Happy Ever After

Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

Parker Brown turned the quartet’s childhood game of Wedding Day into their dream jobs. And now she’s the face of Vows—the one who meets every bride’s demands; deeps every event on schedule; and brings Emma’s romantic flowers, Laurel’s delicious treats, an Mac’s stunning photography together in one glorious package. She knows how to make dreams come true…

Mechanic Malcolm Kavanaugh loves figuring out how things work, and Parker Brown—with her mile-long legs—is no exception. But as a good friend of Parker’s brother, Mal knows that moving from minor flirtation to major hookup is a serious step.

No man has rattled Parker in a long time, but the motorcycling-riding, raven-haired Mal seems to have a knack for it. His passionate kisses always catch her off guard, much like her growing feelings for him. Parker’s business risks have always paid off, but now hse’ll have to take the chance of a lifetime with her heart…

--Happily Ever After by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2010 by Nora Roberts, published by Berkeley Books

My Review

The final installment of the Bride Quartet is a wonderful conclusion to the series. The romance that has been building up between Parker and Malcolm finally spills over and these two find themselves face to face with each other…and they like what they see.

Socially, they’re living in two different worlds. Parker is a “have” while Mal is a “have not” but Parker is not one to live off her family money. Browns work, and she does, building Vows with her three friends and as she’s the primary planner and organizer, she doesn’t just work, she works! Malcolm sees that and has a lot of respect for her because of it. He’s worked hard all his life and he knows what it means to sweat for a paycheck.

The coming together of these two may seem like a mistake, but Mal and Parker compliment each others weaknesses. Mal seems to know instinctively how to get past Parker’s barriers and make himself comfortable within them and Parker knows just how to push Mal’s buttons. They’re perfect together…but Parker wishes Mal would open up about his past a little bit. He says it’s not important, but how can they build a future without knowing what formed the past? Her past is an open book—everyone knows her story—but Mal’s is closed to everyone, including Parker. Will Malcolm let down his walls and let Parker in or will he be closed and alone forever?

I give this story FOUR STARS.

And with that, I officially end "Norapalooza" for the remainder of 2010. I swear that I will not read or listen to another Nora Roberts book for the rest of this year. I have a backlog of books to read like you wouldn't believe and if I keep going back and re-reading old stuff, I'll never get caught up. So for the rest of this year, if I read a book, it has to be a new-to-me book and not a re-read and not a Nora Roberts. I promise! I do, I really do promise!

As for next year...well, I have decided that I will continue this blog into 2011, and yeah, I'll no doubt be reading new and re-reading old Nora books, but I'll try my best to keep them to a minimum, okay?

Red Lily

Red Lily by Nora Roberts
Book Three of the In The Garden trilogy

A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night…

Hayley Phillips came to Memphis hoping for a new start, for herself and her unborn child. She wasn’t looking for a handout from her distant cousin Roz, just a job at her thriving In the Garden nursery. What she found was a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she’s ever had—including Roz’s son Harper. To Hayley’s delight, her new daughter Lily has really taken to him. To Hayley’s chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper—as much more than a friend…

If Hayley gives in to her desire, she’s afraid the foundation she’s built with Harper will come tumbling down. Especially since she’s begun to suspect that her feelings are no longer completely her own. Flashes of the past and erratic behavior make Hayley believe that the Harper Bride has found a way inside of her mind and body. It’s time to put the Bride to rest once and for all, so Hayley can know her own heart again—and whether she’s willing to risk it…

--Red Lily by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2005 by Nora Roberts, published by Jove Books

My Review

Seeds of the burgeoning Hayley/Harper romance have been growing ever since Hayley moved into Harper House, and now those seedlings have come into full bloom (sorry, couldn’t help the flower analogy!). Though Hayley still has some reservations about having a romance with Harper, after all, his mother is her best friend and she doesn’t want Roz thinking she’s taking advantage of the situation, Roz recognized the look in her son’s eye the moment he fell in love with the young mother. Roz and Mitch and Stella and Logan are all for the young couple, but someone in the house is not.

