Book Review: A Week at the Lake by Wendy Wax
Book review of: A Week at the Lake by Wendy Wax
Published by Berkley Books, Penguin on June 23rd, 2015
Genres: Contemporary Women, Fiction
Pages: 432
Source: complimentary review copy
Goodreads
Y’all know the only book I was able to read while on family vacation was Wendy Wax’s A Week at the Lake from this tongue-in-cheek confession. The book came back from the beach a bit water-logged, though not quite as soaked as the book my daughter was reading. She left a borrowed paperback in her beach chair. . .that was on the edge of the water. . .and a wave crashed ~ a large wave. . .you get the picture, right? Her version includes something about me sitting in the chair next to hers. . .My defense? I bet you can guess ~ I was reading!
Long-time friends Emily, Mackenzie and Serena are to meet up at Emily’s lake house after a 5-year absence. Since their college days they had an annual vacation tradition at Emily’s Grandmother’s historic Millionaires’ Row home on Lake George. Emily is from a long line of actors. She became favorite media gossip when, as a teenager, she divorced her famous parents. Gifted clothing designer, Mackenzie, married her college sweetheart, but after 20 years of marriage, they seem to have hit a rough patch. Serena is the famous sultry voice behind a popular animated television series {along the lines of the “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons”}. Serena is a popular media darling as well with her long line of affairs. The women have each suffered from their lack of connection for five years.
Favorite quote
Serena’s therapist tells her, “If you’re going to expend time and energy imagining scenarios, you really need to allow for the positive.” Now that feels like great advice for anyone!
My thoughts
Set in New York City and Lake George, A Week at the Lake is a departure for Wax. Most of her novels have been set in the south and evoke the particular landscape and feel of the South. The descriptions of the old lake ‘house’ from Millionaires’ Row were breathtaking. I was able to visualize the lake house. Older homes and description is definitely Wendy Wax’s strong point.
Early on, I figured out what happened to distance the women, and why they went five years without communicating. I can understand how time gets away from us all and we lose touch with friends, but it was clear that such was not the case for Emily, Mackenzie and Serena. My issue with A Week at the Lake is that I could not relate to any of the women nor their situations in the novel. My expectations based on the cover and the title had me thinking A Week at the Lake would be a perfect beach read. I know, I know “never judge a book by its cover!” The build-up to the reveal of why the five year distance lasted almost the entire novel ~ revealing the secret earlier along with the aftermath would probably have kept me better engaged. Unfortunately, this one is a miss for me.
Will I give Wendy Wax another try? Absolutely! Her Ten Beach Road series is laugh-out-loud funny, heartwarming and engaging.
How is your summer reading coming along? Any stand-outs?
I received this book for free from complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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