The Chesapeake Bride

When playboy drifter and professional diver Owen Parker returns home to Cannonball Island, off the coast of Maryland, for another diving expedition, he plans to do what he always does: get the job done and be on his way. With restless feet and a soul to match, not even the urging of his sharp-witted great-grandmother, Ruby “Gigi” Carter, or his bubbly sister, Lis, could convince him to stay put. Architect Cass Logan, who’s new to the island, is all too familiar with wanderlust-plagued men, thanks to her career soldier ex-husband. Cass needs and wants stability. When she and Owen team up to clean up abandoned graves on the island, she’s determined not to fall for him, regardless of how good-looking, intelligent, and thoughtful he is. But soon, yard work leads to tours and dinner dates, and they’re both hooked. Just when Owen thinks he can settle down, a revelation leaves him fighting for the life he never knew he wanted. Stewart succeeds in giving both Owen and Cass a smooth blend of strength and vulnerability, and the setting of this heartwarming romance will draw readers in with its island-life charm. Agent: Nick Mullendore, Loretta Barrett Books. (Sept.)