Review of Crystal Lake Gifts
Posted: 12 Feb 2025, 05:45
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Crystal Lake Gifts" by Susan W Green.]
Trish has recently expanded her store and is anxiously preparing for her big opening day. However, when the day arrives, she gets to the store to find that it appears that someone had broken in. There was a mess inside, but the alarm had not been tripped. The Chief of Police, Derrick, shows up to investigate, and Trish realizes that he had been her high school boyfriend. While both had sworn off romance, their attraction to each other was undeniable. Will they give in to their feelings? Will the added stress of alarms and malfunctioning parking meters drive more of a wedge between the pair? Find out by reading Crystal Lake Gifts by Susan W Green.
I thought the added stakes of the store's alarm malfunctioning and the parking ticket issues added a lot to this novel. Many people in town had been issued "time expired" tickets despite their claims that they had enough time on the meter. Given that Trish's store operated in town, her sales took a hit due to people becoming fed up with the parking issues. Given her recent expansion, this was quite stressful. Additionally, her alarm kept going off, incurring fines for the store due to the police being called unnecessarily. All of this added more tension to the book.
I do think that the characters could have been developed a bit more. Trish, for example, had all but sworn off romance because she told her late grandmother that she would focus on her business and be successful. While this is an interesting character trait, I feel as though this mindset could have been explored more. It does not seem entirely logical that, in order to run a successful business, you need to only focus on that. I think a deeper dive into her motives would have helped make her a more dynamic character.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was an engaging story, though I felt the characters could have been more dynamic. The book does not contain profanity or sexual content. It would be suitable for older teens as well as adults. If you enjoy romance novels, this is a cute option. I think the mystery of the store alarms and parking tickets added a layer of drama that would appeal to those who like a bit of mystery. Despite being the second in the series, Crystal Lake Gifts can be read as a stand-alone novel.
******
Crystal Lake Gifts
View: on Bookshelves
Trish has recently expanded her store and is anxiously preparing for her big opening day. However, when the day arrives, she gets to the store to find that it appears that someone had broken in. There was a mess inside, but the alarm had not been tripped. The Chief of Police, Derrick, shows up to investigate, and Trish realizes that he had been her high school boyfriend. While both had sworn off romance, their attraction to each other was undeniable. Will they give in to their feelings? Will the added stress of alarms and malfunctioning parking meters drive more of a wedge between the pair? Find out by reading Crystal Lake Gifts by Susan W Green.
I thought the added stakes of the store's alarm malfunctioning and the parking ticket issues added a lot to this novel. Many people in town had been issued "time expired" tickets despite their claims that they had enough time on the meter. Given that Trish's store operated in town, her sales took a hit due to people becoming fed up with the parking issues. Given her recent expansion, this was quite stressful. Additionally, her alarm kept going off, incurring fines for the store due to the police being called unnecessarily. All of this added more tension to the book.
I do think that the characters could have been developed a bit more. Trish, for example, had all but sworn off romance because she told her late grandmother that she would focus on her business and be successful. While this is an interesting character trait, I feel as though this mindset could have been explored more. It does not seem entirely logical that, in order to run a successful business, you need to only focus on that. I think a deeper dive into her motives would have helped make her a more dynamic character.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was an engaging story, though I felt the characters could have been more dynamic. The book does not contain profanity or sexual content. It would be suitable for older teens as well as adults. If you enjoy romance novels, this is a cute option. I think the mystery of the store alarms and parking tickets added a layer of drama that would appeal to those who like a bit of mystery. Despite being the second in the series, Crystal Lake Gifts can be read as a stand-alone novel.
******
Crystal Lake Gifts
View: on Bookshelves