The Room by the Lake

When Caitlin moved from London to New York, she thought she had left her problems behind: her alcoholic father, her dead mother, the pressure to succeed. But now, down to her last dollar in a foreign city, she is desperately lonely.

Then she meets Jake. Handsome, smart, slightly damaged Jake. He lives off-grid, in a lakeside commune whose members practice regular exercise and frequent group therapy. Before long, Caitlin has settled into her idyllic new home.

It looks like she has found the fresh start she longed for. But, as the commune tightens its grip on her freedom and her sanity, Caitlin realizes too late that she might become lost forever...

*May Contain Spoilers*

Emma Dibdin writes of how wonderful living off the grid can be... except when it comes with manipulation, a forced regimen, and unlicensed therapy. The Room by the Lake is a thrilling novel that takes a girl who is running away from her troubles and gives her peace, but the price is high. 

Almost a year after Caitlin loses her mother, and her father resumes his alcoholic tendencies, she decides on a whim to leave London. Ending up in New York with very limited money and no friends, Caitlin struggles to move forward. It's during this time of feeling lost that Caitlin actually becomes lost in a lakeside commune in upstate New York. After meeting Jake, a seemingly nice yet slightly damaged young man, he takes her to the commune. 

Caitlin is an intelligent young woman who has just graduated from Oxford. I think readers will mainly connect with her based on her emotional states and internal feelings because most of the book is focused on this in one way or the other. Whether Caitlin is examining her own feelings or being evaluated by Don, the therapy leader in the commune, readers get a very detailed look into Caitlin's psyche. However, that also includes the confusion and uncertainty that comes with Caitlin being manipulated by those around her. So at times, the reader will definitely question Caitlin's sanity. This aligns with Caitlin questioning her own sanity as the environment really starts to shift away from peaceful and toward the edges of frightening. 

The novel follows both Caitlin's entry into and exit from the commune. Though the building of suspense is a little slow, the climactic scene is worth the agony of waiting. The evolution of the story includes Caitlin wanting to leave the commune immediately and shifts to her slowly accepting the restrictions and rules that the commune shares with her (or forces upon her). At first, this new routine and the expunging of social chaos is freeing. But when Caitlin begins losing time, struggling to remember key details and finds another commune member dead -- the peaceful feeling disappears instantly. She begins to realize something is drastically wrong but can't stay conscious long enough to figure it out. During these chapters, I think readers will be unable to put the book down. I know these sections were the only parts that kept me reading at a frantic pace. The only big thing that bothered me, and though it's explained it still bothers me now, is that Caitlin trusted everyone so easily. If I was suddenly forced into a strange camping situation with rules and restrictions that I immediately felt uncomfortable with, I don't think I would have stayed for more than one night. But manipulation is a strong force so I can't really blame Caitlin for falling into this facade of peace, acceptance, and the illusion of bettering one's self. With a mixed stream of consciousness writing style and the unreliability of the narrator, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Savoring the Seasons (Chilton Crosse #4)

Julia Bentley spent her fortieth birthday doing what she always does, baking treats for the customers in her Cotswold bakery and taking care of her elderly father. She doesn’t realize how stagnant her life has become until a younger man, Tristan Hannigan, moves to the village and shows interest in her. As Julia becomes closer to Tristan, he begins to season her mundane days and to challenge how she views the world.

The relationship is threatened when Julia’s doubts and insecurities overwhelm her, and the secret she’s afraid to reveal creates a wedge between them. Will Julia choose the easy route, slipping back into her daily routine and living without love? Or will she find the courage to follow her heart and accept the love she deserves?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Traci Borum has brought readers another love story from Chilton Crosse with her fourth book in the series, Savoring the Seasons. With this installment, Julia, the town baker, is given a second chance at life and a new chance at real love, if she decides to take it. 

Julia Rose has helped her father run the bakery in Chilton Crosse for nearly her entire life. She did move to London once, attend school, and try marriage on for a bit, but it didn't seem to fit her. The bakery, however, does fit her and her routine of caring for her father. Julia's a woman in her forties who has accepted her life as it is. Nothing bad, but nothing overly delightful. Some may call it a rut. But when Tristan comes to town, a man eleven years her junior at twenty-nine, Julia starts to wonder if a little change could do her some good. 

