Waking Kate (Lost Lake, #0.5) by Sarah Addison Allen


Waking Kate (Lost Lake, #0.5)
Title : Waking Kate (Lost Lake, #0.5)
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 1466850493
ISBN-10 : 9781466850491
Language : English
Format Type : ebook
Number of Pages : 38
Publication : First published December 3, 2013

From New York Times bestselling author Sarah Addison Allen comes Waking Kate, a haunting and luminous short story about a young woman who soon will face an unforeseen change in her life. One sticky summer day as Kate is waiting for her husband to come home from his bicycle shop, she spots her distinguished neighbor returning from his last day of work after six decades at Atlanta's oldest men's clothing store. Over a cup of butter coffee, he tells Kate a story of love and heartbreak that makes her remember her past, question her present, and wonder what the future will bring. A magical story on its own, Waking Kate is also a short fiction tie-in to Allen's 2014 bestseller Lost Lake.


Waking Kate (Lost Lake, #0.5) Reviews


  • Bonnie

    My rating: 4 of 5 stars
    Source: Free Kindle book!

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F...

    Kate sits in wait for her husband to come home from work and ends up having a conversation with a neighbor. His tale is of heartbreak and loss but of hope as well.

    Waking Kate was a fabulous albeit quick introduction to Kate and sets the scene fantastically. It left me highly anticipating the upcoming release of Lost Lake (and also made me extremely curious about Butter Coffee!)

    http://www.foodwoolf.com/2013/06/butt...

  • Diane S ☔

    A short little e-book as a lead in to her upcoming "Loon Lake" release." And yes, I have now googled "Butter coffee", it is real and I now have to try it. Good little pre story, hope to read more about Kate. Also included a short preview as well.

  • TL

    “Lost Lake?” Kate repeated. “I know that place! My great-aunt Eby owned that place. I went there, years ago.” She stared at the photo thoughtfully, trying to remember. So much time had passed.
    “I almost kissed someone there.”

    “I did kiss someone there.”

    That made Kate smile as she handed the photo back to him.


    A lovely little short story:)


    It had a dreamlike quality to it and was very sweet in parts :). I liked Kate and Mr. Donbeet in the short time we get to spend with them... although I feel like I know him better than Kate, even though they both had about equal time in the story.

    Would recommend, Definitely will be reading the book now:)





    Note: It stops at 51% (at least on mine)... the rest is a preview for one of her books.

  • Deena

    ARRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    This is SO unfair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to wait until February?!?!?!

    Ok, the story Waking Kate is a perfect little microcosm of everything good about Ms. Allen's work. I got it for free, but if I'd known how good it was I'd have been happy to pay for it (and I almost never pay for e-shorts by anyone). I'm quite sure Lost Lake will stand alone just fine for those who never read Waking Kate, but I think it probably adds some depth more quickly. And it was a well-executed teaser for the book.

    But the addition of the first chapter with the e-short was just cruel. I loved it, and I'm completely horrified that we have to wait nearly 3 months for the book to be available.

  • Mela

    A very short story. The story which showed perfectly why I must try a full novel by Sarah Addison Allen.

    I have glanced here at Allen's moving storytelling, charming characters, whispers of wisdom.

    She wasn’t sure exactly when it happened, when she had realized that she could only make one of them happy. She only knew that she had chosen him.

    So, I am definitely going to read
    Lost Lake in the future.

  •  Linda (Miss Greedybooks)

    A great beginning - I liked the glimpse into the past. I think it should be included in the book. I hope there is another book soon! Maybe something from the SUGAR QUEEN? :D

  • Susana




    I just wish this prequel to "Lost Lake", had been longer!

    Reading a Sarah Addison romance, or a short story, is like meeting a dear old friend.
    Someone you may think of occasionally, but it's only when you come face to face with that person, that you realize how much you've missed her or him!

    I just love the way the author interwovens those small magical details in the everyday life.
    I know this has been said ad infinitum, but it continues to be so, so i just have to say it.
    Once again!!
    Thank you for this small treat!

    Oh, and i loved the excerpt from Lost lake!
    Made me wish, it was January already.

  • Mackey

    Waking Kate is a super short story, not even as long as a novella, that gives you a glimpse of what the remainder of the Waverly/Lost Lake series has in store for you. With a bit of magical realism, Kate has an experience that opens her eyes to a new life that could be available to her OR did she just dream the interesting exchange with her neighbor? Read the story to see... it made me want to know more!

  • Christa

    I thoroughly enjoyed this very short prequel to Lost Lake. I liked meeting Kate and learning a bit about her, and loved her conversation with elderly Mr. Donbeet. I thought the way the author described Kate as viewing the world as a child was charming mad magical. I am highly anticipating reading Lost Lake.

  • N.N. Heaven

    If you love Nicholas Sparks, you'll love Waking Kate. It's a heart-felt story of the meaning of love and life. I thoroughly enjoyed it and kind of wished it was longer.

    My Rating: 4.5

  • Sophia

    I was half-way through Lost Lake when I noted on GoodReads that there was a little prequel story. I trotted over to Amazon to download this freebie and plunged right in thinking I'd missed something I should have gotten before starting Lost Lake.

    Much to my relief, Waking Kate actually worked better, I think, reading it after I started Lost Lake, because I think it made better sense to me that way. I knew who the characters were and their significance to the story coming right after it. I enjoyed it as a peek back into the past and I'm not sure it would have held much significance to me reading it before Lost Lake because it is a vignette- a snapshot in time- more than a fully developed story.

    To summarize, I enjoyed this short piece, but it really did work better after at least getting a significant portion of the Lost Lake story first.

