#BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “THE CRATER LAKE SERIES, Box Set One,” BY AUTHOR @FRANCISGUENETTE

• Title:  The Crater Lake Series: “Disappearing in Plain Sight,” “The Light Never Lies,” and “Chasing Down the Night”
• Author: Francis Guenette
• File Size: 3331 KB
• Print Length:
•  Page Numbers Source ISBN:
•  Publisher: Huckleberry Haven Publishing
• Publication Date: June 30, 2015
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
•  Language: English
• ASIN:  B010QZ12K0
• ISBN-10:
• ISBN-13: 9780994066404
• Formats:  Kindle
• Genres: Women’s Fiction, Romance, Drama,  Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Romance

The boxed set of The Crater Lake Series is comprised of three full-length novels. I will give a brief review of all three books in sequence order.

*The author provided me a copy of the series in exchange for an honest review which follows.*

“Disappearing in Plain Sight” Book One

Sixteen-year-old Lisa Marie has a dark past in Ontario that she would like to get away from, so when she is forced to visit her aunt in Crater Lake on Vancouver Island off the coast of British Columbia for the summer, she jumps at the chance.

Aunt Bethany and her partner, Beulah aren’t sure what to do with a teenager who has emotional issues. The running of their bread business is time consuming enough. In no time, Lisa Marie has her own agenda, and when she meets Justin Roberts, one of the troubled teens who resides at Camp Micah, a refuge for troubled teens who have been in the system, Lisa Marie is forced to grapple with her teenage past.

With the help of Izzy Montgomery, a trauma counsellor at Camp Micah, and owner of the Crater Lake Community, and Liam Collins, an employee of the camp, Lisa Marie attempts to deal with her own secrets and guilt from the past. Unaware that the entire community is dealing with the loss of one of their own, Lisa Marie spirals into adult situations and consequences that come to affect her entire life.

Within the tight-knit community swirl the stories of the troubled teens and the legacy of Caleb Montgomery, the man larger than life, whose dreams became a reality at Crater Lake.

“The Light Never Lies” Book Two

Lisa Marie’s story continues and she finds herself frantic to return to Crater Lake once she knows that Justin will be working at the sawmill for the summer. In typical self-centered teenage fashion, Lisa Marie is worried about herself and her needs only. However, all is not as it seems in this quiet idyllic lakeside community.

During Lisa’s school year, Izzy Montgomery and Liam Collins advanced their relationship once they realized their love and passion for each other. Liam and Izzy find their love tested with the appearance of Lisa Marie as she complicates matters further for the couple with the announcement of her pregnancy.

To add further stress to their relationship, Izzy and Liam find themselves suddenly surrounded by family. Izzy’s elderly father has come for a visit from England. In addition, Liam’s father, Alex appears with a brother named Bobby that Liam has never met. Bobby is a lovable child with a supernatural ability that bodes watching.

At Crater Lake, life is messy and never just black and white. This entire volume is dedicated to relationships, changes, new beginnings, and the realization that family comes from those you choose to let into your life.

“Chasing Down the Night” Book Three

A cougar lurks in the hills surrounding Crater Lake bringing disturbing empathic visions to Bobby Collins that usher in further changes to the residents of this small community. Bobby’s mystical qualities strengthen and he begins to associate with his spirit animal, the cougar, in an unhealthy way.

Izzy and Liam continue to grapple with home life, family, and Izzy’s challenges at work as the administrator of Micah Camp. Lisa Marie deals with the challenges of motherhood and an advancing photographic career, all the while seeking balance in her relationship with Justin.

Meanwhile, Liam’s sister, Fiona accepts an internship with Micah Camp’s local physician and arrives carrying the baggage of her Native American heritage and bringing additional upheaval to the family.

The final volume of the Crater Lake series deals with building a family, respect for tradition, and embracing the new things in life. Caleb Montgomery’s legacy at Crater Lake is secure in the community of family that meant the world to him.
Recommendation:

Have you ever read a book or a series where you become emotionally bonded to the characters? This is what I did with Francis Guenette’s Crater Lake series. At the end of the last book, I was heartbroken that I would not encounter the beauty that surrounds Crater Lake and the cast of characters anymore.

Yes, I was going to miss my new friends and their lives. In fact, I had to stop reading for a few days so that I could adjust to my life without them. I had a book hangover, one of which I have not experienced in a long time!

The complexity of the characters and the realistic relationships shared between them are what propel this saga forward. Pair that with the beautiful descriptions of the surrounding area and Crater Lake comes alive in magnificent colors much like a rainbow which spreads hope in the darkest times.

There is something here for everyone. Love, sex, lust, greed, spirituality, sacrifice, death, murder, life… the list goes on and on. Each book in the series leads you on to a different life lesson much like the lessons you learn within your own family unit.

There was a kinship found within these pages where I as the reader was drawn along, all the while given permission to become part of the family. I feel my life has been enriched for having shared their lives. I will reread these books numerous times because it will feel like coming home.

 

Author, Frances Guenette

Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 5
About Frances Guenette:

Francis Guenette has spent most of her life on the west coast of British Columbia. She finds inspiration for writing in the beauty and drama of a lakeshore cabin and garden on the Northern end of Vancouver Island. She shares an off-the-grid home that employs a combination of micro-hydro and solar power with her husband Bruce.

Between May and September, Billy Bob the Bear drops over to graze and eat huckleberries and salal. Now and then cougar tracks are spotted meandering across the property. Life is good in the hinterlands, but Francis warns – you have to keep your eyes open and know where you are.

Francis has a daughter and a son – both happily married and pursuing interesting careers. She also has two beautiful and wildly funny granddaughters who provide her with inspiration for writing and living.

For most of her working life, Francis has been an educator. She has worked with special needs children and youth and taught at the undergrad level at the University of Victoria. She has a graduate degree in counselling psychology and very nearly completed her Ph.D. There was that pesky matter of the doctoral dissertation, but enough said on that score! She has worked as a trauma counsellor, a researcher, and a graduate student supervisor.

During her academic life Francis published (on her own and with others) several articles that were accepted to peer-reviewed journals as well as contributing to chapters in two published books.

Please connect with Francis Guenette through her Twitter @FrancisGuenette

Her Blog at: http://disappearinginplainsight.com to learn all you would ever want to know about Francis and her writing life.

And Facebook at Francis Guenette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review by: @ColleenChesebro of silverthreading.com