Marrying Daisy Bellamy (Lakeshore Chronicles #8) by Susan Wiggs

Jan 26, 2011 Mollie *scoutrmom* rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of contemporary romance

Shelves: romance, read-in-2011, read-in-2012

Susan Wiggs has done it again. She has given us a well-written story of young people who make mistakes, suffer loss, and manage to end up hopeful in spite of it all.

Those who have been reading The Lakeshore Chronicles already know the backstory of these characters, but anyone who has not read the other books will find plenty of well-executed flashbacks to fill them in. Have a box of tissues ready, there is plenty in here that may have you crying. Wiggs is so skilled that none of it seems like em...more Susan Wiggs has done it again. She has given us a well-written story of young people who make mistakes, suffer loss, and manage to end up hopeful in spite of it all.

Those who have been reading The Lakeshore Chronicles already know the backstory of these characters, but anyone who has not read the other books will find plenty of well-executed flashbacks to fill them in. Have a box of tissues ready, there is plenty in here that may have you crying. Wiggs is so skilled that none of it seems like emotional manipulation, just realism.

I liked that the action is allowed to unfold over the course of several years. It is a treat to see Daisy growing through her experiences. The tendency of many romance authors to be influenced by television and having the events compressed into a compact package happening over a few days or hours is deplorable. I prefer Wiggs' style.

It is truly hard to talk about the plot without spoilers, so I'll focus on the protagonists. Daisy Bellamy is a teen mother from an affluent family. I admire her spirit, the way she goes on in spite of having her life plans derailed more than once. I also like that she isn't perfect. Logan, the father of her son Charlie, is a recovering alcoholic from an affluent family who turned his life around in order to be a good father. Wiggs doesn't give us a whole lot from his point of view, but his actions have a major influence on the plot. Julian is the impoverished young man she fell in love with before messing up her life so badly. We see how he copes with hopelessness, we see him triumph, we see him suffer. I found the happy ending a bit unrealistic, I felt that in real life these characters would have drifted apart into separate life paths after the trails they endured, rather than coming back together.

One of the themes of this tale is that one should ignore the "shoulds" or "ought to's" of others' expectations and one's own, and focus on the heart. Another theme is survival, learning how to live again after the unthinkable happens. Another is the importance of family, in both positive and negative ways.

A subplot involves the feelings Zach has for Sonnet; I hope they are featured in the next book.

All in all, this is one of the best romances out there.(less)

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Apr 13, 2011 Ns rated it 4 of 5 stars

Daisy Bellamy finally gets her own story in Marrying Daisy Bellamy. I did not enjoy the story as much as the storytelling. In the end, I cannot help feeling that Daisy's journey has just begun. She has made her choice but yet that final choice is not developed and explored leaving much to be desired. Nonetheless a great start to Daisy's story where she gets the to opportunity to find her way in life.

Daisy is no longer the troubled teenager with a chip on her shoulder trying to deal with the chan...more Daisy Bellamy finally gets her own story in Marrying Daisy Bellamy. I did not enjoy the story as much as the storytelling. In the end, I cannot help feeling that Daisy's journey has just begun. She has made her choice but yet that final choice is not developed and explored leaving much to be desired. Nonetheless a great start to Daisy's story where she gets the to opportunity to find her way in life.

Daisy is no longer the troubled teenager with a chip on her shoulder trying to deal with the changes to her family. She is no longer a scared pregnant teenager facing an uncertain future. Daisy has now matured into a young woman who is ready to fall in love, raise a family and pursue her career. She is not alone, surrounded by a large support group; her family, her friends and the community. When it comes to making the most important decisions of her life, she will have to do it alone and trust in her own heart. She will have to make her mistakes, perhaps endure heartbreak but she will do so learning from them.

Daisy comes as a package deal, herself and her young son Charlie, and their dog Blake too. In her life there is steady, secure Logan O'Donnell who is the father of her son. Then there is Julian Gastineaux, strong and wild, the man who makes her feel alive. Two different men who are vying for Daisy's heart.

She will have to find her way with one of these men, and what I did enjoy was seeing her personal growth, her realization of her needs and wants. She is less uncertain, yet still uncertain but she is finally making decisions that is giving her life experiences.

I'm not convinced Daisy made the right choice or if a choice needed to be made. Was she ready? Of those men, one she knows too well because he is a daily constant in her life and another she does not know as well but relies on her feelings. It's easy to find faults in the reality because as time goes on it becomes come clear. It's even easier to fantasize about non-reality and relive moments because the person is not there. Although, the story takes place over a span of years, only one relationship really develops; we see the beginning, the ups and downs, and the falling out. Another is not explored, and yet is presumed resolved but feels far from it.

