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On Mystic Lake
Annie Colwater’s husband has just confessed that he’s in love with a younger woman. Devastated, Annie retreats to the small town where she grew up. There, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower who is unable to cope with his silent, emotionally scarred young daughter. Together, the three of them begin to heal. But just when Annie believes she’s been given a second chance at happiness, her world is turned upside down again, and she is forced to make a choice that no woman in love should ever have to make.
448 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1999
About the author
Kristin Hannah
129 books258k followersKristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, which was named Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People's Choice award for best fiction in the same year. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week. In 2018,
The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.
The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore's bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and The Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.
Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke and Season Two is currently set to conclude the series on April 27, 2023.
Her new novel, The Women, about a young woman coming of age during the turbulent 1960's in America, who joins the Army Nurse Corps and serves in Vietnam will be published February 6th, 2024.
A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.
The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.
The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore's bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and The Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.
Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke and Season Two is currently set to conclude the series on April 27, 2023.
Her new novel, The Women, about a young woman coming of age during the turbulent 1960's in America, who joins the Army Nurse Corps and serves in Vietnam will be published February 6th, 2024.
A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,466 reviews
August 12, 2019
Kristin Hannah spoils me with her amazing writing. I’m sure I’ll have to turn in my “man card” for saying this, but she melted me with this story about Annie, a woman who gets a second chance at life after having twenty years of marriage and her life uprooted by her cheating asshole husband. While it’s not “The Nightingale” or “The Great Alone,” it’s still an easy 5 stars, and better than 99.9999999% of the books you’ll read.
March 8, 2011
The cover of this book should have Fabio on it because it is a pathetic Harlequin romance book masquerading as a novel. The characters are stereotypical and flat. The plot is predictable. Had it not been the choice for my bookclub I would have tossed it at chapter 1. And yes, I am working to have the person who selected this for bookclub removed from the club and placed into a PTA coffee clatch.
November 11, 2024
On Mystic Lake follows Anna, who returns to her childhood home after her husband tells her he’s in love with a younger women. As she grapples with her new future , Anna finds solace and healing in the community of her childhood home in Mystic Lake. Along the way, she reconnects with old friends, an old love interest and forms new bonds, and faces the unresolved pain of her past.
The characters’ emotional journeys are at the forefront of the narrative, and the setting plays a significant role in shaping their transformations. You can’t help but feel for the characters as they navigate their personal struggles. The pace is on the slower end but allowing for character development and emotional depth to shine, while the rich descriptions of the setting add an almost cinematic quality to the narrative.
While the book offers a satisfying and well-crafted plot, at times the pacing felt a little slow. But if you appreciate character-driven narratives. You will surely like this one,
It may not have the same immediate drama as some of Hannah’s other works, but its emotional impact makes it a worthwhile read.
This story follows themes of love, loss, healing, and the complexity of human relationships.
Quotes-
💘"I didn't know how...deep love ran, how it was in your blood, not your heart, and how that same blood pumped through your veins your whole life.”
💘"....both had learned that everything could change in an instant, and that the heartfelt vows of people in love were fragile words that, once shattered, could cut so deeply you'd bleed forever.”
💘"If she wasn't careful, she'd slide without a ripple into the gently flowing stream of her old life, pulled back under the current without a wimper of protest. Another housewife lost in the flow.”
💘"People leave, and if you loved too deeply, too fiercely, their swift and sudden absence could chill you to the soul.”
💘"A dad... he teaches responsibility and accountability, but a mom... ah, a mom teaches her child to dream, to reach for the stars and to believe in fairy tales.”
My KH Book Ratings-
✨The Woman- 5 Stars
✨The Great Alone- 5 Stars
✨Firefly Lane- 5 Stars
✨The Nightingale- 4.5 Stars
✨The Four Winds- 4 Stars
✨Home Front- 4 Stars
✨Summer Island- 4 Stars
✨True Colors- 4 Stars
✨Fly Away- 4 Stars
The characters’ emotional journeys are at the forefront of the narrative, and the setting plays a significant role in shaping their transformations. You can’t help but feel for the characters as they navigate their personal struggles. The pace is on the slower end but allowing for character development and emotional depth to shine, while the rich descriptions of the setting add an almost cinematic quality to the narrative.
While the book offers a satisfying and well-crafted plot, at times the pacing felt a little slow. But if you appreciate character-driven narratives. You will surely like this one,
It may not have the same immediate drama as some of Hannah’s other works, but its emotional impact makes it a worthwhile read.
This story follows themes of love, loss, healing, and the complexity of human relationships.
Quotes-
💘"I didn't know how...deep love ran, how it was in your blood, not your heart, and how that same blood pumped through your veins your whole life.”
💘"....both had learned that everything could change in an instant, and that the heartfelt vows of people in love were fragile words that, once shattered, could cut so deeply you'd bleed forever.”
💘"If she wasn't careful, she'd slide without a ripple into the gently flowing stream of her old life, pulled back under the current without a wimper of protest. Another housewife lost in the flow.”
