Oh, Wendy Webb. Will you ever write a book that I don’t enjoy?
Probably not. I don’t think you’re capable of it.
I was fortunate enough to receive an Advance Review Copy of Daughters of the Lake, and I was totally psyched when it arrived in the mail. I’ve read all of Webb’s previous novels and have been eagerly anticipating her newest — so, receiving an advance copy to read and review for the blog had me fangirling all over the place.
What’s Daughters of the Lake about?
Main character Kate is going through a divorce from her cheating husband, so she heads to her cousin Simon’s historic bed and breakfast for a little break in an adorable coastal town on Lake Superior. Soon after arriving, Kate starts having vivid dreams and slipping into trances that let her see and experience life of another woman who lived over a century ago.
The two main storylines in Daughters of the Lake. One storyline involves Kate, her cousin Simon, and the conveniently attractive and single cop Nick in town. The other storyline involves characters Addie and Jess, who both lived a hundred years prior and have a kind of Jacob and Renesmee imprint thing going on.
The two stories gradually intertwine as Kate tries to piece together who the mystery woman in her dreams is, and as she tries to figure out why this woman was murdered, and by whom.
What I liked about Daughters of the Lake
Slipping into one of Wendy Webb’s books is like slipping into a pair of warm, fluffy pajamas, then clambering up onto a big, comfy bed and snuggling into its soft covers, all while in front of a crackling fire on a chilly autumn night. Many of you know that I am all about the hygge, and I can’t think of a more cozy reading experience than one of Webb’s novels. Sure, they can contain disturbingly eerie supernatural events. But, with the amount of coziness that infiltrates each story, who really cares? You want to be part of that world anyway.
The characters in Daughters of the Lake are great, especially Simon, Kate’s hilariously funny and warm cousin who runs the B&B. Simon provides a ton of comic relief and familial love, and he’s a welcome partner in crime (or, crime-solving, as it were) for Kate.
How scary is Daughters of the Lake?
There are ghosts in this book, but they are rather benign. As in all of Webb’s novels, the existence of the spirit world is presented as a fact rather than a hotly contested belief; the living and spirit worlds intersect much more often than one would think, though the world of the living is usually rather ignorant of the other’s influence.
There are certainly some more rambunctious, even malevolent ghosts in Daughters of the Lake, but I’ll leave you to discover that part yourselves. The paranormal activity definitely increases toward the end of the book. I was first drawn to Webb’s novels because of her ability to tell a great ghost story, and Daughters of the Lake is no exception.
Should you read Daughters of the Lake?
While Daughters of the Lake doesn’t contain as many ghostly occurrences as I personally would have liked, it definitely delivered with a solid supernatural tale steeped in legend, lore, and Webb’s signature coziness. I’m a fan, as I am sure you will be once you read this book.
Side note: I love how Webb’s novels are all set on the Great Lakes. It’s an area I know very little of but love reading about. Daughters of the Lake actually ties in to Webb’s previous novel, The End of Temperance Dare, by reusing the setting of Wharton. There were a few town descriptions and legends that seemed familiar as I was reading, and once I got to the Acknowledgments, I discovered why. The End of Temperance Dare is probably my fave Webb novel, so it was nice to see her link this new work to her previous one.
What’s the book-inspired recipe for Daughters of the Lake?
Stay tuned for the book-inspired recipe: Lemon Piccata Flounder with Herbed Couscous!
Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb will be available for sale on November 1, 2018 from Lake Union Publishing/Amazon Publishing. Although I received a complimentary advance copy of this book, all opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I was not compensated in any way for this review or for any other promotion/publicity I’ve done related to this book.
I’m so excited! I’m excited because you liked the book (and I seem to like the books that you like. I mean we both liked The Rosie Project, although it’s a very different book, of course). I’m also excited to have learned that Wendy Webb wrote many books. It means if I like this one, I will have many more to like 🙂 As you know I got this copy recently and I think I will read it before the end of the year.
I love your review! It’s full of emotions and information, and it’s beautifully written ( I love beautiful writing!).
Thank you so much for your kind words!! If you like Daughters, you will def like her other books. They are so addicting!! I am always eagerly awaiting her next novel. 😊 and, yes, I think you and I definitely have a similar taste in books! Which is awesome because we can recommend what to read to each other!