The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs

Recently I'm having problems writing reviews, so I asked Jack and Jenny to help me out. They are friendly folks and they love chit-chatting. Today they talk about The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs. (Funny, I just realized that the main character in the book is also Jenny.)

~ o ~

Jenny comes in the room, finding Jack in front of the bookshelf.
"Hi Jack. What's up?"
"Hey, Jenny."
"What are you hiding?"
Jenny peeps behind Jacks back.
"Me? Nothing. Just a book."
"Let me see, I love books."
Jack hesitantly pulls his hand from behind.
"Oh, it's just a book I finished."
Jenny puts her hands on her hips.
"Oh, my! Jack, I didn't know you are into romance."
"I'm not" says Jack. "Not really. Well, I read this one, because someone asked my opinion."
"I love this book" says Jenny, grabs the book, and starts paging through it. "The characters are so deep."
"Actually I find them well drawn, myself" admits Jack.
"It's like they became my friends by the end of the story."
"Indeed. But there is a lot of telling instead of showing."
"Yeah, some more dialogue wouldn't hurt."
"And some more showing."
"Maybe. But I think the telling has the purpose to give so detailed backstory that you get to know the characters very well."
"Possible" says Jack and scratches his head. "But what do you think of these recipes? I cannot cook, so I tended to skip them."
"I can cook, you know that" Jenny smiles at Jack. "I made some of the cakes, and man,  they are delicious."
"Really? Would you mind to prepare the chess cake for me someday?"
"I knew you would like that one. Anyway, did you realize that these are not only recipes, but they have a deeper meaning?"
"What do you mean?"
"Attached to each of them, there is an insight of human emotion."
"Now, as you say that, I liked those parts."
Jenny is silent for a moment, reading a few sentences.
"What do you think about jumping back in time, then coming back again to the present days? Sometimes it bothered me."
"I'm fine with it, but I read more time travel science fiction than you."
"Come on, Jack, it has nothing to do with time travel."
"I know, I know, what I mean is that I could totally follow the story. And it makes the book better that the past unfolds parallel to the main plot."
Jenny closes the book, and looks at the cover.
"I bet you liked the last part in the lodge."
"Sure. Finally Jenny and Rourke made sex."
"Men..." Jenny rolls her eyes.
"And there were guns involved too. It could have come earlier, however. To have some more excitement."
"It couldn't. Because it was the consequence of what happened before."
"OK, you're right. It's not a thriller, so the fight was quite adequate for a romance story."
"Jack," Jenny points her finger to Jack's chest "did you even realize that they were in love with each other the whole time?"
"I'm not blind" says Jack, hurt. "I know what love is, girl. Yes, there are a lot of emotions in the book. Eventually, romance is all about that, isn't it?"
Jenny looks up to Jack, her head tilted.
"So, finally, you liked the story."
Jack hesitates for a moment.
"Don't tell uncle Gyula, but do you have more books of Lakeshore Chronicles?"

~ o ~

Did you read The Winter Lodge? What do you think?