Journal Entry 1 by indygo88 from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Saturday, December 31, 2011

"Chelsea Enright never expected to inherit her grandmother's lakeside cottage deep in the Adirondacks—a serene getaway that had been mysteriously closed up decades ago. This is no simple bequest, however, because when Chelsea finds her grandmother's WWII diaries, she's stunned to discover that they hold secrets she never suspected . . . and they have the power to turn her own life upside down.

Even more surprising is the compelling presence of local doctor Brandon "Yale, and Chelsea soon finds her "short stay" has stretched into the entire summer. She cannot put this cottage and her family's past behind her easily—and the more she learns about the woman her grandmother truly was, the more Chelsea's own life begins to change . . . and nothing will ever be the same again."

Acquired through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.
 

Journal Entry 2 by indygo88 at Lafayette, Indiana USA on Saturday, February 11, 2012

I always feel bad when I have to give a bad review, but here goes....

This book description sounded good: A young woman (Chelsea) inherits her grandmother's lake cottage -- a cottage that has been boarded up for over 50 years -- as well as all its secrets. So off goes Chelsea to rediscover the cottage in an attempt to learn more about her grandmother. The plot was okay. However, it was pretty predictable & not overly original.

The thing that bothered me the most was the writing style. It was way too flowery, too cliche'd, & just overwhelmingly hokey. I found myself wanting to gag over and over again. There were unnecessary details, cliches, outdated prose, & phrases repeated to excess. Chelsea's thoughts to herself were especially annoying. I often felt like I was reading a bad soap opera -- it was so overly dramatic. I don't consider myself a professional writer (not even close), but this book made me want to sit down & rewrite the whole story. I'm convinced I could've done it better.