"Lucky this is the season for miracles."
Reviewed by Sandra Wurman
Posted August 21, 2011
Holiday | Romance | Women's Fiction Contemporary
Okay its official, the O'Brien family is going to spend the
holidays in Ireland. For Susie and Mack, this is their
slightly delayed honeymoon which Susie planned around
chaperoning her grandmother Nell back to where she had
spent time developing lots of wonderful memories. As far as
the rest of the clan, well they are there to see the sights
and experience Christmas in a traditionally Irish fashion
(even if they are going to infuse some of their tried and
true American ones). It turns out Nell left behind a
beau when she returned to the states to marry the man
chosen by her parents. Of course we all acknowledge that it
was a wonderful match and the result was a rather large
boisterous group of sons, daughter-in-laws, grandchildren
and great grandchildren. Over the years this family has had
its share of problems but through its tenacity they've
conquered many issues, have come out stronger and even more
devoted to each other. Seeing their eighty-year-old mother
Nell spending time reminiscing with the man she left behind
is giving the brothers some anxiety especially Mick. Sure
they want their mother to be happy in her senior years but
at the same time they can't envision life back in
Chesapeake without her. But the couple that is giving the
family a run for their money isn't Susie and Mack or Nell
and Daniel. It's Matthew O'Brien and Laila Riley. We had thought their relationship was doomed what with Laila's
feeling of insecurity and inadequacy practically ruining
their chances at developing something lasting. But Laila
decided to join the O'Brien's on their trip to Ireland even
if she suspected that there was going to be some heavy
match making going on. Matthew's family embraced his
relationship with Laila but her family, especially her
father, put a kibosh on it right from the start. Her father
was concerned what his daughter's affair/fling with a much
younger man, noted for being a ladies' man, would do to her
effectiveness as an officer in his bank. For Laila, working
at the family bank was a dream come true even knowing she
was second choice. Her father wanted his son to step into
his shoes and made no attempt to hide it. Would her affair
with Matthew cause a scandal effectively proving that she
just wasn't as capable as her brother? But Matthew brought
a joy and unpredictability to her rather staid life. Now in
Ireland, Matthew was determined to show Laila just how much
he loved her and what it would mean if she would just give
them a chance. Laila was going to have to dig deep and find
the strength to stand up for herself and go after the most
important thing -- love. Last Christmas we watched Meggie and Mick rekindle their
love and marriage. This year we were treated to another
couple working so hard to find the miracle that would
salvage their rocky relationship. Lucky for them this is
the season of miracles.
SUMMARY
Dating Matthew O'Brien--a playboy and a younger man--cost
Laila Riley her career and her parent's respect. A high
price even for love--and when Laila decides it was just a
fling, she breaks it off, despite Matthew's objections. It's a great time to get away from it all, but Laila has
reservations about joining the O'Briens for a Dublin
holiday. Matthew's bound to be there, and she's far from
immune to his charms. What if she can't resist temptation? Meanwhile, the O'Briens are in uproar over matriarch Nell's
unexpected romance with an old flame. Will she follow her
heart despite the risks? And will Laila discover that some
risks are actually once-in-a-lifetime opportunities?
ExcerptShe'd lost the job of a lifetime because of a man! Every time Laila Riley allowed herself to think
back—how hard she'd worked to gain her father's
trust, how desperately she'd wanted to prove herself
capable of running the bank he'd established years ago
in Chesapeake Shores, only to throw it all away for what had
to have been the most ridiculous fling of all times—it
made her a little crazy. She was not the kind of woman who
did anything because of a man. She wasn't impetuous or
flighty. She was better than that, more sure of herself,
more independent. She allowed herself a sigh. Surely she must have been out of
her mind to think that she and much younger playboy Matthew
O'Brien could possibly have a respectable future. That
had to explain her uncharacteristic behavior. But because she'd taken leave of her senses, here she
was, back in a tiny office, doing the sort of accounting
work that bored her to tears. None of the hoped-for jobs at
other area banks had materialized. Her credentials were
impeccable. Everyone had agreed on that. But in the current
economy, no one was hiring at her level. If that changed,
she'd be the first person they called.
