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McCullagh Inn #1
The McCullagh Inn in Maine
Her second chance at love. . .
Chelsea O'Kane escapes to Maine with a gun and fresh bruises. She's ready to begin anew-until she runs into her old flame, Jeremy Holland. As he helps to fix her inn, her heart heals and they rediscover what they once loved about each other. But as the two play house, it starts to seem too good to last. . . .
Chelsea O'Kane escapes to Maine with a gun and fresh bruises. She's ready to begin anew-until she runs into her old flame, Jeremy Holland. As he helps to fix her inn, her heart heals and they rediscover what they once loved about each other. But as the two play house, it starts to seem too good to last. . . .
4 pages, Audiobook
First published July 5, 2016
215 people are currently reading
1126 people want to read
About the author
Jen McLaughlin
35 books1,148 followersJen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of sexy books with Penguin Random House. Under her pen name, Diane Alberts, she is also a USA TODAY bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, hit the New York Times, USA TODAY and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.
Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and three cats. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.
Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and three cats. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
February 7, 2021
A decent story with a bit of romance and suspense, but I felt each could have been amped up just a bit. Most of the action was at the end so even though it’s a really short read, at times it felt slow. I’m glad it was a Bookshots book as it really was just enough of a read for me.
October 27, 2016
No. Just no!! It was very over the top. Chelsea is running away from her abusive drug cartel involved ex boyfriend. She runs away and ends up in the place where she grew up. And she doesn't expect the Ex to find her!???!!! Jeremy "the love of her life" let her get away once ten years ago. He was engaged to someone else. But now he's back and he's ready to protect Chelsea!?? Ugh. No. It was too much. This books only saving grace was how short it is.
July 6, 2016
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1UdH9jV
A not so squeaky clean heroine on the run, the man who broke her heart a decade earlier, a quaint New England Inn in need of repair...emotions are flying in The McCullagh Inn in Maine.
The quick of it is that Chelsea's aunt left her an old Inn in Maine. It's the perfect solution and just what she needs to start her life over fresh now that she's on the run from her former life and the dangers it entailed. What she absolutely does not need is her old flame trying to get back in her good graces but that's just what Jeremy is bound and determined to do. He's been looking for the woman who stole his heart a decade earlier and he'll be damned if he's gonna lose a second chance at a happily ever after with her. Now to just convince her to give him a try...one Inn repair at a time.
This one was interesting. Chelsea isn't your typical heroine. She's done a lot of iffy things over the years--including the thing that's set her life spiraling at the moment-- and comes from a family that rides the edge of the law and usually falls on the wrong side of things. She's prickly and running scared from the life she's trying to escape but I managed to like her. She's a tough cookie for sure. Jeremy was a nice guy. Determined to win his girl back and a calm to her edgy fear. He can go all sexy growly alpha but also has a playful side.
There's a lot of growly tension between them over their past and, whew boy, Jeremy has to work right hard to get his girl. No matter the bad blood, though, the chemistry is definitely still there and even after all these years the two just get each other completely. Some nice sexy moments, some silly ones as they work on the house and some that'll get your blood pumping as Chelsea's past catches up to her make for one unputdownable read.
December 20, 2016
Chelsea is on the run from her abusive ex, she left her entire life behind in Miami and has returned to her home town in Maine where she's hoping to get a new identity and start her life over again by taking over her aunt's old Inn. The last thing she's expecting is to bump into her childhood friend Jeremy, the first boy she ever loved and the first one who broke her heart. Jeremy seems pretty keen to pick things up where they left off but Chelsea has been burned by him before and she has enough troubles on her shoulders without risking her heart all over again.
The James Patterson BookShots series are books that are meant to be read in one sitting, they're fast paced reads that you can easily finish in an hour or so which is perfect when you don't have much time but still want to be able to read a complete story. I understand that relatively short books (this one is 137 pages) don't give the author as much time to fully develop the characters but that's not always an issue with second chance romances if they are able to build a sense of history between the couple. Unfortunately that didn't work quite so well as I'd hoped here because both Chelsea and Jeremy were keeping pretty major secrets.
I could understand why Chelsea didn't want to let Jeremy in because she didn't want to put him in danger and she was at least upfront enough with him to let him know that something terrible had happened in her life that she wasn't ready to talk about. I just think it would have worked better if readers had been let in on the secret sooner, we were kept in the dark alongside Jeremy and rather than adding to the suspense I found it was frustrating to not fully understand what she was running from. On the other hand Jeremy's secret actually made me angry, he had reasons to keep that secret in the beginning but once things reached a certain point I felt he should have been honest with her. Trying to pursue a relationship with her while hiding something so important was completely out of order and made me lose some of my respect for him. I found that Chelsea was a bit too quick to forgive him and that didn't help me believe their relationship would be a success.