It's not just her relationships that feel unresolved, there were several instances where a potential illness is alluded to. Occasionally, but frequently enough that it is mentioned she has headaches and discover unexplained rashes. I though this might be a potential issue for Daisy but it never gets addressed.

Alas, she is still a young woman, she still has a lot to learn, a lifetime to make memories, learn from experiences but she will do so surrounded by a large loving family. The same family and community that are familiar and welcoming members of the Lakeshore Chronicles. What she does gain from this story is a start to that life she deserves. (less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Elodie Diebolt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pour ce roman, c’est d’abord le titre qui m’a attiré et sa couverture pleine de légèreté… Le synopsis laisse présager une belle histoire d’amour autour d’un triangle amoureux, rien de bien original si ce n’est que c’est une romance adulte. J’avais très envie de me lancer dans une romance légère et un peu guimauve, c’est pourquoi j’avais hâte de lire ce roman.

Au cours du récit, nous faisons la connaissance de Daisy Bellamy, mère célibataire à la carrière de photographe bien chargé. Arrivé à un ca...more Pour ce roman, c’est d’abord le titre qui m’a attiré et sa couverture pleine de légèreté… Le synopsis laisse présager une belle histoire d’amour autour d’un triangle amoureux, rien de bien original si ce n’est que c’est une romance adulte. J’avais très envie de me lancer dans une romance légère et un peu guimauve, c’est pourquoi j’avais hâte de lire ce roman.

Au cours du récit, nous faisons la connaissance de Daisy Bellamy, mère célibataire à la carrière de photographe bien chargé. Arrivé à un carrefour dans sa vie et suite au retour de Julian dans sa vie, elle se retrouve confronté à un choix entre Julian, l’homme qu’elle aime depuis le lycée, et Logan, le père de son enfant. Là où l’un incarne l’aventure et la passion, l’autre représente le confort et le calme. Face au retour de Julian dans sa vie, les sentiments de Daisy qui ne s’étaient jamais atténué refont surface et sont plus fort que jamais. Lors de leurs retrouvailles, ils sont plus amoureux que jamais mais la carrière militaire de Julian va une fois de plus les séparer. Un drame va bouleverser leur vie toute entière et être la cause de bien des soucis.

Le personnage de Daisy m’a beaucoup touché, c’est une femme forte qui fait tout pour élever son fils Charlie au mieux et le fait passer avant tout le reste. Il est sa grande priorité même face à ses histoires de coeur, elle ne perd pas de vue son bien être et ses sentiments. Face au triangle amoureux dont elle est le centre, elle fait toujours tout ce qui est en son pouvoir pour ne blesser personne et reste respectueuse des gens qui l’entourent. Julian est un homme qui m’a beaucoup plu également de par sa tendresse, sa persévérance et son courage face aux obstacle. Aventurier dans l’âme, il ne craint ni les obstacles ni le danger mais sa plus grande crainte est de perdre Daisy, la femme qu’il aime depuis toujours. Logan est le père de Charlie, amoureux de Daisy dans l’ombre mais il a toujours été présent pour eux et les aider du mieux qu’il le pouvait. Sa serviabilité m’a beaucoup plu mais son caractère ayant évolué au fil du roman, je l’ai trouvé au final lâche. Face aux obstacles entre Daisy et lui, il baisse les bras et son comportement devient juste insupportable. Charlie est un enfant très touchant et montre bien à quel point les enfants sont fragiles et sont des éponges face à ce que ressentent les adultes même si nous pensons donner le change.

La plume de l’auteur est très belle et très descriptive, ce qui est un atout pour certains paysages qui font rêver mais qui devient très vite ennuyant quand il ne s’y passe pas grand chose… Le vocabulaire est accessible à tous et facile à comprendre. Même si l’histoire d’amour est très belle, j’avoue que j’y ai trouvé de nombreuses longueurs et que j’ai eu du mal à terminer ce roman parce que je m’ennuyais. Beaucoup de passages auraient pu, à mon sens, être supprimé ou écourté. Il n’en reste pas moins que le triangle amoureux m’a beaucoup plu et que les personnages sont émouvant. Les passages où l’on suit Julian au coeur de sa carrière militaire m’a beaucoup plu même si il reste encore quelques zones d’ombres et que son dénouement a été très vite bouclé…. L’évolution des personnages et de leurs relation m’a en revanche beaucoup plu et le tout est vraiment crédible ce qui donne des points positifs au roman malgré ses petits défauts. J’ai accroché avec l’histoire, un peu moins avec les longueurs mais j’ai tout de même passé un bon moment de lecture avec une belle histoire d’amour où rien n’est gagné d’avance.