💘"People leave, and if you loved too deeply, too fiercely, their swift and sudden absence could chill you to the soul.”
💘"A dad... he teaches responsibility and accountability, but a mom... ah, a mom teaches her child to dream, to reach for the stars and to believe in fairy tales.”
My KH Book Ratings-
✨The Woman- 5 Stars
✨The Great Alone- 5 Stars
✨Firefly Lane- 5 Stars
✨The Nightingale- 4.5 Stars
✨The Four Winds- 4 Stars
✨Home Front- 4 Stars
✨Summer Island- 4 Stars
✨True Colors- 4 Stars
✨Fly Away- 4 Stars
May 15, 2017
CHICK-LIT
BLURB
Annie Colwater’s husband has just confessed that he’s in love with a younger woman. Devastated, Annie retreats to the small town where she grew up. There, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower who is unable to cope with his silent, emotionally scarred young daughter. Together, the three of them begin to heal. But just when Annie believes she’s been given a second chance at happiness, her world is turned upside down again, and she is forced to make a choice that no woman in love should ever have to make.
COMMENTS:
Growing up meant to cut her waist-length hair at the age of thirty-nine - a symbolic act. No more playing the young girl in a woman's body. Life threw her a curve ball and tested her ability to change and grow.
For the right audience: yes. For me: No.
Too formulaic, predictable. Nothing new. Clichéd. You read one, you read them all. Giving a friend a new lease on life, being inspirational, was noble. Third star is for that.
The ending was GREAT, if the double-impact, sort of, is ignored ! But perhaps that's just the thing. It leaves something to talk about.
BLURB
Annie Colwater’s husband has just confessed that he’s in love with a younger woman. Devastated, Annie retreats to the small town where she grew up. There, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower who is unable to cope with his silent, emotionally scarred young daughter. Together, the three of them begin to heal. But just when Annie believes she’s been given a second chance at happiness, her world is turned upside down again, and she is forced to make a choice that no woman in love should ever have to make.
COMMENTS:
Growing up meant to cut her waist-length hair at the age of thirty-nine - a symbolic act. No more playing the young girl in a woman's body. Life threw her a curve ball and tested her ability to change and grow.
For the right audience: yes. For me: No.
Too formulaic, predictable. Nothing new. Clichéd. You read one, you read them all. Giving a friend a new lease on life, being inspirational, was noble. Third star is for that.
The ending was GREAT, if the double-impact, sort of, is ignored ! But perhaps that's just the thing. It leaves something to talk about.
July 9, 2014
I only picked up this book after reading all the positive reviews. Too bad for me as I thought it was total rubbish.
After 20 years of being the perfect wife of a successful lawyer and perfect mother to her daughter, her husband tells her he's in love with another woman and wants a divorce. Annie decides to go home where she grew up. She wants to find herself, figure out who she really is and what she wants out of life. She keeps praying her husband will call and tell her he made a mistake. She becomes depressed, crying all the time (and believe me she cries constantly throughout). Within days she finds out that her best friend, Kathy (whom she never kept in touch with) (also the wife of the boy she loved long ago) has passed away. She goes to see her first love, Nick, and finds out his six year old daughter, Izzy, is emotionally damaged (total shocker). This is where the book takes a nose-dive for me. Annie decides to help out with taking care of the house and Izzy, doing everything a mother does for her child from making meals, entertaining her with arts and crafts, reading her stories, etc. etc. She continues this for three months and along the way starts a relationship with Nick. This is how she's supposed to find herself? To be in the role of a wife and a mother? The same roles she just left behind? Give me a break. Then her husband comes back and tells her he made a mistake and asks if she will come back home. Guess what? She does. So much for finding herself.
Addendum
I read this novel back in 2011, and after the latest comment, I decided to borrow the book from the library to double-check how the book ended. It's seems I was correct, but so were all those who commented. I should've made my review a little more clearer by adding that "the female protagonist did indeed return to Mystic Lake to be with Nick, AFTER she returned back to her unfaithful husband" at the end of my review.
I love reading books and I love discussing them with others. No one is perfect, and God knows I'm not. No matter what my thoughts and opinions are about a book, I've always respected all those who take the time to write one, even if I don't happen to agree with their ratings. It's too bad that there are those who would rather insult readers. Sad.
As for my one-star rating? No change.
After 20 years of being the perfect wife of a successful lawyer and perfect mother to her daughter, her husband tells her he's in love with another woman and wants a divorce. Annie decides to go home where she grew up. She wants to find herself, figure out who she really is and what she wants out of life. She keeps praying her husband will call and tell her he made a mistake. She becomes depressed, crying all the time (and believe me she cries constantly throughout). Within days she finds out that her best friend, Kathy (whom she never kept in touch with) (also the wife of the boy she loved long ago) has passed away. She goes to see her first love, Nick, and finds out his six year old daughter, Izzy, is emotionally damaged (total shocker). This is where the book takes a nose-dive for me. Annie decides to help out with taking care of the house and Izzy, doing everything a mother does for her child from making meals, entertaining her with arts and crafts, reading her stories, etc. etc. She continues this for three months and along the way starts a relationship with Nick. This is how she's supposed to find herself? To be in the role of a wife and a mother? The same roles she just left behind? Give me a break. Then her husband comes back and tells her he made a mistake and asks if she will come back home. Guess what? She does. So much for finding herself.
Addendum
I read this novel back in 2011, and after the latest comment, I decided to borrow the book from the library to double-check how the book ended. It's seems I was correct, but so were all those who commented. I should've made my review a little more clearer by adding that "the female protagonist did indeed return to Mystic Lake to be with Nick, AFTER she returned back to her unfaithful husband" at the end of my review.
I love reading books and I love discussing them with others. No one is perfect, and God knows I'm not. No matter what my thoughts and opinions are about a book, I've always respected all those who take the time to write one, even if I don't happen to agree with their ratings. It's too bad that there are those who would rather insult readers. Sad.
As for my one-star rating? No change.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2022
On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah is a book about love, forgiveness and moving on. 4 adults from dysfunction. Toxic relationships don’t make lifelong partners. They just produce more dysfunction later in life. Sometimes what is toxic for one does not mean for others. New life blossoms and a second chance for love.
Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors. This book was more generic and characters developed loosely.
Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors. This book was more generic and characters developed loosely.
March 19, 2010
My husband asked me, "Is that the Sean Penn movie you're reading?" and I said, "No, that's Mystic River, not On Mystic Lake."
I was so disappointed in On Mystic Lake. Kristin Hannah writes such well-thought out, full, compelling characters that I had really high expectations. (Firefly Lane is amazing!)
When Annie's teenage daughter leaves for a semester abroad, Annie thinks she and her husband can finally reconnect. Instead, he tells her he's in love with another woman and leaving her. Cliche, sure, but Hannah would handle it well, I believed. Annie spent her whole life being a mom, and housekeeper, so I thought this would be a novel about finding yourself, and what makes you happy.
So Annie runs home to Mystic River and her father and promptly hooks up with her high school sweetheart, Nick, who married her best friend, Kathy. Kathy committed suicide eight months ago, leaving a floundering Nick, and lonely daughter Izzy, who became mute suddenly and is convinced she's disappearing.
Annie becomes Izzy's housekeeper, despite her father's concern. Annie rants to him, "You told me I need to find a project. What am I supposed to do - cure cancer? I'm a wife and mother. That's all I know. All I am." Okay, Annie, how about finding a therapist? Or a career counselor? Did feminism pass Mystic River by? Ridiculous. Especially since she starts living there, cooking meals, planting a garden, doing crafts.
Finally, Annie's friend Terry asks what I was hoping to ask Annie, "You just spent twenty years waiting for a a man to come home - now you're waiting for another man?" Exactly, Terry. Apparently, it's fine to be a housekeeper/wife/mother if it's the right man, and he doesn't cheat on you.
I was so disappointed. Co-dependent love story - almost worrisome, overly-sentimental reflection, but no real growth in any of the characters.
I was so disappointed in On Mystic Lake. Kristin Hannah writes such well-thought out, full, compelling characters that I had really high expectations. (Firefly Lane is amazing!)
When Annie's teenage daughter leaves for a semester abroad, Annie thinks she and her husband can finally reconnect. Instead, he tells her he's in love with another woman and leaving her. Cliche, sure, but Hannah would handle it well, I believed. Annie spent her whole life being a mom, and housekeeper, so I thought this would be a novel about finding yourself, and what makes you happy.
So Annie runs home to Mystic River and her father and promptly hooks up with her high school sweetheart, Nick, who married her best friend, Kathy. Kathy committed suicide eight months ago, leaving a floundering Nick, and lonely daughter Izzy, who became mute suddenly and is convinced she's disappearing.
Annie becomes Izzy's housekeeper, despite her father's concern. Annie rants to him, "You told me I need to find a project. What am I supposed to do - cure cancer? I'm a wife and mother. That's all I know. All I am." Okay, Annie, how about finding a therapist? Or a career counselor? Did feminism pass Mystic River by? Ridiculous. Especially since she starts living there, cooking meals, planting a garden, doing crafts.
Finally, Annie's friend Terry asks what I was hoping to ask Annie, "You just spent twenty years waiting for a a man to come home - now you're waiting for another man?" Exactly, Terry. Apparently, it's fine to be a housekeeper/wife/mother if it's the right man, and he doesn't cheat on you.
I was so disappointed. Co-dependent love story - almost worrisome, overly-sentimental reflection, but no real growth in any of the characters.
June 10, 2022
Annie is 39 years old and about to launch her daughter off to the UK before she starts her freshman year in college. As her and her husband of 20 years pull into the driveway after bringing their only child to the airport he tells her he wants a divorce- he is in love with someone else.
Annie is devastated and shell-shocked.
And now the story begins. She goes back to her childhood home to spend some time with her dad and begins to grow up and find herself for the first time in her life.
This is an older book of Kristin Hannah’s but her ability to reach into your chest and give your heart a squeeze is still strong in this story.