Amelia somehow manages not only to get inside Hayley’s mind to spread her particularly vile thoughts, but finds a way to possess her body. These events scare Hayley because she has no control and the words that come out of her mouth can be particularly disturbing. Amelia was not a well woman and she’s even crazier in spirit form. She’s stepped up her attacks, revisiting Roz and Stella, doing everything she can to keep the young lovers apart. But as crazy as she may be, her deepest desire comes through. She wants to be found. Can Harper and Hayley solve the mystery of what happened at Harper House the night Amelia died and can they find her body before it’s too late?

A good ending to this trilogy, I give this story THREE AND A HALF STARS.

One more Nora Roberts story, Happily Ever After and I’ll be putting her away for the remainder of the year, I promise.

Black Rose

Black Rose by Nora Roberts
Book Two of the In The Garden trilogy

A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night…

At forty-seven, Rosalind Harper is a woman whose experiences have made her strong enough to bend without breaking—and weather any storm. A widow with three grown sons, she survived a disastrous second marriage and built her In the Garden nursery from the ground up. Through the years, In the Garden has become more than just a thriving business—it is a symbol of hope and independence to Roz, and to the two women she shares it with. Newlywed Stella and new mother Hayley are the sisters of her heart, and together, the three of them are the future of In the Garden.

But now the future is under attack, and Roz knows they can’t fight this battle alone. Hired to investigate Roz’s Harper ancestors, Dr. Mitchell Carnegie finds himself just as intrigued with Roz herself. And as they begin to unravel the puzzle of the Harper Bride’s identity, Roz is shocked to find herself falling for the fascinating genealogist. Now it is a desperate race to discover the truth before the unpredictable apparition lashes out at the one woman who can help her rest in peace…

--Black Rose by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2005 by Nora Roberts, published by Jove Books

My Review

What I didn’t like about Blue Dahlia did not apply at all to Black Rose. How many romance novels do you know star a widowed woman with three grown sons who, in just a few short years, will turn the dreaded 5-0? Not many that I could mention, that’s for sure. And that’s what I loved about this story. Roz and Mitch’s love story is not terribly unique—they meet because Roz hires Mitch to research her family to find the mysterious Harper Bride, Amelia. There are no clashes of personality as in Blue Dahlia…Roz and Mitch just work so well together, you almost wish they had met years earlier just so they could have had those extra years enjoying each other.

That’s not to say their romance didn’t have a few obstacles. After becoming a widow at a young age, Roz started her business and, once her boys were a bit older, met and married Bryce Clerk. It was a mistake, one Roz was quick to rectify and she pushed her philandering second husband out of her life. But now Bryce was back, and he was not going to go away quietly. Roz doesn’t really need Bryce back in her life, not with trying to run and expand her business, explore her relationship with Mitch and find out what she can about Amelia, all while keeping up the public façade of a proper, well-bred Southern woman.

Of course, being the heroine of the story, Roz triumphs, and triumphs beautifully. In the end, they find out more about Amelia and Roz and Mitch are together, despite Amelia’s attempts to drive them apart. But there’s another young woman in Harper House, and Amelia will not go away quietly.

I give this story FOUR STARS.

Blue Dahlia

Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts
Book One of the In The Garden trilogy

A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night…

Trying to escape the ghosts of the past, young widow Stella Rothchild, along with her two energetic little boys, has moved back to her routs in southern Tennessee—and into her new life at Harper House and the In the Garden nursery. She isn’t intimidated by the house nor its mistress, local legend Roz Harper. Despite a reputation for being difficult, Roz has been nothing but kind to Stella, offering her a comfortable new place to live and a challenging new job as manager of the flourishing nursery. As Stella settles comfortably into her new life, she finds a nurturing friendship with Roz and with expectant mother Hayley. And she discovers a fierce attraction wiht ruggedly handsome landscaper Logan Kitridge.

But someone isn’t happy about the budding romance…the Harper Bride. As the women dig into the history of Harper House, they discover that grief and rage have kept the Bride’s spirit alive long past her death. And now, she will do anything to destroy the passion that Logan and Stella share.

--Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2004 by Nora Roberts, published by Jove Books

My Review

I read this series when it first came out and enjoyed the ghost story thread that went through all three books. However, I can’t say the same for the romance story in this first book, Blue Dahlia. It’s the standard love story of a young widow with two small children moving to a new town. She finds a job that caters to her skills and she gets to spend more time with her father and stepmother, whose company she prefers far more than her own natural mother’s. She meets Logan, her boss’s landscaper and their styles immediately clash. He’s loose and laid back, she’s efficient and organized. Of course, for the sake of their mutual boss and friend, they find a way to get along. And of course, they take that “getting along” concept straight through to an engagement. Standard romance and I’m sorry to say, a trifle boring. Enjoyable, but not unique.

In this first book of the In the Garden trilogy, I feel as if it’s the story of the Harper Bride that kept me reading…okay, listening as I was listening to the audio version. The Harper Bride, as she’s always been known, has lived in Harper House since before Roz was born. Roz has always thought of the Bride as a benevolent spirit, paying occasional visits to her as she grew up and paying special attention to her three sons as they were born and as they grew. And she continues to behave that way when Stella moves in with her three boys. It’s only as Stella’s romance with Logan heats up that the Bride begins to act out, trying to keep the two separated.

Growing up, Roz never bothered to learn anything about her supposed ancestor’s ghost, but now she’s intrigued. Who exactly was the Harper Bride? How is she related? What does she have against Stella and Logan’s romance? And what tragedy occurred that resulted in her spirit being trapped in the house?

At the end of the story, the Bride leaves them with a tantalizing clue to her identity. Only her first name, Amelia, but it’s a start…to book two, Black Rose.

I give this story THREE STARS.

Three Fates

Three Fates by Nora Roberts

She was shimmering silver, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. He took possession of her on an impulse—never knowing that she was more than just a trinket who might fetch a pretty price in a pawnshop at the next port. Then a thunderous explosion rocked the ship—and in mere minutes, so many fates were changed…

When the Lusitania sank, more than a thousand people died. One passenger who survived became a changed man, giving up his life as a petty thief—though keeping the small silver statue he lifted, a family heirloom to future generations. Now, nearly a century later, that statue, one of a priceless, long-separated set of three, has been snatched from the Sullivans. And Malachi, Gideon, and Rebecca Sullivan are determined to recover their great-great-grandfather’s treasure, reunite the Three Fates, and make their fortune.
The quest will take them far from their home in Ireland: To Helsinki, where Malachi seeks out Tia Marsh, a formidable American scholar whose privileged background, sharp mind, and authoritative knowledge of Greek mythology mask a fragile, fear-plagued woman within, and whose family is an important link to the mysterious missing statue. To Prague, where a bold exotic dancer named Cleo will enchant Gideon Sullivan—and embark on a gamble to turn her life around. And to New York, where security expert Jack Burdett joins the Sullivans in their fight against an ambitious woman who will stop at nothing to acquire the Fates.

--Three Fates by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2002 by Nora Roberts, published by Putnam Books

My Review

Why?

Why? Why? Why?

Why did I read this book for—no joke—the third time? Or was it the fourth?

If I was to draw up a list of my ten absolute-favorite books, this book would be Number One. Numbers Two through Ten are up in the air, but Number One—hands down—is Three Fates.

That’s why.

I love this book not just for the wonderfully told story, but the wonderful way in which it is told. As a reader, I would tell you that the story involves seven people, six working against one, all in pursuit of the same goal. As a writer, I love the intricate plot and the myriad of story lines that weave its structure.

The stars of the story are Three Fates, a trio of small silver statues depicting Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the three sisters of Greek Mythology who weave, measure and cut the thread that measures each of our lives. The Sullivans, Malachi, Gideon and Rebecca inherited one of the statues which had actually been stolen by one of their ancestors on the Lusitania right before it sank in 1915.

Unaware of its value, Malachi took the statue to renown antiques expert Anita Gaye. Anita, recognizing the statue for what it is, employs her feminine wiles and steals the statue from him. Determined to get it back, the Sullivans hatch a plan to find the other two and sell them to Anita for the millions of dollars that they’re worth.

