Cameo Lake

July 23, 2001
Although Wilson's first romance (Hawke's Cove) was a better-than-average effort, her second doesn't quite get off the ground. When author Cleo Grayson needs time to finish her latest novel, her friend Grace offers the use of her New Hampshire lakeside cabin, and Cleo gets a reluctant okay from husband Sean to go there for the summer and knock the book out. She's uncertain about the trip: she feels guilty about leaving her two children and she hasn't been able to fully trust Sean since he had an affair years ago. In her working solitude, Cleo meets and is drawn to neighborhood pariah Ben Turner, former rock star and current composer of commercial jingles. She and Ben become friends, and Cleo grows attached, even though she hears some nasty gossip about him from catty neighbors: they believe he killed his wife. The more time they spend together, the more Cleo is attracted to him, but it's only when she's slapped by undeniable evidence of Sean's new infidelity that she turns to Ben for comfort. Will Cleo try to find happiness with Ben, or will she try to salvage her marriage? The second act drags after the infidelity is discovered and it's pretty obvious who's going to end up with whom; it's just a question of when. The ingredients are all here, but the finished product feels slightly undercooked. (July)Forecast:Quibbles aside, Wilson delivers a smooth read, and the lake-shore jacket art is appealing. National advertising, a teaser chapter in the mass-market edition of
Hawke's Cove and northeast author appearances should move a respectable number of copies.

July 1, 2001
Writer Cleo Grayson has taken a summer sabbatical from her husband and two children in order to find solitude and focus for her next novel. During the weeks at Cameo Lake, isolated from her family, she becomes acquainted with a neighbor whose mysterious background has caused him to be ostracized by the remaining summer campers. As Cleo becomes better acquainted with Ben Turner, she is repeatedly reminded of betrayals in her own past and begins to question the choices that have formed her family life. Her friendship with Ben proves to be a source of strength for both of them as the summer progresses and the fragility of human relationships is tested. As in her previous work, Hawke's Cove, Wilson uses a clear grasp of family and marital dynamics to bring us a touching story of people dealing with real problems in very human ways. Kim Uden Rutter, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., IL

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2001
Author Cleo Grayson McCarthy is offered the use of her friend's lake house so she can work on her next novel. The idea of solitude is irresistible to the busy mother of two, and her husband agrees to the plan. She settles in on an isolated lake in New Hampshire, where she encounters another loner, Ben Turner, whom she can hear composing a haunting melody in memory of his wife. They develop an intricate friendship, which is quickly put to the test. It seems that Ben is the local outcast, seen as the cause of his wife's death. Then Cleo's husband ends up dropping off their children, causing Cleo, angry at his selfishness, to wonder about his fidelity. She also realizes that her feelings for Ben go beyond friendship. Now, as she approaches 40, Cleo must decide how she feels about her marriage and whether her affection for Ben is a dream or the real deal. Wilson's tale is a sensitive scrutiny of one woman's struggle to discover what she wants in life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)