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Lake Effect
Win a free print copy of this book!
1 day and 13:59:15
50 copies available
U.S. only
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nest and Good Company comes a wry and tender portrait of two families forever changed by one lovestruck decision that will reverberate for decades.
It’s 1977 and an air of restlessness has settled on the residents of Cambridge Road in Rochester, New York, a place long fueled by the booming fortunes of Kodak and Xerox and, for some, the mores of the Catholic church. When Nina Larkin is given a copy of The Joy of Sex by her newly divorced friend, she can no longer dismiss the nearly nonexistent intimacy of her marriage. Just as her oldest child, Clara, is falling in love for the first time, Nina finds herself longing for the a midlife awakening. An intoxicating fling with a prominent neighbor brings Nina a freedom she never thought possible—but also risks the reputations of both families and unravels Clara’s world, just as she stands on the threshold of adulthood.
Years later, Clara, now a successful food stylist in New York City, has never been able to move past the long-ago scandal. Drawn back home by the pull of a family wedding and wrestling with her own demons, she makes a pivotal decision that turns her life upside down. Written with Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s signature humor and insight, Lake Effect is a wise and probing look at love and desire, mothers and daughters, loss and grief, and what we owe the people we love most.
It’s 1977 and an air of restlessness has settled on the residents of Cambridge Road in Rochester, New York, a place long fueled by the booming fortunes of Kodak and Xerox and, for some, the mores of the Catholic church. When Nina Larkin is given a copy of The Joy of Sex by her newly divorced friend, she can no longer dismiss the nearly nonexistent intimacy of her marriage. Just as her oldest child, Clara, is falling in love for the first time, Nina finds herself longing for the a midlife awakening. An intoxicating fling with a prominent neighbor brings Nina a freedom she never thought possible—but also risks the reputations of both families and unravels Clara’s world, just as she stands on the threshold of adulthood.
Years later, Clara, now a successful food stylist in New York City, has never been able to move past the long-ago scandal. Drawn back home by the pull of a family wedding and wrestling with her own demons, she makes a pivotal decision that turns her life upside down. Written with Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s signature humor and insight, Lake Effect is a wise and probing look at love and desire, mothers and daughters, loss and grief, and what we owe the people we love most.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 3, 2026
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About the author
Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
3 books2,128 followersCynthia D’Aprix Sweeney is the New York Times bestselling author of The Nest, which has been translated into more than 25 languages and optioned for film by Amazon Studios with Sweeney writing the adaptation. She has an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.
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February 16, 2026I'm happy to share this is our April 2026 Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club selection and author Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney will be joining us for a chat! This domestic novel unfolds in three parts: in 1977, two families who live across the street from each other in Rochester, New York dissemble and reassemble practically overnight. Neighbors Nina and Finn, unhappy in their respective marriages, divorce their spouses and remarry each other, leaving their teenage kids aghast and angry. Flash forward to 1994, when the now-grown children continue to struggle with the long-lasting aftershocks of that betrayal. And in 1998, the family comes together to confront a crisis and finally attempt to heal old wounds. I loved this for its perceptive family dynamics, realistic portrayal of what it looks like to turn your life upside down, and culinary details galore, including one chapter told entirely as a 1990s Food TV episode transcript. Recommended for fans of Anne Tyler and Sweeney's Good Company.
September 17, 2025
This novel is a tour de force of complex family relationships. There is so much to unpackage when two married people choose to have an affair and subsequently leave their families for quick divorces and equally quick nuptials. The ramifications of their decisions unfold over the next two decades – all seen from the perspectives of the couple, their betrayed spouses, and their respective children.
The sensitivity and compassion displayed by the author in exploring the emotional spectrum displayed by the characters is remarkable and accurate. What makes the novel even more remarkable is the cultural milieu of the times – 1977 through 1998 in a traditional family neighborhood rooted in Catholicism. The consequences have both personal and social overtones.
I found the characters appealing and relatable – even in their darkest moments. The writing style is engaging and the pacing kept me reading long into the night. Overall, this is a well-crafted historical novel that delivers a rich and satisfying experience.
My appreciation to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The sensitivity and compassion displayed by the author in exploring the emotional spectrum displayed by the characters is remarkable and accurate. What makes the novel even more remarkable is the cultural milieu of the times – 1977 through 1998 in a traditional family neighborhood rooted in Catholicism. The consequences have both personal and social overtones.
I found the characters appealing and relatable – even in their darkest moments. The writing style is engaging and the pacing kept me reading long into the night. Overall, this is a well-crafted historical novel that delivers a rich and satisfying experience.
My appreciation to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As a huge fan of Cynthia D-Aprix Sweeney's Good Company, I jumped at the chance to read an advance copy of Lake Effect which has been chosen as Barnes & Noble's Book Club pick this month.
Lake Effect is a dual timeline family drama that takes place in Rochester, NY in 1977-1978 and 1994-1995. It follows two families who are neighbors: Nina and Sam whose daughters are Clara and Bridie, and Finn and Honey whose children are Dune and Fern. Without giving spoilers, this family drama is a masterful look at adultery, divorce, marriage, coming of age, grief and loss, and much more. It beautifully explores the chaos and comfort of family life. Where Sweeney's writing really shines is in her ability to immerse the reader into the lives of the characters who each have a unique voice and personality. She explores taboo topics in a way that is comfortable and brings more understanding and empathy to the reader. I highly recommend this to lovers of literary fiction.
