Lumby on the Air by Gail Fraser

Title:  Lumby on the Air
Author:  Gail Fraser
Publisher:  New American Library
Publication Date:  July 2010
Format:  Paperback, 496 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  Lumby (Book 5)

When Pam and Mark Walker invite their families to Montis Inn for a family reunion and twenty-fifth anniversary celebration, they certainly don't expect Mark's brother-in-law to broadcast his controversial radio show from their home or for their niece to be online disparaging Lumby and looking for a place to party.  Add in the arrival of Mark's sister, who he hasn't spoken to in seven years, and Pam's mother bringing a boyfriend that she knew nothing about and it is quite the family reunion!  Of course the monks, and now the sisters, of Saint Cross have their own part in the story and the entire town of Lumby is buzzing with the news that Mike McNear might sell his farm to a real estate developer.  Mark's escapades at the county fair add in a bit more local color.

Lumby on the Air is the newest in the Lumby series and I'm happy to say that it won't be the last.  I have enjoyed every one of these books and this one was no exception.  In a way, it felt like the book circled back around to the beginning of the series with the focus being on the Walkers and their families.  This is the first time we have met any of Pam and Mark's relatives and the first time that outsiders have descended with such force on Lumby.  Unfortunately, the majority of the relatives are shown in a very unflattering light and I really wondered how Pam and Mark could be related to such people.  I very much related to Pam's stress level at dealing with these people and her anger when they were so disrespectful to the life that she and Mark have built in Lumby.

Unfortunately, the family drama took up so much of the book that we didn't have much time to check in with old friends.  A few show up here and there, mainly the monks and sisters, but many of the other town regulars were only seen briefly if at all.  Despite their general dislike of outsiders, the residents of Lumby pull through for friends in a crises and it is that neighborly spirit that reaches into the heart of a man, showing him that he can accomplish something positive rather than relying on the destructive nature of conflict.

I received an advance, uncorrected copy of Lumby on the Air from FSB Associates for the purpose of providing my honest review.

Here are links to my reviews of the other books in this series:

The Lumby Lines
Stealing Lumby
Lumby's Bounty
The Promise of Lumby

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