On Lavender Lane

Shelter Bay #3

by JoAnn Ross

Sometimes the second time is the charm....

After seeing enough of war, former Navy SEAL Lucas Chafee is settling back into civilian life when he accepts a job refurbishing a farmhouse for an old friend, who plans to turn it into a culinary school.

Celebrity TV chef Madeline Durand was badly shaken when her husband's illicit video went viral, so she jumps at the chance to reevaluate her life in Shelter Bay while helping her grandmother turn the family farm into a new business. Little does she know that the man who broke her heart years ago is already on the job.

Having let Maddy leave Shelter Bay once, Lucas isn't about to let her get away this time. But rekindling their romance won't be easy, as she still hasn't forgiven him for a fateful night ten years ago. But Lucas is a man on a mission, and with the help of some Shelter Bay matchmakers, he plans to come up with a very special recipe of passion, patience, and perseverance to win her over....

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Family, Chick Lit, Beach Reads, The United States Of America

378 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross has written over a hundred novels for a bunch of publishers. Two of her titles have been excerpted in Cosmo and her books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Literary Guild, and Mystery Guild book clubs.

A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.

Currently writing a new Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN set on the Washington peninsula, that will launch in April, 2018, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay books are set), in the Pacific Northwest.

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet reunited lovers story (one of my favorite romance tropes). I especially liked that it was Lucas who wanted a permanent relationship. I don't think that happens often enough in novels. It seems like the men are always commitment shy, but that isn't realistic. This was refreshing in that respect.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Saly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book, the hero and heroine had a teenage romance but the hero made her think he cheated so that she would not give up her dream of Europe and culinary school, he became a SEAL and now the dream he had of working with his father is gone, since he's dead, he returns to the town he spent his summers in and when Maddy comes back he instantly knows he loves her and wants to marry her.

Maddy comes back after she finds her husband cheating, she's not happy when Lucas tells her the truth of what he did and feels it is too soon to have a relationship, she's not even divorced. She reflects back on her married life and realizes what a huge mistake it was.

I felt the romance moved too fast, barely a few weeks since her marriage busted up and she was ready to marry again.

[Sheila Samuelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

First time reading a book by JoAnn and it was OK. It didn't pick up til toward the end of the book.

The storyline, writing and setting was good which is what made me rate it 2 stars BUT If it had picked up from the beginning to the end I woulda rated it 5 stars!!

Overall its a good book to read!!

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just okay. Although it had a great story, I found myself skimming most of the book because alot of unnecessary story was told. Okay, I get that Lucas was a former SEAL. But do you really have to bring it up constantly throughout the book? That was a little annoying. I found Madeline to be a likable heroine and admired her honesty with her feelings toward Lucas. I still think she should have made Lucas grovel a bit more than she did. The sad thing about this book was that it could've easily been a 4 star book if only Ross had focused less on Lucas' past of being a SEAL and more on the relationships. Especially the one between Pheobe and Ethan.

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

A second chance romance storyline between two people who have recently suffered a signficant crisis in their individual life. Each have returned to the comforts of home to lick their wounds so to speak. When they confront one another, those old sparks come alive and maybe they'll find comfort in each other as well. JoAnn Ross continues to give us wonderful stories from Shelter Bay. I enjoyed this installment and am looking forward to the next.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Shelter Bay hit!! Loved Lucas & Maddy's story.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute read. However Lucas pressuring Maddy to get married was bizarre. The author threw in too many other distractions and sometimes I wished she would have just focused on the romance.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am thinking after doing the 3 reviews ...will do book 4 next ...thinking of the books my favorite is gonna have to be ... book 4 ...'cause that book cover ...really gets me ...love a good lighthouse view. fun times!! good GOD ...what the hell is going on with Goodreads today ... geez!! such a pain ...i wonder if authors know what readers go through when reviewing their books ...the website is not acting right and keep getting a error code ...i don't have all damn day for this ... sorry to complain but you gotta understand. so through my local library leaning program ...i got several books from JoAnn's collection ... 6 total ...these first four from this series ...and 2 from other series' ... so which will i pick as much favorite .... this is not the book cover i read ...i rather prefer the one i did. what a pain ...i always look for the one i read but don't often find it on Goodreads.

