Inner Harbor

This is the final installment of Roberts's juicy Chesapeake trilogy--one volume for the romance of each of the mighty Quinn brothers: Cam, Ethan and, now, Phillip, the bronze god whose Italian suits hide the scars of bullet holes on his chest. Like his brothers, Phillip was a tough street kid who was rescued and adopted by Ray and Stella Quinn. After the deaths of their adoptive parents, the men have come together in the bay town of St. Chris, Md., to build boats and raise Seth, the last abused kid Ray took in before he died. Phillip, whose plans include women but not much love, falls for Dr. Sybill Griffin, a repressed academic who studies social groups so that she doesn't have to participate in them. As Phillip messes with her well-ordered agenda, she tries to keep secret that she is Seth's aunt; when discovered, she sets out to make amends for his terrible mother. With bright dialogue and lots of heart, Roberts provides a safe harbor for Phillip and Sybill--and for her many fans. (Jan.)