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The House on Sunset Lake
Tasmina Perry is the bestselling author of
The Last Kiss Goodbye
and
The Proposal.
Her new novel is a heart-wrenching love story bejewelled with mysteries and dark secrets, set in the Deep South. If you love sailing away with Santa Montefiore's novels or unwrapping the layers of the latest Rachel Hore, you will adore losing yourself in this book.
1995. Savannah, Georgia, where the sunsets are long and golden and the air is hot and heavy with promise. Student Jim Johnson isn't happy when he has to abandon his plans of a carefree month of inter-railing to spend the summer in the Deep South with his mother and his father, a down-on-his luck author who has been sent to Savannah to rediscover his muse. But when Jim meets the beguiling Jennifer Wyatt, the daughter of the owners of Casa Seta, the mysterious plantation house on the shores of a lake, Jim knows he has made the right decision in coming along. Until an event happens that shatters Jim and Jennifer's lives for ever and sets both their lives on a different course.
2015. Twenty Years later Casa Seta stands abandoned and neglected, a victim of tragic events that everyone wants to keep buried. But when Jim Johnson's boss buys it as the latest acquisition to his hotel chain, Jim is forced to return to the house and restore it to its former glory. Fate throws him back into the orbit of Jennifer Wyatt, the woman his heart has never truly got over, but as he tries to put the ghosts of the past behind him, he unearths a chilling secret that makes him wonder what he has ever really known about the people he loves.
1995. Savannah, Georgia, where the sunsets are long and golden and the air is hot and heavy with promise. Student Jim Johnson isn't happy when he has to abandon his plans of a carefree month of inter-railing to spend the summer in the Deep South with his mother and his father, a down-on-his luck author who has been sent to Savannah to rediscover his muse. But when Jim meets the beguiling Jennifer Wyatt, the daughter of the owners of Casa Seta, the mysterious plantation house on the shores of a lake, Jim knows he has made the right decision in coming along. Until an event happens that shatters Jim and Jennifer's lives for ever and sets both their lives on a different course.
2015. Twenty Years later Casa Seta stands abandoned and neglected, a victim of tragic events that everyone wants to keep buried. But when Jim Johnson's boss buys it as the latest acquisition to his hotel chain, Jim is forced to return to the house and restore it to its former glory. Fate throws him back into the orbit of Jennifer Wyatt, the woman his heart has never truly got over, but as he tries to put the ghosts of the past behind him, he unearths a chilling secret that makes him wonder what he has ever really known about the people he loves.
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2016
317 people are currently reading
844 people want to read
About the author
Tasmina Perry
44 books508 followers"Tasmina Perry left a career in law for the more glamorous world of women’s magazine journalism.
She has written on celebrity and style for many national magazines including Marie−Claire‚ Glamour and Heat and was most recently Deputy Editor of InStyle magazine. She has also found time to launch her own travel and fashion magazine Jaunt. All of her four novels have been Sunday Times best-sellers and her books have been published in seventeen countries.
She lives in Surrey with her husband and son." (Source: http://www.tasminaperry.com/the-autho...)
She also writes under the pseudonym J.L. Butler and with her husband John Perry under the pseudonym Mia James.
She has written on celebrity and style for many national magazines including Marie−Claire‚ Glamour and Heat and was most recently Deputy Editor of InStyle magazine. She has also found time to launch her own travel and fashion magazine Jaunt. All of her four novels have been Sunday Times best-sellers and her books have been published in seventeen countries.
She lives in Surrey with her husband and son." (Source: http://www.tasminaperry.com/the-autho...)
She also writes under the pseudonym J.L. Butler and with her husband John Perry under the pseudonym Mia James.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
March 5, 2017
There were a number of features that caught my eye when I chose to read The House on Sunset Lake by Tasmina Perry. Firstly, I was drawn to the stunning over image of a rambling lake house that looked like it was holding whole host secrets. Secondly, I was also attracted to the title of the book itself. The House on Sunset Lake is a title that suggests intrigue. Finally, upon perusing the blurb, I was soon convinced that this was my type of novel, as I adore dual narratives and books that hold secrets for the reader to unlock.
Onto the blurb, The House on Sunset Lake is one complicated boy meets girl love story. One summer, over twenty years ago, Jim Johnson makes the fateful trip to the deep south region in the United States with his mother and father. Taking up residence in a sprawling plantation property named Casa D’Or, the Johnson family plan to spend the summer at the mansion by the lake, so Jim’s father Bryn can write in the tranquil surrounds. When Jim meets the daughter of the owners of Casa D’Or, Jennifer Wyatt, his life changes in an instant. He falls madly in love with Jennifer but Jennifer is promised to her childhood sweetheart Connor. This arranged engagement doesn’t get in their way and the two embark on a sweet love affair. Jennifer plans to leave Connor and commit herself fully to Jim. However, a tragic event intervenes in their plans and the two are torn apart. Twenty years later, by chance, Jim returns to Casa D’Or with plans to renovate it from a family home, to a luxury hotel. This leads him straight back to Jennifer, who is now married to Connor. As Jim’s plans to refurbish Casa D’Or moves ahead, Jennifer and Jim’s unresolved relationship comes to the surface. A deep seated family secret connected to the lake house and impacting Jennifer and Jim directly, is also eventually revealed. The revelation of this secret changes the course of Jennifer and Jim’s decision to give their love a second chance.
Tasmina Perry is an author I used to read some years ago, particularly when I was after a beach friendly, or chick lit style novel. I can see over the years Perry’s writing has evolved and now she has tackled the popular dual narrative style of novel. Although the time frame in The House on Sunset Lake is relatively small (twenty years) between the events in the past and the present day, I felt they worked well in this novel. I found the structure of this novel acted as a good incentive to continue to stay with the novel. I really wanted to get to the bottom of the secret as to how and why Jim and Jennifer never made it as a couple twenty years ago. Once I reached this part of the novel, I was shocked by the turn events.
In addition to the appealing dual narrative, the characters, both major and minor, are an intriguing feature in The House on Sunset Lake. Perry takes time to explore each character that appears in her novel, offering a good outline of each protagonist – so that the reader comes to understand their strengths, flaws, motivations and fears.
By far, what I appreciated the most about The House on Sunset Lake was the reflective and reminiscent tone of the novel. I am sure many readers will appreciate the themes that run through The House at Sunset Lake. At its core, this is a book about second chances and life altering secrets. The House on Sunset Lake offers the reader the ideal blend of romance, drama and mystery.
The House on Sunset Lake would make the ideal beach companion. It is a light read, offering the reader an interesting tale that delves into past, with secrets aplenty to uncover. The themes of missed opportunities in love and reconnection will appeal to many readers, especially the romantics at heart.
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Onto the blurb, The House on Sunset Lake is one complicated boy meets girl love story. One summer, over twenty years ago, Jim Johnson makes the fateful trip to the deep south region in the United States with his mother and father. Taking up residence in a sprawling plantation property named Casa D’Or, the Johnson family plan to spend the summer at the mansion by the lake, so Jim’s father Bryn can write in the tranquil surrounds. When Jim meets the daughter of the owners of Casa D’Or, Jennifer Wyatt, his life changes in an instant. He falls madly in love with Jennifer but Jennifer is promised to her childhood sweetheart Connor. This arranged engagement doesn’t get in their way and the two embark on a sweet love affair. Jennifer plans to leave Connor and commit herself fully to Jim. However, a tragic event intervenes in their plans and the two are torn apart. Twenty years later, by chance, Jim returns to Casa D’Or with plans to renovate it from a family home, to a luxury hotel. This leads him straight back to Jennifer, who is now married to Connor. As Jim’s plans to refurbish Casa D’Or moves ahead, Jennifer and Jim’s unresolved relationship comes to the surface. A deep seated family secret connected to the lake house and impacting Jennifer and Jim directly, is also eventually revealed. The revelation of this secret changes the course of Jennifer and Jim’s decision to give their love a second chance.
Tasmina Perry is an author I used to read some years ago, particularly when I was after a beach friendly, or chick lit style novel. I can see over the years Perry’s writing has evolved and now she has tackled the popular dual narrative style of novel. Although the time frame in The House on Sunset Lake is relatively small (twenty years) between the events in the past and the present day, I felt they worked well in this novel. I found the structure of this novel acted as a good incentive to continue to stay with the novel. I really wanted to get to the bottom of the secret as to how and why Jim and Jennifer never made it as a couple twenty years ago. Once I reached this part of the novel, I was shocked by the turn events.
In addition to the appealing dual narrative, the characters, both major and minor, are an intriguing feature in The House on Sunset Lake. Perry takes time to explore each character that appears in her novel, offering a good outline of each protagonist – so that the reader comes to understand their strengths, flaws, motivations and fears.
By far, what I appreciated the most about The House on Sunset Lake was the reflective and reminiscent tone of the novel. I am sure many readers will appreciate the themes that run through The House at Sunset Lake. At its core, this is a book about second chances and life altering secrets. The House on Sunset Lake offers the reader the ideal blend of romance, drama and mystery.
The House on Sunset Lake would make the ideal beach companion. It is a light read, offering the reader an interesting tale that delves into past, with secrets aplenty to uncover. The themes of missed opportunities in love and reconnection will appeal to many readers, especially the romantics at heart.
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
July 30, 2017
The House on Sunset Lake is a wonderfully written story about young love, destructive secrets, and second chances. I was quickly drawn into the story and I found both storylines equally interesting. Jim Johnson has never really gotten over his first love when he travels to America to oversee the transformation of Casa D'Or from a family home to hotel. But, a chance meeting with Jennifer brings the memories of a summer 20 years back to him and is there a second chance for them or have too much time gone by and are the secrets too dark for them to take on?
I found The House on Sunset Lake to be an interesting book, and I liked how two grown people got the chance to reconnect 20 years later after falling madly in love when they were young. It's also a tragic story, especially towards the end of the book when so much is revealed, like why Jennifer chooses to stay with Connor and marry him, despite loving Jim. I really felt for Jennifer while reading this book, her father barely knew her, and her mother was trying to control her, going so far as lying to her. There is a scene in this book towards the end of the book at Jennifer's birthday party when I just wished that Jennifer would have put down her foot when those close to her tried to make a big decision for her. I got so mad reading that part. And, it's now we are starting to learn what really happened all those years ago. I must confess that I was surprised to see where to story was going...
This book surprised me, it was much darker and tragic than I had expected. But, that's not bad, it just shows that life isn't always a dance on roses.