Marin Ireland is always phenomenal in her audibook performances and this novel is no exception. She has a unique way of tenderly bringing characters to life which has made her one of my favorite narrators to listen to.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Ecco, Harper Audio Adult, and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney for the gifted advance reader's copy and advance listening copy. All opinions are my own. 📚🎧
Lake Effect is a dual timeline family drama that takes place in Rochester, NY in 1977-1978 and 1994-1995. It follows two families who are neighbors: Nina and Sam whose daughters are Clara and Bridie, and Finn and Honey whose children are Dune and Fern. Without giving spoilers, this family drama is a masterful look at adultery, divorce, marriage, coming of age, grief and loss, and much more. It beautifully explores the chaos and comfort of family life. Where Sweeney's writing really shines is in her ability to immerse the reader into the lives of the characters who each have a unique voice and personality. She explores taboo topics in a way that is comfortable and brings more understanding and empathy to the reader. I highly recommend this to lovers of literary fiction.
Marin Ireland is always phenomenal in her audibook performances and this novel is no exception. She has a unique way of tenderly bringing characters to life which has made her one of my favorite narrators to listen to.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Ecco, Harper Audio Adult, and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney for the gifted advance reader's copy and advance listening copy. All opinions are my own. 📚🎧
January 1, 2026
I love family dramas told with nuance- and Lake Effect delivered. The book was also filled with references to Rochester NY. So much of the book rang true and pays homage to the unique culture of our city. The time period of 1977 was perfect and I enjoyed trying to decide if Finnigan’s was a Wegman’s- and how many of the characters were inspired by real Rochesterians. The impact of Nina and Finn’s decision start a new life together reverberated through their children’s lives. Nina was unaware her daughter, Clara, had fallen in love with Finn’s son, Dune. The decision Nina and Finn made to divorce their spouses and marry each other reverberated through their families for years to come. Sweeney also captured the changing social mores around divorce, sex, and the impact of the Catholic Church in Rochester using "The Joy of Sex" as a catalyst. I loved this book - thank you to the publisher for an advance reader copy! I also listened to part of the book via NetGalley and narrator Marion Ireland does a terrific job.
February 21, 2026
3.5. When you think of a novel about 70s family drama in privileged-people insular suburbs, what likely topics come to mind? In Family Feud-style scoring, “Survey Says: Divorce!”
Also: adultery, and the backdrop of the sexual revolution. Maybe some flirting with questioning traditional beliefs, roles, and behaviors, and maybe some nascent consciousness-raising efforts around gender, identity, and body image issues. But honestly, a lot of these 70s domestic fiction novels seem to mostly concern that bleak triad of sexual revolution, adultery, and/or divorce. In many ways, I felt this novel was sort of a genteel revamp of The Ice Storm that I unfortunately didn’t need.
Many admire this writer’s work, and I admit to her capability, but there is always something about each of her books that has put me a bit off. Often, it’s the emphasis on so-called rich and pretty people problems, as well as the unsympathetic and emotionally immature adult characters. In this one, I suppose I also had trouble buying into the premise that the parental conflict described would inevitably induce such widespread and lasting tectonic-level generational destabilization. I struggled to make and maintain this connection, and I reluctantly found myself becoming disengaged and bored.
I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s my own generational gap issue, certainly it’s a me problem given the superlative praise this book seems to be garnering, but this very capable and appreciated author’s works just miss the mark for me. I’ve enjoyed books about the 70s, and about generational family dysfunction, and even about divorce, but this wasn’t the one for me. 3.5 rounded up for the objective skill of the writing aside from my personal taste-based objections. Nearly everyone so far seems to have enjoyed this book more than I have, so you might too!
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Ecco for the ARC of this book, which is due out on March 3, 2026!
Also: adultery, and the backdrop of the sexual revolution. Maybe some flirting with questioning traditional beliefs, roles, and behaviors, and maybe some nascent consciousness-raising efforts around gender, identity, and body image issues. But honestly, a lot of these 70s domestic fiction novels seem to mostly concern that bleak triad of sexual revolution, adultery, and/or divorce. In many ways, I felt this novel was sort of a genteel revamp of The Ice Storm that I unfortunately didn’t need.
Many admire this writer’s work, and I admit to her capability, but there is always something about each of her books that has put me a bit off. Often, it’s the emphasis on so-called rich and pretty people problems, as well as the unsympathetic and emotionally immature adult characters. In this one, I suppose I also had trouble buying into the premise that the parental conflict described would inevitably induce such widespread and lasting tectonic-level generational destabilization. I struggled to make and maintain this connection, and I reluctantly found myself becoming disengaged and bored.
I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s my own generational gap issue, certainly it’s a me problem given the superlative praise this book seems to be garnering, but this very capable and appreciated author’s works just miss the mark for me. I’ve enjoyed books about the 70s, and about generational family dysfunction, and even about divorce, but this wasn’t the one for me. 3.5 rounded up for the objective skill of the writing aside from my personal taste-based objections. Nearly everyone so far seems to have enjoyed this book more than I have, so you might too!
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Ecco for the ARC of this book, which is due out on March 3, 2026!
September 14, 2025
I’m not at all surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I’m a big fan of family dramas that span generations, and this one grabbed me from the very beginning.
What sets this book apart is the intricate exploration of the adults’ marriages, which are unlike any other I’ve read. Additionally, witnessing the story unfold through the lives of their children—both during their formative years and later in their adulthood—provided an enriching reading experience.
This book certainly gives me vibes of Mary Beth Keene’s writing style, so if you’re a fan of her novels, you won’t want to miss out on this one when it releases in March 2026!
What sets this book apart is the intricate exploration of the adults’ marriages, which are unlike any other I’ve read. Additionally, witnessing the story unfold through the lives of their children—both during their formative years and later in their adulthood—provided an enriching reading experience.
This book certainly gives me vibes of Mary Beth Keene’s writing style, so if you’re a fan of her novels, you won’t want to miss out on this one when it releases in March 2026!
February 26, 2026
I have many mixed feelings about this book. It was joyful, touching, sad, thoughtful, and sometimes frustrating. It is well written and introspective with an expansive ensemble of characters. A very good introduction for me to this author, although there were some aspects that left me wanting a little more.
