weak.

Really it was great to see when her relationship with her cousin Justine was formed. And it broke my heart on the circumstances of childhood. It made me want to throttle her father but I had a passing indifference to her mother.

Loving the spectral element of the tale and that there is more to the story. Christmas eve and Rainshadow both had this magical quality infused with the words and phrases. Dream Lake has that bit of paranormal element (ghost part)

On page 262 - WARNING - this book will make you hungry for food. Trust me. Reading Kleypas describe how Zoe makes her food, using food metaphor (you can tell the author really got into the character of a chef) and stuff... it was like reading the Food Network channell. Some instances I was like "Lucky Bastard" because I got hungry reading about it.

Last twenty pages I got a bit disgruntled - oh nothing towards the book but events keeping me from the book. It is great to know that Kleypas did not lose her unique touch with this series. And well now I am speculating this new person introduced - who Alex is going to be working with could be in fact Justine's future mate. I also loved the little bit about Justine we met.(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

WOW....I just finished Dream Lake today and it was one of those books that was making me anxious towards the end pages because I just didn't want to finish it and then when I did turn the last page I felt like starting back at the beginning again.

At the moment I'm still on a bit of a reading high and possibly can't even put into words what it was that I liked about this book so much, but it left me with a light hearted magical feeling.

I kind of did that 'yeah yeah' thing when I read the synopsis...more WOW....I just finished Dream Lake today and it was one of those books that was making me anxious towards the end pages because I just didn't want to finish it and then when I did turn the last page I felt like starting back at the beginning again.

At the moment I'm still on a bit of a reading high and possibly can't even put into words what it was that I liked about this book so much, but it left me with a light hearted magical feeling.

I kind of did that 'yeah yeah' thing when I read the synopsis and realised there was going to be a ghost in this book and was a little skeptical (okay a lot skeptical) but it really really worked. So many rich characters in this novel. I loved Alex and he is certainly saddled with a lot of baggage. Zoe's life certainly hasn't been an easy road either, with her marriage to her best friend ending in divorce when her husband had an affair with another man. Zoe was raised by her grandmother after first her mother walking out and then essentially her father abandoning her as well. Zoe is very close to her grandmother and is now looking to take her in and care for her in the stages of her dementia. Zoe hires Alex to do some renovation work on the cottage she is going to live in with her grandmother.

There's certainly a whole lot of chemistry zinging between Alex and Zoe and so many funny moments.

What's an amuse-bouche?" he managed to ask, afraid of the answer.

"It's a French term for tidbit the waiter brings from the chef at the beginning of a meal. Nothing you order or pay for, it's just....given." At his stunned silence, she added helpfully, "The literal translation is 'to please the mouth.'"

Alex gave her a dark glance, "You want a favour from me, it's going to involve crown moulding or adding extra can lights. I draw the line at amusing your bouche."

The ghost aspect I surprisingly enjoyed and I loved the witty banter between the ghost and Alex. I was pleased that it wasn't obvious the connection the ghost had with the characters in the beginning of the book.

"It'll happen to you," the ghost said, as if he could read Alex's thoughts. "It'll hit you like an ax someday. Some things in life, you can't escape."

"Three things," Alex said unsteadily. "Death, taxes, and Facebook. But falling in love, I can definitely escape."

I thought this was to be the end of the series as we've now had a story for each of the three brothers. Am pleased to hear that book 4 is due out in February 2013.(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 İlkim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, fav-author, on-kindle, romance, read-in-english, loved-the-cover, ghost, paranormal, favorites

Bu yorumu Kitap Esintisi adresinde bulabilirsiniz.

Lisa bu kitabında yine döktürmüş, hem hüzünlü, hem sıcak bir hava yaratmış. Nolan kardeşlerin en sorunlusu Alex'in dönüşümünü izlemek güzeldi. Zoe de onun kalbini güzel bir şekilde çaldı. Bu durumda, asla bir kadına aşık olmayı düşünmeyen üçüncü Nolan erkeğimiz de aşık olup mutluluğu buldu.

(view spoiler)...more Bu yorumu Kitap Esintisi adresinde bulabilirsiniz.

Lisa bu kitabında yine döktürmüş, hem hüzünlü, hem sıcak bir hava yaratmış. Nolan kardeşlerin en sorunlusu Alex'in dönüşümünü izlemek güzeldi. Zoe de onun kalbini güzel bir şekilde çaldı. Bu durumda, asla bir kadına aşık olmayı düşünmeyen üçüncü Nolan erkeğimiz de aşık olup mutluluğu buldu.