Blah-blah-blah. She'd seen the encouraging
words for what they were—so many empty promises. Within weeks of quitting her job in a huff at the family
owned community bank, she'd started berating herself for
her foolishness and resenting Matthew for his role in it. If
only he hadn't been so blasted irresistible, she'd
thought accusingly. So determined to win her heart.
She'd been caught up in the romance of his pursuit. Even as she was blaming him for all that charm and sex
appeal, she was forced to admit that Matthew himself had
been totally supportive in the aftermath of her impulsive
decision to leave her father's bank. He'd even
found—or created, she suspected—an accounting
opening for her at his uncle Mick's architectural firm,
but she didn't want his handouts. She no longer wanted
anything from him, in fact, except to be left alone. Correction: she wanted sex, but that was out of the
question. Lust, combined with loneliness and envy for all
the happily married couples around her, was exactly what had
gotten her in trouble in the first place. Ending their misguided relationship within weeks of quitting
her job had been her only choice. If she'd also packed
up and left Chesapeake Shores, it would have been the
ultimate trifecta, a complete upending of her life. But, no, she didn't quite have the will to cut the ties
to the town she loved and her infuriating family. So she was
stuck here, alone and miserable and working for half a dozen
pitiful clients who barely kept her in the rocky road ice
cream that lately she craved by the gallon. "Sulking, I see," Jess O'Brien Lincoln said,
braving Laila's dark mood by stepping into the office
uninvited. She looked around, took in the drab beige walls
that needed paint, the tiny window with no view and the
seriously scarred desk, shook her head, then sat on a chair
that had seen better days. Not even the bright posters Laila
had framed could save this place, and they both knew it. "I am not sulking," Laila protested. "I'm
working." "Yes, I can see all the work piled up on your desk,"
Jess noted, her tone wry. "It's on the computer," Laila informed her.
"Haven't you heard? Financial records are
computerized these days." Jess tried to settle more comfortably onto the cramped
office's one guest chair, gave up and shrugged. "So
I hear. Not my forte." Laila gave her friend a wary look. "Why are you here? I
hope it's not on your cousin's behalf. I've told
Matthew—" Jess cut her off. "Matthew didn't send me." Despite the convincing tone, Laila wasn't reassured.
O'Briens were a sneaky lot. "Then what brings you
by?" "I can't stop in to check on a friend?" "You could, but lately you've been so caught up in
the extended honeymoon phase of your marriage that you
barely leave the inn." "Not true. I go out all the time. Will and I are not
joined at the hip. He does his thing. I do mine," she
declared with a nonchalance that didn't fool either of
them. Once Jess had accepted her feelings for Will were real
and his for her, she'd been a little gaga ever since. "If you say so." Maybe it just seemed to Laila that
everyone in Chesapeake Shores was traveling in contented
pairs these days. "Okay, let's say I believe this is
a purely casual visit. What's up with you? Is everything
running smoothly at the inn?" Jess's expression brightened. "We're packed, as
a matter of fact. Connor gave me this idea a while back
about offering specials for small business conferences, and
now that the golf course has opened nearby, that's
working out really well during the week. Even better,
weekends are booked all the way through the holidays with
tourists. The word seems to be out that the inn is a great
spot for a romantic getaway. It helped that we had a huge
spread in a regional travel magazine showcasing how
beautiful it is here at Christmas." Laila was genuinely impressed. "That's terrific. You
should be proud of yourself, Jess. Making a success of the
inn is a fantastic accomplishment." Jess grinned. "Quite a change from my teenage screwups,
huh? And that brings me to one of the things I wanted to
discuss with you." "Uh-oh, here it comes," Laila murmured, regarding
her accusingly. "I knew this wasn't just some
spur-of-the-moment visit." "Okay, I'll admit it. I am on a mission," Jess
confessed. "Two, as a matter of fact. One from Abby and
me, and one from Susie. Neither one has a thing to do with
Matthew, I promise." Laila wasn't entirely placated. They were all
O'Briens, after all, a family that was notoriously
tight-knit. These days, she didn't trust a single one of
them, not even her sister-in-law Abby, much less the clever
friend seated across from her with the
cat-that-swallowed-the-canary glint in her eyes. As for
Susie, she was Matthew's sister, so her motives were
suspect on more levels than Laila could possibly count. "Okay, try me," she said grudgingly. "What do
you and Abby want? And why didn't Abby call me herself?
