Nora Roberts: Sea Swept

Sea Swept: A

Anna Spinnelli & Cameron Quinn
Chesapeake Bay Series #1

Sea Swept tells the tale of three brothers--all former juvenile delinquents adopted by Raymond Quinn and his wife, Stella. Cameron, Ethan, and Philip are as different as can be, but they are bound by their love and respect for their adoptive father, who has recently passed away. On his deathbed he asks his sons to look after their most recent brother, 10-year-old Seth, who--if the rumors are to believed--just may be Ray's biological son. Of course, the brothers don't know anything about caring for the young boy, and if social worker Anna Spinelli has anything to say about it, they won't. However, the sparks that fly over the fate of Seth are nothing compared to the romantic sparks that fly between Anna and Cameron. (amazon)

I’m not a huge fan of Nora Roberts, but I admit to having a soft spot for her. She was my one of my very first romance authors (if not my first). The idea of happily-ever-afters and dashing heroes would forever bloom in my mind after reading several of her stories… However, I realized that there was so much more to the romance world, than Ms. Roberts, and I quickly found that her writing, as good as it is, is formulaic and was sometimes…boring.

So when I picked up Sea Swept several years ago, the first of the Chesapeake Bay series, I didn’t have too much hope. I was delightfully shocked when I started reading and was unable to put down the book!

I re-read the series and still love it.

The characterization of Anna and Cam is so complete, I feel like I know exactly who they are, how they would act, and what they would say. She might not have explicitly described it through words, but the unfolding of their story reveals who they are – and you can’t help but to fall in love with them.

Anna is a vivacious, loud, and dominating social worker. She meets Cameron Quinn when she is put on the case regarding Seth Quinn, a ten year old boy who has a long history behind him. He has some connection with Ray Quinn, Cameron’s father, but no one knows exactly what that connection is.

Cameron, a world renown boat racer, rushes home to St. Christopher when he hears word that his father, Ray, is dying from a car accident. Before he dies, he tells Cam and his two brothers to take care of Seth.

Seeing that Ray and Stella Quinn took in and raised three half-grown boys with ugly histories into men, Cameron, Ethan, and Phillip don’t question the situation, but change their lifestyles to help gain guardianship of Seth.

Giving up boat racing is something that is hard for Cam to do, but he realizes that the sacrifice is bearable with Anna and as he bonds with Seth, Cam sees in Seth the young boy that he used to be – the helpless boy who was beaten and neglected by a careless, alcoholic father.

Enter the quiet but perspicacious Ethan and the slick and charming Phillip, this story is a great introduction to the life of the Quinns, and what really happens when four males attempt to live together under one roof. Nora Roberts, who only has brothers and has two sons, has been around males all her life – and it shows in the Quinn brothers.

Ms. Roberts’ description of life on the shore, the small-town life, and the relationships – it all comes together in this poignant and thoughtful tale. The Quinn brothers’ journey of love is one that is wonderful to read.

One of my all-time favorite books (and series), this one is a grabber from the start.