On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publish Date: January 1, 1999

Pages: 404

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 978 0345471178

Annie Colwater’s husband has just confessed that he’s in love with a younger woman.  Devastated, Annie retreats to the small town where she grew up.  There, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower who is unable to cope with his silent, emotionally scarred young daughter.  Together, the three of them begin to heal.  But just when Annie believes she’s been given a second chance at happiness, her world is turned upside down again, and she is forced to make a choice that no woman in love should ever have to make. 

My Thoughts

This was the first novel I have read by Kristin Hannah and I really enjoyed it.  The story line kept me reading and intrigued as to what was going to happen next.  I enjoyed the writing style and the flow, and the fact the story was told from multiple view points - Annie, Blake, Nick and Izzy (Nick's daughter.)  There is nothing I hate more than reading a story about a controversial issue (cheating in this case) and only hearing one side of the story, I really liked seeing all sides of every issue that is incorporated during the novel.

At times I did find the plot dragging a bit and somewhat repetitive (we heard that Annie was just a wife for 20 years so many time) but then a nice twist would be thrown in to continue the story in a new direction.  It's very easy to feel the heartache and relate to the main character Annie, who has completely lost who she was by giving herself to everyone but herself.  I read this novel while on vacation and it was hard not to start crying while reading in public.  It's a very touching story of self discovery and making the right decisions for yourself, not just what is expected of you.

Overall I really thought it was a great first read from this author and I'm really looking forward to readying more from Ms. Hannah.

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.