La caresse de l'hiver

Lakeshore Chronicles #2

by Susan Wiggs

Désemparée après l’incendie de sa maison, Jenny retourne s’installer au pavillon d’hiver du lac des Saules, la propriété familiale où elle vivait adolescente. Là, dans ce décor empreint de nostalgie, la neige fait resurgir un flot de souvenirs : le baiser de Rourke, le garçon qu’elle aimait alors, et qui ne lui a jamais déclaré sa flamme… Depuis, les années ont passé. Rourke multiplie les conquêtes éphémères et semble tout faire pour l’éviter. Aussi, quelle n’est pas sa surprise de le voir se présenter à sa porte peu avant Noël. Que vient-il faire ici ? Serait-il encore temps de tout recommencer avec cet homme qu’elle a attendu toute sa vie ?  A propos de l'auteur :  Professeur diplômé de Harvard, Susan Wiggs a écrit plus de vingt-cinq romans, tous empreints d’une émotion et d’une finesse psychologique qui lui ont valu d’être plébiscitée par la critique et d’émouvoir, mais aussi de faire sourire ses lectrices dans le monde entier.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Christmas, Mystery

441 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.

According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.

Reviews

[Rossy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really nice follow up to the first book in the series. I think i can honestly say that the author and I will never see eye to eye when it comes to the heroines. Personally their decisions and behavior frustrated me at times. Mind you it never made me stop reading the book, just wanted to slap them a time or two. :laughs:

There was a part where i actually had to stop and call one of my girl friends and ask if she had ever behaved that way. The reason for this was a scene where it shows that the hero is doing everything possible to make the heroine think he's not worthy of her. Now i know what some people may think, but it's not like the heroine was not aware of it. In fact she knows and tells him as much, yet she goes after his best friend because he loves her and is "safe". The fact that her lack of backbone in my opinion lasted for years only made it worse. Seriously? I was pretty happy that she felt guilty about it for so many years, i almost wanted the hero to find someone he could actually have some feelings towards and show her how it felt for him.

Like i said about the previous book, these stories really bring all sorts of emotions on the readers. Wether you like certain part or not it doesn't take away from how well written the story was. Oh and lets not forget the family dynamic. The underlining mystery that carried over from the previous book was very well presented.

[Stephanie Kline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope, I just can't finish this. It's unfortunate, because I was really in the mood for a nice wintry read - one that got me EVEN MORE in the mood for Christmas and this cozy time of year. The cover and description of this novel made me think it would do just that, but it fell really, really flat.

This has happened before with Susan Wiggs books. In fact, looking back over the other novels I've read of hers, I've never rated her higher than 3 stars. I guess she just doesn't do it for me, so I should start remembering that when I think "I should read this Susan Wiggs book." I'm not sure what the problem is, exactly. Maybe her stories are too simple, her characters too one-dimensional. Maybe the setting isn't painted clearly enough, or the relationships aren't convincing. In any case, her writing just really doesn't work for me, I've found.

This book starts with Jenny Majesky finding out that her house has burnt down one snowy night while at her bakery. Right off the bat, we learn that her grandmother has recently died, and that she was the closest family member Jenny had - the one she cherished most of all. The chief of police, Rourke McKnight, takes Jenny to his house to stay while she's 'homeless'. They have a history of forbidden romance, which has long since fizzled, but there are echoes of remaining feeling there (none that were particularly convincing or interesting, but still...).

The premise of the novel is that Jenny finds out her grandfather has an 'unusual treasure' amidst her grandmother's belongings, which starts a search to find the truth about her family. She stays at her half-sister's 'winter lodge' on the edge of Willow Lake, and she and Rourke set out to learn more about who Jenny really is.

But let me just say - I stopped reading at 45%, and there was no treasure found, and no winter lodge. To say that this book moved slowly would be an excruciating understatement. Really, nothing has happened at this point in the book so far. We've panned to different characters' perspectives - to Jenny's young cousin, Daisy Bellamy, and to her long-lost mother, Mariska, in the 80's - just as backstory/character development. But the actual PLOT has gone nowhere.

