Oh, Wendy Webb. Will you ever write a book that I don’t enjoy?
Probably not. I don’t think you’re capable of it. Also, that’s not a challenge!
I was fortunate enough to receive an Advance Review Copy of Daughters of the Lake, and I was totally psyched when it arrived in the mail. I’ve read all of Webb’s previous novels and have been eagerly anticipating her newest — so, receiving an advance copy to read and review for the blog had me fangirling all over the place.
Although this newest novel was slightly different than I was expecting, it was still a treat to read. Slipping into one of Wendy Webb’s books is like slipping into a pair of warm, fluffy pajamas, then clambering up onto a big, comfy bed and snuggling into its soft covers, all while in front of a crackling fire on a chilly autumn night — much like the Daughters of the Lake main character Kate does on numerous occasions. Many of you know that I am all about the hygge, and I can’t think of a more cozy reading experience than one of Webb’s novels. Sure, they can contain disturbingly eerie supernatural events. But, with the amount of coziness that infiltrates each story, who really cares? You want to be part of that world anyway.
All of her books contain similar elements, and while some may call this formulaic, I tend to think of it as reassuring and comforting. I actually love knowing what I can expect when I dive into one of her stories — a heroine who is coming into a transitional period of her life; said heroine either suddenly and unexpectedly inheriting a lot of money and/or a grand house to live in during this transitional period; a kindly caretaker or housekeeper to offer the heroine delicious meals, steaming mugs of tea, and a friendly ear; and a love interest with whom the heroine feels an immediate and familiar kinship. *fluttery sigh*
Although Daughters follows a similar structure to Webb’s previous works, this one does deviate slightly, which was a fun surprise. Our heroine, Kate, is indeed going through quite a life change — a divorce from her cheating husband — but instead of inheriting a mansion, she packs up for a little break at her cousin’s historic bed and breakfast, which is located in an adorable coastal town on Lake Superior.
(Side note: I love how Webb’s novels are all set on the Great Lakes. It’s an area I know very little of but love reading about. Daughters actually ties in to Webb’s previous novel, The End of Temperance Dare, by reusing the setting of Wharton. There were a few town descriptions and legends that seemed familiar as I was reading, and once I got to the Acknowledgments, I discovered why. Temperance Dare is probably my fave Webb novel, so it was nice to see her link this new work to her previous one.)
The role of kindly caretaker and housekeeper is switched up a bit with Simon, Kate’s hilariously funny and warm cousin, who also happens to be the innkeeper at the B&B where Kate’s staying. Simon provides a ton of comic relief and familial love, and he’s a welcome partner in crime (or, crime-solving, as it were) for Kate. And, while it’s clear that Kate has not come into family money yet, she’s from an old and established family, and is clearly able to take a leave of absence from work without fear of spiraling into financial ruin.
I don’t know about you, but I think Wendy Webb heroines are living The Life. Give me an existence any day that involves rambling about in a huge house and not having to worry about bringing in an income. I’ll take it, ghosts and weird dream trances and all.
And, there are plenty of weird dream trances going on in Daughters. Another way in which Webb deviated from her usual ghost story is by leaning heavily on local folk legends, and on elements of mysticism. There are ghosts in this book, but they are rather benign. As in all of Webb’s novels, the existence of the spirit world is presented as a fact rather than a hotly contested belief; the living and spirit worlds intersect much more often than one would think, though the world of the living is usually rather ignorant of the other’s influence. For example, great-grandfathers secretly watch over their descendants, just to make sure no harm comes to them; or, a long-deceased grandmother soothes her restless granddaughter to sleep by stroking her hair, though the granddaughter only experiences a keen sense of love and warmth as she falls peacefully asleep.
There are certainly some more rambunctious, even malevolent ghosts in Daughters, but I’ll leave you to discover that part yourselves. The paranormal activity definitely increases toward the end of the book. I was first drawn to Webb’s novels because of her ability to tell a great ghost story, and Daughters is no exception.
The majority of the eerie activity in this book focuses on the dreams that Kate is having, which allow her to see and experience the life of another woman who lived over a century ago. It reminded me a lot of past life and reincarnation stories. The two main storylines – one involving Kate, her cousin Simon, and the conveniently attractive and single cop Nick, and the other involving Addie and Jess, who lived a hundred years prior and have a kind of Jacob and Renesmee imprint thing going on – gradually intertwine as Kate tries to piece together who the mystery woman in her dreams is. Also up for question? Why this woman was murdered and who murdered her.
As for the murder mystery — I thought I had it figured out about halfway through the book, and I did, for the most part. Until the very last chapter, which completely took me by surprise. It was a great way to end the book and stump the reader, and I also like how it tied the earlier folklore back into the end of the novel.
While Daughters of the Lake doesn’t contain as many ghostly occurrences as I personally would have liked, it definitely delivered with a solid supernatural tale steeped in legend, lore, and Webb’s tell-tale coziness. I’m a fan, as I am sure you will be once you read this book.
What Wendy Webb books have you read? Would love to hear your thoughts on them in the comments below!
And, be sure to check back in for my book-inspired recipe — Lemon Piccata Flounder with Herbed Couscous!
Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb will be available for sale on November 1, 2018 from Lake Union Publishing/Amazon Publishing. Although I received a complimentary advance copy of this book, all opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I was not compensated in any way for this review or for any other promotion/publicity I’ve done related to this book.
I’m so excited! I’m excited because you liked the book (and I seem to like the books that you like. I mean we both liked The Rosie Project, although it’s a very different book, of course). I’m also excited to have learned that Wendy Webb wrote many books. It means if I like this one, I will have many more to like 🙂 As you know I got this copy recently and I think I will read it before the end of the year.
I love your review! It’s full of emotions and information, and it’s beautifully written ( I love beautiful writing!).
Thank you so much for your kind words!! If you like Daughters, you will def like her other books. They are so addicting!! I am always eagerly awaiting her next novel. 😊 and, yes, I think you and I definitely have a similar taste in books! Which is awesome because we can recommend what to read to each other!