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The Lake House

Marci Nault (Goodreads Author)

3.65 · Rating details · 1,184 ratings · 146 reviews

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

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Paperback, 400 pages

Published May 7th 2013 by Gallery Books

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· 1,184 ratings · 146 reviews

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Jun 10, 2013 Deborah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: latest-reads, family-dynamics, woman-writer, paperback-i-own, couldn-t-put-down

"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

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May 17, 2013 Patty rated it it was amazing

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

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May 27, 2013 Cheryl rated it it was ok

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

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Jun 11, 2015 Cindy rated it it was ok

2.5 stars. A bit on the boring side. I felt no connection to the characters. I really got tired of the old folks talking about sex and pulling pranks on the young Heather. Not humorous at all. I thought this book would be a good beach read but instead it made me want to go inside and take a nap.

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Apr 27, 2013 Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, beach-read, for-review, adult-fiction

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 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 past all the events of her life that still haunt her. However, she has come to find that her former friends aren't very accepting of her. She's also haunted by her former flame who once proposed to her and she has never really gotten over him. Meanwhile, a young writer, Heather Bregman, moves into one of the homes on the lake, which sends the community into an uproar as they definitely don't welcome newcomers. Heather is looking to find a place she can call home, but the Nagog residents are anything but welcoming to her. Thankfully, she has found a friend in Victoria and they both try to start over in their new lives. Marci Nault's debut novel, The Lake House, is a quintessential feel good read that made me want to cozy up with a blanket and a warm cup of tea.

Heather was an interesting character in The Lake House. On one hand, I liked that she was trying to move on from her manipulative fiancé, but on the other hand, she was pretty immature and lacked confidence. She grew up as the novel progressed and I ended up liking her more and more, especially her friendship with Victoria. Victoria, even though she was a much older character, was really the star of the show for me in The Lake House. Her interesting career in Hollywood, the ups and downs of her life, her relationships, and her return home to Nagog were all captivating. I wish I had a neighbor like Victoria. But by no means has Victoria's life been a bowl full of cherries. She has dealt with some sad turn of events and she returns home home with the hopes that she can finally heal in Nagog. Even though Victoria and Heather seem like a "odd couple," they end up having much more in common than they thought and find solace in their unlikely friendship as they both aren't accepted initially into Nagog's community.

Let's talk about the setting of The Lake House. It was lovely and everything you would expect in a beautiful lakeside town. I seriously want to move there and I'm not even a big fan of lakes, which demonstrates what a great job Nault did in describing it. The residents of Nagog are just as interesting as the setting and it seems everyone has their own story and secrets. One of my favorite characters was Heather's next door neighbor, a feisty older man who still has a lust for life.

One thing that I especially loved about The Lake House were the flashbacks to Victoria's childhood at Nagog, which seemed so very idyllic. I loved learning more and more about her teenage years, what happened to her, and why she pretty much ran away from what essentially seems like the "perfect place." The narration focuses on Heather and Victoria, but from time to time, it branched out to other Nagog residents, which I also really liked as it helped me to get to know the community.

The Lake House didn't set my world on fire by any means, but it was comforting and delightful, which make it a fantastic read to curl up with on a rainy summer day. ...more

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Aug 04, 2013 Cheryl rated it really liked it

Shelves: adult-fiction

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

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Aug 07, 2016 Cardmaker rated it did not like it

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

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

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Jul 20, 2013 My Book Addiction and More MBA rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance

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 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, with the former friends that she only visited occasionally during her younger years. As Victoria seeks forgiveness and acceptance, she finds an unexpected friend in Heather Bregman. After breaking up with her fiancé, Heather buys a house in the Nagog community, while she continues to build her career as a travelling journalist. Though the house seemed to be the perfect place for her to write, Heather soon learns that the members of the community wouldn’t accept a young outsider into their midst. Plagued by sabotage, Heather finds Victoria to be one of her only friends in the neighborhood. The two women, though separated by many years, begin the mutual struggle of finding acceptance in a community that closed their doors to them, and perhaps find love along the way.