I can also tell already that the romance is going to leave a lot to be desired. Jenny clearly has hidden, secret feelings for Rourke, but his attitude seems ambivalent at best. She's irritating with her over-thinking and extreme caution, and her skepticism at his every mood and word. The whole thing just feels off to me. I'm not a fan, and I'm really not engaged. I just wanted to get to the next book on my TBR list, so that's a really good indication that it's time to cut my losses and stop reading.

In any case, I probably won't pick up another Susan Wiggs book, and I'll have to continue my pursuit for a wintry novel somewhere else...

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 5 out of 5]

**SPOILER ALERT**

Susan Wiggs did not disappoint in this second book of the Lakeshore Chronicles Series!!! I loved this one as much as I did the first one. I really adore the town setting of Avalon. I loved it in the Summer from the first book, and I loves it in the Winter too from this book! Wiggs truly has a great talent in describing the surroundings and making you feel like you are standing in front Avalon. I could picture all the shops, the mountains and the people.

The characters in this book were very likeable too. My favorite character was Joey. I was very sad about what became of him. I think the reason why I liked his character a lot is because it reminded me of a close loved one of mine in the military. I was very happy when he proposed to Jenny. I also liked Jenny and Rourke. I was very disappointed in their actions with each other when they got the news about Joey though. I was thinking “Come on!! Really!??”. No excuse whatsoever for that they did. If Jenny didn’t want to be with Joey then plain and simple she shouldn’t have accepted his marriage proposal! I thought at first that Rourke was being a good friend by holding back his feelings for Jenny because he knew his best friend Joey loved her. However, my good feelings for Rourke went out the door when he did what he did that night! I was pleased that Wiggs did let the readers find out what happened to Mariska, Jenny’s mom. I was curious on that since the first book. The way Wiggs made her ending come together was brilliant. It left a bittersweet taste in my mouth because it was a conclusion to a mystery, yet sad at the same time, although it was good to know that she hadn’t just not been in Jenny’s life because she didn’t want to be, but because she had passed away.
I was happy when Rourke and Jenny got together towards the end of the book. Also, WOW about the ending of the book!! That came from nowhere! I really thought that Rourke walking outside with the dog in the snow was going to be the end, but boy was I in for a shocker!! I really never suspected any of that coming at all. That was a great element Wiggs threw in at the end!

Book 3 I am ready for you!

[ErinsAlterEgo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the main character in this book is not my favorite of the series (mostly due to her "scaredy cat, wussy" nature), the thing that ROCKS about this book is the recipes!!! OMG. I'm not even a baker, and I find myself wanting to make almost every recipe in this book! The story is decent, the main love interest is possibly one of the best of the series. Love me that Rourke McNight. What is it about lead guys named 'Rourke'? The 'In Death' series by JD Robb (Nora Roberts in disguise) has one too that is awesome. I want a Rourke.

Anyways, from the other reviews, you can get the basic story line, or just read the description. This is the second in the Willow Lake series, and you love the side characters. Her description of the town makes you want to move there, even if you don't like small towns! A great series, and well worth the read. But be warned that this one will make you hungry for pastries, and want to try your hand at baking!

[Nathalie Bakelandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deel twee in de Avalon serie. Het verhaal van Jenny zal je verwarmen. Op het einde nog onverwachts wat spanning. Graag lezen. Ik kijk uit naar deel drie

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

We met Jenny in the last book, learning of her surprise heritage. In this book we really get to know her better, see how she is dealing with her new family and learn that her grandmother, who was the foundation of her life, has just passed away. Jenny seems a little bit at loose ends, and just when you think that she can't take any more, her house burns down and she looses all her precious mementos, you know those ones that you can't put a price on.