I knew that this book was going to be a series but I'd just assumed that each book would focus on a different couple so finding out that Chelsea and Jeremy's story continues into the next book has made me think we might get to see the development that was missing a bit in this book. I'm interested to see how things go between them now that their secrets are out in the open and I think I'll end up enjoying the second book much more.
The James Patterson BookShots series are books that are meant to be read in one sitting, they're fast paced reads that you can easily finish in an hour or so which is perfect when you don't have much time but still want to be able to read a complete story. I understand that relatively short books (this one is 137 pages) don't give the author as much time to fully develop the characters but that's not always an issue with second chance romances if they are able to build a sense of history between the couple. Unfortunately that didn't work quite so well as I'd hoped here because both Chelsea and Jeremy were keeping pretty major secrets.
I could understand why Chelsea didn't want to let Jeremy in because she didn't want to put him in danger and she was at least upfront enough with him to let him know that something terrible had happened in her life that she wasn't ready to talk about. I just think it would have worked better if readers had been let in on the secret sooner, we were kept in the dark alongside Jeremy and rather than adding to the suspense I found it was frustrating to not fully understand what she was running from. On the other hand Jeremy's secret actually made me angry, he had reasons to keep that secret in the beginning but once things reached a certain point I felt he should have been honest with her. Trying to pursue a relationship with her while hiding something so important was completely out of order and made me lose some of my respect for him. I found that Chelsea was a bit too quick to forgive him and that didn't help me believe their relationship would be a success.
I knew that this book was going to be a series but I'd just assumed that each book would focus on a different couple so finding out that Chelsea and Jeremy's story continues into the next book has made me think we might get to see the development that was missing a bit in this book. I'm interested to see how things go between them now that their secrets are out in the open and I think I'll end up enjoying the second book much more.
November 22, 2016
I really wasn't enthused to read this - the title put me off but it turned out to be a great little story. This is the first Bookshot where I've actually wished the book was longer.
EDIT Just seen there's a sequel. Excellent!!
EDIT Just seen there's a sequel. Excellent!!
February 7, 2019
3.5 Stars
The McCullagh Inn in Maine was a fast-paced read with an exciting plot and the perfect amount of steaminess.
Chelsea O’Kane escapes Miami with a gun and a mountain of secrets heading for her childhood home in Maine to seek sanctuary in the inn left to her by her aunt. Determined to start over, Chelsea sets out to renovate the inn when she runs into the man she fled from ten years ago, Jeremy Holland. As Chelsea and Jeremy become reacquainted while renovating the inn, the past Chelsea escaped from in Miami begins closing in.
I enjoy second chance at love romances and the relationship in this book perfectly fits that category. It’s clear from their first interaction that Chelsea and Jeremy never got over one another. The two end up starting a physical relationship fairly quickly and the scenes contained the perfect amount of steaminess. Despite the enjoyable aspects of the relationship, I did have a few problems particularly on the Jeremy end of things. Jeremy is very pushy with Chelsea as he’s determined not to lose her again after her vanishing act ten years ago. My problem was that at times he was too pushy and had a tendency to overrule Chelsea’s decisions. I also disliked the secret he was keeping from her that ultimately just added unnecessary drama.
When we find out what Chelsea was running from, I was intrigued. I was curious how she found herself in the situation she was in and I admired her willingness to do anything to escape. The storyline added a nice element of suspense while not fully pushing the book into the romantic suspense category. Richard is definitely a great villain and the author does an amazing job getting you to hate the man. With the way the book ended, I’m curious to see how this plot ties into the rest of the series as things are left a bit on the open-ended side.
Overall I really enjoyed The McCullagh Inn in Maine despite Jeremy’s tendency to be a bit too overbearing. I will definitely be continuing with the series and recommend it if you’re looking for a quick, steamy read.
The McCullagh Inn in Maine was a fast-paced read with an exciting plot and the perfect amount of steaminess.
Chelsea O’Kane escapes Miami with a gun and a mountain of secrets heading for her childhood home in Maine to seek sanctuary in the inn left to her by her aunt. Determined to start over, Chelsea sets out to renovate the inn when she runs into the man she fled from ten years ago, Jeremy Holland. As Chelsea and Jeremy become reacquainted while renovating the inn, the past Chelsea escaped from in Miami begins closing in.
I enjoy second chance at love romances and the relationship in this book perfectly fits that category. It’s clear from their first interaction that Chelsea and Jeremy never got over one another. The two end up starting a physical relationship fairly quickly and the scenes contained the perfect amount of steaminess. Despite the enjoyable aspects of the relationship, I did have a few problems particularly on the Jeremy end of things. Jeremy is very pushy with Chelsea as he’s determined not to lose her again after her vanishing act ten years ago. My problem was that at times he was too pushy and had a tendency to overrule Chelsea’s decisions. I also disliked the secret he was keeping from her that ultimately just added unnecessary drama.
When we find out what Chelsea was running from, I was intrigued. I was curious how she found herself in the situation she was in and I admired her willingness to do anything to escape. The storyline added a nice element of suspense while not fully pushing the book into the romantic suspense category. Richard is definitely a great villain and the author does an amazing job getting you to hate the man. With the way the book ended, I’m curious to see how this plot ties into the rest of the series as things are left a bit on the open-ended side.
Overall I really enjoyed The McCullagh Inn in Maine despite Jeremy’s tendency to be a bit too overbearing. I will definitely be continuing with the series and recommend it if you’re looking for a quick, steamy read.
September 3, 2022
Meh. It was fine. Guessed the twist straight away.
November 5, 2018
Tough one to review. The story is good with interesting characters and excellent writing. It was definitely enjoyable but it left me wanting more. There was just so much story packed into too few pages.
January 31, 2017
I'm loving these "BookShots" from James Patterson...pretty ingenius idea that he's come up with! The 3 I've read so far could all play out as movies, they'd definitely give Hollywood, or the Lifetime Network, some new and fresh idea! Each one has packed a lot of story into such quick and easy reads.
This one was full of mystery and intrigue- throw in a second chance romance and I was hooked! I actually wish this one was jusy a bit longer, or at least had an epilogue- I'd love to see a little into the future for Chelsea and Jeremy fricking Holland. I loved the second chance/lost love aspect of this story, there was a lot of history between these 2. I'm kind of in the mood now to move to a small little town and open a B&B!
Oooh, I just saw there is another book for Chelsea and Jeremy and reserved it at the library!
February 7, 2017
First of all, let me say that I do not usually gravitate to the romance genre. However, I felt like I needed to step out of my comfort zone and picked up this short little romance. I have never read anything by Jen McLaughlin before and I found it quite easy to read. It was predictable in places but I still enjoyed it. It was just a nice, light read.
February 7, 2017
Pretty good story. Lots of action. Lots of trouble caused by lies. I think I saw that a second McCullagh Inn book is coming. I'll definitely read it too.
September 19, 2022
Great short story..... a little mystery ...with a long lost love..... crooked...
November 24, 2016
I picked this one up on a whim a couple weekends ago, after stumbling across it at my library and because I'm a wee bit behind in my Goodreads Reading Challenge I thought this one would be a great quick read and give me a chance to try a new series and author.
I went into this one with high hopes. I love a good second chance love story, a suspenseful twist and a nice quite setting in a small town so I was hoping this one would maybe not be great, but really enjoyable. Unfortunately for me, this one just didn't do it for me.
I wasn't expecting the characters or the story itself to be exemplary given the short 137 page length of this little romance, however I wasn't prepared for just how little I would like Chelsea. She was rude, self centered and I found her inner dialogue to be really annoying and repetitive I didn't care for her attitude or the way she treated Jeremy or her brother for that matter. She kept pulling the woe is me card and I couldn't really find anything redeemable about her.
Jeremy on the other hand was the one saving grace of the book. I thought he was very sweet and I wish he'd played a larger role. Yes he was the hero of the story and I'm glad that he was able to reunite with Chelsea, but I just couldn't help but want to scream at him to run far away from her and he seemed to be used more as a prop than a character in his own right.
The story revolving around Chelsea's escape from Miami and sudden reappearance in Maine wasn't fleshed out enough for me either. To me it read as if the author was just cutting and pasting storyboard ideas without fully integrating them into the story as a whole. There was promise of a good romantic story with a light twist of suspense but it was all far too rushed and forced together for it to truly work. It was all very bare bones and I feel like the author missed a real opportunity here. The suspense was negligible and the steamy bits weren't even steamy. The book didn't even really touch on other characters and I got no real sense of the setting of the story either. I imagined a story involving a quaint inn but got a surly heroine focused on herself instead.