I want to thank Headline for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
I found The House on Sunset Lake to be an interesting book, and I liked how two grown people got the chance to reconnect 20 years later after falling madly in love when they were young. It's also a tragic story, especially towards the end of the book when so much is revealed, like why Jennifer chooses to stay with Connor and marry him, despite loving Jim. I really felt for Jennifer while reading this book, her father barely knew her, and her mother was trying to control her, going so far as lying to her. There is a scene in this book towards the end of the book at Jennifer's birthday party when I just wished that Jennifer would have put down her foot when those close to her tried to make a big decision for her. I got so mad reading that part. And, it's now we are starting to learn what really happened all those years ago. I must confess that I was surprised to see where to story was going...
This book surprised me, it was much darker and tragic than I had expected. But, that's not bad, it just shows that life isn't always a dance on roses.
I want to thank Headline for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
February 6, 2017
Set in Savannah, in America’s deep south, Casa D’Or is a stunning lakeside mansion owned by the affluent Wyatt family; David, his wife Sylvia and their daughter, Jennifer. Jennifer’s future appears to have been set out for her with a planned engagement to Connor Gilbert, her childhood sweetheart. Bryn Johnson and his family arrive from England to rent out the Lake House. Jennifer finds herself drawn to Bryn’s son, Jim.
As their friendship deepens, they fall in love, and make plans to leave together. Tragedy then occurs, and what follows is a set of events that change the course of both of their lives. Questions get left unanswered, and things aren’t at all what they seem.
The story starts in the present day where we get introduced to Jim Johnson, who is now in his forties. Working for an international hotel group, Jim once again comes across Casa D’Or. His boss decides to buy it and turn it into a hotel. Jim soon comes face to face with Jennifer who agrees to sell it. As they become reacquainted we learn more about the events leading up to their separation twenty years prior.
Wow. Wow. And wow. I’d read Tasmina Perry’s previous book, The Last Kiss Goodbye, and it was worthy of five stars. This book had a lot to live up to. It didn’t disappoint.
I’ve never been a fan of books that go between past and present. I often get confused as I don’t always know where I am. Here, it is accomplished with finesse. The year is printed at the beginning of each chapter and when a date change occurs, you know exactly where you are. The time changes work well within the story. You see how things started all those years ago, and you also know what’s happening in the present day. You don’t know what has happened in-between or what will happen going forward. As you read on, all the pieces come together and everything becomes clearer.
The story broke my heart in places. Quite a few of the characters weren’t all they at first seemed. As the story unravels, more gets discovered about them and how their past actions changed the lives of those around them. The behaviour of some characters shocked me to the core. I was taken completely by surprise.
At first I couldn’t warm to Jennifer, which for a main character is unusual. I was unable to put my finger on it. As the story progressed, I felt more empathy with her. I learned about what Jennifer had been through and why she became the person that she did. Yet, there was another character who I found rather likeable, but when the truth gets revealed, turned out to be abhorrent.
There were many twists throughout the story. I didn’t see a single one of them coming. I found myself gasping out loud at one in particular which came near the end. It was a brilliant twist, and yet so disturbing and shocking when it twisted yet again. Tasmina Perry is a pure genius.
This is one of those stories that could get made into a feature length film for television or the big screen. I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens in the future. It would be perfect so long as the screenplay stays true to the book.
I highly recommend reading this amazing story. It will keep you hooked throughout and you won’t be able to put it down. Prepare to be immersed, shocked, and blown away. I certainly was.
Reviewed by Jodie on www.whisperingstories.com
As their friendship deepens, they fall in love, and make plans to leave together. Tragedy then occurs, and what follows is a set of events that change the course of both of their lives. Questions get left unanswered, and things aren’t at all what they seem.
The story starts in the present day where we get introduced to Jim Johnson, who is now in his forties. Working for an international hotel group, Jim once again comes across Casa D’Or. His boss decides to buy it and turn it into a hotel. Jim soon comes face to face with Jennifer who agrees to sell it. As they become reacquainted we learn more about the events leading up to their separation twenty years prior.
Wow. Wow. And wow. I’d read Tasmina Perry’s previous book, The Last Kiss Goodbye, and it was worthy of five stars. This book had a lot to live up to. It didn’t disappoint.
I’ve never been a fan of books that go between past and present. I often get confused as I don’t always know where I am. Here, it is accomplished with finesse. The year is printed at the beginning of each chapter and when a date change occurs, you know exactly where you are. The time changes work well within the story. You see how things started all those years ago, and you also know what’s happening in the present day. You don’t know what has happened in-between or what will happen going forward. As you read on, all the pieces come together and everything becomes clearer.
The story broke my heart in places. Quite a few of the characters weren’t all they at first seemed. As the story unravels, more gets discovered about them and how their past actions changed the lives of those around them. The behaviour of some characters shocked me to the core. I was taken completely by surprise.
At first I couldn’t warm to Jennifer, which for a main character is unusual. I was unable to put my finger on it. As the story progressed, I felt more empathy with her. I learned about what Jennifer had been through and why she became the person that she did. Yet, there was another character who I found rather likeable, but when the truth gets revealed, turned out to be abhorrent.
There were many twists throughout the story. I didn’t see a single one of them coming. I found myself gasping out loud at one in particular which came near the end. It was a brilliant twist, and yet so disturbing and shocking when it twisted yet again. Tasmina Perry is a pure genius.
This is one of those stories that could get made into a feature length film for television or the big screen. I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens in the future. It would be perfect so long as the screenplay stays true to the book.
I highly recommend reading this amazing story. It will keep you hooked throughout and you won’t be able to put it down. Prepare to be immersed, shocked, and blown away. I certainly was.
Reviewed by Jodie on www.whisperingstories.com
January 26, 2019
I just kept waiting for something to happen... by page 240 I realized nothing was going to.
I'm confused about what this book was supposed to be? "Seductive, mysterious, perfect..." is what is says on the cover. I'm gonna tell you, it wasn't any of these things.
I've read almost all of Tasmina Perry's books, and this was the most disappointing one, by far.
I'm confused about what this book was supposed to be? "Seductive, mysterious, perfect..." is what is says on the cover. I'm gonna tell you, it wasn't any of these things.
I've read almost all of Tasmina Perry's books, and this was the most disappointing one, by far.
January 26, 2018
Boy meets girl and they fall in love.
Something happens and they are torn apart.
In their late 30's they meet up again.
So far so good I was enjoying the story. But then
When guy finds something out that happened when they first met.
Guy gets mad and dosn't believe girl, its not untill someone close to him says I believe her that he changes his mind and goes running after girl. Me I would have punched the guy for not believing me.
Bad ending to a good book.
Something happens and they are torn apart.
In their late 30's they meet up again.
So far so good I was enjoying the story. But then
When guy finds something out that happened when they first met.
Guy gets mad and dosn't believe girl, its not untill someone close to him says I believe her that he changes his mind and goes running after girl. Me I would have punched the guy for not believing me.
Bad ending to a good book.
August 31, 2016
Jim Johnson is set to return to Savannah, the place were twenty years ago he lost his heart to Jennifer Wyatt. Can he put the past behind when he has to face Jennifer in connection with his latest business venture? It is not a bad story at all, lots of passion, romance and secrets in a story that flips backwards and forwards in time from a long hot Savannah summer where we witness two teenagers fighting a mutual attraction, to the present day. On the whole I did enjoy the read but for me it didn’t really get going until the last 15 or 20%. At that point, the author threw in a real shocker but it felt out of place. There had been no hints about it, and it almost felt as if it had just been put in to spice up a story that definitely needed a bit of a shake up. I received a review copy from the publisher via Netgalley.
August 2, 2016
3.5 stars. Jim Johnston was a student in 1995 and was not happy when his plans of a carefree month has to be abandoned. His father is an author who is not having much luck with his writing and has been sent to Savannah to try to rediscover his muse. Jim soon meets Jennifer Wyatt whose father owns Casa Seta. Then a tragedy happens that makes them go their separate ways.
It's now 2015 and Jim has to return to Casa Seta as his boss has purchased it as an addition to his hotel chain. Jim has ti restore the house to its former glory and discovers a chilling secret that makes him wonder if he has really known the people he loves.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Headline and the author Tasmina Perry for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's now 2015 and Jim has to return to Casa Seta as his boss has purchased it as an addition to his hotel chain. Jim has ti restore the house to its former glory and discovers a chilling secret that makes him wonder if he has really known the people he loves.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Headline and the author Tasmina Perry for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2024
So…funny/awkward story: I absolutely thought Tasmina Perry wrote crime fiction so I had kind of geared up for some exciting murder and uh…oops…😬 Instead I got a romance story to rival the craziest plot lines from The Bold & the Beautiful. Now romance is NOT my thing as these lovetruck folk almost never make enough sense to me but that’s fine the book club needs some romance so at least I have this one to add and can be confident that anything else from this author will be good to add. And since it’s after midnight and I’m still up reading that should tell you that I enjoyed the change of scenery. Rough though! Damn! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫
August 2, 2016
(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, the book is released August 25th).
I was very close to giving up on this book during the first half. I found it clichéd and not very well-written. It had moments of something, though. Something that kept me reading. I don’t know if it was just a desire to see if there really wasn’t more to it than a generic love story, or if the writing actually holds flashes of something that could be interesting. Maybe it’s a mix of both, but mostly I think it was the former.
It’s the story of Jim and Jennifer, who meet while Jim spends a summer in Savannah where his father, a famous author, has been exiled to finish his new novel. Jennifer lives in the big house on the other side of the lake – Casa D’Or, the house of the title, the house on sunset lake. They fall in love, and then a tragedy tears them apart. I thought there’d be more mystery surrounding the tragedy, but it’s revealed almost right away what it was. So there went my idea that this might somehow be a romance novel that evolved around solving a 20-year-old mystery. Except that’s sort of what it is anyway, just differently than I imagined.
It’s set both during their first meeting as 20-year-olds, and 20 years after where fate (or Jim's rich business boss) brings a middle-aged Jim back to Casa D’Or and back to Jennifer. Both of them have new lives, both of them have made something different out of their wrecked dream of a future together, and are both living comfortably, although for Jim it’s still as if something is missing, as if he never quite could let Jennifer go.
As the two reconnect, old hurts are revisited, unpleasant truths are unearthed and it turns out no one knows the exact truth of what happened that summer. The mystery, in the end, is the nature of what drove them apart, and it might be something entirely different than what we’re lead to believe.
This is the reason I didn’t quit. Although I do think the writing is very mediocre, with small moments of nice prose, and the characters and plots terribly clichéd, I still couldn’t quite put the book down. I had to know the truth of it all. I had to see if the book redeemed itself. It didn't, but it tried.
Mostly I just couldn’t get over the clichéd characters, and how soap-opera-like a lot of the drama was. I mean, Jim’s father decides to write a novel about an older man, a professor, who falls in love with a younger woman. Really? And Jim grows up wanting to be a musician, while Jennifer is the ultimate girl next door. It does rectify this a little later, but it’s still as if Perry can’t quite put the clichés behind her.
