Driftwood Cottage

Characters talk incessantly about the joys and woes of marriage the latest installment in Woods's romantic Chesapeake Shores series. Heather Donovan loves Connor O'Brien and the infant son they share, but she's tired of Connor's refusal to marry her. So she packs up their son and moves to Connor's hometown of Chesapeake Shores to open a quilting shop. Connor is stunned when Heather leaves him, but his parents' rocky relationship over the years and the ugly, bitter divorces he handles as an attorney make him see marriage as a mistake waiting to happen. Connor slowly starts to change his mind, but when Heather is involved in an accident, it may already be too late. Fans of the series may enjoy visiting the O'Brien clan again, but new readers will find it difficult to sort out who's who. The large cast of meddlesome characters further hinders the already bland, slow-moving plot. (Apr.)