Hometown Girl

Chesapeake Diaries #4

by Mariah Stewart

Life was always just about perfect for Brooke Madison Bowers. She was the prettiest, most popular girl in small-town St. Dennis, Maryland, a prom queen, local pageant star, and the pride and joy of her loving parents. She even married the man of her dreams. But the promise of happily ever after fell to pieces when her husband was killed while serving in Iraq. Brokenhearted and longing for the solace of better days, she returns to the idyllic world of St. Dennis, and the familiar comfort of the family farm. Surrounded by her loving family and friends, she’s determined to build a new life, complete with her own cupcake bakery. She’s equally determined never to fall in love again.For Jesse Enright, life has been a challenge. A fourth-generation attorney, he’s spent his life fighting to escape the shadow of his irresponsible father. Now he’s moved to St. Dennis to run the family law practice, and he’s ready to find the right girl, get married, and settle down. But his carefully laid plans go out the window when he meets Brooke and finds himself caught between the unbreakable law of attraction and Brooke’s resolve to go her way alone—despite the undeniable feelings Jesse stirs in her. But just like catching lightning in a bottle, is it possible to fall head-over-heels, heart-and-soul in love all over again? This edition includes an excerpt from Mariah Stewart's Long Way Home.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Family, Audiobook

374 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Mariah Stewart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of forty-one 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?

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series! On to the next!

[Anne OK · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been, should have been but just wasn't up to par for me. The story was there to be told and the characters had so much potential. Instead, we got bogged down in so many different activities being planned, taking place and just plain bungling up the whole main story. There was too much emphasis placed on cupcake baking, wedding planning, party planning, parades, Halloween activites, etc. -- and no relationship building. The chemistry was there - but it didn't even begin to spark the storyline.

For me, the best part of the whole story was watching Jesse and his grandfather connect and then begin to bring their family together again. I think I foresee at least two more books in this series - one for Sophie, Jesse's sister and one for Grace's daughter Lucy, who hopefully will make a match with Clay.

IMHO, even the cupcakes and ice cream couldn't bail it out.

[Maytar Fadida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ma’ayan’s classic summer read, very light and cute small town romance :)

[Romancing the Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review by Valerie: Book four in this series and while predictable can be a boring thing, in this instance, it’s not. Predictable for this series is like going home to put on your favorite pajamas and snuggle up with hot chocolate on a cold night with a fire crackling in the fireplace. You know the two characters will end up together but getting there is most definitely the fun.

Brooke has a lot to overcome in this book. She’s returned to town to live with her mom and brother, along with her son, after her husband’s death in Iraq. When she was younger, she was one of those girls, you know, the mean ones. She made fun of several girls in high school and always got the hot guys. Then, she got married and life was still great for her. Now, she returns to a small town as a different person on the inside, grieving, remorseful, but who will believe it? As she tries to make a small business for herself and her son’s future, she deals with a lot of small town kindness that surprises her.

Jesse wants Brooke, no way to mistake that look in his eye, but her brother tells him he better play like he’s not interested or else she’ll run fast and far away from him. Geez, how’s a guy to pretend he just wants to be friends? Since he’s a lawyer, he offers his services to Brooke and makes sure to plan the visits when it’s time for lunch or supper, etc. However, his year at the law firm is almost up. What will he do if his grandfather doesn’t accept him and offer him a job?

As things heated up, it was fantastic to read about how the characters coped with their growing attraction, as well as read about some of the other characters from previous books. I simply love this series! A special shout out to Molly Edwards for sharing this book with me!

Quote: “She waited for the stab of pain in her heart, for the ache that would remind her of the finality of this action. But for the first time, she didn’t feel as if Eric were watching from somewhere, accusing her of betraying him, of forgetting him too soon. She felt only that she was taking care of some necessary business and that Eric would approve.” Page 219

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't explain what keeps me reading this series. Somehow, I love the characters. Yet these stories take me longer to read than they should. I can put them down for a day or two and be okay with that. It's very confusing to me.

As I said, I love the characters. But it's mostly the girls. For some reason I get the names of the guys confused. I like the characters, but something about them makes it hard for me to keep their names straight.

I am looking forward to the story of Clay and Lucy. Mariah Stewart did a good job of making me curious about them for more than one book. I just hope there's more oomph to the next book. This was not a bad book at all...I just wanted something more.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've read the others in the series, you get more of the same in Hometown Girl (the 4th in the series), but it seemed to all go a little smoother this time. I kind of missed the suspense. Not that it was less enjoyable...these books are all about relaxing into the idyllic hometown you never had, and not having too many bumps in the road is part of that. I enjoy them for the sweet, little diversions they are, and I look forward to the next one (which seems like it might have a little more suspense, regarding the mystery of Grace's daughter, Lucy's, sudden and unexplained disconnect).

Speaking of the next one...BOY! did this one lay the groundwork for future stories. A ton of new (and eligibly single) characters were either introduced or re-introduced (looks like Clay and Lucy are on deck). Still more references were made to the supernatural (which, frankly, I could do without in this series), seemingly laying the ground work for a spinoff. I swear, if this series succumbs to the "we have to have a vampire, werewolf, ghost, or witch in the mix" trend that seems to show no signs of slowing down, I'm probably going to stop reading. It's not that I don't like those things...I'm just reaching a saturation point, and I don't want my perfectly lovely little Chesapeake Diaries sullied. I like them the way they are.

[Linniegayl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread for me in audio. In the fourth book in the series our heroine is former mean girl Brooke Madison, who returns to St. Dennis with her young son. Now a widow (her husband died in Iraq), Brooke is trying to start a cupcake business in St. Dennis. Our hero in this book is Jessie Enright, a new lawyer in town trying to succeed in the old family business. One of the things I liked about this one is it picks up another branch of the ENright family that appeared in some of the author's earliest contemporary romances.

As with the previous two entries in the series, this one features many of the characters we've been introduced to in the previous books (heroes, heroines, secondary characters) as well as giving a glimpse of the next heroes and heroines. A major event in this one is the wedding of the main characters of the second and third books. As a result, I can't imagine reading this as a standalone. Nevertheless, I liked it, but if you don't like small town romances, this really isn't for you.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those series that I'm happy to have found after all of the books have already been published. I don't have to wait a year before the next book comes out. I already have the first 11 books on my shelves and am eating them up like candy in quick succession. My biggest like about the series is that all the main characters from previous books still feature prominently in later books so you don't have to say good-bye to favorite characters. I'm wondering if the cast of characters might be too big for someone to just jump into the series at any point. I've had to keep a piece of paper handy to keep track of everyone and I have been reading the series in order. The series is very predictable. I have been able to pick the next couple without even looking ahead at other Goodreads summaries or blurbs on book covers. A perfect book for people who like light romances set in picturesque small towns where you know that everyone is going to have their happily ever after.

[CoffeeTimeRomance andMore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meeting familiar characters that have starred in earlier stories in this fun and fresh series was a pleasure. Stewart, yet again, crafted a mouthwatering tale of a business owner who has a gift in the kitchen, but instead of Steffie and her ice cream, this story follows a cupcake chef. Although reading Stewart’s decadent descriptions—again made me gain about five pounds in my search for tasty treats in reality—it wasn’t as romantically exciting as Almost Home. Perhaps because of the lack of conflict stopping their relationship and the tenderness that rippled across the pages of the last book, this reader was disappointed with a love story that wasn’t what I had come to expect from this author.

Virginia
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance and More

https://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Boo...

[Jenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted a cheesy and fun romance and this was just bad. I don't even care to finish it. All the characters are bland and the story is kind of trite. Here's this small town with all these trendy little shops that you wouldn't find in a small farming community. Not to mention the organic farm and the plans for a microbrewery. Urgh. Too much.

The book reads kind of goody, goodyish then you get to this odd make out scene that doesn't fit with the tone of the first 60% of the book. I'm not going to finish this one. Wish I hadn't wasted the time. The description on the back of the book was more interesting than the book itself. Kudos to whoever wrote it.

[Emily Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

The intermixing of these books are what I love. The little tidbits we get of past characters as well as introducing new has to be my favorite !

Brooke was the mean girl in high school and has turned away from how she use to treat people. She grew up, married a man, had a son and lost that love. Never to love again.

Only to see one beautiful man walk through the door and throw her world upside down 🤍

A must !!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the characters and the small town feeling. This was a easy read. Just like a Hallmark movie.

[Michaela Osiecki · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, of all the Chesapeake Diaries' books that I've read - this one seemed to fall the most flat and the most susceptible to tired old tropes and sexist overtones. For shame, Miss Stewart, for shame.

*spoilers ahead, beware*

At first, I really liked the character of Brooke - even more than Vanessa who has her own somewhat sketch and tragic backstory - because for Brooke her trauma was an ongoing thing and something that still haunted her years later. Which was realistic, but honestly, who just "gets over" the death of a young husband? Especially when you have a small child to consider as well.

My first point of contention that was Brooke hardly EVER spent time with her son, Logan, in this book. It seemed like she would rather just pawn him off on her brother Clay and spend all her time baking her cupcakes, focusing on her studies, and later - making out with Jesse Enright.

Heck, we see more interaction between Brooke and her mom than we do between Brooke and her young son. Does that seem right? I mean, Miss Stewart could REALLY have flushed out the relationship between a grieving woman and her child, the bond she'd want to cultivate with him - but she doesn't. For Logan to be her only tangible link to her dead husband, she sure seems to scooch him off on other people to look after...

And then we have the character of Jesse. To be perfectly honest, I don't think Miss Stewart knows terribly much about law, because it shows in her depiction of Jesse and how he thinks. Don't TELL us that he's analytical and observant of people's behavior and language - SHOW us that in his behavior and thought-process.

And while I WANTED to like his character, I just couldn't. At the advice of Brooke's older brother Clay, Jesse pretends to be Brooke's friend and confidante all the while running a long-term scheme of getting in her pants. It's duplicitous and cruel, shame on Jesse and shame on Clay. People's feeling and romance are not a game - being up front is ALWAYS the best policy. If you have to fake a friendship with someone to get close enough to shag 'em, you're a scumbag. No bones about it.

I honestly didn't see any kind of chemistry between Brooke and Jesse either. Their "intimate" scenes felt really forced and awkward, so I kind of skipped over most of the later ones in the book. The relationship seemed like it fell together really fast and I'm surprised that Brooke didn't want to properly introduce Jesse to her son and maybe get her son's take on having another man in his life. It all just fell together too perfectly.

All in all, I give this book a 3/5. Here's hoping the next one's better!

[Minnesinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brook(e) is not a likeable character at all; she admits to being a typical “mean girl” throughout school, making fun of and playing tricks on her rivals (mainly Dallas MacGregor). She appears to be a typically vacuous small-town beauty pageant queen. Her aspiration is to bake cupcakes to support herself and her son. (Really?) The author didn’t try very hard to redeem Brooke, because all she seems to care about is baking and delivering cupcakes all over town. Time with her young son? Apparently not a priority. He is foisted off on Gram most of the time, the woman who owns “Bow-Wows and Meows” pet boutique. Somehow Brooke attracts the attention of the most eligible bachelor in town, newcomer Jesse Enright, a very capable attorney at law and grandson of the esteemed Curtis Enright.

Aside from Brooke’s unlikeable character, I have a real problem with the numerous, inexplicable name changes that occur throughout the series: adding “e” to the end of “Brook” midway, changing her married name from “Burke” (Brook Burke?) to “Bowers” (or is it the other way around?), and “Madison” to “Montgomery” in book 12 (for her and for brother Clay). It gets even more complicated because the author adds a character later who is her husband Eric’s younger brother, Jason Bowers. Then there is her son Logan whose surname is Bowers. It would really be nice if the author or publisher could explain these discrepancies somewhere.

Other than the above problems, the story is okay. The character of Jesse basically saves the book, though he seems too good to be true at times, especially for Brooke. His character is better developed than hers, too: he considers family important and succeeds in reuniting the Enright clan (sans his father Craig, who is the family black sheep). Jesse has a tough row to hoe, having to prove to all in town (not just gramps) that he is nothing like dear old dad. He gradually wins Curtis over and goes to a lot of effort to plan a surprise birthday party for the old coot. Though this book is not the best, it explains who’s who in the Enright extended family.

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life was always just about perfect for Brooke Madison Bowers. She was the prettiest, most popular girl in small-town St. Dennis, Maryland, a prom queen, local pageant star, and the pride and joy of her loving parents. She even married the man of her dreams. But the promise of happily ever after fell to pieces when her husband was killed while serving in Iraq. Brokenhearted and longing for the solace of better days, she returns to the idyllic world of St. Dennis, and the familiar comfort of the family farm. Surrounded by her loving family and friends, she’s determined to build a new life, complete with her own cupcake bakery. She’s equally determined never to fall in love again.