It had a few surprises in store in the end, which was fantastic. Although it may have had one too many surprises, or it should have just presented them better. It was as if it kept hurling revelations at the reader and they drowned each other out. Which is a shame, because some of them were interesting and well chosen, but they didn’t get the screen time they deserved. It got a little melodramatic at times, with all the different problems and secrets and drama that honest to god just kept coming. But I can’t quite say Perry doesn’t make it work either. It may be bland at times, but it’s also interesting enough (if you keep going) that it’s sort of worth the time.
Not the best book you’ll read in your life, but probably not the worst either. I mean, I don’t regret reading it, but given the chance I’m not sure I’d do it again.
I was very close to giving up on this book during the first half. I found it clichéd and not very well-written. It had moments of something, though. Something that kept me reading. I don’t know if it was just a desire to see if there really wasn’t more to it than a generic love story, or if the writing actually holds flashes of something that could be interesting. Maybe it’s a mix of both, but mostly I think it was the former.
It’s the story of Jim and Jennifer, who meet while Jim spends a summer in Savannah where his father, a famous author, has been exiled to finish his new novel. Jennifer lives in the big house on the other side of the lake – Casa D’Or, the house of the title, the house on sunset lake. They fall in love, and then a tragedy tears them apart. I thought there’d be more mystery surrounding the tragedy, but it’s revealed almost right away what it was. So there went my idea that this might somehow be a romance novel that evolved around solving a 20-year-old mystery. Except that’s sort of what it is anyway, just differently than I imagined.
It’s set both during their first meeting as 20-year-olds, and 20 years after where fate (or Jim's rich business boss) brings a middle-aged Jim back to Casa D’Or and back to Jennifer. Both of them have new lives, both of them have made something different out of their wrecked dream of a future together, and are both living comfortably, although for Jim it’s still as if something is missing, as if he never quite could let Jennifer go.
As the two reconnect, old hurts are revisited, unpleasant truths are unearthed and it turns out no one knows the exact truth of what happened that summer. The mystery, in the end, is the nature of what drove them apart, and it might be something entirely different than what we’re lead to believe.
This is the reason I didn’t quit. Although I do think the writing is very mediocre, with small moments of nice prose, and the characters and plots terribly clichéd, I still couldn’t quite put the book down. I had to know the truth of it all. I had to see if the book redeemed itself. It didn't, but it tried.
Mostly I just couldn’t get over the clichéd characters, and how soap-opera-like a lot of the drama was. I mean, Jim’s father decides to write a novel about an older man, a professor, who falls in love with a younger woman. Really? And Jim grows up wanting to be a musician, while Jennifer is the ultimate girl next door. It does rectify this a little later, but it’s still as if Perry can’t quite put the clichés behind her.
It had a few surprises in store in the end, which was fantastic. Although it may have had one too many surprises, or it should have just presented them better. It was as if it kept hurling revelations at the reader and they drowned each other out. Which is a shame, because some of them were interesting and well chosen, but they didn’t get the screen time they deserved. It got a little melodramatic at times, with all the different problems and secrets and drama that honest to god just kept coming. But I can’t quite say Perry doesn’t make it work either. It may be bland at times, but it’s also interesting enough (if you keep going) that it’s sort of worth the time.
Not the best book you’ll read in your life, but probably not the worst either. I mean, I don’t regret reading it, but given the chance I’m not sure I’d do it again.
February 13, 2020
This is an absolute load of tosh. Weak story. Full of platitudes and really dull characters.
I find myself wanting to give them all a good slap for being so wet and boring.
I will never get these hours back. Waste of time.
I find myself wanting to give them all a good slap for being so wet and boring.
I will never get these hours back. Waste of time.
September 12, 2016
Ever since the publication of DADDY’S GIRLS back in 2006 Tasmina Perry has been...
http://sleaze-factor.blogspot.ca/2016...
http://sleaze-factor.blogspot.ca/2016...
April 14, 2017
The House on Sunset Lake is a lovely, light read that is set in 2015 but takes us back to 1994 also as we unravel the mysteries of a summer gone by 20 years previous. This a wonderfully written story and I really liked the main character Jim Johnson who has never found another love in the past 20 years like he had with Jennifer. But are they able to overcome the secrets that were buried that summer? Fantastic characters and beautiful setting. I would love to be able to visit the Plantation House! A good read….
September 29, 2017
Loved this great story, characters you can feel the heat of savannah in the pages of this book.
November 13, 2017
Szeretem az írónő regényeit, és ez sem okozott csalódást. Két idősík, dráma, egy tragédia ami szétszakít, hogy később megkapd a második esélyt. Jó volt.
June 3, 2019
Im always sad to get to the end of a TP book. Id say its a guilty pleasure to read her, but I dont feel any guilt ha ha. She's not going to win the pulitzer prize any time soon but I still love her books - always a great, solid, easy escapism read.
August 20, 2018
Rezension zu "Das Haus am Sunset Lake"
von: Tasmina Perry
Verlag: blanvalet Verlag
Seitenzahl: 411
Preis: 9,99€ (Taschenbuch)
Kaufoption: https://www.amazon.de/Das-Haus-Sunset...
Klappentext:
"Savannah 1995: Ein herrlicher Sommer liegt vor Jennifer Wyatt, als sie mit dem Collegeabschluss in der Tasche nach Casa D'Or zurückkehrt – der verwunschenen Südstaatenplantage am Sunset Lake, die seit Generationen im Besitz ihrer Familie ist. Zwanzig Jahre später ist Casa D’Or verlassen, und Jennifer hat die Tür zu ihrer Vergangenheit fest verschlossen. Zu schmerzlich sind die Erinnerungen an jenen letzten Sommer. Doch dann tritt plötzlich Jim wieder in ihr Leben – der Mann, dem sie damals ihr Herz schenkte. Das Wiedersehen wühlt alte Erinnerungen auf und enthüllt die dunklen Geheimnisse, die das Haus seit jenem tragischen Sommer birgt … "
Cover:
Das Cover ist ok. Ich hätte das Buch jetzt Covertechnisch nicht gekauft, weil es auf mich etwas altbacken wirkt. Da das Buch vom Sunset Lake handelt und auf dem Cover ein See zu sehen ist, passt es jedoch dennoch gut zu der Geschichte. Die Frau auf der Treppe wirkt auf mich allerdings nicht wie eine der Romanfiguren.
Inhalt:
Jennifer lebt mit ihrer Familie in der Casa D'Or in Savannah. Als sie vom College in New York nach hause reist, muss sie feststellen, dass ihre Mutter wenig erfreut über ihren Besuch ist und zu allem Überfluss auch noch eine Engländerfamilie im Seehaus beherbergt wird.
Ein ereignisreicher und prägender sowie tragischer Sommer beginnt und wird Jennifer und Jim, den Sohn der Engländer, nach vielen Jahren mit neuen Erkenntnissen konfrontieren, welche alte Wunden neu aufzureißen drohen.
Meine Meinung:
Der Roman ist gut Geschrieben. Trotz der Zeit und Perspektivenwechsel zwischen Jennifer und Jim, kommt man immer sehr gut mit und man erkennt einen klaren roten Faden. Man fragt sich die ganz Zeit, was in dem Sommer wohl passiert sein mag, was für mich, aufgrund meiner Neugier, teilweise etwas langwierig war. Ab der Hälfte des Romans wurde es so richtig ereignisreich und spannend. Es werden Handlungsstränge gewirkt, mit denen man nicht rechnet und ein völlig neuen Blick auf den prägenden Sommer in Savannah erhält.
Ich finde es hebt sich ab von den klassischen sommerlichen Liebesgeschichten der Reichen und Schönen.
Fazit:
Ein Klasse Liebesroman mit viel Spannung und Tragik.
Klappentextquelle:
https://www.amazon.de/Das-Haus-Sunset...
von: Tasmina Perry
Verlag: blanvalet Verlag
Seitenzahl: 411
Preis: 9,99€ (Taschenbuch)
Kaufoption: https://www.amazon.de/Das-Haus-Sunset...
Klappentext:
"Savannah 1995: Ein herrlicher Sommer liegt vor Jennifer Wyatt, als sie mit dem Collegeabschluss in der Tasche nach Casa D'Or zurückkehrt – der verwunschenen Südstaatenplantage am Sunset Lake, die seit Generationen im Besitz ihrer Familie ist. Zwanzig Jahre später ist Casa D’Or verlassen, und Jennifer hat die Tür zu ihrer Vergangenheit fest verschlossen. Zu schmerzlich sind die Erinnerungen an jenen letzten Sommer. Doch dann tritt plötzlich Jim wieder in ihr Leben – der Mann, dem sie damals ihr Herz schenkte. Das Wiedersehen wühlt alte Erinnerungen auf und enthüllt die dunklen Geheimnisse, die das Haus seit jenem tragischen Sommer birgt … "
Cover:
Das Cover ist ok. Ich hätte das Buch jetzt Covertechnisch nicht gekauft, weil es auf mich etwas altbacken wirkt. Da das Buch vom Sunset Lake handelt und auf dem Cover ein See zu sehen ist, passt es jedoch dennoch gut zu der Geschichte. Die Frau auf der Treppe wirkt auf mich allerdings nicht wie eine der Romanfiguren.
Inhalt:
Jennifer lebt mit ihrer Familie in der Casa D'Or in Savannah. Als sie vom College in New York nach hause reist, muss sie feststellen, dass ihre Mutter wenig erfreut über ihren Besuch ist und zu allem Überfluss auch noch eine Engländerfamilie im Seehaus beherbergt wird.
Ein ereignisreicher und prägender sowie tragischer Sommer beginnt und wird Jennifer und Jim, den Sohn der Engländer, nach vielen Jahren mit neuen Erkenntnissen konfrontieren, welche alte Wunden neu aufzureißen drohen.
Meine Meinung:
Der Roman ist gut Geschrieben. Trotz der Zeit und Perspektivenwechsel zwischen Jennifer und Jim, kommt man immer sehr gut mit und man erkennt einen klaren roten Faden. Man fragt sich die ganz Zeit, was in dem Sommer wohl passiert sein mag, was für mich, aufgrund meiner Neugier, teilweise etwas langwierig war. Ab der Hälfte des Romans wurde es so richtig ereignisreich und spannend. Es werden Handlungsstränge gewirkt, mit denen man nicht rechnet und ein völlig neuen Blick auf den prägenden Sommer in Savannah erhält.
Ich finde es hebt sich ab von den klassischen sommerlichen Liebesgeschichten der Reichen und Schönen.
Fazit:
Ein Klasse Liebesroman mit viel Spannung und Tragik.
Klappentextquelle:
https://www.amazon.de/Das-Haus-Sunset...