I would have loved a couple of POV chapters with her daughter, Natalie. I don’t think the story was lacking without it but I felt like she was a strong and confident young woman and I think developing her character just a bit more may have added some sprinkles to the cake.
With or without that extra bit- I did enjoy reading this one very much.
P.S. it was fun for me to read about Annie visiting Sol Duc Hot springs and Kalaloch on the Olympic Peninsula - such a beautiful area and I was reminiscing about a family vacation we had there a couple years back.
Annie is devastated and shell-shocked.
And now the story begins. She goes back to her childhood home to spend some time with her dad and begins to grow up and find herself for the first time in her life.
This is an older book of Kristin Hannah’s but her ability to reach into your chest and give your heart a squeeze is still strong in this story.
I would have loved a couple of POV chapters with her daughter, Natalie. I don’t think the story was lacking without it but I felt like she was a strong and confident young woman and I think developing her character just a bit more may have added some sprinkles to the cake.
With or without that extra bit- I did enjoy reading this one very much.
P.S. it was fun for me to read about Annie visiting Sol Duc Hot springs and Kalaloch on the Olympic Peninsula - such a beautiful area and I was reminiscing about a family vacation we had there a couple years back.
September 18, 2023
Catching up…
Annie Colwater is ready to begin a new romance with her husband Brent of 20 years once they put their only child on a plane for her own independent adventure. But, as he drops her off at home, he utters the words, “I want a divorce.”
And…
Along with those words, informs her that he has been carrying on with another woman for the last year.
Since…
Annie’s self-identity has been about being a wife and a mother, everything has been taken from her.
What is she to do?
She decides to return to Mystic, the small town where she grew up, hoping that Blake will call and return to her.
In the meantime, she looks after the small daughter, Izzy, of her first love, Nick, now the town policeman.
Nick has his own demons, and the two fall into something as a way to “save” each other’s fragile hearts.
Even Izzy needs help, and Annie seems to be the person to help draw her out of her shell.
There were moments where this reader just wanted to scream at Annie for her lack of self-assurance.
And yet…
Without going into any spoilers...
Annie faces a surprise and a heartbreaking decision:
Will she be the new Annie, self-assured and confident, or the old Annie, who does everything to please everyone but herself?
Or...
Is the solution to be found in the middle?
I have read a lot of Kristin Hannah. This is one of her older books. As I said at the very beginning, I am playing catch up. As an author, with her newer books, I believe she has improved in her storytelling delivery.
This one felt more chic-lit, been-here-before, whatever, let’s just end it...thus...making it more gimmicky. 3.5 stars.
Annie Colwater is ready to begin a new romance with her husband Brent of 20 years once they put their only child on a plane for her own independent adventure. But, as he drops her off at home, he utters the words, “I want a divorce.”
And…
Along with those words, informs her that he has been carrying on with another woman for the last year.
Since…
Annie’s self-identity has been about being a wife and a mother, everything has been taken from her.
What is she to do?
She decides to return to Mystic, the small town where she grew up, hoping that Blake will call and return to her.
In the meantime, she looks after the small daughter, Izzy, of her first love, Nick, now the town policeman.
Nick has his own demons, and the two fall into something as a way to “save” each other’s fragile hearts.
Even Izzy needs help, and Annie seems to be the person to help draw her out of her shell.
There were moments where this reader just wanted to scream at Annie for her lack of self-assurance.
And yet…
Without going into any spoilers...
Annie faces a surprise and a heartbreaking decision:
Will she be the new Annie, self-assured and confident, or the old Annie, who does everything to please everyone but herself?
Or...
Is the solution to be found in the middle?
I have read a lot of Kristin Hannah. This is one of her older books. As I said at the very beginning, I am playing catch up. As an author, with her newer books, I believe she has improved in her storytelling delivery.
This one felt more chic-lit, been-here-before, whatever, let’s just end it...thus...making it more gimmicky. 3.5 stars.
October 25, 2023
This was a lovely book about family, love, and identity. This story was emotional and sweet. At first I didn’t really like any of the characters but then you meet Izzy and then Annie becomes someone so likable. Annie and Blake have been married for 20 years and the day they send their 17 year old daughter to London, Blake blurts that he has fallen in love with a younger woman and he wants a divorce. Annie was heartbroken and begged him to wait and have them be separated for a few months. So much can happen in the span of a few months and when Annie goes to her hometown she finds more than she expected.
July 19, 2016
This novel is beautifully written, rich with deep insights on the complexities of love, relationships, and marriage. I read it in one sitting- that is how profound I found the storyline.
January 1, 2025
Kaip gera naujus metus pasitikti su tokia begalo puikia knyga. 💜 Neveltui tai mano mylima rašytoja. Buvo taip gera pasinerti į tokią jautrią ir gyvenimišką istoriją.
" Ilgiausia kelionė prasideda nuo vieno mažo žingsnio".
" Lietus, tai angelo ašaros".
" Ilgiausia kelionė prasideda nuo vieno mažo žingsnio".
