The Season of Silver Linings: wrapping up the Sweet Lake series

The Season of Silver Linings  is the third book in the Sweet Lake series by Christine Nolfi. Jada Brooks is the pastry chef at the Wayfair Inn that her friends, Linnie and Cat, have brought from the brink and restored it to its former glory. While Linnie is focused on her upcoming wedding and Cat is basking in the glow of newly wedded bliss, Jada focuses on her role at the inn. She has a love/hate relationship with Philip Kettering, a widower with a six-year-old daughter. That love/hate relationship turns into a blooming romance as they decide to take a chance on love. But she has one secret, a secret that could tear them apart once and for all. When a guest checks into the inn, asking very curious questions, Jada is forced to confront the past she would rather forget. 

I have enjoyed the Sweet Lake series; however, The Season of Silver Linings was not my favorite of the series. Although I enjoyed Jada and Philip and their romance, I didn’t care for Philip’s daughter, Fancy. Fancy is a very precocious, bossy, and at times, annoying six year old. Then there are the Sirens with their hearts in the right place; but their actions would be very frustrating. There was a bit of a mystery as to who the guest with the curious questions was; however, it was a mystery that came clear to me before it was clear to the characters. I appreciate that Ms Nolfi handles difficult topics with heart and great care. In The Season of Silver Linings, the topics of mental illness, suicide and the effects on relationships are explored. Overall, I did enjoy and recommend The Season of Silver Linings along with the first two books. 

The Season of Silver Linings is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Books 1 and 2: Sweet Lake and The Comfort of Secrets

are available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Comfort of Secrets: a story of courage, strength, and bravery

The Comfort of Secrets by Christine Nolfi is the second book in the Sweet Lake series. Readers to the small town of Sweet Lake, the Wayfair Inn and the quirky and well-meaning Sirens. This story focuses on Linnie’s friend, Cat. After a failed business and horrible dating years, she’s ready to turn a new leaf and desperately needs a win. First, she feels she needs to convince others that she is taking her new responsibilities as the Wayfair’s new events director seriously. Second, she needs to control her attraction to Ryan D’Angelo, the new charming ad executive hired to promote the inn. Ryan hides a deep secret, a heartache so scarring that Cat can’t help but draw closer to him. Will his secrets derail her new life and the Wayfair itself? Or could they both gain a life they never thought they could have?

The Comfort of Secrets is a wonderful story of courage, strength, and finding that you are braver than you know. I could not put this story down. I loved Cat and Ryan’s story. Cat is desperate to show she can do the job and yet deep down she is afraid she can’t. Ryan is charming and yet his smile hides a heartbreaking past. From the theme that we do not go through life alone, we aren’t meant to be alone, to finding the strength to move on from the traumas of life. There is plenty of excitement, drama and feel good moments. One of my favorite quotes from the story is “Some hurts don’t heal. With luck, they cover over with enough scar tissue to make them bearable. But they don’t go away.” How very true! I highly recommend The Comfort of Secrets. 

The Comfort of Secrets is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Sweet Lake, book 1, is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Sweet Lake: a sweet small town romance

Sweet Lake is the first book in the Sweet Lake series by Christine Nolfi. Linnie Wayfair took over the family inn after her scoundrel of a brother stole money from the company and ran off to California. With the residents of Sweet Lake, Ohio counting on her, she has done her best. Everyone is urging her to return the Wayfair Inn to its former glory. Her parents hope her brother will return and claim his rightful place as heir and owner of the inn. The eccentric Sweet Lake Sirens want her to open her heart to new possibilities. When a shocking turn of events open old wounds and threaten to upend everything Linnie has worked so hard to build. She must make a decision quickly. Will she stand and fight for the inn and her place in the family legacy? 

Sweet Lake is a sweet story that kept me on my toes and guessing until the very end. There were moments when the events made me very angry and annoyed for Linnie and even at Linnie. She doesn’t seem to have a backbone and the courage to stand up for herself as she realizes her work at the inn is threatened. Eventually she found her voice and I ended up liking her and cheering for her in the end. The first half of the story was irritating especially with the Sirens, who had a Ya-Ya Sisterhood vibe. The second half is where the story found its heart and it’s groove. Overall, I enjoyed Sweet Lake and look forward to reading the rest of the series. If you like fun, small town stories, I recommend Sweet Lake. 

Sweet Lake is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook.