My friend Renee and I were talking via the wonderful gmail chat feature when we got on the subject of books we don't like that everyone else does. Here is what happened. :)
Just finished reading . . . Sea Swept by Nora Roberts
When I took up Bridget’s challenge, I was a little worried. You see, while I understand that Nora Roberts is an amazingly prolific best-selling writer, her books have never really done much for me. The couple I read years ago, never really made much of an impression on me. Last year, I tried again. I read book 1 of the Circles Trilogy, Morrigan’s Cross, which was okay, but I dnf’d book 2, Dance of the Gods. It wasn’t that I hated it, it was more that I felt so indifferent about it, that it didn’t feel worth finishing.
Which brings me to Sea Swept. You see, late one night a while back, Bridget and I were chatting on IM, and she asked me, who is the author that everybody loves that I don’t. My answer was quick and easy. It turns out, Bridget does like NR quite a bit. She felt challenged to find which book (in NR’s amazing backlist) would be one that I’d enjoy. After a bit of back and forth, (I asked her that the book not be a paranormal since I’d recently tried the Circles books, and that if it was part of a series, it be the first book in the series, since I don’t like reading books out of order.) She decided that Sea Swept, book 1 in the Chesapeake Bay series, whould be my challenge book.
Here is the description for Sea Swept:
Cameron, Ethan and Philip were all troubled young boys who were rescued and adopted at difficult periods in their lives by Raymond and Stella Quinn. They didn’t share blood, but they became a family. In Sea Swept, Cameron's story, the family faces tragedy and scandal that will change lives. Cameron’s lived the reckless life of a daredevil since leaving the quiet community on Maryland’s Eastern Shore where Ray and Stella raised him and his brothers. He likes fast boats, fast cars, and fast women. Now he’s been called home, not only to say goodbye to the only father he ever loved, but also to face the challenge of caring for the last lost boy Ray was determined to save. Cameron has to learn to live with his brothers once again, and rivalries and resentments flare between them whilst they try to care for Seth.
Who is Seth, this prickly young boy a dying Ray asked his sons to protect? Tofind out, and to keep his promise, Cameron will have to put the life he’d chosen on hold. And deal with a certain sexy social worker who’s every bit as determined as he to provide Seth with the right home. Anna Spinelli is full of surprises, and challenges.
Only Seth's fate is in the hands of a tough but beautiful social worker. She alone has the power to bring the Quinns together - or tear them apart.
I really like family stories where each family member gets a book, like Julia Quinn’s Bridgertons, and Lisa Kleypas’ Travis family. I love to see how each family member operates as an individual as well as a unit. Usually, there is some kind of crisis to draw them together, which will allow the family dynamics to come into play. In this case, it’s the death of the Quinn’s patriarch. Seeing how the brothers, who have all built their own lives independent of each other came back together to support each other and their new brother made for great reading.
The brothers, adopted as teens, each come from tragic circumstances, and understand where teenage Seth has come from. While they struggle to make changes in their lives so that they can raise him together, they never question that they will do so. The relationship between them is one of the things I like most about the book.
My other favorite thing in the book is Anna. She’s a complex and interesting heroine. She has her own tragic history, but has come out on the other side a very strong and independent person. I liked reading about her passion for her clients, and ability to do see what’s best for them.
However, that brought me to what I felt like what was one of the book’s weaker points. Having dealt a lot with social workers on both a professional and personal level, I had a bit of difficulty accepting that a social worker as professional as she’s being portrayed would become personally involved with a client’s guardian, especially so early on in their acquaintance. (I have the same issue with books who have doctor/client, lawyer/client, or teacher/student relationships.) I really tried to turn off the “reality” portion of my brain, and just enjoy the book. Which, I was (mostly) able to do. What brought me out of the book, though, was toward the end, when she gets mad at Cameron for keeping some important information from her, because he was afraid it would jeopardize her recommendation. There was a little bit too much of her wanting it both ways: wanting him to accept her role as Seth’s social worker and wanting him to be more open with her on a personal level, but being mad that he didn’t trust her with information he thought might compromise her decision.
That matter aside, I really enjoyed the book. It didn’t blow me away, but was a good read. What worked best for me was the relationship between the brothers. I loved reading their give and take conversations, and how they’d deal with things, usually in a really “guy” kind of way. I’m looking forward to reading more about them, and I’ve requested the next book in the series, Rising Tides, from the library in audiobook format.
