That Chesapeake Summer (Chesapeake Diaries, #9)
by: Mariah Stewart
Series: Chesapeake Diaries
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Source: Publisher ~ Pocket Books via NetGalley
Jamie Valentine is the wildly successful author of self-help books advocating transparency in every relationship. But when her widowed mother passes away unexpectedly, Jamie discovers her own life has been based on a lie. Angry and deeply betrayed, she sets out to find the truth—which may be in a small town on the Chesapeake Bay. Cutting her most recent book tour short, Jamie books a room at the Inn at Sinclair’s Point, just outside St. Dennis.
The death of Daniel Sinclair’s father forced him to take over the family inn, and his wife’s death left him a single parent of two children, so there’s little room for anything else in his life. His lovely new guest is intriguing, though, and he’s curious about the secret she’s clearly hiding. But in the end, Jamie and Dan could discover the greatest truth of all: that the search for one thing just might lead to the find of a lifetime—if you keep your heart open.
REVIEW
It’s been awhile since I’ve read Mariah Stewart and her Chesapeake Diaries Series. In fact, the last book I read was book six, The Long Way Home. In my mind, I was a little afraid to miss two books in the series. I didn’t know if what I missed was going to factor into book nine. Luckily, it didn’t, but couples from previous books are mentioned and some actually make appearances.
Starting with page one, it was like coming home. Grace Sinclair, the owner of The St. Dennis Gazette newspaper and patriarch of the Sinclair family is still writing in her diary, conversing with Alice (who has crossed to the other side), and still having sensory premonitions.
“I have a strange feeling that something big is about to come our way. It’s good and it’s not so good, both positive and negative. I sense something that’s been hidden for a long time about to resurface, something lost but found, it’s going to affect several of us in different ways.”
That Chesapeake Summer is a wonderful story of discovery and determination. After the death of her mother, Jamie Valentine stumbles upon a secret her parents kept from her that forces her to question her whole life. She starts to believe that she herself and her life are both frauds. Jamie travels to St. Dennis, Maryland, the one place she thinks she will find answers. She doesn’t expect to be welcomed into the St. Dennis fold like she is. She doesn’t expect to make the friends she does nor does she expect to find love.
Daniel Sinclair eats, sleeps, and breaths the Inn at Sinclair Point. He’s been running it for almost twenty years, since his father passed away. He takes the responsibility of providing for his family very seriously, to the detriment of his own life and happiness. For eight years now, he has been a widower raising his teenage kids with the help of his mother. Daniel thinks he’s happy and has everything he needs until Jamie shows up and forces him to look at his life.
Once Jamie discovers what she set out to find, she isn’t prepared for the emotions that overcome her. She isn’t sure what to do with the information and she isn’t sure her heart will survive. When she unexpectedly bolts from St. Dennis, Daniel is going to have to decide if he is ready to move on with his new life, one which includes Jaime or simply go back to the way things were.
In classic Mariah Stewart style, she brings readers a story of what friendship, family, and community are all about. That Chesapeake Summer shows that while your life may contain secrets, those secrets don’t have to define who you are. Sometimes fate leads you to the right place at the right time, to find what you have always wanted and needed.
I’m definitely looking forward to returning to St. Dennis and the wonderful characters of this series.
**Received a copy from Pocket Books in exchange for an honest unbiased review.**
Rating: 4
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Love this whole series!
ReplyDeleteYES!! Mariah will always have a special place in my heart. I think I read the first four books and the Enright books in a month, once I discovered her. Maybe two months, since I went over my book budget.
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