Crystal Lake Gifts

by Susan W. Green

TRISH CAVANAUGH worked hard to become a successful business owner.

Crystal Lake Gifts was thriving, so she bought the space next door and expanded the store. But she also bought all the headaches a hundred-year-old building brings with it. She was excited about the grand opening, but before she could even open the doors, several mysterious incidents occurred that delayed the opening and put her in hot water with the new Chief of Police.

Unfortunately, the new Chief was also her high school sweetheart, and the relationship had ended badly, so she vowed never to fully give her heart to anyone again.

DERRICK WILLIAMS left Lakeview right after high school, vowing never to return. However, he finally agreed to return to Lakeview to accept the Chief of Police role. His past made him wary of women, so he is determined never to cross paths with his former sweetheart. But fate has other plans.

How do a faulty store alarm, malfunctioning parking meters, and a gorgeous lake bring together two former sweethearts for a possible second chance at love? And will they both get over their pasts to appreciate the present…and find a future together?

Read Crystal Lake Gifts to discover if Trish, Derrick, and their friends overcome challenges and disappointments to find their happily ever after.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 27, 2025

About the author

Susan W. Green, an award-winning author, writes lighthearted romance novels that sprinkle humor and a bit of mystery throughout her books. Readers praise her ability to draw them into her stories.

After retiring from a 35-year career in banking, the pandemic hit, and Susan decided it was the perfect time to write a lighthearted romance novel with a happy ending.

Her third book in the Crystal Lake Series, Crystal Lake Christmas, was released in late October 2025, and it's another heartwarming story of second chances and the miracles that can happen at Christmas. Each book can be read as a standalone book.

When she's not writing, you can find her helping entrepreneurs, mentoring, and serving on boards that help at-risk youth.

Reviews

[Maranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystal Lake Gifts is a wonderful book. I loved getting to know Trisha. The story was interesting and the events flowed together. I will definitely be reading the other books in this series.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚Crystal Lake Gifts
✍🏻Susan W. Green
Blurb:
TRISH CAVANAUGH worked hard to become a successful business owner.

Crystal Lake Gifts was thriving, so she bought the space next door and expanded the store. But she also bought all the headaches a hundred-year-old building brings with it. She was excited about the grand opening, but before she could even open the doors, several mysterious incidents occurred that delayed the opening and put her in hot water with the new Chief of Police.

Unfortunately, the new Chief was also her high school sweetheart, and the relationship had ended badly, so she vowed never to fully give her heart to anyone again.

DERRICK WILLIAMS left Lakeview right after high school, vowing never to return. However, he finally agreed to return to Lakeview to accept the Chief of Police role. His past made him wary of women, so he is determined never to cross paths with his former sweetheart. But fate has other plans.

How do a faulty store alarm, malfunctioning parking meters, and a gorgeous lake bring together two former sweethearts for a possible second chance at love? And will they both get over their pasts to appreciate the present…and find a future together?

Read Crystal Lake Gifts to discover if Trish, Derrick, and their friends overcome challenges and disappointments to find their happily ever after.
My Thoughts:
Crystal Lake Gifts is a cute romance novel that has multiple couples rather than just a singular romance going on. I really enjoyed getting to know Trish, the tough motorcycle riding character takes center stage in this book. I enjoyed getting to know Cassidy and Jack. The small town charm, mystery and romance. Makes this book so enjoyable.
Thanks NetGalley, Susan W. Green, Author and publisher for the advanced copy of "Crystal Lake Gifts" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#SusanW.Green
#CrystalLakeGifts
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Vaishnavi Somavarapu · Rating 2 out of 5]

" A pleasant read for someone who wants to take a break from this busy world and just enjoy the sweet romance. "

Crystal Lake Gifts is the second book in the Crystal Lake Series written by Susan W. Green. the story is set in a small town community in Maine lakeview that was established around crystal lake, which is known for its local businesses. Trisha Cavanaugh who is the main focus of this particular book is one of the owner's of these small business where she owns a small gift shop and plans to expand it this summer with her friend Sarah. in this process she meets Derrick Williams who is her childhood sweet heart and is also love of her life, and also talks about her friends Cassidy and Amanda who are basically like her sisters and family she found.

Although i am not a huge fan of this genre but it might appeal to the readers who enjoy romance novels. The writing style was not some thing i was used to, author was brief about the emotions and sentiments of the characters which made me continue to read this book and complete it. it felt like i was reading the same thing again at some places but some how it makes sense if you complete the paragraph and you will know why was that again mentioned.

it took me a while to complete this book because i had to read the first book before i start this but to my surprise when i started reading the second book you will have the context of the first book and if you are picking up this book and don't know about the first one don't worry you will follow the story.

overall, i would not recommend this book if you are looking for some thing exiting but if romance and cute love stories are your preference then this book will be the best choice for you.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystal Lake Gifts is a warm, heartfelt continuation of the Crystal Lake series that beautifully blends small-town charm, emotional depth, and meaningful relationships. Susan W. Green once again brings Crystal Lake to life with relatable characters and a comforting yet engaging storyline.

This book shines in how it explores themes of generosity, healing, and the unexpected ways people impact each other’s lives. The characters feel authentic, their struggles and growth are easy to connect with, and the pacing allows the emotions to unfold naturally without feeling rushed.