[Becky Tatar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chef Maddy Durand returns to Shelter Bay after a sex tape of her husband and his lover goes viral. And her high school sweetheart, SEAL medic Luck Chaffee is also back in town, trying to find a path after the one planned with his father to restore Victorian houses didn't happen due to his father's unexpected death. And Maddy has bad memories of how Lucas broke it off after high school. But with Lucas contracted to plan her grandmother's vision for a restaurant in her home, and the changes Maddy brings, means that they are going to have to work together. And that means Lucas is going to have to tell Maddy the truth about their breakup years ago.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Lucas Chaffee and Madeline Durand. Lucas is a former Seal who is now living in Shelter Bay. Madeline is a chef with two televisions shows who returns to Shelter Bay when her marriage implodes in online video of her husband having sex with someone else. Lucas and Maddy dated when she was in high school and are now reconnecting since Lucas is working for Maddy's grandmother. The story contains some of the characters from the previous two books in the Shelter Bay series. The book was a quick easy read.

[Laura Aase · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maddy is a celebrity chef. While doing a show in Nebraska she sees videos of her husband in bed with another woman. She returns to Shelter Bay to the comfort of her grandmother. She reacquaints with her hated high school boyfriend, Lucas, who also cheated on her but is trying to win her back. As she determines her future can she forgive him? Phoebe is an abused woman who comes to the shelter in shelter bay to escaper her husband. I feel that the end was hurried. Details about the divorce would have been nice, she never even got a lawyer! Also How did phoebes husband find her? What happened to him? Details especially vindictive ones were needed! What about phoebes baby? So many undeveloped ideas!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story for both the main plot--Lucas and Madeline--but also for the subplot of Phoebe meeting Ethan. I really look forward to seeing more of them in the next book! Lucas and Madeline are reuniting and overcoming past mistakes. They do seem to get together fairly quickly, but given their history it's not too jarring. It's fun watching them circle each other and then also work together and come up with ideas for Maddy's career going forward.

[Ashley Wathen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book at random at a used books store and really enjoyed it. I love cooking shows so the back summary caught my eye. There is a few sensitive stories for people who may have served their country. I enjoyed the love story, I just didn't understand the point to adding Stephanie to the mix. Also another sensitive topic on abuse. Overall I enjoyed the book!

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

"They teach sex education in schools. Why can't they teach culinary basics, which are equally important?"

"Even if they're willing to live on take-out pizza and fast-food burgers, they need to realize that food is also seduction."

Rounded up. Chef's aren't my thing (I don't cook). Also the guy's reason for breaking the girl's heart seemed to pat. However, I did enjoy the side story where the abused woman gets help to escape and then the victims take the abuser down.

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very nice book. The setting is the Oregon coast. I have not read too many books about that area so I found that interesting. Just a pleasant romance story with an abuse story hidden inside. A good take me away from my troubles story.

[Claudia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars. I'm not a romance novel reader, so I thought I'd give one a try and wasn't entirely disappointed. I thought the main character got over her marriage break up a little too seamlessly and the minor characters only served to clutter the book.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh! Kind’a cute, except for the repeats and sometimes trite writing. The best part was the ending.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved! My first read of this series so now i'll go back and start w/#1 - The Homecoming :)

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The romance moved too fast. Yeah they knew each other before. But still shouldn't Maddie been divorced for more time before she moved on?

[Kelsey Ostergren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, quick read. Kinda predictable, but still heartwarming.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second chance for love. Very good. Loved Shelter Bay, the perfect place.

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

13/11 - I'm enjoying On Lavender Lane more than the previous books in the series. The book, plot, writing, characters, location aren't any different from the other books of hers that I've read so I think it must be because I've lowered my expectations when it comes to the romance in JoAnn Ross' Shelter Bay books. You may have heard of 'cosy mysteries'? Well I think Shelter Bay books (and others like them) should be shelved under the new romance category 'cosy romances' which are identified by the cosy feeling you get while reading them. So if you're pulse is racing and you're starting to sweat you're not reading a cosy romance, that's a true romance or even erotica.

Previously I've been disappointed and complained about the truncated and infrequent sex scenes, but this time I expected it and have come to accept that I'm not going to come away from reading a Shelter Bay novel thinking "Wow, that's hot!". There's sexual tension, banter and humour between the hero (an actual hero back from the Iraq/Afghanistan war in this series) and heroine throughout the book. The sex-lite scenes don't usually start to appear till over half way through the book, before that there's banter and innuendo and some propositions that the woman will turn down, but pretty much no contact. When the contact does finally appear it starts out pretty slow, eventually progressing to the consumation scene which is usually told in full, but not with much detail. From then on the sex scenes will go like this: Kiss, kiss, kiss, grope on top of clothes, kiss, fall onto bed/couch and then a paragraph break or end of chapter followed by this opening sentence, or something similar "Many minutes later, both panting with exertion Jane and John (not their real names) smiled at each other..." and that'll be the extent of most of the sex scenes.