March 6, 2017
4.5 Stars
What an evocative story of romance, suspense, intrigue, secrets, family and a whole lot more, in a story spanning a twenty year gap.
The majority of the book is set around Casa D'Or on Sunset Lake, and is was great to see how this one house, could feature in so many key bits of two people's history. For it is central to Jim and Jennifer's story both in 1994 and now in the present too.
Some of the book is set in the 90s and the rest in the present, and I loved both parts of it, as together it tells you all about Jim, Jennifer, and their families, past and present. It didn't take too long into the book for me to be gripped by the fabulous writing, and the story, while suspecting there would be some surprises along the way.
Casa D'Or is in Savannah, Georgia, which is a part of the US that I haven't really encountered much in fiction before. With this book I got a great feel for the climate and feel for the area, even if my knowledge o the town doesn't really extend much past this property.
But the book isn't just set in Savannah, there is also plenty in New York, and then there are some scenes on a Caribbean island, that I believe to be entirely fictional, but no less gorgeous than real life.
I enjoyed seeing the contrast in how the years have treated Jim and Jennifer, from their younger ideals, to the man and women in their forties now. There are many parts of story that are hinted at, but its only in the last third or so where everything comes together and you see just how good and clever the majority of the book has been!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The House on Sunset Lake, and its definitely a return to form for Tasmina Perry, although I do still prefer her big blockbuster books, this has some of the feel of one, with the destinations and intrigue, but was missing the lashings of sex!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Headline for this copy which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
What an evocative story of romance, suspense, intrigue, secrets, family and a whole lot more, in a story spanning a twenty year gap.
The majority of the book is set around Casa D'Or on Sunset Lake, and is was great to see how this one house, could feature in so many key bits of two people's history. For it is central to Jim and Jennifer's story both in 1994 and now in the present too.
Some of the book is set in the 90s and the rest in the present, and I loved both parts of it, as together it tells you all about Jim, Jennifer, and their families, past and present. It didn't take too long into the book for me to be gripped by the fabulous writing, and the story, while suspecting there would be some surprises along the way.
Casa D'Or is in Savannah, Georgia, which is a part of the US that I haven't really encountered much in fiction before. With this book I got a great feel for the climate and feel for the area, even if my knowledge o the town doesn't really extend much past this property.
But the book isn't just set in Savannah, there is also plenty in New York, and then there are some scenes on a Caribbean island, that I believe to be entirely fictional, but no less gorgeous than real life.
I enjoyed seeing the contrast in how the years have treated Jim and Jennifer, from their younger ideals, to the man and women in their forties now. There are many parts of story that are hinted at, but its only in the last third or so where everything comes together and you see just how good and clever the majority of the book has been!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The House on Sunset Lake, and its definitely a return to form for Tasmina Perry, although I do still prefer her big blockbuster books, this has some of the feel of one, with the destinations and intrigue, but was missing the lashings of sex!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Headline for this copy which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
September 18, 2016
I’ve read almost everything Tasmina Perry has written, but this is very different from her past books. It is much deeper and has more substance than the previous sexy bonk buster type offerings I've grown to associate with her. Set in America's deep south, Casa D'Or is a beautiful lakeside mansion owned by the wealthy Wyatt family - David, his class conscious wife Sylvia and their twenty year old daughter Jennifer. Jennifer seems to have her future mapped out for her with a planned engagement to childhood sweetheart Connor Gilbert, a young man with a golden future. The arrival of English writer Bryn Johnson and his family, who have rented out the Lake House as a summer writing retreat will change all that. Jennifer soon finds herself drawn to Bryn’s nineteen year old son Jim and they soon become lovers. Despite being tricked into accepting Connor’s proposal at her twenty first party, Jennifer plans to leave to make a life with Jim away from the claustrophobic influence of her family and upbringing. But sadly this never happens; instead on the night they plan to leave, Jennifer sends him a note telling him to return to the UK with his parents, that she no longer wants to be with him.
Twenty years later Jim is working for an international hotel group. Sent to Casa D’Or to oversee its refurbishment into a luxury hotel, Jim is reunited with both Connor and Jennifer. He finds himself drawn back into that summer and its unanswered questions. What made Jennifer decide to abandon him and marry Connor Gilbert? And what caused Sylvia Wyatt’s tragic death soon after his departure. The truth, as he soon discovers, is not at all what it seems.
A difficult to put down read read with some unexpected twists.
Twenty years later Jim is working for an international hotel group. Sent to Casa D’Or to oversee its refurbishment into a luxury hotel, Jim is reunited with both Connor and Jennifer. He finds himself drawn back into that summer and its unanswered questions. What made Jennifer decide to abandon him and marry Connor Gilbert? And what caused Sylvia Wyatt’s tragic death soon after his departure. The truth, as he soon discovers, is not at all what it seems.
A difficult to put down read read with some unexpected twists.
August 25, 2016
Destinations Travel to Savannah with Tamina Perry
Tasmina Perry is fast becoming an author to really sit back and enjoy for me. I’d loved The Last Kiss and her latest one was a gorgeous journey, this time to Savannah and the mysteries of a hot and heady Savannah summer.
The long lost love affair was just a great mix of how a relationship can change in the blink of an eye with events which spiral out of control and where memories of the past may not be all they seem. I wasn’t sure I liked Jennifer at first but when I discovered the secret, everything I’d read before made sense. Just as Jim’s journey in the novel, so too is the readers and this made the whole book really make you think of how the past can play tricks and hide the truth.
The story flits between the two time periods with ease and I warmed to Jim and his lost love affair. Brave to go back to the place though – after all that time.
Tasmina really writes about characters and how they interact with their surroundings and their pasts. I admit I felt sad and uncomfortable with the truth and wished it had been something else but it did explain a lot of what had gone before.
I guess I was so swept up in the Savannah summer and the allure of Casa D’Or that as it says in the book, I will never forget my time there and I left the lake house with a sigh of regret.
Tasmina came for a cup of tea on the booktrail link: kettle's on if you fancy popping over! ;)
Tasmina Perry is fast becoming an author to really sit back and enjoy for me. I’d loved The Last Kiss and her latest one was a gorgeous journey, this time to Savannah and the mysteries of a hot and heady Savannah summer.
The long lost love affair was just a great mix of how a relationship can change in the blink of an eye with events which spiral out of control and where memories of the past may not be all they seem. I wasn’t sure I liked Jennifer at first but when I discovered the secret, everything I’d read before made sense. Just as Jim’s journey in the novel, so too is the readers and this made the whole book really make you think of how the past can play tricks and hide the truth.
The story flits between the two time periods with ease and I warmed to Jim and his lost love affair. Brave to go back to the place though – after all that time.
Tasmina really writes about characters and how they interact with their surroundings and their pasts. I admit I felt sad and uncomfortable with the truth and wished it had been something else but it did explain a lot of what had gone before.
I guess I was so swept up in the Savannah summer and the allure of Casa D’Or that as it says in the book, I will never forget my time there and I left the lake house with a sigh of regret.
Tasmina came for a cup of tea on the booktrail link: kettle's on if you fancy popping over! ;)
March 25, 2018
Started with potential, I initially thought this could be almost like a Kate Morton fix for me. Then it got a bit more Nicholas Sparks, coming and going with bursts of great dullness, and eventually it just became dark and twisted. It definitely needed something to spice it up but the author left it till too late in the day for the big twist, and it wasn't handled with nearly enough gravitas or humanity. I actually found the author's insensitive treatment of such an issue to be very bizarre, it felt like it was just used as a cheap gimmick and seemed trashy. I won't be rushing to read more of her stuff.
May 7, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I love anything set in the deep south on an old plantation house .... just magical! Relatable characters and a great story that slips easily between past and present. Totally unexpected twist at the end and I genuinely felt for both Jim and Jennifer .... I'm so glad they managed to get where they needed to be - even if they had to go through so much to get there! Looking to read more by this author.
September 22, 2019
OMG how fabulous! Really enjoyable! Didn’t want it to end! Thankyou, so clever, so much work. Well done.
March 13, 2018
Allgemeines:
Titel: Das Haus am Sunset Lake
Autor: Tasmina Perry
Verlag: Blanvalet Verlag (16. Juli 2018)
Genre: Roman
ISBN-10: 3734105064
ISBN-13: 978-3734105067
ASIN: B077BWZQCT
Originaltitel: The House on Sunset Lake
Seitenzahl: 416 Seiten
Preis: 9,99€ (Taschenbuch)
8,99€ (Kindle-Edition)
Inhalt:
"Ob er wohl auch über den See blickte, die Lichter der Party betrachtete, und so traurig und voller Bedauern war wie sie? Sie bezweifelte es. Jim Johnsons Herz war ungestüm und leidenschaftlich - das gehörte zu den Dingen, die sich am meisten an ihm mochte. Wenn ihm etwas wichtig war, dann setzte er sich ganz und gar dafür ein."
Savannah 1995: Ein herrlicher Sommer liegt vor Jennifer Wyatt, als sie mit dem Collegeabschluss in der Tasche nach Casa D'Or zurückkehrt – der verwunschenen Südstaatenplantage am Sunset Lake, die seit Generationen im Besitz ihrer Familie ist. Zwanzig Jahre später ist Casa D’Or verlassen, und Jennifer hat die Tür zu ihrer Vergangenheit fest verschlossen. Zu schmerzlich sind die Erinnerungen an jenen letzten Sommer. Doch dann tritt plötzlich Jim wieder in ihr Leben – der Mann, dem sie damals ihr Herz schenkte. Das Wiedersehen wühlt alte Erinnerungen auf und enthüllt die dunklen Geheimnisse, die das Haus seit jenem tragischen Sommer birgt …
Bewertung:
Der Blanvalet Verlag hat zusammen mit der Brigitte und der Flow letztes Jahr die Hello Sunshine Kampagne ins Leben gerufen, bei denen Blogger die Chance bekommen, ihre Rezensionen zu ausgewählten Sommerlektüren in einer der Zeitschriften zu veröffentlichen. Ich habe da natürlich gerne mitgemacht und mir "Das Haus am Sunset Lake" ausgesucht, welches ich euch nun vorstellen möchte.
Schon das Cover entführt mit der sommerlichen, magischen Ausstrahlung in das subtropische Savannah in Georgia. Mit dem großen, schimmernden See, der von einigen Nebelfetzen umwölkt das Zentrum des Covers ziert und der steilen, bewachsenen Uferböschung inklusive Holzsteg, wird die warme, verträumte Atmosphäre des Settings sehr treffen angerissen. Auch der kleine Umriss einer Frau im legeren Sommerkleid passt gut ins Bild und soll vermutlich Jennifer Wyatt darstellen. Der Titel, der in unaufdringlichem Weiß die Mitte des Bildes einnimmt, passt zwar gut, klingt meiner Meinung nach für diese wunderbare Geschichte ein wenig unspektakulär. Etwas mit mehr Seele wie zum Beispiel "Casa D´Or", hätte mir wahrscheinlich mehr zugesagt. Nichtsdestotrotz ein ansprechendes und atmosphärisches Titelbild, das super in die Story einstimmt.