Pour conclure, c’est un avis mitigé avec une belle romance mais beaucoup de longueur qui fait perdre un peu de son charme au roman et conduit parfois à l’ennui…(less)

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Sep 25, 2012 Lady Lioness marked it as old-borders-reviews

I was so looking forward to this book because I have been a fan of Daisy's since she first appeared. The back blurb doesn't really give an indication of whom she'll end up with, but it soon became apparent that (view spoiler) is in the military and he is tossed from a helicopter about a quarter of the way through the book. I had to flip to the end to find out what happened because my heart was in my throat. I have a difficult time...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Kelly Moran rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-reviews

Daisy Bellamy first met Julian Gastineaux as a teen at a summer camp in Willow Lake. Though there was an undeniable attraction between them, they remained only close friends, sometimes from afar, through adulthood. But now Julian is taking the leap, and Daisy can't help but jump too. But when Julian is killed in action in Columbia, a devastated Daisy does the only thing she can-- she settles for Logan O'Donnell, the father of her son and one night mistake five years ago. Then Julian returns, and...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Heather Bokon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 29, 2011 Debc rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Thanks to my Kindle, I breezed through most the Lakeshore Chronicles in the space of a few weeks, most of them on my vacation last week. I fell in love with Avalon, the people living there and the way Susan Wiggs portrayed them.

Marrying Daisy Bellamy was a difficult read for me, due to the subject matter. Because, like Daisy, the love of MY life is overseas right now, giving his all for the good of his country. In her struggles to find with Julian always at a distance, I was reminded of myself a...more Thanks to my Kindle, I breezed through most the Lakeshore Chronicles in the space of a few weeks, most of them on my vacation last week. I fell in love with Avalon, the people living there and the way Susan Wiggs portrayed them.

Marrying Daisy Bellamy was a difficult read for me, due to the subject matter. Because, like Daisy, the love of MY life is overseas right now, giving his all for the good of his country. In her struggles to find with Julian always at a distance, I was reminded of myself as a young college student fighting the insecurities which came from having a boyfriend (and later fiance) in the Navy. And when the tragic news came, I almost stopped reading, for the tears in my eyes weren't just for Daisy and Julian, at that point.

I guess that is a huge credit to Ms. Wiggs, because not only did she evoke that much emotion in me to begin with, her story was compelling enough for me to wipe away the tears and keep reading... and keep hoping for the happy ending.

Which, by the way, I knew in my heart was not with Logan O'Donnell. Though a good father, Logan always felt wrong for Daisy. He has felt too bossy, too opinionated, and too much focused on what *he* wanted out of life. I give him huge props for standing up as Charlie's father, but being someone's biological father does not give you the exclusive right to the mother. Logan wanted that exclusive right. He wanted Daisy to marry him and be a ready-made family, regardless of the fact that they had never really dated, barely knew each other, and didn't seem to have anything really in common. Throughout the course of this book, Logan did his best to put down everything Daisy wanted: a dog for Charlie, submitting her photos to the MoMa, etc. He didn't care about her opinions or her dreams.

Watching them get together, I was screaming inside because I knew it was all wrong for both of them. The only thing that kept me reading forward was the fact that it happened way to early in the book to be the ending. Something had to happen, I knew, something to save Daisy from being with the wrong man. I apologize to any Logan fans out there, but he really, really was the wrong man for her.

More importantly, reading the scenes with Julian and knowing that he was fighting to come home alive, for Daisy, made the stuff happening in Avalon all that much harder to read.

I really loved the fact that both Daisy and Logan were starting to realize the disaster that was their marriage before Julian's return. And while I would have loved for her to have fallen into his arms at first sight, I'm glad that she didn't. They both needed time... her to get her divorce and make life stable for Charlie and Julian to re-acclimate to life and deal with any traumas and stress he might have had. As a Navy wife, I know that too many our of service men suffer from PTS and too many of them don't get treatment. So many relationships and families are destroyed each year because of this very real problem and it felt good to see it being treated realistically in this book.

I really do wish Daisy and Julian the best in their (fictional) marriage and I hope that someday, Ms. Wiggs will let us visit with them again. I'd love to know how it all turned out for them. (less)

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Apr 23, 2011 Maeleah rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers who like gentle romances with a hint of suspense and a splash of real life wisdom

Shelves: adult-romance, contemporary, lakes-ocean-settings, adirondacks

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Marrying Daisy Bellamy is the eighth book in the Lakeshore Chronicles series. I absolutely love this series because of the upper New York State setting by Willow Lake. In this story, Daisy, who was an incidental character in an earlier book, now takes the main stage. In a moment of rebellious passion, she and Logan create a kid at a teenage party. Despite becoming a single mom, she learns to support her son and create a new life. Prior to this she had met Julian, a part hispanic, "on the edge ki...more Marrying Daisy Bellamy is the eighth book in the Lakeshore Chronicles series. I absolutely love this series because of the upper New York State setting by Willow Lake. In this story, Daisy, who was an incidental character in an earlier book, now takes the main stage. In a moment of rebellious passion, she and Logan create a kid at a teenage party. Despite becoming a single mom, she learns to support her son and create a new life. Prior to this she had met Julian, a part hispanic, "on the edge kind of guy" at the camp during the summer--someone who encouraged her and inspired her to do more with her photography as an art form.