That's not a sex scene in my mind. That's what you write when you want your audience to understand that the characters had sex, but, either your not comfortable writing it or you don't feel your audience will be comfortable reading a scene actually describing the sex. It reminds me of what you get on most of the M rated tv shows out there at the moment, people have sex but you don't see it because that would make the shows rating higher, maybe taking it out of the demographic that the show's being aimed at.

So yes, I'm enjoying this light-hearted romance that's light in the romance department because I know not to expect any fireworks. I've always enjoyed the characters and the setting, but my disappointment in the sex scenes always held me back from really getting into the books because I was always waiting for the good romance to begin. Now that I'm not waiting I can really fall in love with the setting and the characters. To be continued...

16/11 - I may have been too generous in my estimation that the sex scenes don't start till after halfway through the book. Maybe I should have said they don't start till the end of the book as I'm currently I'm on page 277 of 378 and the closest to sex Maddie and Lucas have gotten are some kisses that keep getting interrupted by work and general bad timing. The sex scene that I accidentally saw ending on the last page (as I flicked through to find the the page number of the last page) looks like it might be the only one in the whole book (but not complaining, as I said before I've come to accept these books for what they are, sexless romances). I am enjoying the beginning of Phoebe and Ethan's romance, I'm hoping that it's the prelude to their own book later in the series. To be continued...

17/11 - Page 317 of 378?! That's a very long way into a romance book for it's first sex scene to occur. It was a pretty good, but not great scene, considering how long I'd been waiting for it. All the anticipation (from me and the characters) I would have thought it would be exploding off the page, but it didn't feel any more urgent than if it had happened 200 pages earlier. JoAnn Ross no longer qualifies as a romance writer for me, I've read four of her Lavender Lane books and I don't think any of them can truthfully be called 'romances', at least not by me anymore (but I'm not complaining, really I'm not). Other aspects of the story that I enjoyed without exemption were the cooking talk and the small-town-everyone-knows-everyone feeling I get from the whole series. I also like the way everyone is pairing up, it reminds me of when I play The Sims. My Sims are always happy, accomplished, beautiful people who I pair with other happy, accomplished, beautiful people. I never create Sims with bad qualities and I never let them be stupid people who can't cook or fix a toilet. That's how I feel about Shelter Bay - no one is stupid, ignorant, ugly or (in the end) unhappy (and if they are at the beginning of their story they morph into the happy people that Shelter Bay expects them to be by the end). I like that, despite how illogical it is, because it's like a wonderful fantasy town I can escape to whenever I read one of Ross' books.

[Dorine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celebrity Chef Madeline “Maddy” Durand travels frequently to promote her line of cookware, in addition to hosting two culinary shows on television. Married to French chef and restaurateur Maxime, one would think Madeline’s life was a veritable dream. She might have thought so too…until the day the audience in her cooking demonstration discovers her cheating husband’s sex video on their iPhones. Embarrassed and overwhelmed, Maddy can think of nothing more than getting far away from her husband and New York as soon as possible.

Navy SEAL Lucas Chaffee had looked forward to a new start after active duty in Afghanistan. He and his father had planned to start a home restoration business along the West Coast. Before they could get their new business off the ground, Lucas found himself burying his father at sea, wondering what he would do now after the loss of this man he loved deeply. Shelter Bay had good memories as well as great friends, so he stayed on while contemplating what to do next.

That’s how the former lovers, Lucas and Maddy, land back in Shelter Bay at the same time. Maddy comes home to her grandmother’s herb farm. Lucas takes on a remodeling project for Maddy’s grandmother. Will these former lovers get over their individual situations and joint painful past, plus discover a way to regain fulfilled lives with each other’s support?

ON LAVENDER LANE is a reunited lovers romance, but it also contains the recognizable qualities of woman’s fiction, including multiple story arcs. In the beginning, there’s more than one point of view, which can be confusing at first. If you read mainstream fiction as well as romance, you won’t mind how the story arcs stop and start. I always want to skip ahead when this happens, so I think it really depends on the type of reader you are. If you’ve read books one and two of the SHELTER BAY series, you’ll enjoy familiar characters and have an advantage over those of us jumping in at book three. ON LAVENDER LANE fulfilled my need to try something different and if you’re considering this series like I was, I feel it’s stand-alone enough to do so out of order.

I really enjoyed the cooking theme of this novel as well as the emphasis on sustainability. It was a happy coincidence that my renewed interest in organic choices in my own kitchen coincided with requesting this ARC to review. As an avid foodie, exploring varied aspects of the food industry throughout the book made me feel comfy-right-at-home. A glass of wine or some herbal tea at hand completed my reading experience throughout the book.

