Member Reviews

Once again, Emily March produced a book that could tug on my heartstrings and also have me ponder bits and pieces of my own life at the same time.

Set in Lake in the Clouds, Colorado, we join Genevieve's family once again, this time focused on Willow. A return of favorite characters as well from the first in the series, The Getaway, Emily's Lake in the Clouds produces a background of little town life to give a healing time to Willow as well as the potential for unlooked for romance.

When I read this book, I found the balance between the desire Genevieve had to be grandmother and her own self the most interesting part of the story. The romance between Willow and Noah was exactly what I would expect from any book Emily March has written, because it is similar to others in Eternity Springs as well as the Bad Luck series.

Genevieve's struggle of trying to do it all, and not doing it well at all is something that I believe everyone can relate in some way. There are give and take moments in all family situations and the desire to be the mom and grandmother that Willow and her children needed and yet also be the independent, explore her own life woman that moved to Lake in the Clouds originally.

I love the character development of the characters that had a part in this plot, especially as sometimes characters don't progress when they aren't the main focus. I love how Emily wove many of the hints from The Getaway into this one so clearly and yet, allowed the reader to pull on those threads one at a time. I enjoyed Helena's backseat subplot that also was important to the main theme of the book.

Overall, I consider this book one of Emily March's big wins.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for giving me the chance to review the ARC of this book.

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Balancing Act (Lake in the Clouds Book 2) by Emily March
Thank you, Emily, for such a heartfelt story. I fell in love with all the characters, Genevieve Prentice, her daughter Willow Eldridge, her sister Helen, her grands Drew and Emma, Noah sort of recluse, and all the other friends and family. Genevieve struggles with her upcoming birthday, Noah and Willow both are dealing with losses in their past. There is angst, discovery, some laughs and tears, disclosing truths, facing fears, finding balance in their lives along with love all to get to a HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Great world building Easy-to-read Page-turner Romantic Informative Unpredictable Entertaining Tragic Tear-jerker Wonderful characters Witty Happily Ever After.

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Perfect title because all the main characters are trying to balance what's on their plates. A cute romance story set in a small town in Colorado You will fall in love with all the characters even Auntie. I loved the crossover of some of her other books.

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I loved The Getaway! So I was over the moon to read BA.
Balancing Act is book 2 in the Lake in the Clouds series by Emily March and she didn’t disappoint.
I loved being back in the company of Genevieve. And this time we are on a journey with Willow and her mother Genevieve.
The beautiful setting of Lake in the Clouds, Colorado was amazing.
And being able to visualize it was a great feeling.
I loved the family dynamics in this book.
The characters were my favorite part of this story. They were so relatable! Well developed and extremely real, facing true to life situations that had me feeling many emotions. I was hooked by the authors writing style and the reality in which she portrayed family.
The author wrote an excellent story full of a mother’s love, disagreements, beautiful scenery, forgiveness, and gratefulness.
I was captivated by this book and would give it ten stars if I could. 
I’m a big fan of Emily March and her stories always has me deep in my feels.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Forever for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

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This was a feel good story that made you smile on every page. I loved the characters, the development of them and the story line. I didn't want the story to end. Just wanted it to keep on going.

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Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Willow is enjoying spending the holidays with her family. Her daughter and son are having a good time. She recently learned some information about her late husband that makes her question her choices. This was a heartwarming read.

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I always love Emily March books. I was excited to see this sequel show up and it didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the further character development of Genevieve. It is difficult to reimagine yourself once you are done raising kids. Willow’s story is also compelling. The romance is well written. I love the fact that Emily March connects the places and characters from serenity springs and this series. Her characters are strong and I immediately felt a connection and want to continue to read about their lives in future books. Looking forward to reading more books in this series!

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I am loving this new series from Emily March! This is book two in Lake in the Clouds series.Willow is a widow who is raising two adorable children. She has moved to be near her mom Genevieve. This story has everything you could ask for hope, forgiveness, family, new beginnings and romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

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Emotional story!

This is the first time that I read a story by Emily March! I really enjoyed this heartwarming story filled with strong emotions. It’s a perfect Fall read!

I didn’t read the 1st story in this series Lake in the Clouds, but still liked this one, Balancing Act, well written by this author.

Genevieve started a new life at Lake in the Clouds, now her daughter Willow, also needs a fresh start. Widowed with eight-year-old Drew and four-year-old Emma, she needs to forget her past and move on with her life that will be filled with ups and downs. Will she be happy again?

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you Grand Central Publishing & NetGalley!

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I love Emily March books and this one is truly delightful. I enjoy series where we are allowed to follow along on the character's lives and this book gives us that and more. The storyline was well thought out, paced well, believable, and absolutely charming. There were a few minor points that I feel could have been better researched/explained but didn't detract from the story at all. One of the things I truly love about the author's books is how close to reality they are without being too sappy or depressing - not an easy feat in today's world. I look forward to many more books in this series! Many thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

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I really enjoy Emily March books. I like getting to know the characters throughout the series. I really liked that the main characters were older women, rather than 20 somethings!

