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jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
A Seaside Christmas by Sherryl Woods
This family saga is about Jenny Collins=her mom went and married the elder O'Brien and they had a son. She just didn't fit in but her aunt Bree talked her into coming back after years of trying other things: college and songwriting in Nashville. She had broken up a year ago with Caleb Green.
This book also follows Caleb and his life in Nashville, listening to others sing Jennie's songs. He wants to buy that song and will go to Chesapeake Shores and talk to her-something he hadn't done when they broke up.
In town everybody in the family is trying to get Jenny on board to attend the welcome home party and to make amends with her mother... She's also working with Bree on the Christmas play songs. Caleb hits town to apologize to Jenny...
Dillon, another local guy she used to play music with is divorced and wants to date her. Super surprise what her mom and step-dad give her when she's back in town, it's so perfect.
To help Bree and her new production company they agree to work together so she'll have a really good season.
Love catching up with all the families and especially during the holiday season.
Caleb's idea to decorate her yard with decorations-he gets the go ahead by Bree who in turn sends all the males to the house to help complete the job. They hope she appreciates and likes it especially the special piece he found.
He wins the males over with the lure of a benefit concert for their land and preservation ideas...
Jenny listens to how he's changed and she's seen it for herself but she has some doubts he will go back to his bad ole self ... and he does have the part where he kisses the older female in the play...til she finds out another reason he came to town...
I received this book from Net Galley via Harlequin MIRA in exchange for my honest review.
This family saga is about Jenny Collins=her mom went and married the elder O'Brien and they had a son. She just didn't fit in but her aunt Bree talked her into coming back after years of trying other things: college and songwriting in Nashville. She had broken up a year ago with Caleb Green.
This book also follows Caleb and his life in Nashville, listening to others sing Jennie's songs. He wants to buy that song and will go to Chesapeake Shores and talk to her-something he hadn't done when they broke up.
In town everybody in the family is trying to get Jenny on board to attend the welcome home party and to make amends with her mother... She's also working with Bree on the Christmas play songs. Caleb hits town to apologize to Jenny...
Dillon, another local guy she used to play music with is divorced and wants to date her. Super surprise what her mom and step-dad give her when she's back in town, it's so perfect.
To help Bree and her new production company they agree to work together so she'll have a really good season.
Love catching up with all the families and especially during the holiday season.
Caleb's idea to decorate her yard with decorations-he gets the go ahead by Bree who in turn sends all the males to the house to help complete the job. They hope she appreciates and likes it especially the special piece he found.
He wins the males over with the lure of a benefit concert for their land and preservation ideas...
Jenny listens to how he's changed and she's seen it for herself but she has some doubts he will go back to his bad ole self ... and he does have the part where he kisses the older female in the play...til she finds out another reason he came to town...
I received this book from Net Galley via Harlequin MIRA in exchange for my honest review.
sn4p's review
3.0
It really was not that good. It was really slow starting and just kept getting slower. It was quite a bit of a disappointment.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
4.0
Good story of second chances. Jenny is still trying to get over her breakup with Caleb. She had been deeply in love with him when he was caught cheating on her. Her humiliation was complete with the horrible photos printed in all the tabloids. She feels a need to get out of Nashville and when she has an opportunity to go home to Chesapeake Shores, she takes it.
Going home isn't as easy as it sounds. Ever since her mom married Thomas O'Brien she's felt like an outsider. She had been used to it being just her and her mother, and she hadn't been happy with the idea of sharing her mother with him. When her mom got pregnant, she really felt like she didn't belong anymore. She has avoided going home as much as possible for years now, and things with the family just keep getting more awkward. Her uncle's wife Bree is putting on a Christmas play and wants Jenny to write the music for it. This gives Jenny a reason to go home, but can she mend fences with her family?
Caleb knows he screwed up when he cheated on Jenny in a drunken haze. The fallout from that convinced him that he needed help. He lost Jenny and he wrecked his career. So he checked into rehab and made a start at putting his life back together. One thing that he is that he needs Jenny back in his life. He finds an excuse to follow her to Chesapeake Shores and there hopes to show her that they really do belong together. He's fighting an uphill battle though. Jenny wants nothing to do with him, and her family has made it clear that they are watching him very closely.
Jenny has never stopped loving Caleb, even though he broke her heart. She's not happy that he has showed up in Chesapeake Shores. What's worse, Bree has offered him a spot in her play, feeling that Jenny's music and Caleb's voice will take it to a whole new level. Jenny also suspects that Bree is indulging in the family habit of meddling and matchmaking. Having Caleb constantly there is putting a strain on her attempts to protect her heart from being broken again. She wants him, but she's afraid to trust him.