As a character, Julia is sweet, incredibly caring, thoughtful, yet insecure and scared of claiming her identity. At times, it seems she can get caught up in what other people think about her so that she ends up being afraid to be herself. I think a lot of readers, myself included, can relate to that sometimes. These personality traits will initially connect Julia with readers, but her daunting secret that threatens her new relationship will bring readers closer to her emotionally. As a middle-aged woman, Julia has had some reproductive problems in the past and she's unable to have children. This frightens her in regard to her younger love interest, creating a serious insecurity that she'll have to share and move past if she wants to claim her happily ever after. With the combination of her personality, her fears, and, above all, her hopes, I think readers will definitely connect with Julia and care about her story as Borum shares the classic story of letting go of fear and making room for love -- and life -- to grow. 

The main plot of this book follows Julia and Tristan's love story. While being romantic, and emotionally complex, the book also shares the story of a community who comes together to celebrate one of their own. As a side plot, the bakery that Julia and her father own is coming up on its fortieth anniversary and a certain townsperson wants to throw an elaborate celebration. This celebration works to remove Julia from her comfort zone and get her more involved in the community, which (as it turns out) is exactly what she needed. 

The books of the Chilton Crosse series are always easy to read, heartwarming novels about love and family and community. Savoring the Seasons is no different. It's a perfect book to take your time with and enjoy the little truths about life and love that Borum explores. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Read the reviews of previous books in the Chilton Crosse series: 

          

Destined, a Novel of the Tarot

This is the year Emily learns how to deliberately shape the future. She gets the courage to walk away from her safe routine and takes a job at the fabulous curio shop owned by Henry Paradis, an occult scholar. Recognizing her psychic talents as the valuable gifts they are, Henry teaches Emily to accept her magical nature and “look forward.” She chooses the path to light, finds lifelong friends, falls in love with an incredibly sexy man, learns the power of desire and intention, faces her worst fears and is swept toward awakening.

The mystical images of the Tarot’s archetypal trump cards chart the way, 22 sequential steps along the path to success known as “The Fool’s Journey.” Illustrated by images from the Payen Tarot of Marseilles (1713), which is the oldest surviving Tarot deck.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Gail Cleare shares one woman's journey of change, self-discovery, and love in her novel, Destined. Though it was first published a few years ago, there is now an e-book copy available, allowing this novel to be newly discovered. Full of magic with themes of friendships, personal growth, and learning to trust, I believe this book will resonate with readers. 

Emily is the main character of this novel and she's not in the greatest place at the beginning. She angrily storms out of her workplace, vowing to start over. However, throughout the book, Emily is a generally happy person who lets her past experiences shape her future. This does make her a little overcautious, but it also allows her to grow within the confines of the novel. Emily is also incredibly friendly and caring. She wants to be trusted and help others when she is able to. Her caring nature touches various characters in the book, demonstrating how much one person can help a community. It's really amazing how quickly she forms her own community after finding a job at an eclectic goods store. 

The store, run by the very enjoyable Henry Paradis, is what opens Emily up to the magical realism that runs throughout this novel. From laughing bells to positive visualization, this book brings the idea of magic into the folds of everyday life. The way the story follows the progression of the tarot deck adds to that magic, as readers get a little teaser of what each chapter will be about. Though overall the novel is focused on how Emily changes her own life by going after what she wants and learning how to forge her own path, the love story that accompanies that evolution is also a sweet addition. Though Tony Novak wasn't my favorite character at the beginning of the book, he does grow on readers through his positive outlook and generally sweet disposition, even if he is a little 'all-in.' He is the kind of character that dives into things head first because he makes a decision as to what he wants and then he goes directly for it, no holds barred. At times, this seemed a little obsessive to me, but I think his character's goodness and trustworthiness eventually won me over. 

Destined is a very positive novel that shows both character evolution and how choosing your own path and making every choice to get there allows you to have the life you want, the life that will make you happy. It also offers a strong sense of community that readers will enjoy, as the book isn't only about Emily, but everyone who lives and works on Market Street. This book offers so much, I think readers who enjoy magical realism, love stories, and character growth will really enjoy Destined. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups