Chesapeake Diaries

In the wake of his wife's murder, agent Grady Shields turned his back on the FBI-and everything else-to retreat into the vast solitude of Montana, grieve for his lost love, and forget the world. But after years in seclusion, his sister's wedding draws him to St. Dennis, a peaceful town on the Chesapeake Bay. Though he swears he isn't interested in finding love again, Grady can't ignore the mutual sparks that fly when he meets Vanessa Keaton.Although her past was marked by bad choices, Vanessa has found that coming to St. Dennis is the best decision she's ever made. Bling, her trendy boutique, is a success with tourists as well as with the townspeople. She's made friends, has a home she loves, and has established a life for herself far from the nightmare she left behind. The last thing she's looking for is romance, but the hot new man in town is hard to resist. And when Vanessa's past catches up with her, Grady finds that he's unwilling to let her become a victim again. As they fight her demons together, Grady and Vanessa discover that life still holds some surprises and that love doesn't always have to hurt.

Dallas MacGregor is living the Hollywood dream. At thirtysomething, she's an award-winning actress beloved by the public and bound for even bigger success. But when her soon-to-be-ex-husband, producer Emilio Baird, is caught in a sex scandal, Dallas's charmed life turns tabloid nightmare. Determined to shield her young son, Cody, from the ugly uproar, Dallas seeks refuge in sleepy St. Dennis, Maryland-the Chesapeake Bay town where her happiest childhood days were spent.Reunited with her boisterous great-aunt, Dallas wants nothing more than to leave her Hollywood days behind. And when she crosses paths with local veterinarian Grant Wyler, her high school summer love, she finds he's everything she remembers, and more. But Dallas's promising new life takes a troubling turn when the unimaginable happens and she finds herself living a mother's worst nightmare-and Emilio storms into St. Dennis to save the day, along with his damaged career. Trapped in the unwanted glare of the limelight once again, Dallas discovers that it's coolheaded Grant who is willing to risk everything to protect her and her son, and to secure the future they were always meant to share.

When she was young, Steffie Wyler always knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life: 1. Make ice cream. 2. Marry the coolest boy in town. 3. Live happily ever after. These days, Steffie is the proud owner of One Scoop or Two, a wildly popular ice cream parlor. But the cool guy left town right after high school, before they could scratch the surface of their mutual attraction to see what, if anything, lay beneath. Steffie's made a great life for herself in St. Dennis, but true love has never come knocking. Wade MacGregor left for college in Texas and remained there to start a successful business with his best friend, Robin Kennedy, but he's always felt something was missing. Then life throws him a curveball: A third partner has robbed the company blind, and Robin has died-but not before entrusting Wade with a precious secret. Now back in St. Dennis, Wade's determined to do whatever it takes to protect his friend's legacy-and to figure out, once and for all, if the sparks that fly whenever he's with Steffie are just temporary fireworks or the lights in the window leading him home.

Life was always just about perfect for Brooke Madison Bowers. She was the prettiest, most popular girl in small-town St. Dennis, Maryland. She was prom queen, a local pageant star, and the pride and joy of her loving parents. She even married the man of her dreams. But the promise of happily ever after fell to pieces when her husband was killed while serving in Iraq. Brokenhearted and longing for the solace of better days, she returns to the idyllic world of St. Dennis, and the familiar comfort of the family farm. Surrounded by her loving family and friends, she's determined to build a new life, complete with her own cupcake bakery. She's equally determined never to fall in love again.For Jesse Enright, life has been a challenge. A fourth-generation attorney, he's spent his life fighting to escape the shadow of his irresponsible father. Now he's moved to St. Dennis to run the family law practice, and he's ready to find the right girl, get married, and settle down. But his carefully laid plans go out the window when he meets Brooke and finds himself caught between the unbreakable law of attraction and Brooke's resolve to go her way alone-despite the undeniable feelings Jesse stirs in her. But just like catching lightning in a bottle, is it possible to fall head-over-heels, heart-and-soul in love all over again?

