Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts

Determined to reevaluate her life, Jude Murray flees her complicated life in Chicago to take refuge in a beautiful cottage in the picturesque village of Ardmore in Ireland. Surrounded by the beautiful scenery and refreshed by the more relaxed lifestyle, Jude finds herself fascinated by the local folklore. Even her cottage seems to have a resident ghost and Jude decides to embark on a personal research project to find out more.

Finally back home in Ireland after years of travelling, Aidan Gallagher is also something of an expert when it comes to his country's haunting myths. He's returned to devote himself to managing the family business. But in Jude Murray he sees a woman who can soothe his heart and stir his blood. And he begins to share the legends of the land with her -- while they create a passionate history of their own... - Synopsis from the back cover of the novel.

My Thoughts

I picked this book up at the airport thinking it would be a good light read for my long flight south. What I got was an exceptional story of love; exploration and self-discovery that made me laugh, nod my head in agreement and cry. Jewels of the Sun has touched me like no other romance novel has, and to this day, nothing I have read can even compare. It is not just another romance novel, but a story of learning to live your life to it’s fullest, to take chances and follow your dreams. After having just been through a recent relationship break-up (and a bad one at that), this could not have come at a better time.

Our heroine is Jude, a onetime university professor who has quit her job, sub-let her condo and moved to Ireland to ‘find herself’. After having her marriage break up in less than a year, she is confused, angry, sad and a little bit neurotic. Jude settles in Fairie Cottage and begins work on her academic paper but this soon turns to her writing of Ireland’s legends and stories, and following her life long dream.

Our hero, Aiden, is a resident of Ardmore who, after years of travelling the world, has come home to take over the family business – the local pub. Intelligent, sexy, compassionate & strong, he is everything a woman could want. He sets his sights on Jude and pursues her, eventually convincing her that she is a warm, smart, beautiful woman with much to offer the world.

Their love story is wonderful, the characters rich and very real. From the tomboy Brenna to the the vain and adorable Darcy to Sean the very talented and angry artist they pull us in, making us wish that we could be lucky enough to find friends like them. Added to this is a secondary plot with a touch of supernatural. It is the story of Prince Carrick and Lady Gwen. Separated by a three hundred year old curse, they wait for the spell to be broken so that they can finally be together.

Maybe it’s my fascination with everything Irish, I don’t know. But every time I read something of Ms. Robert’s that is set in Ireland, I am never disappointed. Her writing style is always engaging, the scenery vivid and beautiful. In this book you can feel the essence of Ireland through the people, the ambiance and the music. In all, this is a fantastic book, one that I could not put down and have read again and again. It’s a ‘feel-good’ story, teaching us that love is something that should never be given up on, no matter how bumpy the road may be.

The Donovan Legacy by Nora Roberts

Captivated

His interest in her was purely professional . . . Or so he told himself. Nash Kirkland had sought out the alluring Morgana Dovovan to help him research his latest screenplay, though the hardheaded skeptic didn't believe for a minute she was what she professed to be. But, as Morgana revealed herself to him, Nash found himself falling under her bewitching spell. Nash had never trusted his feelings and always kept them in check. So how could he be sure the irresistible passion he felt for Morgana was real and not just some conjurer's trick?

My Thoughts
Captivated is the first book in the Donovan Legacy, which tells the tale of three cousins blessed with extraordinary talents. In total there are four books that are released separately as well as a volume titled “The Donovan Legacy” which contains the first three books. This is a review of the first three books.

Captivated is Morgana’s story. Morgana, our heroine, is a witch who owns a new age store. Our hero is Nash, a screenwriter who is researching witches and magic for his next screenplay and comes to Morgana as she is well known in Monterey for her practice of Wicca. There isn’t a lot of external plot in this story but it was still quite good. I loved how Morgana never hid who she was and her in-your-face attitude and Nash’s child-like enthusiasm and open mind. Captivated is very well written and fun to read with an ending that will leave you wanting more!