" Lietus, tai angelo ašaros".
October 1, 2024
3.5⭐️
Vienos jos knygos užkabina visas širdies stygas, kitos praplaukia ir nepaliečia. Kristin Hannah visad yra staigmena, nes nežinia kuris variantas nutiks. Žinau, tik kad visada bus liečiamos jautrios temos: ar tai šeima, ar tai santykiai, vaikai ir meilė. Mistiko ežeras apjungė kone visas ir pati nepajutau kaip įsitraukiau, kaip palaikiau veikėjus, pergyvenau, liūdėjau ir džiaugiausi kartu su jais.
Žinoma, be klišių apsieita nebuvo: nuo nelaimingo prabangaus gyvenimo bėganti moteris atsiduria mažam, gimtam miestely, kur sutinka savo jaunystės meilę. Tačiau tik tiek to šablono, nes visi kiti reikalai tikrai buvo rimti, skaudūs ir netikėti. Labai daug sudėtingų gyvenimiškų temų. Nuo potrauminio streso sindromo iki priklausomybių. Nuo savęs kūrimo iš naujo, iki absoliučiai viską jaukiančių gyvenimo pamėtėtų išbandymų.
Patiko man. Patiko, kad nebuvo viskas saldu ir nulaižyta. Patiko pagrindinės veikėjo realistiškumas - ne viskas išsisprendžia panorėjus, ne visada lengva pasitraukti iš patogios vietos, net jei kasdiena skaudina, ne visada išeina klausyti širdies. Maloniai susiskaitė. Rekomenduočiau dramas mėgstantiems, bet kartu norintiems ir solidaus pasakojimo.
Vienos jos knygos užkabina visas širdies stygas, kitos praplaukia ir nepaliečia. Kristin Hannah visad yra staigmena, nes nežinia kuris variantas nutiks. Žinau, tik kad visada bus liečiamos jautrios temos: ar tai šeima, ar tai santykiai, vaikai ir meilė. Mistiko ežeras apjungė kone visas ir pati nepajutau kaip įsitraukiau, kaip palaikiau veikėjus, pergyvenau, liūdėjau ir džiaugiausi kartu su jais.
Žinoma, be klišių apsieita nebuvo: nuo nelaimingo prabangaus gyvenimo bėganti moteris atsiduria mažam, gimtam miestely, kur sutinka savo jaunystės meilę. Tačiau tik tiek to šablono, nes visi kiti reikalai tikrai buvo rimti, skaudūs ir netikėti. Labai daug sudėtingų gyvenimiškų temų. Nuo potrauminio streso sindromo iki priklausomybių. Nuo savęs kūrimo iš naujo, iki absoliučiai viską jaukiančių gyvenimo pamėtėtų išbandymų.
Patiko man. Patiko, kad nebuvo viskas saldu ir nulaižyta. Patiko pagrindinės veikėjo realistiškumas - ne viskas išsisprendžia panorėjus, ne visada lengva pasitraukti iš patogios vietos, net jei kasdiena skaudina, ne visada išeina klausyti širdies. Maloniai susiskaitė. Rekomenduočiau dramas mėgstantiems, bet kartu norintiems ir solidaus pasakojimo.
October 31, 2019
DO NOT PICK UP BOOKS BY THIS AUTOR. HATE HER STYLE OF STORY TELLING. WOMEN ARE COMPLETE ONLY THROUGH MEN!
These type of books make me want to barf! I just cannot stand women that become "complete" when they meet the right man! Here you have an intelligent women that graduated from Stanford University and then marries a man and becomes "a typical housewife" and then after he says he wants to divorce she goes on to meet the man of her dreams! The man of her dreams also happens to be the man she fell in love with during high school! She has no other life other than the life she's made around her husband and then this other man who just happens to need someone to take care of his child after becoming a widow! All they do is remember what high school was like, my goodness, how little they think of the reader ! Barf, barf, barf! I am sick and tired of reading these stories that revolve around men! I am desperately seeking a novel that revolves around strong womem, strong women that rely on each other and not some man! Stop it with these dumb, numbing stories.
These type of books make me want to barf! I just cannot stand women that become "complete" when they meet the right man! Here you have an intelligent women that graduated from Stanford University and then marries a man and becomes "a typical housewife" and then after he says he wants to divorce she goes on to meet the man of her dreams! The man of her dreams also happens to be the man she fell in love with during high school! She has no other life other than the life she's made around her husband and then this other man who just happens to need someone to take care of his child after becoming a widow! All they do is remember what high school was like, my goodness, how little they think of the reader ! Barf, barf, barf! I am sick and tired of reading these stories that revolve around men! I am desperately seeking a novel that revolves around strong womem, strong women that rely on each other and not some man! Stop it with these dumb, numbing stories.
October 17, 2024
Dar viena ypatingai jautri, gili, tikrai ne persaldinta knyga apie meilę, kuri ne visada būna tobula, apie santykius, šeimą, vaikus...
Wow, puiku, nuostabu! P.S kažkodėl labai priminė knygą Nicholas Sparks "Artima siela".