Erster Satz: "Wer jemals einen Sommer in der Casa D´Or verbracht hat, wird ihn nie vergessen, die Erinnerungen bleiben für immer lebendig."
So beginnt die Geschichte mit einem kurzen Prolog: eine nicht genauer definierte Person reißt die besonderen Erlebnisse des Sommers 1995 an, nur um uns dann auf 20 Jahre später zu vertrösten. Schon in den ersten Zeilen wird klar, dass dieser Sommer alle Beteiligten für immer verändert hat und unsere Aufgabe als Leser ist es auf den kommenden 416 Seiten, die Erzählung aus der Gegenwart 2015 mit den kurzen Rückblenden aus jenem vergangenen Sommer zu einem einheitlichen Bild zu verweben und somit die vergangenen Geschehnisse zu rekonstruieren. Anders als der Klapptext es vermuten lässt, tauchen wir dazu zuerst in das Leben des Immobilienmaklers Jim Johnson ein. Mit fast 40 ist der gutaussehende Mann zwar nicht alleine, weil er jedoch immer noch seiner Jugendliebe hinterhertrauert, ist er in erste Linie mit seiner Arbeit verheiratet. Wie der Zufall es will, bringt ihn seine Arbeit für die Hotelkette Omari wieder genau an den Ort, an dem alles angefangen hat: die Casa D´Or im Süden der USA. An diesem ganz besonderen Ort lernte er die reiche Jennifer kennen, die aber aufgrund des Milieuunterschieds, der begrenzten Zeit und ihres Freundes Connors unerreichbar für ihn scheint. Was im Laufe der Monate in Savannah zwischen den beiden passierte, bleibt erstmal unklar. Doch als Jim Jennifer nach all den Jahren wieder trifft, kommt die scheinbar verarbeitete Geschichte wieder hoch und die beiden scheinen eine neue Chance zu bekommen...
"Im Laufe der Jahre habe ich meinen mit dem Frieden geschlossen, was geschehen ist. Was dich und mich angeht, so hatten wir einen perfekten Sommer, eine perfekte Liebesgeschichte, die in der Zeit stehengeblieben ist. Denn wenn du nicht aus Savannah abgereist wärst, wenn wir zusammengeblieben wären, wären wir genau wie all die Paare im Domina geworden, die einander nichts mehr zu sagen haben und sich nur über das köstliche Essen unterhalten. So wie es ist, waren und werden wir immer unglaublich sein."
Auch wenn diese Geschichte wohl mehr Wohlfühlroman ist, als tiefgründiges Drama, konnte die mal herzerwärmend schöne, mal frustrierend tragische Geschichte einiges an Spannung aufbauen. Gerade dadurch, dass die Erzählweise nicht stringent und chronologisch ist, ist Platz für Wendungen, falsche Annahmen und Spekulationen. Gerade wenn geklärt scheint, was sich ereignet hat, kommt eine weitere Intrige ans Licht, weitere Charaktere werden bloßgestellt und verletzende Enthüllungen werfen die Handlung in der Gegenwart wieder zurück. So wird auf sehr sensible Art und Weise eine Grundspannung aufgebaut. Dadurch, dass Jennifer in der Vergangenheit aus ihrer Perspektive erzählen darf, während wir die Erlebnisse der Gegenwart aus Jims Sicht dargestellt bekommen, ist die Identifikation mit den Charakteren nicht besonders schwer und die vielen Gefühle, die immer wieder hochkochen, machen die Geschichte zu einem intensiven Leseerlebnis.
"Mit Schindeln gedeckte Häuser standen hinter Palmen, Palisadenzäunen und weiten Rasenflächen. Und als die Straße ein Sumpfgebiet kreuzte, bewunderte Jim die lebendigen Farben, die Seebinsen und die scharfen Schatten der Limonen, die sich vor dem karibisch blauen Himmel abzeichneten. (...) Die Casa D´Or war bloß ein Haus, eine Ansammlung aus Holz, Stein und Schiefer, doch es warf einen so langen Schatten auf sein Leben, dass es ihm übernatürlich vorkam..."
Das wahre Herzstück des Buches ist jedoch die verwunschene Atmosphäre, die über dem Sommer 1995 liegt und eng mit dem spannenden Setting verbunden ist. Wie schon erwähnt entführt der Roman den Leser ins entfernte Savannah, welches mit der historischen Altstadt, ihren begrünten Plätzen, den vielen restaurierten Häusern aus der Kolonialzeit und der wunderbaren Natur als eine der schönsten Städte der USA gilt. Spätestens seit Filmen wie "Forrest Gump" oder "Vom Winde verweht" haftet dieser Region in den Köpfen von Lesern einen Hauch von Romantik an, auch wenn das eigentlich gegen die dunklen Seiten der Region spricht: der skrupellose Sklavenhandel in der Baumwollhochburg, der Sezessionskrieg, das blutige Ende des Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieges - der malerische Touch Savannahs weiß geschickt über das viele Blut hinwegzutäuschen, da hier schon vergossen wurde. Durch den bodenständigen aber präzisen Schreibstil Tasmina Perrys wird genau diese Stadt hier lebendige Kulisse einer tragischen Geschichte. Durch passend gewählte Beschreibungen der Landschaft kommt das südliche Flair der Casa D´Or gut zur Geltung und man kann die prickelnde Verheißung des Sommers spüren, während man mit Jim und Jen durch endlose Eichenalleen mit spinnwebenartigem Dschungelmoos läuft, einen der historischen Friedhöfe besucht, Gatsby-Partys im historischen "Haus aus Gold" feiert oder sich einfach nur vom Charme des Sonnenaufgangs bezaubern lässt.
"Ich spüre ein Gewitter nahen, über dem See ziehen dunkle Wolken auf. In deinem Zimmer brennt noch Licht - ich sehe es auf der anderen Seite des Wassers funkeln, und wenn ich die Augen zusammenkneife, kann ich deine Umrisse erkennen, die mich mit ihren verbotenen Verheißungen locken. Ich will dich sehen, bevor der Regen kommt."
Das zweite Standbein der Storyline sind die Charaktere. Auch wenn es neben Jim und Jennifer noch eine ganze Menge an facettenreichen Nebencharakteren gibt, die mal mehr und mal wenig genau charakterisiert werden, sind die zwei unanfechtbar die Protagonisten. Abwechselnd erzählen sie von Gefühlen, die zwar 20 Jahre auseinanderliegen und immer wieder von unterschiedlichen Zufällen unterbrochen werden, jedoch im Grunde unangetastet bleiben. Schon ganz am Anfang ist klar, dass die beiden zusammengehören, auch wenn das Schicksal sie immer wieder auseinanderreißt und ihnen Steine in den Weg legt. Besonders vielschichtig und interessant lässt sie der direkte Vergleich ihrer Persönlichkeiten zwischen 1995 und 2015 wirken. Als Leser ist es gleichzeitig schwierig und spannend, den enormen Entwicklungssprung der beiden zu verfolgen und am Ende zu verstehen, dass die beiden selbst die Charakterstudie und ein Teil des Dokumentarfilmes "21" widerspiegeln, welchen Jennifer drehen möchte: auf der einen Seite die naiven Träume, Ängste und Vorstellungen der Jugend von der Zukunft, auf der anderen Seite die realistischen Entwicklungen der selben Personen nach 20 Jahren.
"Der Mond glänzte auf dem Wasser, und sie ließ die Schultern hängen. Zu Beginn des Sommers war sie aus New York geflohen, um Klarheit über ihr Leben zu gewinne, und jetzt, zwei Monate später, schien ihr alles verwirrender als jemals zuvor."
Rückblickend ist keiner von beiden dort angekommen, wo er es sich gewünscht hatte: Jim hat durch die Erlebnisse der Vergangenheit einen Realitätsschock erlitten und von seinen Träumen, Musiker zu werden abgesehen. Stattdessen ist er erfolgreicher Immobilienmakler geworden, nachdem er auch für das Bankgeschäft gearbeitet hat. Für den kreativen, jungen Jim undenkbar. Jennifer hingegen hat ebenfalls ihren Traum, einen Film zu drehen, aufs Eis gelegt und hat versucht, ganz in ihrer Rolle als reiche Ehefrau Connors aufzugehen und ihre Muse in der Organisation von Spendenveranstaltungen zu finden. Dass keiner von beiden wirklich glücklich ist, zeigt sich, als sie sich wieder treffen und alle alten Gefühle mit neuer Intensität zurückkommen. Doch schaffen sie es, die Gespenster der Vergangenheit zu überwinden? Es hat mich sehr mitgerissen, wie es die beiden immer wieder zueinander hin zieht, auch wenn sie der Rest der Welt in verschiedene Richtung zu zerren scheint.
"Du hast ein echtes Talent, weißt du das?"
"Wofür?"
"Das Leben aufregend erscheinen zu lassen, und voller Möglichkeiten."
"Die Leute behaupten, sie wären gefangen, aber im Allgemeinen bauen wir uns unsere Käfige selbst. Manchmal muss man nur wissen, wann man Nein und wann man Ja sagen muss."
"Ja", flüsterte sie, als er sie küsste."
Im Laufe der Geschichte mischen sich immer dunklere Wahrheiten in das zuvor so positive Bild und zerstören die Idee des perfekten Sommers gründlich, während langsam leisere Töne aufkommen und am Ende das vollständige Mosaik umrahmen. Dann ist es sogar in Ordnung, dass das Ende im Epilog ein wenig kitschig und erzwungen wirkt - was geht schließlich auch über ein ausgesprochen glückliches Ende nach 416 Seiten bangem Hoffen...?
"Die Wahrheit. Das ist ein großes Wort, nicht?", sagte Jim nachdenklich. "Ich weiß noch, dass ich meinen Vater einmal gefragt habe, was es bedeutet, und er sagte: Das, was richtig ist." (...) "Sie verdient es, glücklich zu sein", erklärte Sarah fest. Eine Weile schwiegen sie.
"Ich weiß, wie sie glücklich werden kann. Und du auch.", sagte sie dann leise und auf einmal war eine tiefe Trauer zwischen ihnen. Jom hatte das Gefühl, dass etwas zu Ende ging, wie das letzte Wispern des Sommers an einem Septemberabend."
Fazit:
Eine magische Geschichte über die schicksalshaften Folgen eines Sommers. Ein Hauch von Melancholie, viel Liebe, Schmerz und einige Menge "Vom Winde verweht"-Atmosphäre, die vor allem durch das südliche Flair der Casa D´Or geschaffen wird, machen diese Geschichte zu einem intensiven Leseerlebnis!
