I have no good explanation of this book, it was just very plain. There was nothing to it. It was straightforward with nothing super memorable about it. A family with a secret that is revealed shortly after the father dies suddenly. It was short and there wasn't too much going on with any of the characters. I would recommend skipping this one.

Sisters Alex, Sam, and Jess are back together at their family’s lake house in Summerville after the death of their dad. They each idolized their dad, so when they discovered a hoard of love letters hidden in his shed, they are shocked to find they were not from their mother, but instead from an unnamed other woman.

Alex’s husband does his best to talk his wife out of investigating who wrote the letters, but she’s a type-A first born and will not be swayed. This exploration takes a toll on her mental well being, and Alex’s husband insists she attend grief counseling to face her feelings. Alex grudgingly attends, not telling her sisters or her mother, and initially it helps. When Alex shows up to support one of her group members, she is in for a huge shock that forces her to make some tough decisions.

Sam’s life seems to be going well, until her newest boyfriend shows up and drinks himself into a state in front of her family. Knowing that her dad cheated on her mom, she starts to really evaluate her own relationships, present company included. The new neighbor at the lake proves to be a much more intriguing alternative to the current man in her life, but surprising news might put and end to it before it can even begin.

Jess has always known about the “other woman” and holding on to that secret has been eating at her for years. Now that her sisters know, she takes ownership over this knowledge and feels like it is her job to talk to their mother. Ever the younger sister, wild and uninhibited, her big sisters don’t take her seriously.

The three sisters exploration of grief is sad, especially because it shatters the illusion of the perfect father they thought they had. This story is a poignant one, though I found Jess far too whiny and annoying, but perhaps that is because I am a type-A first born big sister myself.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, and the author Heather Dixon for the advanced copy of the audiobook. Last Summer at the Lake House is out now. All opinions are my own.

When their beloved father passes away, sisters Alex, Sam, and Jess are called back to the family lake house in Summerville. There, they discover a devastating secret he had been hiding. As they grapple with their grief and the shock of this revelation, the sisters also have to navigate their complicated sibling dynamics during their summer stay at the lake house.

While the story had some unrealistic elements, the author's strength lies in the sensitivity with which she portrays the daughters' pain, trauma, and conflict following the discovery of their father's secrets. The emotions are effectively conveyed, making it easy for the reader to empathize with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early release copy of Last Summer at the Lake House by Heather Dixon.
The book is a bit sad and reflective. Grief is a common theme and could be a trigger for some. The book kept my attention and I listened in one day. The reader did a great job and I enjoyed the performance of the book.

I loved the family aspect of this book- there is drama, family secrets and hope. Three sisters are brought back together due to the death of their father. They are close but not as close as they used to be due to growing up and normal life things. The title and the book cover really pulled me in thinking I was getting some sweet summer romance. Nope, this one will pull at your heart strings but by end you’ll be put back together with a new set of family members. I really loved getting to know each of the three sisters and the experiences they went through during this tragic time. The audiobook was Narrated by Patricia Rodriguez. It was beautifully told- it took a bit in the beginning to get the understanding of the characters but as the story went on it was very easy to follow. I enjoyed the audio. Many thanks to Dreamscape Select, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is my first time reviewing an audiobook.
I would like to mention that the narration of the book was excellent and very captivating. I liked the narrator's voice describing the events except for the kids which could be improved.
The audiobook is very easy to understand from one chapter to the next one.
The story is very good and interesting as it shows how the three sister's deal with the loss of their father individually along with taking care of their mother.
The story starts with Alex finding out her father's secrets in their summerhouse creating more complications amongst each other. The author has described the story well about all their emotional struggles after the secrets being exposed.
The story ends on a positive note as the family members accept each other and keep their bonds stronger than before.
I would like to thank Heather Dixon and Netgalley for the wonderful opportunity.

This is bittersweet story of relationships between sisters, parents and children, husbands and wives, and forbidden love. Sisters Alex, Sam, and Jess gather at the family cottage to mourn the sudden loss of their father and to comfort their mother. As the summer unfolds, so do the family secrets. This heartwarming novel proves that family is the strongest bond of all. Special thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for early access to the audio book in exchange for my honest feedback.

My first book by this author. The book is centered around a family lake house in Summerville and the sudden death of a beloved father. All three sisters return back to the lake house to comfort their mother who is mourning the loss of her husband. Alex, one of the sisters, uncovers some family drama regarding her father that has been hidden for years and years. Alex’s time is spent wondering if she really truly knew her father. Three sisters return to their family's summer home after their father has died. Long lost secrets about their father's secret affair affect each sister differently.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the copy of Last Summer at the Lake House by Heather Dixon.

This was a decent story about a family with secrets that come to light. I enjoyed the narrator very much. She kept me engaged in the authors work. This was my first Heather Dixon read and I would be interested in trying more in the future.

A book with sadness, struggles and family drama. There was a lot going on in this novel but it does all seem to come together at the end. A good family drama by Heather Dixon.

When sisters Alex, Sam and Jess are called back to the family lake house in Summerville after the death of their beloved father, they learn that he was hiding a devastating secret.

