I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Kirsty Wark. It's an intelligent piece of writing and involves four generations of a family although mainly dealing with the lives of those who live more or less in the present day.. The book is set in Dumfries and Galloway which is clearly an area the author knows well.  There are tragedies,  family failings and weaknesses as well as insightful writing about the problems involved with living with an alcoholic. The characters are believable as are their relationships, humanity and failings. The story is told mainly by Carson who is a likeable girl and later young woman.  
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book and intend to go out and buy Kirsty's previous book.

The House by the Loch is Kirsty Wark's second novel and in many ways it’s a gorgeous read. Wark writes lyrically and descriptively and the potential in this dual period story is immense. However, for all Wark’s undoubted skills as a writer, she has no idea about viewpoint. In the modern story, there is a weighty cast of characters - five adults, three children - and we randomly hop into almost every one of their heads, hearing their thoughts, feeling their emotions, sometimes in successive paragraphs. Whose story is it? Which character does she want us to invest in? Darned if I know. And that’s where she lost this reader. It's a deeply emotional story, but I couldn’t figure out who it was Wark wanted to engage my sympathies. So, 25% in (reading on Kindle) I’m afraid I gave up in frustration.

This is a beautifully crafted story of three generations of one family; their secrets,  losses and sadness. The Scottish setting is integral to the tale, and evokes the atmosphere brilliantly.    I thoroughly enjoyed it and will now read Kirsty Walk's first novel.

I found the story line compelling and it really drew me into this family’s situation in Scotland around Ayr.Kirsty Wark obviously has a love of this area of Scotland and this is truly represented in her writing.I could have been there if I had shut my eyes.This is a lovely way of setting the scene for a slightly unhappy family situation which occurs during the course of the book.As usual all is not as simple as it seems on the surface.Fortunately the scenarios which are woven into the story are believable and do not take on a ridiculous air like some novels do.The story is well written which makes the novel very easy to pick up at anytime of the day.I liked this easy reading aspect of the book and will probably go back and read her first novel written a few years ago.

When Iona MacMillan falls into Loch Doon in Galloway and drowns it causes more than ripples across the water. Every member of her family is drawn into the tragedy, and as their individual secrets unfold it reveals a family in crisis, yet one driven by love and commitment to each other. The House by the Loch is a family saga that begins in the 1950s when Walter MacMillan is swept off his feet by the glamorous Jean Thomson. Years later, the secrets that overshadowed their life together cast long shadows into the lives of their children and grandchildren. Walter is kind and gentle and loves his family dearly. His struggles with the past and how it affected his children provide the foundation for this story of family love and how we pull together when the chips are down. Beautifully and sensitively written. Very enjoyable.

I wanted to like this book, but I found it a very unsatisfying read.  Overly sentimental with characters who were complete caricatures.  This book certainly didn't make me want to buy a house by a Scottish loch! Very disappointing.

I would not normally ask for a book with this sort of description, but as it was Kirsty Walk, I thought I would give it a try. I could not finish it. It was massively over-descriptive and over-sentimental. The characters were bland and the plot was cliched. Disappointing. The low track record of celebrity novels is still intact.

The House on the Loch by Kirsty Wark is an absolute delight. Her writing is evocative and although I’m not familiar with the area of Galloway in which the story is set, it really springs to life. Her skill also creates plausible characters and I found the diverse range of people in this tale fascinating and compelling. A few have secrets and quirks and I was keen to know how they were going to interact as events unfold. 

Over a weekend, different generations of the same family come together for a celebration at properties set on the banks of Loch Doon. Bit by bit, the narrative exposes the past in flashback. Tensions and undercurrents between those at the party are clear from the outset, but the reasons are uncertain.  I was swept along by a consummate storyteller whose tale of how the past reverberates over the decades kept me reading and I finished this in a couple of sessions. It’s effortless and understated, but a truly engrossing read. I loved it..

My thanks to the publisher for an early review copy via Netgalley.