(view spoiler)[ Kitap birkaç yıl öncesiyle başlıyor. Önce bir hayalet ile tanışıyoruz ama ne o, ne de biz adını bir süre daha öğrenemeyeceğiz. Boş evde kapalı kalması anlatılıyor ki o ev de yakın biraz zamanda Sam tarafından alınıp daha düzgün bir yere dönüştürülmeye başlayacak. Hayalet eve gelen Sam'i merak içinde izliyor ama Alex'i gördüğünde garip bir çekim hissederek peşine düşüyor, bir nevi Alex haunted bir şekilde ama hayaletimizin ona zarar vermesi gibi bir durum yok.

Alex en başta hayaletin bir göz yanılsaması olduğunu düşünse de zaman içinde sadece onun görebildiği ve duyabildiği bir varlık olduğunu anlıyor. Ondan kurtulmak için de kim olduğunu ve nereden geldiğini bulmaya çalışıyor. Ama bir gün Sam'in mutfağında Zoe ile karşılaşıyor ve ilk bakışta karnına yumruk yemiş gibi oluyor. Zoe de aynı şekil bir çekim hissediyor ama Alex o gün moronluk yaparak kızı biraz kırıyor, çünkü böyle hissetmeye hiç de alışık değil.

Zoe, kuzeni Justine ile bir inn işletiyor, yemeklerden de o sorumlu. Ve de yemekleri muhteşem denebilecek nitelikte. İçip içip bir ayyaş olma yolunda ilerleyen Alex'i bile etkiliyor ve yemesini sağlıyor. Ardından Zoe'nin başka bir eve ihtiyacı oluyor ve büyük annesinden kalan evi yenilemek için Alex'i tutuyor. Zoe'nin büyükannesi alzheimer gibi bir hastalığa yakalandığı için onu da yanına alıp beraber yaşamayı planlıyor. Alex ile evi düzenlerken birçok kere kendilerini bu çekime bırakıyorlar ama Alex malesef kıza kendinden hiçbir iyiliğin gelmeyeceğini söyleyip istemese de kendini ondan uzak tutmaya çalışıyor.

Alex de bu kitapta devrim geçiriyor aslında. Bir gün aynaya bakıp kendini geçmemesi gereken sınırın çok yakınında görünce ipleri eline alıyor ve içmeyi bırakıyor. Bu onun için ve de hayalet için zorlu oluyor, çünkü hayaletle sık sık atışmaya başlıyor. Kitapta birbirleriyle atıştıkları yerler komikti.

Peki bu hayalet kim? Hayaletin Zoe'nin büyük annesi Emma ile bir geçmişi olduğunu anlıyoruz. En başta ölen kocası sanıyoruz ama aslında birbirlerine gençlik aşkı ile vurulmuş bir ikili oldukları meydana çıkıyor. Hayaletimiz Tom, aynı Alex'in yapmakta olduğu hataları yapıp aşkının peşinden gitmemiş ve de savaş sırasında ölmüş biri. Bir nevi Alex'e örnek oluyor bu konuda.

Kitabın sonlarına doğru ise Emma hepten aklını kaybetmekte. Kapıdan çıkıp kaybolduğunda Zoe Alex'i çağırıyor, aslında araları bozuk çünkü ona sevdiğini söylemiş ve de Alex bunu görmezden gelmeyi seçtiğinde ayrılmışlar. Ama Alex de Zoe de acı çekmekteler. İşte Emma'nın kaybolması onları bir araya getiriyor ve Alex Emma'yı yolun ortasından çekerken çarpan arabayla ölüyor.

Ne ölüyor mu? Ben de yok olamaz dedim, tabi ki ölmedi ama benim gözyaşlarım da pek durmadı açıkçası. Alex yine de bedenine dönüp baktığında ve de Zoe'nin bedeni üzerinde hıçkırıklarla ağladığını gördüğünde onu sevdiğini söyleyemediği için yıkılıyor. Hayaletimiz Tom da "yukarıdan" gelen bir emirle onu bedenine yerleştirme işini gerçekleştiriyor, neyse ki başarıyla. Bu andan sonrası ise mutluluk dolu. Sadece tek bir acı-tatlı olay var, o da Emma'nın o gece ölmesi. Ertesi sabah Tom ve Emma elleri birbirine kenetlenmiş bir anda Alex'e görünüyorlar ve vedalaşıp gidiyorlar. Hepimiz bir nevi -Alex de dahil- Tom gittiği için üzülüyoruz ama nihayet 67 sene sonra mutluluğu bulduğundan da memnunuz. Bütün bu olanlar Alex'in Zoe'nin ne kadar önemli olduğunu görmesini sağlıyor ve epilog kısmında evlenme teklifini ediyor-ki çok güzel bir ayarlamayla, takdir ettim. Ondan sonrası happily ever after kısmı. (hide spoiler)]

