Elizabeth Gentry put all her passion into her students. Educating them, encouraging them, reaching them—that was easy. After the betrayal, the grief and the pain, there was a kind of peace in giving away her heart to her pupils.

That was what made Todd Lewis so dangerous. With his dogged determination and rugged handsomeness, he had slowly staked his own claim on her heart and made her feel again. Made her want to hope and dream. But her hopes, her dreams, her heart—were so fragile. Could she entrust them to him? Or would he destroy them for good?

The weather for this holiday weekend sucks - cold and wet. I feel myself slipping into a reading slump, so I am borrowing a few from OverDrive tonight and the library tomorrow in the hopes I find new series or authors to read. I picked these books due to the beachy, summery feel of the covers - exact opposite of the real weather. Right now, my reading this weekend includes Driftwood Cottage (Chesapeake Shores #5) by Sherryl Woods, It's in His Kiss (Lucky Harbor #10) by Jill Shalvis, and Trinity Falls (Finding Home #1) by Regina Hart. 

Happy Passover, Happy Easter, Happy Days off from Work (maybe), and happy reading!

A Chesapeake Shores Novel #14

By: Sherryl Woods

ISBN: 9780778331339

Publisher:  MIRA

Publication Date: 10/17/2017

Format: Hardcover

My Rating: 4 Stars

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 A Small Town Love Story: Colonial Beach, Virginia 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

Spirited, spontaneous Carrie Winters has grown up under the watchful eyes of not only her grandfather Mick O’Brien, but the entire town of Chesapeake Shores. 

Now that she’s home from Europe, a glamorous fashion career behind her and her heart broken, there seem to be far too many people watching to see if she’ll live up to the expectations her family has for her. 

As if that weren’t enough pressure, Carrie finds herself drawn to sexy, grief-stricken Sam Winslow, who is yearning for someone to help him raise the nephew who’s unexpectedly come into his life after a tragedy. 

With her own life in turmoil, is Carrie really ready to take on a new career and a new man? Or is Sam exactly what she needs to create the strong, loving family she’s always wanted?

As the only child of a single mom, Jenny Collins wanted nothing more than to be part of a large, rambunctious family like the O'Briens. Ironically, though, when her mother married into that family, Jenny found herself feeling more like an outsider than ever. 

Now, after years in Nashville as an established songwriter, Jenny's drawn back to Chesapeake Shores to collaborate on a Christmas production…and to make peace with the past. As if that's not challenging enough, Caleb Green, the singer who broke her heart, has followed her to town, determined to win her back. 

With the help of a little O'Brien holiday magic, will Jenny and Caleb find a way to make sweet music forever?