Review: Return to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

Return to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs 

Publisher: Harlequin 

Pages: 320 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Sonnet Romano's life is almost perfect. She has the ideal career, the ideal boyfriend, and has just been offered a prestigious fellowship. There's nothing more a woman wants - except maybe a baby.sister? When Sonnet finds out her mother is unexpectedly expecting, and that the pregnancy is high-risk, she puts everything on hold - the job, the fellowship, the boyfriend - and heads home to Avalon. Once her mom is out of danger, Sonnet intends to pick up her life where she left off. But when her mother receives a devastating diagnosis, Sonnet must decide what really matters in life, even of that means staying in Avalon and taking a job that forces her to work alongside her biggest, and maybe her sweetest, mistake - award-winning filmmaker Zach Alger. So Sonnet embarks on a summer of laughter and tears, of old dreams and new possibilities, and of finding the home of her heart. At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Return to Willow Lake plumbs the deepest corners of the human heart, exploring the bonds of family, the perils and rewards of love, and the true meaning of home.


Kritters Thoughts:  Sonnet grew up in a small town and couldn't wait to escape to explore the world beyond the small town.  She was raised by a single mom who was pregnant at a young age, so their bond is like no other.  So when her mom calls with good and bad news, she drops her entire life and returns to the small town with the history of her childhood to confront.

I came from a small town.  I left for college and have only returned to the small town for weddings, funerals and an occasional visit.  Since my parents relocated, I don't have the pull that Sonnet had to return, but I appreciated her issues with returning home and life there being different from what you remember.  I understood her pull between two men, one from the past and one from the present.  Although at times it was predictable, the story was so sweet and moved so well, I didn't care that I knew where everyone would end up.

It may be the time of year to curl up with a good book and a blanket, but this book could also do quite well on the beach, so no matter the time, I would grab this one and pack it to go. 

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Little Bird Publicity.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.