First line: She’d lost the job of a lifetime because of a man!
From the inside cover: Dating Matthew O’Brien – a playboy and a younger man – cost Laila her career and her parents’ respect. A high price, even for love – and when Laila decides it was just a fling, she breaks it off, despite Matthew’s objections.
But the O’Brien family has other ideas, and they conspire to get Laila to join them on a Dublin holiday. It’s a great time to get away from it all, but Laila has reservations about the trip. Matthew’s bound to be there, and she’s far from immune. What if she can’t resist temptation?
Meanwhile, the O’Briens are in an uproar over matriarch Nell’s unexpected romance with an old flame. Will she follow her heart despite the risks? And will Laila discover that some risks are actually once-in-a-lifetime opportunities?
My thoughts: This is the eighth book in Sherryl Wood’s Chesapeake Shores series and I loved it. Don’t let the title mislead you – yes, it is set around Christmastime, but it is also a story about overcoming personal preconceptions and finding that one true love.
In An O’Brien Family Christmas, we find the O’Brien family headed to Ireland for the holidays. Laila Riley has broken up with Matthew O’Brien, thinking that their relationship was just a fling and a bad idea that resulted in her leaving her job. The O’Briens, however—meddlers all—believe that Laila and Matthew deserve another chance, and talk her into coming along to Ireland. Nell O’Brien, the family matriarch, also reconnects with someone from her past in Dublin. This, of course, does not sit well with Mick, and watching him react every time Nell goes off to see her beau is quite comical at times.
Even though they might seem meddling and just down right nosy, this is a family I think we all secretly want to be a part of and it is very reminiscent of my own large, sometimes meddling and nosy family!The very best part of this book, in my opinion, is when I found out that this isn’t the last in this series as I had otherwise thought. In fact throughout the book, Sherryl Woods gives us a peek of who we might see in the next book, most likely Luke and the girl he met over in Ireland, but I would venture to guess we haven’t seen the last ofGram and her beau either. I can’t wait for The Summer Garden to come out next February!
(I borrowed this book from the library.)
Sounds like a cozy holiday read. I made it through the first three books of the series and then got busy with other books. I'll have to get back to it. Nice review!
I've read all of this series, and especially loved this book. Can't wait to read more!