Having read the Sweet Magnolias series by this author I was
interested to see how the new Chesapeake Shores novel
would compare. Jenny Collins has been in Nashville,
writing songs, but she's dropping back to see the family
for Christmas. Her mother's remarriage freaked her out and
she stayed away for ages, and she is happier to see her
friend Bree, now a mother, than any of her relatives.
Maybe A SEASIDE CHRISTMAS could mend some fences.
Unknown to Jenny, Caleb, a part of her musical and romantic
past, is also interested in mending fences. She hasn't
dealt with him since tabloid photos revealed his other love
interest, and now Caleb is out of rehab and only wants the
rights to a song she's written. But times change and people
change, and he never lost his interest in Jenny. If he can
just get her to talk to him, perhaps something more might
come of it.
The first part of the book contains a lot of talking,
recollecting and rehashing. Caleb is wise enough to speak
with Bree at her florist's shop and tell her that he is
serious about courting Jenny. He's not exactly welcomed,
even if he does offer to hang Christmas decorations, but we
have to admire his determination. He holds back on
mentioning song rights....
The town of Chesapeake Bay was built around trees rather
than bulldozing them, and a foundation acts to protect the
environment, so all feels very natural and mature even
though many houses were built in recent times. I felt that
the story was much more of a straightforward romance than
Sherryl Woods' previous Chasing Fireflies which dealt with
the serious theme of school bullying on the internet as
well as with adult relationships. A character points out
that the fact that someone is flawed, just makes him human.
At least this time around Jenny's eyes are open and we have
to wait right to the end to see what choice she will make.
A SEASIDE CHRISTMAS will be enjoyed by followers of this
series and is a pleasant light read which explores some
serious issues such as trust.
As the only child of a single mom, Jenny Collins wanted nothing more than to be part of a large, rambunctious family like the O'Briens. Ironically, though, when her mother married into that family, Jenny found herself feeling more like an outsider than ever.
Now, after years in Nashville as an established songwriter, Jenny's drawn back to Chesapeake Shores to collaborate on a Christmas production...and to make peace with the past. As if that's not challenging enough, Caleb Green, the singer who broke her heart, has followed her to town, determined to win her back.
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