The Lake House

by Marci Nault

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 to healing.

VICTORIA ROSE. Fifty years before, a group of teenage friends promised each other never to leave their idyllic lakeside town. But the call of Hollywood and a bigger life was too strong for Victoria . . . and she alone broke that pledge. Now she has come home, intent on making peace with her demons, even if her former friends shut her out. Haunted by tragedy, she longs to find solace with her childhood sweetheart, but even this tender man may be unable to forgive and forget.

HEATHER BREGMAN. At twenty-eight, after years as a globe-trotting columnist, she’s abandoned her controlling fiancé and their glamorous city life to build one on her own terms. Lulled by a Victorian house and a gorgeous locale, she’s determined to make the little community her home. But the residents, fearful of change and outsiders, will stop at nothing to sabotage her dreams of lakeside tranquility.

As Victoria and Heather become unlikely friends, their mutual struggle to find acceptance—with their neighbors and in their own hearts—explores the chance events that shape a community and offer the opportunity to start again.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Adult Fiction, Book Club, Womens Fiction, Relationships

400 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2013

About the author

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 featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide, and she regularly speaks on the subject on radio stations in both the United States and Canada. To date she's completed 90 of her biggest dreams.

As a partner in the online bridal boutique www.ElegantBridalDesigns.com she gets to be surrounded by couture clothing, jewelry, and shoes. On exhausting days she's not opposed to putting on all the pretty items and feeling like a queen for a minute. Everything is better with sparkles.

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"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 that tells a rich and heartfelt tale. It's a great read for any place and time...not only for beachy, summer days, but throughout the year when you want to be taken away to a sort of Nicholas Sparks place and time.

Marci Nault is an accomplished writer. She's a fine character interpretor with an eye for the depth and meat of angst and reality. Her people are carefully created and beautifully developed so that they could be your every day friends and neighbors. Her love interests ring true to life and break your heart with their easy and touching ways. She stealthily causes them to plant themselves before you realize it, making it impossible to stop reading her novel until you find out what happens to all of them in the end!

I'm not one who loves "chick lit," so don't look for this to be in that category. It's much more than that. Better writing, stronger storyline, a more unique grip on human relationships...

I think you'll really like this book for the summer.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 to Nagog...to her community...but only for short periods. She always leaves. The special thing about this community is that it's on a lake and it's private and the residents plan on staying there as long as possible if not forever. Oh...and they don't like outsiders...enter Heather. She buys the only house that is for sale and suddenly finds herself surrounded by angry self righteous elderly neighbors.

She's young, lovely and has just broken up with her controlling fiancé. She becomes friends with Victoria and Victoria's friend Molly...and the adventures begin here!

What I loved about this book...

Who couldn't love this awesome geriatric group of friends? They seem to approach live with gusto and ferver. They deal with their sorrows. They are mean, childish, loving, interesting and infuriating. The men play stupid tricks on Heather to get her to leave. Some of the "girls" are mean...the bullies of the elderly. They will not forgive Victoria for leaving.

What was really fun about this book was the clash between old and new...Heather's chaotic life and the lives of the residents of Nagog.

Everyone had issues...not just Victoria...major issues...divorce, death, Alzheimer's, inadequacy...and much more!

What I did not love...

Perhaps the book was a bit predictable but I still loved it...it made me think about getting old...didn't love that...and the elders were a bit too juicy sexy for my taste...lol...

Final thoughts...

A lovely book for this time of year. You will fall in love with these characters and their stories!

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

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. It did start out slow for me. Also, I felt somewhat disconnected with Victoria and Heather in the beginning. More Victoria then I did Heather. With Heather I knew what she was about and why she was wanting a new start. Which by the way kudos to her. She needed to get away from her boyfriend.

Victoria it took me a little longer to get attached to. This is because I was trying to learn what she was all about. Why she left and why all her friends were not talking to her.

As I got further into the book, I liked it. The other characters were charming and fun. Although I found them nice, I just could not fully commit to them or the rest of the book. I sadly had to put this book down after a while. I did flip through the book and opened it at a random spot and read a little bit of that section. It seemed like things got better and Victoria and Heather got to be friends. So even though this book may not have won me over you should still check it out for yourself as you just might enjoy it.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 friends.

Both women discover that it can be difficult to settle in or return to, a small community where secrets and traditions can be a challenge to overcome.

This is an engaging, well written story with memorable characters whose intertwined lives and struggles combine to determine their futures.

[Cardmaker · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 stained glass."

Then, on page 57: "Before she could catch her breath, he kissed her, his tongue ravaging her mouth."

I can't read drivel like that and take it seriously. The story is ridiculous and the ending is as obvious as a Harlequin Romance novel. The characters are unbelievable and their actions don't ring true.

Would I recommend it? Only to someone I don't like.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Victoria grew up in a small community in New England where all the families knew each other. She and her friends all thought they’d grow up, get married, and have their kids there (or in nearby Boston, but eventually make their way back again). Victoria’s plans changed, however, and she went to California to become an actress (which she did), and rarely returned. But now, at 70+ years old, she has returned for good. One friend, Molly, is happy to have her home and is welcoming but the others are not impressed.

