OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cabin by the Lake" by Desiree Douglas.]

Have you ever wanted a fresh start? That is exactly what Lydia wants in Cabin by the Lake by Desiree Douglas. Lydia has been released from prison for distributing drugs for her boyfriend Rocco. The only problem is that Lydia thought she was just delivering a package. She had no idea the package contained drugs. However, her testimony also sent Rocco to prison. Determined to turn her life around, she moves in with her aunt named Vivian. Vivian lives in a house in the rural part of Georgia. One day, a backpacker named Mike happens to find the house and cabin. He stops and asks if he can stay until the storm passes. Vivian immediately trusts this young man. Lydia is unsure. She doesn't like strangers but can't help but feel attracted to him.

Over time, Mike decides to stay and help fix up Vivian's cabin. Lydia slowly begins to trust Mike. In turn, Mike can't believe how quickly he is falling for Lydia. The only problem is they both have pasts that they don't want to be revealed. In the meantime, Rocco escapes from prison and tracks Lydia down. He is livid over her betrayal and wants to kill her. Rocco doesn't want to just kill her, he wants her to know he is there, watching her. When Lydia discovers that Rocco is back, she decides to run, even though these last few months have been the happiest of her life. She worked so hard to start a new life. Will she lose everything she worked for?

This story is filled with romance and suspense! The characters are wonderful and well-developed! Lydia is hardworking and refuses to break. Her determination is absolutely inspiring! Mike has been through heartbreak and an unbelievable betrayal by his family. He goes backpacking to clear his head and to figure out what is next for him. Finding Vivian and Lydia helps him realize exactly what he wants to do with his life. Aunt Vivian is the rock and my favorite character. She is more of a mother to Lydia than Lydia's own mother. She is encouraging and strong despite that she is dealing with depression and her own heartbreak. The villain, Rocco, is a true psychopath. He needs to instill terror which really adds the ultimate suspense.

The story was a quick read, however, there were times when the pacing was slightly awkward. Some moments were incredibly drawn out and other moments were short and quick. Although, the book is professionally edited and did not have any grammatical errors.

The book is listed as religious fiction, but there were no major religious themes. There is one moment where prayer is mentioned. Those who enjoy clean romance and suspense will enjoy this novel. I really enjoyed the concept of starting over in this novel. The fact that the character wants to turn her life around and do her best to live a happy and healthy life is something that many can relate to. Despite the choppy pacing, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Between the back story, well-developed characters, and the suspense, this novel is definitely entertaining!

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Cabin by the Lake
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Like jemgirl202's review? Post a comment saying so!

Ooh, I'm intrigued now from reading your review. I was a little on the fence about whether to give this one a try but your review seemed very positive, so I definitely will be giving it a go. From your review, it's clear that Lydia, Vivian an Mike are extremely strong and well-developed characters which is a must for me and was something I was worried about because a lot of the time this genre tends to focus more on plot and less on characterisation. So thanks again for the review, You've helped me discover my next read!

Everyone needs a new start sometimes. I am rooting for Lydia to find love and happiness afresh. Thanks for this great review. I will be checking this book out!

Im going to look for this book
Reminds me of the movie Safe haven.Interesting characters i see in the review.

This is quit interesting,I was reading the review and I think this gonna be a great stories,I love triller-romance,and I'm excited about Lydia if she find out what she's going to do

This does sound quite interesting! I'm glad that she's able to get a fresh start, and I hope everything turns out all right in the end! I guess I'll have to read to find out. Thanks for the review.

AoifesReview wrote: ↑19 Feb 2018, 10:32 Ooh, I'm intrigued now from reading your review. I was a little on the fence about whether to give this one a try but your review seemed very positive, so I definitely will be giving it a go. From your review, it's clear that Lydia, Vivian an Mike are extremely strong and well-developed characters which is a must for me and was something I was worried about because a lot of the time this genre tends to focus more on plot and less on characterisation. So thanks again for the review, You've helped me discover my next read!

I was on the fence too. Like I said, some parts of the pacing were a little awkward but it was an enjoyable read. It also reads very quickly, I finished it in a couple hours.

CambaReviewer wrote: ↑19 Feb 2018, 13:14 Everyone needs a new start sometimes. I am rooting for Lydia to find love and happiness afresh. Thanks for this great review. I will be checking this book out!

Thank you! Yes, I was rooting for her the whole time!

Olini-84september wrote: ↑19 Feb 2018, 14:19 Im going to look for this book
Reminds me of the movie Safe haven.Interesting characters i see in the review.

Yes! It had very similar characteristics to Safe Haven!

kandscreeley wrote: ↑20 Feb 2018, 08:47 This does sound quite interesting! I'm glad that she's able to get a fresh start, and I hope everything turns out all right in the end! I guess I'll have to read to find out. Thanks for the review.

Thanks for reading my review!

Wow! I can just feel the suspense by reading the summary of the plot. Very effective writing and looking forward to the book thanks to your review!

Sahani Nimandra wrote: ↑20 Feb 2018, 21:00 Wow! I can just feel the suspense by reading the summary of the plot. Very effective writing and looking forward to the book thanks to your review!

Thanks for checking out my review!

I find myself drawn to Vivian the most. I've always loved the concept of a person being more of a parent to someone than the real parents (or just as much), there's just this strong feeling of humanity that goes along with it. I'd love to read how she supports Lydia and Mike and how Rocco meets his waterloo. Thanks for the superb review! I'd really love if you could drop your thoughts on mine, would appreciate the input

I agree I was a little on the fence but I can't wait to dive in now

I'm a little indifferent because I discovered what appeals to most people and their understanding of a particular thing may be loopsided, any ways I'll get the book to be clear beyond reasonable doubt, thanks though for the heads up, wonderful review.