Entranced

He was certainly a fraud, and she wasn't about to let him exploit her friend's vulnerability. But fiercely protective Mary Ellen Sutherland was desperate to find a missing baby and had run out of leads. So, reluctantly, the dubious private investigator agreed to enlist Sebastian Donovan's help. Soon she had to admit -- grudgingly -- that this beguiling mystery man had some pretty remarkable gifts, including his extraordinary ability to penetrate her tough façade and awaken her heart.

My Thoughts

Entranced, the second book of the Donovan Legacy is the story of Sebastian who has the gift of sight. Our heroine, Mary Ellen, teams up with Sebastian to find a missing baby and to then go undercover to bust up a baby-kidnapping ring. Sebastian has met his match in Mary Ellen and fireworks flare when they let their feelings show. While I didn’t enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed the first, it was still well worth the read. The characters are fun and there is certainly more adventure, which makes it an enjoyable read. For those of you who read Robert’s In Death series, you will notice many similarities to Eve and Roarke.

Charmed

When a new neighbour, Boone Sawyer, moves next door to her with his young motherless daughter, Anastasia proves not only to be a good neighbour but wins the hearts of both Boone and his daughter. As time goes on Boone is drawn more and more into Anastasia's spell and begins to fall in love with her. Ana, though, worries how she will ever tell him the truth about herself and her family.

My Thoughts
In this her third book in the Donovan series, author Nora Roberts, has provided her readers with one of her most endearing characters, Anastasia Donovan. Cousin to Morgana and Sebastian featured in the first two titles of this series, Anastasia is the cousin blessed with the powers of healing.

When a new neighbour, Boone Sawyer, moves next door to her with his young motherless daughter, Anastasia proves not only to be a good neighbour but wins the hearts of both Boone and his daughter. As time goes on Boone is drawn more and more into Anastasia's spell and begins to fall in love with her. Ana, though, worries how she will ever tell him the truth about herself and her family. The decision is taken out of her hands when Jessie falls off of a ladder and is critically injured. Anastasia puts her powers to work to save the girl's life and her gifts become known to Boone.

While I adored Ana, Boone left much to be desired. Even though he doesn't really understand what is happening and isn’t sure how to react, it’s no excuse for being a narrow-minded, judgemental jerk. The woman saves his daughter and in his ‘fear’, he pushes her away. Of course, being a Silhouette romance, we are assured a happily ever after ending, but this part seriously ticked me off.

Gabriel's Angel

Back Cover

On the run...No one was going to take her child away from her! Pregnant and alone, Laura Malone had been on the move for months. Finding herself snowbound with an angry, impatient Gabriel Bradley was not part of her plans.

Gabe wanted to be alone. He'd cdome to the isolated cabin to think, to work and to heal. But when a woman crashed into his life - literally - he felt obligated to help. Laura was everything a man could ever want and all that he desired. She trusted him, but Gave was hard put to be an angel when Laura felt like heaven in his arms.

My Thoughts

Gabriel’s Angel is one of Nora Robert’s earlier books, published in 1989 by Silhouette. While the book follows the same typical pattern of most category romance novels, because it is Nora, there is nothing typical about it! Yes, the storyline is well over-used, two wounded souls who help each other heal, marriage of convenience, etc., but Nora writes it in a way that makes it seem fresh and original. This book is pure romantic fluff, just what one would like from a category romance. A true romantic classic, Gabriel’s Angel just begs to be reread over and over again. Check the used bookstore for the original version though as at over $15.00, the re-issued version it totally overpriced.

The Stanislaski Sisters: Falling for Rachel

Falling for Rachel is the third book in the Stanislaski series. It continues the themes of family loyalty & love, making each of us wish we had such a family.

Rachel Stanislaski is a New York City public defender and is assigned to represent 19-year-old gang banger, Nick. In a strange turn of events, Nick is assigned two months probation and Rachel is named co-guardian along with Nick’s older stepbrother Zack, a former naval officer. Nick and Zack do not get along, mostly due to Nick’s issues of abandonment and Zack’s aggressive attitude.

Because of their forced association with each other, what was minor interest soon turns to full blown attraction with Zack and Rachel falling hopelessly in love, despite their attempts to avoid it. In an ironic twist, Nick also falls for Rachel, which is probably due to the fact that she is the first person in a long time he can depend on and who believes in him. The result is a dramatic showdown between Nick, Zach and Rachel that ends with Nick running away.

Nora does a great job of touching on sensitive family issues in this book, especially the trust and abandonment issues between Zack and Nick. We see how over time, each of them overcome their issues to love and trust again and how this helps Nick turn his life around. One sweet moment is when Zach realizes Nick’s love of the piano and then buys him one to give him something to focus on and to make him happy. The book ends with Nick’s old associates robbing Zack’s pub and shooting Nick – which he survives – and everyone once and for all admitting their love and respect for each other.

Falling for Rachel is a delightful book that is hard to put down. As usual, Nora Roberts brings the characters to life, making the reader wish we were right there with them

Author: Nora Roberts
Year Published: 1993
Publisher: Sillhouette Books
Pages: 251

The Stanislaski Sisters - Taming Natasha

I am not usually a fan of category romance but since I wanted to read all of Nora's work, I picked it up. I have to say, I was not disappointed. Taming Natasha is the first book in a series about the Stanislaski siblings. Natasha, Mikhail, Alex & Rachel are children of Ukrainian parents who escaped to America so they and their children could have a better life.
Natasha Stanislaski is a former ballerina of the New York Dance Company who has moved to small town West Virginia to open a toy store. She has a painful past and the small, quiet life she enjoys is just what she was looking for. Spencer Kimball is a single father and music composer who accepts a job as a professor at the local college so that he can escape the bustle of New York City. Like Natasha, Spencer has a past filled with hurt and loss and only wishes to give his daughter a happier, better life and to become the father he always wanted to be.

When Natasha and Spencer first meet, they get off on the wrong foot through a series of misunderstandings. When Natasha takes a college class in music history, she finds that Spencer is her teacher. They develop a relationship and Natasha, who loves children, also develops a close relationship with Freddie, Spencer’s daughter. Things move along smoothly and then Natasha discovers that she is pregnant. Due to her painful past, runs away to her family as she is confused and doesn't know what to do. In the end, she returns to Spencer and they both confront their past, admit their love for one another and come together to become what each has waited their whole lives to find, a family.

There is not a lot of external drama in the book. Probably the most exciting episode is when Freddie, Spencer’s daughter, gets the chicken-pox. You do get to meet Natasha’s family which is a nice as we get a glimpse of what is to come.

Taming Natasha is a great beginning to an excellent series!

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Silhouette
Year: 1990

The Villa

Title: The Villa

Author: Nora Roberts

Publisher: GP Putnam And Sons

Year: 2002



One of my favourite books by Nora Roberts, The Villa is a complex story with several sub-plots and strong characters. The Villa focuses on the merger of two prominent winemaking families, the Giambellis and MacMillans, and the the two upcoming leaders of those dynasties, Sophia Giambelli and Tyler MacMillan. Tyler is the manager of the MacMillan vines while Sophia heads up Giambelli's public relations department.

As part of the merge, Tereza and Eli require that Sophia and Tyler work together, each learning the other's job so when they assume control of the company, the both know the company inside out. They also bring in David Cutter, formerly of La Coeur, as COO, to ensure a smooth merger and to oversee operations of the newly formed company. Neither Tyler or Sophia are happy about working together but eventually sparks fly and romance blossoms.

The smooth transition doesn't last long as it is discovered that bottles of wine has been tampered with, resulting in at least two deaths. Added to that, Tony Avano, Sophia's father, is murdered. As the Giambelli's struggle to make sense of what is going on and to find the person(s) responsible, Sophia must deal with the death of her father and the bitter, jealous ex-wife who is doing everything she can to cast doubt on the Giambellis and make a name for herself.

There are many other sub-plots in this book - Rene's attempt to claw her way to the top at the expense of the Giambellis, Kris' jealously of Sophia, Donato and Gina's troubled marriage and Tony's philandering ways but the best of the bunch would have to be the blossoming romance between David and Pilar. Pilar fights her attraction to David but in the end David sweeps her off her feet and she wins the affection of his two children, Theo and Maddy.

With exceptionaly strong characters, lively dialogue, red-herrings and many twists, Nora Roberts has written a fast-paced novel that will keep you immersed until the end. This book is classic Nora.