Step ahead four years and Julian has invited Daisy to come to his graduation and commissioning. He took her advice and got ROTC to pay for his education. It seems like finally the two love birds will get together. They schedule a wedding date and Julian goes off on his first mission, but---he doesn't come back. It is assumed he is dead because the helicopter he was on crashed and no survivors were reported. After grieving heavily, Daisy finally decides she has to move on with her life.

Meanwhile Logan once again courts Daisy, convinced they truly belong together, especially for Charlie's sake, their son, they created together. Logan sincerely believes he wants Daisy to be his wife, despite her earlier refusals. They do begin to date and it seems like things are going well. Then when they get stuck in Las Vegas on their way back from California, Logan arranges for them to get married and Daisy agrees. But then things start to fall apart again.

Wiggs does an excellent job developing the characters. Just when you think things will work out, something else happens, yet it doesn't seem contrived. It really resonates with real life situations.

Initially I wondered why would Wiggs tell the reader that Daisy is going to get married? Isn't that giving it away? But read the story and you will find out it was not so simple.

Wiggs also manages to put in real life glimpses of the challenges of love and marriage. What does it mean to follow your heart? What happens when you make a mistake or two or three? Can you still move on? Once one takes the vow, should you always forever stay together? At what cost? How are children affected by all this?

Although, this clearly had a wonderful ending, I am now wondering what will happen in the next installment. Will Julian survive another death defying mission? How many lives will he get?

I highly, highly recommend this series, but start with the first one so you see how each of the characters develop.(less)

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Mar 30, 2011 Suzanne Barrett rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a Susan Wiggs fan, but Marrying Daisy Bella my is the first Lakeshore Chronicles book I’ve read. The story centers around a small upstate New York community and the nearby lake which is beautifully described and which is the setting for all her Lakeside Chronicles stories.

Daisy Bellamy is a photojournalist, working for a wedding photography company and wondering when her time to find happiness will come. Flashbacks show her meeting with young rebel Julian Gastineaux and later, a wild weeken...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Nath rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010, contemporary, women-s-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2/5 (D)

I'm really not a fan of love triangles, especially not those where a party comes back from the dead ^_^; So to be honest, this probably affected my opinion of the book greatly. In truth, the only reason why I did pick up this book was because I've been looking forward to Daisy's story for a long time and even knowing I'd probably not enjoy it very much, I wanted to read it.

For me, this book was okay. I wished Ms Wiggs had not utilized this plot trope to resolve the love triangle. I mean,...more 2/5 (D)

I'm really not a fan of love triangles, especially not those where a party comes back from the dead ^_^; So to be honest, this probably affected my opinion of the book greatly. In truth, the only reason why I did pick up this book was because I've been looking forward to Daisy's story for a long time and even knowing I'd probably not enjoy it very much, I wanted to read it.

For me, this book was okay. I wished Ms Wiggs had not utilized this plot trope to resolve the love triangle. I mean, it was clear who Daisy loved, but I guess it needed to be more dramatic. I admired Daisy, because she wanted to keep her wedding vows. She married Logan and the three of them had finally become a family and it would be unfair for Logan if she went back to Julian. I also understood Logan's anxiety and at the same time, I pitied Julian. I felt the strongest about Julian, because he lost Daisy and couldn't do a thing to win her back. So you have three characters who are trying to continue life as it was, but the problem is that everything has changed. You cannot ignore Julian's return, nobody can... Perhaps if he'd return 5 years or 10 years later, yes... but his disappearance wasn't long enough for Daisy and Logan's relationship to really survive... especially when both are not passionate about each other. I mean, after Julian's disappearance, it's clear why Daisy accepted Logan's proposal. It was for their family to be together and yes, she loved him...but I don't think it was wildly as her husband, but more as the father of her son. She settled and under the circumstances, I'm not blaming her, but still, she settled.

