A CHESAPEAKE SHORES CHRISTMAS

Author: Sherryl Woods ISBN: 9780778328520 10/2010 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: MIRA

After years apart, Mick and Megan O'Brien are finally ready to make it official…again. Most of their grown children couldn't be happier about their rekindled love and impending marriage this holiday season. Only Connor is a holdout. Driven to become a divorce attorney after what he views as his mother's abandonment of their family, Connor's not about to give his blessing to this reunion romance. The last thing Megan wants to do is hurt her family again. After all, is she really sure she and Mick can make it this time around? And when an unexpected delivery causes chaos, it seems only a miracle can reunite this family. Of course, it is Christmas—the season of miracles.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

The most important thing I have to say about this novel is that it did not put me in the holiday mood at all. I found the main characters realistic but not heroic, and the actions of some of the secondary characters were appalling, in that textbook way to make your kid need therapy in the future. The mere fact that O’Brien family history was repeating itself highlighted the bad decision-making of the main characters, Megan O’Brien and her ex-husband, Mick. At least one of those secondary characters is the main one in Woods’ April 2011 book. She’s going to have to do quite a bit to rehab that couple, if it can even be done!

Is abandoning your children to be raised by others ever okay? I would say yes if one is violent or suicidal, but mere unhappiness is pushing it. So many people are affected by that decision. The main characters in this book both abandoned their children as teenagers, many years ago, and this book follows them for the couple of months before their remarriage years later.

Yeah, I didn’t really care if they ever found happiness together again. Both characters are still selfish. I like my romance characters a bit more idealized than this.

Heather Hiestand