Kitaba tek kelimeyle bayıldım, karakterleri, kurgu felan hepsi bence çok iyiydi. İlk kitaptan beri bu seri çok hoşuma gidiyor zaten. Sıradaki kitap ise Justine'i anlatıyor, onun hikayesini de feci derecede merak etmekteyim ama malesef şubata kadar beklemem gerekiyor. Siz hala Lisa'nın bu serisiyle haşır neşir olmadıysanız hemen olunuz. (less)

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Jun 03, 2013 Cecilia Quick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved, loved, loved this book. It was one of the most romantic books I've read in a while. The hero is the youngest son of a pair of alcoholics who fought with each other and either mistreated him or ignored him, and he is beginning to drink too heavily. She is a gentle sprite who has some magic in her cooking. He is undergoing a bitter divorce and his company is failing so he agrees to work as a carpenter to repair her cottage so she can take care of her grandmother, who is in failing health....more

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May 13, 2013 ValeD. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sogni sull’acqua è il terzo libro della serie “Friday Harbor” di Lisa Kleypas. Io sono una fan accanita della Kleypas, amo letteralmente le due serie ambientate nella Londra dell’800, e sono impazzita per la trilogia dei fratelli Travis, per cui non mi capacito della delusione che sta crescendo ad ogni uscita di questa serie.

Il problema fondamentale è che la Klaeypas tenta di dare un pizzico di magia alle sue storie, rendendole soporifere e scialbe. La storia di Alex Nolan mi ha colpita già dai...more Sogni sull’acqua è il terzo libro della serie “Friday Harbor” di Lisa Kleypas. Io sono una fan accanita della Kleypas, amo letteralmente le due serie ambientate nella Londra dell’800, e sono impazzita per la trilogia dei fratelli Travis, per cui non mi capacito della delusione che sta crescendo ad ogni uscita di questa serie.

Il problema fondamentale è che la Klaeypas tenta di dare un pizzico di magia alle sue storie, rendendole soporifere e scialbe. La storia di Alex Nolan mi ha colpita già dai libri precedenti e pensavo che potesse esserci una svolta con questo libro, passare oltre e tornare alle vecchie abitudini, invece no.
Partiamo con un primo capitolo lunghissimo, dove dagli occhi una nuovo personaggio, vediamo vita morte e miracoli della casa con vigneto dei fratelli Nolan più grandi. Ripercorriamo tutto quello che è successo come un riassunto, che annoierà i lettori che non hanno letto i primi due libri, figurati le fan come me! Entriamo nella storia, il terzo fratello Nolan, Alex, è un tipo cinico e mezzo alcolizzato, ma non appena vede Zoe inizia il suo percorso di redenzione che porterà al lieto fine.

La cosa che non mi piace in queste storie è che c’è questo fattore magia che non centra niente, certo, l’amore è magia, ma metterci poteri magici come nel libro precedente e fantasmi nel terzo, mi ha fatto arricciare il naso già da subito. Diciamo che mi sono un po’ ripresa un po’ dopo la metà, ma anche la fine mi ha lasciata un po’ così, era meglio finisse in modo diverso per me.

So che sto dipingendo male questo libro, ma è la fan che è in me che parla, dopo aver letto la serie Travis, la serie delle Zitellone, Sognando te e tanti altri libri, questi sono lontani anni luce dalla serie “Friday Harbor”.

Mettendo però da parte la fan, non sconsiglio questo libro, perché in fin dei conti è carino e scritto bene, può andare benissimo per staccare la spina e rilassarsi senza troppe pretese, ma ovviamente vi consiglio le serie citate sopra, quella si che è la vera Kleypas, spero si riprenda presto XD
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Apr 19, 2013 Sari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Paling suka sama buku ini dibanding 2 buku pendahulunya. Kisahnya ga biasa, tapi emosi dari semua karakter yg ada dibuku ini kerasa banget, jadi bikin berkesan. Padahal awalnya males baca kisahnya Alex, krn dari 3 bersaudara ini dia yang paling madesu. Namun ternyata malah Alex yang paling nyampe emosinya ke gw. kekeke....