That being said though I am curious to see what book two has in store for Chelsea and Jeremy because I really did like Jeremy and I don't want to be to quick to judge the author on this one story. I'm not sure why it warrants a series to be made out of it because things wrapped up pretty well for me (in a very hurried sense) and I want to see what may happen with these two. I'm hoping book two is better than this one. I gave this one a two star rating instead of a one because of Jeremy's character, and because there still is a bit of promise if the second book is better written.
I would probably recommend this one to folks looking for a quick short read that they can polish off in an hour or two but it isn't one that I'm going to go out of my way to tell people to read. My advice with this one is to borrow and not buy.
I went into this one with high hopes. I love a good second chance love story, a suspenseful twist and a nice quite setting in a small town so I was hoping this one would maybe not be great, but really enjoyable. Unfortunately for me, this one just didn't do it for me.
I wasn't expecting the characters or the story itself to be exemplary given the short 137 page length of this little romance, however I wasn't prepared for just how little I would like Chelsea. She was rude, self centered and I found her inner dialogue to be really annoying and repetitive I didn't care for her attitude or the way she treated Jeremy or her brother for that matter. She kept pulling the woe is me card and I couldn't really find anything redeemable about her.
Jeremy on the other hand was the one saving grace of the book. I thought he was very sweet and I wish he'd played a larger role. Yes he was the hero of the story and I'm glad that he was able to reunite with Chelsea, but I just couldn't help but want to scream at him to run far away from her and he seemed to be used more as a prop than a character in his own right.
The story revolving around Chelsea's escape from Miami and sudden reappearance in Maine wasn't fleshed out enough for me either. To me it read as if the author was just cutting and pasting storyboard ideas without fully integrating them into the story as a whole. There was promise of a good romantic story with a light twist of suspense but it was all far too rushed and forced together for it to truly work. It was all very bare bones and I feel like the author missed a real opportunity here. The suspense was negligible and the steamy bits weren't even steamy. The book didn't even really touch on other characters and I got no real sense of the setting of the story either. I imagined a story involving a quaint inn but got a surly heroine focused on herself instead.
That being said though I am curious to see what book two has in store for Chelsea and Jeremy because I really did like Jeremy and I don't want to be to quick to judge the author on this one story. I'm not sure why it warrants a series to be made out of it because things wrapped up pretty well for me (in a very hurried sense) and I want to see what may happen with these two. I'm hoping book two is better than this one. I gave this one a two star rating instead of a one because of Jeremy's character, and because there still is a bit of promise if the second book is better written.
I would probably recommend this one to folks looking for a quick short read that they can polish off in an hour or two but it isn't one that I'm going to go out of my way to tell people to read. My advice with this one is to borrow and not buy.
July 3, 2016
Chelsea is on the run and needing to hide out. The rambling inn her aunt left her is the best place to skate under the radar and start fresh. Until she runs into the one man from her past that she could never forgot. Their one night fling right before his wedding years ago left a mark on her soul she could never outrun. Now she’s back and he’s still in the town she left behind intent on making her his for good.
Jeremy knows Chelsea is hiding something because the makeup can’t completely cover the bruises and her eyes shine with a wariness he himself knows all too well because he’s hiding something too. He knows more than what he is saying but telling Chelsea everything will only sending her running again and then protecting her would become that much more difficult.
Now the two of them are in the same house and trying to deny their attraction is becoming increasingly difficult even as danger closes in on their happy bubble.
I really enjoyed this short romantic suspense. It gave me the heat I craved while still giving me the suspense I wanted and in roughly 160 pages too!I really liked the transition they had as Chelsea let her guard down and allowed Jeremy into her life. She may not have known exactly who he was but she knew she could trust him. There was a lot of heat in this short book and it made the story that much better. I never once felt like this one was lacking anything.
Fleshed out characters and great world building make The McCullagh Inn in Maine one of the better novellas I’ve read this year. I’ll be eagerly awaiting more from Jen McLaughlin.
I give The McCullagh Inn in Maine by Jen McLaughlin 4 stars!
Jeremy knows Chelsea is hiding something because the makeup can’t completely cover the bruises and her eyes shine with a wariness he himself knows all too well because he’s hiding something too. He knows more than what he is saying but telling Chelsea everything will only sending her running again and then protecting her would become that much more difficult.
Now the two of them are in the same house and trying to deny their attraction is becoming increasingly difficult even as danger closes in on their happy bubble.