Wow, puiku, nuostabu! P.S kažkodėl labai priminė knygą Nicholas Sparks "Artima siela".
September 14, 2017
After sending off her daughter to live overseas, Annie Colwater is devastated when her husband confesses he has been having an affair and wants a divorce. Annie decides a change of scenery might lift her spirits so she heads to her childhood home of Mystic, Washington. She soon finds out that her first love, Nick, has recently lost his wife and both Nick and his young daughter, Izzie, are having a hard time coping with the death. As the three of them spend more and more time together, each one make significant steps in the healing process. But soon Annie will be faced with some important decisions.
While this book definitely has some romance, I think the strength of the book is showing the different ways people cope with grief. Izzie is the real star of the story in my opinion and you can't help but fall in love with the little girl who is having a hard time adjusting to the loss of her mother.
If you are looking for a good female empowerment book, I wouldn't recommend this one. Annie is a bit of a weak character and at times you might become frustrated with some of the choices she makes. Despite some of my problems with Annie, I still enjoyed the book and thought it made a good weekend read.
While this book definitely has some romance, I think the strength of the book is showing the different ways people cope with grief. Izzie is the real star of the story in my opinion and you can't help but fall in love with the little girl who is having a hard time adjusting to the loss of her mother.
If you are looking for a good female empowerment book, I wouldn't recommend this one. Annie is a bit of a weak character and at times you might become frustrated with some of the choices she makes. Despite some of my problems with Annie, I still enjoyed the book and thought it made a good weekend read.
July 6, 2009
another amazing book by kristin hannah! i was able to truly connect with annie and see some of myself in her. authors that can do that for me really earn my respect. highly recommend this one!
September 15, 2014
Beautifully written book about marriage, divorce, and motherhood.
August 31, 2022
5 stars - Women's Fiction/Contemporary Romance
This is a beautiful, emotional story about finding yourself again and the healing power of love in all its forms with a tender, touching romance at the heart of it. The book needed better editing because there wasn't any spacing/separation breaks for paragraphs that started new content or change in time/scene/location. I also wanted more from the ending. I would've loved a couple more chapters and/or an epilogue showing Still, I was deeply moved by this heartrending and heartwarming story. 5 stars!
This is a beautiful, emotional story about finding yourself again and the healing power of love in all its forms with a tender, touching romance at the heart of it. The book needed better editing because there wasn't any spacing/separation breaks for paragraphs that started new content or change in time/scene/location. I also wanted more from the ending. I would've loved a couple more chapters and/or an epilogue showing Still, I was deeply moved by this heartrending and heartwarming story. 5 stars!
July 13, 2014
What a disappointing read. Don't waste your time.
September 2, 2019
There are a lot of women who will relate to this novel and love it. I actually thought of many women in my own life as I was reading it--women who've unexpectedly found themselves needing to redefine/define themselves because of a triggering life event. However, this novel is definitely more in the Eat, Pray, Love category than in the caliber of Hannah's later novels (The Great Alone, Winter Garden, and The Nightingale).
Random aside and personal bias: Hannah repeatedly paints a picture of Southern California that is very artificial and contrived. As a native Southern Californian, it kept bugging me.
Random aside and personal bias: Hannah repeatedly paints a picture of Southern California that is very artificial and contrived. As a native Southern Californian, it kept bugging me.
May 14, 2019
Last year I read two of Kristin Hannah’s books. The Great Alone and The Nightingale. They were two of the best books I’d ever read. I was so happy to find out she’s a prolific writer and I’d be able to enjoy every single one of her books. I don’t know what made me start with this one. I hate love stories. But given her last two books I thought it might be as good. It was not. It was such a cliche of a story. It was so sappy and predictable I just wanted to throw it across the room when I was finished.
March 6, 2012
This was a re-read for me. The first time I read it I did not write a review, but this time I just can't not write one. With the emotions On Mystic Lake brought out in me I feel the need to share the experience.
Annie is the perfect wife and the perfect mother. Well at least she thought she was before her 17 year old daughter left on a 3 month trip to Europe about an hour before her husband told her he was in love with another YOUNGER woman and wanted a divorce.
When her husband first leaves her, Annie falls apart. Her only emotionally saving salvation is a visit to Mystic, the small logging community in northern Washington where she grew up and her father still lives. In Mystic Annie finds love again. Love in the form of a true understanding of herself and what she wants for her OWN life, not needing to live the life her heel of a husband sets for her. Love also in the form of a lost and lonely old friend and his equally lost 6 year old daughter. Everything is falling into place in Annie's life. Nick and Izzy have become a intricate part in her healing, as she has become part of theirs. Until her husband pops back into the picture and something completely unexpected happens to shatter her new little world.
The first time I read this I actually read the book. This time around I listened to the audio version. I loved On Mystic Lake the first time I read it, but listening to it... I don't know if it was just that time of the month *wink* or the gifted way the reader narrated it, but I was on the verge of tears throughout almost the entire book. Happy tears, sad tears, and every kind of in between tears plagued me.