Coming to Jenny's rescue is Roarke, a boy she meet as a teen, a boy that she fell in love with as a teen, and a man who she avoids even while living in a small town. These 2 have a past that is both sweet and frustrating. You can see why Roarke does the things that he does, but you want to reach into the book and shake him, yell at him to do what he wants, not what he thinks is best for those around them.

We also learn more about those that live in Avalon. The city seems so quaint, but you realize that these people are are normal and make mistakes like the rest of us. We have the Mayor, who got pregnant at 15, but has made good on her life, the city administrator, who is just a little bit off, and the main baker at the bakery, who has always held secrets to Jenny's life. The Bellamy's also play a big part in the story, as more of them are moving back to Avalon full time, licking their wounds of life. It is interesting in how the younger generation seems to echo the actions and mistakes of the older one.

This book is so much a book about family and home, what it means to a person, and how family and home is what you make of it, not always what you are born into.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely story but I was so darn frustrated with Jenny and Rourke! I wanted to knock their heads together from the very beginning. But I loved the setting and the bakery and all of the recipes!

[Dava Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this book 2.5 stars if I could have. There were a number of things about it that annoyed me. However, I did finish it and there are some points in its favor, too.

First the things I didn't like:
1. I didn't really like the way the author hinted at the two main characters' "history." It set up expectations that the story didn't really meet. I'd have been more satisfied with just a straightforward tale about them, minus the attempt at mystery.
2. These people annoyed the crap out of me. Seriously. They make silly decisions, don't say things that need saying, and are just not...cool. I'd never hang out with these folks because it would be too tempting to say "What the hell is WRONG WITH YOU?" to a real person doing the things these people do. A specific example is the times the female lead chooses to not ask the questions that are on her mind.
3. It's an extremely unrealistic view of small town life. I've lived in small towns all of my life and everyone knows everything. It's highly unlikely that some of the supporting characters don't know each other. Really, if they didn't know each other directly, they would know OF each other, and would know each others' families. There would be far, far more community support for a community member whose house burned down, too.
4. Rich girls have abortions. It has always been true. Before abortion was legal, wealthy girls' families flew them to Europe for abortions. It's what happened. Rich girls also have (and have historically had) access to birth control. What is wrong with these people? I mean, ONE (well-off) character who gets pregnant as a teenager might have been believable but there were several in this story.
5. The main character has been "tied" to the town for a long time, and when she finally will have the means and opportunity to leave, chooses to stay. That just doesn't ring true.

There was more, but you get the idea. There were issues for me. Here are some of the things I liked:

1. As much as these people annoyed me, there are people like them walking around out there. Maybe they are actually realistic characters, just not ones I liked.
2. it was a light, easy read. It didn't bother me so much that I chewed on it for days feeling aggravated. Instead, I read it, was entertained, and moved on to something else. I had to look back at my notes to remember all the stuff that bugged me.
3. LOTS of other people like this book. I seem to be in the minority with this review, so if the genre appeals to you, there's a good chance you'll like it too.

I don't plan to read anything else in the series, and will likely avoid the author in the future. It's just not my cup of tea, and there are plenty of other light, entertaining things out there to read that I am likely to enjoy more. However, as mentioned in point number 3 above, if light romance is your favorite genre, you will probably really like this book. Don't let my cynical bitterness sway your decision.

[Rossana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐️ — Worthy Reading! — Romance (Clean)

Second book in the Lake Diaries Series

Life hasn’t been easy for Jenny in the past: she never knew her father; her mom was never around a lot, and early abandoned her at the age of four (to pursue her own dreams); she didn’t date the boy she really loved and lost a fiancé, who did truly loved her for an accident. Her only true family had been her grandparents (a Pole couple who migrated to the US fleeing World War II and settled in Avalon, where they opened a bakery and Café Sky River) and her best friend Nina.