Malachi goes to work on Dr. Tia Marsh, who is in Helsinki on a lecture tour promoting her new book. She’s also an expert in Greek mythology and a descendant of Henry Wiley, the original owner of Clotho, the statue his great-great-grandfather stole. Gideon heads to Prague to track down Cleo Tolliver, the descendant of the owner of Lachesis. They think to get ahead of Anita, but they don’t realize that Anita is already ahead of them. Tia’s hotel room is trashed, forcing Malachi to abandon his plans. Cleo’s apartment gets the same treatment and Gideon and Cleo go on the run across Europe.

Anita consults with her security expert, Jack Burdette. He’s also a collector and she attempts to pump him for information about the Fates. Almost immediately afterward, Jack heads for Ireland to meet the remaining Sullivans, Rebecca and her mother Eileen. He also stops off at his great-grandfather’s home to pick up the third Fate, Atropos. Anita, of course, has no idea that Atropos belongs to Jack’s family.

Uniting through various circumstances in New York, the six form a team to figure out a way to bring Anita down. Not only do they want the stolen Fate back, they want Anita to pay for all her crimes. And pay she will, in ways she can’t begin to imagine.

I love the structure of the story because as you read it, you can see the individual stories—threads, if you will—and how they weave and mesh together to form an intricate storyline. Not only do their present lives mesh, but so do the histories of their families and everything connects back to three silver statues. You can see it all, and it all is easy to follow. That’s what I love about this story, and I’m sure, a few years from now, I’ll be reading it again. And I’ll enjoy it as much as I did the first time I read it.

I give this story FIVE STARS.

Heart of the Sea

Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts

This final installment in this series begins when wealthy builder Trevor Magee arrives in the Irish village of Ardmore. There he meets Darcy Gallagher, who aspires to the more lavish lifestyle that only a wealthy husband can provide. Immediately attracted, the two begin to negotiate an arrangement uncomplicated by the messiness of love. Their hearts have other plans, however, and so does Carrick, a brooding faerie prince who uses them to plot a reunion with his long-dead and long-lost lover, Lady Gwen.

--Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2000 by Nora Roberts

My Review

We conclude this trilogy with Heart of the Sea, the story of Trevor Magee and Darcy Gallagher. Trevor comes to Ardmore to supervise the construction of his theater and perhaps learn a bit about the village where his ancestors hailed from. They meet and the attraction between them is swift. He’s just her type, after all…good looking, intelligent and rich. And she’s beautiful and sharp-minded…just his type.

But Carrick, prince of Faeries, is not content to sit back and let their mutual attraction do its thing. He wants to guarantee their union, for doing so will reunite him with his lost love. This is the closest he’s come in three hundred years and he will not be denied, no matter what plans the mortals might have.

Fortunately for him, they are in agreement, and Darcy and Trevor slowly fall in love amidst the rubble of theater construction and Darcy’s sudden “discovery” as a singer. But can her new singing career work alongside Trevor’s and can they—and Carrick and Gwen—live happily ever after?

I give this story THREE and a HALF STARS and bid farewell to Nora Roberts’ stories, at least for a little while. My backlog of books continues to grow like a teenage boy’s appetite. The Green Valley Book Fair sold four more books to me…I’m actually scared to count the number of books waiting to be read!

I’m also going to try and stay away from books I’ve already read (which I dearly enjoy re-reading) and focus only on unread stories so I can clear out some of this backlog. Wish me luck!

Tears of the Moon

Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts

In order to break a centuries-old spell that keeps him from his true love, Carrick, Prince of Faeries, must help pub-owners Aidan, Darcy and Shawn Gallagher fall in love. In Jewels of the Sun, the first step of Carrick's plan was completed when Aidan married Jude Murray. Now Carrick has turned to Shawn, a handsome daydreamer who spends his days composing music in his head while cooking for the pub. The faerie prince hopes to match Shawn with Brenna O'Toole, a fiery-haired carpenter with a longtime secret crush on Shawn. The problem is that Shawn is perfectly happy as a single man; he informs Carrick that he will have nothing to do with his plan. But, as anyone familiar with Irish lore will tell you, mere mortals don't stand a chance against the whims of the faeries.

--Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2000 by Nora Roberts

My Review

Not my favorite story in the series, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. Brenna rubs me a little the wrong way—she’s one of these types who thinks she knows what’s best and, though she’ll give you a little time to come around to her way of thinking, if you don’t fall in line, she’ll bulldoze over you to do what she wants and then pay the price later. That’s not to say she’s a bully. She just sees no need to play games in life. “If you want something, go for it” would be her motto, I suppose. And Shawn’s an affable sort of fellow, content with his life as it is and not looking to shake things up, though he could use a little shaking up and Brenna is more than happy to do it. The ending, of course, is a happy one, with a proposal and a ring.

Because Brenna did bother me a bit, I was more interested in reading this book for one of the other story lines. Being part of a trilogy, it continues a running theme that started with the first book, Jewels of the Sun and will conclude with Heart of the Sea. The Gallagher family owns a bit of land behind their pub and a developer based in New York City is interested in purchasing the land to build a live entertainment theater. The two businesses would be joined and be mutually beneficial to both parties. In Jewels of the Sun, a man from the developer’s company spent some time in Ardmore scoping out the site and the Gallaghers themselves. In Tears of the Moon, the deal is struck between the developer, Magee, and the Gallaghers. Sounds boring? Ah, well, it’s the telling of the tale that makes it interesting, rather than just a quick summary. Anyway, reading this story was not a trial and I did enjoy it, if only to get through it to the third in the trilogy.

I give this story THREE STARS.

Jewels of the Sun

Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts

In the small village of Ardmore, Ireland, Gallagher's pub is the center of the lively seaside community and the home of three passionate siblings: Aidan, Shawn, and Darcy. As a world traveler and a barkeep, the eldest brother Aidan has just about seen and heard it all, but when a quiet professor from Chicago enters his tavern, he is instantly intrigued--and certain that there is more to Jude Murray than what meets the eye.
Jude has returned to her grandmother's ancestral home to sort out her thoughts, know her heart, and "find Jude F. Murray in six months or less." After a life of deliberate security, Jude finds herself recovering from a failed marriage and a disappointing career. With the pretense of a research expedition, Jude leaves her life in Chicago and moves into the charming house on top of the faerie hill. Surrounded by the awesome scenery and relieved by the simplicity of life, Jude excuses her visions of ghosts and faeries as signs of her mental recovery.
But the inhabitants of Ardmore, and Aidan Gallagher in particular, don't dismiss these apparitions with such convenient logic, and Jude learns to listen more carefully to the messages in the world. As Aidan and Jude draw closer to each other, Jude struggles to discover, balance, and define the complex parts of her soul.

--Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2000 by Nora Roberts

My Review

I think Nora Roberts’ trilogies are wonderful and this one is no exception. She manages to recreate in words the visual beauty of an Irish coastal village and the lives of the people and families that live in it. The story weaves in traditional Irish folklore as the female protagonist, Jude F. Murray, researches the tales for a psychology paper that quickly turns into a novel, the kind of writing she’s always secretly longed to do but never had the courage to try. She meets Aidan Gallagher, the proprietor of Gallagher’s, a village pub and family business that he runs with his younger brother and sister, Shawn and Darcy.

Aidan is drawn to the shy, pretty visitor from Chicago and begins to court her with his charming smile and knowledge of the tales she wishes to research. One of those stories is of Carrick, prince of the Faeries, and Lady Gwen, whose ghost haunts Jude’s cottage. Carrick fell in love with Gwen, but because he couldn’t give her what she longed for the most, he lost her to the whims of time. They can be reunited, but only if Aidan and Jude will cooperate and fall in love.

But love cannot be commanded by a prince, no matter how much he may wish it. Can Jude and Aidan find their hearts’ desire, both within themselves and with each other? And can their love set Carrick and Gwen free?

I give this story THREE and a HALF STARS.

And I’ll make a promise to my readers. Once I finish this trilogy, I’ll lay off the Nora Roberts for a while, though it will be hard…I have so many of her books and I love reading (and re-reading) them.