So you have the love triangle again and in the end, it is once again resolved - same way as the first time. I liked the fact that Daisy and Logan were very civilized about it. I think to be fair with everyone, this was the logical choice. However, I did expect the whole thing - Julian's return, Daisy's confusion, Logan's anxieties - to be more angsty and it wasn't for me ^_^; and I think it has to do with the writing. Ms Wigg's writing style has changed over the course of this series or even before. It has become something between contemporary romance and women's fiction and her narrative style has become more passive. I don't think the strong emotions came across well in Marrying Daisy Bellamy. We all saw how each character coped and their mistakes and thoughts, but at the end, it didn't grip me. I didn't feel torn for Daisy.

I really wished I've enjoyed this book more and if it had reached me, if I had been emotionally involved, I'm sure I would have... but I wasn't. Perhaps it's the writing style or just my aversion to love triangles, I don't know. However, I'm sure that many don't have the same aversion as me and will enjoy this book.(less)

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Feb 03, 2011 Marcia Berg Haskell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

"There are days on Willow Lake...
Daisy Bellamy has struggled for years to choose betweet two men - one honorable and steady, one wild and untethered. And then, one fateful day, the decision is made for her.

When the wind is so still and the water so calm...
Now busy with a thriving business on Willow Lake, Daisy knows she should be happy with the life she's chosen for herself and her son. But she still aches for the one thing she can't have.

You can almost hear your heart beat...
Until the man once...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Alix Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Daisy Bellamy has struggled for years to choose between two men—one honorable and steady, one wild and untethered. And then, one fateful day, the decision is made for her.

Now busy with a thriving business on Willow Lake, Daisy knows she should be happy with the life she's chosen for herself and her son. But she still aches for the one thing she can't have.

Until the man once lost to her reappears, resurrected by a promise of love. And now the choice Daisy thought was behind her is the hardest one...more Daisy Bellamy has struggled for years to choose between two men—one honorable and steady, one wild and untethered. And then, one fateful day, the decision is made for her.

Now busy with a thriving business on Willow Lake, Daisy knows she should be happy with the life she's chosen for herself and her son. But she still aches for the one thing she can't have.

Until the man once lost to her reappears, resurrected by a promise of love. And now the choice Daisy thought was behind her is the hardest one she'll ever face….

This book poses a great suggestion, or problem, what happens in real life when you're stuck in the middle of a love triangle? What happens years later when the guy you didn't chose, comes back. What if you have a son, what if you have an unhappy marriage, and he shows back up? Love triangles are all the rage now, especially in YA books, and I, at the end of every book, well at least those i like, tend to wonder what would have happened to those characters in real life. This book is an example of what happens when and if that actually happened.

This is more about the degeneration of one marriage than about the creation of another relationship. I think this book is more about what happens in a real love triangle when a person is torn in 2 different directions. Daisy is beyond torn, again and again. It further proves my thoughts that if a person is truly torn in 2 different directions, the best thing they can do is to eliminate one path from their lives completely. As soon as Daisy is tempted by her old lover, she begins to go down this path of complete self destruction, and complete life annihilation. It makes one wonder if nothing is sacred. Even knowing exactly what she was losing, and how selfish she was being, or it seemed that she was being, the thought of not taking a second chance was unpalatable to her. Essentially I believe this book was an eye opener or me. It was truly interesting to read, even as I hated the main characters, I sympathized with them. Ms. Wiggs as a way of making you do that with her characters. Even as you want to shake them, you want to sit with them, drink coffee and bemoan their station. Even as you hate everything about what they are doing, you understand it, you get it, and you may hate the characters as they are doing it, but you completely understand why they are doing it.

The characters in this book were phenomenal. They were so beyond detailed and graphic, it was great, they were so real, it was amazing how much you could get from a book that well, plot wise had little. This book was clearly about the characters and that shone through every aspect of what they did. It was a very character centric book, that was difficult yet good to read. Even though I might not agree with, or like the decisions Ms. Wiggs had the main characters make, I understood why she was having them make those decisions, and the reasons that they were developed as such.

Characters: B

Plot: B-

Writing: B

Cover Art: C

Overall Rating: B-(less)

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Jan 16, 2011 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. About the Book: Daisy Bellamy has struggled for years to choose between two men—one honorable and steady, one wild and untethered. And then, one fateful day, the decision is made for her.

Now busy with a thriving business on Willow Lake, Daisy knows she should be happy with the life she's chosen for herself and her son. But she still aches for the one thing she can't have.

Until the man once lost to her reappears, resurrected by a promise of love. And now the choice Daisy thought was behind her is...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Becky Moe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Marrying Daisy Bellamy is the latest in Susan Wiggs's Lakeshore Chronicles series, but you don't have to have read the whole series to enjoy this book. (It's my first, and Wiggs does an excellent job of telling you who everyone is and what you need to know about them.) It is a sweet story of love found, lost, and then found again, with a few unexpected detours along the way. Having some personal experience with some of the things that Daisy goes through in the book, I found her reactions to many...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemporary

Susan Wiggs delivers an emotionally packed tale full of wonder, disbelief and excitement. Fans of the Lakeshore Chronicles series will finally get the answers they have been waiting for in the latest installment.

First, I have to admit that this is the hardest review to write. Not only am I emotionally charged from reading this book but it is such a three way love story that I don’t want to give anything away. From the beginning I didn’t know I would be this invested in Daisy’s future. She starte...more
Susan Wiggs delivers an emotionally packed tale full of wonder, disbelief and excitement. Fans of the Lakeshore Chronicles series will finally get the answers they have been waiting for in the latest installment.

First, I have to admit that this is the hardest review to write. Not only am I emotionally charged from reading this book but it is such a three way love story that I don’t want to give anything away. From the beginning I didn’t know I would be this invested in Daisy’s future. She started off in the series as a teenager visiting her family’s camp for the summer. It was there she met Julian Gastineaux, another teen from the “wrong side” of the tracks. A quick and swift friendship laced with romantic and sexual tensions develops between them. Shortly after this, teenage Daisy discovers she is pregnant by her childhood friend, Logan O’Donnell. One drunken and reckless night, changes her world forever.

I’m not a fan of children/teenagers in my romance. But somehow Daisy’s story became such intricate part of the series that I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to her. For every book, a piece of her story was slowly revealed. After having a baby at such a young age, Daisy is forced to grow up. However, she still has to figure out which man she needs to be with.

The most difficult part of this book is that there are so many spoilers. I just can’t bring myself to mention anything that might give it away. I will admit that fans of either team (Logan/Julian) will not be upset. I think there are enough emotions for fans of any team.

The thing that I love the most about this book, and probably what would turn me off in other books, is that Daisy is such a mess of a character. She is emotionally all over the place. She makes horrible decisions, she is uncertain and afraid. She is characteristically flawed and that is what makes her the perfect heroine. By the end of the book she grows and learns to finally let go and let herself feel what she wants and stop being afraid.

This is such an emotionally written book. At times I cried for the characters. Other times, I had to set the book down, scared to read any further. Nervous that the team I’ve always rooted for was not going to make it. The men in this book both hold fabulous qualities. Julian is off in the air force and Logan is in town, trying to do the right thing. It is surprising that they both stuck around this long, waiting to see what her decision would be. I’m finally relieved that this love triangle is put to rest.

Fans will be delighted to see what happens to Daisy and I believe everyone will be satisfied with the decision that is made. I wonder whose story next in the series. Maybe Sonnet? Maybe Zach? Either way, I’ll be waiting and hoping that it is just as great of a book as this one.
(less)

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Mar 17, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed, part-of-series

This is a hard book to review. I loved it and yet there were aspects of it that I hated. I've learned that I'm not a fan of a character having to choose between two people. I don't mind waiting for the happy ever after, but I want to at least know WHO is involved. There was such a struggle for Daisy – she and Julian and Logan had to go through SO much in this book, and there were so many times that you knew what was going to happen and you didn't want it to but all you could do was watch. I real...more

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Apr 12, 2011 BJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, local-library, series-more-than-3, womens-fiction

"Marrying Daisy Bellamy" is part of the Lakeshore Chronicles series by Susan Wiggs. Its the story of Daisy, Julian, Logan and Charlie. Daisy has been in love with Julian since they were teenagers, but circumstances and distance keep them apart. Daisy and Julian meet the summer before her senior year in high school. He is a juvenile delinquent from Chino, California and she is a product of an Upper East Side New York family. They meet at Camp Kioga in upstate New York which is owned by her grandp...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Suelibevg rated it 5 of 5 stars

This series, the Lakeshore Chronicles makes the many family members seem like part of your own family. Daisy's character was one who wouldn't stay in the background. Her story took over, and when the Lakeshore Christmas was over, we were all left frustrated. Who would Daisy end up with- Julian, or Logan, the father of her child? Without giving away spoilers, you will not be disappointed to see how it all turns out. I'm one of those who reads the end of a book before I actually finish it, in this...more

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Nov 16, 2011 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Marrying Daisy Bellamy was a touching read. It is Susan Wiggs at her finest.

Blond, sweet-natured Daisy met brown, dreadlocked Julian when they were mere adolescents. Then in adulthood, both people realize they’ve cared for each other ever since that long ago summer at Camp Kioga.

Although they would love to be together, they find that life and responsibilities keep pulling them apart. When finally this interracial couple decide they will make a go of it, the unexpected happens...