What I enjoyed most is the sense of community woven throughout the story—it feels genuine and uplifting, making the book both relaxing and emotionally satisfying. It’s a perfect read for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories with heart and hope.

A lovely addition to the series, Crystal Lake Gifts is a reminder that sometimes the greatest gifts come from connection, kindness, and second chances. Highly recommended for fans of cozy, inspirational fiction.

[JOANNE M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystal Lake Gifts is my first foray into the small town romance sub genre, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The story focuses primarily on Trish Cavanaugh, owner of Crystal Lake Gifts, and Derrick Williams, Crystal Lake’s Chief of Police and the twists and turns of their journey to happily ever after. However, there are other couples who are friends who share Trish and Derrick’s journey, as well as their own. The strong bond of friendship among the characters is one of the most appealing aspects of the book. There are challenges, misunderstandings, conflicts, mysteries, tribulations, and triumphs, and while they are all low key, they are also engaging, entertaining, and compelling making this book a page turner. In addition, Crystal Lake Gifts is also a feel good story of the highest order! Susan Green is an exceedingly accomplished writer and I am looking forward to her next book. Recommended!

[Vicki F · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crystal Lake Gifts by Susan W. Green is Book 2 in the Crystal Lake series. The plot was interesting, and the characters were well-developed. However, I felt there were too many 'main' characters, or rather, I couldn't really establish who the main characters were supposed to be without reading the blurb. I noticed several timelines miscues - someone expecting a baby in 2 months had it over 3 months later to name one. Also, Labor Day is always on a Monday, not Saturday. Overall, okay.

Released Jan. 27th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Nana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trish owned the anchor store at the mall, and it was successful, so when the store next door was up for sale, she bought it. What went from a well organized life, became, what in the world is going on. I am not going to give anything away, but you really should read this story. Wait until you find out what was causing the alarm to keep going on, I am still laughing.
The community comes together, and you will get that down home feeling, the feeling of togetherness, and why you don't give up when everything seems to go terribly wrong.
I received an ARC from Independent Book Publishers Association through NetGalley.

[Alicia Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This is book #2, but I did not read the 1st book in the series, and I believe this can be a standalone book. I loved the idea of the book. I was enjoying this book until about 45%. Then it just kinda fell flat and stalled for me. It’s not a bad book, and lots of characters with a lot of details. It just didn’t seem to go anywhere for a bit. I was feeling bored and not interested in what was going to happen. It picked up again the last 5% and the ending was fine. I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series. If you enjoy a very PG hallmark cute small town story I think you will like this. It just wasn’t for me.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

With her store thriving, Trish Cavanaugh decides to buy the space next door to expand. What happens when you buy a 100 year old building? You inherit the headaches that come with it. When several mysterious happenings occur before the grand opening, Trish finds herself in trouble with the new police chief. This brings the added trouble of her failed high school relationship with the chief. Will they overcome the past to continue the future? I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

[Shelley Marushak Langelaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love small town romances and this lovely story did not disappoint. Even though this is book #2 of a series I believe that it could also be enjoyed as a stand-alone book.

I instantly loved the characters and even though there were A Lot of them, I found it relatively easy to keep track of them. The plot held my interest and I liked the added bit of mystery.

Looking forward to reading more by Susan W Green.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy. All opinions are my own.

[Barbara Tsipouras · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must admit that I struggled to finish this book. It's not bad as such; it has some humor and some nice characters, but overall it is quite boring because nothing really happens. The "mysteries" are just ridiculous.
Those "best friends" never learn about Amanda's biggest secret, and Trish's hesitance is not relatable, it seems to be there to make the story last longer.

[Tracy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

This book is a quiet and easy read. The story focuses around friends in a small town. The characters are likeable and the story is enjoyable. I liked the author's writing style and will read other books by this author.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange or my honest opinion. An enjoyable read with relatable characters.

[Authentically Erica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cardboard characters with no personality. I went into this book very excited because my main genre is cozy romance but this book was far from warm. The dialogue from Trish, the main character, came across rude and detached even though she was speaking to her supposed close friends. The author didn’t write the dialogue in a way that normal dialogue would happen between two or more people. It’s like Trish would give a long monologue basically talking at people but not talking to them. She would monologue and then leave the room after she’s done with no feedback or acknowledgement from the person(s) she was talking to.

Too many events happened that wasn’t spoken about in the book which made the plot feel spotty and like events were moving fast. For instance, a character would be just meeting someone in one chapter and then two or three chapters later they would be so intertwined with each other that you’d be left confused on when the relationship progression happened; this happened a lot with various characters.

The author could have flushed this book out a lot more and just made it longer instead of cutting out all of the charm that would have made the book more romantic. There was also a lot of repetitive descriptions of the setting sun and town. The first time or two I get it but it was sprinkled too heavily in the book while cutting too much of the character development.

Before the book started it was stated that it was edited by the author and I believe a few friends or family. Maybe there were too many chefs in the kitchen and the result was a tasteless meal. I do not recommend this book at all, there’s better romance material out there.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life in small town Crystal Lake continues as the friends Trish, Amanda, Cassidy and Sarah find love and happiness. I enjoyed their adventures, conflicts and sweet romances.