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jonirhea's review against another edition
2.0
I have always been a fan of Sherryl Woods and the Chesapeake Shores series. I'm sad to say that I ended up abandoning this book after trying to finish it several times. This is not typical of me, to not finish a book, but I honestly just could not get excited about the characters in the book. I also think that the meddling of the O'Briens are getting redundant.
leasummer's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars - an older couple finds love unexpectedly and the wonderful mess that is family
keen23's review against another edition
2.0
This book is supposed to be the redemption of Kiera Malone. Sorry, Sherryl Woods. Stop trying to make fetch happen. It just doesn't work for me.
judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
Sherryl Woods returns with her popular Chesapeake Shores series following (2015) Willow Brook Road Chesapeake Shores, #13 with LILAC LANE (#14) —From Ireland to Chesapeake Shores – A magical place for healing and a little romance.
This time around we catchup with Moira and Luke O’Brien and their baby girl, Kate. Of course, with Nell and many of the familiar characters and places we love.
Moira is concerned about her mom, Kiera. Her husband Peter’s unexpected death was shocking after her second chance and raising her children on her own. Moria wants her to come and live in Chesapeake.
A steady dose of the O’Briens will restore her spirits. She had wasted years of bitterness and regrets after Moira’s dad left. She had taken a chance on love and now he was gone.
Maybe she could tell her she needs help with the baby, but possibly she can get her a job at the Irish pub, keeping an eye on the chef and making sure he does not stray too far from the proper Irish recipes.
Her mom needed the family. With much persuasion, she agrees to come to charming Chesapeake Shores as a consultant. She can always return to Dublin.
She rents a lovely cottage on Lilac Lane and is feeling good being part of a family. However, soon learns her neighbor is none other than Bryan Laramie, the not so pleasant and annoying chef at the pub, with whom Kiera is constantly at war with.
Moira soon sees the electricity between her mom and Bryan (similar to the relationship between her own relationship with Luke), when they first met.
However, Kiera thinks he is infuriating.
Of course, if you know the O’Briens they never mind their own business and the clan is always meddling to make sure everyone is happy.
Bryan on the other hand has his own past. He had enough broken hearts to last a lifetime and was still recovering from this last one.
Then his long-lost daughter shows up and both Bryan and Keira may have more in common than they may know. Plus, as always, there is always a community-wide event to ignite the flames.
With two complex personalities, it was time for the annual Fall Festival Irish Stew cook-off. And this town does nothing better than “stir the pot.”
With some competition, stubbornness, clever planning, Irish recipes, sacrifices, meddling, bets, some risks, and of course a little romance, to demonstrate love conquers all.
If you enjoy heartwarming stories of strong family bonds and authentic characters, Chesapeake Shores will draw you into their world with open arms. For fans of Debbie Macomber, Joanne Demaio, Mariah Stewart, and Susan Wiggs.
LOVE the Chesapeake Shores series (TV series and have read all the books in the series)— among many of her other books. A longtime fan of Sherryl Woods, starting in my younger years (before Goodreads) thru today. I love the idyllic settings, vivid descriptions, and intriguing characters.
Looking forward to hopefully Season 3 since Season 2 just wrapped up. Always look forward to the Sunday show. It makes me want to return to these books and read them for the second time. Sherryl allows you to escape and travel without leaving your home. It is the next best thing to being there. An ah moment.
Many thanks to MIRA and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. I also listened to the audiobook, narrated by Christina Traister for an engaging listening experience.
In addition, I am very excited about the highly anticipated [b:A Small Town Love Story: Colonial Beach, Virginia|34347634|A Small Town Love Story Colonial Beach, Virginia|Sherryl Woods|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505774743s/34347634.jpg|55423186] Coming Nov 14, 2017 on my Top 20 Books coming Nov. Part memoir, part oral history. The author gives us a rare and intimate look at Colonial Beach, Virginia.
Readers you will want to add this to your library collection and your must-read list.
JDCMustReadBooks
This time around we catchup with Moira and Luke O’Brien and their baby girl, Kate. Of course, with Nell and many of the familiar characters and places we love.
Moira is concerned about her mom, Kiera. Her husband Peter’s unexpected death was shocking after her second chance and raising her children on her own. Moria wants her to come and live in Chesapeake.
A steady dose of the O’Briens will restore her spirits. She had wasted years of bitterness and regrets after Moira’s dad left. She had taken a chance on love and now he was gone.
Maybe she could tell her she needs help with the baby, but possibly she can get her a job at the Irish pub, keeping an eye on the chef and making sure he does not stray too far from the proper Irish recipes.
Her mom needed the family. With much persuasion, she agrees to come to charming Chesapeake Shores as a consultant. She can always return to Dublin.
She rents a lovely cottage on Lilac Lane and is feeling good being part of a family. However, soon learns her neighbor is none other than Bryan Laramie, the not so pleasant and annoying chef at the pub, with whom Kiera is constantly at war with.