When Annie's husband left her and she was alone in her bed, I felt it in every word I read. When Nick explained how he and his wife's lives were, up until the time of her death, he was actually telling this to ME... When Izzy was trying to get the words out to her daddy to tell him she loved him, I was part of the lump in her throat. And my biggest feeling, when Annie's husband told her he loved another woman in the driveway outside their house, about an hour after they dropped her daughter at the airport, when she was feeling so alone and sad, missing her baby so much already, I hated him so much I wanted to ram my knee in his crotch.
I am not big on "chic lit". I prefer full on romances. Not really needing inspirational girly stories about how one fictional woman over came a silly obstacle. This chic lit prejudice of mine does not apply here. All though there are several romantic elements, this is not a "classic" romance story. It is about a 39 year old woman who after years of taking care of everyone around her, finally has to take care of herself. And this did not take away from the story, or my love of it one tiny bit.
This was only my first re-read of On Mystic Lake, but now that I've reminded myself of what a great story Kristen Hannah created it won't be my last.
Annie is the perfect wife and the perfect mother. Well at least she thought she was before her 17 year old daughter left on a 3 month trip to Europe about an hour before her husband told her he was in love with another YOUNGER woman and wanted a divorce.
When her husband first leaves her, Annie falls apart. Her only emotionally saving salvation is a visit to Mystic, the small logging community in northern Washington where she grew up and her father still lives. In Mystic Annie finds love again. Love in the form of a true understanding of herself and what she wants for her OWN life, not needing to live the life her heel of a husband sets for her. Love also in the form of a lost and lonely old friend and his equally lost 6 year old daughter. Everything is falling into place in Annie's life. Nick and Izzy have become a intricate part in her healing, as she has become part of theirs. Until her husband pops back into the picture and something completely unexpected happens to shatter her new little world.
The first time I read this I actually read the book. This time around I listened to the audio version. I loved On Mystic Lake the first time I read it, but listening to it... I don't know if it was just that time of the month *wink* or the gifted way the reader narrated it, but I was on the verge of tears throughout almost the entire book. Happy tears, sad tears, and every kind of in between tears plagued me.
When Annie's husband left her and she was alone in her bed, I felt it in every word I read. When Nick explained how he and his wife's lives were, up until the time of her death, he was actually telling this to ME... When Izzy was trying to get the words out to her daddy to tell him she loved him, I was part of the lump in her throat. And my biggest feeling, when Annie's husband told her he loved another woman in the driveway outside their house, about an hour after they dropped her daughter at the airport, when she was feeling so alone and sad, missing her baby so much already, I hated him so much I wanted to ram my knee in his crotch.
I am not big on "chic lit". I prefer full on romances. Not really needing inspirational girly stories about how one fictional woman over came a silly obstacle. This chic lit prejudice of mine does not apply here. All though there are several romantic elements, this is not a "classic" romance story. It is about a 39 year old woman who after years of taking care of everyone around her, finally has to take care of herself. And this did not take away from the story, or my love of it one tiny bit.
This was only my first re-read of On Mystic Lake, but now that I've reminded myself of what a great story Kristen Hannah created it won't be my last.
March 14, 2020
Another KH Novel. She cannot do wrong in my eyes. Love her books.
Full review to come
Full review to come
July 19, 2024
Istorija priminė vakarais televizijos kanale TV8 rodomus filmus arba Rosamunde Pilcher romanus 😁. Tokiose istorijose nelaiminga moteris grįžta į gimtuosius namus ir ten sutinka savo pirmąją meilę. Toliau jau pasakojimo siužetas aiškus, nelieka jokios intrigos. Tiesa, man labai patinka Kristin Hannah knygos, bet ši, gaila, nenustebino. Na, gal ir pateisinu autorę, nes tai buvo viena iš pirmųjų jos parašytų knygų.
January 7, 2012
This book was insane! For the first book that I've read by Kristin Hannah I was pleasantly surprised. On mystic lake was powerful and real. A book that captures the world we live in that vividly is beyond powerful.
Annie is hit by life changing events when her husband confesses that he is in love with another woman. Her world is shattered. Nick is now a widower trying to somehow figure out how to be a single father.
On mystic lake made me so mad I could throw it against a wall. But something about the story line made me continue. My heart broke for Annie. Then it was reassembled again. I felt so many emotions reading this book it is hard to put into words. The heart break and romance of this story reminds me of a beloved Nicholas Sparks book. While they are not anywhere near the same the feelings that the books gives you is that of which you would find in one of his books. Kristin Hannah is a complex writer. There are many levels in her book. This is not a light read, as you may think it would be. It has been sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of months and I decided that I would give it a shot. Empathy is all I feel for Annie and Nick. They both suffer something horrific but somehow are finding a way to heal.
Annie is hit by life changing events when her husband confesses that he is in love with another woman. Her world is shattered. Nick is now a widower trying to somehow figure out how to be a single father.
