Review: The Lakeshore Chronicles

Title: Fireside
Author: Susan Wiggs
Publisher: Mira
Pages: 410

Title: The Winter Lodge
Author: Susan Wiggs
Publisher: Mira
Pages: 408

Plot: Both books are part of the Lakeshore Chronicle series, which seemed to be perfect for me, because I am a junkie when it comes to romance series. I haven't read other parts of it and was planning to read a third book Lakeshore Christmas, but then skipped it. You'll see why pretty soon.

Fireside: Baseball pitcher Bo Crutcher is on his way into the majors, but then he has to take care of his unknown son AJ and everything changes,

Kimberly van Dorn was hired to smooth the rough edges of Bo's behaviour and to train him how to handle life as a baseball pro. She expected one of the to her well-known shallow athletes, but soon finds out that Bo is very different and willing to do everything for his son.

The Winter Lodge: Jenny Majesky and Rourke McKnight have a history, which they both try to ignore until Jenny's house burns down and she has no other place to stay then Rourke's. Although she lost all her belongings in the fire, she finds something, which might lead her to truth...and love.

I think ... First of all, I have to tell you, that I liked "Fireside" much more than "The Winter Lodge". I thought the characters were much more interesting, the love story very well-developed and believable and Bo's son AJ is a great kid. It is a funny, emotional, loveable and heart-warming story, although not really a Christmas book, but that was fine for me. I liked it a lot.

"The Winter Lodge" was , IMO, a huge disappointment. I just didn't understand what the whole fuss about hero and heroine was about, and why they act like immature kids over wide parts. All the time, I was wondering "Why's he saying this?" or "Why's she doing that?" and so on and so on. (Yes, I know that there are time shifts, not talking about that.) And believe me, I have no idea, why that particular title was chosen. There are some scenes in the winter lodge, but the text on the back cover and the title seem to have nothing in common with the book. I hate, when that happens. So, definately not a book for me.

And that's why I didn't find the motivation to grab the third book and read it. It's a fifty-fifty chance. Maybe I like it, maybe I don't. I usually prefer the first, when I read authors, whose work I have read before. Plus, I like my books steamy. It's not a criteria if I like a book or not, but I surely missed some heat between the sheets in these.

Have you read those? What do you think? About these in particular or the whole series?

Don't forget to be in the giveaway and read the Christmas novella written by April, Amanda and Emily!