The Lake House is a wonderful read. The details are crisp and concise, allowing the reader to see and feel the things that the characters are feeling. I almost felt like a member of the community of Nagog as I read along. The book does a marvelous job of spanning the gap between the generations. It looks blatantly at where the choices one makes as a youth affects the rest of one’s life. All the characters in The Lake House have rich back stories, and though I got frustrated with the characters’ actions at times, the back stories helped me to understand where each character was coming from and what motivated their actions. Both the romances of Victoria and Heather were quite believable. Neither was overdone, or too sappy. I loved reading and exploring the friendships in this book. This book is wonderfully well written. I have only one criticism to make, which is that the ending seemed slightly rushed to me. It felt like everything had been so gradually and wonderfully built up and explored, and then everything just fell into place quite quickly and the book ended. All of the loose ends were wrapped up; I just wish that the events that wrapped them up would have been as thorough as the rest of the book. This book was received from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

Rating: 4

Heat Rating: Mild

Reviewed by: AprilP

Review Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More ...more

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Jul 16, 2013 Lydia Laceby rated it it was ok

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
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 of steamy summers up at my Granny’s house on the lake with my cousins. This alone set my expectations very high which probably caused some of my dissatisfaction with the novel.

I did chuckle from time to time while reading, particularly around the uncomfortable and often cringe-worthy conversations Heather had with Victoria and Maggie as well as some of the silly pranks the men of Nagog get up to. There were also a few mysteries that kept me reading surrounding Victoria’s character. I wanted to know what happened, but found when we reached the great reveal it all wrapped up too quickly for my liking. My favourite part of the novel occurred with the mailbox, and I think that might be because it seemed real and genuine where the majority of the novel didn’t seem to reach that depth for me.

Overall, I found The Lake House predictable, and if I’m being completely honest, a bit boring. I didn’t feel that much really happened – probably because of the predictability. I mostly liked the characters but didn’t feel very strongly about any of them in the end. They actually all fell flat where I wanted them to be vibrant and less stereotypical. They never really did much out of character which led to the predictability, and I found them all a bit one dimensional. There were also quite a few residents to keep track of which caused me difficulty, particularly with the men for some reason. I also didn’t really appreciate how the Nagog residents snubbed Heather or how irritated Heather herself was about living there – although I could understand it to a point.

Anyone who likes lighter reads might enjoy this one, and there are fabulous reviews out there for The Lake House, so it might have just been me not connecting with it for some reason.

Thank you to Kelly and Hall for our review copy. All opinions are our own. ...more

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May 16, 2013 Brenda rated it really liked it

"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

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Jun 05, 2013 Jayme VA rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2013, src-summer-2013

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

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Apr 24, 2014 Jenny rated it liked it

Recommended to Jenny by: Kendra

Shelves: book-club

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

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Apr 20, 2013 Sherry Rummler rated it really liked it

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

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May 18, 2013 Deborah Bussey rated it liked it

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

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Jun 12, 2013 Leigh rated it really liked it

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

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Mar 04, 2013 Diannesusanmiller rated it it was amazing

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

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Aug 12, 2013 Colleen rated it did not like it

Shelves: didn-t-finish, womens-fiction, beach-read

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

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May 13, 2013 Chloe Sluis rated it it was amazing

You will be able to find a part of your self in one or more of the Characters in this book. I could not put this book down and had to finish it cover to cover. Settle in for a journey of self discovery and hope as well as expect to fall in love with the residents of Nagog.

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Mar 27, 2013 Jocelyn rated it it was amazing

Poignant, inspiring and beautifully written. A gem of a novel!

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Aug 26, 2015 Adrienne rated it really liked it

Full review on my blog :-) https://theaimlessreview.wordpress.co... ...more

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Nov 05, 2017 Anne S rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-read

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

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Mar 23, 2020 Charity rated it really liked it

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

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Feb 01, 2020 Abby rated it it was ok

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. ...more

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Sep 04, 2017 Jamie Latshaw rated it it was amazing

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

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Oct 16, 2017 Kristen rated it liked it

I enjoyed the book; easy read.

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Mar 29, 2018 Chris rated it really liked it

Nicely done- just a smooth good story

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Jun 07, 2018 Larry rated it it was ok

This is a chick flick kind of book. If was very predictable and I did not find it compelling.

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Jan 12, 2019 Ann rated it really liked it

Humorous. Really enjoyed the different characters.

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Jul 18, 2019 Jackie rated it it was amazing

loved this book

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Oct 12, 2019 Deb Cornell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019

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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About Marci Nault

Marci Nault

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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

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