Nora Roberts is the preeminent queen of the family sagas.
Nobody does it better.
I can produce references. Just ask the Concannons, the O'Hurleys, the Stanislaskis, the MacKades, the royal family of Cordina, the Donovans and the MacGregors. If you need a refresher on what the first book, Sea Swept , is about, I recommend that you read Susan's review of it. It sets the stage, builds the foundation and introduces us to the cast of characters. Everyone else is a recurring character.