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135th out of 182 books
—
27 voters
Ladies of the Lake
by
Haywood Smith (Goodreads Author)
Sisters Dahlia, Iris, Violet, and Rose—all with grown children of their own—have a complicated relationship, so when their grand - mother’s will requires them to spend the whole summer—without friends or family—“camping in” at her run-down lodge on re mote Lake Clare in order to inherit the valuable land, old rivalries and new understanding emerge, with plenty of laughs al...more
Hardcover, 372 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by St. Martin's Press
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AFTER GIVING UP ON "The Last Time I Saw You," I DECIDED I SHOULD START THIS ONE AND EITHER FINISH IT. ABOUT 1/4 OF THE WAY INTO THE BOOK I FOUND THE CHARACTERS INTERESTING AND THE SITUATION - THAT THESE 4 SISTERS HAVE TO STAY FOR 90 CONSECUTIVE DAYS TOGETHER AT THEIR GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE TO INHERIT THE ESTATE - INTERESTING IN ITSELF AND MADE MORE SO BECAUSE OF THE SETTING (SEMI-RURAL GEORGIA), AND THE PEOPLE. HOWEVER, THE BOOK WAS VERY UNEVEN - SOME OF THE SITUATIONS WERE EXTREMELY CONTRIVED AND...more
This was an entertaining read about four very different sisters, who as adults, were forced to spend the summer together at the family lake house. They all agreed in order to gain their grandmother's inheritance. Siblings will be siblings will be siblings no matter what age they become and the dynamics during their stay certainly demonstrated that. What was disappointing was that the story spent much time on the budding romance of the divorced sister, Dahlia, who was there to gain her inheritanc...more
Nov 08, 2011
Kim N - Lost-In-A-Book
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011-reads
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
From the Hazmat cleaning debate to the sibling squabbles to the legal legacy, LADIES OF THE LAKE is an amusing poignant sisters' drama The obvious subliminal message of this novel reminds readers of the importance of making quality and quantity time for loved ones.
My first book to read from Haywood Smith and I found this book to be most entertaining, especially because the majority of characters were around my age. . The storyline is steeped in Southern tradition and idiosynchrysies that just se...more
My first book to read from Haywood Smith and I found this book to be most entertaining, especially because the majority of characters were around my age. . The storyline is steeped in Southern tradition and idiosynchrysies that just se...more
My first Audio Book in a long time. Picked it for the Summer 8in8 Challenge.
Interesting premise of 4 grown sisters having to spend the summer together to inherit their grandmother's property, but everything was dealt with much too neatly, and without a healthy dose of reality (for example, how could these women be away from their families for several months? Or their jobs?). The romantic storyline for one of the sisters was very trite.
Plus the cover description focused on the sisters improving...more
Interesting premise of 4 grown sisters having to spend the summer together to inherit their grandmother's property, but everything was dealt with much too neatly, and without a healthy dose of reality (for example, how could these women be away from their families for several months? Or their jobs?). The romantic storyline for one of the sisters was very trite.
Plus the cover description focused on the sisters improving...more
Mar 19, 2013
Lynn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
relationships-relationships-relatio,
own-it
Haywood Smith does a fantastic job of depicting the inner emotions and outward behaviors of woman interacting among themselves. I felt as though Dahlia, Violet, Rose, and Iris were MY sisters by the book's end! Her characters are always well defined and rather intense, and they're always struggling with the same relationship issues as we all do every day. I initially downgraded this book to four stars, only due to the fact that for me, the storyline was a bit too "romancy," in that it felt too m...more
This book started out really slow then picked up during the second half. Sometimes I found it to be a little rediculous and dumb. Like why was she always stripping down naked to swim only to be caught by the guy she liked. I would also like to know how someone so susceptible to sickness managed to be a professional ballarina. There were other things that bothered me but I don't want to list them all.