Awalnya agak kaget krn dibab awal malah berkisah ttg sudut pandang hantu yg kehilangan jati diri, tapi dari sini malah penasaran dengan asal muasal hantu tersebut, walau bisa d...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Morgan Wyatt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas is another book in the Friday Harbor series. Thorndike Press is the publisher. These stories take place in the Pacific Northwest and focus on the Nolan brothers. This is the youngest brother Alex’s story.

Alex Nolan learns early not to get involved or care too much about anything. A lesson taught by his alcoholic parents who whenever they remember they still had a child home often resorted to raging at him. The one positive thing his parents did pass on to him and his...more Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas is another book in the Friday Harbor series. Thorndike Press is the publisher. These stories take place in the Pacific Northwest and focus on the Nolan brothers. This is the youngest brother Alex’s story.

Alex Nolan learns early not to get involved or care too much about anything. A lesson taught by his alcoholic parents who whenever they remember they still had a child home often resorted to raging at him. The one positive thing his parents did pass on to him and his brothers is amazing good looks. His looks net him any woman he wants. Problem is he doesn’t want anyone long, including his ex-wife Darcy. In the end, no love was lost when they separated, although Darcy did take almost all his money. Lesson learned, stay away from the women. Alcohol always delivers, which causes it to become his new best friend.

Zoe jumps at her cousin Justine’s offer to cook at her bed and breakfast. Cooking is what she does best it. It helps her make sense of her life. She definitely could use some more sense since her recent divorce. Her ex Chris left her for another man. The only man whoever made her feel comfortable in her skin, left her. Men unnerved Zoe because they were always in awe of her pinup worthy beauty. Often they only saw the D-cup figure, and never the mind or soul that accompanied it.

Tom is a ghost on a mission, only he doesn’t know what it is or how to accomplish it. Especially since, he has no physical form and no way to communicate until Alex comes to Rainshadow House where Tom resides. The cynical alcoholic is the only one who can see or hear Tom. He is not the most willing person to help either. Still, Tom has no choice. If he ever wants to move on, he’s going to half to shift to depressed loser into action.

What Dream Lake does right. The Ghost element is sweet and tissue worthy. The food descriptions are too die for. Yum, I could taste the food. The sensual scenes were excellent as were the Zoe’s frustrations of dealing with a grandparent who can’t remember her. The setting and plot were very good too.

What I didn’t like was the heavy use of stereotypes. Both the hero and heroine are breath taking beautiful or handsome. It is mentioned several times if you didn’t get it originally. Zoe is Marilyn Monroe gorgeous is a sweet and innocent as they come. Even Darcy is a stereotype of a beautiful, brittle, grasping woman. The woman readers love to hate. Chris the gay ex is sweet and nurturing and wants to maintain a good friendship. Really? I don’t think so. Kleypas has Justine alluding to Wiccan and Pagan rites, then carries around a spell book threatening to put a spell on Alex. This perpetuates the evil witch stereotype. I started wondering if I were reading a Disney movie plot. Then our hard drinking hero quits drinking just like that and everything is better. Having dealt with an alcoholic this was offensive to me.

Dream Lake is a romance, and makes no bones about it. It functions as a romance and not a lesson on how real people work out real problems with that in mind; I would recommend it as a romance. Still, I like to remind the very talented Ms. Kleypas that ordinary looking people need love too.
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Mar 24, 2013 Atl Goddess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First, let me say that as much as I love Lisa Kleypas, I haven't enjoyed the Friday Harbor series as much as her others. Part of it is the paranormal element. I hate when I feel that a writer has been forced to jump on a pop culture bandwagon such as vampires or 50 Shades S&m. That being said, I like this book. It got it right for me. Friday Harbor is a place I want to visit, if not live. All the little details were really there in this installment. It doesn't hurt that I love to cook and lo...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Michelle Robinson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romantic-fiction

This was a really interesting read. It was so much more than just a contemporary romance novel.

The storyline involving Alex and the ghost was interesting and different, for me.
I also enjoyed seeing how Alex dealt with his alcohol addiction. I wondered if anyone was going to take issue with the fact that he does not attend rehab or even any 12 step programs but that was not an issue for me. His withdrawal felt so real, that I was concerned about whether or not he would have any major adverse aff...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reminiscent of Marion Marchetto and Alice Hoffman stories I’ve read before. Truthfully, when I started to read the book I wasn't sure I was going to like the format; it took me a while to get past the supernatural undertones of the story.

Friday Harbor #3 follows the romance of Alex and Zoe. Alex has a lot of emotional baggage coming from a family of alcoholics and just coming off a divorce. Zoe is also emotionally frail and was deceived in her marriage as her husband decided he really was more...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Saadia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love LK's writing. Evocative, smooth, compelling.

The characters are well-drawn and developed and draw you into their personal tribulations. I had just read another book that was very disappointing and I soaked this story's writing like a parched garden absorbing a drenching rain!

The story juxtaposes a modern day unlikely pair of lovers and an older pair: first, Alex, a profoundly dysfunctional man who grew up with two alcoholic parents, who refuses to become emotionally involved with women; an...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Gina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second book in the Friday Harbor series by Kleypas, but the plot takes place in the same timeline as the first book, Rainshadow Road. Either may be read first.
Zoe Hoffman is a chef at a local B&B who has been hurt deeply in the past - first by her mother and father and then by her husband who left her for another man. Alex is the most damaged of the Nolan brothers and is a recently divorced alcoholic but a great contractor. When Zoe needs a cheap contractor to help renovate a co...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Once again, I have found myself completely swept away in one of Lisa Kleypas' fantastic books. Reading one of her books is not simply "reading", but an actual "experience" where I find myself inside of the story, becoming part of the story as though it was written to reflect my presence throughout; all of my senses aware, tasting, smelling, hearing, touching, etc.

After finishing a Lisa Kleypas book, I always think I'll never like a heroine as much as I like the one I just finished reading about...more Once again, I have found myself completely swept away in one of Lisa Kleypas' fantastic books. Reading one of her books is not simply "reading", but an actual "experience" where I find myself inside of the story, becoming part of the story as though it was written to reflect my presence throughout; all of my senses aware, tasting, smelling, hearing, touching, etc.

After finishing a Lisa Kleypas book, I always think I'll never like a heroine as much as I like the one I just finished reading about and every time she proves me wrong. This time, I don't think there's any possible way to top how much I enjoyed the character of Zoe. I feel after reading this book, that Zoe and I were meant to be BFF's, and now that the book is over, I miss her already. Zoe is the epitome of everything that characterizes a good person; kind, generous, loving, patient, cheery, optimistic, loyal, I could go on for days. Her character came to life for me on the pages, making me smile at her kind gestures, blush at her embarrassing moments, and break my heart at her personal struggles. She was so "real" to me, a real woman with real hopes, joy, fear, insecurities, and struggles. It's easy to see how so many people liked her because I did within minutes of reading about her.

Who doesn't go crazy for a wounded, tortured hero? I am a sap for them and Alex Nolan grabbed me quickly from the beginning as well. Alcoholism is a very real disease that millions deal with on a daily basis. I've read plenty of books where the hero was a recovering alcoholic, but none of the books came close to describing the hardship and recovery one goes through when trying to break away from that addiction; Ms. Kleypas does and the whole time you pity the man struggling, but you're also cheering him on, knowing he's going to survive! That's good writing, folks!

The setting in the book is just as much of a character as the people within the story. You can smell the ocean, feel the breeze, see the house on Rainshadow Road. It's impossible to not become involved with this story, everything comes to life, even the delicious food that Zoe was making throughout the book. My stomach was growling and I nearly drooled on my iPad!!

This story is a love story of opposites attracting in the most unusual of ways. With supernatural elements, and plenty of feel good romance, this book is, once again, a five star read for me from Ms. Kleypas.(less)

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Dec 27, 2012 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, romance, women-s-fiction, library-book

I especially liked the ghost, who for some unknown reason attaches himself to Alex Nolan, cynical youngest son of a dysfunctional family with alcoholic parents, and himself recently divorced
At first the ghost doesn't know who he is and can't even see anything of himself. He's tied to a house that Sam Nolan (one of Alex's older brothers) is renovating with Alex's expert assistance, until he finds himself attached to Alex instead. At least he can now go outside, but he can't separate too far from...more

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We Love Lisa Kleypas: * Dream Lake (Release Date: August 7, 2012)	72	85	Feb 07, 2013 08:44pm
Romance Lovers fo...: Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas, starts 15th September	87	52	Sep 21, 2012 01:27pm

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Dream Lake (Friday Harbor #3)

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