This book follows three sisters as they each navigate the loss of their father, along with their own individual issues that come along the way.

What the author does really well is writing the thoughts and emotions in a way that feel very organic and realistic. Even two of the sisters who I couldn’t really relate to, I felt their emotions and reactions seemed real. The first half of the story was mostly just building up who they were as individuals. We really didn’t see a ton of their interaction as a family until the latter half. I’m sure part of that was to show their dysfunction, but I think the story would have been much better if we could see the conflict.

The lower rating is because once the conflict did arise, it just blew over too quickly. It was slightly unrealistic as well, but I think more detail could have been added to cover the plot holes. It could have been hashed out much more to connect the reader to the story. When it ended I felt very disconnected, like I had invested in characters and then had to hear what happened by looking from the outside through a window almost.

I also just absolutely saw no point in adding the neighbor guy in to Sam’s story. If any character needed to grow up and learn independence it was her. Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say that Jess deserved better. I related the most to Alex’s character, and fully understood her obsession with uncovering the truth. She didn’t handle everything perfectly, but that’s what made her so relatable.

Overall, I give this 3.5 stars for the strong character development and good writing. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the Audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Select for an audio ARC for an honest review.

I loved this book. Sometimes, it takes a tragedy to air secrets out. I thought this was a great story with a beautiful cover.

** spoiler alert ** This story had the most unrealistic plot. This was absolutely not for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for the advanced listener copy. I enjoyed Patricia Rodriguez's narration.

I have a new favorite narrator! Patricia Rodriguez is absolutely fantastic-especially when when she's voicing kids. As soon as I finish this review, I'm going to look for more of her audiobooks. Overall, I really enjoyed Last Summer at the Lake House by Heather Dixon. It was heartfelt and sweet, but grounded in realistic emotions. Highly recommend!

Three grown sisters are unexpectedly reunited at the family cottage when their father tragically dies, leaving them reeling in grief. Added to that is the discovery that he had a mistress which makes them question their whole childhood relationships with the man they thought they knew and loved.

Full of family secrets, relatable motherhood struggles and a poignant exploration of the bonds between sisters. This latest book from Heather Dixon is a perfect beach read for fans of authors like Mary Kay Andrews or Debbie Macomber.

Great on audio narrated by Patricia Rodriguez, this was a complex and layered domestic drama that is sure to delight lovers of small town stories full of emotional depth and relatable characters. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review! I, for one, am excited to see what happens to the sisters in the next book in this new series!

Digital copy kindly provided by #NetGalley

This was a weird story that all along had me thinking how avoidable could have all been. I didn't quite understand why everyone was mad at everyone all the time and how could they possibly not want to know. The voice actress did a great job although her kids voices were a bit unpleasant and pitchy.

Not a believable plot... and I didnt love the narrator of the audio version either. It seemed the sisters acted much younger than they were & ignored one another most of the book... Disappointed.

I received an audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a well-written book, just not for me. Basically, patriarch dies, leaves behind some evidence that things may not have been as rosy as everyone believed and the family dynamics are very dysfunctional. I feel like the multiple story viewpoints prevented the author from really developing the story from one viewpoint and actually seeing the characters through their journey, and getting resolution. So much seemed to be left unresolved at the end.

I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and I have found a narrator can make or break a story. I was initially worried, as some of this narrator’s voices initially were a little annoying- slightly nasal, ‘affected’ - I decided to keep going, and eventually I got used to it, and it didn’t bother me.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This one revolves around a family, and a home, where the family spent the summers on the lake.
The family comes together again after their Dad dies of a heart attack. This is literally the beginning of the book!

It opens up to show Mom and the girls grieving and trying to work their way through the grief.
Many memories are brought to life and they reminisce on the wonderful life they had.
And then the secrets begin to come out.

***** If you have not read it and DON’T WANT SPOILERS…PLEASE STOP READING HERE! *****

It was bad enough that the secret was revealed…but the fact that another sister also knew….
And that this had been going on for YEARS..,
And then to find out about the Mom knowing too?
Well, that was just too much for me!
And then the other woman says…he told me you were …..
I was just done at that point.

Sorry, but I just did not like the last third of the book. I feel like there could have been many other/different endings that would have been better. 😕

Thanks to #NetGalley, #DreamscapeSelect and #StormPublishing for an ARC of the audiobook which releases on 10.26.23.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me, but felt like it could’ve easily been 4 or 5 …I just did not like the final twists…

#LastSummerAtTheLakeHouse by #HeatherDixon.

Follow me on Instagram @ #BookReviews_with_emsr for future reviews! Thanks for reading! 📖📚

My initial struggle with keeping track of 11 different characters got better 3/4 of the way through the story. I still feel that is too many characters for a reader to follow.
I disliked the narrator. Voice didn’t suit the story and not much distinction between characters.
The story is complex. Multiple characters with emotions all over the place. It gave me whiplash
The concept of the story was great. It has a bit of a mystery to it. The ending was abrupt. As if the book was too long better hurry and end it. This book could have been a masterpiece.