Now her grandparents are gone, Jenny is dealing by herself with the lost of her loved ones and the sudden discovery of a father and a sister (she had never known) and the whole big family they are part of and which she doesn’t feel to belong. The Bellamy’s are the owners of the Kioga summer Camping, where years ago she met the two men who became part of her life. And If all these changes weren’t enough to deal, destiny decided it wasn’t finished with Jenny yet. A fire in her house, in the middle of the night, destroyed not only the only place she had ever called home, but all the photos, letters, furnitures and mementos of her little family, turning Jenny the only one to carry in her shattered mind all memories of what life was before her, before her mother and before her grannies arrived to Avalon.

But what could be a motive to despair, became a chance to restart plans and pursue old dreams, and maybe the opportunity to an old love from the past… a story to teach us that sometimes we might be lonely, but not alone to face a new exciting life... This is a book full of misunderstandings, surprises and returns, in which we can learn that the stories of the people around us are always repeating themselves, and if we look it attentively, we might learn how not repeat the same old mistakes.


📚 Good Reading! 📚

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number: 11
ISBN: 9780778324140
Rating: B

Summary www.bn.com

On the longest night of the year, Jenny Majesky loses everything in a devastating house fire. But among the ashes she finds an unusual treasure hidden amid her grandfather's belongings, one that starts her on a search for the truth, and on a path toward a life that she never imagined. The Winter Lodge, a remote cabin owned by her half sister on the shores of Willow Lake, becomes a safe refuge for Jenny, where she and local police chief Rourke McKnight try to sort out the mysteries revealed by the fire.

But when a blizzard traps them together, Jenny, accustomed to the safe predictability of running the family bakery, suddenly doesn't feel so secure. For even as Rourke shelters her from the storm outside, she knows her heart is at risk. Now, following her dreams might mean walking away from her one chance at love.

My Thoughts:

While this story reminded me of why I loved Summer at Willow Lake, I wasn't overly excited while I read it. Jenny and Rourke didn't hold that magical character magic that I need in order to love a story. However, there was a redemption with young Daisy Bellamy, I am incredibly eager to find out more about this young woman and her journey.

There was a bit of predictability in this story as well, and it didn't lend itself to making the story better. In fact it the obviousness of some of the plot elements that garnered this book a less than stellar rating.

I have heard from numerous friends that this was their least favorite in the series, and hopefully that is a correct assumption and I will love the other books even more.

[Beth Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently, this is book 2 in the Lakeshore Chronicles, but I felt like it stood on it's own fine.
The funny thing about this story is that the back cover was very misleading. I felt like I was reading a story with the same character names, but entirely different then the back cover. Same with the title; only the last 50 pages had anything to do with "The Winter Lodge" and while important things happened there, they could have happened somewhere else too.

Set in contemporary times, Jenny and Rourke met as children at summer camp. He was the rich-boy camper and she was a town person who delivered food to the camp from her family bakery. Their back story was told slowly with a chapter inserted every few chapters that was "back in time". So, you saw how things were as adults but had to wait for the story to reveal what had happened in the past that made them that way.

I liked Jenny & Rourke's banter. I also was interested in some of the bakery recipes that were included in the book. There wasn't sex in the book--I mean people had sex, but you didn't read the details. There were a few swear words though.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first book in this series (_Summer at Willow Lake_). This book was a fine follow-up, though it didn't hold me quite as thoroughly. I spent the first half of the book thinking, "You're adults! Take responsibility for yourself and say what you think!" But then as more of the hero/heroine's history unfolded, their current situation made more and more sense. So in the end, it worked, and I was glad to hear more of the stories of the people of Avalon.

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sat down and read the entire book in one day. Liked it but not as much as the other books I have read by Wiggs.

