Series
Publication
MIRA (2013), Edition: First edition, 384 pages
Description
Kiss River's historic nineteenth-century lighthouse has all but fallen into the sea, taking with it the huge Fresnel lens that once served as its beacon. Gina is desperate to find a way to raise the lens; the glass holds the key to her future, her fortune, and her only chance to save the one person who matters to her. Clay O'Neill lives in the old light keeper's house, a home he shares with his sister, Lacey. When Lacey invites her to stay with them, Gina eagerly accepts. As Gina begins her quest to raise the lens, Clay finds himself drawn to her struggle and to Gina herself. But the answers lie deep below the ocean, and the lighthouse holds secrets that neither Clay nor Gina can anticipate . . .
User reviews
LibraryThing member birdsam0610
When I heard this book was the sequel to Keeper of the Light, I was kind of worried. I’m one of those people who do everything to the nth degree. What would I be missing if I started at book two of this trilogy? (There’s a subsequent sequel, Her Mother’s Shadow).
I found I could rest at ease
Kiss River tells the tale of a lighthouse that fell into the sea years ago. Now Gina has crossed the country, wanting to look at the lens. She describes herself as a keen amateur lighthouse historian, but there are a lot of holes in her story. Why isn’t she telling the truth? Gina becomes friends with Lacey and Clay who live at the lighthouse keeper’s house but there’s things she’s not telling them. There’s also a second narrative set at the lighthouse during World War II – what role does teenage Elizabeth play in Gina’s story?
I enjoyed this book, not only because I’m a fan of dual narratives with a bit of history. This book really had a gentle, caring pace and characters that I cared about. Gina’s secret was sensitively played, as was Clay’s past. I thought it was also a strong idea of Chamberlain’s to portray Lacey with some faults that aren’t usually discussed in general. As the cover states, if you enjoy Jodi Picoult, you would like this. Chamberlain is not as brutal on her character’s fates though, nor is the ending so final. The ending of Kiss River is slightly complex, but it’s actually plausible – not to mention gripping. I simply couldn’t put this book down once I began to understand how all the stories linked. There is romance, but it’s a small subplot – the focus here is having people you can depend on, no matter what. Even though this is the second book in a trilogy, there are no cliff-hangers that force you to read the second book.
The cover is somewhat misleading as I can’t recall any children of that age playing a large role. I think a picture of the broken lighthouse would have been more effective or a woman near a lighthouse…you get the idea. Another thing to keep in mind is that this was published in 2003, so the internet portrayed appears to be dial-up and none of the characters own a smart phone. Strangely, they communicate face to face!
A lovely read that will restore your faith in others.
Thank you to Harlequin Australia for the copy.
I found I could rest at ease
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– Kiss River sums up succinctly the relevant events of the first book, but I don’t think you’d be disadvantaged if you went back and read the first book later. There’s nothing to be scratching your head about because this book stands alone very well.Kiss River tells the tale of a lighthouse that fell into the sea years ago. Now Gina has crossed the country, wanting to look at the lens. She describes herself as a keen amateur lighthouse historian, but there are a lot of holes in her story. Why isn’t she telling the truth? Gina becomes friends with Lacey and Clay who live at the lighthouse keeper’s house but there’s things she’s not telling them. There’s also a second narrative set at the lighthouse during World War II – what role does teenage Elizabeth play in Gina’s story?
I enjoyed this book, not only because I’m a fan of dual narratives with a bit of history. This book really had a gentle, caring pace and characters that I cared about. Gina’s secret was sensitively played, as was Clay’s past. I thought it was also a strong idea of Chamberlain’s to portray Lacey with some faults that aren’t usually discussed in general. As the cover states, if you enjoy Jodi Picoult, you would like this. Chamberlain is not as brutal on her character’s fates though, nor is the ending so final. The ending of Kiss River is slightly complex, but it’s actually plausible – not to mention gripping. I simply couldn’t put this book down once I began to understand how all the stories linked. There is romance, but it’s a small subplot – the focus here is having people you can depend on, no matter what. Even though this is the second book in a trilogy, there are no cliff-hangers that force you to read the second book.