Lest selbst was in dem ominösen Sommer von 1995 passiert ist, geht auf die magische Reise nach Savannah und lasst euch auf die vielen Emotionen der Geschichte ein - ihr werdet es nicht bereuen!
Titel: Das Haus am Sunset Lake
Autor: Tasmina Perry
Verlag: Blanvalet Verlag (16. Juli 2018)
Genre: Roman
ISBN-10: 3734105064
ISBN-13: 978-3734105067
ASIN: B077BWZQCT
Originaltitel: The House on Sunset Lake
Seitenzahl: 416 Seiten
Preis: 9,99€ (Taschenbuch)
8,99€ (Kindle-Edition)
Inhalt:
"Ob er wohl auch über den See blickte, die Lichter der Party betrachtete, und so traurig und voller Bedauern war wie sie? Sie bezweifelte es. Jim Johnsons Herz war ungestüm und leidenschaftlich - das gehörte zu den Dingen, die sich am meisten an ihm mochte. Wenn ihm etwas wichtig war, dann setzte er sich ganz und gar dafür ein."
Savannah 1995: Ein herrlicher Sommer liegt vor Jennifer Wyatt, als sie mit dem Collegeabschluss in der Tasche nach Casa D'Or zurückkehrt – der verwunschenen Südstaatenplantage am Sunset Lake, die seit Generationen im Besitz ihrer Familie ist. Zwanzig Jahre später ist Casa D’Or verlassen, und Jennifer hat die Tür zu ihrer Vergangenheit fest verschlossen. Zu schmerzlich sind die Erinnerungen an jenen letzten Sommer. Doch dann tritt plötzlich Jim wieder in ihr Leben – der Mann, dem sie damals ihr Herz schenkte. Das Wiedersehen wühlt alte Erinnerungen auf und enthüllt die dunklen Geheimnisse, die das Haus seit jenem tragischen Sommer birgt …
Bewertung:
Der Blanvalet Verlag hat zusammen mit der Brigitte und der Flow letztes Jahr die Hello Sunshine Kampagne ins Leben gerufen, bei denen Blogger die Chance bekommen, ihre Rezensionen zu ausgewählten Sommerlektüren in einer der Zeitschriften zu veröffentlichen. Ich habe da natürlich gerne mitgemacht und mir "Das Haus am Sunset Lake" ausgesucht, welches ich euch nun vorstellen möchte.
Schon das Cover entführt mit der sommerlichen, magischen Ausstrahlung in das subtropische Savannah in Georgia. Mit dem großen, schimmernden See, der von einigen Nebelfetzen umwölkt das Zentrum des Covers ziert und der steilen, bewachsenen Uferböschung inklusive Holzsteg, wird die warme, verträumte Atmosphäre des Settings sehr treffen angerissen. Auch der kleine Umriss einer Frau im legeren Sommerkleid passt gut ins Bild und soll vermutlich Jennifer Wyatt darstellen. Der Titel, der in unaufdringlichem Weiß die Mitte des Bildes einnimmt, passt zwar gut, klingt meiner Meinung nach für diese wunderbare Geschichte ein wenig unspektakulär. Etwas mit mehr Seele wie zum Beispiel "Casa D´Or", hätte mir wahrscheinlich mehr zugesagt. Nichtsdestotrotz ein ansprechendes und atmosphärisches Titelbild, das super in die Story einstimmt.
Erster Satz: "Wer jemals einen Sommer in der Casa D´Or verbracht hat, wird ihn nie vergessen, die Erinnerungen bleiben für immer lebendig."
So beginnt die Geschichte mit einem kurzen Prolog: eine nicht genauer definierte Person reißt die besonderen Erlebnisse des Sommers 1995 an, nur um uns dann auf 20 Jahre später zu vertrösten. Schon in den ersten Zeilen wird klar, dass dieser Sommer alle Beteiligten für immer verändert hat und unsere Aufgabe als Leser ist es auf den kommenden 416 Seiten, die Erzählung aus der Gegenwart 2015 mit den kurzen Rückblenden aus jenem vergangenen Sommer zu einem einheitlichen Bild zu verweben und somit die vergangenen Geschehnisse zu rekonstruieren. Anders als der Klapptext es vermuten lässt, tauchen wir dazu zuerst in das Leben des Immobilienmaklers Jim Johnson ein. Mit fast 40 ist der gutaussehende Mann zwar nicht alleine, weil er jedoch immer noch seiner Jugendliebe hinterhertrauert, ist er in erste Linie mit seiner Arbeit verheiratet. Wie der Zufall es will, bringt ihn seine Arbeit für die Hotelkette Omari wieder genau an den Ort, an dem alles angefangen hat: die Casa D´Or im Süden der USA. An diesem ganz besonderen Ort lernte er die reiche Jennifer kennen, die aber aufgrund des Milieuunterschieds, der begrenzten Zeit und ihres Freundes Connors unerreichbar für ihn scheint. Was im Laufe der Monate in Savannah zwischen den beiden passierte, bleibt erstmal unklar. Doch als Jim Jennifer nach all den Jahren wieder trifft, kommt die scheinbar verarbeitete Geschichte wieder hoch und die beiden scheinen eine neue Chance zu bekommen...
"Im Laufe der Jahre habe ich meinen mit dem Frieden geschlossen, was geschehen ist. Was dich und mich angeht, so hatten wir einen perfekten Sommer, eine perfekte Liebesgeschichte, die in der Zeit stehengeblieben ist. Denn wenn du nicht aus Savannah abgereist wärst, wenn wir zusammengeblieben wären, wären wir genau wie all die Paare im Domina geworden, die einander nichts mehr zu sagen haben und sich nur über das köstliche Essen unterhalten. So wie es ist, waren und werden wir immer unglaublich sein."
Auch wenn diese Geschichte wohl mehr Wohlfühlroman ist, als tiefgründiges Drama, konnte die mal herzerwärmend schöne, mal frustrierend tragische Geschichte einiges an Spannung aufbauen. Gerade dadurch, dass die Erzählweise nicht stringent und chronologisch ist, ist Platz für Wendungen, falsche Annahmen und Spekulationen. Gerade wenn geklärt scheint, was sich ereignet hat, kommt eine weitere Intrige ans Licht, weitere Charaktere werden bloßgestellt und verletzende Enthüllungen werfen die Handlung in der Gegenwart wieder zurück. So wird auf sehr sensible Art und Weise eine Grundspannung aufgebaut. Dadurch, dass Jennifer in der Vergangenheit aus ihrer Perspektive erzählen darf, während wir die Erlebnisse der Gegenwart aus Jims Sicht dargestellt bekommen, ist die Identifikation mit den Charakteren nicht besonders schwer und die vielen Gefühle, die immer wieder hochkochen, machen die Geschichte zu einem intensiven Leseerlebnis.
"Mit Schindeln gedeckte Häuser standen hinter Palmen, Palisadenzäunen und weiten Rasenflächen. Und als die Straße ein Sumpfgebiet kreuzte, bewunderte Jim die lebendigen Farben, die Seebinsen und die scharfen Schatten der Limonen, die sich vor dem karibisch blauen Himmel abzeichneten. (...) Die Casa D´Or war bloß ein Haus, eine Ansammlung aus Holz, Stein und Schiefer, doch es warf einen so langen Schatten auf sein Leben, dass es ihm übernatürlich vorkam..."
Das wahre Herzstück des Buches ist jedoch die verwunschene Atmosphäre, die über dem Sommer 1995 liegt und eng mit dem spannenden Setting verbunden ist. Wie schon erwähnt entführt der Roman den Leser ins entfernte Savannah, welches mit der historischen Altstadt, ihren begrünten Plätzen, den vielen restaurierten Häusern aus der Kolonialzeit und der wunderbaren Natur als eine der schönsten Städte der USA gilt. Spätestens seit Filmen wie "Forrest Gump" oder "Vom Winde verweht" haftet dieser Region in den Köpfen von Lesern einen Hauch von Romantik an, auch wenn das eigentlich gegen die dunklen Seiten der Region spricht: der skrupellose Sklavenhandel in der Baumwollhochburg, der Sezessionskrieg, das blutige Ende des Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieges - der malerische Touch Savannahs weiß geschickt über das viele Blut hinwegzutäuschen, da hier schon vergossen wurde. Durch den bodenständigen aber präzisen Schreibstil Tasmina Perrys wird genau diese Stadt hier lebendige Kulisse einer tragischen Geschichte. Durch passend gewählte Beschreibungen der Landschaft kommt das südliche Flair der Casa D´Or gut zur Geltung und man kann die prickelnde Verheißung des Sommers spüren, während man mit Jim und Jen durch endlose Eichenalleen mit spinnwebenartigem Dschungelmoos läuft, einen der historischen Friedhöfe besucht, Gatsby-Partys im historischen "Haus aus Gold" feiert oder sich einfach nur vom Charme des Sonnenaufgangs bezaubern lässt.
"Ich spüre ein Gewitter nahen, über dem See ziehen dunkle Wolken auf. In deinem Zimmer brennt noch Licht - ich sehe es auf der anderen Seite des Wassers funkeln, und wenn ich die Augen zusammenkneife, kann ich deine Umrisse erkennen, die mich mit ihren verbotenen Verheißungen locken. Ich will dich sehen, bevor der Regen kommt."
Das zweite Standbein der Storyline sind die Charaktere. Auch wenn es neben Jim und Jennifer noch eine ganze Menge an facettenreichen Nebencharakteren gibt, die mal mehr und mal wenig genau charakterisiert werden, sind die zwei unanfechtbar die Protagonisten. Abwechselnd erzählen sie von Gefühlen, die zwar 20 Jahre auseinanderliegen und immer wieder von unterschiedlichen Zufällen unterbrochen werden, jedoch im Grunde unangetastet bleiben. Schon ganz am Anfang ist klar, dass die beiden zusammengehören, auch wenn das Schicksal sie immer wieder auseinanderreißt und ihnen Steine in den Weg legt. Besonders vielschichtig und interessant lässt sie der direkte Vergleich ihrer Persönlichkeiten zwischen 1995 und 2015 wirken. Als Leser ist es gleichzeitig schwierig und spannend, den enormen Entwicklungssprung der beiden zu verfolgen und am Ende zu verstehen, dass die beiden selbst die Charakterstudie und ein Teil des Dokumentarfilmes "21" widerspiegeln, welchen Jennifer drehen möchte: auf der einen Seite die naiven Träume, Ängste und Vorstellungen der Jugend von der Zukunft, auf der anderen Seite die realistischen Entwicklungen der selben Personen nach 20 Jahren.
