Title: Moonlight on Butternut Lake
Author: Mary McNear
Series: The Butternut Lake Trilogy, #3
Published: May 2015, William Morrow & Company
Format: ARC Paperback, 384 pages
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours
From the author of the
New York Times and USA Today bestselling Up at Butternut Lake comes the
third novel in the Butternut Lake series—a dazzling story of two wounded
souls seizing a second chance at life and loveOn the run from
her abusive husband, Mila Jones flees Minneapolis for the safety and
serenity of Butternut Lake. Ready to forge a new life, Mila’s position
as home health aide to Reid Ford is more than a job. It’s a chance at a
fresh start. Though her sullen patient seems determined to make her
quit, she refuses to give up on him.Haunted by the car accident
that nearly killed him, Reid retreats to his brother’s cabin on
Butternut Lake and lashes out at anyone who tries to help. Reid wishes
Mila would just go away. . .until he notices the strength, and the
secrets, behind her sad, brown eyes.Against all odds, Mila
slowly draws Reid out. Soon they form a tentative, yet increasingly
deeper, bond as Mila lowers her guard and begins to trust again, and
Reid learns how to let this woman who has managed to crack through his
protective shell into his life. While the seemingly endless days of
summer unfold, Reid and Mila take the first steps to healing as they
discover love can be more than just a dream.
My thoughts: This is the third installment in Mary McNear’s Butternut Lake trilogy and I’m so bummed to see it come to an end! I’ve really come to enjoy spending time at Butternut Lake and meet all the lovely characters that Mary Mcnear has introduced us to. That being said, I was kind of surprised to see that not many of the previous characters were actually present in this one, so much so that I felt this book really could be read as a stand-alone.
This book had a bit of a different feel to it than the previous two did in that it dealt with some pretty heavy issues. Both Mila and Reid are trying to deal with some personal demons – her an abusive husband and him a long road to recovery after a horrific car accident. I found the saying “You never really know someone” to be so true throughout this whole book because all along both were keeping secrets that prevented them from really getting to know each other.
They came together due to practical reasons – she was to be his third home health care aid and he provided a safe, secluded home for her (unbeknownst to him!). And while they both had their guards up, the bond between them slowly forms. I loved that there wasn’t an instant attraction between them, that this was to be a slow romance. There were so many sweet moments between them as their relationship grew.
This was a great series and I always get a little sad when I come to the last book because that means I will not have the opportunity to catch up with these characters and places I’ve come to enjoy visiting. That’s what I love about reading series. But, all good things must come to an end at some point, right?
Books in this series:
1. Up at Butternut Lake
2.5 Butternut Lake: The Night Before Christmas
3. Moonlight on Butternut Lake
About the author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mary
McNear is a writer living in San Francisco with her husband, two teenage
children, and a high-strung, minuscule white dog named Macaroon. She
writes her novels in a local donut shop where she sips Diet Pepsi,
observes the hubbub of neighborhood life, and tries to resist the
constant temptation of freshly made donuts. She bases her novels on a
lifetime of summers spent in a small town on a lake in the northern
Midwest.
Authors Links:
To see who else is participating in Mary McNear’s Moonlight on Butternut Lake tour, click here.
I've seen the first book around, and I had no idea it was part of a series. It sounds good, but that means adding four books to the list instead of just one……uh oh 🙂
Oh the end of a series is always bittersweet for me! I love the "completeness" of it all but I am still sad there won't be more 🙁
This sounds like a lovely series and one I've been really curious about. I'm so glad the whole trilogy is strong and will have to add it to my TBR.
I enjoyed the previous books and look forward to this!
It is always sad to see a great series come to the end but it's a sign of a great writer that you'll miss the characters and the setting so much. I enjoy rereading series' like this.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!