This is truly a character-driven family drama that covers a myriad of topics, events, crises and emotions over the span of some years from the 1970s to the late 1990s. Two families are at the heart of this journey - families that are inextricably tied together from start to finish for so many different reasons. They experience and attempt to manage through infidelity, divorce, remarriage, closeted homosexuality at the onset of AIDS, alcoholism, and more. And they experience it all together.
The different intersections are written as different parts of the book and the play out uniquely. I have to say that Nina, the matriarch of one family, was the character that stood out the most to me. In the 1970s, partly inspired by the book The Joy of Sex but mostly by her own marital unhappiness, she makes a brave decision to leave her husband to marry another man and find happiness. This singular moment has a ripple effect on the two families for decades to come. I thought Nina and Finn’s stories before and after their marriage were well done and the characters nicely developed. I really liked both of them throughout the book.
As the story proceeds in time, the other members of the family are further developed. The later segments felt more rushed to me and had more gaps in the character and story development. As a result, I didn’t feel as emotionally connected to them and they seemed flatter to me. There were sections that seemed key - like a previously existing connection between Bridie and Dune; Dune’s struggles with alcoholism; Clara in general - that were quickly glossed over. This was my primary frustration with the book that left me feeling like there was more I needed to know.
The ending was unexpectedly sad but well done and gave the closure I needed and wanted, albeit at the very last. Overall this is a touching and well written book that I enjoyed, with strong characters and lots of family drama - favorites of mine. I will look to read more by this author!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ecco Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy and share my thoughts.
This is truly a character-driven family drama that covers a myriad of topics, events, crises and emotions over the span of some years from the 1970s to the late 1990s. Two families are at the heart of this journey - families that are inextricably tied together from start to finish for so many different reasons. They experience and attempt to manage through infidelity, divorce, remarriage, closeted homosexuality at the onset of AIDS, alcoholism, and more. And they experience it all together.
The different intersections are written as different parts of the book and the play out uniquely. I have to say that Nina, the matriarch of one family, was the character that stood out the most to me. In the 1970s, partly inspired by the book The Joy of Sex but mostly by her own marital unhappiness, she makes a brave decision to leave her husband to marry another man and find happiness. This singular moment has a ripple effect on the two families for decades to come. I thought Nina and Finn’s stories before and after their marriage were well done and the characters nicely developed. I really liked both of them throughout the book.
As the story proceeds in time, the other members of the family are further developed. The later segments felt more rushed to me and had more gaps in the character and story development. As a result, I didn’t feel as emotionally connected to them and they seemed flatter to me. There were sections that seemed key - like a previously existing connection between Bridie and Dune; Dune’s struggles with alcoholism; Clara in general - that were quickly glossed over. This was my primary frustration with the book that left me feeling like there was more I needed to know.
The ending was unexpectedly sad but well done and gave the closure I needed and wanted, albeit at the very last. Overall this is a touching and well written book that I enjoyed, with strong characters and lots of family drama - favorites of mine. I will look to read more by this author!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ecco Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy and share my thoughts.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A beautiful and nuanced exploration of two families' lives as they go through a ripple effect of two parents from cheating on their partners and eloping together. This book was capital D drama but still managed to have such a complex cast of characters and events.
Sweeney showed their skill with how they handled the characters and their motivations, I really enjoyed reading this.
Sweeney showed their skill with how they handled the characters and their motivations, I really enjoyed reading this.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Sharply told with Sweeney’s signature wit and wisdom, 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 is a tour de force portrayal of familial relationships in all of it's nuances and complexities.
Set along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Rochester, NY, the title holds extra significance. With the upstate NY locale, the weather is often times precarious and leads to what's known as the "lake effect." This weather phenomenon is highly unpredictable which feels apt and equally fitting in regards to life in general.
The generational span of time covered from 1977-1998 and shifting character perspectives allows for a deep and intimate look into two families lives. Watching the ramifications of their decisions trickle down to their children during their formative years and witnessing how it shapes their adulthood is remarkably executed. These characters are layered, messy and sometimes unlikable with their questionable choices and morals, but it makes them entirely authentic.
Through the many facets of family dynamics, 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 displays a smattering of emotions from anger to love to resentment to grief. It's an incredibly accurate representation of family that feels universal. Readers who gravitate towards family drama will devour this one!
🎙 Marin Ireland narrates: need I say more?! She's a gift to the ears and proves yet again her innate ability to deliver a top notch solo performance on a book with multiple narratives.
✨️ Thank you Ecco Books for the ARC & goodies & Harper Audio for the ALC!
Pub Date: 3•3•2026
Set along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Rochester, NY, the title holds extra significance. With the upstate NY locale, the weather is often times precarious and leads to what's known as the "lake effect." This weather phenomenon is highly unpredictable which feels apt and equally fitting in regards to life in general.
The generational span of time covered from 1977-1998 and shifting character perspectives allows for a deep and intimate look into two families lives. Watching the ramifications of their decisions trickle down to their children during their formative years and witnessing how it shapes their adulthood is remarkably executed. These characters are layered, messy and sometimes unlikable with their questionable choices and morals, but it makes them entirely authentic.
Through the many facets of family dynamics, 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 displays a smattering of emotions from anger to love to resentment to grief. It's an incredibly accurate representation of family that feels universal. Readers who gravitate towards family drama will devour this one!
🎙 Marin Ireland narrates: need I say more?! She's a gift to the ears and proves yet again her innate ability to deliver a top notch solo performance on a book with multiple narratives.
✨️ Thank you Ecco Books for the ARC & goodies & Harper Audio for the ALC!
Pub Date: 3•3•2026
February 20, 2026
I LOVED this book.