"Der Mond glänzte auf dem Wasser, und sie ließ die Schultern hängen. Zu Beginn des Sommers war sie aus New York geflohen, um Klarheit über ihr Leben zu gewinne, und jetzt, zwei Monate später, schien ihr alles verwirrender als jemals zuvor."
Rückblickend ist keiner von beiden dort angekommen, wo er es sich gewünscht hatte: Jim hat durch die Erlebnisse der Vergangenheit einen Realitätsschock erlitten und von seinen Träumen, Musiker zu werden abgesehen. Stattdessen ist er erfolgreicher Immobilienmakler geworden, nachdem er auch für das Bankgeschäft gearbeitet hat. Für den kreativen, jungen Jim undenkbar. Jennifer hingegen hat ebenfalls ihren Traum, einen Film zu drehen, aufs Eis gelegt und hat versucht, ganz in ihrer Rolle als reiche Ehefrau Connors aufzugehen und ihre Muse in der Organisation von Spendenveranstaltungen zu finden. Dass keiner von beiden wirklich glücklich ist, zeigt sich, als sie sich wieder treffen und alle alten Gefühle mit neuer Intensität zurückkommen. Doch schaffen sie es, die Gespenster der Vergangenheit zu überwinden? Es hat mich sehr mitgerissen, wie es die beiden immer wieder zueinander hin zieht, auch wenn sie der Rest der Welt in verschiedene Richtung zu zerren scheint.
"Du hast ein echtes Talent, weißt du das?"
"Wofür?"
"Das Leben aufregend erscheinen zu lassen, und voller Möglichkeiten."
"Die Leute behaupten, sie wären gefangen, aber im Allgemeinen bauen wir uns unsere Käfige selbst. Manchmal muss man nur wissen, wann man Nein und wann man Ja sagen muss."
"Ja", flüsterte sie, als er sie küsste."
Im Laufe der Geschichte mischen sich immer dunklere Wahrheiten in das zuvor so positive Bild und zerstören die Idee des perfekten Sommers gründlich, während langsam leisere Töne aufkommen und am Ende das vollständige Mosaik umrahmen. Dann ist es sogar in Ordnung, dass das Ende im Epilog ein wenig kitschig und erzwungen wirkt - was geht schließlich auch über ein ausgesprochen glückliches Ende nach 416 Seiten bangem Hoffen...?
"Die Wahrheit. Das ist ein großes Wort, nicht?", sagte Jim nachdenklich. "Ich weiß noch, dass ich meinen Vater einmal gefragt habe, was es bedeutet, und er sagte: Das, was richtig ist." (...) "Sie verdient es, glücklich zu sein", erklärte Sarah fest. Eine Weile schwiegen sie.
"Ich weiß, wie sie glücklich werden kann. Und du auch.", sagte sie dann leise und auf einmal war eine tiefe Trauer zwischen ihnen. Jom hatte das Gefühl, dass etwas zu Ende ging, wie das letzte Wispern des Sommers an einem Septemberabend."
Fazit:
Eine magische Geschichte über die schicksalshaften Folgen eines Sommers. Ein Hauch von Melancholie, viel Liebe, Schmerz und einige Menge "Vom Winde verweht"-Atmosphäre, die vor allem durch das südliche Flair der Casa D´Or geschaffen wird, machen diese Geschichte zu einem intensiven Leseerlebnis!
Lest selbst was in dem ominösen Sommer von 1995 passiert ist, geht auf die magische Reise nach Savannah und lasst euch auf die vielen Emotionen der Geschichte ein - ihr werdet es nicht bereuen!
August 22, 2016
Tasmina Perry's writing style has certainly changed since her earlier days where her stories could be termed glamorous bonkbusters packed full of characters you'd love to hate combined with a gripping storyline that would have you rapidly turning the pages. Now there is a more serious mature side to the stories she writes with much more emotion and depth as displayed in last years book The Last Kiss Goodbye. This new book The House on Sunset Lake delves into the past focusing on one long hot summer in Savannah when a girl and boy meet and a bond is forged although circumstances can't allow said meeting to turn into anything long term. The story moves between the present and twenty years earlier following the characters over that fateful summer and how through chance they reconnect so many years later.
This book could have been absolutely brilliant there was so much potential for developing the storyline and the setting but instead it was only OK and I reluctantly say that about an author whose books I have enjoyed so much in previous years. I loved the title for the book as it suggested mystery and intrigue and the cover was beautiful evoking the setting and the hot summer when everything occurs. But it failed to live up to expectation and I know other readers felt the same and struggled to reach the end. I kept going because I wanted to know the secrets to be revealed but do think this book would have worked better if we had gone back a generation or two and linked it with the present. Twenty years wasn't much of a gap. I do understand it has essentially a love story at its core but it all felt so lacklustre and none of the characters appealed to me instead they were immature and boring at times and I hate saying that but it's the way they made me feel.
The story opens on New Year's Eve in the Scottish Highlands as Jim Johnson is attending the opening of a glamorous new hotel he has overseen the renovations for. He works for Simon Desai, head of the Omari hotel group, and enjoys his job and likes to see his projects become successful. Simon is looking for a new challenge and wants to open a hotel in the Deep South of America. Jim knows just the place but he has a tainted history and connection with Casa D'Or and has not returned there since that fateful summer twenty years ago. By agreeing to over see Simon's new hotel Jim will earn a promotion but can he do this if it risks opening a can of worms best left closed? Memories, events and a certain woman have been placed firmly to the back of his mind and he wonders by going back to the house will it just prove a disaster? After all that happened it has had such a lasting affect on him. The story then moves back and forth between that summer and the present day as Jim works towards the opening of Casa D'Or in all its new found splendour. I found the story jumped forward and back too suddenly and lacked cohesiveness. I was getting used to what was going on in 1994 and then abruptly we would be back in the present day and trying to get used to an older Jim who was battling re-emerging emotions towards our main female character Jen who herself has changed dramatically since the summer she first locked eyes on Jim.
I never really liked either of our main characters. Jim seemed so self absorbed and analysed everything to a t, I wanted him to just come out and talk face to face straight up with Jen and confront everything they both had kept locked up for so long. There was too much focus on Jim and his thoughts that I felt we never really got inside Jen's head, yes it may have happened towards the end but it was too late and I didn't grow to like her. It was interesting enough initially to read as to how Jim came to be in America with his parents for a few months and how he met Jen but after that nothing really happened and the intense love that was meant to be between the pair I just didn't feel it at all Jen seemed to be a typical rich girl who got what she wanted and had her whole life mapped out ahead of her with a suitable man by her side but she seemed to like to play around and use people. That's what I felt like she did with Jim like she was playing with him and knew this was just a summer fling. The intense passion and love that was meant to come across just wasn't there for me and made the story lacking. What the author did nail though was the descriptions of the setting of the lake, the house and the city and the intense heat and almost stillness of the summer. I really wanted the story to take off far earlier than it did and get inside more character's head as that would have made for a far more gripping read. Normally I could say in a story like this I preferred the past sections over the present or vice versa but in this case both didn't seem to get going for me and were sadly lacking.
In one way I am glad I persevered and reached the end of this book as the last 20% of the book was far better than what had gone before and at last the twists and turns I had been waiting for finally began to materialise even if I didn't view everything the way the author wanted her readers to. I know sticking with a book for so long when you have not got stuck into it by the last part of the story may seem ridiculous to some people but I hate giving up on books unless I really have to and if they are by an author whose work I normally like I want to give them the best chance possible before dismissing a story out of hand. In the last few chapters so much happened that the reader never knew what they were going to discover on each page. Yes I wanted these twists to occur but they just seemed totally out of place and flung in at the last minute just to have some sort of action happen as things had been very sedate in the entire story up to this point. I felt as a reader going through the final parts of the story that there were parts I had missed out on or pages/chapters I had skipped but this wasn't the case. I don't feel from reading the earlier and mid sections of the book that there were clues subtly put in place for the read to have tantalising glimpses as to what was to come. It all seemed so unexpected and out of left field and didn't sit well with what I had read of the characters or the general story. Yes I wanted to see secrets uncovered but it all felt so rushed and unbelievable.
Normally when you read that jaw dropping moment of revelation there is a sense of ah damn it I should have spotted that and oh now I know why such and such a thing occurred but here everything just seemed so out of the blue and it made me feel uneasy as to some of the actions of the character. If the point was to spice up the story it was too late as everything came flying at the reader and soon it became very tangled and difficult to follow what was going on. It was as if the author knew she was coming towards the end and had to get everything slotted in. If more clues or development of characters who had been on the periphery had taken place during the story I would have been satisfied with what happened in the end even if the twists and turns were what made me keeping reading until the final page.
I loved Tasmina Perry's earlier books and her last one but I was disappointed with this one and I know other people I have talked to felt the same. That said it's Tasmina Perry and she is hugely popular and I normally enjoy her writing so I'll forgive her for this one and await to see what she writes next.
This book could have been absolutely brilliant there was so much potential for developing the storyline and the setting but instead it was only OK and I reluctantly say that about an author whose books I have enjoyed so much in previous years. I loved the title for the book as it suggested mystery and intrigue and the cover was beautiful evoking the setting and the hot summer when everything occurs. But it failed to live up to expectation and I know other readers felt the same and struggled to reach the end. I kept going because I wanted to know the secrets to be revealed but do think this book would have worked better if we had gone back a generation or two and linked it with the present. Twenty years wasn't much of a gap. I do understand it has essentially a love story at its core but it all felt so lacklustre and none of the characters appealed to me instead they were immature and boring at times and I hate saying that but it's the way they made me feel.
The story opens on New Year's Eve in the Scottish Highlands as Jim Johnson is attending the opening of a glamorous new hotel he has overseen the renovations for. He works for Simon Desai, head of the Omari hotel group, and enjoys his job and likes to see his projects become successful. Simon is looking for a new challenge and wants to open a hotel in the Deep South of America. Jim knows just the place but he has a tainted history and connection with Casa D'Or and has not returned there since that fateful summer twenty years ago. By agreeing to over see Simon's new hotel Jim will earn a promotion but can he do this if it risks opening a can of worms best left closed? Memories, events and a certain woman have been placed firmly to the back of his mind and he wonders by going back to the house will it just prove a disaster? After all that happened it has had such a lasting affect on him. The story then moves back and forth between that summer and the present day as Jim works towards the opening of Casa D'Or in all its new found splendour. I found the story jumped forward and back too suddenly and lacked cohesiveness. I was getting used to what was going on in 1994 and then abruptly we would be back in the present day and trying to get used to an older Jim who was battling re-emerging emotions towards our main female character Jen who herself has changed dramatically since the summer she first locked eyes on Jim.