I appreciated JoAnn Ross’ knowledge that made the ecological sub-theme believable and accurate, but it was the ease in which every bit of it went so well with the characters’ motivations that impressed me most. The culinary detail within ON LAVENDER LANE sets the rhythm of the book so that you can smell, taste and feel what the characters experience. This enhances a book based on a food theme in my opinion.

Shelter Bay seems like the ideal place to take a vacation—and to actually live there? Simply sublime. It’s the small town feel melding with the sophistication of uptown ideas that creates a place which is quaint and classy at the same time. It’s also the kind of place where neighbors find support when times are tough. Throw a couple Marines and SEALs into the mix and some of you may never want to go home.

I really love it when an author makes the ambience of a location seem like a secondary character. Sort of like a Gothic in reverse, where the location is pushing the inhabitants toward better living—ecologically, physically and emotionally. It’s a positive and responsible subliminal message pulsing beneath the plot. Very motivating!

At four hundred pages, ON LAVENDER LANE will take you on a journey that starts off with embarrassment and sorrow and then begins to mend steadily, weaving in and out of several storylines. Maddy and Lucas could have easily been crushed by their past, combined as well as individual, so the positive manner in which they face their fears and push forward make ON LAVENDER LANE an uplifting novel. I think everyone will enjoy this book for different reasons, but you’ll find it especially appealing if you have fond memories of the healing properties of good food and conversation in the cozy comfort of your grandmother’s kitchen. Bon Appétit!

Review Courtesy of RomanceJunkies.com

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shelter Bay #3
Madeline is a chef with two TV shows. She is out on a cooking tour for her cookware line when she finds out that her husband is starring in a sex video that is all over the internet. It seems he was cheating on her while he was in Las Vegas!
Her husband wants a divorce. She has comes home to Shelter Bay and her grandmother to recuperate. But she runs into her ex-boyfriend. The one that took her virginity and she found with a waitress right after. It broke her heart into pieces.
Lucas is in Shelter Bay because he recently got out of the Navy. He and his father were going to start rehabbing and flipping houses together. But his father died. Lucas is trying to get over it. He is happy to see Maddy again. He has never forgotten her. His best friend, Sax, says he needs to tell her the truth of what was really going on back then.
Lucas tells Maddy the truth. She is angry about it but she can understand why he thought he was doing the right thing at the time. She realizes how much she still loves him. He still loves her and tells her that he is going to marry her. But she is still hurting over what happened with her husband.
Maddy is at a turning point in her life. She is tired of the rat race and being Maxime's second. That is now over.
Her grandmother wants to open a restaurant in her house. Maddy is thinking about how to help and maybe working with her. Sofia hired Lucas to do the remodel. Are they going to be able to get through the remodel? Will Lucas convince Maddy to marry him and live happily ever after?

There was a secondary storyline featuring a woman, Stephanie/Phoebe that is staying in Shelter Bay in an abused women's shelter. Ethan is a farmer who supplies the town with fresh produce and free range meat and eggs. He is attracted to Phoebe and she to him although she is still married. Ethan was married with a son when they were killed in a car accident. He hasn't had any feelings for anyone until Phoebe. I can't wait to find out what happens with this couple.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Aubrey
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

On Lavender Lane is the third novel in JoAnn Ross’ Shelter Bay series. It is set in a small coastal town in Oregon. Everyone knows each other and they take care of each other. I would love to live in this small seaside town.

JoAnn Ross is one of those authors that somehow is able to make each novel in a series better than the next. Once I was done reading the latest addition to the series I wondered how she would be able to top On Lavender Lane. Her novels are always very intricate with many twists and turns. She does a fantastic job at setting characters for future novels. I finish one of her novels and become super excited to read the next because I want to read what happens to all her characters.

I love second chance stories because we all have someone that we wished didn’t get away. Maddy and Lucas are one of those couples that had a relationship way too young and they didn’t know quite how to handle it. Now years later they are both back in Shelter Bay after being away for years. The big question of the novel is whether or not Maddy can let her guard down and fall in love with Lucas all over again.

Lucas and Maddy both have had a series of things happen to them in the years they were apart. You have to read to find out if it helps their reunion or not.

I loved catching up with the other characters from the previous two books in the series. The family feel of the novels makes you feel like you are returning to a well loved vacation spot or to grandma’s house. You want to find out how the characters are doing and to see how they relate with the hero and heroine of the current book.

Maddy is a well loved darling of Shelter Bay. Lucas is a retired Navy SEAL who forges a new career path. Their love story is sweet and fairytale like. I was jealous of Maddy in that she left an awful husband to reunite with a real hero who quickly becomes her personal hero.

