Proponents of city living and small families need only look to this book for ammunition to support their viewpoint. If I was a member of the meddlesome O’Brien family and lived in Eagle Point, I would have to move far far away.

This book is book six in the Chesapeake Shores series. Readers should have no problem starting with this book, although previous characters do appear here and you will also encounter spoilers for earlier books.

The recurring theme of forgiveness and learning to trust again permeates the Chesapeake Shores novels. After their father Mick, a successful architect, immerses himself in his business, his marriage fails and his wife Megan leaves him and their children. Since then the O’Brien children have had a difficult time believing in lasting relationships and marriage. Jess is only seven when her mother leaves, so her behavior problems are attributed to this fact instead of the true diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. By the time she is diagnosed, she has extremely poor self-esteem and a reputation as a screw-up. After buying the Inn at Eagle Point and almost running it into bankruptcy, Jess is very anxious about any mistake she makes.

Will Lincoln has been in love with Jess since she was fourteen years old. Since he is a friend of her older brothers, she regarded him in that light until he became a psychologist. Now she views him with suspicion, examining everything he says, and looking for proof that he only sees her as a professional case study. Tired of being alone as well as looking for a way to get over Jess plus help other singles, Will launches a dating service.

Jess’s friends Laila and Connie see the brochure and convince Jess that this is the solution to their dateless Friday nights. Laila and Connie both get matches immediately, but Jess hears nothing. After finding out that Will owns the company, Jess confronts him, accusing him of not matching her up because of her erratic dating history and ADD. Will counters her argument by kissing her. Will finally has the courage to make his move, and now readers need to see if Jess can find the courage to look beyond her flimsy reasons for rejecting Will.

There is not much that I liked about this book. The pairing between Will and Jess is unbalanced and unhealthy. He treats people with self-esteem issues, and Jess has issues with self-confidence. Even though the book is supposed to illustrate how this is not a problem, I never was convinced since for most of the book Will does treat Jess like a patient. She backs away from the relationship and he analyzes the reason why. She becomes upset and he gives her the needed space. The book is about Will not so much courting Jess, but getting her to examine her fears and facing them.

Continuing the theme of unhealthy relationships, the whole O’Brien family needs to learn how to mind their own business. Every time one of them has a hiccup, the other members have a solution. Jess has lunch with Will, and the news spreads faster than a Twitter post. And it is not just the family. Friends have no problem volunteering opinions whether they are asked or not. If you are from a small town, then you know that lack of privacy can be an issue. If you don’t know, then this book definitely showcases that fact.

Each book has the O’Brien child confronting Megan and explaining how her leaving left them with psychological scars. Although I have only read two other books, with this book, I wanted to say, “Grow up already!”

I wavered back and forth between a C- and a D rating. Since I felt that my frustration with the busybody O’Briens was in part carried over from a previous book, I went with the higher grade. Unless you are a fan of this series, and have a compulsive urge to read all the books, I recommend giving this book a pass.