When Nina Larkin runs off with across the street Neighbour Finn Finnegan, both families are wrapped in the scandal. The rippling effects impact their kids and we see how each child copes as we jump forward in time. The characters are beautifully flawed, and as we discover their perspectives, you can’t help but want the best for them all.
I binged this in an afternoon, it was such a compelling read.
When Nina Larkin runs off with across the street Neighbour Finn Finnegan, both families are wrapped in the scandal. The rippling effects impact their kids and we see how each child copes as we jump forward in time. The characters are beautifully flawed, and as we discover their perspectives, you can’t help but want the best for them all.
I binged this in an afternoon, it was such a compelling read.
October 1, 2025
Compulsive family Drama with a capital D! All of the main characters were captivating, & the author did a fantastic job of telling their stories in a way that made me withhold judgement, even when I disagreed with choices. I’ll be thinking about Cara’s grief for a long time. Fantastic storytelling, and the end…. Just wow.
Thanks you #NetGalley & #HarperCollins for the ARC e-book.
Thanks you #NetGalley & #HarperCollins for the ARC e-book.
February 24, 2026
This book begins in 1977 in Rochester, NY, delving into two families that live across the street from each other, as we get to know all four adults and all four of their teenage children as their world is then upended by an affair. The bulk of the book is set in the year or so after, before jumping into the 1990s as we see how the effects of that time have continued to play out in the lives of the characters, and where they have all ended up.
I said “characters” in the previous paragraph, but boy did they all feel like real people who I had come to really know by the time the book ended - the writing and character development in this book is just great, as is the sense of place for both the Rochester and NYC parts. And I really was touched emotionally and finished the book in tears.
4.25 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC (out 3/3/26); all opinions are my own.
I said “characters” in the previous paragraph, but boy did they all feel like real people who I had come to really know by the time the book ended - the writing and character development in this book is just great, as is the sense of place for both the Rochester and NYC parts. And I really was touched emotionally and finished the book in tears.
4.25 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC (out 3/3/26); all opinions are my own.
August 28, 2025
Right off the bat I loved the setting of this book taking place in the 70s. All of the characters are so entertaining and relatable. There are many themes in this book to relate to like grief, coming of age, affairs, love, and bad decisions. The scandal is juicy and the connection the characters have with each other is addicting. I laughed, I frowned, I cringed and gasped. Beautifully written, this book had me consumed from the first page to the very last word.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 21, 2025
I’ve been in a real reading rut—fearing that my attention span for intensive amounts of reading wanned—but this novel pulled me right out of it. Vivid, engaging characters in a story about romantic and familial relationships that feels so true. Equal parts Judy Blume adult novels of women of the 70s discovering and acknowledging their desires and 90s family drama in the best ways. There are some loose ends and characters whose importance slips away but that all feels true to life. The ending gutted me but also felt entirely right.
January 11, 2026
A beautifully written book a family saga with characters that come alive.An affair that shakes& shapes the lives of two families neighbors in this small town social friends and suddenly a couple .A fast elopement leaving their children distraught.Love the fact that we follow these people for years delve into their lives and the effects of this one act the elopement on their emotional lives.This is a book that stays with you even after you read the last page.This authors books are so entertaining just a joy to read.
February 25, 2026
Lake Effect follows a group of adults as they navigate life centered around an affair and later follows the children impacted by those events. I enjoyed the pacing of the first portion and was entertained by the plot. Where I think this book excels is looking at the ramifications of decisions made by adults and how that affects the children. I greatly enjoyed the second portion and felt that the plot and characters were raw and honest.
I received an ARC and ALC from Ecco and HarperAudio Adult | Ecco via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC and ALC from Ecco and HarperAudio Adult | Ecco via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2025
Strong family drama with relatable characters and complex relationships over the course of 20+ years. I enjoyed it! 9/10.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Ecco for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Ecco for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 23, 2026
I just loved this book set in Rochester, NY (mainly in 1977 but also parts occur in the 1990’s). I loved references to the family grocery store that could only could have been modeled after Wegmans and I especially adored a shout out to Keuka Lake. This family drama made me think and cry and what more could I want? Add this to your TBR. Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.
February 18, 2026
Oh, how I loved this beautiful , heartbreaking family saga filled with real, flawed people who hurt those they love, get hurt, forgive, take chances and learn to live authentically.
4.5 stars bumped to 5 because Marin Ireland makes everything better.
Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy
4.5 stars bumped to 5 because Marin Ireland makes everything better.
Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy
March 2, 2026
This was a great family drama with well developed characters who each had their own struggles. Two neighborhood families whose lives become entwined in ways they never imagined. I couldn’t put this book down and highly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Highly recommend if you loved “Hello, Beautiful" by Ann Napolitano and/or “Buckeye" by Patrick Ryan.
February 19, 2026
This author’s stories keep getting better with each new publication. My least favourite was her first.
This family saga checks all the boxes, and I’m there for it. The narration elevates the story and is perfect.
Thank you Net Galley for an early glimpse.
This family saga checks all the boxes, and I’m there for it. The narration elevates the story and is perfect.
Thank you Net Galley for an early glimpse.
February 21, 2026
Despite brilliant narration by Marin Ireland (who always does an excellent job and is one of only a handful of narrators whose names I remember), the audiobook didn't live up to the hype for me. Set in Rochester, NY, in the 1970s, it opens promisingly with a sassy woman buying multiple copies of "The Joy of Sex" for her friends and neighbors (what might today be called her book club). Other than a couple of teenagers finding the book in their mother's closet one day, it doesn't figure directly into the plot. The story focuses on what the different neighbors get up to and how that affects their relationships with each other and their teenage children. I found the stories bland despite their "scandalous" (for the 70s) nature. In particular, one of the daughters was quite immovable, yet her "trauma" didn't move me. For fans of Sally Rooney this might be a treat. Just not for me.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HarperAudio Adult, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook #LakeEffect for review purposes. Pubication date: 3 March 2026.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HarperAudio Adult, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook #LakeEffect for review purposes. Pubication date: 3 March 2026.
February 1, 2026
It’s 1977 and Nina Larkin receives a copy of the Joy of Sex from her newly divorced friend, the book makes her realize that her marriage doesn’t have the intimacy she wants and makes a decision that changes the trajectory of two families as well as the tight knit neighborhood where they all reside. Her daughter Clara seems to have the most issues with her decision, and years later, Clara returns home to her estranged family to wrestle with the past and figure out how to move forward.
This novel had me from the first moment I began listening and kept totally engrossed until the end. I loved the story, the characters, there sometimes morally grey decisioning and how each dealt with their family demises. The audio was great but I really enjoyed just sitting with the book and reading. This was a great family drama (which is usually something I enjoy) and it was a great read.
4.25 stars
This novel had me from the first moment I began listening and kept totally engrossed until the end. I loved the story, the characters, there sometimes morally grey decisioning and how each dealt with their family demises. The audio was great but I really enjoyed just sitting with the book and reading. This was a great family drama (which is usually something I enjoy) and it was a great read.
4.25 stars
September 13, 2025
Rochester NY, the setting for this poignant novel, holds a very special place in my heart. It is where I went for radiation treatment for my breast cancer. I'm from Fairbanks, Alaska and in 1998, when I was diagnosed, there was no radiation therapy available in Fairbanks. My daughter lives in Rochester and I stayed with her while I received my treatment. Not only was it an opportunity to grow closer with my daughter, but I also gained special insight into Rochester, a city rich with art, music, culture, and history.
Ms. Sweeney intertwines themes of family, love, grief, anger, and pain throughout these pages. This results in a delicious and unique smorgasbord, always rich but sometimes bitter, recipes that cannot be replicated yet are universal. The poet, Theodor Roethke, says it best as I quote him here: "What is madness but nobility of the soul at odds with circumstance." We all have choices; how we act when faced with choice, lays the groundwork for our future.
Rochester, New York is located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. Its weather is precarious and often unpredictable, causing what is known as 'lake effect'. Finn, one of the protagonists in this highly readable and meaningful novel, states that lake effect means you could never be sure what was coming. How true this is, not only with weather, but with life.
One day, apparently out of the blue, though not totally unexpected, Finn runs off with Nina, his neighbor's wife. Nina's two children, Clara and Bridie, are left emotionally ravished and deal with their grief and perceived abandonment in very different ways. Both feel pain and loss, but Clara believes that the only path to her recovering from this maternal betrayal, is to gain control of her home. She tries to attain this control through cooking, a choice that leads to her future profession but also destroys any future ability for her to engage in intimate relationships.
Ms. Sweeney deftly uses the metaphor of cooking to portray the unfolding of emotions. Characters in this novel cook with love and forgiveness, but also with fear and regret. As one character states, "I don't know what else to do. I cook."
The novel moves through the 1970's into the present time. Rochester's economic boom is contrasted with its downturn as Kodak and Xerox, its two economic mainstays, go under, at odds with the new tech frontier developing in California.
While this novel is character driven, it is also a page-turner. I thought this would be a beach read, but it is so much more. Family secrets, and their concomitant shame, are explored as themes of homosexuality, revenge, and anger come to the forefront of daily life. It grabbed me by the heart and immersed me in the hopes, dreams and disappointments of every character. It is definitely a novel to be savored.Rochester NY, the setting for this poignant novel, holds a very special place in my heart. It is where I went for radiation treatment for my breast cancer. I'm from Fairbanks, Alaska and in 1998, when I was diagnosed, there was no radiation therapy available in Fairbanks. My daughter lives in Rochester and I stayed with her while I received my treatment. Not only was it an opportunity to grow closer with my daughter, but I also gained special insight into Rochester, a city rich with art, music, culture, and history.
Ms. Sweeney intertwines themes of family, love, grief, anger, and pain throughout these pages. This results in a delicious and unique smorgasbord, always rich but sometimes bitter, recipes that cannot be replicated yet are universal. The poet, Theodor Roethke, says it best as I quote him here: "What is madness but nobility of the soul at odds with circumstance." We all have choices; how we act when faced with choice, lays the groundwork for our future.
Rochester, New York is located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. Its weather is precarious and often unpredictable, causing what is known as 'lake effect'. Finn, one of the protagonists in this highly readable and meaningful novel, states that lake effect means you could never be sure what was coming. How true this is, not only with weather, but with life.
One day, apparently out of the blue, though not totally unexpected, Finn runs off with Nina, his neighbor's wife. Nina's two children, Clara and Bridie, are left emotionally ravished and deal with their grief and perceived abandonment in very different ways. Both feel pain and loss, but Clara believes that the only path to her recovering from this maternal betrayal, is to gain control of her home. She tries to attain this control through cooking, a choice that leads to her future profession but also destroys any future ability for her to engage in intimate relationships.
Ms. Sweeney deftly uses the metaphor of cooking to portray the unfolding of emotions. Characters in this novel cook with love and forgiveness, but also with fear and regret. As one character states, "I don't know what else to do. I cook."
The novel moves through the 1970's into the present time. Rochester's economic boom is contrasted with its downturn as Kodak and Xerox, its two economic mainstays, go under, at odds with the new tech frontier developing in California.
While this novel is character driven, it is also a page-turner. I thought this would be a beach read, but it is so much more. Family secrets, and their concomitant shame, are explored as themes of homosexuality, revenge, and anger come to the forefront of daily life. It grabbed me by the heart and immersed me in the hopes, dreams and disappointments of every character. It is definitely a novel to be savored.
Thank you Ecco and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader's copy.