  • Regina Lindsey

    As usual, Kate is waiting for her husband to come home from work when she spots her neighbor walking home. His home is on the market since he is losing his job after sixty years. She decides to check on him. Over a cup of copy Kate hears a story that makes her question everything she thought about her life.

    This is a charming tease to Allen's follow up book Lost Lake. This is a brilliant marketing move, as Waking Kate is offered on Kindle and Nook at no charge. Waking Kate leaves you begging for more. I immediately downloaded Lost Lake and read it in one sitting. If you are planning to read Lost Lake don't miss out on reading this one as well.

  • Beth

    This was a nice little story, but kind of sad to me. I know it was meant to just be a little teaser. Definitely makes me eager to finally get to Lost Lake!

  • Michelle

    THIS ONLY MAKES MY NEED FOR THE NEW BOOK EVEN STRONGER! I LOVE SARAH ADDISON ALLEN'S WRITING!! MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE AUTHOR!!!!

  • Holly

    What a teaser!!! A lot shorter than I expected but now I can't wait to read Lost Lake.

  • Dragana

    One of those short stories that I don't think really add to the story of the main book. Lost Lake can be read without it.
    Pretty pointless IMHO, but easy to read so I am giving it 3 stars.

  • Kate Olson

    Super short story - free on Amazon

  • Andrea Stoeckel

    This is a small story with a HUGE punch. Note: the story is short but KEEP READING beyond it please.

    Kate and Matt, and their daughter Devin live in Kate's mother's house. Matt has chosen to distance himself from his family because of what they represent, and runs a small bike shop. They are very happy. Then Kate meets an elderly gentleman who has just clised his store. His stiry changes Kate in ways she has yet to comprehend.....

    Download this story! I will be searching out everything this author has written and cannot recommend her lyrical style highly enough

  • Cxmonroe

    How am I gonna make it till January! So good

  • Kayla

    This is the first Sarah Addison Allen book I've read and it has me begging for more. Can't wait to read lost lake!

  • Fernanda

    ☺ a nice start... looking forward to read Lost Lake

  • Mya

    It made me cry, I like it

  • Heather Parker

    Wake up kate

    This is a great little short story leading up to list lake! I can't wait to re-read list lake! I love Sarah Addison Allen

  • Marleen

    It's astonishing that only in just a few pages, Sarah Addison Allen is able to create so much atmosphere. Yes indeed, this is only a short story, a teaser really, however it does have impact in delivering wonderful characters and genuine emotions.
    I can't wait for the next book!
    Actually, I want to re-read every of Addison's books.

  • Jill

    This is a small prequel that I read before starting Lost Lake and I'm not sure I understand what's happening. As always Sarah Addison Allen keeps the whimsy as part of the story. I'm hoping once I get in to Lost Lake I will understand this part of the story more.

  • Carole (Carole's Random Life)

    4 Stars

    I found this free short story on Amazon and decided to read it prior to reading
    Lost Lake. The story is very short, 38 pages according to Amazon. The majority of the kindle book is a excerpt from Lost Lake.

    In this short story we meet Kate and learn a bit about her marriage. She is intrigued by a TV news report she sees and believes that the elderly man looks familiar. She is surprised to find that man walking down her street and introduces herself to Mr. Donbeet. They have a conversation over a cup of butter coffee before Kate returns home.

    I loved the writing in this story and it made me eager to read Lost Lake. I believe that this short story gives some insight to Kate's character but it is not necessary to read this piece to enjoy Lost Lake.

    I would recommend this short story to anyone planning to read Lost Lake. I would also recommend this to anyone who is thinking about reading some of Sarah Addison Allen's work. It is a nice example of her style of writing. I have already read Lost Lake and plan to read additional titles by this wonderful author.

  • Mary Eve

    For starters, I had just finished Allen's lovely book, Garden Spells, when I ran across a free digital download of this very short story. Garden Spells was the first book I'd read by Sarah Addison Allen and I fell instantly in love with her writing. I wanted more, more, more!! Unfortunately, thirty-four pages of Waking Kate will only wet one's whistle. If you've never read an Allen book and you're looking for an introduction, please do not start here because you will not experience the author's true talent for writing stories that easily capture one's attention and imagination. I'm not saying that Waking Kate is bad. It's just short and the book had a dark, foreboding feel to it. Kate's on the verge of something, this I get. I GET the idea of the story. I just didn't get why. I'm assuming that this short read was a build-up for another Allen book called Lost Lake. I say this because both characters make reference to it and perhaps Kate, and other characters, have more chapters and pages to tell their complete story. If that's the case, then it's also safe to assume that Allen was successful with Waking Kate because now I'm headed over to Lost Lake. And for that , I'm giving this another star!

  • ♏ Gina Baratono☽

    This little book is a prequel to Sarah Addison Allen's bestseller, Lost Lake. It's a sweet, short read, introducing two main characters: Kate and her sweet, elderly neighbor, who is losing his long-time job as a sales associate in a local men's store.

    Hearing the news of the store's closing, Kate notices that they have interviewed her neighbor for the story. She walks over to tell him how sorry she is that he is losing his job.

    Her timing is perfect. He sits her down and proceeds to tell her the touching story of how he came to have that job. By the end, Kate is questioning her own life and trying to figure out if she really is where she wants to be, and whether she should continue on with the status quo.

    Kate is also dealing with a very unlikeable and very overbearing mother-in-law. You will root for Kate and love her neighbor.

    While this is a prequel, it's not absolutely a necessary read prior to Lost Lake. It does, however, give you a bit of background that explains the characters and why they are who they are a bit more going into the full novel.

  • Sara B.

    I thought this was going to be a bit longer, but what it ended up being was a very short story and then a preview of her upcoming book Lost Lake. The story was okay, but nothing spectacular. At least it was free.