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Chesapeake Bay Saga #3-4

The Quinn Legacy

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For the first time, the final two novels of Nora Roberts's breathtaking Chesapeake Bay saga are together in one volume, bringing "a welcome crescendo to the story-symphony that is the family Quinn in all its boisterous, loving resonance" (BookPage).Includes the novels

Inner Harbor

Phillip Quinn has done everything to make his life seem perfect. With his career on the fast track and a condo overlooking the Inner Harbor, his life on the street is firmly in the past. But one look at Seth and he's reminded of the boy he once was.

Chesapeake Blue

Now a grown man returning from Europe as a successful painter, Seth Quinn 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.

496 pages, Trade Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

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About the author

Nora Roberts

1,209 books59.7k followers
Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

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5 stars
1,535 (64%)
4 stars
578 (24%)
3 stars
213 (8%)
2 stars
28 (1%)
1 star
14 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
Profile Image for Jan.
1,101 reviews248 followers
October 19, 2018
This edition has two complete books in one - #3 and #4 of the Chesapeake Bay series: Inner Harbour and Chesapeake Blue. This was a reread. Well-written and enjoyable if slightly dated. Lovely setting. I did get a bit sick of Seth's crazy mother and her shenanigans by the end of #4, but I pretty much read all four books back-to-back. It might have been better to take a little break between them. Still, overall, I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for living1000lives.
1,168 reviews14 followers
March 9, 2023
2 stars both stories

incredibly redundant

for Sybill being a psychologist.. she was a god damn idiot when it came to her sister

Sybill complete ignorance totally recked the story

and there was nooooo need to deal with gloria’s BS for so long.. and all that money given just seems unrealistic
Profile Image for Jane Stewart.
2,462 reviews964 followers
September 4, 2010
3 stars and 2.5 stars for books 3 and 4 in the Chesapeake Bay series. Enjoyable teasing and conversations among family members.

THE SERIES:
The Chesapeake Bay series includes four books which tell a continuing story about a family. Ray and Stella Quinn adopt three troubled boys who came from abusive homes. In the first three books the boys are about 30 years old. They left home, have good jobs and are single. Stella died several years earlier. In the beginning of the first book Ray took in another boy, 10-year-old Seth, who was abused by his mother Gloria. Gloria offered to give legal guardianship to Ray in return for a large sum of money. Before anything was official, Ray died in a car accident. Shortly before he died, he asked his three sons to move back home to take care of Seth. All three men promised they would. They decide to start a boat building business. In the first three books each of the three men meets and falls in love with a woman. The fourth book tells the story of Seth, who is grown, returns home and falls in love. The best parts of the first three books are watching the developing relationships among Seth and the three men and seeing Seth blossom. Each book has a minor amount of fantasy due to some conversations with a ghost. The four books, main characters, and my ratings are:
Sea Swept (Cameron and Anna) 4 stars
Rising Tides (Ethan and Grace) 3 stars
Inner Harbor (Phillip and Sybill) 3 stars
Chesapeake Blue (Seth and Dru) 2.5 stars

3 stars for INNER HARBOR (Book 3).

Story Brief:
Phillip’s mother was a stripper and prostitute. Phillip survived by stealing, using drugs and sometimes selling himself. At age 13, he was shot in gang crossfire and nearly died. Ray and Stella discovered him in the hospital and took him home. Due to their love and environment, he changed and thrived. He is now a successful advertising executive in Baltimore. He dresses well, drinks fine wines and eats healthy. During his three-day weekends, he handles administrative details, legal issues and paperwork for the brothers’ boat building business, as well as some of the sweaty carpentry work.

Dr. Sybill Griffin has made a career out of the study of urban life and has published two books. She has degrees in anthropology, sociology and psychology. She comes to Chesapeake Bay to observe and study small town life for her next book. However, the reader soon learns that she chose Chesapeake Bay because of Seth. She purposely meets the brothers and finds that Phillip is attracted to her. She begins a relationship with him in order to be closer to and learn about Seth. Gloria (Seth’s mother) returns to the area. Gloria has a bigger role in this book than in the previous two books.

Reviewer’s Opinion:
This was ok, but I couldn’t get into the characters. They were good as supporting characters in the Seth story and for the series, but the story about their relationship wasn’t as good as I’d hoped. They each were wounded in the past in different ways. Now they are smooth and polished. I didn’t see how they grew to love each other. They were sort of thrown together, and then they have sex because they are physically attracted to each other. The value of this book is learning about Gloria and seeing some of her actions. It finishes some of the unresolved issues from the first two books. So it’s worthwhile in that way.