Caleb is determined to win Jenny back. Being in rehab gave him the opportunity to reassess his life and see where he wants it to go. He wants Jenny to be part of that life. When he arrives in Chesapeake Shores he's pretty nervous about dealing with her family, and isn't surprised that he doesn't exactly get a warm welcome. He is surprised when Bree asks him to appear in her show, and talks Jenny into working with him. He quickly realizes that this is probably his only chance to win Jenny back. He lets her know that he still loves her, but he's careful about not pushing too hard. He knows he has a long way to go.
I loved seeing Caleb's attempts to win Jenny back. He knows her very well, so he can see that she still loves him, but that she's afraid to trust him. He starts out slowly, with agreeing to work with her on the music for the play, and reminding her of the way they had been friends before they were lovers. He knows of her problem with her mother and helps her to see what she needs to do. I loved his sensitivity to those feelings, and his way of helping her with the Christmas decorating was really sweet. I loved the way that he didn't try to make excuses for his mistakes, but owned up to them and tried to be better. I enjoyed seeing him deal with her family, from the ladies who were willing to help him, to the men who were a bit harder to win over. The thing I liked the most was that Caleb never gave up showing Jenny just how much he loved her.
Jenny was a little harder for me to like. While I understood her initial reaction to her mother's marriage, I thought she held on to those feelings for too long. It really made her seem kind of childish. I really didn't like the way that she couldn't even make herself be nice to her little brother. It took Caleb to get her to ease into a relationship with little Sean. I even would have understood her feelings if the O'Briens had treated her like an outsider, but they didn't. Every one of them treated her as part of the family even before her mom married Thomas, so I just didn't get it. I was happy to see her finally start to act like an adult and apologize for being a brat. When it came to her and Caleb, I completely understood her feelings. She had been so devastated that she didn't want to risk her heart again. But it didn't take long for her to realize that she still loved him, she just had to decide if she was ready to do something about it. His understanding of her feelings about the Christmas decorations and his finding of the Christmas train broke down the last walls, but she was still reluctant to go that final step. There was one last obstacle to overcome, but Caleb's big moment was so sweet and moving.
I really enjoyed seeing the various members of the O'Briens and their parts in getting Caleb and Jenny back together. It was great to see their support of Jenny and how that support also included their trademark meddling.
Going home isn't as easy as it sounds. Ever since her mom married Thomas O'Brien she's felt like an outsider. She had been used to it being just her and her mother, and she hadn't been happy with the idea of sharing her mother with him. When her mom got pregnant, she really felt like she didn't belong anymore. She has avoided going home as much as possible for years now, and things with the family just keep getting more awkward. Her uncle's wife Bree is putting on a Christmas play and wants Jenny to write the music for it. This gives Jenny a reason to go home, but can she mend fences with her family?
Caleb knows he screwed up when he cheated on Jenny in a drunken haze. The fallout from that convinced him that he needed help. He lost Jenny and he wrecked his career. So he checked into rehab and made a start at putting his life back together. One thing that he is that he needs Jenny back in his life. He finds an excuse to follow her to Chesapeake Shores and there hopes to show her that they really do belong together. He's fighting an uphill battle though. Jenny wants nothing to do with him, and her family has made it clear that they are watching him very closely.
Jenny has never stopped loving Caleb, even though he broke her heart. She's not happy that he has showed up in Chesapeake Shores. What's worse, Bree has offered him a spot in her play, feeling that Jenny's music and Caleb's voice will take it to a whole new level. Jenny also suspects that Bree is indulging in the family habit of meddling and matchmaking. Having Caleb constantly there is putting a strain on her attempts to protect her heart from being broken again. She wants him, but she's afraid to trust him.
Caleb is determined to win Jenny back. Being in rehab gave him the opportunity to reassess his life and see where he wants it to go. He wants Jenny to be part of that life. When he arrives in Chesapeake Shores he's pretty nervous about dealing with her family, and isn't surprised that he doesn't exactly get a warm welcome. He is surprised when Bree asks him to appear in her show, and talks Jenny into working with him. He quickly realizes that this is probably his only chance to win Jenny back. He lets her know that he still loves her, but he's careful about not pushing too hard. He knows he has a long way to go.
I loved seeing Caleb's attempts to win Jenny back. He knows her very well, so he can see that she still loves him, but that she's afraid to trust him. He starts out slowly, with agreeing to work with her on the music for the play, and reminding her of the way they had been friends before they were lovers. He knows of her problem with her mother and helps her to see what she needs to do. I loved his sensitivity to those feelings, and his way of helping her with the Christmas decorating was really sweet. I loved the way that he didn't try to make excuses for his mistakes, but owned up to them and tried to be better. I enjoyed seeing him deal with her family, from the ladies who were willing to help him, to the men who were a bit harder to win over. The thing I liked the most was that Caleb never gave up showing Jenny just how much he loved her.
