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daybreak1012's review against another edition
4.25
When I need a lovely little place to visit within the pages of a book, Chesapeake Shores does not disappoint. This series knows what it is and it delivers to that expectation.
What I liked about Driftwood Cottage:
The whole cast of characters - Someone (or some couple) is always the obvious center of the current plot, but you still get to hang out with the whole family. They're a humorous group, pushy and opinionated and meddling, all with the best intentions. While there are individual characters, "the O'Briens as a whole" is really a character all its own.
I love a charming setting - There is zero doubt that Chesapeake Shores is a charmer. This is the sort of setting that always wins me over. If a town is small and has character and community, you can wager with very little risk that I will fall in love with it. At least in theory, if I could pick anywhere on earth to live, it would be a charming small town.
Sherryl Woods writes books that are comfortable to read - This isn't a work of literature, but it's engaging, easy to get into, easy to read. I walk away feeling like I got a good story that didn't place excess demands on my mental bandwidth. I cared to see how it turned out, but I didn't have to work hard to get there.
Predictable plot - Listen, there is no reason this should be part of this section of my review format. I get that. But this is the sort of predictability that I appreciate. If you're five books into a series that stays true to what it's been from the start, then you know it's going to be predictable, you just don't know exactly what path you'll take to get there. There is something comfortable about this sort of storytelling, where you can just settle in and see how you get to the destination you fully expect to reach. The key to executing this is to not drag the pace, and Ms Woods does not.
My flavor of romance - I tend to wrinkle my nose at straight-up romance. The romantic pursuit can't be in the driver's seat. I require some depth: something else happening to keep the romance from taking centerstage, some character development, some relationship growth outside the romantic plotline, some humor. Give me more to focus on and I can cheer on the romance too.
What left me conflicted:
The Thomas storyline - Without any spoilers, I will just say that maybe I shouldn't be bothered by the direction his story went, but for some reason it is currently sitting "weirdly" with me. We'll see.
Heather - I kinda vascillated between being sympathetic to Heather's misgivings and wanting to smack her upside the head. I realize that without her waffling, we don't have a point of conflict upon which to pivot the plot tension. As the section indicates: I am conflicted.
Worth noting:
Mostly clean - There is absolutely zero coarse language. There are some bedroom references but they are kept pretty tame and are not explicit. This is NOT a bodice-ripper by any means. Proceed as fits your personal value system on that front.
If you're looking for a sweet books that's easy on the emotions and easy on the brain, some romance, some family escapades, some personal growth, this is a series you can reach for. But start with the first book and work forward, otherwise you're setting yourself up for spoilers on anything that came before it.
mslenakay's review against another edition
3.0
This one bothered me at times for some reason. I didn't like the constant suggestion that they should get married just because they had a kid together. It was fine after you realized how much Connor loved Heather, but in the beginning of the book it wasn't as obvious yet. I was getting pretty sick of their archaic thinking regarding marriage. It was also troubling when people believed they should get married when Connor clearly didn't want to at the beginning. That made the characters seem less developed than I've seen in previous books. It was as if they were zombified into believing that all people with children together should be married and people must never divorce. Yes, that's the ideal world, but it's just not real, I wasn't a fan of the idea that it was the traditional way or else. I mostly enjoyed the book despite the constant advertisement for marriage.
The other thing I wasn't a fan of was always referring to the child as little Mick. It felt forced. The author should have either given him a nickname, just called him Mick in the hopes that we'd understand who she meant in the given context, OR named him something else. It's just not likely that they would always refer to him as little Mick. It felt forced.
This was my least favourite so far, but I still liked reading it for the most part.
The other thing I wasn't a fan of was always referring to the child as little Mick. It felt forced. The author should have either given him a nickname, just called him Mick in the hopes that we'd understand who she meant in the given context, OR named him something else. It's just not likely that they would always refer to him as little Mick. It felt forced.
This was my least favourite so far, but I still liked reading it for the most part.
charms1976's review against another edition
3.0
It has been a long time since I have read a book by Sherryl Woods. I remember that she was one of the first authors I started to read in the romance genre back when I was a teen. I remember how this author can create such vivid backdrops for the characters to dwell in. With this new book, I remembered all the reasons why I loved her writing.
While I love the characters and the attention to details, I was a little disappointed at all of the family that was involved in the story. At times, I wanted them to fade into the background so the focus would solely on the main characters. Some of the story drags at times, but once it picks up it does get fun and interesting. While the storyline is predictable, I still enjoyed reading about Heather and Conner.
While it isn't my favorite book by this author, it wasn't a bad book. It was mediocre in story, but full of family and romance fluff. A great book to pass the time with, but not one I would reread again unless I need a refresher in the series.
While I love the characters and the attention to details, I was a little disappointed at all of the family that was involved in the story. At times, I wanted them to fade into the background so the focus would solely on the main characters. Some of the story drags at times, but once it picks up it does get fun and interesting. While the storyline is predictable, I still enjoyed reading about Heather and Conner.
While it isn't my favorite book by this author, it wasn't a bad book. It was mediocre in story, but full of family and romance fluff. A great book to pass the time with, but not one I would reread again unless I need a refresher in the series.
jbarr5's review against another edition
5.0
driftwood cottage by sherryl woods
heather has left her boyfriend and took the child with her. his career of a divorce lawyer has made her really think about how things really are.
the family and the extended family all live closeby. she has a quilting shop and that's what keeps her in the Chesapeake shores area. Many family gatherings find them together as they try to work through visitations and getting to know one another again.
Love this series, the big extended family, traditions and keeping uptodate with everybody.
an accident occurs and the whole family comes to help. it's where they belong it was said.
as that is the beginning the recovery is dealt with in the same manner, everybody has time to
help in any way needed.
As the recuperation goes on they start talking to one another about the important things.
I rate this a 5, it's a wonderful series and always look forward to a new title and can't wait for the next one.
heather has left her boyfriend and took the child with her. his career of a divorce lawyer has made her really think about how things really are.
the family and the extended family all live closeby. she has a quilting shop and that's what keeps her in the Chesapeake shores area. Many family gatherings find them together as they try to work through visitations and getting to know one another again.
Love this series, the big extended family, traditions and keeping uptodate with everybody.
an accident occurs and the whole family comes to help. it's where they belong it was said.
as that is the beginning the recovery is dealt with in the same manner, everybody has time to
help in any way needed.
As the recuperation goes on they start talking to one another about the important things.
I rate this a 5, it's a wonderful series and always look forward to a new title and can't wait for the next one.
judy_bagley's review against another edition
3.0
Sherryl Woods' books just make me smile. A nice way to end 2011.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
For some reason, I have had trouble adjusting to the time change this month. I do like having light in the early evening, but sleep was elusive.
This is where ebooks from my local library are wonderful. I wanted something light that would be relaxing as I dealt with my insomnia. I looked at the romances that were available and picked out another Chesapeake Shores romance.
This is the sixth romance by Woods that I have read since January 2008. Woods never disappoints. I could fall into Heather's and Connor's tale knowing that all would work out in the end.
This is where ebooks from my local library are wonderful. I wanted something light that would be relaxing as I dealt with my insomnia. I looked at the romances that were available and picked out another Chesapeake Shores romance.
This is the sixth romance by Woods that I have read since January 2008. Woods never disappoints. I could fall into Heather's and Connor's tale knowing that all would work out in the end.