Quinn grew up in Butternut Lake, and now she has returned for a
dedication of three students she went to school with, who died during
their senior year. It was a tragic accident, these young men were out on
the semi-frozen lake and their truck went in. One of the boys was
Quinn's boyfriend, Jake.
As much as Quinn really didn't want to return home, she knew this was
something that had to be done. While at the dedication she ran into
Tanner, Jake's older brother, and his parents. They were all were nice to
her, just like the old times. But would they still feel the same if they
knew the truth? Quinn had broken up with Jake the night of the
accident because she had caught Jake lying to her about where he had
been on a certain night. She had caught him lying before, and had had
enough. But did their breakup really cause Jake to lose control that
night?
Quinn also runs into the families of the other two boys. One mother was
very hard on Quinn and blamed her for the accident. Quinn also came
home to find out why her best friend Gabriel doesn't want anything to
do with her. They were best friends in high school, and Quinn is
determined to make things right.
But the more time Quinn spends in Butternut Lake, the more confused
she gets about the actual events of the night Jake and his friends died.
Did she cause the accident? Or were other people involved that night?
I really enjoyed THE SECRETS WE
CARRIED by Mary McNear. This is the first book I have read by
her, but I am looking forward to more of the Butternut Lake series. The way that McNear
draws you into the life of Quinn is fantastic. The guilt that Quinn has
carried all these years is hard to imagine. I can also understand the
pain that the parents went through having their sons die at such a
young age. Of course, at times, you do have to blame someone for the
mishap. McNear to me brought out the best and the worst of the
characters in this book. Weather is getting cold; great book to cuddle
up with a blanket and do nothing but read.
Butternut Lake is an idyllic place—but for one woman, her
return to the lake town she once called home is
bittersweet…
Sometimes life changes in an instant.
Quinn LaPointe grew up on beautiful Butternut Lake, safe,
secure, sure of her future. But after a high school
tragedy, she left for college and never looked back.
Becoming a successful writer in Chicago, she worked to keep
out the dark memories of an accident that upended her life.
But now, after ten years, she’s finally returned home.
Butternut is the same, and yet everything is changed.
Gabriel Shipp, once her very best friend, doesn’t want
anything to do with her. The charming guy she remembers is
now brooding and withdrawn. Tanner Lightman, the seductive
brother of her late boyfriend, wants her to stick around.
Annika Bergstrom, an old classmate who once hated Quinn, is
now friendly. Everyone, it seems, has a secret.
Determined to come to terms with the tragedy and rebuild
old relationships, Quinn settles into Loon Bay Cabins, a
rustic but cozy lakeside resort, where she begins writing
down her memories of the year before the accident. Her
journey though the past leads her to some surprising
discoveries about the present. As secrets are revealed and
a new love emerges, Quinn finds that understanding the past
is the key to the future.