cover image Starlight on Willow Lake

Starlight on Willow Lake

Susan Wiggs. Mira, $24.95 (384p) ISBN 978-0-7783-1795-1

Wiggs ensnares readers with her marvelous 11th Lakeshore Chronicles contemporary (after Candlelight Christmas). Single mom Faith McCallum is trying to make ends meet for herself and her two daughters, Ruby and Cara, in Avalon, a small town in the Catskill Mountains of New York. She is grateful for her good fortune when she gains employment as an in-home caretaker for Alice Bellamy, a widow who became a quadriplegic in a skiing accident that claimed the life of her husband. Though Alice is very bitter about her disability and lashes out at others, Faith is unafraid to stand up to her and help her to learn how to live happily again. And Faith is surprised by her attraction to Mason, Alice's wealthy son, despite the differences in their backgrounds and socioeconomic status. While Faith has always struggled financially, Mason enjoyed a privileged youth and much success after stepping into the family business as an adult. The most riveting aspect of this feel-good novel is the attraction between Faith and Mason, which leads to a gradual and unforgettable romance. (Sept.)