Denise Hunter, Driftwood Lane

Driftwood Lane

Denise Hunter

Thomas Nelson, Jul 6 2010, $14.99

ISBN: 9781595548009

In St. Louis, as Meredith Ward inspects a restaurant, attorney Edward Thomas calls her to inform her that her dad T.J. and his second wife Eva died in a boating accident off Nantucket a couple of weeks ago. Estranged from her dad for years, Meredith is stunned to learn the couple named her guardian of their three children. She never even knew she had step-siblings and the only other person capable of caring for them, Eva's brother Uncle J remains out of contact.

Meredith immediately drops everything to go to the Summer Place Bed and Breakfast on Nantucket to care for her siblings. Her angry thirteen year old sister Noelle wants her to leave. Her brother ten year old Max supports Noelle while seven years old Ben is a bit more welcoming of a big sister whom none of them ever met before, but the trio prefers Uncle J.

Jake Walker finally finds a computer in the Georgia wilderness. He reads his niece's frantic emails informing him of the deaths and claiming Meredith is control freak crazy; he fears she may have inherited her mom's illness. He heads to Nantucket where he conceals who he is from Meredith as he plans to prove she is incompetent while posing as a handyman she hires as the B&B needs repair. As they fall in love, his masquerade and her desire for whoever is best for the kids appear to be family breakers.

The fourth Nantucket Love Story (see The Convenient Groom, Surrender Bay and The Seaside Letters) is a strong drama as the quintet struggle to forge a new family dynamic. Each of the five principle players are fully drawn as the adults and kids have different issues and fears. Although the ending feels sweetly abrupt, fans of the series will enjoy this fine family drama as Denise Hunter provides a warm tale.

Harriet Klausner