Some of Lucy Sinclair's best days were those spent growing up in small town St. Dennis-working at the family inn and enjoying summers filled with swimming, sailing, tennis, and the company of Clay Madison, her best friend. But Lucy's darkest day, the one that shattered her innocence with violence and fear, also happened in St. Dennis. And the town she once loved became the place she gladly left behind-along with the terrible secret she's kept for twenty years. While Lucy headed off for college and a career, Clay remained-more than satisfied with the life St. Dennis had to offer. But now, even after inheriting his family's thriving farm and starting up an organic brewery, he can't help feeling that something's missing. And when Lucy comes back to town to plan a celebrity wedding at the Sinclair family inn, she and Clay reconnect, and find themselves reevaluating their long-sleeping friendship that could blossom into something deeper. Like a bookend to those distant childhood days, this summer will be Lucy's chance to finally confront her hidden pain, make peace with the past, and plan her own whole new future.

As the only child of a wealthy investment manager, Ellie Chapman has never known anything besides a life of perfect privilege. But her years of good fortune come to an abrupt end when her father is exposed for swindling billions of dollars from innocent investors in a massive Ponzi scheme. And just like that, Ellie loses everything: money, job, home-even her fiance, who's jailed as her father's partner in crime. With no job prospects on the horizon, no cash, and her family name in tatters, Ellie has only one place to go. Sleepy St. Dennis, Maryland, is hardly where Ellie intends to stay, however. Keeping her identity a secret, she plans to sell the house her late mother left her in the small town and use the proceeds to move on with her life. Unfortunately, her ticket to a new beginning is in dire need of a laundry list of pricey improvements, many of which she'll have to do herself. And until the house on Bay View Road is fit to be sold, the sole place Ellie will be traveling is the hardware store. But as the many charms of St. Dennis-not to mention Cameron O'Connor, the handsome local contractor who has secrets of his own-begin to work their magic, what begins as a lesson in do-it-yourself renovations might just end up as Ellie's very own rejuvenation.

After taking stock of her life, Sophie Enright has decided it's time for a break. Between a law career that's become criminally dull and a two-timing boyfriend she's done with once and for all, Sophie desperately needs some time to think and some space to breathe. The perfect place to do both is easygoing St. Dennis, Maryland, where Sophie can visit with her brother while she figures out her options. Once in St. Dennis, she discovers a shuttered restaurant and makes a bold move that is also a leap of faith. Sophie buys the fixer-upper in order to finally pursue her dream career. But Sophie's labor of love becomes a bone of contention for her new neighbor, Jason Bowers. The local landscaper has big plans for growing his business-until Sophie scoops up the property he's got his eye on. And no amount of buyout offers or badgering from him will get her to budge. It's hardly the start of a beautiful friendship. But when they're paired up to work on a community project, they agree to put their differences aside, and sparks begin to fly. Then Sophie's cheating ex suddenly shows up, looking for a second chance-and threatening to make Jason a third wheel just when his hotheaded feelings about Sophie were turning decidedly warmhearted. All Sophie wants is a new life and a true love. But what are the odds of having both?

Carly Summit grew up wealthy and privileged in a tiny Connecticut town, opened her own gallery in New York City, and is about to make art world history displaying previously unknown works by a prominent twentieth-century painter. No wonder she possesses a can-do attitude that can't be soured. Ford Sinclair is another story. A military career in war-torn Africa, where he witnessed unspeakable violence and suffering, has left him haunted and deeply cynical. Now he's looking for a way to forget and a place to belong. He hopes to find both back home in St. Dennis. When Carly is forced to move the premiere of her new exhibition from Manhattan to St. Dennis, and Ford agrees to take charge of the town's only newspaper, the two cross paths. But it's hardly the start of a beautiful friendship. While Ford can't ignore her charms, Carly's unflappable good cheer only confounds him. Yet beneath Ford's stormy brooding, Carly sees a man worth caring about-even if her warmest ways can't thaw his frozen heart.