" "She did. Several times, in fact. Apparently you
haven't been returning her calls, or your brother's,
or those of anyone else with the name Riley. Or O'Brien,
come to think of it. Connie says she hasn't spoken to
you in ages, and even though I'm a Lincoln now,
you've pretty much been ignoring me, as well." She
gave Laila a chiding look. "Thus the personal visit." "I've been busy," Laila claimed defensively. "Yeah, right," Jess replied, clearly not buying it.
She waved off the subject. "We'll leave a discussion
of the way you've been neglecting your friends for
another time. This morning I want to talk to you about
taking on the accounting duties at the inn." Laila regarded her with deepening suspicion. Jess had
started The Inn at Eagle Point, gotten herself into
financial hot water even before the doors opened, and needed
her older sister to bail her out. Abby, the family's
financial whiz, had maintained a fierce oversight of the
inn's accounting procedures and expenditures ever since.
She'd put her own hand-chosen man in charge of keeping
tabs on things. Jess had chafed at the strict oversight, but
even she knew it had been a necessity. "What happened to the accountant Abby brought on
board?" Laila asked. "He was okay, but it was time for a change," Jess
responded blithely. "We need someone full-time, or close
to full-time, anyway. Abby agrees." Laila stiffened. "So, this change was your idea? Jess, I
don't need your charity. I have clients." "How many?" Jess asked bluntly. "Enough." "I doubt it. Something tells me your dispute with your
father over Matthew affected more than your position at the
bank. Your old clients have been slow to return, thanks to
all the gossip. Am I right? " Laila ignored the question. Jess clearly didn't expect
an answer. She thought she had the situation pegged and,
sadly, she was right. Jess shook her head, her expression indignant. "I swear
some people in this town are living in the Dark Ages!" "Exactly as my father predicted," Laila admitted
ruefully. "For an idiot, he has way too much influence," Jess
countered. "Well, he was right about one thing," Laila said.
"Apparently nobody trusts their money with someone who
displays poor judgment in their personal life." She
waved her hand dismissively. "Look, that's all water
under the bridge. I've been networking like crazy the
past couple of months. Everything will work out. You
don't need to worry about me or make up jobs for me." "But you're not so overburdened with work that you
can't take on the inn, are you?" Jess persisted.
"Tell the truth." Laila sighed. "No." "Then you're officially hired as of today. You can
stay here in this charming space, if you choose to, or you
can move into the nice, spacious office I have ready for you
at the inn." Laila wasn't quite ready to cave in. "What am I
supposed to do, ditch the clients who dared to take a chance
on me?" "Of course not. You can continue handling as many
private clients as you'd like to. I have no problem with
them coming to the inn to meet with you." She gave Laila
an encouraging grin. "There are windows, Laila. Big
windows with a view of the bay. And that huge piece of
expensive modern art that hung on your office wall at the
bank? The one there's not even room for in here?
There's a perfect spot for that, too." "Now you're just taunting me," Laila said,
imagining it. Currently that prized picture was gathering
dust in a storage locker. "All you have to do is say yes, and the office is yours,
along with the job," Jess confirmed. Laila's pride, which had taken a beating lately, kicked
in. She started to refuse, just on principle, then chided
herself for allowing emotion to overrule logic. She needed
more work, especially if she was to keep herself sane. It
had nothing to do with the income. She'd been frugal
with her paychecks over the years. She could weather these
lean times, at least if she limited her ice cream intake.