On mystic lake made me so mad I could throw it against a wall. But something about the story line made me continue. My heart broke for Annie. Then it was reassembled again. I felt so many emotions reading this book it is hard to put into words. The heart break and romance of this story reminds me of a beloved Nicholas Sparks book. While they are not anywhere near the same the feelings that the books gives you is that of which you would find in one of his books. Kristin Hannah is a complex writer. There are many levels in her book. This is not a light read, as you may think it would be. It has been sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of months and I decided that I would give it a shot. Empathy is all I feel for Annie and Nick. They both suffer something horrific but somehow are finding a way to heal.
June 29, 2018
O carte minunată, o poveste de viaţă impresionantă, poate cea mai frumoasă carte a lui Kristin Hannah. Am citit-o cu sufletul şi am empatizat cu Annie, cu Nick, cu Izzy - personajele mele preferate din carte - fiecare în parte atins de propria suferinţă, căreia nu-i pot face faţă singuri.
Povestea este împărţită în trei părți, fiecare din acestea începând cu un minunat citat, foarte inspirat ales.
"Ca să pornești la drum în căutarea sinelui tău nu e nevoie să cauți peisaje noi, ci să adopți o perspectivă nouă." (Marcel Proust)
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/dou...
Povestea este împărţită în trei părți, fiecare din acestea începând cu un minunat citat, foarte inspirat ales.
"Ca să pornești la drum în căutarea sinelui tău nu e nevoie să cauți peisaje noi, ci să adopți o perspectivă nouă." (Marcel Proust)
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/dou...
October 9, 2018
Mooi ontroerend verhaal over Annie, een min of meer huissloofje, die uiteindelijk voor zichzelf kiest! Aanrader!
November 17, 2024
This audiobook was so enjoyable to listen to! The narration was excellent…and of course the storyline was so well thought out and poignant. Loved it!
January 16, 2024
„Sunt indragostit de alta femeie.” Prin aceste cuvinte simple, Blake Colwater a pus capat unei casnicii de doua decenii. De pe o zi pe alta, si-a parasit domiciliul conjugal si s-a mutat la noua lui iubita, deschizand procedura de divort.
Annie, sotia lui, este distrusa; a fost tradata tocmai ea, care a sacrificat totul pentru fericirea familiei.
In lipsa lui Natalie, fiica lor de saptesprezece ani plecata la studii in strainatate, se simte cu totul abandonata, fara nici un reper stabil in noua viata.
In pragul depresiei, Annie se refugiaza la tatal ei, in Mystic, oraselul in care a copilarit, unde spera sa poata gasi un nou inceput.
Cam asta e subiectul cartii, dar in realitate este despre mult mai mult: despre viata, despre alegeri, despre moarte, despre teama si despre puterea de a merge mai departe. Chiar daca e usor cliseica, personajele sunt previzibile, mie cartea mi-a placut.
Mi s-a parut o poveste scrisa binisor, dar dumnezeule... nu aveti habar cat m-a enervat Annie la inceput! Imi venea sa-i dau doua palme peste ochi, sa se trezesca la realitate. Atat se ruga de barbasu’ sa nu o lase incat ziceai ca au mancat lupii tara de barbati.
Bine ca pe parcurs a revenit la ganduri mai bune si si-a canalizat energia pe ea si dorintele ei.
Povestea asta este exemplul clar de fie roata si patrata, tot se intoarce ea odata si se aplica perfect in cazul sotului.
Nu o mai lungesc.
E o poveste frumoasa, ce mi-a atins sufletul.
5 stele, ca n-am inchis un ochi toata noaptea ca sa o termin. 🤩🤩🤩
Annie, sotia lui, este distrusa; a fost tradata tocmai ea, care a sacrificat totul pentru fericirea familiei.
In lipsa lui Natalie, fiica lor de saptesprezece ani plecata la studii in strainatate, se simte cu totul abandonata, fara nici un reper stabil in noua viata.
In pragul depresiei, Annie se refugiaza la tatal ei, in Mystic, oraselul in care a copilarit, unde spera sa poata gasi un nou inceput.
Cam asta e subiectul cartii, dar in realitate este despre mult mai mult: despre viata, despre alegeri, despre moarte, despre teama si despre puterea de a merge mai departe. Chiar daca e usor cliseica, personajele sunt previzibile, mie cartea mi-a placut.
Mi s-a parut o poveste scrisa binisor, dar dumnezeule... nu aveti habar cat m-a enervat Annie la inceput! Imi venea sa-i dau doua palme peste ochi, sa se trezesca la realitate. Atat se ruga de barbasu’ sa nu o lase incat ziceai ca au mancat lupii tara de barbati.
Bine ca pe parcurs a revenit la ganduri mai bune si si-a canalizat energia pe ea si dorintele ei.
Povestea asta este exemplul clar de fie roata si patrata, tot se intoarce ea odata si se aplica perfect in cazul sotului.
Nu o mai lungesc.
E o poveste frumoasa, ce mi-a atins sufletul.
5 stele, ca n-am inchis un ochi toata noaptea ca sa o termin. 🤩🤩🤩
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