Cameo Lake
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
The novels of Susan Wilson are rich with stirring conflict and deeply felt emotion. "An empathetic storyteller" (Publishers Weekly), she delves into the complexities of the human heart to seek the truest meaning of love.
Cameo Lake
Putting herself first doesn't come easy to Cleo Grayson McCarthy. A loving wife, doting mother, and dutiful daughter-in-law, she has always done her writing on the side, in hours stolen from her "real" life. Now, desperate for the solitude she needs to finish her latest novel, she convinces her husband that she must spend the summer at her best fiend's rustic cottage at Cameo Lake in New Hampshire, out of reach of cell phones and the demands of family and friends.
Even as she immerses herself in her work, Cleo can't help but be aware of the man who lives across the lake. A reclusive composer, Ben Turner is struggling to come to terms with his wife's accident. An outcast, he is regarded with suspicion by the lake community, even accused by some of harming his wife. But at night, Cleo hears his music drifting across the water, and senses she has found a kindred spirit.
As they meet time and again -- often on the raft anchored in the middle of Cameo Lake -- Cleo and Ben begin a satifying friendship suprising in its intimacy and depth. And when a painful betrayal leaves Cleo stunned and adrift, she finds unexpected comfort and absolution in Ben's arms.
But love is never simple, and before Cleo can determine whether to fight for her marriage or seek a future with Ben, she must first know her own heart, and admit truths ling left unsaid. Even as Cleo struggles to come to terms with her own truths, Ben must find a way to face his. An unforgettable take of the many faces of love, Cameo Lake is Susan WIilson at her very finest.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Although Wilson's first romance (Hawke's Cove) was a better-than-average effort, her second doesn't quite get off the ground. When author Cleo Grayson needs time to finish her latest novel, her friend Grace offers the use of her New Hampshire lakeside cabin, and Cleo gets a reluctant okay from husband Sean to go there for the summer and knock the book out. She's uncertain about the trip: she feels guilty about leaving her two children and she hasn't been able to fully trust Sean since he had an affair years ago. In her working solitude, Cleo meets and is drawn to neighborhood pariah Ben Turner, former rock star and current composer of commercial jingles. She and Ben become friends, and Cleo grows attached, even though she hears some nasty gossip about him from catty neighbors: they believe he killed his wife. The more time they spend together, the more Cleo is attracted to him, but it's only when she's slapped by undeniable evidence of Sean's new infidelity that she turns to Ben for comfort. Will Cleo try to find happiness with Ben, or will she try to salvage her marriage? The second act drags after the infidelity is discovered and it's pretty obvious who's going to end up with whom; it's just a question of when. The ingredients are all here, but the finished product feels slightly undercooked.
Customer Reviews
A quiet, enjoyable read
A slow, quiet telling of a familiar tale which painted vivid word pictures of a place and an emotional upheaval. Altogether, a peaceful 2- day read which I enjoyed.