I also found this book to be a little preachy when it came to being green and eating organic. W...more
I also found this book to be a little preachy when it came to being green and eating organic. W...more
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In the preface the author mentions that the book is loosely based on people she knows, but that most of the events in the book are too "crazy" for the people she knows to ever have actually done. Well, she probably should have made up even "crazier" events because despite her fabrications the book was still pretty dull. There were points in the book where the author foreshadowed something ominous happening, but the foreshadowing happened so far in advance that I forgot to be concerned as I read...more
What a delightful book about four sisters brought together (physically & emotionally) by the death of their grandmother. The author did a wonderful job of creating a story that was at times comical, at times thought-provoking & at times slightly sad -- although the latter didn't last very long. In the beginning, the alternating between the present & the past was a bit tedious but as the story progressed, it became more & more engrossing. As someone who does not have sister but wo...more
So I think I read a book that was targeted to the "senior" crowd. No offense to anyone out there but for some reason when I picked up this book, I thought this was about women in their mid 20's-30's. Turns out they're all above 50! LOL. Oops.
Either way, it was a nice read. A little slow in some parts and a little awkward (how do you feel when you read about a 60 yr old woman giving herself orgasms? *shudders*) but it was a book I could finish without giving up on it. I do think the author straye...more
Either way, it was a nice read. A little slow in some parts and a little awkward (how do you feel when you read about a 60 yr old woman giving herself orgasms? *shudders*) but it was a book I could finish without giving up on it. I do think the author straye...more
1 like · like · see review
You can't criticize an author for what you wish she'd written, but this did not have as strong a mystery element as I'd expected. Four sisters must spend 90 days together to get their grandmother's inheritance. Oldest sister Dahlia, her favorite, really needs the money, and convinces the others--especially resentful Iris, to stay. As Dahlia, who has many health problems, looks at the relationship and their past, she realizes what she's really done with their lives. The women uncover family secre...more
Review reflects the abridged version!
I was expecting a Ya-Ya Sisterhood kind of story about four sisters forced to spend 3 months together at the family cottage. It started out that way, then suddenly became a cheesy romance. Horrible abridgement: for most of the middle the sisters are barely mentioned as the plot focusses on the romance (that had no real surprises). Characters had conflicting characteristics, random events (like finding two dead bodies and moving them to a park???). It started...more
I was expecting a Ya-Ya Sisterhood kind of story about four sisters forced to spend 3 months together at the family cottage. It started out that way, then suddenly became a cheesy romance. Horrible abridgement: for most of the middle the sisters are barely mentioned as the plot focusses on the romance (that had no real surprises). Characters had conflicting characteristics, random events (like finding two dead bodies and moving them to a park???). It started...more
I thought the story started out a little slow but picked up after about 100 pages. The premise sounded really good. Four sisters have to spend a summer together before they can inherit their grandmother's land and cottage. Initially I thought the "ladies" were in their 30's but then discovered they were all in their 50's! And nothing against that age but I was getting kinda bored with hearing about all their age-related ailments and aggravated with Iris, the second oldest sister. I think this no...more
I really enjoyed this book of southern sisters. The main characters are older and it is entertaining to see how the roles they had as children follow them well into adulthood in their dealings with one another. The only real issue that I had with the book is some of the storyline was introduced and seemed quite major only to be quickly settled and pushed aside. I have read other books from the same author. I got precisely what I thought when I chose this book, a quick easy read with some great f...more
It was not a great plot, but the only reason why I read it was because I am familiar with the setting. Not a waste of time, but, not great. Its regional locale is necessary to the plot, I guess, but not being a Southerner, some of the allusions are not really worth it to me (and I am very familiar with this setting). It got a little annoying to read about the 60 year-old heroine as if she were an ingenue. it doesn't require much effort to read it, though, because it isn't very intellectual, but...more
The stipulation in their grandmother's will was that they, four sisters, had to spend three months without husbands, friends and children in her home before they could inherit her lake home and estate. Some of the sisters have had complicated relationships throughout life and have not been close. Tempers sometimes flared and things were revealed that were never discussed before. It was indeed an interesting and sometimes funny summer for them.
Interesting premise of 4 grown sisters having to spend the summer together to inherit their grandmother's property, but everything was dealt with much too neatly, and without a healthy dose of reality (for example, how could these women be away from their families for several months? Or their jobs?). I didn't find any of the sisters particularly likeable characters, and the romantic storyline for one of the sisters was very trite.
It was okay. My friend that recommended this to me fit this book to a tee! It isn't however very up my alley! I loved Clete! Unfortunately the rest didn't do it for me. I would be a sister short in my family if one of them acted like one of the characters in this book. I wouldn't have put up with her crappy behavior. Then I wouldn't have wasted time on her son and I would have made myself happy then told the son if he wanted a relationship with me to straighten up and act like an adult and I wo...more
Easy, breezy read. I did find many of Dahlia's thoughts and actions too hard to believe: swimming nude across the lake, which lead to the chigger infestation, come on. And, traveling half way around the world to a remote, near uncharted isle of paradise, unannounced, for a month, to reunite with her estranged son; really? If you can put your brain on vacation and not question the logic or lack there of, okay.