No, it was too many empty hours weighing on her. She needed
to fill them. Lately she was spending way too much time thinking about
Matthew, wondering if she'd made a mistake in cutting
him out of her life once and for all. Those were the kinds
of weak, mostly sex-driven thoughts that could prove dangerous. Biting back the desire to refuse, she forced herself to nod,
forced a gracious note into her voice. "Thank you." Jess grinned at her, clearly understanding how difficult it
had been for Laila to acquiesce. "You do know that
working with me is no piece of cake, right? You won't be
thanking me a few weeks from now. You'll be earning
every penny of the generous salary Abby thinks we should pay
you." "I learned how to deal with you years ago, when you were
nothing more than an annoying little brat," Laila
countered. "I'll survive." Her gaze narrowed.
"Maybe before I give you a final answer, though, you
should tell me about Susie's mission." "No big deal," Jess claimed casually. "One thing
has nothing to do with the other. She just wants to be sure
you're coming to Ireland with us for Christmas." When Laila opened her mouth to say such a trip was
impossible, Jess held up her hand. "Before you refuse,
think about this. Abby, Trace and your nieces will be going.
All of your friends will be there—me, Susie, Connie,
Shanna, Bree and Heather. If you refuse to come, you'll
be spending the holidays back here all alone with only your
parents for company. Do you really want to endure an entire
holiday season of their lectures about your many recent
mistakes?" Laila could envision the dreary situation Jess was
describing all too clearly. She'd thought about it a
hundred times since learning of the O'Briens' plan
to take their grandmother back to Ireland for Christmas. Laila had always dreamed of visiting Ireland. Anyone living
around the O'Briens had heard enough tales about Dublin
and the countryside to make it sound idyllic. She loved the
O'Briens—one of them a little too much, as a matter
of fact. The temptation to say yes was nearly overwhelming,
which was why she'd spent the last month studying
brochures for holiday cruises and Christmas tours of
Savannah and Charleston—anything to avoid giving in and
going on a trip that had emotional disaster written all over it. "I can't," she said, proud of herself for
choking out the words. Jess actually seemed a little startled by her flat refusal.
"Of course you can." "Have you forgotten that the reason I am in this tiny
little office rather than my great big impressive one at the
bank is going to be in Ireland with the rest of you?" "Matthew? Well, of course, he'll be there, but
it's not about you and Matthew. It's about Gram.
It's about Susie and Mack finally being able to
celebrate their marriage and Susie beating cancer. Focus on
all that. Hang out with the rest of us. You'll hardly
have to set eyes on Matthew if you don't want to." That, of course, was the problem. She wanted to set
eyes on Matthew. She wanted to throw herself into his arms,
drag him into the biggest, softest feather bed around and
have her wicked way with him. The man was like an addiction,
one she hadn't been able to kick no matter how hard
she'd tried. "Jess, you have no idea how badly I want to go with you,
but I just can't. The timing is all wrong." Her friend regarded her with a knowing expression filled
with sympathy. "Because you're still in love with
him, aren't you?" "Absolutely not," Laila said emphatically. "What
Matthew and I had, it had nothing to do with love." A grin spread across Jess's face. "Who are you
trying to convince, my friend? Me or yourself? " "You, of course," Laila insisted. "I know how I
feel." "You know how you want to feel," Jess
corrected. "But it's not working out so well for
you, is it? You haven't gotten him out of your system.
Not even close." Laila wanted to deny it, but Jess was right. Since she
couldn't utter an outright lie, she said, "Look, I
agreed to work for the inn. Take your one victory and go."
What do you think about this review?
Comments
1 comment posted.
Re: Lucky this is the season for miracles.
Sounds like a great story about second chances!
(Lisa Elwood 12:28pm December 9, 2011)
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