Heather is a writer of a travel column in one of Boston’s newspapers. Her relationship with her fiancee and agent, Charlie, has soured, however. When Heather decides to leave, she buys a house in Victoria’s old community. But she doesn’t realize she’ll be the only resident under 70 years old! The houses simply passed down the generations of the older people (but the next generations haven’t stayed). And most of these elderly neighbours don’t want someone young living next to them (the noise, the parties!).

I liked this. It didn’t move quickly, but I honestly didn’t really notice that about it until the end. I liked the relationships Heather ended up having with some of her neighbours and how those evolved (as well as the relationship with the grandson of one of the neighbours).

[Marie Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Lydia Laceby · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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 make peace with her past. Meanwhile Heather Bergman is a twenty-eight year old woman purchases an old victorian house in Nagog, but the community isn't happy about it because she is an outsider. An unlikely friendship grows between Heather and Victoria. Will they ever be accepted in Nagog, and what life lessons can they learn from each other?

I always enjoy a good saga/drama and that's what I found in the pages of this story. I liked the sense of friendship that developed between the two main characters, and also enjoyed the fact that there was an age difference between the two that really added another layer. Ms. Nault does a wonderful job of not only transitioning the story between past and present, but does it in such a way that I truly felt as if I not only knew the characters but the area as well. "The Lake House" is a touching story that expertly blends together friendships, a splash of mystery, a dash of romance, and humor to make this a very satisfying read. A perfect summer read!

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review.

[Jayme Pendergraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 community members has a stroke and her son basically steals her home and sells it from her after moving her away from her beloved home. Enter Heather, a young travel writer for the Boston Globe. Looking for a place that feels like home, Heather buys the house without quite realizing that she's basically moving into a retirement community.

As the story unfolds, we learn that nothing is as it seems. The family history and drama of the older residents, mixed with the drama and turmoil happening in Heather's life, makes for a compelling read.

I went into this looking for a light read, and that is not what I got. There's much tragedy and great romance in this charming novel, in addition to the very well-captured feeling of growing up on a lake. I myself grew up on a lake in New England, and that truly is a special thing. Marci Nault slows the reader down a bit to enjoy every word and step back into the slow days of summer. I'm excited to see more from this author.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely book but one in which you know nothing bad is going to happen (i.e. Molly isn't going to die, Tommy and Heather aren't NOT going to end up together, Victoria won't be shunned forever).

I love the cozy neighbhorhood feel and that these people all grew up together. It's not unlike some small tight-knit communities wherever you are in the country (New England, the South, the Midwest). What I thought was weird was when Daniel was introduced and he was not someone who grew up in Nagog (which sounds like a cough syrup, btw). Bill apparently asked "the community" if it was okay he moved in and they approved the idea. Like the Community is both a character unto itself as well as a Big Brother type government.

I loved Joseph - which makes sense since the author loved to write his character. I also loved Heather and Victoria's friendship. Beautiful book.

[Sherry Rummler · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 it fresh and young. If you are looking for a novel to take you to a peaceful setting while working through real relationship complex issues this ones for you. Congrat’s Marci on following your dreams!

[Deborah Bussey · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 Maggie but could not fully connect with them for some reason. I did persevere to the end (it was a little long) and there were no surprises (for me) in the ending. I wanted to like it more.

[Leigh Korpal · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 new love- was beautiful, honest and heart breaking but in a good way.

[Diannesusanmiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Colleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Chloe Sluis · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jocelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Anne S · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 the planet and writes columns about her travels. Her boyfriend is also her publicist but she feels stifled and aimless. He wants her to go move onto tv and have more exposure while she wants a place to call her own after all that time roaming.

When she breaks up with her boyfriend and moves to a small town she feels like she is finally "home" whatever that means. However, "home" doesn't come easily as she finds out that not all her neighbors welcome her into their midst. She makes friends with two of the women who have been friends forever and works to make her home, her home.

I would recommend this book to others if you are looking for an easy beach read and like friendship stories. I think that we need more friendship stories in the world. We can never have enough friends who are willing to be with us through thick and thin and are there for the long haul.

[Jonesy952 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was not great but I finished it. It was a story of a community in Nagog (Acton Ma) which was a lake community where people passed down their lake homes to the younger generation. Eventually, it became like a retirement community. There is a woman who left to be a movie star who is despised by many since she dumped the childhood boyfriend and went off to make it big. She returns at 74 and wants back in to the”family” but is having a hard time breaking back in. An outsider, young woman, inadvertently buys a property that is being sold by the son-in-law of one of the older women who has been placed in a nursing home. She does not fit in either, and some of the old men play pranks on her to get her to leave. It was mildly amusing and the ending was good, but it got tedious in parts, and I didn’t really feel compelled to read.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 really adored through the book btw). Once it tangled the past memories and tragedy it pulled me in. I enjoyed this 20x more than I expected

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Jamie Latshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

love summer reads

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book; easy read.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done- just a smooth good story