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I enjoyed this book. It was heartwarming and romantic. I loved how it talked about more than one character. I like the mother daughter relationship that willow had with her mother. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

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Family dynamics by Emily March. I liked this book. I really liked this book. I enjoy reading stories by this talented author. The protagonist has children, grands, a sister, and a multitude of friends. She is trying to balance her life. Not easy. She is turning sixty. Not easy for her. Curl up in a comfy and become lost in the lives of these realistic characters. Thanks to Netgalley.

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BOOK REVIEW:
Title: Balancing Act.
Author: @Emily March Books
Pub Date: November 28th, 2023.
Publisher: @Read Forever Pub
Description: Description
Return to Lake in the Clouds, Colorado, with this feel-good, emotional story about family, healing, and second chances from a New York Times bestselling author!

Genevieve Prentice is learning that reinventing herself is a bit like downsizing a house. Deciding what to keep and what needs to go gets complicated. After settling into life in Lake in the Clouds, Colorado, with her sister’s help, she’s finally finding her balance. But Genevieve’s newfound steadiness is threatened when her daughter Willow unexpectedly arrives carrying a mountain of emotional baggage.

Willow Eldridge needs a fresh start, but that can’t happen until she comes clean about her family’s secrets. Thankfully, between caring for her two young children and planning her brother’s wedding, Willow has plenty of reasons to delay the uncomfortable heart-to-heart with her mother. Yet when Willow grows close to her kind but standoffish neighbor and suspects he is keeping secrets of his own, she realizes there’s no moving forward without facing what came before…

Can Genevieve and Willow jettison the pain of the past to create the future they so desperately crave? Beneath the crystal blue skies of Lake in the Clouds, anything seems possible.

MY THOUGHTS:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a beautiful heartfelt read I really loved Genevieve and Willow’s story each and every page was amazing!!! I cant wait to read more by this author!

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This is a delightful and heartwarming story of rediscovering passion and purpose in life, working through old hurts and fears, reconnecting, and opening up to love and new opportunities. The second of the Lake in the Clouds books, this one (like the first) centers on Genevieve while also featuring one of her adult children moving on in life and opening their hearts to love. It’s a wonderful read, causing me to laugh, to cry, and to feel warm and fuzzy. I look forward to my next visit to Lake in the Clouds!

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If you loved the eternity springs books then you will love this series of books. Its part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. Looking forward to more books in this series. The only disappointment is that there is a bit of a wait between books.

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Emily March never disappoints. I have really enjoyed her Eternity Springs series and was thrilled to read a new series from her. Balancing Act is Book 2 and can be read as a stand alone I highly recommend reading Book 1 The Getaway as it was very fun read and makes Balancing Act even more enjoyable. Genevieve the matriarch of the Prentice family is back for book 2 and is now joined in Lake in the Clouds Colorado by her daughter Willow and her two small children. For years and through a rough marriage Willow has been estranged from her mother and while planning her brother Jake’s wedding in Colorado Willow gets the opportunity to make things right with her mother. Making new friends, family togetherness anc finding new love this book has everything for a fun, relaxing and enjoyable read. Loved every minute, highly recommend and can not wait for Book 3!!

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Emily March excels at portraying all the feels when it comes to family relationships. The snarkiness and unwavering support between siblings. The angst of parents worrying about their children. The grown children who find themselves re-evaluating their lives.

BALANCING ACT has all of this and more.

In this sequel to The Getaway, the first book set in Lake in the Clouds, Colorado, I loved catching up with Genevieve Prentice, her sister Helen and her grown children. This time the action focuses on daughter Willow, who is adjusting to the sudden death of her husband and the impact on her children. Her current situation also triggers a close examination of her relationship with her mother.

Add in a gruff neighbor with his own reasons to become a hermit and you’ll find a perfect recipe for a refreshing family drama and ensures happy resolutions for our main characters. All threads are tied up by the end of the book, but I fully expect to revisit Lake in the Clouds in the future.

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Emily March has a way of writing feel good stories. This one is no different. she has two people that have moved to lake in the Clouds to hide from a trauma in their lives. When John and willow meet for the first time sparks fly between them. Neither one is looking for a a relationship but sometimes life has other plans for us. This book has just enough drama and romance to keep you turning the pages. i would recommend this book to others that enjoy this genre.

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Wow. Mothers and daughters...not sure complicated covers it! It was fun to be back in Lake in the Clouds with Genevieve and her sister Helen. Genevieve is going thru her own sort of growing pains but she tries to be “all” to her family, no matter the personal costs. Her daughter Willow has much going on in her life and while she is visiting Lake in the Clouds and her family, she tries to repair the very long rift between her and her mother. The kids were great – Drew is a pretty special little boy, and Emma is such a sweet little girl. Noah is a firefighter, recovering from a horrific fire call, and he and Willow do a great...dance. And the kids, and dog (!), adore him. I enjoyed all the characters in this story! It was deep and caring, with some I/Me/My thrown in for good measure – made it interesting, at least to me. Wonderful, wonderful story.

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