Moira soon sees the electricity between her mom and Bryan (similar to the relationship between her own relationship with Luke), when they first met.
However, Kiera thinks he is infuriating.
Of course, if you know the O’Briens they never mind their own business and the clan is always meddling to make sure everyone is happy.
Bryan on the other hand has his own past. He had enough broken hearts to last a lifetime and was still recovering from this last one.
Then his long-lost daughter shows up and both Bryan and Keira may have more in common than they may know. Plus, as always, there is always a community-wide event to ignite the flames.
With two complex personalities, it was time for the annual Fall Festival Irish Stew cook-off. And this town does nothing better than “stir the pot.”
With some competition, stubbornness, clever planning, Irish recipes, sacrifices, meddling, bets, some risks, and of course a little romance, to demonstrate love conquers all.
If you enjoy heartwarming stories of strong family bonds and authentic characters, Chesapeake Shores will draw you into their world with open arms. For fans of Debbie Macomber, Joanne Demaio, Mariah Stewart, and Susan Wiggs.
LOVE the Chesapeake Shores series (TV series and have read all the books in the series)— among many of her other books. A longtime fan of Sherryl Woods, starting in my younger years (before Goodreads) thru today. I love the idyllic settings, vivid descriptions, and intriguing characters.
Looking forward to hopefully Season 3 since Season 2 just wrapped up. Always look forward to the Sunday show. It makes me want to return to these books and read them for the second time. Sherryl allows you to escape and travel without leaving your home. It is the next best thing to being there. An ah moment.
Many thanks to MIRA and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. I also listened to the audiobook, narrated by Christina Traister for an engaging listening experience.
In addition, I am very excited about the highly anticipated [b:A Small Town Love Story: Colonial Beach, Virginia|34347634|A Small Town Love Story Colonial Beach, Virginia|Sherryl Woods|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505774743s/34347634.jpg|55423186] Coming Nov 14, 2017 on my Top 20 Books coming Nov. Part memoir, part oral history. The author gives us a rare and intimate look at Colonial Beach, Virginia.
Readers you will want to add this to your library collection and your must-read list.
JDCMustReadBooks
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
5.0
Terrific book. It has been a long time since my last visit to Chesapeake Shores, but it was effortless to slide right back into it. This is the story of Keira, Moira's mother (The Summer Garden) and Bryan, the chef at Luke O'Brien's pub. Relations between Keira and Moira had been strained for a long time before they mended their relationship in the earlier book. Keira raised her three children on her own when her husband deserted her, leaving Keira somewhat bitter and wary of love. Just when she opened herself up again to the possibility, her fiancé died, leaving Keira grieving and lost. Worried about her mother, Moira stretches the truth with the help of her new O'Brien relatives and convinces Keira to come to Maryland, using baby Kate and the pub as the reasons for the visit. Moira really hopes to convince her mother to stay in Chesapeake Shores.
Bryan is the chef at the pub. He worked in both New York and Baltimore before coming to Chesapeake Shores. While not quite a loner, he mostly keeps to himself. He rules his kitchen, accepting interference only from his boss, Luke, and Nell O'Brien, the family matriarch who taught him the traditional Irish recipes served at the pub. The arrival of feisty and blunt Keira doesn't sit well with him, but he doesn't have much choice in the matter.
I liked both Keira and Bryan and the development of their relationship. In the beginning, it is very adversarial, as Keira takes her job of ensuring authenticity very seriously, but Bryan doesn't take her suggestions well. Things begin to change a little bit when Keira moves into the cottage next door to Bryan's house, and they discover that when they leave their work difference behind they get along very well. There were some terrific scenes of late-night chats over wine, and early mornings spent weeding Bryan's garden. The sparks of antagonism that flew between them begin to change to a different kind of sparks. But both Keira and Bryan have baggage that makes them resistant to those sparks. Keira's risked her heart twice and had it broken, though in different ways. Risking it again seems to be the height of folly, so she works hard to keep that little bit of distance between them. Bryan was married many years before but neglected his wife in his zeal to cement his career. His wife took their baby girl and left him without a word when she reached the end of her patience. Bryan has spent almost twenty years trying to find them. Having failed at marriage once, trying again is the last thing on his mind.
But Keira and Bryan aren't given the chance to fight their feelings for long. The O'Brien family is well-known for their tendency to interfere in the lives of those they care for. Everyone from Nell to Mick, right on down the line can see what is happening, and they all have ideas on how to bring the reluctant duo together. Nell comes up with the bright idea of a cooking competition, with the title of best Irish stew between Keira and Bryan up for grabs. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes machinations of various O'Briens as they fan the flames of competition. Keira recognizes her growing feelings for Bryan, but her fears hold her back from saying anything. I loved the scene where Bryan finds out the truth and the twist that Keira throws into his declaration. I loved how the competition played out and their big moment at the end was fantastic.
