Blog Tour: Review of An Invincible Summer by Mariah Stewart

Author: Mariah Stewart 
Publisher: Montlake 

Publication Date: May 1, 2021

It was a lifetime ago that recently widowed Maggie Flynn was in Wyndham Beach. Now, on the occasion of her fortieth high school reunion, she returns to her hometown on the Massachusetts coast, picking up right where she left off with dear friends Lydia and Emma. But seeing Brett Crawford again stirs other emotions. Once, they were the town’s golden couple destined for one another. He shared Maggie’s dreams—and eventually, a shattering secret that drove them apart.

Buying her old family home and resettling in Wyndham Beach means a chance to start over for Maggie and her two daughters, but it also means facing her rekindled feelings for her first love and finally confronting—and embracing—the past in ways she never thought possible. Maggie won’t be alone. With her family and friends around her, she can weather this stormy turning point in her life and open her heart to the future. As for that dream shared and lost years ago? If Maggie can forgive herself, it still might come true.

Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

An Invincible Summer follows Maggie who return to her home town for her fortieth high school reunion. As there always are in small town, there are secrets that need to be revealed and dealt with.    I think this book will be a good summer beach read for a lot of fans of this author.  For me, I found it to be just OK.  I felt like it took me forever to get through.  The first couple of chapters felt very much like an info dump and I could myself skimming.  I like Maggie well enough.  But none of the other character really stood out to me.  In the end, I felt like I had read this plot before.  As I said, I think it just wasn't for me, but I do think others will probably enjoy it.

About Mariah Stewart

Mariah Stewart is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of several series, including The Chesapeake Diaries and The Hudson Sisters, as well as stand-alone novels, novellas, and short stories. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she savors country life, tends her gardens, and works on her next novel. She’s the proud mama of two fabulous daughters who—along with her equally fabulous sons-in-law—have gifted her with six adorable (and yes, fabulous) granddarlings.

Connect with Mariah
Website | Facebook | Instagram

Instagram features:
Monday, April 5th: @megsbookclub
Monday, April 5th: @stumblingintobooks
Tuesday, April 6th: @lovelyplacebooks
Wednesday, April 7th: @suethebookie
Wednesday, April 7th: @acericolalife
Thursday, April 8th: @irishgirliereads
Friday, April 9th: @workreadsleeprepeat
Friday, April 9th: @mrsboomreads
Saturday, April 10th: @mynovelmenagerie
Sunday, April 11th: @mybooksandplants
Sunday, April 11th: @the_unwined
Monday, April 12th: @talielovesbooks
Tuesday, April 13th: @pages.and.plates
Wednesday, April 14th: @theocbookgirl

Reviews:
Monday, April 5th: Where the Reader Grows and @wherethereadergrows
Tuesday, April 6th: Novel Gossip and @novelgossip
Wednesday, April 7th: Booked on a Feeling
Thursday, April 8th: @sarahandherbookshelves
Friday, April 9th: Pacific Northwest Bookworm and @pnwbookworm
Monday, April 12th: @what.ems.reading
Wednesday, April 14th: @bryantparkbooks
Thursday, April 15th: Books Cooks Looks
Friday, April 16th: From the TBR Pile
Saturday, April 17th: Leighellen Landskov and @mommaleighellensbooknook
Monday, April 19th: @tamsterdam_reads
Monday, April 19th: Kritter’s Ramblings
Tuesday, April 20th: Laura’s Reviews and @laurasreviews_1
Wednesday, April 21st: A Bookish Way of Life
Wednesday, April 21st: @bibliolau19
Wednesday, April 21st: Reading Reality
Thursday, April 22nd: Nurse Bookie and @nurse_bookie
Friday, April 23rd: View from the Birdhouse
Friday, April 23rd: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Saturday, April 24th: @rozierreadsandwine
Sunday, April 25th: @bookscallmyheart
Monday, April 26th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Monday, April 26th: @readerofthewrittenword
Tuesday, April 27th: Seaside Book Nook
Wednesday, April 28th: @bookish.bethany
Thursday, April 29th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife
Friday, April 30th: The Sketchy Reader
 

Throwback Thrusday: Coming Home by Mariah Stewart

Author: Mariah Stewart
First published in 2010 by Ballantine Books

In the wake of his wife’s murder, agent Grady Shields turned his back on the FBI—and everything else—to retreat into the vast solitude of Montana, grieve for his lost love, and forget the world. But after years in seclusion, his sister’s wedding draws him to St. Dennis, a peaceful town on the Chesapeake Bay. Though he swears he isn’t interested in finding love again, Grady can’t ignore the mutual sparks that fly when he meets Vanessa Keaton.

