I received this book for free from the TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Series: Chesapeake Shores #14
Published by MIRA on October 17, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 352
Source: TLC Book Tours
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No one writes about friends, family and home better than Sherryl Woods. Told with warmth and humor, Lilac Lane is a brand-new story in her beloved Chesapeake Shores series, one readers all over the world have waited two years to read!
At the heart of Lilac Lane is Keira Malone, who raised her three children alone after her first marriage broke apart, and who, after years of guarding her heart, finally finds love again. But that love is short-lived when her fiancé suffers a fatal heart attack. Grieving and unsure of what’s next, Keira agrees to move from Dublin to Chesapeake Shores, Maryland, to spend time with her daughter, Moira, and her new granddaughter, Kate, as well as to help her son-in-law, Luke, with his Irish pub, O’Briens.
Not wanting to live underfoot, she rents a charming cottage on Lilac Lane, replete with views of the ocean and her neighbor’s thriving garden—not to mention views of the neighbor himself. The neighbor is none other than Bryan Laramie, the brusque and moody chef at the pub, with whom Keira is constantly butting heads. But things get real when Bryan’s long-lost daughter, whom he hasn’t seen since she was a baby, shows up out of the blue. As Bryan and Keira each delve into their pasts, reopening wounds, the rest of the town is gearing up for the Fall Festival Irish Stew cook-off, and making no bones about whose side they’re on. It’s Kitchen Wars meets This is Your Life—a recipe for disaster…or a new take on love?
You won’t want to miss this epic return to Chesapeake Shores, a place we’re betting you’ll want to stay forever.
Coming into a series that’s now fourteen books deep can be daunting, but Sherryl Woods’ latest installment in the Chesapeake Shores series, Lilac Lane, had enough back story sprinkled throughout that I was able to easily follow along with the multitude of characters in the small, picturesque seaside town of Chesapeake Shores, Maryland as Keira Malone finds a new life with her daughter and extended family–along with a possible new love in the irritatingly aloof chef at the family’s Irish Pub.
Keira Malone struggled to raise her three children after leaving her alcoholic husband, and she even found love again and became engaged. But then Peter died unexpectedly right after their engagement, and Keira is persuaded to travel from Ireland to Chesapeake Shores to stay with her daughter Moira and her infant granddaughter Kate. While Keira is stubborn, proud, and very strong willed, she isn’t content to just play grandmother, so they convince her to stay on in the US as a consultant to there Irish Pub, O’Briens. It’s here where she first encounters chef Bryan Laramie, who’s equally stubborn and set in his ways, and their working relationship is tenuous at best with all of the changes that Keira wants to make at the pub to make it more authentic. Unfortunately for both Keira and Bryan, Moira and her husband Luke mistake their spats for sparks, and plots are hatched to keep Keira around longer than the six-month work visa that she’s obtained.
Family ties are front and center in Lilac Lane, and the ties that bind are also the ones that will meddle with your life in this case. Poor Keira and Bryan have so many people throwing them together–even when they aren’t sure that there is anything to explore between them–from Keira’s step-mother, to her own daughter and son-in-law, to the patriarch of the town itself. A good portion of the O’Brien clan thinks themselves matchmakers, whether the involved parties want to be matched up or not.
While Keira’s loss is more recent and at the surface, Bryan’s is much longer hidden. I really enjoyed finding out Bryan’s story, and the way he dealt with his long lost daughter showing up out of the blue was perfect. While their romance was a slow burn full of one step forward and two steps back, it was nice to see Keira’s personality bloom once they became involved. Bryan really opened up as well.
I give Lilac Lane a four out of five. Community and family are central to this book, and the setting of Chesapeake Shores was so quaint and visually pleasing. While the pacing was a little slow in spots, it lent itself to the unhurried pace of life in this seaside town. The romance is very clean in this book, and the only heated moments are when Keira and Bryan arguing with each other throughout the book. I really loved the cast of secondary characters and the supportive women throughout. You can read this as a standalone without any problems.
Find LILAC LANE
Amazon | Books-A-Millions | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads
About Sherryl Woods
With her roots firmly planted in the South, Sherryl Woods has written many of her more than 100 books in that distinctive setting, whether in her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. Sherryl is best known for her ability to creating endearing small town communities and families. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 75 romances for Silhouette Desire and Special Edition.
Connect with Sherryl Woods
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Sherryl Woods’ TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS for LILAC LANE:
Excerpt tour for LILAC LANE:
Monday, October 2nd: Moonlight Rendezvous
Tuesday, October 3rd: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, October 4th: Broken Teepee
Thursday, October 5th: Palmer’s Page Turners
Friday, October 6th: The Book Diva’s Reads
Monday, October 9th: A Holland Reads
Tuesday, October 10th: Books a la Mode
Wednesday, October 11th: Just One More Chapter
Thursday, October 12th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Friday, October 13th: Thoughts on This ‘n That
Review tour for LILAC LANE:
Monday, October 16th: From the Library of Mrs. Gardner blog and Instagram
Monday, October 16th: The Sassy Bookster – spotlight
Tuesday, October 17th: The Sketchy Reader
Tuesday, October 17th: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, October 18th: Stranded in Chaos
Thursday, October 19th: Readaholic Zone
Friday, October 20th: Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot
Monday, October 23rd: Katy’s Library blog and Instagram
Tuesday, October 24th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Tuesday, October 24th: What is That Book About – spotlight
Wednesday, October 25th: Books and Bindings
Thursday, October 26th: Bookchickdi
Thursday, October 26th: Reading Reality
Friday, October 27th: View from the Birdhouse
Friday, October 27th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy – spotlight
Monday, October 30th: A Holland Reads
Monday, October 30th: A Chick Who Reads
Wednesday, November 1st: Novel Gossip
Thursday, November 2nd: Suzy Approved
Saturday, November 4th: Girl Who Reads
Monday, November 6th: Palmer’s Page Turners
Tuesday, November 7th: Bewitched Bookworms
Wednesday, November 8th: Moonlight Rendezvous
Thursday, November 9th: LiteraryJo Reviews blog and Instagram
Friday, November 10th: Thoughts on This ‘n That
Monday, November 13th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Tuesday, November 14th: The Romance Dish
Tuesday, November 14th: Blogging with A
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I can never read enough books about family, especially when the characters are in their middle ages, have been through many of the ups and downs in their lives, and are more settled in their ways. I actually enjoy it when things take place at a slow pace – there’s more time for the characters to discover themselves and for us to understand them. Sherryl Woods is my hero <3
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Lilac Lane was my first Sherryl Woods book, and I really liked her writing. I’ll definitely read more from her!
Heather recently posted..Lilac Lane by Sherryl Woods
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[…] Tuesday, November 7th: Bewitched Bookworms […]
I keep meaning to read this series since I live so close to the Chesapeake Bay – clearly I’m missing out on a wonderful series!
Thanks for being a pat of the tour.
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I really enjoyed Lilac Lane, so I’m sure the rest of the series is great.
Heather recently posted..Lilac Lane by Sherryl Woods
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