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The Lake House
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A heartwarming debut novel about the unlikely friendship between two outcasts of different generations who, in struggling to move on from the past, discover love, healing, and family in a charming New England lakeside community.
Achingly tender, yet filled with laughter, The Lake House brings to life the wide range of human emotions and the difficult journey from heartbreak ...more
Achingly tender, yet filled with laughter, The Lake House brings to life the wide range of human emotions and the difficult journey from heartbreak ...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
May 7th 2013
by Gallery Books
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"The Lake House" is a refreshing and timely read for this generation. It's the story of an era nearly lost, actually, when friendships were close and communities were tight-knit; as well as what happens when one or two of the "flock" step out of the mold and then come "home." It's also the story of what makes a place a "home" and what constitutes family in a broader sense.
Part love story, coming of age, and coming to grips with loss and grief, this is the perfect book for those who love one tha ...more
Part love story, coming of age, and coming to grips with loss and grief, this is the perfect book for those who love one tha ...more

The Lake House
By
Marci Nault
My "in a nutshell " summary...
A small lake community with long time now elderly residents gets a new young homeowner.
My thoughts after reading this book...
The Lake House is a sweet sweet book about a community of friends that has spent most of their lives together. Well...all of them except one. That would be Victoria. She was the only one to leave her family, her friends, her almost fiancé...to seek fame and fortune as an actress all over the world. She has been back ...more
By
Marci Nault
My "in a nutshell " summary...
A small lake community with long time now elderly residents gets a new young homeowner.
My thoughts after reading this book...
The Lake House is a sweet sweet book about a community of friends that has spent most of their lives together. Well...all of them except one. That would be Victoria. She was the only one to leave her family, her friends, her almost fiancé...to seek fame and fortune as an actress all over the world. She has been back ...more

Victoria Rose left Nagog years ago with dreams of making it big in Hollywood. Fortunately no matter how far you go, you will always have a place to go back to to call home.
Heather Bregman is a columnist. She has traveled all over the world. Her boyfriend is her publicist. After returning from her latest travels, Heather realizes that she wants more out of her life and she would like to go some place quieter. So she packs up and leaves and heads to Nagog.
I thought that this book was a sweet one ...more
Heather Bregman is a columnist. She has traveled all over the world. Her boyfriend is her publicist. After returning from her latest travels, Heather realizes that she wants more out of her life and she would like to go some place quieter. So she packs up and leaves and heads to Nagog.
I thought that this book was a sweet one ...more

Fifty years ago, a group of good friends decided that they would always stay in their perfect lakeside community of Nagog. Nagog is pretty much like Pleasantville. Everyone knows everyone and the houses are handed down from generation to generation. Victoria Rose grew up there, but instead fled the community many years ago as a teenager for Hollywood and made it as a successful actress. Her friends never forgave her, except for Molly. She has since returned home to Nagog and is trying to get pas
...more

Travel writer Heather Bregman never had much of a home life. Now she finds herself in the midst of a nasty break up with her fiance. She longs for a home and friends. Before leaving on another trip, she buys a small home in Nagog, a lakeside community outside of Boston.
Aging actress Victoria Rose grew up in Nagog but fled what she thought was a stifling atmosphere to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. After living her dream, she decides to return to Nagog to retire among her close childhood f ...more
Aging actress Victoria Rose grew up in Nagog but fled what she thought was a stifling atmosphere to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. After living her dream, she decides to return to Nagog to retire among her close childhood f ...more

I started this book three days ago and today, at page 136, I gave up and closed the book forever. It's one more for my "Couldn't Finish" bookshelf.
I struggled with the writing from page one, but when I reached page 37 and came across this horrible attempt at descriptive writing, I knew I was in trouble ... "Victoria's circulation slowed as her blood solidified. She felt like a china cabinet suffering an earthquake, her strength breaking into tiny prismatic shards that reflected like the church's ...more
I struggled with the writing from page one, but when I reached page 37 and came across this horrible attempt at descriptive writing, I knew I was in trouble ... "Victoria's circulation slowed as her blood solidified. She felt like a china cabinet suffering an earthquake, her strength breaking into tiny prismatic shards that reflected like the church's ...more

The small community of Nagog is filled with memories, both joyful and painful for Victoria Rose. As children, Victoria and her friends promised to stay together in their tight-knit community. However, as Victoria grew, she knew the small town life wasn’t for her. She had dreams of being an actress. She broke her promise and left the community, breaking the hearts of her friends, and her childhood sweetheart. After a life haunted by tragedy, Victoria seeks refuge in the community she abandoned, w
...more

2.5 Star
Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes.
I love stories that intermix generations and those that swap between the past and present, so I had high hopes for The Lake House. Unfortunately, though, even with this novel being an easy read that was fun in parts, I was disappointed in the end.
The Lake House would make a great beach read not only because it’s easy to read, but because the majority of the novel’s setting is on a lake. The cover alone had me craving some cottage time and reminded me ...more