Although her past was marked by bad choices, Vanessa has found that coming to St. Dennis is the best decision she’s ever made. Bling, her trendy boutique, is a success with tourists as well as with the townspeople. She’s made friends, has a home she loves, and has established a life for herself far from the nightmare she left behind. The last thing she’s looking for is romance, but the hot new man in town is hard to resist. And when Vanessa’s past catches up with her, Grady finds that he’s unwilling to let her become a victim again. As together they fight her demons, Grady and Vanessa discover that life still holds some surprises and that love doesn’t always have to hurt.

Coming Home is the first in The Chesapeake Diaries series.  I have read a couple of the latest books, but never had a chance to go back to the beginning.  This one was enjoyable and definitely was a first in a series book, setting up the town and characters.  It has a lot of great characters who add a lot of flavor and color to the town. Along with the romance between Vanessa and Grady, there is a little bit if a mystery.  I kind of guessed what was going on, but I didn't mind because I loved the atmosphere and the story.

My only complaint is that I kept having the feeling that I was missing some major backstory among some of the characters.  Mainly Beck, Mia and Grady.  I found out that this story connects to the book, Last Words, which is the second book in this author's "Last" series.  That really annoyed me.  I really dislike reading a book and feeling like I walked into the middle of a movie.   There just wasn't enough explanation of a back story to make this a true stand alone.

Despite thtat, I did enjoy the book.  I'll definitely be checking out the next book, Home Again, real soon!

That Chesapeake Summer by Mariah Stewart

Author: Mariah Stewart
Publisher: Pocket Books
Date of publication:June 2015

Jamie Valentine is the wildly successful author of self-help books advocating transparency in every relationship. But when her widowed mother passes away unexpectedly, Jamie discovers her own life has been based on a lie. Angry and deeply betrayed, she sets out to find the truth—which may be in a small town on the Chesapeake Bay. Cutting her most recent book tour short, Jamie books a room at the Inn at Sinclair’s Point, just outside St. Dennis.

The death of Daniel Sinclair’s father forced him to take over the family inn, and his wife’s death left him a single parent of two children, so there’s little room for anything else in his life. His lovely new guest is intriguing, though, and he’s curious about the secret she’s clearly hiding. But in the end, Jamie and Dan could discover the greatest truth of all: that the search for one thing just might lead to the find of a lifetime—if you keep your heart open.

That Chesapeake Summer is the 9th book in this series and only the third that I have read.  The thing that I like about these books is that they really do hold up well as stand alone books.  I have never felt like I was missing any back story when I have picked one up.  St. Dennis is a town that you can feel comfortable dropping in any time to meet up with old friends or make new ones.

I enjoyed this one.  Jamie Valentine is a famous self-help author who, upon her mother's death, find out she was adopted.  Her parents never told her.  She has a few clues and sets out to St. Dennis to find out the identity of her mother.  There she stays at the  Inn at Sinclair’s Point and quickly becomes integrated into town life.  Through Grace's help, she sets out about figuring out who her birth mother might be.  I did like the clever way that Grace helped her figure it out.  I also had to admire Jamie for pursuing it as she did.  I'm not sure I would have had the courage to do it.

The only thing that didn't sit too well with me was the relationship between Jamie and Dan.  I kind of felt like it was really fast. I would have liked to see them interact more than they did in the book.  Don't get me wrong, I was rooting for them, but I wanted more.

If you are looking for a good summer beach read this year, I do recommend this one or why not start at the beginning of the series with Coming Home?