Ms. Sweeney intertwines themes of family, love, grief, anger, and pain throughout these pages. This results in a delicious and unique smorgasbord, always rich but sometimes bitter, recipes that cannot be replicated yet are universal. The poet, Theodor Roethke, says it best as I quote him here: "What is madness but nobility of the soul at odds with circumstance." We all have choices; how we act when faced with choice, lays the groundwork for our future.
Rochester, New York is located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. Its weather is precarious and often unpredictable, causing what is known as 'lake effect'. Finn, one of the protagonists in this highly readable and meaningful novel, states that lake effect means you could never be sure what was coming. How true this is, not only with weather, but with life.
One day, apparently out of the blue, though not totally unexpected, Finn runs off with Nina, his neighbor's wife. Nina's two children, Clara and Bridie, are left emotionally ravished and deal with their grief and perceived abandonment in very different ways. Both feel pain and loss, but Clara believes that the only path to her recovering from this maternal betrayal, is to gain control of her home. She tries to attain this control through cooking, a choice that leads to her future profession but also destroys any future ability for her to engage in intimate relationships.
Ms. Sweeney deftly uses the metaphor of cooking to portray the unfolding of emotions. Characters in this novel cook with love and forgiveness, but also with fear and regret. As one character states, "I don't know what else to do. I cook."
The novel moves through the 1970's into the present time. Rochester's economic boom is contrasted with its downturn as Kodak and Xerox, its two economic mainstays, go under, at odds with the new tech frontier developing in California.
While this novel is character driven, it is also a page-turner. I thought this would be a beach read, but it is so much more. Family secrets, and their concomitant shame, are explored as themes of homosexuality, revenge, and anger come to the forefront of daily life. It grabbed me by the heart and immersed me in the hopes, dreams and disappointments of every character. It is definitely a novel to be savored.Rochester NY, the setting for this poignant novel, holds a very special place in my heart. It is where I went for radiation treatment for my breast cancer. I'm from Fairbanks, Alaska and in 1998, when I was diagnosed, there was no radiation therapy available in Fairbanks. My daughter lives in Rochester and I stayed with her while I received my treatment. Not only was it an opportunity to grow closer with my daughter, but I also gained special insight into Rochester, a city rich with art, music, culture, and history.
Ms. Sweeney intertwines themes of family, love, grief, anger, and pain throughout these pages. This results in a delicious and unique smorgasbord, always rich but sometimes bitter, recipes that cannot be replicated yet are universal. The poet, Theodor Roethke, says it best as I quote him here: "What is madness but nobility of the soul at odds with circumstance." We all have choices; how we act when faced with choice, lays the groundwork for our future.
Rochester, New York is located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. Its weather is precarious and often unpredictable, causing what is known as 'lake effect'. Finn, one of the protagonists in this highly readable and meaningful novel, states that lake effect means you could never be sure what was coming. How true this is, not only with weather, but with life.
One day, apparently out of the blue, though not totally unexpected, Finn runs off with Nina, his neighbor's wife. Nina's two children, Clara and Bridie, are left emotionally ravished and deal with their grief and perceived abandonment in very different ways. Both feel pain and loss, but Clara believes that the only path to her recovering from this maternal betrayal, is to gain control of her home. She tries to attain this control through cooking, a choice that leads to her future profession but also destroys any future ability for her to engage in intimate relationships.
Ms. Sweeney deftly uses the metaphor of cooking to portray the unfolding of emotions. Characters in this novel cook with love and forgiveness, but also with fear and regret. As one character states, "I don't know what else to do. I cook."
The novel moves through the 1970's into the present time. Rochester's economic boom is contrasted with its downturn as Kodak and Xerox, its two economic mainstays, go under, at odds with the new tech frontier developing in California.
While this novel is character driven, it is also a page-turner. I thought this would be a beach read, but it is so much more. Family secrets, and their concomitant shame, are explored as themes of homosexuality, revenge, and anger come to the forefront of daily life. It grabbed me by the heart and immersed me in the hopes, dreams and disappointments of every character. It is definitely a novel to be savored.
Thank you Ecco and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader's copy.
December 10, 2025
I love a good dysfunctional family drama, and Lake Effect was exactly what I wanted. When two neighbors in a tight-knit 1970s community leave their spouses and elope, we watch as the reverberations of their decision echo through their family. Although set over 20 years, it doesn't drag, but feels like a natural evolution of the story. I also love a book where I can say that life happens but nothing horrendous happens, which means I can sell this book to almost anyone looking for an engrossing, well-written novel. There are a lot of comps to this one: for storyline Ann Patchett, for writing style Emma Straub or Jenny Jackson. Comes out March 3. Preorder at The Bookstore - preorders really matter for authors and for book buyers like yours truly.
September 12, 2025
Endless saga.
With thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for this e-ARC.
With thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for this e-ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There is an abundance of novels written about family conflict from the classics on. What could be more relatable and interesting? It’s difficult to find new twists, unique complications, and fresh characters. But Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney has entered this crowded field with originality. She weaves the particular times they are set in and how it affects the family dynamics. This is D’Aprix Sweeney’s third novel (The Nest and Good Company )and each was hard for me to put down. Great storytelling.
I found this one, Lake Effect, the most compelling as the characters tiptoed through this particular family mine field. Some more successfully than others. Although all were damaged by the precipitating event.
Told in three time periods, it expertly weaves in larger societal change with what we are willing to accept in our own sphere. How a lack of intimacy in a marriage spills into every aspect of family life, and how the way family members relate to each other foretells the course of their lives. There is humor, irony, and of course, the requisite forgiveness.
The story sets out in a tightly knit neighborhood in Rochester, New York with friendships that are wearing thin. Two families are at the center of the book. Nina and Sam with teenagers Clara and Bridie and Finn, wife Honey, and teenage children Dune and Fern.