"The Lake House" is a story that had me thinking about friendships and second chances. Victoria Rose and a group of her friends grew up in Nagog, a tiny little lakeside town where people lived in their own little bubble. Her friends never dreamed of anything more, content to stay in Nagog they make a pact to never leave.While her friends earned their living in Boston, they normally returned to Nagog on weekends, but not Victoria, she moved to California, but now she is returning home hoping to m
...more

The Lake House tells a story of an older generation, holding on to the spirit of their childhood and young adult lives on the lake. The community was started when a group of families purchase all the land around the lake and made their own private summer paradise. Now, the children of the original group are in their 70s and 80s and their children are trying to convince them to move into nursing homes. Still filled with spunk and feeling much younger than they are, they won't go easy.
One of the c ...more
One of the c ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I was drawn to read the Lake House because I am consistently lured to read anything near water. I was not expecting the book to be based on an older generation but was pleasantly surprised that the author created real characters whom even after ageing carried the bitterness of the past. It made me contemplate things in my own life when not resolved through communication can lead to years of regret or miss-understandings. The author also weaved multi-generational aspects to the novel which kept i
...more

There were many parts of this book that I liked. The description of Nagog was done in such a way that it became another character in the book. I wished that the characters were described in such a way that allowed for more emotional depth. I didn't really feel the tension between the characters. I also did not know whether or not I was reading a romance novel or a fiction story that revolved around a different kind of "coming of age" women's story. I did like the characters Victoria, Heather and
...more

About 1/3 of the way in, I almost put this book down because it didn't feel "deep" enough. I am glad I kept going because these characters are so well developed that you feel their pain and joy -- I craved time with them. The Lake House is one of those wonderful stories of the family and friendship, and reminds us about what really matters in life. I literally laughed out loud and wiped away the tears that streamed down my cheeks.
The love between the elders after years of marriage- or finding ne ...more
The love between the elders after years of marriage- or finding ne ...more

I was thoroughly entertained by this book! Marci did a wonderful job drawing us into the close relationship that developed between Heather and Victoria. I stayed up way too late several nights because I could not put this book down. This would have been a perfect beach/vacation read, but it also worked very well as a "I've had a stressful day and need to unwind" read!
...more

I simply reached a point where I couldn't go on anymore, mainly because I disliked the characters and the actual community so much. What a bunch of snobs! I'm sure they redeemed themselves at some point, but I just couldn't bear them a moment longer. And although I didn't finish it, I'm pretty sure the outcome was exactly what I've predicted, so why go on? Very disappointing.
...more

Full review on my blog :-) https://theaimlessreview.wordpress.co...
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I liked this book because I was looking for an "easy" read that was pretty upbeat. The book talks about friendships that arise because of small communities and what happens when one leaves the community for bigger and better adventures. One side tells the story of Victoria who left this community after her boyfriend returned from WW2 and how her life was outside of New England of what he had and lost and why she returned 50 years later.
The other side is a young journalist who has roamed all over ...more
The other side is a young journalist who has roamed all over ...more

Honestly the Nagog community is the kind of place you wish you had been to grow up
The Lake House was pleasantly above my expectations. I’d still really only rate 3.5. I went into this one not really knowing what I was getting into. It started out a little slow, jumping between the perspective of a older woman Victoria and her very tight knit community. I wasn’t super interested because it just seemed like a story about an old woman. Then it dived into Victoria’s past & introduced Heather (who I ...more
The Lake House was pleasantly above my expectations. I’d still really only rate 3.5. I went into this one not really knowing what I was getting into. It started out a little slow, jumping between the perspective of a older woman Victoria and her very tight knit community. I wasn’t super interested because it just seemed like a story about an old woman. Then it dived into Victoria’s past & introduced Heather (who I ...more

The premise of this book was cute and sweet, but the dialogue was clunky, the plot had no surprises, and the editing left much to be desired. I was disappointed to see so many grammar and punctuation errors. They were distracting. The characters were the best part, but then they'd awkwardly interact with each other and I'd get irritated with them again.
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Finished this book in a weekend (would have been sooner if I hadn't had to sleep!) Such a feel-good story about a close knit lake community and the past stories / secrets they share and sometimes choose to forget.
...more

This was one of those books you wish wouldn't end. I wanted to find out what would happen next with the characters.
...more
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Marci Nault hails from a town not too far from Lake Nagog in Massachusetts. Today she can be found figure skating, salsa dancing, hiking and wine tasting around her home in California.
Marci is the founder of www.101dreamscometrue.com, a motivational website that encourages visitors to follow their improbable dreams. Her story about attempting to complete 101 of her biggest dreams has been feature ...more
Marci is the founder of www.101dreamscometrue.com, a motivational website that encourages visitors to follow their improbable dreams. Her story about attempting to complete 101 of her biggest dreams has been feature ...more
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