Title: Christmas at the Lake
Author: Anita Hughes
Publication: September 26, 2023
Publisher: Griffin
Genre: Romance, Holiday Romance
Pages: 320
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SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
On Christmas Eve, just hours before their wedding, Rebecca Huntley is left at the altar by Ben Cole, her college sweetheart and fellow co-founder of the hugely successful dating app, Dealbreakers.
Rebecca is shocked but a small part of her isn’t surprised. Dealbreakers matches potential couples by the things they hated, instead of what they had in common. Lately, she and Ben seem to have less and less in common. He craves the trappings of success, while Rebecca enjoys simple things.
Rebecca decides to go on their honeymoon to the cozy Christmas Cove Inn in the charming small town of Christmas Cove on the shores of Lake Tahoe. There, Rebecca runs into an old college friend, Zach Mason, who had always had a crush on Rebecca. Through a misunderstanding, Zach believes Rebecca is married to Ben, and Rebecca believes Zach is in a relationship with a sophisticated older woman when really, he is a waiter at the hotel.
As Christmas week unfolds, will the two learn the truth about each other and then be open for a second chance at love? Or will they begin the new year with broken hearts? People are complicated. Everyone has positive attributes as well as faults – but none are deal-breakers when you’re really in love.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
If Hallmark and authors collided, Christmas at the Lake would be the outcome. Anita Hughes writes a story that brings you hope, happiness, and an ease of reading.
The story was what you would expect from a holiday romance novel. It contained all the elements that make it perfect for the genre. There was love, a little heartbreak, hope, and lots and lots of fluff. I love reading fluffy romance novels at Christmas because they make you happy and hopeful for the year to come.
My only takeaway from this book was that it was so predictable, which I suppose is fine, but also was a slow story. I loved the plot and the character development with the main characters, but at some points, I felt I was just reading the same thing over and over and I wanted just a little bit more movement in the story. My absolute favorite character was Meredith and I would read an entire book about Meredith’s love story she shares. That sounded so good. I think I loved the flashbacks the most.
While it’s not the type of book I would read all year round, I truly appreciate Christmas at the Lake. Hughes made me want to visit such a town and find my own Christmas romance! I’ll be checking out her other novels next December.