Edited to add: I'm over on her blog discussing Josh Lanyon's Adrien English series. Go on over and say hi!
Showing posts with label nora roberts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nora roberts. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
No back blurb...be happy I'm writing a review. It's been a hellish week.
Anywho, I last expressed my dissatisfaction with this latest trilogy offering by La Nora back when I reviewed book 2, The Hollows. I am happy to say that book 3 was better, but it's still not the Nora I expect. *sigh*
In this book, the story is focused on Gage & Cybil. Gage is a gambler and Cybil is a nerd. Well, a sexy nerd, but a nerd all the same.
Exchanging of snarky commentary w/ sexual undertones, rampant sexual dreams, bad juju, etc. etc. It's basically a rehashing of every trilogy La Nora has written for the last five or so years. Color me bored.
I feel bad, because I am a really big fan of her writing, especially her older stuff with the MacGregors and the Stanislaskis. In those books, I felt that she showed the families in such a realistic light. She still does with the witty repartee and the bonds of human connection, but she again focuses too much on the EVIL BAD, not the romance.
There's a moment in this book where I literally snorted and rolled my eyes. It is so completely ridiculous and unrealistic that it totally took away any enjoyment I would've had. Yes, it was there specifically for a plot device and would help out the characters at the end when they finally defeat the EB, but I gotta tell ya, it just totally came across as ridiculous. It involves all three of the women. I won't go into details, but if anyone has read this book, please tell me what you thought. Because to me? Didn't make any sense at all.
And so...my thoughts. Still very disappointed in how each book read as basically the same. I want something different. I don't know if she has anything that'd be considered "different" due to how many books she's written, but I sure would like to get out of this paranormal trilogy thing and maybe go back to the family-driven sagas that she excels at. Just a thought.
My Rating: C+
Anywho, I last expressed my dissatisfaction with this latest trilogy offering by La Nora back when I reviewed book 2, The Hollows. I am happy to say that book 3 was better, but it's still not the Nora I expect. *sigh*
In this book, the story is focused on Gage & Cybil. Gage is a gambler and Cybil is a nerd. Well, a sexy nerd, but a nerd all the same.
Exchanging of snarky commentary w/ sexual undertones, rampant sexual dreams, bad juju, etc. etc. It's basically a rehashing of every trilogy La Nora has written for the last five or so years. Color me bored.
I feel bad, because I am a really big fan of her writing, especially her older stuff with the MacGregors and the Stanislaskis. In those books, I felt that she showed the families in such a realistic light. She still does with the witty repartee and the bonds of human connection, but she again focuses too much on the EVIL BAD, not the romance.
There's a moment in this book where I literally snorted and rolled my eyes. It is so completely ridiculous and unrealistic that it totally took away any enjoyment I would've had. Yes, it was there specifically for a plot device and would help out the characters at the end when they finally defeat the EB, but I gotta tell ya, it just totally came across as ridiculous. It involves all three of the women. I won't go into details, but if anyone has read this book, please tell me what you thought. Because to me? Didn't make any sense at all.
And so...my thoughts. Still very disappointed in how each book read as basically the same. I want something different. I don't know if she has anything that'd be considered "different" due to how many books she's written, but I sure would like to get out of this paranormal trilogy thing and maybe go back to the family-driven sagas that she excels at. Just a thought.
My Rating: C+
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tribute by Nora Roberts
Blurb for Tribute-
Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is a long way from Hollywood. And that's exactly how Cilla McGowan wants it. Cilla, a former child star who has found more satisfying work as a restorer of old houses, has come to her grandmother's farmhouse, tools at her side, to rescue it from ruin. Sadly, no one was able to save her grandmother, the legendary Janet Hardy. An actress with a tumultuous life, Janet entertained glamorous guests and engaged in decadent affairs,but died of an overdose in this very house more than thirty years earlier. To this day, Janet haunts Cilla's dreams. And during waking hours, Cilla is haunted by her melodramatic, five-times-married mother, who carried on in the public spotlight and never gave her a chance at a normal childhood. By coming east, rolling up her sleeves, and rehabbing this wreck of a house, Cilla intends to find some kind of normalcy for herself.
Plunging into the project with gusto, she's almost too busy to notice her neighbor, graphic novelist Ford Sawyer, but his lanky form, green eyes, and easy, unflappable humor (not to mention his delightfully ugly dog, Spock) are hard to ignore. Determined not to perpetuate the family tradition of ill-fated romances, Cilla steels herself against Ford's quirky charm, but she can't help indulging in a little fantasy.
But love and a peaceful life may not be in the cards for Cilla. In the attic, she has found a cache of unsigned letters suggesting that Janet Hardy was pregnant when she died and that the father was a local married man. Cilla can't help but wonder what really happened all those years ago. The mystery only deepens with a series of intimidating acts and a frightening, violent assault. And if Cilla and Ford are unable to sort out who is targeting her and why, she may, like her world-famous grandmother, be cut down in the prime of her life.
Dear Author recently reviewed this book here and gave Tribute a C grade. She had problems with some of the storyline, especially the "stalking" of Cilla Ford does at the beginning of the book. I didn't have the same problem, because it wasn't for much of the book, he told her, she asks him why, he tells her, and they move on. If it'd been dragged out throughout the book it would have bothered me much more.
I enjoy Nora's single titles 90% of the time. This one is one I enjoyed. I liked the silly, cute dialogue between Ford and Cilla. I enjoyed the way the romance took its own sweet time. I liked Steve (hope he gets his own story someday). In this book, she does the one thing she excels at more than anything; making her characters real. The dialogue, the surroundings, the small town, the overall essence of the place is definitely in evidence here in the book.
The sex is sweet and hot (as per usual). There's not much of that going on though, because poor Cilla is being stalked. Okay, I have a confession to make. The one storyline that drives me absolutely batty is the whole "sins of the father/mother/grandmother/etc." I don't understand the thinking behind it and it drives me insane! That was exactly what this book was.
Cilla is being punished for something her grandmother did long before she was even born. Tormented and driven almost crazy. I hate that. But she's resilient and I like that. :)
Cilla is the cynic and Ford is the optimist. They play off each other well and the dialogue between them is quite cute. I can't find the book (I tossed it on a chair and I think the book gremlins stole it), but there's a scene in the hospital where Cilla is feeling all down and depressed and Ford is trying to get her to see the bright side of things. It's cute and funny and I liked it.
Here's a question. What was up with all of the wine drinking in this book? It seemed like every time Cilla and Ford were together there was wine being consumed. They should both be lushes by now.
Dear Author also complained about all of the rehab talk when it came to the house. I didn't find that annoying at all. To me it made the story more authentic. You could see what Cilla was doing and I thought that was pretty cool. :)
I like how she's the mechanically inclined one and Ford is the one who blows thing up (accidentally). I like the fact that he's not afraid of not having that manly talent. It was sweet.
The mystery was interesting. Maybe I'm slow, but when the baddy is revealed...I was surprised. I totally had it as someone else. Yay!
I enjoyed it. It was sweet and funny and I wish she'd do that for her trilogies. Those are getting old and need some new life.
My Rating: B
Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is a long way from Hollywood. And that's exactly how Cilla McGowan wants it. Cilla, a former child star who has found more satisfying work as a restorer of old houses, has come to her grandmother's farmhouse, tools at her side, to rescue it from ruin. Sadly, no one was able to save her grandmother, the legendary Janet Hardy. An actress with a tumultuous life, Janet entertained glamorous guests and engaged in decadent affairs,but died of an overdose in this very house more than thirty years earlier. To this day, Janet haunts Cilla's dreams. And during waking hours, Cilla is haunted by her melodramatic, five-times-married mother, who carried on in the public spotlight and never gave her a chance at a normal childhood. By coming east, rolling up her sleeves, and rehabbing this wreck of a house, Cilla intends to find some kind of normalcy for herself.
Plunging into the project with gusto, she's almost too busy to notice her neighbor, graphic novelist Ford Sawyer, but his lanky form, green eyes, and easy, unflappable humor (not to mention his delightfully ugly dog, Spock) are hard to ignore. Determined not to perpetuate the family tradition of ill-fated romances, Cilla steels herself against Ford's quirky charm, but she can't help indulging in a little fantasy.
But love and a peaceful life may not be in the cards for Cilla. In the attic, she has found a cache of unsigned letters suggesting that Janet Hardy was pregnant when she died and that the father was a local married man. Cilla can't help but wonder what really happened all those years ago. The mystery only deepens with a series of intimidating acts and a frightening, violent assault. And if Cilla and Ford are unable to sort out who is targeting her and why, she may, like her world-famous grandmother, be cut down in the prime of her life.
Dear Author recently reviewed this book here and gave Tribute a C grade. She had problems with some of the storyline, especially the "stalking" of Cilla Ford does at the beginning of the book. I didn't have the same problem, because it wasn't for much of the book, he told her, she asks him why, he tells her, and they move on. If it'd been dragged out throughout the book it would have bothered me much more.
I enjoy Nora's single titles 90% of the time. This one is one I enjoyed. I liked the silly, cute dialogue between Ford and Cilla. I enjoyed the way the romance took its own sweet time. I liked Steve (hope he gets his own story someday). In this book, she does the one thing she excels at more than anything; making her characters real. The dialogue, the surroundings, the small town, the overall essence of the place is definitely in evidence here in the book.
The sex is sweet and hot (as per usual). There's not much of that going on though, because poor Cilla is being stalked. Okay, I have a confession to make. The one storyline that drives me absolutely batty is the whole "sins of the father/mother/grandmother/etc." I don't understand the thinking behind it and it drives me insane! That was exactly what this book was.
Cilla is being punished for something her grandmother did long before she was even born. Tormented and driven almost crazy. I hate that. But she's resilient and I like that. :)
Cilla is the cynic and Ford is the optimist. They play off each other well and the dialogue between them is quite cute. I can't find the book (I tossed it on a chair and I think the book gremlins stole it), but there's a scene in the hospital where Cilla is feeling all down and depressed and Ford is trying to get her to see the bright side of things. It's cute and funny and I liked it.
Here's a question. What was up with all of the wine drinking in this book? It seemed like every time Cilla and Ford were together there was wine being consumed. They should both be lushes by now.
Dear Author also complained about all of the rehab talk when it came to the house. I didn't find that annoying at all. To me it made the story more authentic. You could see what Cilla was doing and I thought that was pretty cool. :)
I like how she's the mechanically inclined one and Ford is the one who blows thing up (accidentally). I like the fact that he's not afraid of not having that manly talent. It was sweet.
The mystery was interesting. Maybe I'm slow, but when the baddy is revealed...I was surprised. I totally had it as someone else. Yay!
I enjoyed it. It was sweet and funny and I wish she'd do that for her trilogies. Those are getting old and need some new life.
My Rating: B
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Hollow by Nora Roberts
I will preface this review by saying that I've been a fan of Nora Roberts for years. I think I have every book ever written by her, which is a ridiculous amount of books! :)
The blurb for The Hollow:
Their innocent bonding ritual led to seven days of madness, ever seven years. And now, as the dreaded seventh month looms before them, the men can feel the storm brewing. Already they are plagued by visions of death and destruction. But this year they are better prepared, joined in their battle by three women who have come to the Hollow. Layla, Quinn, and Cybil are somehow connected to the demon, just as the men are connected to the force that trapped it.
Since that fateful day at the Pagan Stone, town lawyer Fox has been able to see into others' minds, a talent he shares with Layla. He must earn her trust, because their link will help fight the darkness that threatens to engulf the town. But Layla is having trouble coming to terms with her newfound ability---and with this intimate connection to Fox. She knows that once she opens her mind, she'll have no defense against the desire that threatens to consume them both...
Nora Roberts has been writing for years & has written a ton of books. Every year for the last four or so years, she's been writing a JD Robb book (or two) and a trilogy that's usually paranormal. She'll also write a hardcover novel of some sort as well.
I find her trilogies very hit or miss. I loved the Key Trilogy (especially Key of Knowledge...Dana is my homegirl. LOL!) and some of the others she's done as well. The Sign of Seven series is a miss for me. Nora is known for writing characters that I connect with in some way, shape or form. She's always so good at writing the growing relationship between two people. In The Sign of Seven series I think she's failed at that.
Here is what I mean. In Book 1 (Blood Brothers) she introduced all 6 characters, gave backstory; basically introduced us to this world she's created. There was a romance, but the backstory & the build-up really overshadowed the romance itself. In Book 2, she's ignored the romance to the growing war on the demon that has made these characters' lives hell. Yes there's a romance, but it's totally overshadowed by everything else that is going on in the story.
What I liked-The characters. Nora is notorious for having characters of all types in her books. This book is no exception. There's the tough, quiet hero, the sarcastic heroine, the nerdy heroine, the able-to-do-anything hero, etc. etc. The dialogue is always tight and she's excellent at showing all of the secondary characters as well.
The setting-A small town overrun by evil every seven years. Yet, the town lives on every day. Sure people leave, but the tightness of the community is very present as well.
The writing-As always, tight, crisp and very well done.
What I didn't like-That the romance was overshadowed by the rest of the story. I wish she'd go back to writing about people again, like she did with the MacGregors or the Stanislaskis. I know, she wrote them when she was with Silhouette, but I miss the connectedness she had with the people she'd created. It seems to be missing lately.
The storyline-I admit, I actually skimmed to the end. I did not read the whole book in its entirety. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've done that? No clue! *sigh*
Was the book bad? Nope, it wasn't, but it didn't capture me at all. Will I read Book 3? Probably, but I am not at all impressed with this latest offering. Here's hoping the next In Death book will change my tune, eh?
My Rating-C (and a skimmed almost DNF)
The blurb for The Hollow:
Their innocent bonding ritual led to seven days of madness, ever seven years. And now, as the dreaded seventh month looms before them, the men can feel the storm brewing. Already they are plagued by visions of death and destruction. But this year they are better prepared, joined in their battle by three women who have come to the Hollow. Layla, Quinn, and Cybil are somehow connected to the demon, just as the men are connected to the force that trapped it.
Since that fateful day at the Pagan Stone, town lawyer Fox has been able to see into others' minds, a talent he shares with Layla. He must earn her trust, because their link will help fight the darkness that threatens to engulf the town. But Layla is having trouble coming to terms with her newfound ability---and with this intimate connection to Fox. She knows that once she opens her mind, she'll have no defense against the desire that threatens to consume them both...
Nora Roberts has been writing for years & has written a ton of books. Every year for the last four or so years, she's been writing a JD Robb book (or two) and a trilogy that's usually paranormal. She'll also write a hardcover novel of some sort as well.
I find her trilogies very hit or miss. I loved the Key Trilogy (especially Key of Knowledge...Dana is my homegirl. LOL!) and some of the others she's done as well. The Sign of Seven series is a miss for me. Nora is known for writing characters that I connect with in some way, shape or form. She's always so good at writing the growing relationship between two people. In The Sign of Seven series I think she's failed at that.
Here is what I mean. In Book 1 (Blood Brothers) she introduced all 6 characters, gave backstory; basically introduced us to this world she's created. There was a romance, but the backstory & the build-up really overshadowed the romance itself. In Book 2, she's ignored the romance to the growing war on the demon that has made these characters' lives hell. Yes there's a romance, but it's totally overshadowed by everything else that is going on in the story.
What I liked-The characters. Nora is notorious for having characters of all types in her books. This book is no exception. There's the tough, quiet hero, the sarcastic heroine, the nerdy heroine, the able-to-do-anything hero, etc. etc. The dialogue is always tight and she's excellent at showing all of the secondary characters as well.
The setting-A small town overrun by evil every seven years. Yet, the town lives on every day. Sure people leave, but the tightness of the community is very present as well.
The writing-As always, tight, crisp and very well done.
What I didn't like-That the romance was overshadowed by the rest of the story. I wish she'd go back to writing about people again, like she did with the MacGregors or the Stanislaskis. I know, she wrote them when she was with Silhouette, but I miss the connectedness she had with the people she'd created. It seems to be missing lately.
The storyline-I admit, I actually skimmed to the end. I did not read the whole book in its entirety. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've done that? No clue! *sigh*
Was the book bad? Nope, it wasn't, but it didn't capture me at all. Will I read Book 3? Probably, but I am not at all impressed with this latest offering. Here's hoping the next In Death book will change my tune, eh?
My Rating-C (and a skimmed almost DNF)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)