Have you met my good friend Emily March? Her books are enjoyable and relatable, and I must admit brought my mind to the Sound of Music. You’ll have a better understanding of that when you read THE GETAWAY, which is the first installment of the Lake in the Clouds series by Emily March. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to rediscover this author, but with THE GETAWAY she has moved up to a top ten position.

Can you remember the last time you physically reacted to a scene in a book? It was an ah-ha moment for me. I just knew this was going to be something great. And I was not disappointed.

The Prentice family forms the central core of this tale. Sisters Genevieve and Helen top the list. Genevieve’s children are the subject of many discussions and decisions. And we get to meet a slew of fantastic characters along the way.

Genevieve has been the traditional center of her family. Holidays, special occasions, etc. And with her exorbitant collection of china and such these family get together are worth the price of admission. But alas times do change, and Genevieve gets that message loud and clear and decides to make a very bold choice.

Lots of folk making bold moves in THE GETAWAY. Some of their own making, others a remedy for a need.  Tess is at a new job and for the most part, loving it. Making new friends and contacts. But the traveling gets old fast. Jake has also made a huge decision about his future. While working together neither Tess nor Jake would dare take notice of their mutual attractions. But now it is a very different scenario.

Conversations being these characters to life and make them so relatable. Emily March thinks and writes so much as I do. Our minds melded many times. I came to expect that random sassy phrasing which always brought a smile to my face or a laugh. She sets the stage quite beautifully for a family-based romantic tale. It’s believable. And you can’t help rooting for them all to find happiness, caring, belonging, and love along the way.

It’s been a while since I’ve read something by Emily March and after reading THE GETAWAY I remembered her books fondly, as I will with this newest one. THE GETAWAY is a marvelous story about family dynamics, traditions, angst, and love. It also takes on the challenge of being alone, without a traditional family, depending on the kindness of friends, work buddies, and at times strangers. Emily March lovingly treats each character with respect and just the right touch of humor. I truly didn’t want to leave these great folk and was happy to discover that THE GETAWAY is the first in a series. Get ready to smile, sing along, and verbally chastise some less-than-savory actions from characters that are so real they practically jump off the page, right into your heart. THE GETAWAY is fated to become a favorite dog-eared book. I know you will agree. THE GETAWAY belongs on your must-read book list.