When her fiancé dies suddenly of a heart attack, Kiera Malone, devastated and alone once again, accepts her daughter's invitation to leave Dublin and heads for Chesapeake Shores, MD, to be near her new granddaughter and work at her son-in-law's Irish pub. The only fly in the ointment is the pub's chef Bryan Laramie, who clashes with Kiera at every turn. But the sparks also fly in more ways than one, as their relationship takes a friendlier turn. With her visa set to expire, Kiera must decide if she has the courage to risk giving her heart once again. Much-loved familiar characters (plus a few new ones), a delightful assortment of small-town festivities, and an abundance of realistic family dynamics combine in a story that touches on some serious issues and deftly walks the line between romance and women's fiction. VERDICT Down-home Southern magic is enhanced by a touch of the Irish in a tale rich with family and sage (usually) advice that will please series fans and win over new ones. Woods (Willow Brook Road) divides her time between Key Biscayne, FL, and Colonial Beach, VA. Her "Chesapeake Shores" novels are the basis for the TV series of the same name on the Hallmark Channel. Season 2 premiered in August 2017. [See Prepub Alert, 5/1/17.] © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Woods's 14th addition to her beloved Chesapeake Shores contemporary family saga (after Willow Brook Road) brings past protagonist Moira's mum, Kiera Malone, to visit from Ireland. The brusque single mother, now middle-aged, is grieving the sudden, unexpected death of her fiancé and showing signs of retreating permanently behind emotional walls. Moira convinces her to visit and then to work at her husband's Irish pub as an Irish culture consultant. Kiera starts butting heads with the pub's possessive "the kitchen is my domain" chef, Bryan Laramie, who has a few secrets from his own past still haunting him. Nosy family members see more sparks than sparring between the two, and when Kiera's cottage rental turns out to sit next to Bryan's house, the new neighbors find an opportunity to explore the romantic possibilities. Their sweet and careful journey toward love is the heart and strength of the story. Readers will enjoy reuniting with the O'Malley and O'Brien clans, but the cook-off they instigate between Bryan and Kiera seems a bit contrived. Woods shines, though, in portraying the realities of more mature people finding second and third chances at love. Agent: Denise Marcil, Denise Marcil Literary. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.