I am a HUGE fan of Wendy Webb's "The End of Temperance Dare" book, so when the opportunity came from NetGalley to read and review Daughter of the Lake, I jumped at the chance.

First - look at this cover. Beautiful!

Secondly - a body washes up on a lake...with a baby tucked into the gown? SIGN ME UP.

Wendy Webb has a way of writing that interweaves the present and the past. There's a mystery as to who this woman is or was. Kate Granger finds herself pulled into the mystery, with vivid dreams and a knowledge that she's afraid to share with anyone. This is a story of lost love, of betrayal, and of fate.

Thank you again to Wendy Webb, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was SO good. Suspenseful, enchanting, endearing....all the things that I require for a book to really meet all my expectations. Definitely a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Overall, I was ambivalent about this story. I felt like since it's called Daughters of the Lake, there should have been more plot and story behind that. It's barely touched on. The story mainly follows Kate, a newly single woman that stumbles onto a mystery when a body washes up on the shore near her parent's home. From there, what could be a really interesting story just turns sort of halfheartedly into an oddly proportioned mix of past and present.

While the pacing is good, I thought the focus of the story was often too muddled. I didn't really love any of the characters, and they all seemed a little flat to me. The overall mystery was also a little too pat and easy to a true psychological thriller or supernatural mystery.

This is an okay read if you're looking to kill time, but I wouldn't recommend it if you want something truly deep or twisting.

This book was nothing short of spectacular. There was definitely a strong, gothic and atmospheric feel that surrounds this tale as it moves from the present to the past seamlessly. I fell deeply in love with the characters and their backstories and the tale of the lake. I will definitely be recommending this book to all. In my opinion, this was one the best books I have read in quite some time. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley

I first came across Wendy Webb when I received The End of Temperance Dare is a book box. So when I saw Daughters of the Lake on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read it.

Daughters of the Lake is the story of the mystery of a body that washes up on the shores of Lake Superior. The main characters are Addie (the body) and Kate. Addie's storyline takes place in the early 1900s and it is about her life and what leads to her death. Over a 100 years later Kate starts to have dreams about Addie and then her body appears on the beach by Kate's house looking like she had just past.

I thought I knew all of the secrets fairly early in the book but the story for me was more about the process of finding out why. Now with that being said I did not see the twist at the end coming.

I would gladly recommend this to any reader of fiction. It is historical fiction, mixing with suspense, and a little bit of horror.

<b>One sentence summary</b>
A haunting tale with gothic undertones...mesmerizing and superbly written!

<b>My thoughts</b>
The story is told in past and present. The past portion takes place in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. And even though this story deals with the paranormal, it is not a horror story.

The portion told in the past is the love story of Jess and Addie...both beautiful and tragic. It’s laced with ghosts and hauntings. And it is full of legend, lore and mysterious family secrets. The present deals with Kate and her connection to the past. A lot of the story takes place at the Harrison’s House B&B, which is part of Kate’s family heritage, and is run by her cousin Simon. He is a hoot and one of the funniest characters I’ve read about in a long time! He added so much to the story.

I absolutely love old houses, antiques and digging through old “treasures” and heirlooms... so when the author described the Harrison’s House B&B, with all its family photos, portraits and antique furnishings...plus the trunks full of “treasures” stowed away in the attic...I was literally drooling! I wanted to jump in the book and help dig in those trunks SO BAD.

Although I predicted parted of the ending, the story was so elegantly written, it was never dull or uninteresting...and there was a final twist that took me by surprise!

Wendy Webb is another new author for me, and one I will watch for in the future.

<b>My Rating: </b>4.5 ⭐️’s

Thank you to NetGalley / Lake Union Publishing / Wendy Webb for this digital ARC / in exchange for my honest review!
#DaughtersOfTheLake #NetGalley

<b>Book Description</b>
After the end of her marriage, Kate Granger has retreated to her parents’ home on Lake Superior to pull herself together—only to discover the body of a murdered woman washed into the shallows. Tucked in the folds of the woman’s curiously vintage gown is an infant, as cold and at peace as its mother. No one can identify the woman. Except for Kate. She’s seen her before. In her dreams…

One hundred years ago, a love story ended in tragedy, its mysteries left unsolved. It’s time for the lake to give up its secrets. As each mystery unravels, it pulls Kate deeper into the eddy of a haunting folktale that has been handed down in whispers over generations. Now, it’s Kate’s turn to listen.

As the drowned woman reaches out from the grave, Kate reaches back. They must come together, if only in dreams, to right the sinister wrongs of the past.

This book wants to be so many things and the author ambitiously tries to tackle each plot line. There's a dual story line that jumps time periods, a ghost story, a murder mystery, a cheating husband, and a romance. Some readers may struggle with attention deficit disorder as they try to follow along.

