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?
Terrific book. It has been a long time since my last
visit to Chesapeake Shores, but it was effortless to slide right back into it.
This is the story of Keira, Moira's mother (The Summer Garden) and Bryan, the
chef at Luke O'Brien's pub. Relations between Keira and Moira had been strained
for a long time before they mended their relationship in the earlier book.
Keira raised her three children on her own when her husband deserted her,
leaving Keira somewhat bitter and wary of love. Just when she opened herself up
again to the possibility, her fiancé died, leaving Keira grieving and lost.
Worried about her mother, Moira stretches the truth with the help of her new
O'Brien relatives and convinces Keira to come to Maryland, using baby Kate and
the pub as the reasons for the visit. Moira really hopes to convince her mother
to stay in Chesapeake Shores.
Bryan is the chef at the pub. He worked in both New York
and Baltimore before coming to Chesapeake Shores. While not quite a loner, he
mostly keeps to himself. He rules his kitchen, accepting interference only from
his boss, Luke, and Nell O'Brien, the family matriarch who taught him the
traditional Irish recipes served at the pub. The arrival of feisty and blunt
Keira doesn't sit well with him, but he doesn't have much choice in the matter.
I liked both Keira and Bryan and the development of their
relationship. In the beginning, it is very adversarial, as Keira takes her job
of ensuring authenticity very seriously, but Bryan doesn't take her suggestions
well. Things begin to change a little bit when Keira moves into the cottage
next door to Bryan's house, and they discover that when they leave their work
difference behind they get along very well. There were some terrific scenes of
late-night chats over wine, and early mornings spent weeding Bryan's garden.
The sparks of antagonism that flew between them begin to change to a different
kind of sparks. But both Keira and Bryan have baggage that makes them resistant
to those sparks. Keira's risked her heart twice and had it broken, though in
different ways. Risking it again seems to be the height of folly, so she works
hard to keep that little bit of distance between them. Bryan was married many
years before but neglected his wife in his zeal to cement his career. His wife
took their baby girl and left him without a word when she reached the end of
her patience. Bryan has spent almost twenty years trying to find them. Having
failed at marriage once, trying again is the last thing on his mind.
But Keira and Bryan aren't given the chance to fight
their feelings for long. The O'Brien family is well-known for their tendency to
interfere in the lives of those they care for. Everyone from Nell to Mick,
right on down the line can see what is happening, and they all have ideas on
how to bring the reluctant duo together. Nell comes up with the bright idea of
a cooking competition, with the title of best Irish stew between Keira and
Bryan up for grabs. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes machinations of various
O'Briens as they fan the flames of competition. Keira recognizes her growing
feelings for Bryan, but her fears hold her back from saying anything. I loved
the scene where Bryan finds out the truth and the twist that Keira throws into
his declaration. I loved how the competition played out and their big moment at
the end was fantastic.
In the midst of all this drama, Bryan receives the shock
of his life. His long-lost daughter appears in Chesapeake Shores looking for
answers. I loved seeing this side of Bryan as he and Deanna got to know each
other. The scene where Deanna finally gets up the courage to face her father
had me in tears. I also loved that Keira was there to support him. There are
some sweet scenes as Keira helps smooth over the rough spots of their reunion.
As always, I love the secondary appearances of other
characters. The bits with Moira and her attempts to balance family and career
were realistic and moving. I loved the get-togethers at Sally's as the O'Brien
women share their days, and how they embraced Keira as one of their own. I
laughed out loud at Mick's antics during the buildup to the competition. Nell
was a riot as she involved herself and others in her matchmaking. As Bryan and
Keira's boss, Luke had quite the challenge in keeping the peace at the pub. And
in the end, the entire town had a part in the romance between Bryan and Keira.
It will be interesting to see if there will be further Chesapeake Shores books
and who will star in them. I'm leaning toward Deanna, plus the frequent
mentions of Keira's estranged sons leaves the door open for them also.
No comments:
Post a Comment