Jenny was a little harder for me to like. While I understood her initial reaction to her mother's marriage, I thought she held on to those feelings for too long. It really made her seem kind of childish. I really didn't like the way that she couldn't even make herself be nice to her little brother. It took Caleb to get her to ease into a relationship with little Sean. I even would have understood her feelings if the O'Briens had treated her like an outsider, but they didn't. Every one of them treated her as part of the family even before her mom married Thomas, so I just didn't get it. I was happy to see her finally start to act like an adult and apologize for being a brat. When it came to her and Caleb, I completely understood her feelings. She had been so devastated that she didn't want to risk her heart again. But it didn't take long for her to realize that she still loved him, she just had to decide if she was ready to do something about it. His understanding of her feelings about the Christmas decorations and his finding of the Christmas train broke down the last walls, but she was still reluctant to go that final step. There was one last obstacle to overcome, but Caleb's big moment was so sweet and moving.
I really enjoyed seeing the various members of the O'Briens and their parts in getting Caleb and Jenny back together. It was great to see their support of Jenny and how that support also included their trademark meddling.
hyperashley's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
darcihanson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
agrutle's review against another edition
3.0
This review can also be seen on www.chillreviews.blogspot.com.
I received this book as an ARC from netgalley for an honest review.
I loved all the books in the Chesapeake Shores series. I thought we were through with them but we weren't and apparently we were missing Jenny's story. Jenny is Connie's daughter, and Connie married Thomas, Mick O'Brien's brother. That's why this is a missing story. We never got to see how all of that went down after the trip to Ireland and the bomb of a baby on the way for Thomas and Connie affected Jenny. Now we get to see, and to be perfectly honest I couldn't sand Jenny. She was whiny, mean and rude most of the time to her mother and anyone that even mention her mother and Thomas's marriage and the child, Sean, her little brother. Jenny resents Sean, she barely knows him and doesn't really want to. I found it sad that she left Chesapeake Shores and has been gone so long that she doesn't even know her little brother. He wants to know her so badly and she just can't seem to work past the fact that she feels slighted, and unwanted because her mother married and found love again. Jenny acts like a spoiled brat through ninety percent of the book and it was all I could do to finish the book.
We are supposed to not like Caleb, he hurt Jenny. All I could think though is how can he want to be with someone that can't even let her mother be happy with a man that loves her and gives a chance to be a mom again. Jenny is convinced that Caleb betrayed her but we never really find out if it for a fact happened because even Caleb can't remember the night he supposedly cheated on her. Caleb works non stop after arriving in Chesapeake Shores to win back Jenny.
I loved being able to see the people from the other books. It was like visiting old friends. I really could of done with out Jenny's story. She needed to grow up and act like the adult she claimed to be.
This was a 2.5 star book. I just didn't like Jenny at all. I hated the way she treated all the people trying to help her find her way back to her family. I didn't love the way she acted towards her little brother. She treated him like crap but treated her cousin (who was about the same age as the little brother) like she was a princess.
I received this book as an ARC from netgalley for an honest review.
I loved all the books in the Chesapeake Shores series. I thought we were through with them but we weren't and apparently we were missing Jenny's story. Jenny is Connie's daughter, and Connie married Thomas, Mick O'Brien's brother. That's why this is a missing story. We never got to see how all of that went down after the trip to Ireland and the bomb of a baby on the way for Thomas and Connie affected Jenny. Now we get to see, and to be perfectly honest I couldn't sand Jenny. She was whiny, mean and rude most of the time to her mother and anyone that even mention her mother and Thomas's marriage and the child, Sean, her little brother. Jenny resents Sean, she barely knows him and doesn't really want to. I found it sad that she left Chesapeake Shores and has been gone so long that she doesn't even know her little brother. He wants to know her so badly and she just can't seem to work past the fact that she feels slighted, and unwanted because her mother married and found love again. Jenny acts like a spoiled brat through ninety percent of the book and it was all I could do to finish the book.
We are supposed to not like Caleb, he hurt Jenny. All I could think though is how can he want to be with someone that can't even let her mother be happy with a man that loves her and gives a chance to be a mom again. Jenny is convinced that Caleb betrayed her but we never really find out if it for a fact happened because even Caleb can't remember the night he supposedly cheated on her. Caleb works non stop after arriving in Chesapeake Shores to win back Jenny.
I loved being able to see the people from the other books. It was like visiting old friends. I really could of done with out Jenny's story. She needed to grow up and act like the adult she claimed to be.
This was a 2.5 star book. I just didn't like Jenny at all. I hated the way she treated all the people trying to help her find her way back to her family. I didn't love the way she acted towards her little brother. She treated him like crap but treated her cousin (who was about the same age as the little brother) like she was a princess.
sn4p's review against another edition
3.0
It really was not that good. It was really slow starting and just kept getting slower. It was quite a bit of a disappointment.
mrs_besas's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5