I really enjoyed this short romantic suspense. It gave me the heat I craved while still giving me the suspense I wanted and in roughly 160 pages too!I really liked the transition they had as Chelsea let her guard down and allowed Jeremy into her life. She may not have known exactly who he was but she knew she could trust him. There was a lot of heat in this short book and it made the story that much better. I never once felt like this one was lacking anything.
Fleshed out characters and great world building make The McCullagh Inn in Maine one of the better novellas I’ve read this year. I’ll be eagerly awaiting more from Jen McLaughlin.
I give The McCullagh Inn in Maine by Jen McLaughlin 4 stars!
October 14, 2016
First of all, I would like to say thanks to James Patterson for bringing the book shots format out and for lending his respectable and well known name to help other authors get noticed. As a poor, struggling author myself I know how valuable this type of promotion is. I have read other book shots and found them a fun, quick way to read and love a story. I found others more to my liking than this one, but none the less, The McCullach Inn in Maine is a good short story that blends, murder, mystery and romance in a suspense read. I would have liked to know more about Chelsea O'Kane and her family before she ended up in trouble and in her grandmother's inn in Maine. I think this book shot, more like a novella, would have been better in this case as a full length novel. Readers are given a hint of background, but I feel there was a lot more to tell which would have drawn readers in more. Saying that, I also have to add that the author, Jen McLaughlin, has a wonderful writing style and I look forward to reading more of her books. All in all I think not just romance readers but any one who likes a quick suspense will enjoy this take. It only took me about an hour to read, but in that hour I was glued to the story, just wishing for more. The writing made this book a 4 star and a novel may have slipped it into a 5 category.
October 14, 2016
Suspenseful and fast, but what else would you expect from Bookshots Flames? Female protagonist, Chelsea, finds herself lost in a web of secrets and lies. After fleeing Florida for her hometown in Maine, she bumps into her longtime friend and one-night flame, Jeremy. Instantly likable and seemingly very predictable, he ends up with a few secrets up his sleeve as well.
Chelsea and Jeremy's connection is strong to be sure, but the plot gets lost in three choppy sex scenes, which actually slows the pacing in my opinion. Romance? Yes, but not very ro-man-tic. Drawing out the tension of their affections would have made this book more captivating and memorable. It felt like chopping a salad in a food chopper instead of slicing the vegetables slowly. Sometimes less is more. But maybe I'm just too much of a Jane Austen fan. Guilty as charged. :)
*Thanks to Mr. Patterson's assistant for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Chelsea and Jeremy's connection is strong to be sure, but the plot gets lost in three choppy sex scenes, which actually slows the pacing in my opinion. Romance? Yes, but not very ro-man-tic. Drawing out the tension of their affections would have made this book more captivating and memorable. It felt like chopping a salad in a food chopper instead of slicing the vegetables slowly. Sometimes less is more. But maybe I'm just too much of a Jane Austen fan. Guilty as charged. :)
*Thanks to Mr. Patterson's assistant for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2016
Great concept - but not enough time to really play it out. Chelsea is in trouble, but we don't know why at first, and it takes most of the book to put it all together. I didn't like that at all. I wanted to know why she was on the run and what happened, so I could understand her actions and feel right along with her. Part of her fear was confusing since I didn't know where exactly it was coming from.
Jeremy also has a big something going on that was a surprise. I understand not hearing about his earlier in the story, but a hint or two would have been nice. There was just too much thrown at me without enough backstory information for me to really believe or feel it.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
Jeremy also has a big something going on that was a surprise. I understand not hearing about his earlier in the story, but a hint or two would have been nice. There was just too much thrown at me without enough backstory information for me to really believe or feel it.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
February 2, 2017
I must start by stating that I don't read romance!! However as this was a release in book shots I though I'd try.
Yes it's romance but with a large element of suspense running through the storyline. There is lying and deception which when one reaches the conclusion of the storyline one understands. It starts off slowish but the last third moves at breakneck speed. The two main characters of Chelsea and Jeremy are well developed and the ending leaves open room for a sequel which is due in February 2017. These novellas remind me of much of the fiction that was published in the pulps and the slicks in the the sense that many leave the door open for further episodes.
Dave
Yes it's romance but with a large element of suspense running through the storyline. There is lying and deception which when one reaches the conclusion of the storyline one understands. It starts off slowish but the last third moves at breakneck speed. The two main characters of Chelsea and Jeremy are well developed and the ending leaves open room for a sequel which is due in February 2017. These novellas remind me of much of the fiction that was published in the pulps and the slicks in the the sense that many leave the door open for further episodes.