At the River’s Edge by Mariah Stewart

Giveaway Details: We are giving away 1 copy of At the River's Edge.  Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter. (US only please)

Author: Mariah Stewart
Publisher: Ballantine (Random House)
Date of publication: January 2014

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.

At the River's Edge is the 7th in the Chesapeake Diaries series, but only the second one that I have read.  I felt a little more like I wish I had caught up in the series than I did when I read the 6th book, The Long Way Home (my review).  I felt like there was a lot of back story that I was missing and a lot of characters to keep straight. Despite that, I did enjoy the book. 

After finding her boyfriend cheating on her, Sophie flees to St. Dennis to visit her brother and grandfather. While there, she realizes that while she likes being a lawyer, she doesn't love it.  What she really wants is to open her own restaurant.  She also feels an attraction to a local landscaper, Jason. I really liked Sophie.  I had to give her credit for making such a life changing decision as quickly as she did.  She was a strong character with a lot of guts.  I was also happy when she kicked Chris to the curb so fast after finding him cheating.  I applauded her for that!  

For me, I liked the interactions of Sophie with the town's people and with her family more than the romance between her and Jason.  I felt like there wasn't enough of it.  They didn't really interact enough in the story and I really wanted more. I did love how Jason would throw a lawyer joke at her.  That was really cute. As in the other books, there are excerpts from Grace's diary that summarize what's going on in the town.  I thought that added some extra color to the book.  Some day I hope to catch up with the series. Each time I have visited St. Dennis, I have felt right at home.  Why not spend sometime with the residents of the town?  You won't be sorry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the author:

Mariah Stewart is the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and their dogs amid the rolling hills and Amish farms of southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she gardens, reads, and enjoys country life.

Mariah Stewart’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, January 27th:  Literally Jen

Tuesday, January 28th:  Romancing the Book

Tuesday, January 28th:  Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Tuesday, January 29th:  Mom in Love with Fiction

Thursday, January 30th:  Staircase Wit

Friday, January 31st:  Gidget’s Bookworms

Monday, February 3rd:  Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Tuesday, February 4th:  Reviews from the Heart

Wednesday, February 5th:  Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Thursday, February 6th:  Sara’s Organized Chaos

Friday, February 7th:  Joyfully Retired

Friday, February 7th:  From L.A. to LA

Monday, February 10th:  Bibliotica

Tuesday, February 11th:  Book Mama Blog

Wednesday, February 12th:  A Chick Who Reads.

Thursday, February 13th:  Lesa’s Book Critiques

Friday, February 14th:  Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Monday, February 17th:  From the TBR Pile

Tuesday, February 18th:  Novel Reaction

Tuesday, February 18th:  Booked on a Feeling

Wednesday, February 19th:  Love Romance Passion – Author Q&A

Throwback Thursday: Mercy Street by Mariah Stewart

 

Author: Mariah Stewart
First published in  2008 by Random House

On a balmy spring evening, four high school seniors - three boys and a girl - enter a park in the small Pennsylvania city of Conroy. The next morning, two of the boys are found shot to death, and the girl and the third boy are gone. After three weeks with no leads and no sign of either of the two missing teenagers, the chief of police begins to wonder if they too were victims. But with no other suspects, the authorities conclude that one of these kids was the shooter. The missing boy's grandmother, a secretary at the local parish church, maintains his innocence. On her behalf, the parish priest, Father Kevin Burch, hires former detective Mallory Russo as a private investigator to figure out what happened in the park that night. 

I have to say, I really enjoyed Mercy Street.  It's a good solid mystery with great characters. I listened to the audio book and I found myself not wanting to turn it off.  Mallory Russo is a great character.  She was a good solid cop, who tried to do the right thing and got side-lined in the process.  I felt badly for her as the cops she used to work with made her feel like a pariah.  She is smart and tough.  She and Charlie, her replacement on the police squad, made a great team.  There is also the bonus of a very strong attraction between them.

The mystery of the missing teenagers was very well planned out.  I thought is had a good balance between suspense and action.  There is also the back mystery of what happened to Robert Magellan's family.  It looks like it will be a story arch over the next books in the series.  I have the next one, Cry Mercy in my TBR pile ready to go!

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