Blog Tour: Long Way Home by Mariah Stewart

Giveaway details:
 One lucky commenter will win a copy of The Long Way Home by Mariah Stewart.  Just leave a comment with a valid e-mail address to enter.  (US/Canada only)  The contest will stay open until March 3. Good luck!

Author: Mariah Stewart
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date of publication: January 2013

As the only child of a wealthy investment manager, Ellie Chapman has never known anything besides a life of perfect privilege. But her years of good fortune come to an abrupt end when her father is exposed for swindling billions of dollars from innocent investors in a massive Ponzi scheme. And just like that, Ellie loses everything: money, job, home--even her fiance, who's jailed as her father's partner in crime. With no job prospects on the horizon, no cash, and her family name in tatters, Ellie has only one place to go. 

The Long Way Home is the 6th book in the Chesapeake Diaries series set in the town of St. Dennis, MD. Ellie has inherited her mother's house and has come to town to fix it up and sell it.  She also wants to keep a low profile especially because of who her father is and what he has done to thousands of people. She comes with nothing.  The terms of the will state that she must live in the house for six months or everything goes to charity.  I really felt badly for Ellie.  She essentially has lost everything.  By coming to this sleepy little town, she not only gains a home and friends, she also gets her mother back.  

The characters in the book are what make it special.  The town is filled with interesting characters, such as Miss Grace.  She runs the local paper.  She also keeps a diary.  Entries from the diary are sprinkled throughout the book and they add some background and insight into the town.  I loved Cam!  I loved watching his and Ellie's relationship develop. Because of his background, he is perfect for Ellie. Their HEA was incredibly sweet!

Usually, when I am asked to review a book that is far into a series, I try to catch up and read the previous ones.  Unfortunately, I didn't get to do that this time.  But, it made no difference.  At no time did I ever feel like I was missing something.  In a way, I felt like I was meeting the town and its inhabitants just as Ellie did.  This can really be read as a stand alone novel, but after reading it, I am anxious to read the ones that came before.  Pick this one up if you get the chance.  I think you will enjoy a peek into St. Dennis and won't want to leave.

About the author:

Mariah Stewart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-six novels and three novellas and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. She is a RITA finalist in romantic suspense and the recipient of the Award of Excellence for contemporary romance, a RIO Award for excellence in women's fiction, and a Reviewers Choice Award from Romantic Times Magazine. A three-time winner of the Golden Leaf Award presented by the New Jersey Romance Writers, Stewart was recently awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award (which placed her in their Hall of Fame along with former recipients Nora Roberts and Mary Jo Putney — very excellent company, indeed!)

After having written seven contemporary romance novels, Stewart found true happiness writing murder and mayhem. She considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?

Mariah's website:  http://www.mariahstewart.com/

Amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Way-Home-Chesapeake/dp/0345538412

Mariah on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mariahstewartbooks