Dave
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2016
The McCullagh Inn in Maine
I like the idea of these Bookshot short stories that James Patterson has come up with but I think I enjoy them the most because it's easier to read a short story that is not that good then having to slog through a long story that sucks. This one could have been much better so I'm happy it was short.
I like the idea of these Bookshot short stories that James Patterson has come up with but I think I enjoy them the most because it's easier to read a short story that is not that good then having to slog through a long story that sucks. This one could have been much better so I'm happy it was short.
May 19, 2017
The McCullagh Inn in Maine
I Picked Up This Book Because: Wanted a quick listen while waiting for my next audiobook to be available at the library
The Characters:
Chelsea O’Kane: A woman who is really good at running from her past. First she runs from her home in Maine to Florida then she runs right back after life there became a mess.
Jeremy Holland: Former best friend who never got over his real first love.
The Story:
This book reaches out and grabs you from the first sentence. A stolen car with a gun on the passenger seat! What is going on?!? But it quickly devolves into a more predictable tale. Second chance love, revenge from “the cartels and a HEA (which I wanted). Overall it was just an okay story.
The Random Thoughts:
The Score Card:
3.25 Stars
I Picked Up This Book Because: Wanted a quick listen while waiting for my next audiobook to be available at the library
The Characters:
Chelsea O’Kane: A woman who is really good at running from her past. First she runs from her home in Maine to Florida then she runs right back after life there became a mess.
Jeremy Holland: Former best friend who never got over his real first love.
The Story:
This book reaches out and grabs you from the first sentence. A stolen car with a gun on the passenger seat! What is going on?!? But it quickly devolves into a more predictable tale. Second chance love, revenge from “the cartels and a HEA (which I wanted). Overall it was just an okay story.
The Random Thoughts:
The Score Card:
3.25 Stars
October 7, 2019
I wanted something good and simple to read. I got one of the two. This was a good book, filled with action, some suspense, drama, and a lot of passion. I would place it as a cozy read on a warm summer day.
Chelsea is a woman whose family has always been on the wrong side of the law. She left her family to make a better life for herself & ends up in the arms of someone more deadlier than her family's dealings. She returns home to escape her life only to bring home to Maine.
A nice short book for bookclubs to enjoy.
Chelsea is a woman whose family has always been on the wrong side of the law. She left her family to make a better life for herself & ends up in the arms of someone more deadlier than her family's dealings. She returns home to escape her life only to bring home to Maine.
A nice short book for bookclubs to enjoy.
March 24, 2021
Romance is not exactly my genre but the mystery of chelsea kept me interested till the end
May 5, 2019
This book was extremely intriguing from start to finish. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good suspense and romance book.
November 6, 2024
Fun and easy read!
February 22, 2018
Pretty cute for a short book.
August 9, 2018
Amazing book I would highly recommend it to anyone. It is now my second favorite book.
December 30, 2023
These are quick and stupid. Perfect for a 90-min read cover to cover. Done and done.
September 4, 2016
Actually I'm changing my 3stars to 2stars. Okay maybe 2.5stars? There's only a couple tiny basic spoilers, if you can even call them spoilers. No details just a basic statement of the spoilers. Like two words which give it away.
Chelsea O'Kane is on the run, she's good at disappearing and hiding, the one place no one will ever find her is the McCullagh Inn in Maine. The inn was left to her by her aunt. But the second she gets there she bumps into the last person she'd ever expect to ever see again, Jeremy Holland, her childhood love. Her family was known to be on the other side of the law, her brother has connections to help her erase he identity. As the news about her ex lover Richard is plastered on the news, she's playing house with Jeremy, rebuilding the inn like she was always suppose to do. As much as she wants to say no to Jeremy, she eventually gives in and the end up rekindling their love for each other and everything seems perfect. Until gunshots whizz through the inn nearly hitting them. Jeremy was so mad that Chelsea was nearly hurt that he swore he'd do whatever it takes to find out who is behind it. They are both hiding secrets from each other and when the truth comes out, hearts will be broken and a life may be at stake.
Okay firstly we all know she's on the run and wants no one to know but the second she's in town and bumps into Jeremy she's makes it obvious AF that she's hiding something! Actually she does that throughout the entire book and doesn't even end up confessing! That's just plain dumb if you're meant to be so good at hiding. "Oh I'll tell you but.. not now.. later I promise! I'm hiding the biggest secret and I'm making it so damn obvious but I won't tell you." Jeremy knows she's hiding something and you'll be stunned as to how he knows! I was! Well there was a couple tiny things that have it away.
She's meant to be this tough, street smart chick (well that's the impression I got from the start of the book) but as you read along it doesn't explain where she got those skills from and she was a lawyer! Not a badass crim like I thought. She didn't want to end up like her father who was incarcerated. She was far from it trust me!
On the side of her being independent and tough, no! She's a weakling! So easily she gave in to Jeremy and relied on him to take care of her and make her feel safe. Even in the end she was still weak. She was more like a goody two shoes who was running away from the cops.
The title and synopsis doesn't really give much away. Sometimes I like that and sometimes I don't but I'm okay with it in this instance cos it's a novella. And know Patterson's genre, I think this may make fans happy, though it's not anything action packed. I would define it as romance and a tiny thriller. But it's more about the couple finding out about each other than the main point of why she ran which I thought was suppose to be the main focus of the story but no this definitely was more romance than anything else.
Another thing is the book is written in both Chelsea and Jeremy's perspectives, alternating chapters. I'm not sure if I like it, it kinda irked me at times but I think it's gives you just a bit more detail in seeing from both POVs.
So the main part of the book is Chelsea hiding her secret and it's building up to her confessing right? So I was expecting it to be a great confession! Though I kinda suspected what she did but he ending surprised me a little. Still I was disappointed that it wasn't a better more thriller/action packed ending. It was kinda obvious what the outcome would be after that little surprise.
I would also say maybe knowing more about their pasts in more detail would've been good and maybe giving a bit more of the characters too. I don't like it when they only focus on the two main characters. Maybe having a part just for Richard would've been good and about the O'Kane family. But I get that it's only a novella and it's meant to be brief. So I guess I shouldn't complain about that.
So overall it was alright. I didn't love it or hate it. I wouldn't re read it though. A little too obvious and boring. Needed more oomph and 'real' mysteries.
Chelsea O'Kane is on the run, she's good at disappearing and hiding, the one place no one will ever find her is the McCullagh Inn in Maine. The inn was left to her by her aunt. But the second she gets there she bumps into the last person she'd ever expect to ever see again, Jeremy Holland, her childhood love. Her family was known to be on the other side of the law, her brother has connections to help her erase he identity. As the news about her ex lover Richard is plastered on the news, she's playing house with Jeremy, rebuilding the inn like she was always suppose to do. As much as she wants to say no to Jeremy, she eventually gives in and the end up rekindling their love for each other and everything seems perfect. Until gunshots whizz through the inn nearly hitting them. Jeremy was so mad that Chelsea was nearly hurt that he swore he'd do whatever it takes to find out who is behind it. They are both hiding secrets from each other and when the truth comes out, hearts will be broken and a life may be at stake.
Okay firstly we all know she's on the run and wants no one to know but the second she's in town and bumps into Jeremy she's makes it obvious AF that she's hiding something! Actually she does that throughout the entire book and doesn't even end up confessing! That's just plain dumb if you're meant to be so good at hiding. "Oh I'll tell you but.. not now.. later I promise! I'm hiding the biggest secret and I'm making it so damn obvious but I won't tell you." Jeremy knows she's hiding something and you'll be stunned as to how he knows! I was! Well there was a couple tiny things that have it away.
She's meant to be this tough, street smart chick (well that's the impression I got from the start of the book) but as you read along it doesn't explain where she got those skills from and she was a lawyer! Not a badass crim like I thought. She didn't want to end up like her father who was incarcerated. She was far from it trust me!
On the side of her being independent and tough, no! She's a weakling! So easily she gave in to Jeremy and relied on him to take care of her and make her feel safe. Even in the end she was still weak. She was more like a goody two shoes who was running away from the cops.
The title and synopsis doesn't really give much away. Sometimes I like that and sometimes I don't but I'm okay with it in this instance cos it's a novella. And know Patterson's genre, I think this may make fans happy, though it's not anything action packed. I would define it as romance and a tiny thriller. But it's more about the couple finding out about each other than the main point of why she ran which I thought was suppose to be the main focus of the story but no this definitely was more romance than anything else.
Another thing is the book is written in both Chelsea and Jeremy's perspectives, alternating chapters. I'm not sure if I like it, it kinda irked me at times but I think it's gives you just a bit more detail in seeing from both POVs.
