3.5 starsThis is the third and final book in the Sisters of Willow Pond-trilogy and tells the story of Louisa Shelby and Simon Wade. Louisa is the youngest Shelby-sister and Simon is the friend of David Thurlow who is the hero of book 1 and now married to Louisa’s eldest sister Victoria.This book contrary to book 2 gave me the same vibe as book 1 did. I can't say I didn't like the book, because I did like it and that was because of the characters, both hero, heroine and secondary characters. They were well written, having depth and their development throughout the story was very nice to read. I liked Simon because of the way he tried to deal with his blindness. His independence and his way of trying to protect the people he loves. I liked Louisa's compassion and her desire to help people she cares for with their problems and difficulties. They are both genuine and very loveable characters you can easily relate to and have sympathy for. They learn to trust each other with their fears and doubts caused by actions of their parents and peersThe tentative flirtations between Simon and Louisa lead to deeper feelings and they slowly fall in love. This is written in a very believable way and as a reader you grow into the relationship with themOf the secondary characters I loved Manvil, Simon's valet. He was witty and impertinent, not afraid to tell his employer what he thinks. His sense of humor matches Simon's and was very refreshing. I also loved Georgiana, Simon's sister. She grew as a character throughout the book. The story did lack a plot, which was something I really appreciated in book 2. It gave that book that little bit extra. Unfortunately in this book there was too much focus on secrets, lack of trust, misguided assumptions, hiding true feelings and lack of courage to be open and honest. It all lingers too long in the story and causes unnecessary misunderstandings. This bothered me in book 1 and now again in this book, but the characters and character-development did make up for this. The recurring element was the effect parents and their actions have on their children and how their outlook on other people turns out to be. This is a wonderful theme and I can't but think that it could have been brought out even better with less focus on the misunderstandings and assumptions.In conclusion I thought this an average but enjoyable trilogy with an average start, a better and lovely second installment and an endearing last book.For me book 2 was the best one if you look at the plot and book 3 was the best one if you look at the characters and their development.The theme throughout the trilogy is trust: trust in yourself and others, especially the ones you want to love and the ones you think you can always trust, in this case: parents. Even though the books weren't very exciting or thrilling they each suited the different sister's personalities, as did the heroes. The combination of the characters was done in a great way. This made it an acceptable trilogy. Uncomplicated and simple, with no intricate plots but genuine people overcoming their insecurities and issues by finding true love and the ability to trust their feelings in the hand of others.