Savor the Moment

Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts

Laurel McBane has always relied on her friends for support, especially when her dream of attending culinary school was almost ruined by her parents’ financial problems. Now Laurel is repaying the kindness of her friends by creating extravagantly luscious tiers of cakes and other confectionary delights that add the perfect touch to their clients’ weddings.

As for romance, Laurel believes in it—in theory. But she’s too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that other women seem to long for. What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker’s older brother, Delaney Brown, on whom Laurel has had a mega crush since childhood.

But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her, or so she thinks. When Laurel’s quick-silver moods get the better of her—leading to an angry, hot, altogether mind-blowing kiss with Del—she’ll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever…

--Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2010 by Nora Roberts, published by Berkeley/The Penguin Group.

My Review

I finished this book four or five days ago (sorry, my new job keeps me pretty busy).

If you’re looking for a light-hearted, happy romantic story (and you’ve read the first two books in this series!), then you’ll enjoy Savor the Moment.

The first two books, Vision in White and Bed of Roses hinted (with the force of a sledgehammer) at the coming romance between Laurel, the resident baker at Vows and Del, the company’s lawyer. The two had known each other since they were children and Laurel developed a powerful crush on her best friend’s brother, a crush he was completely oblivious to. Now that they’re adults, Laurel should have no trouble acting on her feelings, right?

Yeah.

Del, in the meanwhile, has always treated Mac, Laurel and Emma as sisters, watching out for them and taking care of their problems. Thinking of Laurel as a woman instead of a sister takes some getting used to, but he manages to make the transition just fine after Laurel plants a hot, sizzling, curl-your-toes kiss on him when he was least expecting it.

Del is forced to rethink his feelings for Laurel, but it really isn’t that hard for him to do. The two tumble into love (and into bed, of course), but their road is not entirely smooth. When Del inadvertently jabs at Laurel’s pride, they both (mostly she) have a little work to do. But in the true romance-novel style, they work through their issues and the story culminates much as expected.

Nora Roberts’ return to traditional romance is welcome by her long-time readers. This third book in the Bridal Quartet series is well done, drawing on the foundation built in the first two stories and hints at the final installment. A wonderful story, worthy of a lazy, summer afternoon read in the back yard or on the beach.

I give this story THREE and a HALF STARS.

Chesapeake Blue

Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts

Seth Quinn is finally home....

It's been a long journey. After a harrowing boyhood with his drug-addicted mother, he'd been taken in by the Quinn family, growing up with three older brothers who'd watched over him with love.

Now a grown man returning from Europe as a successful painter, Seth is settling down on Maryland's Eastern Shore, surrounded once again by Cam, Ethan, and Phillip, their wives and children - all the blessed chaos of the extended Quinn clan. Finally, he's back in the little blue-and-white house where there's always a boat at the dock, a rocker on the porch, and a dog in the yard.

Still, a lot has changed in St. Christopher since he's been gone - and the most intriguing change of all is the presence of Dru Whitcomb Banks. A city girl who has opened a florist shop in this seaside town, she craves independence and the challenge of establishing herself without the influence of her wealthy connections. In Seth, she sees another kind of challenge - a challenge she can't resist.

But storms are brewing that are about to put their relationship to the test. Dru's past has made her sensitive to deception and slow to trust. And Seth's past has made him a target of blackmail - as a secret he's kept hidden for years threatens to explode, destroying his new life and his new love.

--Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts, Copyright ©2004 by Nora Roberts, published by Jove Books


My Review:

Award-winning storyteller Nora Roberts gives her fans what they’ve been asking for: Seth’s story. The fourth book in the Chesapeake Bay series, after Sea Swept, Rising Tides and Inner Harbor, Chesapeake Blue tells the story of Seth Quinn, the adopted brother of Cameron, Ethan and Philip Quinn.

Chesapeake Blue is a wonderful conclusion to the series. We finally get to learn what’s happened to Seth. He’s all grown up now, an accomplished artist, ready to settle into the town that has always been his home. He meets Drusilla Whitcombe Banks, a newcomer to St. Christopher, and immediately sets himself to charm his way into her life. Though she tries to resist, having her own personal demons to conquer, Dru can’t help succumbing to the charm that is endemic to the Quinn men.

