Thursday, February 6, 2014

At the River's Edge

I am such a Mariah Steward fan and I'm also a fan of her Chesapeake Diaries series, so I'm glad I had the opportunity to read another one!

At the River's Edge - Mariah Stewart
978-0-345-53842-0(1)
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?
I just love this. I really do love this series, and I love that each book is stand alone so again, you won't have to read all of the previous books in order to get involved in this one. It's just a fun bonus if you did because previous characters make their appearance in here and it's nice to see how they are even after their book. 
The book starts of with Sophie, a successful lawyer, finding her boyfriend having sex with someone other than her in his car. Unfortunate added bonus is that Sophie works with him and backseat fling, which obviously adds an awkward touch to the office. So to get over him she packs up for a week long respite and heads home to St. Dennis, Maryland. Her brother is a lawyer there and once she arrives she's pressured into moving there permanently to help at the family law practice. 
Sophie isn't sure if that's what she wants, what she really wants is to open her own restaurant. So in a hasty move with the help of family friend Violet, Sophie purchases a defunct restaurant that hasn't been opened, or cleaned, in years. Enter adorable hunk Jason. Who also wanted to buy the same property to open and expand his landscaping business. 
Throw in some sexual tension, a sweet love story, and family, and you have a really solid romance story. Nothing over the top, it's your classic romance. The story focuses more on Sophie's attempt at revamping her life so to speak, but then we have her falling in love with Jason and realizing the grass really is a bit greener in St. Dennis. (Did you catch that? I made a cute sentence referencing the landscaping! I'm so clever while on anti-biotics. HA!)
Definitely suggest this one if you are a Mariah Stewart fan or like a solid romance!

2 comments:

Danielle said...

Ugh ... my To Read list just got longer (again). I always enjoy reading your book reviews! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm glad that you're continuing to enjoy this series. Thanks for being on the tour!