For Jesse Enright, life has been a challenge. A fourth-generation attorney, he’s spent his life fighting to escape the shadow of his irresponsible father. Now he’s moved to St. Dennis to run the family law practice, and he’s ready to find the right girl, get married, and settle down. But his carefully laid plans go out the window when he meets Brooke and finds himself caught between the unbreakable law of attraction and Brooke’s resolve to go her way alone—despite the undeniable feelings Jesse stirs in her. But just like catching lightning in a bottle, is it possible to fall head-

[Jeanne (love2cook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hometown Girl is another in The Chesapeake Diaries series. In this story Brooke Madison Bowers is the central figure. The story starts with her living with her brother and mother after her man of her dreams, her husband was killed while serving in Iraq. She is now known as one date and done. As she is determined not to fall in love again. At the same time, Jesse Enright is a fourth generation attorney. He has spent many years trying to escape the reputation of his father. Now he's back in St. Dennis, Maryland, after talking his grandfather into taking a chance on him to run the family law practice. He's ready to settle down, find the right girl, and get married. When he meets Brooke he finds himself battling his attraction for her and her resolve to remain single. Read the story to find out how he goes about having a happy ending. A good read!

[Ariii☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute love story, but overall mid.

For context, I got this book as a 'Date with a book'. If you don't know what that is, I got a small description of the book but didn't actually know what it was until I opened it. Overall its an OK story. Main character was fine, the love interest was decently interesting. Honestly I liked Jesse's point of view slightly more though, but the whole book was me waiting for them to get together. Then, when they finally did it was like, "oh...okay.". The side characters and 'friends' of Brookes are boring and flat, and I forgot every single one of their names. Overall love story is decent, but the book itself is not it. But, then again this book is apart of a series I've never read and never will read....so take this with a grain of salt. Just not my cup o' tea. :)

[Ada Iaboni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thrilled to have found all of this series, Chesapeake Diaries, on Hoopla.
I've had much to do, requiring physical labor, the last few weeks that these books were a good companion to me during that time.
I've enjoyed them a lot, even though the stories are simple and most have little drama to contend with. They are family and romance oriented stories that make one wish of life in a small, caring little town.

[Sheryl Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second one I read in "The Chesapeake Diaries" but I am not ready them in order as I I am borrowing e-books from my local library and they don't have all of the books. I found that it doesn't seem to minimize the enjoyment of reading the book. The characters are interesting and there is enough twists and turns to keep a reader interested. I read a lot of James Patterson and Lisa Jackson so this "home town niceness" is a great relaxation away from terror, death and the savage "real" world.

[Shelley Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another delightful addition to a wonderful series I just adore. Chesapeake Diaries is a cozy, sweet series I’ve come to love and reach for whenever I want a pick-me-up or the reminiscent feeling of going home. It’s the town I wish I grew up in with characters I absolutely adore. It’s all about real life, everyday issues amongst faithful friendships, sweet, sincere romances and the bonds of people living in an ideal small town. These books are the perfect escape.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this series, in order, over the past month or so, through the lonely holidays in 'Covid 19 world'. It is a wonderful series-- 12 books each with a lovely romance, some mystery and magic. The characters are great and each story has its own theme, if you will, which made them so interesting as new friends were introduced to others in their small town on the beautiful Chesapeake.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been enjoying the Chesapeake Diaries' characters...every book brings in one or two more characters and keeps the old ones...so it's like visiting old friends.
Good summer read...light and cheerful.

[karla mccamish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming!

This was a book for pleasure. The characters are lively and each carry a history making the story both happy and sad. The setting could be any small community. Read it and enjoy. Oh to have a cupcake.

[Hope Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I just need a good, wholesome, and happy read and this was it for me this time. I really enjoyed getting to see the town and meet these characters. I have not read the first 3 books in this series, but I don't think that took away from this story at all.

[Vickie Schafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story of coming back to your Hometown

I haven’t read a good, clean novel with such loving and growing characters in forever! Great backgrounds on the characters and how they grow out of their individual sadnesses and overcome them to love again. Exactly what I needed!

[Patti Burton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 but the series is getting a little boring for me. Definitely needs to spice it up more. Pull in the Alice Ridgeway book of spells etc. a fine read in between more intense and emotional books.

[Cynthia Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

As always, I'm never disappointed. I'm starting the next book in the series, and I'm sure it will be just as good. Love these series of books that Mariah writes. Thanks for being an amazing writer.

[Denise Kulesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brooke returns home to St Dennis Maryland with her son after her husband died in duty.

Jesse moves to St Dennis to run the family law practice and prove he is not like his father.

Brooke and Jesse try to fight their attraction.

[Christie Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hometown Girl

Brooke and Jesse just pulled at my heart. I wished he'd had interacted with Logan more and had Logan accept him and love him, but maybe more of that to come in another book.

[Diana Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love it when there is cooking in a book! Love the descriptions of what they make! This book was about a new cupcake maker in town and I really enjoyed reading all about the different flavors she put together! One more book in this series and then I will be done!