Haywood Smith is one of my all-time favorite authors. I love her writing style. She always includes honest relationship challenges with a wonderful sense of humor. LOVE her sense of humor. I also love a writer that can balance a good story with believable endings. Every problem is not always solved in real life......the same in Smith's books. For those ladies with several sisters, this book should propose possible scenarios if stuck in a lake house with them.
Considered Christian fiction. Clean and entertaining.
The storyline is that 4 sisters who don't always get along are required to stay together in the late grandmother's lake house for 90 days in order to inherit the valuable house and land.
There is mystery and romance, but no descriptive, smutty sex scenes.
Funny and entertaining! I'll definitely read more books by this author.
The storyline is that 4 sisters who don't always get along are required to stay together in the late grandmother's lake house for 90 days in order to inherit the valuable house and land.
There is mystery and romance, but no descriptive, smutty sex scenes.
Funny and entertaining! I'll definitely read more books by this author.
This book was great! It confirms that there can be great gems of books in the $3 bin at the beach grocery store when you finish your beach read faster than expected and there are no bookshops in sight! Lately I've spent a lot of time reading more "intellectual" books and have turned my nose up at just entertaining reads. This was really refreshing!
I am familiar with the North Georgia setting which made this a fun summer read. The arguing and bickering of these adult women was ridiculous. Not having sisters, I'm not absolutely sure, but I hope it is not very realistic. This read offered playfulness, romance and a summer vacation at the lake. If you cannot really spend your summer in that way, the next best thing is to read about it.
This book started off w/ a bang and was a hoot right up to the last page. Who has a bohemian grandma named Narcissus, never called Grandma, just Cissy. These flowering sisters did. They spend the summer after Cissy dies at her lake home cleaning it up and ready for sale. From childhood memories to aging ailments, stir in sibling rivalry and of course a handsome man, this is just plain fun reading
Really good read. Enjoyed the 'flower'sisters and all the personalities that made up this group of women. Not a 'serious 'book by any means, but a light, take it as it comes, laugh along story. However, the aspect of adult sisters accepting the peculiar dynamics of their relationships forged since birth, is interesting.
Truly loved this book. Sister dynamics (well sibling dynamics really) always interest me, as I don't have any!
I did find a couple of things that could have been explained better, or found a different resolution. I would have liked to know what happend after the end of the book - with her son.
Wish there was a sequel!
I did find a couple of things that could have been explained better, or found a different resolution. I would have liked to know what happend after the end of the book - with her son.
Wish there was a sequel!
Even as adults, do we ever become anything other than what we were, when surrounded by siblings? This light read takes a look at four middle-aged sisters who must spend a summer together-under one roof- in order to successfully meet the requirements stipulated in their grandmother's will. Light and humorous, without stooping to saccharine or cheesiness, this is a good "take along" book.
This was a very pleasant read about 4 sisters, in their 50s and 60s, who must spend 90 consecutive days in their grandmother's house by the lake to fulfill the conditions of her will. To Dahlia, the money means everything. The millions that will come to her will help her save her own home since her husband did a cash-out refi of their house and cashed out of the country. As the oldest of the 4 sisters, Dahlia had the closest relationship with their grandmother, or so she thought. The 90 days tes...more
It was a story about four sister growing up with their parents and an eccentric grand mother that favored one grand daughter which was the main character,which left the other sisters feeling left out. The main character was a ballerina and than later became an instructor, which was what the grandmother was as well. When their grandmother died she left them an inheritance with the condition they all live together for 4 months. There were some funny parts, and some interesting family secrets and o...more
The audiobook was a joy to listen to. The humor is amusing. The story was ok, but like others I thought it was too long and not really about anything. Dahlia is not totally my favorite kind of character. She's too selfish and spoiled. And then we have the 60 year olds looking and acting like 20 year olds.
Loved the boat church.
Loved the boat church.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final thoughts | 1 | 10 | May 15, 2011 09:26am | |
| Ladies of the Lake | 1 | 10 | Oct 07, 2009 04:08pm |
