"Nora Roberts is at her best"

Seth Quinn would never have grown into the fine man he has become if it wasn't for his grandfather who'd taken him in as a child. When his grandfather died, his surrogate uncles gave him a loving and stable home and in doing so they were the ones who were rewarded. After years abroad studying and honing his skills as an artist, Seth returns to the family home in St. Chris where he is welcomed as the prodigal son.

When he goes into the local flower store to buy flowers for his female kin, he meets the owner and immediately wants to paint her. Dru is very wary of men and tries not to get involved with Quinn but he finally persuades her to give him a chance. Just when it looks like they have the makings of a solid relationship, Seth's blackmailing mother comes to town, threatening to ruin all he holds dear.

The hero of CHESAPEAKE BLUE is based on the premise that environment (nurturing) not genetics (nature) plays the major role in personal morality. The growing relationship between Seth and Dru is tenderly and realistically portrayed. As a result of that believability the audience roots for them. Nora Roberts is at her best in this thought provoking contemporary romance.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 8, 2002

Don't miss the other books in the Quinn Brothers Trilogy
Sea Swept (Cameron's story)
Rising Tides (Ethan's story)
Inner Harbor (Phillip's story)
and finally,
Chesapeake Blue (Seth's story)

Summary

Seth Quinn is finally home.

It's been a long journey. After a harrowing boyhood with his drug-addicted mother, he'd been taken in by the Quinn family, growing up with three older brothers who'd watched over him with love.

Now a grown man returning from Europe as a successful painter, Seth is settling down on Maryland's Eastern Shore, surrounded once again by Cam, Ethan, and Phil, their wives and children, all the blessed chaos of the extended Quinn clan. Finally, he's back in the little blue- and-white house where there's always a boat at the dock, a rocker on the porch, and a dog in the yard.

Still, a lot has changed in St. Christopher since he's been gone-and the most intriguing change of all is the presence of Dru Whitcomb Banks. A city girl who's opened a florist shop in this seaside town, she craves independence and the challenge of establishing herself without the influence of her wealthy connections. In Seth, she sees another kind of challenge-a challenge that she can't resist.

But storms are brewing that are about to put their relationship to the test. Dru's past has made her sensitive to deception-and slow to trust. And Seth's past has made him a target of blackmail-as a secret he's kept hidden for years threatens to explode, destroying his new life and his new love. . . .