Chesapeake Bay Series tells the tale of three brothers–all former juvenile delinquents adopted by Raymond Quinn and his wife, Stella. Cameron, Ethan, and Philip are as different as can be, but they are bound by their love and respect for their adoptive father, who has recently passed away. On his deathbed he asks his sons to look after their most recent brother, 10-year-old Seth, who–if the rumors are to believed–just may be Ray’s biological son.
Eager to honor their father’s dying wish that their other brother, Seth, be cared for, the three settle into life with a 10-year-old. Of all the brothers, it is Ethan who finds himself drawn to the young boy, because both suffered horrific abuse before being adopted by the Quinns. Time hasn’t extinguished Ethan’s pain, only buried it deep within his heart, a fact that may keep him from the only woman he has ever loved.
Phillip, the last unwed Quinn brother, must juggle his high-powered advertising job and his newfound family duty of helping to care for his young adopted brother, Seth. When Dr. Sybill Griffin shows up in the sleepy town of St. Christopher, Phillip makes room in his hectic schedule for the mysterious woman who stirs his senses and threatens to steal his heart. And while Sybill can’t deny her own growing feelings for the charismatic Quinn, the secret connection to Seth that she hides may destroy any chance that the two young lovers have at happiness.
It’s been a long journey. After a harrowing boyhood with his drug-addicted mother, he’d been taken in by the Quinn family, growing up with three older brothers who’d watched over him with love.
Now a grown man returning from Europe as a successful painter, Seth is settling down on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, surrounded once again by Cam, Ethan, and Phil, their wives and children, all the blessed chaos of the extended Quinn clan. Finally, he’s back in the little blue-and-white house where there’s always a boat at the dock, a rocker on the porch, and a dog in the yard.
Still, a lot has changed in St. Christopher since he’s been gone-and the most intriguing change of all is the presence of Dru Whitcomb Banks. A city girl who’s opened a florist shop in this seaside town, she craves independence and the challenge of establishing herself without the influence of her wealthy connections. In Seth, she sees another kind of challenge-a challenge that she can’t resist.
But storms are brewing that are about to put their relationship to the test. Dru’s past has made her sensitive to deception-and slow to trust. And Seth’s past has made him a target of blackmail-as a secret he’s kept hidden for years threatens to explode, destroying his new life and his new love. . . .
If you have never picked up a Nora Roberts book, but are a mother to sons then I highly recommend this series. This is one that you have to read in order or you don’t understand everything that is going on.
RATING 5