I never really liked either of our main characters. Jim seemed so self absorbed and analysed everything to a t, I wanted him to just come out and talk face to face straight up with Jen and confront everything they both had kept locked up for so long. There was too much focus on Jim and his thoughts that I felt we never really got inside Jen's head, yes it may have happened towards the end but it was too late and I didn't grow to like her. It was interesting enough initially to read as to how Jim came to be in America with his parents for a few months and how he met Jen but after that nothing really happened and the intense love that was meant to be between the pair I just didn't feel it at all Jen seemed to be a typical rich girl who got what she wanted and had her whole life mapped out ahead of her with a suitable man by her side but she seemed to like to play around and use people. That's what I felt like she did with Jim like she was playing with him and knew this was just a summer fling. The intense passion and love that was meant to come across just wasn't there for me and made the story lacking. What the author did nail though was the descriptions of the setting of the lake, the house and the city and the intense heat and almost stillness of the summer. I really wanted the story to take off far earlier than it did and get inside more character's head as that would have made for a far more gripping read. Normally I could say in a story like this I preferred the past sections over the present or vice versa but in this case both didn't seem to get going for me and were sadly lacking.
In one way I am glad I persevered and reached the end of this book as the last 20% of the book was far better than what had gone before and at last the twists and turns I had been waiting for finally began to materialise even if I didn't view everything the way the author wanted her readers to. I know sticking with a book for so long when you have not got stuck into it by the last part of the story may seem ridiculous to some people but I hate giving up on books unless I really have to and if they are by an author whose work I normally like I want to give them the best chance possible before dismissing a story out of hand. In the last few chapters so much happened that the reader never knew what they were going to discover on each page. Yes I wanted these twists to occur but they just seemed totally out of place and flung in at the last minute just to have some sort of action happen as things had been very sedate in the entire story up to this point. I felt as a reader going through the final parts of the story that there were parts I had missed out on or pages/chapters I had skipped but this wasn't the case. I don't feel from reading the earlier and mid sections of the book that there were clues subtly put in place for the read to have tantalising glimpses as to what was to come. It all seemed so unexpected and out of left field and didn't sit well with what I had read of the characters or the general story. Yes I wanted to see secrets uncovered but it all felt so rushed and unbelievable.
Normally when you read that jaw dropping moment of revelation there is a sense of ah damn it I should have spotted that and oh now I know why such and such a thing occurred but here everything just seemed so out of the blue and it made me feel uneasy as to some of the actions of the character. If the point was to spice up the story it was too late as everything came flying at the reader and soon it became very tangled and difficult to follow what was going on. It was as if the author knew she was coming towards the end and had to get everything slotted in. If more clues or development of characters who had been on the periphery had taken place during the story I would have been satisfied with what happened in the end even if the twists and turns were what made me keeping reading until the final page.
I loved Tasmina Perry's earlier books and her last one but I was disappointed with this one and I know other people I have talked to felt the same. That said it's Tasmina Perry and she is hugely popular and I normally enjoy her writing so I'll forgive her for this one and await to see what she writes next.
March 12, 2025
Jim Johnson goes with his parents to Savannah in the Deep South. Jim merts Jennifer Wyatt, the daughter of the owners of Casa D'Or, the plantation house by the lake. Jim and Jennifer very quickly get to know each other. That summer tragedy strikes. Twenty years later Jim is back to restore the house into a hotel.
This book appealed to me instantly. I loved the picture on the cover and the description of the story. The book sounded very much in the vain of Kate Morton. I enjoy these type of books as for me they are stories that pull me in and I can get lost in.
This book was ok. It had the story, the rambling house, likeable main characters and of course the big secret. I found the book however very flowery. It was what I call a surface book, as in it doesn't go too deep. When it came to the secret there was more than one. The one secret for me was one too much and didn't do anything for the story whats so ever. In a way it spolit the story, it wasn't needed. It seemed that all the characters needed their own secret which for me it didnt work.
The book was a pleasant read but I didn't feel as engrossed as I would have liked to. An average rambling house story.
Thank you to Headline via Netgalley for the chance to read and review the book.
This book appealed to me instantly. I loved the picture on the cover and the description of the story. The book sounded very much in the vain of Kate Morton. I enjoy these type of books as for me they are stories that pull me in and I can get lost in.
This book was ok. It had the story, the rambling house, likeable main characters and of course the big secret. I found the book however very flowery. It was what I call a surface book, as in it doesn't go too deep. When it came to the secret there was more than one. The one secret for me was one too much and didn't do anything for the story whats so ever. In a way it spolit the story, it wasn't needed. It seemed that all the characters needed their own secret which for me it didnt work.
The book was a pleasant read but I didn't feel as engrossed as I would have liked to. An average rambling house story.
Thank you to Headline via Netgalley for the chance to read and review the book.
August 9, 2017
This book bored me. It was weird. It was supposed to be a love story and it was, but a very weird one. Jim is a forty year old guy who is still hung up on his first real Summer love, Jennifer. They've spent one Summer together in their early twenties but something happened that has sent them on different paths. He's never forgotten Jen and compares all other love interests to her. It's really pathetic. I couldn't warm to either Jim, nor to rich gal, Jen. For peoplein their forties to be this pathetic and sad and ridiculous...it was painful to read. And embarrassing. Even the twists weren't that powerful that sent them off to lead different lives.
This novel felt like a Nora Roberts novel gone wrong. It had promise, but it sizzled out from the first page. The characters were bland, the story was bland, the emotional developments were painfully awful and embarrassing. It was like forty-year olds were acting like lovesick teenage puppies, who feel awkward and red-faced when love is involved.
This book is a fluffy read for a fluffy afternoon on a fluffy beach, when there's nothing else of substance to read. I'm glad it's done. Bleh
This novel felt like a Nora Roberts novel gone wrong. It had promise, but it sizzled out from the first page. The characters were bland, the story was bland, the emotional developments were painfully awful and embarrassing. It was like forty-year olds were acting like lovesick teenage puppies, who feel awkward and red-faced when love is involved.
This book is a fluffy read for a fluffy afternoon on a fluffy beach, when there's nothing else of substance to read. I'm glad it's done. Bleh
January 6, 2022
Highly enjoyable, clever chick-lit story!
Tasmina Perry is my favourite author for ‘light reading.’ She has a talent for hooking you in with escapist and intriguing stories, with likeable characters living in slightly heightened reality.
As one of her later books, I feel that her writing is evolving in maturity - she still has the same knack for fantastic stories, but this one was more clever than some of her earlier books I’ve read. There are several circular references and parallel stories that marry up perfectly once you complete the book - such as the meddling of parents in Jennifer and Jim’s relationship that each was unaware of, how they each feel when they feel partially responsible for a parent’s death, their method of dealing with grief by throwing themselves into a city life that they believe others will find respectable rather than living their own desires to name a few. I find it really refreshing to see proper literature themes drawn out in a light hearted book, and many authors of the same genre struggle to do this.
Highly enjoyable and thought provoking. 💕
Tasmina Perry is my favourite author for ‘light reading.’ She has a talent for hooking you in with escapist and intriguing stories, with likeable characters living in slightly heightened reality.
As one of her later books, I feel that her writing is evolving in maturity - she still has the same knack for fantastic stories, but this one was more clever than some of her earlier books I’ve read. There are several circular references and parallel stories that marry up perfectly once you complete the book - such as the meddling of parents in Jennifer and Jim’s relationship that each was unaware of, how they each feel when they feel partially responsible for a parent’s death, their method of dealing with grief by throwing themselves into a city life that they believe others will find respectable rather than living their own desires to name a few. I find it really refreshing to see proper literature themes drawn out in a light hearted book, and many authors of the same genre struggle to do this.
Highly enjoyable and thought provoking. 💕
April 30, 2018
Really enjoyed this one, really easy storyline to read and follow.
Old childtime friends spend a summer together, they fall in love, but their parents have other ideas for them, and things happen that unroll towards the end if the story.
Jim works for a developer of a hotel chain.
Jen has inherited a old family plantation that holds terrible secrets, and none of her family want to be at that place.
Jim buys the place for the fancy hotel chain.
Jim and Jennifer meet up, their feelings are still there. Jim is newly single, Jen married to an cheating but rich developer.
The past secrets come out, the hotel is created and a new hotel chain is also created.
Can Jim win Jen back, and will he forgive his father and will Jen forgive herself from the actions she believes killed her mother.
I won't say and spoil the story, but it is a good one. Buried secrets, lost loves, betrayal and olenty if twists is one review headline, and I totally agree.
Old childtime friends spend a summer together, they fall in love, but their parents have other ideas for them, and things happen that unroll towards the end if the story.
Jim works for a developer of a hotel chain.
Jen has inherited a old family plantation that holds terrible secrets, and none of her family want to be at that place.
Jim buys the place for the fancy hotel chain.
Jim and Jennifer meet up, their feelings are still there. Jim is newly single, Jen married to an cheating but rich developer.
The past secrets come out, the hotel is created and a new hotel chain is also created.
Can Jim win Jen back, and will he forgive his father and will Jen forgive herself from the actions she believes killed her mother.
I won't say and spoil the story, but it is a good one. Buried secrets, lost loves, betrayal and olenty if twists is one review headline, and I totally agree.
January 25, 2021
Book 7 of 2021;
The House on Sunset Lake
-Tasmania Perry
They say that with a book you can travel anywhere...well I have just been from the busy streets of New York to Savannah, Georgia. To a plantation home that holds the history of a family & it’s community.
Having never read any novels by Tasmina Perry I found ‘The House on Sunset Lake’ very predictable. To be honest, when I was shopping for new books the one thing that attracted me to this book was the way it felt in my hands. It felt like a well read book that had been broken in.
It was a quick and easy read (less than 2 days)...enjoyable enough. I would liken it to a filler...filling time in between the beautiful reads, the difficult reads, the reads that have you feeling all the feels & stay in your heart. Unfortunately, this story IS forgettable.
So, if you are looking for a ‘filler’ or just a schmaultzy predictable romance...this is your book.
2/5⭐️
Happy Reading
The House on Sunset Lake
-Tasmania Perry
They say that with a book you can travel anywhere...well I have just been from the busy streets of New York to Savannah, Georgia. To a plantation home that holds the history of a family & it’s community.
Having never read any novels by Tasmina Perry I found ‘The House on Sunset Lake’ very predictable. To be honest, when I was shopping for new books the one thing that attracted me to this book was the way it felt in my hands. It felt like a well read book that had been broken in.
It was a quick and easy read (less than 2 days)...enjoyable enough. I would liken it to a filler...filling time in between the beautiful reads, the difficult reads, the reads that have you feeling all the feels & stay in your heart. Unfortunately, this story IS forgettable.
So, if you are looking for a ‘filler’ or just a schmaultzy predictable romance...this is your book.
2/5⭐️
Happy Reading
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