A Taming Season: A Love at Lake George Novel

CONTEMPORARY:  Zoe Anderson is a Manhattan domestic violence counselor, who spent her childhood summers in upstate New York at a cabin on Lake George with her Aunt Delia. Her life changes dramatically after her husband is fatally wounded in a targeted attack, and she is raped by the criminal while her husband lies dying. She starts having panic attacks while working with other rape victims, and she is strongly encouraged to take some time away to heal her own inner demons. She retreats to Lake George in hopes of restoring her balance and resetting her life back to a simpler time. Unfortunately, the cabin is decaying, and access to it is limited.  Jason Rolland owns the resort next door, and Zoe ends up staying on the resort grounds. He’s been trying to buy the property next door for years, and finally sees his chance. 

The tension and conflicts develop naturally as Zoe and Jason face off regarding her property. The pacing is steady, and the story is realistic with a couple of exceptions: when Zoe leaves the area after a misunderstanding, Jason calls frantically, but doesn’t bother driving a few hours to talk to her in person, allowing the misunderstanding to continue for a long time. Additionally, this womanizer and successful businessman lets himself fall apart so thoroughly after she leaves, that he is mistaken for a homeless vagrant. This seems somewhat incongruous with his dominant personality and his work ethic.  Nevertheless, this audiobook is engaging and heartfelt.

The recording quality is good. The various voices of the characters aren’t drastically different from each other, but they are identified within the conversations, so there is no confusion. Other than the first few seconds of the recording, there aren’t any discernible background noises or mouth noises to distract the listener. 

Carey Sullivan