A Chesapeake Shores Christmas (Chesapeake Shores Series #4) »

With her roots firmly planted in the South, Sherryl Woods has written many of her more than 100 books in that distinctive setting, whether her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. She's also especially partial to small towns, wherever they may be. A member of Novelists Inc., Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America, Sherryl divides her time between her childhood summer home overlooking the Potomac River in Colonial Beach, Virginia, and her oceanfront home, with its lighthouse view, in Key Biscayne, Florida.

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.

Publishers Weekly

The fourth in the series tells the story of divorcee Megan O'Brien's reunion with her husband Mick. Twelve years after their divorce, they're ready to remarry, but not all of their adult children, particularly Connor (who was especially hurt by the divorce), support the decision. In an argument over it, Mick banishes Connor from Thanksgiving, and no subsequent apologies can bring him around. But the big day arrives and, with it, Connor's girlfriend, who hands over an infant named Mick, giving the family a shock: no one knew Connor had a girlfriend or a baby. Slowly the O'Briens mend their relationships, growing stronger and closer as a family. Woods's latest is the most benign of fantasies, complete with awkward dialogue ("Age and maturity are two different matters. I'm not surprised that you don't know that, big brother."), flat characters, clunky plot devices, and a predictable outcome. It is also a surprisingly pleasant read, and sure to satisfy fans of the series. (Oct.)