The author, Su...more

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Feb 23, 2011 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This book got off to a fairly slow start. I wasn't expecting Daisy, Logan, and Julian to still be so young. And then Daisy took a wrong turn after about a third of the book. I couldn't understand why everyone was encouraging her to get on with her life. Conventional wisdom is that it takes a full year to get over a relationship in which you are fully invested, no matter what caused it to end - divorce, death, break-up, whatever, and it COULD take up to three years. Otherwise you risk making a de...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

J'ai choisi ce livre par le biais de la Masse Critique sur Babelio car bien que je connaisse l'auteure, Susan Wiggs, je n'ai jamais eu l'occasion de lire l'un de ses romans.
J'ai donc démarré cette lecture comme une découverte, et mon sentiment en tournant la dernière page est assez mitigé.
Le sujet et l'histoire étaient accrocheurs mais je n'ai malheureusement pas été emportée totalement.
Il est très difficile de ne pas spoiler cette histoire pour expliquer mon point de vue, aussi vais-je essayer...more J'ai choisi ce livre par le biais de la Masse Critique sur Babelio car bien que je connaisse l'auteure, Susan Wiggs, je n'ai jamais eu l'occasion de lire l'un de ses romans.
J'ai donc démarré cette lecture comme une découverte, et mon sentiment en tournant la dernière page est assez mitigé.
Le sujet et l'histoire étaient accrocheurs mais je n'ai malheureusement pas été emportée totalement.
Il est très difficile de ne pas spoiler cette histoire pour expliquer mon point de vue, aussi vais-je essayer de vous éclairer sans vous gâcher votre plaisir si vous décidez de lire ce livre.
De ce fait, l'un des gros point positif de ce livre c'est que l'on commence à le lire sans savoir comment cela va se finir.
Au fil des pages, certains évènements sont si abruptes qu'ils font faire à l'histoire des virages à 180°. On finit vite par comprendre que la vie des héros ne va pas être un long fleuve tranquille.
Les personnages... c'est un des points qui m'a fait un peu grimacer pendant ma lecture.
Daisy est une jeune femme un peu paumée. Elle est mère célibataire, travaille comme photographe pour les mariages, et vit avec son petit garçon dans la même ville que Logan, le père de son fils, avec qui elle entretient de très bons rapports. Bien que très jeune, elle a une vie morne, terne, que l'ont attribuerait plus volontiers à une femme mûre de 30 ans son aînée! Après une adolescence agitée et une maternité très précoce, le poids des responsabilités lui a imposé une vie rangée et tranquille. Mais pas seulement ça... Un garçon entré dans sa vie un été, va la sortir de ses frasques et par son amitié lui redonner confiance en elle et l'envie d'avancer. Ce garçon, c'est Julian, jeune métisse issu d'un milieu beaucoup moins favorisé que celui de Daisy, et élevé plus par son père que par sa mère qui le délaisse pour tenter sa chance en tant qu'actrice. Seulement après la mort prématurée de son père, il est contraint d'aller vivre avec sa mère, et va commencer ses petites "bétises" toujours inspirées de son goût pour l'aventure et le danger. Ces deux là vont se faire du bien en s'offrant l'un à l'autre l'amitié la plus indéfectible et malgré la distance qui les séparent le reste de l'année, cette amitié va vite se transformer en un amour inconditionnel. Seulement... loin des yeux, loin du coeur comme on dit, et la distance va peu à peu les séparer jusqu'à ce qu'un évènement fasse revenir Julian dans la vie de Daisy, qui elle est déjà très entourée par Logan qui, amoureux d'elle depuis le lycée, ne rêve que d'une chose, former un vraie famille avec elle et leur fils.
Daisy fait partie de ces héroïnes pour qui le bonheur est une notion abstraite et sur qui les auteurs font abattre sans cesse des évènements douloureux. Elle est inévitablement un personnage tragique, à tel point que mon empathie pour elle au début c'est vite transformé en lassitude. Le bonheur tarde vraiment à venir et on finit par se dire que quoi qu'elle fasse elle ne l'atteindra jamais.
Julian lui, c'est le héros parfait! Ou est le problème me direz-vous? Le problème c'est qu'il est trop parfait! Il est beau, sexy, gentil, attentionné, ne boit pas, ne fume pas, est fou-fou mais pas voyou, respectueux des femmes, de la morale, possède un sens de l'honneur démesuré qui ferait pâlir le plus grand de nos héros préférés. Je l'ai trouvé finalement bien lisse, et au moment où je commençais à m'attacher à lui, les caprices de l'intrigue me l'enlève.
Les autres personnages sont sympathiques mais sans plus, je n'ai pas réussi à m'attacher à eux.
J'ai eu également quelques soucis avec le format du récit de l'auteure. En effet, j'ai eu du mal à m'adapter aux nombreux va et vient des actions présentes et des souvenirs passés car les passages passés sont intégrés directement dans le récit présent et on jongle comme ça un peu déboussolé.
Sinon j'ai toutefois découvert une très jolie plume. Susan Wiggs est vraiment très à l'aise dans les descriptions des lieux, des évènements et les photos prises par Daisy prennent une dimension poétique quand elle nous les décrit. Seulement j'aurai aimé qu'elle utilise ce talent pour nous présenter les sentiments des personnages et surtout des héros, chose que selon moi qu'elle ne fait que survoler la plupart du temps. J'ai eu la sensation de ne pas connaître totalement et en profondeur les personnages jusqu'à la fin.
En résumé, ce livre nous raconte une très belle histoire avec son lot de malheurs, mais n'a pas su éveiller en moi l'intérêt que j'espérais. J'aurai aimé pouvoir ressentir plus d'émotions grâce à la très belle plume de Susan Wiggs. (less)

