The House by the Lake by Ella Carey ~ Review
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Three reasons you should read this Historical Fiction:
- The House by the Lake by Ella Carey merges rich history with a contemporary mystery running through.
- Anna Young’s family history is a bit of a mystery. And Ella Carey unfolds the past for us as Anna investigates her grandfather’s family home in Nazi Germany.
- The story ties in elements of Paris Time Capsule and draws the two histories together beautifully.
About The House by the Lake by Ella Carey
Title: The House by the Lake
Author: Ella Carey
Series: Secrets of Paris #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Historical Fiction
1939, Berlin. Max Albrecht is the young and handsome heir to a beautiful house on a lake where he spent his happy childhood. As war approaches, his parents tell him he must join the Nazi party or the whole family will be killed. But when his beloved French fiancé Isabelle shows him the horrifying truth, Max faces an impossible choice: protect his family or save the girl he loves?
2010, San Francisco. Anna Young is content with her life, running a bustling deli and taking care of her adored grandfather Max, who raised her. Max has never spoken of his past until he hands over an old map, the plans to a grand house just north of Berlin. With a shaking finger, he points to it and says, “I left something behind under the floorboards. Please bring it home before I die.”
When Anna arrives at the crumbling manor in Germany, she discovers a hidden engagement ring in a velvet box. She is desperate to find the woman her grandfather hoped to marry, but the local villagers look away when she mentions Max’s name, and back in San Francisco he is now in hospital, too unwell to speak to her. What did Max do so many years ago? Is Anna ready for the terrible secret that her family’s past may hold?
From bestselling author Ella Carey comes an unforgettable novel, weaving together past and present. Gripping and heartbreaking, The House by the Lake uncovers the secrets and devastating choices that people were forced to make during history’s darkest time.
My Review of The House by the Lake:
The House by the Lake by Ella Carey was a beautiful mix of history and contemporary. Two tales unfold, tied together by Max Albrecht, Anna’s grandfather. In the present, Max sends Anna to find an item her grandfather holds dear. And while she is there, she stumbles on a mystery of what happened in the past and why he walked away from it all.
In the past, we see Max’s life, at first luxury, and then turning to disaster. I highly recommend reading Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey, as the two stories are entwined and build on each other.
Max’s history in Nazi Germany did not end well. And his is a love story gone horribly wrong. One that changed so many lives, and he’s been hiding from it ever since. But it’s time to unearth the past. I really felt for Max. Caught between two worlds and two choices. And never given the chance to decide which road to take.
Anna was a very determined character. Once she set her mind to making things “right,” she was all in. She doesn’t understand what she finds at first, and digs deeper, always looking for the next string to pull until she finds out how everything happened.
She has a very sweet romance. While it wasn’t the primary theme in the book, it was just enough to soften the edges of the tale. It made her more real and helped me root for her on her journey.
The way the two stories, history and present, wove together is what really makes this book a gem. The narrative bounces between the past and the present. But it’s done in a way that helps advance both storylines and each adds an extra level to the other. I can’t wait to read more by Ella Carey – she certainly has a way to pull me into the story.
***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***
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