Hi guys and gals!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're shining the spotlight on a title that just finished touring the blogosphere from an author who's name is well-known in the Contemporary Romance circles with good reason. It's the 9th addition to the ever popular Chesapeake Bay series and while obviously a great pick for a series, stands rather well on its own bookish feet. Without further ado, I give you today's book of choice...
(The Chesapeake Diaries, Book 9)
by
Mariah Stewart
9781476792590
Pocket Books
About the book...
New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart returns to her Chesapeake Diaries series and to the cherished Maryland shores of St. Dennis with DRIFTWOOD POINT (Pocket Books; June 21, 2016; $7.99), the romantic tale of a man who takes a second chance on love with the high school crush who broke his heart.
Up-and-coming artist Lisbeth Parker finally has a chance to show the folks back home what it means to leave Cannonball Island and make something of yourself. As a native whose stubborn father forbade her from befriending townies, Lis always felt like an outsider in St. Dennis. While her work is on display in the local art gallery, she records her centenarian great-grandmother’s stories of the island’s rich history and falls in love with its unspoiled beauty.
Lis was Alec Jansen’s secret dream girl growing up, and now that she’s back with plans to turn her family's ramshackle cottage into an art studio, the handsome environmental engineer sees a second chance to win her heart. But when he’s hired by a builder who wants to develop the island, Alec is caught between the change he knows is coming and Lis’s desire to preserve the island and its way of life. Can Alex convince Lis that in the right hands change can be good, or will she see only betrayal?
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The thing about this author's writing, this series in particular, is that it's not about the BIG REVEAL. Shocking, right? Frankly, the story line is fairly obvious right from the start, so if you're looking to hunt down your potential happy ending (I use "potential" because nothing is concrete, just the general lay of the land is easy to see), you're not going to find your pot of gold here. The TRUE MAGIC of the series is in the details. The author has a knack for writing characters that you WANT to know, building communities that you WISH you could be a part of, and growing everything just so with each installment, so that whether newcomer or long-time fan, you'll feel right at home.
Take Ruby for example, SUCH A WONDERFUL WOMAN! I mean, I hope I'm that sharp, witty, and caring when I reach her years (100 years and kicking!). The fact that she has a touch of "the eye" is just the icing on the cake, making her that much more mysterious, but unchanging her lovable, unmovable self (that's right mister big time land developer). Lis, our technical leading lady, is a sweetheart. Though her history taints her present frame of mind in spite of her attempts to remove it from her path, it just makes her that much more human. I felt for her when she was lost, but the moment it all became clear as to where she belonged felt like a homecoming long in the making. Her equally charming leading man, Mr. Alec Jansen, was not only easy on the eyes, but also the heart. Despite his poor choice in information sharing, his intentions were good and the fact that once things started to heat up he didn't run away but towards the problem speaks equally highly of his character. Those, my friends, are just the keynote players here...so many more to mention, but I'll let you discover them on your own.
Story wise, I was inclined to worry just as much as the characters about how things would play out. One doesn't want to see the destruction of natural beauty (even book wise) merely for the sake of progress, but with Alec on the job, I knew we were in good hands. Yes, that's right...I fell for our guy hook, line, and sinker...can't blame Lis for doing the same as well despite their shared past. It was heartwarming to see someone so devoted on the male end of the spectrum in lieu of the female simply falling all over themselves to get in their hearts. This was an equal opportunity love in the making...with the potential for fireworks bigger than the fourth of July. I bet if you ask Ruby, she'd tell you all about it...then again, her lips are probably sealed as it isn't really any of OUR business until they make it so. ^-^
In the end, it was truly a wonderful visit with the folks of Cannonball Island and St Dennis. I was hopeful things would work themselves out from the start and by the final page, I was not disappointed. I do have to say that the little teaser from Grace's diary entry in the final moments brought tears to my eyes but lucky for us and the entirety of the island, that won't come to pass for many moons to come. Recommended read for Contemporary Fiction fans of all ages.
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About the author...
Mariah Stewart is the award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of numerous novels and several novellas and short stories. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she savors country life and tends her gardens. Visit her website at mariahstewart.com, like her on Facebook at AuthorMariahStewart, and follow her on Instagram at mariah_stewart_books.
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Be sure to check out the sites on the tour for other great perspectives, features, and giveaways!
Blog Tour:
6/23: Harlequin Junkies
6/24: Dirty and Thirty
6/27: The Lovely Books
6/29: Reviews from the Heart
7/5: Stranded in Chaos
7/6: Reviews by Crystal
7/7: Live to Read
7/11: Bibliotica
Review copy received courtesy of Melissa at Simon & Schuster. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the series, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing. Be sure to catch Mariah Stewart’s all-new trade original women's fiction series, The Hudson Sisters, following a trio of reluctant sisters as they set out to fulfill their father's dying wish—and discover themselves in the process. Book 1, Last Chance Matinee, will publish March 2017!
Until next time...happy reading!
Ooh you had me with the words 'ramshackle cottage' and then there was the mention of an equal opportunity love.
ReplyDeleteThis one reads like real life it will be a treat to curl up and read or stretch out on your beach towel I plan to do just that
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