In the midst of all this drama, Bryan receives the shock of his life. His long-lost daughter appears in Chesapeake Shores looking for answers. I loved seeing this side of Bryan as he and Deanna got to know each other. The scene where Deanna finally gets up the courage to face her father had me in tears. I also loved that Keira was there to support him. There are some sweet scenes as Keira helps smooth over the rough spots of their reunion.
As always, I love the secondary appearances of other characters. The bits with Moira and her attempts to balance family and career were realistic and moving. I loved the get-togethers at Sally's as the O'Brien women share their days, and how they embraced Keira as one of their own. I laughed out loud at Mick's antics during the buildup to the competition. Nell was a riot as she involved herself and others in her matchmaking. As Bryan and Keira's boss, Luke had quite the challenge in keeping the peace at the pub. And in the end, the entire town had a part in the romance between Bryan and Keira. It will be interesting to see if there will be further Chesapeake Shores books and who will star in them. I'm leaning toward Deanna, plus the frequent mentions of Keira's estranged sons leaves the door open for them also.
Bryan is the chef at the pub. He worked in both New York and Baltimore before coming to Chesapeake Shores. While not quite a loner, he mostly keeps to himself. He rules his kitchen, accepting interference only from his boss, Luke, and Nell O'Brien, the family matriarch who taught him the traditional Irish recipes served at the pub. The arrival of feisty and blunt Keira doesn't sit well with him, but he doesn't have much choice in the matter.
I liked both Keira and Bryan and the development of their relationship. In the beginning, it is very adversarial, as Keira takes her job of ensuring authenticity very seriously, but Bryan doesn't take her suggestions well. Things begin to change a little bit when Keira moves into the cottage next door to Bryan's house, and they discover that when they leave their work difference behind they get along very well. There were some terrific scenes of late-night chats over wine, and early mornings spent weeding Bryan's garden. The sparks of antagonism that flew between them begin to change to a different kind of sparks. But both Keira and Bryan have baggage that makes them resistant to those sparks. Keira's risked her heart twice and had it broken, though in different ways. Risking it again seems to be the height of folly, so she works hard to keep that little bit of distance between them. Bryan was married many years before but neglected his wife in his zeal to cement his career. His wife took their baby girl and left him without a word when she reached the end of her patience. Bryan has spent almost twenty years trying to find them. Having failed at marriage once, trying again is the last thing on his mind.
But Keira and Bryan aren't given the chance to fight their feelings for long. The O'Brien family is well-known for their tendency to interfere in the lives of those they care for. Everyone from Nell to Mick, right on down the line can see what is happening, and they all have ideas on how to bring the reluctant duo together. Nell comes up with the bright idea of a cooking competition, with the title of best Irish stew between Keira and Bryan up for grabs. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes machinations of various O'Briens as they fan the flames of competition. Keira recognizes her growing feelings for Bryan, but her fears hold her back from saying anything. I loved the scene where Bryan finds out the truth and the twist that Keira throws into his declaration. I loved how the competition played out and their big moment at the end was fantastic.
In the midst of all this drama, Bryan receives the shock of his life. His long-lost daughter appears in Chesapeake Shores looking for answers. I loved seeing this side of Bryan as he and Deanna got to know each other. The scene where Deanna finally gets up the courage to face her father had me in tears. I also loved that Keira was there to support him. There are some sweet scenes as Keira helps smooth over the rough spots of their reunion.
As always, I love the secondary appearances of other characters. The bits with Moira and her attempts to balance family and career were realistic and moving. I loved the get-togethers at Sally's as the O'Brien women share their days, and how they embraced Keira as one of their own. I laughed out loud at Mick's antics during the buildup to the competition. Nell was a riot as she involved herself and others in her matchmaking. As Bryan and Keira's boss, Luke had quite the challenge in keeping the peace at the pub. And in the end, the entire town had a part in the romance between Bryan and Keira. It will be interesting to see if there will be further Chesapeake Shores books and who will star in them. I'm leaning toward Deanna, plus the frequent mentions of Keira's estranged sons leaves the door open for them also.
agrutle's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the book in exchange for an honest review.
I love going to visit the O'Brien family in Chesapeake Shores. This time we get to see Moira's mother come and start a life in the aftermath of the death of her fiancé. She's wary of coming to Chesapeake Shores but is wanting to see her daughter and meet her granddaughter.
I enjoyed reading Keira's story, she was strong and did what she needed to do in order to make her life work. She wasn't there for romance but somehow it found her even though she had her heart guarded. What happens when she has to go back to Ireland because really she can't stay forever. Or can she?
I love going to visit the O'Brien family in Chesapeake Shores. This time we get to see Moira's mother come and start a life in the aftermath of the death of her fiancé. She's wary of coming to Chesapeake Shores but is wanting to see her daughter and meet her granddaughter.
I enjoyed reading Keira's story, she was strong and did what she needed to do in order to make her life work. She wasn't there for romance but somehow it found her even though she had her heart guarded. What happens when she has to go back to Ireland because really she can't stay forever. Or can she?
susanjanette's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0