REVIEW: Lilac Lane by Sherryl Woods

In Lilac Lane (Chesapeake Shores #14) by Sherryl Woods, Somehow Kiera Malone allowed herself to be talked into temporarily moving from her home in Ireland to the picturesque town of Chesapeake Shores by her beloved daughter Moira. She knows it’s her daughter’s attempt to help Kiera recover from losing her fiancé Peter suddenly. And she must admit it will be lovely to spend time with her father Dillon and her new granddaughter Kate. But while she enjoys her perfect little cottage on Lilac Lane as well as helping out at O’Briens Irish pub in town, her combustible relationship with chef Bryan Laramie throws her. It’s just too soon after losing Peter to even think about another man. Yet Kiera can’t seem to control the feelings that are slowly growing for Bryan, day by day.

‘Bryan Laramie was a far more complicated man than she’d ever imagined. And despite every warning bell going off in her head, she couldn’t help being just a tiny bit intrigued.’

Bryan has spent so many years focusing on his career and his search for his daughter that he doesn’t even realize it when he begins to fall for sassy Keira. The Irish beauty makes him grumble and shoo her out of his kitchen on a daily basis but he still looks forward to seeing what she’ll say or do next. Given Bryan’s complicated past, he’d probably be better off not getting to know Kiera better. But a cooking competition brings their rivalry to a head and he soon can’t wait to spend every evening with a bottle of wine and the companionship of his feisty new neighbor. So when fate brings his long lost daughter Deanna to town and Bryan has a chance to form a relationship with her, he prays that he’ll also get his chance to show Kiera how true his intentions are towards her.

‘He needed to remember exactly who Kiera was. Not that she was his boss’s mother-in-law, but a woman who’d been deeply hurt by the two significant men in her life, albeit in entirely different ways. He couldn’t allow himself to be the third.’

Strength and determination. Stubborn pride and genuine emotions. And love, lots of love, is what the characters of Lilac Lane brought to the table in this beautiful fourteenth installment in Sherryl Woods’ beloved Chesapeake Shores series.

‘Deanna felt a sudden surge of optimism that with time, all of those unanswered questions would be put to rest and she’d have her very own cobbled-together family, much like the O’Briens she’d heard a little about from Kiera.’

First of all I have to say that I still get a kick out of the boisterous, caring O’Brien family, even this many books into the series. Sherryl Woods didn’t disappoint with Lilac Lane, letting us catch up with the cast and watch as they brought a couple more people into their fold. As with all of the stories that came before this, I thought there was a wonderful sense of hope for the future. Of course Nell and Mick were still (lovingly) butting into people’s business and stirring the pot, so to speak. But to me this particular story was about letting go of the past for a chance at a new beginning.

With the glimpses we’ve had previously, I think fans have been waiting to see who would be able to bring fiercely independent Kiera Malone down a peg or two and help soften her sharp attitude. Boy did she make it difficult for everyone–including me!–to like her at times. I don’t mind characters who speak their mind or who are bluntly honest like Kiera was. But she had a habit of saying some rather harsh things to push people away. Thankfully Bryan could hold his own in the attitude department as he was a bit grumbly himself sometimes. I liked that while there was obvious chemistry between the two of them, Kiera and Bryan had to get over their animosity bit by bit. It wasn’t insta-love, for sure. Although I think they did make a sweet couple in the long run and were actually good for each other.

Bryan and Kiera had both been abandoned in the past so they understood the emotions and the baggage they each carried. Part of that was addressed with Deanna’s, Bryan’s long lost daughter’s, part of the storyline. I won’t give all the details away but it was a shock to both her and her dad to finally meet and to try to put the past to rest. They had some truly lovely moments together that I think will be enough to bring a tear to any reader’s eye. And on the lighthearted side of things, Dee found an ally in Nell who was also intent on a bit of matchmaking between Kiera and Bryan. Imagine that. (lol)

Oh, those O’Briens! Still every bit as charming as they were with book one, this newest offering in the series gave me all the smiles, sniffles, and happy sighs that I’ve come to expect out of Sherryl Woods’ heartfelt writing.

Book Info:

Publication: Published October 17th 2017 | MIRA | Chesapeake Shores #14

No one writes about friends, family and home better than Sherryl Woods. Told with warmth and humor, Lilac Lane is a brand-new story in her beloved Chesapeake Shores series, one readers all over the world have waited two years to read!

At the heart of Lilac Lane is Kiera 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, Kiera 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 Kiera 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 Kiera 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?

You won’t want to miss this epic return to Chesapeake Shores, a place we’re betting you’ll want to stay forever.