Jamie Valentine is the wildly successful author of self-help books advocating transparency in every relationship. But when her widowed mother passes away unexpectedly, Jamie discovers that her own life has been based on a lie. Angry and deeply betrayed, she sets out to find the truth - which may be in a small town on the Chesapeake Bay. Cutting her most recent book tour short, Jamie books a room at the Inn at Sinclair's Point, just outside of St. Dennis. The death of Daniel Sinclair's father forced him to take over the family inn, and his wife's death left him a single parent of two children, so there's little room for anything else in his life. His lovely new guest is intriguing, though, and he's curious about the secret she's clearly hiding. But in the end, Jamie and Dan could discover the greatest truth of all: that the search for one thing just might lead to the find of a lifetime - if you keep your heart open.

Up-and-coming artist Lisbeth Parker finally has a chance to show the folks back home what it means to leave Cannonball Island and make something of yourself. As a native whose stubborn father forbade her from befriending townies, Lis always felt like an outsider in St. Dennis. So while her work is on display in the local art gallery, she records her ailing centenarian great-grandmother's stories of the island's rich history and spearheads a fight for its survival. Lis was Alec Jansen's secret dream girl growing up, even after she flat-out refused to be his prom date. Now the handsome environmental engineer and the whip-smart beauty are on opposite sides of a debate over the island's future. Hired to prove that developing the shore will have little impact on the area's natural integrity and huge gains for its economy, Alec is determined to change his alluring, headstrong rival's mind-and to win her heart.

From New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart comes a new chapter in her celebrated Chesapeake Diaries series, featuring her signature rich characterization, charming setting, and a romance you'll never forget. Architect Cassidy Logan has sworn off good-looking adventurers. Newly divorced, she's focused on building ecologically friendly, historically accurate homes on the Chesapeake Bay for her father's construction company. Traveling to Cannonball Island-where there has been no new construction in nearly one hundred years-Cass is sensitive to the heritage of the island, and has come up with plans so perfect she's determined to buy a home for herself. Even the fact that Owen Parker-a local who she dismisses as a lightweight and a player-seems to be everywhere isn't enough to deter her from building her dream house. Owen Parker is and always has been sinfully handsome and wickedly clever, a magnet for mischief as well as girls. He's a rolling stone, going and doing whatever appeals to him, from flying a mail plane in Alaska, to working on a cattle ranch in Australia, a shrimp boat in Louisiana, and surfing and diving in Costa Rica. When an old friend offers him a job salvaging a sunken ship on the Chesapeake Bay, Owen gladly accepts. Something's been telling him it was time to head home to Cannonball Island, and a job is as good an excuse as any. And he's totally smitten by the pretty architect on the scene, but it seems he's finally met a woman who's immune to his charms. Sooner or later, Owen will have to face the reason why he always runs, because this time, leaving just might be harder than staying.

New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart returns to her beloved Chesapeake Diaries series with a charming beachside romance. Always believing she was an ugly duckling, Chrissy Jenkins thought she had finally turned into a swan when her real-life Prince Charming swept her off her feet. But as his true character began to crack his perfect facade, Chrissy realized that not only was she better off without him, but that she was the only one who had the power to transform her life. Returning to her ancestral home on Cannonball Island for a family wedding, Chrissy is reintroduced to a legacy she'd all but forgotten. In choosing to stay on the island, she reboots her life, successfully reinventing herself as a chef at Blossoms, an up-and-coming restaurant in St. Dennis. But despite her newfound self-confidence, she still doesn't trust her taste in men. So when she meets Jared Chandler, a handsome ship salvager staying at the inn while he conducts a nearby recovery operation, Chrissy's certain she can keep him as a friend-even though he's everything any woman would want in a man. As fellow newcomers, together they discover the charm of the historic bayside town and explore the idyllic island. But when Chrissy agrees to be Jared's date for his father's wedding, they embark on a weekend that will find them each seeing the other in a completely different light, one that will change their lives forever.