[Book Binge · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing enough of war, former Navy SEAL Lucas Chafee is settling back into civilian life when he accepts a job refurbishing a farmhouse for an old friend, who plans to turn it into a culinary school.

Celebrity TV chef Madeline Durand was badly shaken when her husband’s illicit video went viral, so she jumps at the chance to reevaluate her life in Shelter Bay while helping her grandmother turn the family farm into a new business. Little does she know that the man who broke her heart years ago is already on the job.

Having let Maddy leave Shelter Bay once, Lucas isn’t about to let her get away this time. But rekindling their romance won’t be easy, as she still hasn’t forgiven him for a fateful night ten years ago. But Lucas is a man on a mission, and with the help of some Shelter Bay matchmakers, he plans to come up with a very special recipe of passion, patience, and perseverance to win her over….

This was a sweet reunited lovers story (one of my favorite romance tropes). I especially liked that it was Lucas who wanted a permanent relationship. I don’t think that happens often enough in novels. It seems like the men are always commitment shy, but that isn’t realistic. This was refreshing in that respect.

I do think the romance came about rather quickly. Hardly any time at all passed between Maddy seeing a video of her fiance cheating and rekindling her high school romance with Lucas. I really wish more time had passed before she jumped into something else.

As a food lover, that aspect of the novel was really great. The way the food was described, along with the production aspects of the show, really drew me in. I also loved Maddy’s grandmother.

This was a sweet story. A must read for food lovers and fans of contemporary romance.

3.75 out of 5

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Holly.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddy, a celebrity chef - is shocked to learn that her older husband has cheated on her - and proof of it is on the internet. She returns to the home to Shelter Bay and to her grandmother's farm. There she learns that her old boyfriend who betrayed her is back. It's been 10 years since they last saw each other. Lucas thought he was doing her a favor by pushing her away all those years ago. He's back in town with his trusty canine sidekick Scout and kind of at a loss - his dad just passed away. The plans that they made are now just a dream. He takes on the job of helping Maddy's grandma expand her kitchen. He's intent on making Maddy his -anyway he can. At first Maddy resists him but eventually gives in after they talk and hang out. She comes to realize what he's been through the last few years being a Seal and fighting in the war. I love how he was upfront and honest with her - telling her that he's gonna marry her and all that.

I hope we get more of Ethan and Phoebe in the next books. When Ms Ross was describing the battlefield scenes with Lucas and Sax- I could picture it and feel the loss of fallen friends. I felt sorry for Scout, who was with him fighting the war. She had her own issues - PTSD and missing a leg. But she's a trooper. Cant wait for the next Shelter Bay book and JT!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

JoAnn Ross has created a great set of characters all centered around a military tragedy in Afghanistan where Marines, SEALs, Army Rangers, and other military personal, even though they lived through a hellish night, get the chance to find their happily ever after. JoAnn Ross began these series with the Hish Risk series which were action packed, suspenseful, sexy stories which are what I began reading her with. She's continued with the same base of military characters but moved the story to Shelter Bay, on the Oregon coast, where even though it's a lot less suspenseful, these are still great love stories. On Lavender Lane follows the story of Lucas and Maddie, teenage sweethearts who broke up in a painful way only to come back together ten years later. They have both grown so much over the years but the connection they've shared could never be broken. I loved how Lucas was very up front with his feelings and wanted no barriers or lies with Maddie. Maddie had just gone through such a betrayal with her husband that she thought the quiet time in Shelter Bay would let her heal, not find true love again.

I love the cast of secondary characters. It's fun watching their love stories continue. Because the series has moved to Shelter Bay, JoAnn Ross has opened up to a large pool of characters that each deserve their happily ever after and I'm excited to see what comes next for them.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another wonderful edition to Ms. Ross's on going stories of Shelter Bay. The novels revolve around battle weary vets, trying to put there life back together at home. Shelter Bay is a wonderful little sea coast town in Oregon, and I want to live there! Our hero is Lucas Chafee, a homecoming SEAL medic. He is mourning the loss of his father, while trying to get his life back after his tours in war torn countries, and the lives he couldn't save. Maddie, his teen-age love, is returning to Shelter Bay after a very humiliating betrayal on the internet by her husband. Maddie is a Culinary school trained chef. We come to find out Maddie and Lucas were best friends, and then young lovers. Lucas fears she will give up all her plans, to stay with him. He manufactures a heart breaking scene which sends Maddie away. Now after several years, they're back, each with there own sorrows. Lucas knows after their fist meeting he can't go on without her. It is so refreshing to find a character (male) who is not afraid of commitment and love. We meet new characters from this small town America in every novel, and each one has their own story. I can't wait for the next. I really would have liked 4 1/2 stars!