So the main part of the book is Chelsea hiding her secret and it's building up to her confessing right? So I was expecting it to be a great confession! Though I kinda suspected what she did but he ending surprised me a little. Still I was disappointed that it wasn't a better more thriller/action packed ending. It was kinda obvious what the outcome would be after that little surprise.
I would also say maybe knowing more about their pasts in more detail would've been good and maybe giving a bit more of the characters too. I don't like it when they only focus on the two main characters. Maybe having a part just for Richard would've been good and about the O'Kane family. But I get that it's only a novella and it's meant to be brief. So I guess I shouldn't complain about that.
So overall it was alright. I didn't love it or hate it. I wouldn't re read it though. A little too obvious and boring. Needed more oomph and 'real' mysteries.
January 7, 2017
Chelsea has led a sad life. For one, her father spent years in prison. Then, she experienced an unhappy marriage and a guy named Richard broke her heart. Now the cartels are following her. Trying to fix up an aunt's inn in Maine becomes quite the ordeal. We follow Chelsea, Richard, her brother, Paul, through hardships. It's not easy to learn for Chelsea to trust again. Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? It's really not easy to fall in love again.
March 10, 2017
I've read Jen McLaughlin's Out of Line series, so when I saw she'd written a couple books for James Patterson's BookShots line, I quickly hit download on The McCullagh Inn in Maine (which is actually in a compilation book titled Kisses at Midnight - and has two other stories included by different authors), and the sequel A Wedding in Maine.
Chelsea is running from her life in Miami, which is where she ran when she ran from her life growing up in Maine. Hoping to keep a low profile, she runs into her long-lost love Jeremy out on the street. She's determined to stay away from him, but he's determined not to let her get away again.
There were so many issues I had with this book. The writing was technically decent, but something I found odd was the change between first person narrative (the heroine is telling us her story), and third person (every few chapters we're told the story from the hero's "point of view" - but it's told in third person). I don't believe I've ever seen that before - and I've read hundreds of books. An author either writes the whole book in third person, or first person, not both. It didn't really bother me, I just found it odd. Why not write the hero's point of view also?
Because this was a short novel (about 115 pages), there was little time for character and plot development. The story begins with a mysterious event that has the heroine fleeing Miami, and while plenty of hints are given, the whole situation isn't revealed until almost the end of the book. It left me confused and wondering if I missed something somewhere, and I don't like that feeling while reading a book. I can understand wanting a reader to be held in suspense while the story is unfolding, but mostly I was just confused. We also aren't given much glimpse into the past of the hero and heroine. If you're going to make a "second chance at love" story work in 115 pages, you gotta give a little more background to WHY the characters are still stuck on each other after so many years apart.
And finally...the big plot hole. I can suspend a whole lot of belief when reading a book (I did, after all, read the whole Twilight Saga...several times), but things have to make sense, and THAT didn't make sense to me.
The good news is that this was a quick, relatively entertaining read, which is what I needed. Things are busy right now and these BookShot stories are meant to be enjoyed for a couple of hours. In that aspect, mission accomplished!
Chelsea is running from her life in Miami, which is where she ran when she ran from her life growing up in Maine. Hoping to keep a low profile, she runs into her long-lost love Jeremy out on the street. She's determined to stay away from him, but he's determined not to let her get away again.
There were so many issues I had with this book. The writing was technically decent, but something I found odd was the change between first person narrative (the heroine is telling us her story), and third person (every few chapters we're told the story from the hero's "point of view" - but it's told in third person). I don't believe I've ever seen that before - and I've read hundreds of books. An author either writes the whole book in third person, or first person, not both. It didn't really bother me, I just found it odd. Why not write the hero's point of view also?
Because this was a short novel (about 115 pages), there was little time for character and plot development. The story begins with a mysterious event that has the heroine fleeing Miami, and while plenty of hints are given, the whole situation isn't revealed until almost the end of the book. It left me confused and wondering if I missed something somewhere, and I don't like that feeling while reading a book. I can understand wanting a reader to be held in suspense while the story is unfolding, but mostly I was just confused. We also aren't given much glimpse into the past of the hero and heroine. If you're going to make a "second chance at love" story work in 115 pages, you gotta give a little more background to WHY the characters are still stuck on each other after so many years apart.
And finally...the big plot hole. I can suspend a whole lot of belief when reading a book (I did, after all, read the whole Twilight Saga...several times), but things have to make sense, and THAT didn't make sense to me.
The good news is that this was a quick, relatively entertaining read, which is what I needed. Things are busy right now and these BookShot stories are meant to be enjoyed for a couple of hours. In that aspect, mission accomplished!
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