Sweet Lake is the first installment in Christine Nolfi new fiction series. Set in the fictional town of Sweet Lake, Ohio we find heroine Melinda Petronia Wayfair (Linnie) barely holding her family's Wayfair Inn in the black after many years barely making it. Seven years prior Linnie's brother Freddie cleaned out the family accounts to begin his film business in L.A. Soon after, her father suffered a stroke and her parents retired to Florida, leaving Linnie literally holding the bag.

Much to her dismay, she had to let people go, cut back the repairs, and close down areas of the historic inn. In turn, the economic effect on Sweet Lake was disastrous. Linnie felt responsible for so much angst in her community. She then learned that even after all her work, long days, lack of personal life, her brother was co-owner or the inn and at a certain point he would have the option of buying her out and there was nothing she could do. When Freddie arrives in Sweet Lake, Linnie fears he is there to force her out.

Enter the voodoo hi-jinx of the Sweet Lake Sirens, the match making efforts of her two best friends Cat and Jada, and the unending support of attorney Daniel Kettering, and you have a story of friendship, loving support, and budding romance. Plus, you watch the transformation of Linnie from lady who hates conflict to lady who stands her ground and comes out on top.

With engaging characters, lovely setting, and enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, Sweet Lake is a well written novel. I do recommend this book.

I received and advanced copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The beautiful cover drew me to this book and I loved the idea of a small resort town by a lake with a struggling inn trying to make ends meet. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time getting into the story and connecting with the characters. Linnie who was portrayed as being strong and the town’s savior, frustrated me in that she would not stand up for herself, face reality or acknowledge her feelings for Daniel or her brother Freddie who was just one giant cad. And I usually love quirky characters but the town "sirens" were a little too unbelievable. The scene with them poking Freddie with sticks sealed the deal for me. The saving grace were the two brothers - Daniel and Patrick - they seemed genuine and I enjoyed their interaction with each other, with Patrick’s daughter and with Daniel’s dog.

Even though I had struggles there are many others who loved Sweet Lake so give it a try and make your own decision.

A perfect title for a great read. It's a wonderful romance that has Linnie Wayfare choosing between her family and her happiness. Her parents thought they were making a good decision by leaving the family Inn to Linnie and her brother 50/50 so Freddie could take over the business when he returns to Ohio. This will leave Linnie out in the cold since they are not close. The town folks and especially Daniel who has always loved Linnie want to help her keep the Inn. With a terrific secondary cast of charaters there are lots of potential books in the Sweet Lake Series. I'm glad Linnie took a stand and made a stand after a wishy washy beginning.

First, thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this novel by Christina Nolfi. I admit to being a fan of hers, but I have to say even if I'd never heard of her, I would be amazed by this story!

Linnie Wayfair has a stigma attached to her that she can't escape. She's a girl. And her family inn has always been passed down to the son in the family. However, in this case, there are mitigating circumstances why her brother should not own the inn. I don't believe in retelling the story, so I'll just leave it there.

The plot moves quickly, the characters are believable and likeable/despicable, depending on the relationships and circumstances. I laughed and cried and simply couldn't put this book down! Christina Nolfi is an author who can really tell a story!

Sweet Lake is a delightful romance. The book is very well written, it had a great plot and well developed characters. I loved the characters even their conflicts. The serving is Sweet Lake a small town that relies on The Wayfair Inn to keep it alive. The Wayfair has fallen into disrepair can Sugarpop save it? This was my first book by this author but not my last.

Sweet Lake is a novel that I want to, no need to, share with family and friends. It is a coming of age story, even though both Linnie and Freddie are both older than the typical coming of age characters. It is a story of family, love, and determination. Ms. Nolfi's characters are quirky and so much fun. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, and I desperately want to be a Siren!

I'm sorry I struggled to get into this one will try again in the future