Nina has never been happy in her marriage. Her husband, Sam, a Xerox employee is uninterested in sex and that sets the stage. Nina puts all her efforts into creating a warm, accommodating home life and dotes on her daughters. That is until she is introduced to the book Joy of Sex. That sets her on a mission to experience what is in that book. And she knows that won’t be with Sam.
The Finnegans live across the street. Finn is part of his family’s grocery store chain and is very engaging and successful. His wife Honey (even her name is ironic) is a cold, superficial, demanding, good Catholic girl. He is deeply dissatisfied.
Nina and Finn gravitate to each other and have the robust sex they’ve both desired. But what complicates things is that their teenagers Clara and Dune, childhood friends, have also fallen in love.
When Nina and Finn decide to go to the Caribbean to get a quickie divorce and marry ,leaving a vague note, the story takes off.
I couldn’t put the book down intrigued by all the turns D’A’prixSweeney introduces. I also appreciated the time pieces. The book is in three section: 1977,1994, and 1998. She used the Rochester setting to integrate the shortsighted demise of Xerox and Kodak; San Francisco to foreshadow the beginning of the AIDs epidemic; and New York to introduce the beginning of Cable TV through the Food Channel.
Clara gets the most airtime. Her losses are too much for a teen. A doting mother who is suddenly absent, a lost love and the capital it brought her at school, the home that had once been her haven now anything but. She inhales all the anger and confusion all the other characters feel and holds on to it. This is basically her story with the trajectory of the others interwoven.
I found some things in the story puzzling. Nina, perhaps because she feels shame for what she did, backs away from her children in a way that didn’t feel natural, given the kind of devoted mother she was . This was a time they needed her most. Bridey and Fern were more neglected. They didn’t get nearly the development that older siblings did. Clara and Dune always overshadowed them yet they were the more sensitive and in need of loving attention. Sam and Honey were stereotypes and could have had more dimension. Perhaps that stood out because the other characters seemed so alive.
All in all, this is a very good book. I look forward to future books by this author.
Highly recommend.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide an honest review.
I found this one, Lake Effect, the most compelling as the characters tiptoed through this particular family mine field. Some more successfully than others. Although all were damaged by the precipitating event.
Told in three time periods, it expertly weaves in larger societal change with what we are willing to accept in our own sphere. How a lack of intimacy in a marriage spills into every aspect of family life, and how the way family members relate to each other foretells the course of their lives. There is humor, irony, and of course, the requisite forgiveness.
The story sets out in a tightly knit neighborhood in Rochester, New York with friendships that are wearing thin. Two families are at the center of the book. Nina and Sam with teenagers Clara and Bridie and Finn, wife Honey, and teenage children Dune and Fern.
Nina has never been happy in her marriage. Her husband, Sam, a Xerox employee is uninterested in sex and that sets the stage. Nina puts all her efforts into creating a warm, accommodating home life and dotes on her daughters. That is until she is introduced to the book Joy of Sex. That sets her on a mission to experience what is in that book. And she knows that won’t be with Sam.
The Finnegans live across the street. Finn is part of his family’s grocery store chain and is very engaging and successful. His wife Honey (even her name is ironic) is a cold, superficial, demanding, good Catholic girl. He is deeply dissatisfied.
Nina and Finn gravitate to each other and have the robust sex they’ve both desired. But what complicates things is that their teenagers Clara and Dune, childhood friends, have also fallen in love.
When Nina and Finn decide to go to the Caribbean to get a quickie divorce and marry ,leaving a vague note, the story takes off.
I couldn’t put the book down intrigued by all the turns D’A’prixSweeney introduces. I also appreciated the time pieces. The book is in three section: 1977,1994, and 1998. She used the Rochester setting to integrate the shortsighted demise of Xerox and Kodak; San Francisco to foreshadow the beginning of the AIDs epidemic; and New York to introduce the beginning of Cable TV through the Food Channel.
Clara gets the most airtime. Her losses are too much for a teen. A doting mother who is suddenly absent, a lost love and the capital it brought her at school, the home that had once been her haven now anything but. She inhales all the anger and confusion all the other characters feel and holds on to it. This is basically her story with the trajectory of the others interwoven.
I found some things in the story puzzling. Nina, perhaps because she feels shame for what she did, backs away from her children in a way that didn’t feel natural, given the kind of devoted mother she was . This was a time they needed her most. Bridey and Fern were more neglected. They didn’t get nearly the development that older siblings did. Clara and Dune always overshadowed them yet they were the more sensitive and in need of loving attention. Sam and Honey were stereotypes and could have had more dimension. Perhaps that stood out because the other characters seemed so alive.
All in all, this is a very good book. I look forward to future books by this author.
Highly recommend.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lake effect, in Finn's understanding, just meant you could never be sure what was coming.
Lake Effect offers a quiet, powerful slice of suburban life as the characters navigate the changes between the 1970s and 1990s in Rochester, New York.
This is one of those books that seems to be about nothing and everything at once. Nothing, because very little happens beyond the characters' daily lives— their love affairs, family fallouts, dreams and ambitions. And everything, because, well, for most of us that is everything.
Characters change, grow, grow apart, actions have consequences (good and bad), and people are shaped by the actions of others.
It takes a book like this to capture the extent of the changes between the 1970s and 1990s. Such a short time, really, but the difference in attitudes to divorce and the way women viewed themselves was massive. The 1970s brought Comfort's The Joy of Sex, a now-dated but then eye-opening book for many women who had previously not known that they, too, could be enjoying sex.
Shortly after, Fat Is a Feminist Issue arrived, Orbach's indictment of diet culture and the obsession with starving oneself to thinness. In Lake Effect, the generational divide here is clear, with Honey pushing her daughter to join WeightWatchers while Fern's generation push back and dare to (somewhat) accept their bodies.
