I Haven’t Read The Lake House by Kate Morton Yet

I adore Kate Morton’s books. Her most recent novel, The Lake House, was published in 2015 but I haven’t read it yet. Yep, you heard that right. My favorite current-day author released a novel two years ago, and I have not read it yet!!!

You may wonder why on earth I haven’t read it yet. The truth is I find her books extremely addicting, and I am dreading the let-down of having nothing new of hers to read once I finish this latest release.

My first experience with Kate Morton’s work was in 2013. My mother had picked up a copy of her book, The Forgotten Garden. She enjoyed reading it and thought I would enjoy it as well. Like usual, my mother was right! I loved this book. I could not put this book down. I read all 648 pages over the course of two days.

Upon finishing The Forgotten Garden, I was hungry for more of her novels. Thankfully, there were more. I discovered THREE more of her novels – The Distant Hours, The House at Riverton, and The Secret Keeper – through our local library. I requested them all and read them over the course of the next month.

And then…. Nothing. There were no more Kate Morton novels to be read, and I was left wishing for more. I had some serious reading withdrawal issues. None of the other books on my TBR list would do. I couldn’t bring myself to read any other book for a month or so.

(In all actuality, this unintended break from reading was probably a good thing. I had let other things go so that I could read, read, read, read. My house was in disarray, my family was in need of my attention, and my projects were all behind schedule. Not to mention, I needed to make up for some lost sleep after staying up too late reading for so many evenings!)

Jump forward a couple of years… In early 2015, I learned that Morton was working on a new novel titled The Lake House. I stalked her website and Facebook page to follow the anticipated release. As soon as the book showed up through my library’s catalog, I put my name on the wait list.

I was the very first person to receive this book from our library. It still had that new book smell when I picked it up from the library, and the book spine had not been broken yet. It was so exciting!!! I proudly set it in the cubby where I keep all of our library book checkouts. And, there it sat… for three weeks until I had to return it to the library.

After anxiously awaiting this book’s release and making sure that I was first on the library wait list to get my hands on it, I never even read it. Why? Because I will probably enjoy it just as much as I did her other books. Because I am certain that it will leave me wanting to read more. And, because I dread the letdown of not being able to pick up another one of her books right away.

What do you think? Should I just do it? Should I read the The Lake House? (By the way, I have just learned that Morton’s sixth book is in the works! Maybe it would be better to wait until that one is released?)

What Makes Kate Morton’s Books So Great?

You may be wondering why I love Morton’s books so much. The shortest explanation is that I love unexpected twists in historical fiction novels with strong, kind-hearted female characters in beautiful settings.

But maybe you want a longer explanation? Well…

I love books that help you to better understand different time periods and how the actions of a person in one time can affect the actions of others in later times. Also, I like that Morton’s novels jump between time periods and generations. It requires you to really pay attention to all the small details in order to keep everything straight. It is like solving a mental puzzle. Eventually, you begin to see how all the small pieces fit together.

I have always admired strong female characters with kind hearts and a sense of mystery about them, and many of Morton’s female characters fit that description well. Vivien Jenkins, Eliza Makepeace and other characters are so intriguing. While it takes almost the entire novel to figure out exactly why you are drawn to them, you can’t help but to fall in love with the kind and selfless women of Morton’s novels.

I enjoy beautiful scenery, and the settings of Morton’s novels are beautiful. I fall in love with the imagery in her novels – the country homes, the beaches and countryside, the Victorian city streets and WWII-era London, and the mansions with their winding staircases and moats and hedge mazes. In fact, I think I may want to live in Eliza Makepeace’s cottage someday beside her beautiful forgotten garden and overlooking the water. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

And then, there is all of the excitement! Morton’s books are so suspenseful. So many unexpected twists! When I read a Morton novel, I know that I will be up late into the night reading. Even if I do attempt to put down my book to go to bed, I can’t stop thinking about it. I dream about the story all night.

Have you read Kate Morton’s novels? Do you love them as much as I do?

If you are interested in purchasing one of Kate Morton’s novels, here are a few Amazon affiliate links:

**Please note that I am part of the Amazon Affiliate Network. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Are you following our minivan on social media yet? If not, please check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, and Pinterest.