Book 2

Places by the Sea

by Jean Stone

Published 3 March 1997

There are some places you must return to.

In the bestselling tradition of Barbara Delinsky, Jean Stone weaves an enthralling, emotionally charged novel of friendship and betrayal, forgiveness and love.
 
Jill McPhearson leads a charmed life—with a hugely successful TV show, two beautiful children, and a fiancé who just happens to be her sexy prime-time co-host. Just when all Jill’s dreams seem to be coming true, her past beckons her back to her childhood home on Martha’s Vineyard and to a life she wants only to forget. But returning to the island will also give this savvy reporter her biggest break—the chance to go after the story of a lifetime: her own. For a dark family secret is about to be revealed, one that could help Jill face painful memories or destroy everything she’s hoped to become.


Book 3

Tides of the Heart

by Jean Stone

Published 5 January 1999
Some promises can never be forgotten....

The author of the bestselling Birthday Girls and Places by the Sea, Jean Stone is a gifted storyteller in the tradition of Barbara Delinsky.  In this deeply enthralling novel of friendship and family, a woman must face the secrets of the past before she can confront the future....

I am your baby--the one you gave up.  Isn't it time we met?

The unsigned letter, postmarked Martha's Vineyard, arrives like a thunderbolt out of the blue, instantly sweeping Jessica Bates back thirty years.  It was 1968 when young Jess went to Larchwood Hall, a home for unwed mothers, and gave up her beautiful baby girl for adoption.  Jess's past still haunts her--especially since she learned that her daughter died in a tragic childhood accident.

But now the letter has raised the fragile hope that there was a terrible mix-up, that Jess's daughter is still alive somewhere.  Hoping for answers, Jess makes a determined pilgrimage out to the Vineyard, out to those who know the truth about what really happened to her daughter.  There, surrounded by sand and sea and memories of lost love, she must make a choice that will change the course of her life forever....

Book 4

The Summer House

by Jean Stone

Published 4 April 2000
She made a life with one man--but always loved another at...The Summer House.

Jean Stone captured readers' imaginations with the "graceful prose, vivid imagery and compassionately drawn characters" (Publishers Weekly) of novels like Tides of the Heart and Places by the Sea. Now, in her latest novel, she reveals the public scandals of a family destined for political greatness--and the private secrets of a woman who traded her childhood dreams for a role she was born to play....

As a young girl, Liz Adams always knew that her father, Boston power broker Will Adams, had big plans--dreams and schemes that would bring Liz's older brother all the way to the White House. But when fate deals the family a tragic blow, Will is forced to change his picture-perfect plans--and place the family's political future squarely on Liz's shoulders.

Two decades later, Liz has married the man her father molded into the perfect presidential candidate. But weeks before the election, tragedy strikes again--and this time Liz can't hide the pain of a life lived by someone else's rules. Seeking refuge at her family's home on Martha's Vineyard, Liz finds only painful memories of the past--and the long-lost love she let slip away. Now, as her family's darkest hour looms, the woman torn between two men will finally discover what her heart has known all along....

Book 5

Off Season

by Jean Stone

Published 2 January 2001
Jean Stone is a gifted writer of romantic tales that capture the unique feel of New England while introducing characters who live in readers' hearts forever. Her latest novel is her most moving work to date, the story of a woman who gave up everything she had for the man she loved -- but must now find the strength to stand by him during his darkest hour....

Once Jill McPhearson had a life any woman would envy: a successful career as a television anchorwoman and a handsome fiance. But she gave up everything to start anew in her childhood home of Martha's Vineyard.

For Jill, carving out a new, lower-profile career on the island is a struggle. But falling in love -- and then marrying -- local carpenter Ben Niles feels natural and seamless. It feels right. Steady, rugged Ben...the man who makes Jill feel she has it all -- or at least all she really needs.

But when Ben is accused of a shocking crime, Jill's world turns upside down -- and everything she thought she knew is called into question. The small-town island life Jill loves is suddenly unbearable, as Ben and Jill try to hide their terrible secret from everyone they love. And now Jill must ask herself: how do you recapture a life that may never have existed in the first place?