Book Review: Willow Brook Road

Willow Brook Road (A Chesapeake Shores Novel)

About the Book:

Spirited, spontaneous Carrie Winters has grown up under the watchful eyes of not only her grandfather Mick O'Brien, but the entire town of Chesapeake Shores. 

Now that she's home from Europe, a glamorous fashion career behind her and her heart broken, there seem to be far too many people watching to see if she'll live up to the expectations her family has for her. 

As if that weren't enough pressure, Carrie finds herself drawn to sexy, grief-stricken Sam Winslow, who is yearning for someone to help him raise the nephew who's unexpectedly come into his life after a tragedy. 

With her own life in turmoil, is Carrie really ready to take on a new career and a new man? Or is Sam exactly what she needs to create the strong, loving family she's always wanted?

My Comments:

I enjoyed this trip back to Chesapeake Shores to visit with the O'Brien clan again.  Carrie and Sam are both at crossroads in their lives.  Carrie has returned home after breaking up with the boss/boyfriend she had in Paris, realizing that he meant far more to her than she did to him.  Sam never planned to marry, have kids, or put down roots until his sister died and left him custody of his nephew.  Carrie's large, nosey, loving, and interfering family has always been important in her life.  Sam was the son of an abusive family and his sister has been his only family for years--and he had chosen not to speak to her for a while before she died.  Sam is learning to be a dad; Carrie is a natural with children.  Sam is good at his job; Carrie is still trying to decide what to do when she grows up.  She has a plan, but will the plan be good enough for the family?

The major subplot focuses on a couple that was the focus of Beach Lane (click title for my review).  They have been trying to adopt a child and have had their hearts broken.  They are at that point in life when "everyone" they know is having children and Suzie especially feels a lack in her life.  I liked the way Sherryl Woods wove the stories of the two couples together.

The real star of this show however, was Bobby, Sam's nephew.  He too is looking for love and family after losing his parents.  Of course he is the one who gets all the best lines.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B. 

Title Showcase: If You Were Me and Lived In China

If You Were Me and Lived in...China: A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World

I've reviewed and showcased other books in this series.  Recently this one showed up in my mailbox.  I've been donating them to my daughter's school and I hope they are useful for things like Global Awareness Day.  As I said in the other reviews, the books are all the same except that the country changes, and therefore the words used, places visited and so forth change.  I think the series is a great way to show kids that we are all different, but all the same in so many ways.  

On My Other Blogs

I've been blogging here at This That and the Other Thing for over ten years.  While originally I did not have a real focus, over the years, this has primarily become a book blog.  Lately, I started two new blogs and since the readership of this blog is greater than their readership, I thought I'd use this space to plug my latests posts on them.

On Racing Toward Retirement I write about financial topics, usually with the point of view of someone who is approaching retirement, but who isn't quite there, yet.


 Some recent posts:
Preparing for the Unexpected:  Car Insurance discusses yes, you guessed it, car insurance.

Oh No, I Was in a Wreck talks about what to do when it happens to you.

Get a Check, Get a BIG Check takes you through a lawsuit filed as a result of a car accident.



My newest blog is called A Brownie Leader's Journal and it will talk about all the meetings and activities in which my Girl Scout Brownie Troop engages this year.  I don't claim any special expertise, but this is my fifth year as a Brownie leader and my ninth year as a troop leader, so I hope I have learned a few things over the years.

We made Ants on a Log and Spiders

and Smoothies too

Quick Review: Christmas on Candy Cane Lane

Christmas on Candy Cane Lane (Life in Icicle Falls)

About the Book:

Everyone's getting ready for Christmas in Icicle Falls, especially on Candy Cane Lane, where holiday decorating is taken very seriously. Tilda Morrison, town cop, is looking forward to celebrating Christmas in her first house…until she discovers that she's expected to "keep up" with the neighbors, including Maddy Donaldson, the inspiration behind the whole extravaganza. But this year, someone's destroying Maddie's precious candy canes! Thank goodness for the cop in their neighborhood. 

Tilda already has her hands full trying to sort out her love life and fix up her fixer-upper. Oh, and won't it be fun to have the family over for Christmas dinner? Not really… Then there's her neighbor, Ivy Bohn. As a newly single mom, Ivy can sum up the holiday in two words: Bah, humbug. But she's determined to give her kids a perfect Christmas. 

Despite family disasters, irritating ex-husbands and kitchen catastrophes, these three women are going to find out that Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year!

My Comments:

I think most Christmas romances are very sweet and very predictable, and this one fits that bill perfectly.  Honestly, sometimes I had a little trouble keeping track of who was who, but in the end it really didn't matter because everyone ended up living happily ever after.  Ho-Ho-Ho.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley. Grade:  B-.