Home Again (The Chesapeake Diaries)

I really enjoyed the book, but... I had one big problem with this book, and that was the description on the back cover, which, when I was reading the book felt simultaneously spoilerish and misleading. But the content of the book itself was great!I read [b:Coming Home|60471|Coming Home|Rosamunde Pilcher|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542448s/60471.jpg|58832] first, but it wasn't necessary. Both books can be read in either order without affecting your enjoyment.[b:Coming Home|60471|Coming Home|Rosamunde Pilcher|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170542448s/60471.jpg|58832] was a small town book mixed with romantic suspense, Home Again was a small town book mixed with an emotional drama. The tension in this book was in Dallas's show more relationship with her ex-husband, a truly unpleasant fellow. Luckily for the reader, he's almost entirely off-stage, and what we see is Dallas protecting her child and rebuilding her life.I loved Dallas's Aunt Berry, and the relationships Dallas begins to build with other women. The character of the town continues to come through in this book.Grant was much more my kind of guy than many romance heroes, but he isn't perfect. That's fine, and the relationship built (or rebuilt, since they were childhood sweethearts) in a nice way.I did have some issues with the way the logistics of love story played out in the end, but I'm willing to look past those as part of the constraints of the genre. show less

This move by romantic suspense authors into boring small town women's fiction almost completely devoid of romance is not a trend I appreciate.

Mariah Stewart’s first book in this series was a very good mix of small town contemporary and suspense, but it seems with her second (and, presumably, third) book she’s moved away from suspense entirely. That leaves not very much at all. There’s a lot of time discussing flavours in the ice cream shop; lots of great aunt to niece discussions about ‘the good old days’; lots of child rearing; too much time talking about dogs.

Apart from a brief childhood conversation in the prologue, the hero and heroine aren’t even in the same scene until about a hundred and twenty pages in. This is show more book isn’t a romance.
The problem is, I have absolutely no idea what this book is.

Dallas spent childhood summers in St. Dennis, where Grant grew up. They had a teenage romance that Grant thought would last forever. Dallas upped and dumped him one day, went to Hollywood, became a movie star, and never looked back.
That’s about where the heroine lost me. I expected there was more to her story than that, but there wasn’t. She just didn’t care enough.
When Dallas’ failed marriage starts making news headlines she rushes ‘home’ with her son. Then they all sit around living a perfect existence in the perfect town. Grant is a veterinarian now, and they bond over dog rescuing. Everyone spends hundreds of pages walking by the water, and that’s about it.

There’s a side story involving Dallas writing a screenplay the studio wants her and her great aunt (who is, naturally, also a movie star) for. The reason I mention this is that Dallas’ character in the movie is supposed to be a middle aged woman. Dallas is thirty-eight. I wasn’t aware women in their thirties with sons in kindergarten were already at a point where they had to think about menopause and retirement.

Maybe in sixty years I’ll be old enough and set enough in my routine that this story might appeal more (but I certainly hope not!). However – coming from a writer who used to be able to create exciting stories – this one bored me beyond belief. I was skim reading half the time simply because I couldn’t stand any more descriptions of the flowers, the crabs, the local cuisine, the ice cream store. The main character of the story seemed to be the sickeningly-perfect small town, and that just wasn’t a decent source of entertainment to make this a good book. show less

Home Again
Mariah Stewart
★☆ 1/2

Ugh. I was sooo disappointed in this book. I had enjoyed book 1 so much. But with any series theres always one book that just doesnt measure up. I hope the series goes uphill from here.

The book was good the story line fine I love Berry. Just the sweetest thing, reminds me of my auntie. But gosh the details were never ending.

I dont like how the author concentrated more on the details than on our hero and heroine. They didnt really have a story there. If anything this book could have been made shorter into a novella explaining the town and people which is what this book did.
all the romance was at the end of the book, but even then I wad unsatisfied.

I absolutely LOVE Mariah Stewart! She has been a favorite author of mine for some time, when I read some of her previous works, including book 1 in The Chesapeake Diaries Series, Coming Home. Her work is emotional yet humorous at times, complex yet enlightening and her characters become your family. Her writing style is tender and filled with her passion to create novels that her readers will love.

In Home Again, the reader is taken back to the Chesapeake area of Maryland (which I love because I was born in Maryland!). The reader gets a first hand look at Dallas' life. Sweet, sweet Dallas, bless her heart. She went through so much turmoil, both as a young girl, and later, as an adult actress in Hollywood. When things turn sour with her show more producer hubby, she seeks solace once again in the heart of the Bay in Maryland, with her great aunt. But, once there, she is reunited with her once best friend and sweetheart, Grant.

I loved reading Dallas and Grant's stories. They are both written with so much personality and love and they flow perfectly with the plot line. I really loved them both! And, not to mention, Dallas' sweet son, Cody. Bless his heart, I really felt a motherly pull to him, too!

I highly recommend this book to everyone. If you are looking for a good summer read this summer, then grab a copy of Mariah Stewart's 5 star book! It is part of a series, but it keeps the reader up to date so it's not overly confusing and could be read as a stand alone. I don't recommend it though, because books in a series are always best read in order, so the reader can savor each moment! I also had the pleasure to read book 3, Almost Home.....look for my review tomorrow! show less

Dallas MacGregor, a Hollywood actress, returns with her young son to the small town where she spent summers as a child to get away from the tabloid stories about her cheating Hollywood husband.. There she builds a new life that includes her Aunt Berry who was also a famous actress. She also renews her relationship with her childhood sweetheart Grant. The story is sweet and emotional but has gotten away from the suspense aspect found in many of Mariah Stewart's books. Still, if you like stories about small town life you will enjoy this book.

In this second book of the Chesapeake Diaries we can find some other characters from the first book (but they do not have a great role) and the continuity of the life on St. Dennis in Chesapeake Bay.
We get to know Dallas MacGregor and her son Cody and her motives to come back to the place where she was happy and carefree. Leaving behind a failed marriage, Dallas comes home to Berry, her great-aunt (that is also an old actress), to rest and to give some peace to her son.
Soon, Dallas finds that some secrets and some old desires are still there, deep inside her heart, especially when she encounters Grant Wyler, her first love...
Coming to St. Dennis will change her life and her dreams.

So ok, I'm really a sucker for happy endings and light show more romances like this one. I think that what draws me to this kind of stories is the feeling of family, of simplicity, of true love that one can only find in the small towns. It's books like this that can take your mind away from your troubles and transport you to a happy place where you definitely feel at home. show less

Home Again
Mariah Stewart
★☆ 1/2

Ugh. I was sooo disappointed in this book. I had enjoyed book 1 so much. But with any series theres always one book that just doesnt measure up. I hope the series goes uphill from here.

The book was good the story line fine I love Berry. Just the sweetest thing, reminds me of my auntie. But gosh the details were never ending.

I dont like how the author concentrated more on the details than on our hero and heroine. They didnt really have a story there. If anything this book could have been made shorter into a novella explaining the town and people which is what this book did.
all the romance was at the end of the book, but even then I wad unsatisfied.