The cover is somewhat misleading as I can’t recall any children of that age playing a large role. I think a picture of the broken lighthouse would have been more effective or a woman near a lighthouse…you get the idea. Another thing to keep in mind is that this was published in 2003, so the internet portrayed appears to be dial-up and none of the characters own a smart phone. Strangely, they communicate face to face!
A lovely read that will restore your faith in others.
Thank you to Harlequin Australia for the copy.
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LibraryThing member jbarr5
by Diane Chamberlain
I already love this book, about a lighthouse and a clue in the diary and the outer banks.
Bess's diary is written while she is a girl living in the lighthouse keeper cottage on the East Coast, Outer Banks of NC during the WW2 and the German boats are nearby blowing up US vessels
Present day she is there and the residents of the house ask her, Ginny Higgins to stay for a night which she does and it brings back all the memories of what's written in the diary. She can picture the room without ever having seen it, it's that familiar. And she's on the hunt of the light of the lighthouse that was destroyed in the hurricane and the light is at the bottom of the ocean. She can't figure out why the authorities never went to get it, but left the light in the water all this time. She will track down
Lacey and Clay's father and ask him as he's from around that time it happened. She recalls from the diary all the talk of the prisms. I remember being so fascinated with the way the light shone through a prism I was given once.
Love the talk about the stain glass windows in the many times that they appear, sound so pretty and it's a great art form.
Mysteries about Clay's wife passing away, his father and why now he is not interested in the lens and Gina has secrets of her own as well.
This makes for not only a good mystery read but romance as things are told and you can piece the puzzle together til the whole story comes out and how the past is connected to the present...
Love hearing about all the research about the light, the fly over and if they think they will be able to find it. Even if they do there are still others who won't allow it to be raised.
There are other personal things going on in their lives that they tend to keep to themselves.
Love the lesson the family gets when they look up at the stars...
Love that this is a book in a series and can't wait to read the next one..
I already love this book, about a lighthouse and a clue in the diary and the outer banks.
Bess's diary is written while she is a girl living in the lighthouse keeper cottage on the East Coast, Outer Banks of NC during the WW2 and the German boats are nearby blowing up US vessels
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and she sees them out her window.Present day she is there and the residents of the house ask her, Ginny Higgins to stay for a night which she does and it brings back all the memories of what's written in the diary. She can picture the room without ever having seen it, it's that familiar. And she's on the hunt of the light of the lighthouse that was destroyed in the hurricane and the light is at the bottom of the ocean. She can't figure out why the authorities never went to get it, but left the light in the water all this time. She will track down
Lacey and Clay's father and ask him as he's from around that time it happened. She recalls from the diary all the talk of the prisms. I remember being so fascinated with the way the light shone through a prism I was given once.
Love the talk about the stain glass windows in the many times that they appear, sound so pretty and it's a great art form.
Mysteries about Clay's wife passing away, his father and why now he is not interested in the lens and Gina has secrets of her own as well.
This makes for not only a good mystery read but romance as things are told and you can piece the puzzle together til the whole story comes out and how the past is connected to the present...
Love hearing about all the research about the light, the fly over and if they think they will be able to find it. Even if they do there are still others who won't allow it to be raised.
There are other personal things going on in their lives that they tend to keep to themselves.
Love the lesson the family gets when they look up at the stars...
Love that this is a book in a series and can't wait to read the next one..
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LibraryThing member SugarCreekRanch
I'd read nine of Diane Chamberlain's books before picking up Kiss River, and I had really enjoyed all nine. They've been very entertaining blends of suspense and character development, or moral issues and character development. But Kiss River was kind of a disappointment for me.
Kiss River is first
But if Gina didn't drive to the east coast to see the lighthouse in person, she would not have met her hunky lighthouse guy. And the romance really is the main point of the novel.