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May 14, 2011 Sueij rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another excellent romance in the Lakeshore Chronicles series.

Here we finally reach the end of young Daisy's story, in which she has to make important life choices between the passion that has flared for years with Julian and the ardent interest of her young son's father. Without giving anything away, I'll just say that the journey was well written and enjoyable, but this didn't get five stars for me because the end wrapped up way too quickly. There was a journey inherent to that part of the stor...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Rachael Johns rated it 5 of 5 stars

WOW! This book is probably one of the best books I've EVER read. It makes me want to go back and mark all my other five stars as four stars - not that they don't deserve the rating but I think this book deserves a rating ALL of it's own. It was such a clever and emotional story. With two gorgeous heroes - at times I didn't know who I wanted Daisy to end up with. But this is a story of how true love feels right and how strong such real love is despite and through many adversities. I don't want to...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Lizz Wodrich rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have loved the Lakeshore Chronicle books since the first one came out lo these many years ago. I love series books to begin with, and these are really well done. I am assuming that this is the last book in that series (sniffle) as it seems to tie up the loose ends, the biggest of which is WHO DOES DAISY MARRY? Daisy has been in all the books and gone from a rebellious teen to a teen mother to a successful photographer. There have been two men in her life, the father of her son who is a truly g...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Rachel Rogers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read this in 1 day. I started in Friday morning, picked it up for a few minutes throughout the day and then stayed up late Friday to finish it. She really has no problem bursting the readers' bubble, does she? It ends up well but she had me with tears streaming down my face before the 1/2 way point. Mark of a good author. I'm totally invested in her characters. The flashbacks didn't seem as jarring this time as previously, probably because we've watched the characters through the years when they...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: susan-wiggs

I came to Susan Wiggs' Lakeshore Chronicles looking for a contemporary setting for a change, and was pleased to find them set in an Upstate New York locale that I could relate to. In this volume Wiggs even places a few scenes at my alma mater, Cornell University. if one is going to cite a real place though, get the details right. Visitors to the Finger Lakes in the real Upstate New York know that it is Cayuga Lake, not Lake Cayuga. And in all my years of visiting Ithaca, I have never known it to...more

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May 16, 2011 Fani rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, romance-contemporary, love-triangle, heroine-is-flavorless, emotional, crappy-ending, forgettable, kids-in-plot, in-love-before-first-half, heroine-miss-perfect, starcrossed-lovers, chick-lit

It started well, but after a point I was bored. Perhaps it's because it was more women's fiction than romance, but it was obvious from the start that those two were meant to be together and it was just reading through a list of obstacles thrown one after the other, that seemed to do little more than delay the inevitable. No character development in between (perhaps because both heroes featured in previous books in the series and the author felt we knew them already), no change in their feelings....more

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Apr 18, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 06, 2011 May rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, ebooks, read-2011

I was pretty eager to check out this book out after reading Lakeshore Christmas and I wanted to know how the love triangle between Daisy, Julian and Logan was going to end. Yes, this book had tons of emotional angst (also a bonus for me) but for some reason, I really couldn't get into this story. I frankly didn't care who she ended up with because neither of them seemed to be the "one". I was expecting more of a back-story for Daisy and Julian and more of a developing romance between Daisy and L...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Molly rated it 1 of 5 stars

Never again Susan Wiggs! I read all of the Lakeshore Chronicles and mostly enjoyed each characters story. Daisy is a rebellious teen in the very first book and we see her growing up and struggling with who she wants to be. So when this book came out I was excited. Finally Daisy and Julian would have their story. It didn't have to be perfect and happy, but what Ms. Wiggs chose to do to these characters...characters who had been growing up in front of me, who I had invested in. NO! I was so repell...more

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Marrying Daisy Bellamy (Lakeshore Chronicles #8)

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