Another great romantic suspense from Nora Roberts! I am constantly amazed at the number of different subjects her novels cover and yet all seem to be well researched, allowing the reader to immerse themselves completely in the story. This one focuses heavily on canine rescue, dog training and interaction. The dogs are fantastic, adding a great dimension to the story - don’t get me wrong we don’t get speaking from a dog’s perspective but the way the dogs and their behaviours are included in the story is great. I am sure if you have a dog in need of training, you would pick up some useful tips from this book.
Enough about the dogs, onto the characters – as with all books by this author the characters are strong. No flowery words from Simon at all, and as for romance forget it. It suited him though, and the interactions between him and his dog ‘Jaws’ made me laugh out loud. This description made me laugh, especially since he seems the cutest puppy ever, “I got a crate. He ate the crate. Or enough of it to get out. I think he must flatten himself like a snake… I think maybe he is brain damaged or psychotic.” It would have been nice to have a bit more background on Simon because he really was unusually abrasive – how did he get like that? Fiona has been through a lot in her past but stays strong throughout, being older and wiser when trouble comes knocking she is much more able to deal with it - no simpering women here. It would have been nice to have a bit more romance but the characters did suit the story and as long as the happy ending arrives I won’t complain too much!
The suspense plot was good and as always I got totally sucked in, reading well into the night to finish it. I would say though that the dogs and romance were a bigger part of the story than the suspense angle. Unlike with a lot of thrillers we do not get to see much of the police investigation, as Fiona is so physically removed from the situation. So if you like the police investigation aspect of a thriller then this is probably not for you. The dogs are definitely the stars in this book, and if you love animals it is worth a read just for that.
Overall another strong book from Nora Roberts with the added bonus of canine friends; there is humour, a love story, suspense and sex – what more could you want!
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- Author: Nora Roberts
Henrietta Cynster is known throughout the ton as ‘The Matchbreaker’ for her uncanny ability to advise women on whether or not potential suitors are truly in love with them.
As You Wish contains four novellas – Seduced by a Pirate and With This Kiss Parts 1, 2 and 3. All I can say is thank god they were all together, as I think I would have died if I’d had to wait between each part, based on where each novella finishes!
Justine Hoffman yearns to feel real love, the kind her friends have recently found. In desperation she does the one thing she was told never to do – she looks at page 13 of the family spell book and learns she was cursed to never find her soul mate. Justine is desperate to change her fate but in doing so she unleashes a series of complications that she could never have foreseen. Jason Black is mysterious, sexy and secretive and is strangely drawn to Justine – he is hiding his own secrets however, and when their hearts collide he learns loving a witch is more dangerous than he could have ever imagined.
Trace O’Hurley is burnt out and wants nothing more than being left alone with a bottle of whiskey and his own company. Gillian Fitzpatrick has come looking for Trace in desperation, knowing he is the only one who can help her.
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time Book #14)
Lover at Last by J.R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11)
Abaddon’s Gate by James S.A. Corey (Expanse #3)
My Notorious Gentleman by Gaelen Foley (Inferno Club #6)
Chosen by Benedict Jacka (Alex Verus #4)
“It’s Christmas time and Rafe Bowman, an uncivilised American rake, has come to London for an arranged marriage with the perfect aristocratic bride, the very proper and beautiful Natalie Blandford. But before the courtship can begin, Rafe needs to learn the rules of London society. When four former wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen.”
The Wallflowers is a romance series set in Victorian England by Lisa Kleypas. The books in order are :
In 1843 four young ladies who have been wallflowers on the edge of the ballrooms for the season start talking and become firm friends. they agree to help each other find suitable husbands using devious means if necessary. As I read the books one after another, similarities in format between the books were obvious but you often find that with books by the same author and it was not a problem for me as the format worked very well.
supposedly emotionless Earl, England’s most notorious rake and an American with a secret. They all had one thing in common though, bucket loads of sexiness and when they fall, they fall hard. The great thing about this series is that the four women remain firm friends throughout so we continue to get updates on the couples throughout the series.
These books were extremely romantic but definitely not full of sap, there is always something else going on besides the romance and there are some dramatic scenes leading up to the declarations of love. Ms Kleypas has the ability to turn a villain from one book into a hero in the next and do so believably leading me from detesting someone to rooting for him.
McKenna is a stable boy, Lady Aline Marsden is the eldest daughter of the Earl of Westcliffe. They grew up on the estate together and Aline, ignored by her parents, ran wild with him during childhood. They fell in love knowing nothing could ever come of it and on being discovered by the Earl of Westcliffe, McKenna was sent away. Aline knew he would never stay away unless she made him believe she never cared for him at all.
Carrying on my Nora Roberts kick, I decided to try one of her Romantic Suspense books and High Noon was the first one I came across in my ‘to be read’ mountain.