My favorite parts of Kiss River were the sections from the old diary Gina had found. It was the diary of a teenage girl, and her sometimes awkward experiences with the local boys, and some wartime intrigue.
Disclosure: I received a pre-release electronic version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kiss River is first
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and foremost a romance novel, which is really not my thing. There is a mystery element, but it doesn't make a lot of sense. A woman, Gina, drives across the entire US to check out a lighthouse, hoping to find a clue mentioned in an old diary. Gina didn't even verify that the lighthouse still exists before setting off thousands of miles to see it. And if she does find the clue, there is only a very slim chance that it would benefit her. And she could have simply made a phone call to ask the historical society or whoever if the clue exists. But if Gina didn't drive to the east coast to see the lighthouse in person, she would not have met her hunky lighthouse guy. And the romance really is the main point of the novel.
My favorite parts of Kiss River were the sections from the old diary Gina had found. It was the diary of a teenage girl, and her sometimes awkward experiences with the local boys, and some wartime intrigue.
Disclosure: I received a pre-release electronic version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member JudithDCollins
I loved this second book in the Kiss River series as a sequel to the much loved characters in Keeper of the Light. Diane Chamberlain is one of my favorite authors with a wild imagination, taking readers far beyond the norm for page turners you will not want to put down -- twists, turns, and plots
Being a native of NC, always love the setting and especially the Outer Banks area and the subject of lighthouses - fascinating along with history of generations past… and WOW…the diary…Amazing!
This book introduces a new character coming from the Pacific Northwest in search of the Kiss River Lighthouse, a diary from her grandmother, and secrets from the past she desires in order to help her with her future. The wonderful characters from the first book-Lacy, Clay, Olivia, Alec are of course the center of the book. After more than 10 yrs. has passed since the hurricane which caused the upper half of the Kiss River Lighthouse to tumble into the ocean.
Setting the stage for this stranger, Gina to find hope in the past and the rebuilding of the future with a new family along the way and secrets to uncover. Another 5 Stars A must read series – (I have already purchased Nook Book-the third in the series “Her Mother’s Shadow”) which I cannot wait to start this evening!
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which keep you engaged from the beginning to the end!Being a native of NC, always love the setting and especially the Outer Banks area and the subject of lighthouses - fascinating along with history of generations past… and WOW…the diary…Amazing!
This book introduces a new character coming from the Pacific Northwest in search of the Kiss River Lighthouse, a diary from her grandmother, and secrets from the past she desires in order to help her with her future. The wonderful characters from the first book-Lacy, Clay, Olivia, Alec are of course the center of the book. After more than 10 yrs. has passed since the hurricane which caused the upper half of the Kiss River Lighthouse to tumble into the ocean.
Setting the stage for this stranger, Gina to find hope in the past and the rebuilding of the future with a new family along the way and secrets to uncover. Another 5 Stars A must read series – (I have already purchased Nook Book-the third in the series “Her Mother’s Shadow”) which I cannot wait to start this evening!
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LibraryThing member jhullie
Kiss River is the sequel to Keeper of the Light and had big shoes to fill. At first I found it hard to warm to Gina (the main character) but as the story unfolded she became more likable. The tragedy of a lighthouse toppling into the sea still grabs me.
LibraryThing member dara85
This was the second in the series. Lacey follows in her mother's footsteps by sleeping around. Clay, her brother has feelings for the boarder they took in, but is reluctant to show his feelings because he is newly widowed. Gina Higgins, the boarder has many secrets, among them the real reason she
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came to the Outter Banks and why she wants to raise the light from the lighthouse. Show Less
LibraryThing member nyiper
Now I'm confused. The cover of the book I read is not shown AND I didn't realize this was part of a Trilogy. I wonder where I AM in the possibly 3 books??? Definitely another great story by Chamberlain but I wonder what I'm missing!!! I would like a sequel to the one I read but perhaps it WAS the
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third in the series....to be determined!!!! Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2003-02-01
ISBN
9781848452091