Data:
Story length: 238 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 7. Setting: current day Chesapeake Bay area and Baltimore, Maryland. Copyright: 1999. Genre: contemporary romance with fantasy.


2.5 stars for CHESAPEAKE BLUE (Book 4).

Story Brief with Mild Spoilers:
Seth is now about 28. Gloria began contacting him when he was a teen, threatening to hurt his family. He secretly has been paying her money to stay away. He spent several years in Europe to get away from her. But when he became a famous painter, she followed him to Europe. Since he couldn’t avoid her and since he missed his family, he moves back to Chesapeake Bay.

Dru is the only child of a wealthy family in Washington D.C. Her fiancé cheated on her, and she moved to Chesapeake Bay to open a flower shop. She bought a house and loves living alone, with no domestic help. She likes the small town environment. Seth sees her and immediately falls for her. He wants to paint her. She is reluctant. He rents the space above her flower shop for his art studio.

Reviewer’s Opinion:
The primary weakness was the two main characters were not interesting enough. There was not enough relationship development. I also felt it was too quick for Seth to ask her to marry him. The best parts of the book were the camaraderie, teasing, and conversations among the Quinn family members. That was entertaining and well done.

The major conflict in this story was regarding Gloria, Seth’s horrible mother. The Gloria problem was resolved in Book 3. So I was unhappy to see that the author had to weaken Seth’s character in order to reactivate Gloria’s bad guy role. I did not enjoy seeing Seth wimp out and pay her blackmail money over fourteen years without telling his family. They stood up to her and scared her off before. They would have done it again. I wasn’t happy with this plot. I enjoyed the first book the most.

Data:
Story length: 240 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 7. Setting: current day Chesapeake Bay area and Washington D.C.. Copyright: 2002. Genre: contemporary romance with fantasy.

OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb books, see my 4.5 star review of "Angels Fall" posted on 6-30-08.
Profile Image for ChristiLovesBooks_smut.
1,784 reviews43 followers
September 3, 2024
The Quinn Legacy was amazing!

The Quinn Legacy, books 3 & 4 of The Chesapeake Bay series by Nora Roberts @norarobertsauthor. It's time for some Nora! 💜

~ Inner Harbor - Phil & Sybill. Such a fantastic book! MF, secrets, found family, solved the small mystery, standing up for what is right & lots of love. 💜

~ Chesapeake Blue - Seth & Dru. I absolutely loved this book! MF, omissions of the truth, family drama, standing up for themselves, love for family, love for each other, & and a fantastic end to this series. 💜
Profile Image for Jess Van Dyne-Evans .
306 reviews11 followers
June 15, 2008
There are a lot of Nora Roberts books I haven't read, because I don't like a lot of them. Her Ireland/Witch series was good, the Key series was nice - a lot of them are over dramatic and well...fluffy.

But the Chesapeake Bay books got to me. Set in a small town on (duh)Chesapeake Bay, they tell the story of three men, scooped up as boys on the wrong side of the law and adopted by a local doctor and her husband. The series open with the father dying, and the three men come together to have the funeral and to decide what will happen to the latest boy brought home by Ray.

But this one has Ray's eyes.....
21 reviews
December 11, 2012
This book is better then the first one. Nora Roberts does capture your attention with this book and you don't want it to end. Worth reading.
21 reviews
April 26, 2025
Marvelous read!

The Quinn brothers and The Quinn Legacy are superior novels written by the fantastically brilliant writer, Nora Roberts. Immersion into the lives of these meticulously crafted, detailed characters was easy and realistically natural. One can feel the emotional connections between the brothers and with their loved ones. One can empathize with the hardships they faced and the emotional turmoil of their pasts and present. It's several heart felt stories that makes one feel they are feeling and living it alongside the characters. Absolutely love everything written by this great writer!
Profile Image for Babydoclaz.
540 reviews10 followers
October 29, 2023
Found a bundle of the last two Chesapeake Bay Saga in this book. As I sail the Chesapeake, it's lovely to read about the character of the Bay. Unfortunately, there are a few details about sailing in general and sailing in the Bay that Ms. Roberts gets wrong, which is a little jarring, but that does not take away from the enjoyment of the characters or the romances. Wonderful that each couple has their own voice, as the brothers are very different, as are the women they love. This completes the set, highly recommend.
48 reviews
April 7, 2025
The Quinn's

I loved all the books in the Chesapeake Bay Saga. The diversity in Nora Roberts books astound me. She is every bit as gifted in her righting as Seth is as an artist.. Her characters are rich and beautifully human. With all the gifts and frailty we have as humans. It amazes me just how versitle she is. I've read Dark Witch and loved that, this series made me think about kids that through no fault of their own have nightmarish childhoods. Thank God for love and people with good character. That will fight for what's right.
2 reviews1 follower
Read
July 24, 2021
I have loved Nora Robert's book since she started writing. She is excellent at painting picture with words. Her characters are so well defined. Sadly, I probably won't be reading her books now. She has given in to the critics who say she needs to write more sex into her books. I don't mind a page or two but five pages is way too much. She has such talent in creating good story lines. It saddens me to let her stories go.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Alyssa.
98 reviews3 followers
April 8, 2020
A good finish to a good saga. I love that you tied off them lose ends ha ha it drove me crazy that there was justice left undone. Very good read I am happy to have finally finished. I started the first book years ago and then lost it !!! But found them again and finally got to enjoy and complete their stories. :)
23 reviews
May 2, 2025
Love is Love

I read this series years ago, it is every bit as poignant today! Love is love, family is family! Nora Roberts is an outstanding author of contemporary fiction. I cried then and again now as these young men became grown men, husbands even fathers. Definitely a must read series!
Profile Image for Lori.
354 reviews2 followers
June 1, 2025
Excellent series, love this family

Excellent series. The guys are a little rough and a little bit marshmallows. Their women are strong and passionate. Absolutely fell in love this family who took in battered boys and made them into upstanding, well respected men. The series is the story of their lives.
6 reviews2 followers
October 2, 2020
How Can This Be???

After reading and loving Sea Swept, Inner Harbor, then Chesapeake Blue, I was excited to purchase the Quinn Legacy, only to find that it's
ONLY Inner Harbor with a different title. Please explain!!!
21 reviews
May 24, 2022
Best book she ever wrote and they are all wonderful!

I enjoyed this story from the first page to the last and all I can say is I wish it never ended! I simply could not put this book down until I finished it!!!
60 reviews3 followers
March 27, 2025
I can hardly find words for how much I love this book and series!

This fourth book of the Chesapeake Bay Saga was every bit as wonderful and engrossing as the first three. I can only say that I am so sad it's over, I never wanted it to end. Read this series, you won't be sorry!
2 reviews
October 8, 2025
good as always, but!

I really enjoyed this group of books, but I thought it was a little “heavy” on the “bad language” end on this particular book; the last one in the trilogy. But other than that, it was a great read.
Profile Image for Jacque Green.
66 reviews23 followers
August 14, 2018
Super tale

Loved the whole series and really like the mixes of characters and the inclusion of family both past and present!
2 reviews
March 22, 2020
I LOVE this series...truly awesome. Makes you want to keep reading and see what happens to this awesome family.
Profile Image for Suntimes.
165 reviews3 followers
December 29, 2020
Inner Harbour 3
Chesapeake Blue 3
I really liked Seth and Dru. They were so cute. I liked seeing what Seth did with his life and learning more about Stella. I liked how Dru was kind of like Stella in some ways.
144 reviews
February 21, 2021
This was such a nice story about the Quinn family and how their lives were intertwined. Totally enjoyed all 4 books and knowing how everyone ends up.
Profile Image for brandee.
33 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2021
Very good book. Love how each brother lives unfolds and then it takes you into the future
349 reviews3 followers
June 26, 2021
Liked being able to read books 3 and 4 to complete the story of what happened to each of the Quinn boys.
2 reviews
March 28, 2022
Very good story about the Quinns

Love the Quinn saga. So very well written!! I hate being made touch with day more.. Heart written story, all of them
1 review
Read
June 19, 2023
Couldn't put it down

This book makes you feel like you are there. Every tear, every smile, every laugh! Will read again and then again!
2 reviews
October 31, 2023
My favorite

I have read every Nora Roberts book I can find. The Quinn Legacy books are my favorite. I could read these over and over.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews

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