But Seth’s past threatens to tear them apart, and it’s only with Dru’s love and support, and a few words from the spirit of his deceased grandmother, that he’s able to find the strength to finally lay his own demons to rest.

I give this story FOUR STARS.

Black Hills

Black Hills by Nora Roberts

A summer at his grandparents' South Dakota ranch is not eleven-year-old Cooper Sullivan's idea of a good time. But things are a bit more bearable now that he's discovered the neighbor girl, Lil Chance, and her homemade batting cage. Each year, with Coop's annual summer visit, their friendship deepens from innocent games to stolen kisses, but there is one shared experience that will forever haunt them: the terrifying discovery of a hiker's body.

As the seasons change and the years roll by, Lil remains steadfast to her aspiration of becoming a wildlife biologist and protecting her family land, while Coop struggles with his father's demand that he attend law school and join the family firm. Twelve years after they last walked together hand in hand, fate has brought them back to the Black Hills when the people and things they hold dear need them most..

--Black Hills by Nora Roberts, Published 2009 by Putnam Books. Audio book produced by Brilliance Audio.


My Synopsis:

In 1989, Cooper Sullivan is sent to spend the summer with his grandparents in South Dakota while his parents go on a “second honeymoon,” a term Coop knows really means “last ditch effort to save the marriage before we file for divorce.” He’s determined not to like it, but then he meets Lil Chance, the daughter of neighboring ranchers. Over dinner, Coop discovers he and Lil share a love for baseball and the foundation for a future romance is laid.

Fast forward 9-10 years and Coop and Lil are all grow up, and ready to start building that romance that has time to form over their many summers together. Their romance is cut short when they discover the murdered body of a young woman.

Coop returns to New York, drops out of college, and enrolls in the police academy. Lil enters college and begins her studies. Though Coop comes back to the Black Hills from time to time, they never seem to connect as Lil alternately avoids him or is away on study trips.

Fast forward again and Lil Chance is now Doctor Lillian Chance, owner and operator of Chance Wildlife Rescue and Cooper has left New York to run his grandparent’s horse farm. Their break up years earlier had not been amicable and Lil is determined to show Coop that she’s moved on with her life and can do just fine without him, thank you very much. But Coop is also determined to show Lil that they have a future together. If only dead bodies didn’t keep popping up to ruin the mood.

My Review:

Often romance novels are referred to as “formula,” meaning there’s a formula or recipe to follow when writing one. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. Stir vigorously, pour into a greased and floured pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. The steps to the formula can take other views (girl meets boy, girl falls in love, angry parents tear them apart, boy and girl resolve family feud and get back together—you get the picture), but at its core, it’s the same basic story.

When this book was released last year, I was not interested in buying it. Normally, I’m eager to snatch up Nora Roberts’ latest releases and read them as soon as possible. This one, for some reason, I decided to pass on even though I own a copy of nearly every novel she’s written (including the old Silhouettes!). When I read the novel description on the flyleaf, I just knew I wasn’t going to get a whole lot of enjoyment out of it. Turns out, I was right.

I normally stay away from abridged audio novels because I like to listen to the entire story, not someone-else’s chopped up version. This story was much easier to tolerate, I think, because it was abridged. I didn’t have to sit through long scene descriptions or filler paragraphs that lend little to the story.

If you’ve never read Nora Roberts or have only read a couple of her stand-alone novels (those that are not part of a trilogy or series), then you may well enjoy this story. If you’ve read a lot of her books and are unsure of reading this one, skip it. It is a quintessential Nora novel, with nothing new or revolutionary to make it an interesting read.

I give this story TWO STARS.

Now, lest you think I hate Nora Roberts, I don’t. I love her series novels and when the third book in the Bridal Quartet, Savor the Moment, comes out, I’ll be snatching up a copy of that book faster than you can blink and it will move to the very head of my book-reading queue. And I love a lot of her stand-alones as well. Three Fates and Remember When are in the top twenty-five list of my all-time favorite novels. Black Hills just didn’t do for me what these others did.