[Cintya Larasinta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kenapa yah kisah Jenny Majesky dan Rourke McKnight begitu rumit skl yaaaaa.... Di samping itu ada POV Greg Bellamy lagi. Suka bgt pikiran Greg Bellamy

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two-haiku review:

Her house burns, all lost
He wants her to stay with him
But she has life plans

Very good series
Main plot, sub-plots and layers
Four-and-a-half stars

[Titinha Scaeiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5* mais um livrinho fofo... :)

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny dan Rourke ini sebenarnya sudah saling demen sejak mereka remaja. Halangannya adalah Joey, teman karib Rourke, yg juga menyukai Jenny. Jadi Rourke menjaga jarak dgn Jenny dan memberi jalan pada Joey utk mendekati Jenny. Sayangnya, Jenny juga menerima lamaran pertunangan Joey dan tidak siap menerima kabar Joey dikabarkan meninggal. Kabar yg ternyata keliru itu malah makin memperparah keadaan Jenny dan Rourke krn mereka sudah berhubungan intim pada malam celaka tsb.

Kematian Joey tidak menghapus halangan hubungan Jenny dan Rourke. Mereka masih terbayang pada masa lalu ibu Jenny, persahabatan mereka berempat dgn Nina juga, membuat makin pelik bagi Jenny utk masuk dalam kehidupan Rourke.

Saya lumayan suka novel ini walaupun ribet dgn masa lalu ibu Jenny. Ini mirip semi suspense romance, walaupun cenderung lebih ke contemporary. Gak heran Jenny tumbuh menjadi gadis kurang asertif mengingat ibunya itu "kondang" sbg gadis cantik yg hamil dan tidak menikah, dan mendadak menghilang tak tentu rimbanya. Rourke juga maju mundur, kurang nge-gas utk standar hero idaman saya.

Sidekick cerita novel ini adalah kehamilan Daisy Bellamy, yg sama ribetnya dgn asal-usul Jenny. Intinya adalah ttg kehamilan di luar nikah dan bagaimana cewek-cewek ini menyikapinya. Mariska (Ibu Jenny) terlalu meremehkan beban memiliki anak tanpa menikah. Baginya uang lebih penting daripada segalanya. Sedangkan Daisy yg hamil di masa kini, lebih bijak utk tidak menikahi pria yg menghamilinya, krn sama saja spt mengasuh dua anak.

Chemistry Rourke & Jenny memang agak lamban dan bikin gregetan. Tetapi dgn alur flashback, saya jadi lebih paham kenapa mereka bersikap seperti itu. Ternyata seri ini lumayan menarik juga.

[Donna Mcnab · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Lakeshore Chronicles make for some nice light summer reading. The characters and the story are both interesting. If I was a more motivated cook, perhaps I would have enjoyed the recipes in the
book a little more. They all sound delicious, but only if somebody else was making them.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Awesome Book By Susan. I Love Her Books. She has Yet Again Gave Us A Heartfelt intensely Contemporary Romance. I Highly Recommend This Book And Author. 🎃

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slower read for me but still a great story.

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters and a emotional story. I am glad I found this one on Chirp. The narrator is excellent. Happy reading and listening!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed. Will be reading more of the Lakeshore Chronicles.

[Ginger Mcclintick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good follow up to the first book loved the story such a good series so far.

[Gabrielle Apolline · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 parce que c'est EXACTEMENT ce qu'on attend d'une bonne romance de Noël, ce qu'il faut de clichés (c'est pour ça qu'on les aimes ces romances de Noël) mais avec un VRAI fond, j'ai adoré

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was very good. I like a series of books where you go back to characters in the previous one. I always want to know what happens next and these are good. Starting my third now.

[Bertha Ivins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the sisterhood series that I am reading but I will still continue with this series

[Valery · Rating 2 out of 5]

All I’m going to say is that the cover blurb is SUPER misleading. Jenny doesn’t even go to the Winter Lodge until somewhere around chapter 28 and then she and Rourke are never really “trapped” there at all. I was totally under the impression that all the drama and relationship tension would happen there but nope, the story is practically already over by then! Did the blurb writer even READ this book?! 😆

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

When life deals us those unexpected events that changes how we view it, but we are still ready to move on. That's courage. I love this one.

[Hennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deel 2 van deze serie en las ook heerlijk weg.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this series a lot