Enjoyed this book thoroughly. Did not see the ending coming! Will definitely recommend. to my Library patrons.

The beginning of this book was a little disjointed for me. It seemed like the story finally got going several chapters into the book.
I loved the character of Simon, Kate's cousin, who runs a B & B in an historic mansion built by their Great Grandfather. Kate visits to look into the mystery of the woman who washed up dead in the lake with an infant in her arms.
This is not a fast paced mystery with twists and turns but more like a slow, small town mystery that takes a while to play out. All in all, I enjoyed it.

It's been a really long time since I've rwad a gothic book, and I have to say Ms. Webb did not disappoint. The story is incredibly gripping from the very first pages and had me racing to find out what exactly had happened. Although some "mysteries" weren't as much of a mystery if you looked closer, and the ending wasn't as shocking as I thought it would be, it was definitely a great book.

Sometimes you just need a good ghost story. Something slightly spooky without being over the top, something that’ll give you a touch of the goosebumps. This story by Wendy Webb does just that.

After her marriage ends badly, Kate returns home to recover. Peace and quiet, time to reflect, is just what she needs. Those thoughts are tossed aside when a body washes ashore near the family home. And it’s not just any body. Kate recognizes the woman. She knows her, not from real life but from her dreams. How does one explain this to the authorities, though? Especially since Kate herself is somewhat of a suspect.

With the help of her cousin, Simon, Kate begins to dig deeper into the mystery of the dead woman. As she uncovers more and more of her family’s past, she finds secrets she’s not prepared to confront. And some of these secrets are a danger to her.

This was a really good story, better than I expected it to be. Part murder mystery, part historical fiction, part ghost story, it has a bit of everything!

Loved the book!! I fell in love with Wendy Webb's books after reading "The Tale of Halcyon Crane" and always look forward when a new book comes out. This book definitely didn't disappoint. The book was full of ghosts and set on Lake Superior, as usual. The book alternated between Kate in present time and Addie in the past(the 1900s.) My favorite parts were reading about Addie and her family and the gifts the women in the family possessed. I loved the characters, writing style and story line. Although, I found the budding romance between Addie and Jess a little creepy. She was only thirteen when he was eighteen. Five years isn't a big deal, except when you are middle school aged and he is in college. The question I had was why is Celeste so mad about Kate being in the house, when Simon has lived there for so many years. Kate and Simon are related, they have the same grandmother, so why wasn't Celeste angry with Simon???

The mystery begins when a woman washes ashore with a baby in her arms. No one knows who she is except for Kate. How does Kate explain to the police that she recognizes the woman from her dreams? From there Kate decides to stay with her cousin Simon at Harrison's House, an upscale bed-and-breakfast. The house used to belong to their great-grandfather. Kate tries to find out the identity of the mystery woman and at the same time catches the eye of the handsome Detective Nick Stone. He owns a cute corgi named Queenie, how can anyone resist a corgi??? Kate eventually discovers the mystery behind the woman in her dreams and learns about secrets that have been kept hidden about her family.

I loved the ending when everything was finally revealed. Loved all the ghosts roaming around the the third floor of the house. Although I didn't find it much of a mystery about what Kate discovered about herself with all her visions. Why did Addie wait so long to get the truth about her death revealed?

I definitely recommend the book especially if you are a fan of Wendy Webb's previous books or enjoy mysteries full of ghosts. Plus there's a corgi!!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author, Wendy Webb, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

I am so disappointed that I didn't love this book - it sounded exactly like something I would enjoy, and I had it on top of my wishlist! It's always tricky to incorporate supernatural elements in a modern day mystery, and in this case it just didn't work for me. Whilst I don't mind a good slow-burner, the story was lacking that element of suspense and mystery that kept me interested, not aided by the various POVs jumping across multiple time-lines, that kept me from ever getting truly invested in any of the characters. A lot of the backstories were telling rather than showing, with characters that remained distant and remote. It breaks my heart to say it, but I got bored with it! I think I would have needed to be a lot more emotionally connected to Kate to stay focused on the story, and the gothic element - although intriguing - wasn't scary enough for me. I concede that it's just not the right book for me at this time. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review it!

Kate Granger returns to her parent's home on Lake Superior upon learning that her husband was having an affair. She hopes to use the time there to think about her life and start over. Unfortunately, one morning along with her father and her father's friend, Johnny, she came across the body of a young woman on the shores of the lake. What is most shocking to Kate, is that she recognizes the woman from dreams she has been having. Not only does she recognize the woman, she someone knows that there is a baby tucked in the folds of her nightgown. Kate's reaction to seeing the woman's body and finding the baby, make her a possible suspect in the death of the woman. Side note - I didn't see what was so suspicious about her reaction to seeing the dead woman and baby. I think if I found two dead bodies, I would have a strong reaction as well. Just saying.....

