Dream Lake

They say that opposites attract. But what happens when one has been devastated by betrayal and the other is so jaded that his heart is made of stone? Enter the world of Friday Harbor, an enchanting town in the Pacific Northwest where things are not quite as they seem and where true love might just have a ghost of a chance….

Alex Nolan is as bitter and cynical as they come. One of the three Nolan brothers who call Friday harbor home, he's nothing like Sam or Mark. They actually believe in love; they think the risk of pain is worth the chance of happiness. But Alex battles his demons with the help of a whiskey bottle, and he lives in his own private hell. And then a ghost shows up. Only Alex can see him, Has Alex finally crossed over the threshold to insanity?

Zoë Hoffman is as gentle and romantic as they come. When she meets the startling gorgeous Alex Nolan, all her instincts tell her to run. Even Alex tells her to run. But something in him calls to Zoë, and she forces him to take a look at his life with a clear eye and to open his mind to the possibility that love isn’t for the foolish.

The ghost has been existing in the half-light of this world for decades. He doesn’t know who he is, or why he is stuck in the Nolans’ Victorian house. All he knows is that he loved a girl once. And Alex and Zoë hold the key to unlocking a mystery that keeps him trapped here.

Zoë and Alex are oil and water, fire and ice, sunshine and shadow. But sometimes it takes only a glimmer of light to chase away the dark, and sometimes love can reach beyond time, space, and reason to take hold of hearts that yearn for it…

*May Contain Spoilers*

What is it about a man who has lost his way that attracts attention like a magnet? The answer doesn't exactly matter. All that matters in Lisa Kleypas' novel, Dream Lake, is Alex Nolan. He's a little cynical, very broken, and is haunted not only by his past. Ladies, eat your hearts out.

Readers will connect with Alex through their desire to help him. He struggles with alcoholism, fear of love, and low self-esteem. With help, Alex could be the greatest version of himself, but his stubborn nature might get in the way. Enter Zoë. 

Zoë is the girl next door. Blond hair, gorgeous, giving, a natural nurturer. She's an outstanding cook at the local bed and breakfast with a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's. When she meets Alex, he takes her breath away and she wants to show him that love can change everything. She and her cousin hire him to renovate a cottage on Dream Lake so that it will be easy for Zoë to take care of her ailing grandmother. Thrown together, Alex fights his fate as his cynical nature takes over. Though his resistance can only stand against so much. 

With the help of a ghost, Alex might just get the message. Tom, a ghost who's been stuck on Rainshadow Road has never been able to remember his life. But when Alex shows up, Tom becomes stuck to him, going everywhere Alex goes, remembering bits and pieces of his life. And Alex is the only one who can see or hear him. With the ghost's help and Zoë, Alex might be able to stop drinking and turn his life around, allowing himself to fall in love before he ends up alone. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups