The Long Way Home: The Chesapeake Diaries

Ms Stewart did such an amazing job with all the details and the storyline. I could see the old mohair couch. I want to go find St Dennis and eat the ice cream. This is a great book for anyone who wants to get away in a book. Go to St Dennis! I know I am going to be buying her other books so I can go back.

Ellis/Ellie Chapman had everything she could ever want. She grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth. She worked for her father's company and was engaged to be married, she had it all. That was until the day her world fell out from beneath her. She found out that her father and her finance had been swindling billions from his own company. Everything she had and knew was taken to repay all the investors. The only thing that she had left was the house in St Dennis.

Ellis decided to change her name to Ellie Ryder when she got to Maryland. She didn't want people to judge her on the sins of her father. According to her mother's will, she had to stay in the house for 6 months without selling it or any of the contents. Ellie was used to having things done for her, so learning that the house needed a lot of work was hard.

Enter Cameron O'Conner the local contractor. He wanted Lilly's house more than anything and was shocked to find Ellie in it. When Ellie found out that Cameron had been taking care of the place and wanted to buy it, she was thrilled. He would have to wait the 6 months without knowing who Ellie really was and why she was there.

Sparks begin to fly between the two as they begin to fix the house up together. Having all her money taken by the Feds, she could only pay him in duck decoys. Ellie soon realizes that this town and the people don't judge on the sins of the father. Ellie becomes the guardian of the 13 year old sister she never knew she had. They begin to make a home out of Lilly's house and become a family.

Rating: 4.5 stars

It's hard enough to live in the public eye when you are a media darling, much less when a family member does something horrific and is being vilified all over the news. Thus is the case for Ellis Chapman. Everything has been taken from her, all because of the sins of her father and fiance. She is penniless and beaten down.

Her mother used to escape to a lovely home in St. Dennis, a beach town. Ellis inherits this house, but with one stipulation: she has to live in it for six months before she can sell it. With no other options, she moves there and assumes a new identity to avoid any further scrutiny, Ellie Ryder. But secrets can only stay buried for so long.

Cameron has devastating secrets of his own, and the one place he considers a safe harbor is now Ellie's residence. He needs to convince her he's the best person to sell to, so he offers to help her fix up the place. The time spent together brings them closer, but the secrets are the elephant in the room. Can they learn to trust each other?

The charming town of St. Dennis is the perfect backdrop for a character like Ellie, one who is damaged and raw, to find her strength again. And to find love. There are several twists and turns in her journey, especially when she seeks answers about her mom and when another secret from her dad's past affects her.

I'm always on the lookout for authors who can bring charming characters and good stories into my life, and I will now consider Mariah Stewart a go-to for those things. I highly recommend this to readers who want to open a book and be transported to a town full of engaging characters with secrets and desires. The Long Way Home is a heartwarming treat.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this story of love and healing, even if it was a bit on the unrealistic side. Ellie comes to St. Dennis because she has no where else to go (though she is smart, well-educated and has a close friend who has a lot of connections). When she gets there she meets Cameron who has been putting a lot of effort into keeping up a house that isn't his. I liked the fact that the two of them took some time to get to know each other; I didn't like the fact that they ended up in bed before marriage, or even before they were really serious. I liked the fact that they realized that overnight visits were not a good idea with a teenager in the house. While readers were told they were intimate, the act was not described in detail.

The book is part of a series though I did not realize it until I went to the store to get the photo and blurb for this review. The characters from the other books make brief appearances but I didn't feel overwhelmed by useless characters. However, Ellie's friend (who is single) discovers that Ellie's ancestor was a renowned painter who had many paintings in the house Ellie inherited. I'll bet we'll see her in a future book and I'm curious about what will happen to the paintings. Her gallery-owning friend is eager to show and sell them. Ellie was eager for the money they'd bring, but now that she's decided to stay in St. Dennis, and has learned about her family, will she still want to sell? How will those paintings affect her relationship with her best friend? I feel left hanging about those questions, and I'm sure that was the author's intent.

Another thing I didn't like was that one of the characters mentions speaking to one of Ellie's ancestors via a Ouija board. Another character saw this ancestor (or a ghost of her) in the house. I don't think those elements advanced the story and to me they were just creepy.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via Edelweiss Galleys. Grade: B.

My favorite trip to "St. Dennis" so far! Ellie has no choice but to leave home and head to St. Dennis after all her money and possessions are confiscated because of her father. Not wanting the town residents to know her real identity, she pretends that she bought a home rather than inheriting it from her famous mother. It won't matter that she's lying to the residents because none of them are "friends". Right?

Cameron is beyond mad when he finds out that the house on Bay View Road, the house that he took refuge at when he was a child and has cared for as an adult has been sold without his knowledge; without a chance for him to buy it for himself. He meets Ellie and they come to an agreement; he'll help her fix up the house to sell and she'll offer him the chance to buy before anyone else. Could a more perfect arrangement be possible?

As the days and weeks go by, Ellie starts to discover exactly why St. Dennis was her mom's refuge. The residents are genuinely nice, caring people who are ready to befriend you. Of course, this makes Ellie feel extremely guilty for lying to them about her identity. And then there's Cameron. The more time they spend together fixing up the house, the more she realizes that both the house and the man are capturing her heart.

My full review at: solefulreader. com

This book is part of a series based in St. Dennis on the Chesapeake Bay. It can be read as a stand alone, but quite a few of the peripheral characters are from previous books. This story is enhanced by knowing the back stories from the other books. The heroine of this book is a former rich girl whose father is in prison after a scandal similar to the Bernie Madoff one. The government has seized all of her assets as they were obtained using money she made working for her father. Her fiance also worked for the same company and is in prison. Her mother left her an old house in St. Dennis and as that is all she has left that is where she goes to fix it up for sale. The handyman/contracter is the male interest in the novel and the two have excellent chemistry and likeability. They have both been through tough times and the reader roots for them to find their HEA. As always, this author's easy to read writing style and the smooth flow of the story make this book a pleasure to read. A visit to St. Dennis is always fun and there is quite a bit of humor to be found in some of the town's residents and traditions. All in all, a very nice contemporary romance and a good read for a chilly day.

I love this series and so waited in anticipation for this next installment.

Ellis and Cameron were great characters and it was fun revisiting past characters and rediscovering the town of St. Denis. I loved the surprise "twist" of Ellis' illegitimate sister and Ellis having to take her in. The story was progressing, Ellis and Cam are newly in a "relationship", the sisters are getting along well, we have the entry of Lilly's ghost, still waiting to see what the big secret is out in the carriage house with the darkened windows. Will there be more secrets found in the hidey holes of the house?
And... the book ends!! The author gave us all these delicious little hints and dropped all of them!!! The end seemed rushed, as though Ms. Stewart were limited in the number of pages she could publish. I had to go back through the pages as I really thought I had missed SEVERAL CHAPTERS! She wrapped up Ellis and Cam's story with a big happy bow, and there were still all these dangling bits out there that she didn't address! I finished the book feeling as though I missed out. I felt like there was still more to Ellis and Cam's story.

I can only give this 3 stars, because while I loved the story, the ending was so rushed that it felt out of context.

Welcome back to St. Dennis, a quaint seaside small town where you are bound to find friendship and love in the most unlikely of places. Once you come for a visit, you may decide you never want to leave. Take Ellis Chapman, the daughter whose father and fiance' have been convicted in one of the biggest Ponze schemes in New York. Now having lost not only her home, her job, her car, her money and her love, she is looking for a place to simply disappear from the limelight and publicity that is haunting her in New York. Taking help from her close friend, Ellie learns that her mother who died of cancer has left her a home in St. Dennis. Since they were divorced at the time, it escaped being sold off with the rest of her family's assets.

There is only one small stipulation in her mother's will, that Ellie live in the house at least six months before selling it. Working with Jesse Enright, the local attorney in St. Dennis, she creates a new identity of Ellie Ryder and learns that will the right money management the funds her mother left behind to care for the house and property may last through the six months she needs to stay there. In that time, she hopes to update it to make it more profitable to sell and hopefully find a way to restore her life. What she doesn't plan on is the house needing more repairs than she has money to pay for.

She finds Cameron O'Connor, the local caretaker that has been maintaining the house and grounds for many years working with her grandmother Lilly when she lived in the home many years before and later her mother, Lynley when she was living there while undergoing treatment for cancer. Cameron learns that the house he has always wanted to own has now been sold but doesn't know that Ellie is related to the family and that is just how she wants things until she can arrange for the house to be sold. She hopes her identity will remain elusive and that she can put her six months in and sell the home. Will she be able to maintain her secret or will her past catch up to her even in a small town like St. Dennis?

In the latest novel from the Chesapeake Diaries series from Mariah Stewart, The Long Way Home captures the same characters from the books we've come to love and adore, Jesse Enright is the local attorney who is married to Brooke, the local owner and creator of the town's delicious cupcakes. Once again the small town feel is apparent from the first page as the novel opens once again with a diary entry from the oldest town resident Grace who owns the local newspaper and the town's historic inn. New characters now intermingle with the charming residents that Mariah has so lovingly introduced us to in each of her consecutive novels and my heart warms whenever Mariah launches a new novel in the series. The saddest part is when this series will come to a close, but thankfully there is another waiting in the wings when this one ends. So it gives this reader peace to know that the story will continue for a bit more longer with an excerpt to At The River's Edge at the conclusion to tease us until it publishes.