Even though the police are suspicious of her, Kate is still able to travel to Wharton to visit her cousin, Simon and the bed and breakfast he runs out of the former home of their great-grandfather, Harrison Connor. Things get even stranger while she stays in her family's home and as she attempts to put the pieces together, it appears that ghosts of the past are all around her. What secrets might the lake have?

This book is told through the past and the present though alternating chapters. I enjoyed both equally. In the past we meet Addie and Jess. Addie was literally born in the lake and Jess was the one who found her floating in the water. They had a close bond from that time on and no one was shocked when they married years later.

Wendy Webb sets her books about lakes and uses a supernatural element in them. She writes books with plots that are tied to the past, with old mansions, strong female characters, age old secrets, and yes, ghosts. Her books are described as Northern Gothic and do have an eerie and atmospheric feel to them. She also threw in a tragic love story and mysterious lake creature/entity into the mix her as well. This book had a little bit of everything, but it is not scary or creepy (at least in my opinion). It has more of an eerie feel to it, even with the supernatural elements, it won’t scare of have readers sleeping with the lights on. Plus, even with death in the book, there is nothing graphic or gory. There is mystery and the story really revolves around the past and present story-line's and Kate's attempt to make sense of her dreams and experiences.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was invested in learning if Kate would learn the woman's identity. What brought the woman to the lake? Why was she murdered? How does the lake tie in? What is going on in the bed and breakfast? Will the case ever be solved? Why was a missing person's report not filed?

I think this book is perfect for those who enjoy lighter (not scary) Gothic ghost stories involving some mystery, glimpses into the past, romance and intrigue.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A haunted house, a century old mystery, a ghost story, a mysterious creature in the lake, secrets, lies, murder…

A young woman’s body is found on the shore of Lake Superior, holding a dead baby in her arms. Kate Granger whose father has found the body while walking his dog, has seen the dead woman in her dreams before…several times.
The police are baffled. There are no missing persons’ report and they can’t even tell when the woman was murdered.
As Kate’s bizarre dreams continue, she begins her own investigations.

Who is the woman? Why did she have to die? And who is the sinister spirit who doesn’t want Kate to uncover the truth and right the wrongs?

Daughters of the Lake is a well written, albeit a bit drawn-out, atmospheric Gothic story about love, destiny, redemption and reckoning.
A perfect read for this cold season.

Thanks to Wendy Webb, Lake Union Publishing and the NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

DNF 25%. When I read Wendy Webb I expect a certain creep factor. This book started out with a serious bang but very quickly began to read like a romance novel. I can't believe all the background love stories, of both the present day characters and the historical characters, were actually necessary. But then I guess I really don't know since I didn't finish it. I gave it a good try but just found myself bored.

I am so sad to say that I found this one disappointing.

When I saw the cover it was love at first sight and the synopsis was very intriguing. Sadly, that is where my enjoyment ends.

This book is a slow burn. Very slow. I started skimming even before hitting the 20% mark. That is never a good sign. I found because of the slow pace I just couldn't become invested in the *multiple* (too many) characters.

Also, the ending fell completely flat for me. I can suspend disbelief but not to that extent.

I'm an outlier so if you are a fan of the author or love slow gothic romance / mystery with little in the way of suspense then this may be a perfect read for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Haunting and beautifully written. The story stays with you long after the last page. Full of twists, you will be left guessing right up until the stunning conclusion. Kate is a great character and everyone needs a Simon in their life.

Daughters of the Lake is a bit of the supernatural and legends about the Great Lakes, as well as a historical fiction.
Kate Granger's father found a body washed up on the shore near their house, a young woman in a white nightgown, and her baby. But when detectives start looking into the identity of the woman, nothing can be found, for as Kate discovers, the woman died over 100 years ago. Who was this woman, and why does Kate dream balut being her at night, even more so when she returns to her cousin's family mansion that is being restored into a hotel? An third floor ballroom filled with trunks of secrets reveals just how entwined Kate's life is with this woman, and only she can uncover the tragedies of her life and reveal her story.
Part mystical supernatural ghost story, part detective story, and part fictional history, Daughters of the Lake is interesting and creative, perfect for anyone whose ever loved hearing the legends and secrets of an old house or large lake.

I liked this book. I enjoy paranormal novels on occasion, and I also like stories that shift back and forth in time, with alternating points of view. When a body washes up on the lake shore by Kate’s parents’ house, Kate becomes a person of interest in the murder. The story quickly becomes even more chilling when the dead lady is found holding a baby. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.