It is interesting to see authors exploring the way a book can change a generation. Last year I read The Book Club for Troublesome Women, which explored the effect of The Feminine Mystique on middle class women in the 1960s. One person's idea can change everything.
We're indentured servants in our own homes, forced to obey the whims of children and husbands. It's exhausting and maddening. We can't catch a break. We've been told we have more opportunity, but nobody's giving us a hand with our existing opportunity. How are we supposed to do all these new things liberation has brought into our lives and find the time to still run everyone else's lives?
Where I found this one more successful than TBCfTW was in the complex and spirited characters. Sweeney does a great job of juggling a large cast and spending time developing them all. I understood fully how each one had become the person they were, from a combination of their own personal experiences and the cultural events and ideas that shaped generations. You can see both Finn’s point of view— the despair of a loveless, sexless marriage —and Honey’s, her trauma about sex and her own weight.
The world of the novel looks very different as you move through the different third person perspectives. A character who seems uptight and tyrannical from one person's perspective becomes deeply sympathetic when we step inside their mind. I think this balanced view makes for truly fascinating storytelling and character craft.
Please be aware that the book contains on-page depiction of sexual assault and substance abuse.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco Publishing for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.
First, as a disclaimer, this is not my type of book at all. I’m not typically a big fan of women’s fiction, literary fiction, or contemporary fiction. These aren’t genres I typically select for myself. However, I requested this book because I was intrigued by two things. First, the title which hits home for me as a Cleveland resident of which Lake Effect snow plagues my every winter. Secondly, a sentence in the description really drew me in, “LAKE EFFECT is a wise and probing look at love and desire, mothers and daughters, loss and grief, and what we owe the people we love most.” As a mother of daughters, who has recently lost her own mother, this line intrigued me. This disclaimer is important because I did not like the book, at all. But I also think the book in general is not really for me but could be for other people.
The writing is solid. It’s clear to understand the various timelines and cast of characters. I was not confused about where I was in the story and the phrasing was emotive. The characters are also written very well. They are imperfect, so much so that I greatly dislike Clara and she’s a fictional character! But that only supports that the writing is superb.
What I struggle with is the pacing of the book. There is this big conflict (Nina and Finn leaving their families to divorce their respective spouses and marry each other) and the immediate fallout and then we jump ahead to the 90s, where Clara is still reeling from what she believes to be the greatest injustice of her life. Readers get very little of the 80s and it feels like we miss key elements. How could a mother who loves her children (and Nina does) let this hatred continue with her daughter? How could Sam allow his children to direct everything towards his ex-wife when he knew of their joint unhappiness? How could Honey watch her sons addiction and not connect it to her own obsession with weight?
Again, it’s a book about flawed characters navigating a very normal human experience; the dissolution of marriages, but I could not handle how Clara just held on to her anger and her grief and never had a deeper conversation or striving for more understanding. She lost so much in her life because of her stubbornness.
So I didn’t love this book because it strikes me as incredibly sad, to lose so much over something so…mundane. Well, perhaps not mundane. I don’t want to under-estimate the affect divorce has on families. But I also can’t imagine begrudgingly holding on to so much anger, just out of spite.
The audiobook is fantastic. I did not like the story, but I would listen to the narrator read anything. Marin Ireland does a great job in voicing so many characters and attitudes throughout. I could hear Nina’s uncertainty on her second wedding day. I could feel Honey’s grief after her cousin’s betrayal. Truly, excellent narration. Book pacing was great, transitions worked well, it all worked as an audiobook.
First, as a disclaimer, this is not my type of book at all. I’m not typically a big fan of women’s fiction, literary fiction, or contemporary fiction. These aren’t genres I typically select for myself. However, I requested this book because I was intrigued by two things. First, the title which hits home for me as a Cleveland resident of which Lake Effect snow plagues my every winter. Secondly, a sentence in the description really drew me in, “LAKE EFFECT is a wise and probing look at love and desire, mothers and daughters, loss and grief, and what we owe the people we love most.” As a mother of daughters, who has recently lost her own mother, this line intrigued me. This disclaimer is important because I did not like the book, at all. But I also think the book in general is not really for me but could be for other people.
The writing is solid. It’s clear to understand the various timelines and cast of characters. I was not confused about where I was in the story and the phrasing was emotive. The characters are also written very well. They are imperfect, so much so that I greatly dislike Clara and she’s a fictional character! But that only supports that the writing is superb.
What I struggle with is the pacing of the book. There is this big conflict (Nina and Finn leaving their families to divorce their respective spouses and marry each other) and the immediate fallout and then we jump ahead to the 90s, where Clara is still reeling from what she believes to be the greatest injustice of her life. Readers get very little of the 80s and it feels like we miss key elements. How could a mother who loves her children (and Nina does) let this hatred continue with her daughter? How could Sam allow his children to direct everything towards his ex-wife when he knew of their joint unhappiness? How could Honey watch her sons addiction and not connect it to her own obsession with weight?
Again, it’s a book about flawed characters navigating a very normal human experience; the dissolution of marriages, but I could not handle how Clara just held on to her anger and her grief and never had a deeper conversation or striving for more understanding. She lost so much in her life because of her stubbornness.
So I didn’t love this book because it strikes me as incredibly sad, to lose so much over something so…mundane. Well, perhaps not mundane. I don’t want to under-estimate the affect divorce has on families. But I also can’t imagine begrudgingly holding on to so much anger, just out of spite.
The audiobook is fantastic. I did not like the story, but I would listen to the narrator read anything. Marin Ireland does a great job in voicing so many characters and attitudes throughout. I could hear Nina’s uncertainty on her second wedding day. I could feel Honey’s grief after her cousin’s betrayal. Truly, excellent narration. Book pacing was great, transitions worked well, it all worked as an audiobook.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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