I received The Long Way Home by Mariah Stewart compliments of TLC Book Tours and Ballantine Books for my honest review. I am always excited to learn when another novel in this series is published because to me, it's like returning home to place where love, peace and friendship resides and I can escape my routine life to escape into virtual one for a brief time. I only wish St. Dennis were as real as the residents that Mariah Stewart so lovingly breathed life into. I, myself would move there instantly and open my own bookstore and join in the fun of living among real friends and true down to earth people. I easily rate this one a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend it and if you haven't read any of the books in the series, please pick them all up. You'll definitely want all of them if you love small town romance with friendship and great characters that will captivate you from the very first page. This one can be read as a stand alone however. but once you read this one, you 'll want them all.

"The Long Way Home" was a great light read. Mariah Stewart has a fantastic way of transporting her readers to St. Dennis. I love the characters and plots that go on in the shore town of St. Dennis. I love how Ms. Stewart incorporates traditions, friendships, and romance into each story. You don't have to read the series in order, although it will help you understand who is who. Ms. Stewart brings all the main characters from prior novels back into the newest novel. I've read each book in the series to date, "The Long Way Home" was the saddest story of all the novels and really pulled at my heart strings. I loved Ellie and Cameron's story. I can't wait to read more about Gabbi too. She is such a cute character.

Mariah Stewart has a wonderful way of telling a story. She grabs the reader and draws her or him into the middle of her characters’ lives! I have read four of her books in this Chesapeake Diaries series and loved them all. I feel as if I really do know these people!!

I am a huge fan of this series and loved this book!! I would give it more than 5 stars if I could..This is Ellie and Cam's story..Ellie comes to town to take over the house left to her by her mom..There's a back story to her life and why she's come to St Dennis not using her last name..Cam's the handy man helping her with the house and he has connections to her house as well..There's so many surprises along the way that makes it a must read..I feel at home when reading this series as the characters feel like I know them as friends..Sure am anxious for the next book and all the surprises it will have..

I have read all the books in the Chesapeake Diary Series and again this one takes place in St. Dennis. My favorite character is Grace who is an older woman who knows everyone and gives you an overview of all the happenings.

Ellis Chapman (daughter of a wealthy man who is now in jail for a Ponzi scheme and she has lost everything). She returns to St. Dennis as she inherits an old home from her grandmother-- broke she has to live in the house for six months before she can sell according to the will. She wants to escape and changes her name. She falls in love with the carpenter (a guy who grew up in the house with a past as well). During the course of the book she makes friends, gets a dog, and inherits a step sister to raise who she knew nothing about. She also finds out about the history of her family and their artistic talents while she is busy remodeling. Not a page turner - but a light read.

I purchased the audio and the narrator did an excellent job with the voice over and the author did a great job with the descriptions within this small quaint town.

I absolutely LOVED this book!!! It sucked me in and I couldn't put it down! The characters are so realistic and Chesapeake Bay is where I'd really like to be! Not only was it the romance of Cameron and Ellis, it was a catch up on the other characters we've come to know in this series. The storyline is great, so much more than just Cameron and Ellie getting together, but Ellie finding her way again after a devastating event...along with a few surprises thrown in! I also liked the small hint of paranormal in there with Lilly! I totally recommend this book, can't wait for the next one!

You immediately feel for Ellie Ryder and her circumstances. Ellie is being judged harshly on the sins of her father and must go to St. Dennis. There she finds a lot more than peace. Cameron O'Connor we have met before, but finally we get to here his story. He is so complicated. He's strong, but vulnerable and can understand Ellie the way nobody else can. These characters immediately wrap you into their lives emotionally. There are so many discoveries that it keeps you guessing. This series gets better and better and I can't wait for more.

This beautiful story instantly draws readers into the world of St Dennis, a small town where everyone has a story to share. Ellie and Cameron's romance is the stuff of fairytales; complete with the twists and turns that make it worthwhile. I cannot wait to check out the first four books in the series and I hope to see more as well. There were just too many things that seemed to be left unfinished for it to end.

Kaitlin
Reviewer for Coffeetime Romance & More

Once again Mariah Stewart takes readers to the quaint small town of St. Dennis along the Chesapeake Bay. In this outing to St. Dennis, readers are introduced to Ellie, an outsider who comes to the town to escape her past. While in St. Dennis, she meets Cameron who also has a past. Together they learn the true meaning of love.

This is Mariah's usual good writing with everthing wonderful going on in the town. I really liked her FBI series best. Maybe she needs to move on to another town. It's easy reading and worth getting.

Another great story based in St. Dennis. Ellie and Cameron's story pulls at your heart and it's great to learn a little of the back story about St. Dennis and Ellie's family along with the romance. A very enjoyable read and I can't wait for the next in the series to be able to keep hearing about the people and the place.