12/15/2023

Spur Der Finsternis by Nora Roberts

The cover of the German edition is different from my taste. But it is the story behind it, that thrills me. And the fantastic plot. The author really knows how to catch her readers. With "Identity" she proves again, her storytelling ability. That she knows perfectly how to create great characters. Her main figure Morgan is a wonderful woman. As an old Nora Roberts fan, this novel proves that the author can still write great stories beyond imagination.

 

Spur Der Finsternis*

by Nora Roberts
Translation Christiane Burkhardt
Original Title Identity
Publisher Heyne on November 15, 2023
Genre Contemporary Romance
Pages 526
Format Hardcover
Source Heyne
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶✶

Morgan works hard to fulfill his dream of owning a house and bar. But her modest life is suddenly upended when her best friend Nina is murdered. She doesn't have time to mourn because the FBI tells her that she is dealing with a serial killer and identity robber. And this one is actually targeting Morgan himself. Step by step, the perfidious hacker takes everything from her: her savings, her house, her identity. Desperate, Morgan flees back to her family in Vermont and piece by piece puts the pieces of her shattered life back together. But her pursuer is always on her heels - and the people she loves. (personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary).

Story

Morgan is broke. A Hacker has stolen everything from her so she sees no other option but to move back to her family. A fresh start in Vermont is all she wants to get herself back together. Together with her mother and grandmother and a new job where she does what she knows best. And with Miles, the new man in her life.

Style

Nora Robert's writing style is unmistakable. With a lot of feeling and even more sensitivity, the author describes the beautiful Vermont landscape and the emotions that Morgan goes through. A real cinematic experience takes place in the reader's head. At times I even imagined that I could smell the cocktails that Morgan created during the course of the story. And Nora Roberts proves once again that she can easily create an atmospherically dense novel out of nothing, even if it isn't.

Characters

As usual from Nora Roberts, the reader is presented with strong and profound characters. Without any cliche, but with rough edges. Morgan is particularly strong. She is a bartender with heart and soul who, after a fateful encounter with a stranger, starts all over again. The strength and strength of her family helps her. The Nash women not only have a strong backbone, but they are also particularly tough. And with exactly this quality, Morgan defies her tormentor and teaches him what girl power really means. But I particularly liked Howl. Miles' dog. It's an absolute blast!

Conclusion

What a brilliant novel! I am completely thrilled. Big emotions, strong characters, and a great plot. As an old Nora Roberts fan, all I can say is: read and enjoy!

Happy reading

*Heyne kindly provided me this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Nora Roberts Schreibstil ist unverkennbar. Mit viel Gefühl und noch mehr Feinfühligkeit beschreibt die Autorin die herrliche Landschaft Vermonts und die Emotionen, die Morgan so durchmacht. Da spielt sich ein regelrechtes Kopfkino beim Leser ab. Teilweise hab ich mir sogar eingebildet, die Cocktails riechen zu können, die Morgan da so im Laufe der Handlung kreiert hat. Und Nora Roberts beweist einmal mehr, dass sie es einfach kann, einen atmosphärisch dichten Roman wie aus dem Nichts zu erschaffen, auch wenn er es nicht ist.

Charaktere

Wie von Nora Roberts gewohnt, werden dem Leser starke und tiefgründige Figuren präsentiert. Ganz ohne Klischee, dafür mit Ecken und Kanten. Morgan ist dabei besonders stark. Sie ist mit Leib und Seele Barkeeperin, die nach einer verhängnisvollen Bekanntschaft mit einem Fremden, nochmal ganz von vorn anfängt. Dabei hilft ihr die Kraft und Stärke ihrer Familie. Die Nash-Frauen haben nicht nur ein starkes Rückgrat, sie sind auch besonders tough. Und mit genau dieser Eigenschaft, trotz Morgan ihrem Peiniger und lehrt ihn, was Frauenpower wirklich bedeutet. Aber besonders gefallen hat mit Howl. Der Hund von Miles. Der ist der absolute Knaller!

Resultat

Was für ein genialer Roman! Ich bin restlos begeistert. Große Emotionen, starke Figuren und ein klasse Plot. Als alter Nora Roberts Fan kann ich nur sagen: Lesen und genießen!

*This book was published in the English language by St. Martin´s Press on May 23, 2023

Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming. Nora is a member of several writer’s groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.” She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

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8/21/2023

Im Schutz Der Nacht by Nora Roberts

Usually, Nora Roberts is a safe bank when it comes to buying and reading a book blind. This time not. I am so disappointed. Only the characters were able to keep this novel from absolute reading failure. And I have no idea why she failed here so wholly. The author knows how to write great books. She knows how to create tension and figures that bring a story to life. So why didn´t you do it here, too? In the end, the single characters saved this story from a total disaster. So, no. Nightwork isn´t what I had hoped for.

Im Schutz Der Nacht*

by Nora Roberts
Translation Margarethe van Pée
Original Title Nightwork
Publisher Blanvalet on March 1, 2023
Genre Novel
Pages 606
Format Hardcover
Source Blanvalet
Goodreads
✶✶✶

Harry Booth was just a child when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. In order to be able to pay the horrendous medical bills, he resorts to unusual means: he breaks into vacant houses under cover of night. When his beloved mother dies years later, Harry begins an unsteady wandering life. He has long seen himself as a thief with fixed rules: never attract attention, never stay long, only take from those who can afford it. Until he meets Miranda Emerson and forgets all caution about his love for her. Just then, Carter LaPorte, a former client, and his greatest enemy, tracks him down. Harry knows how little time he and Miranda have before LaPorte ruthlessly hunts them down. He makes a lonely decision...

Story

When Harry Booth must learn that no matter how fair his mother plays in life and no matter how hard she works to make ends meet, things just don´t play out the way they want them he decides that sometimes you must give it a little twist too. But one day, one man is a bit too much in need of his help, and within no time, Harry’s life changes again. Not in the way he wanted it but in a way, he can live with. Well, at first at least.

Style

The incredibly atmospheric note, which was particularly captivating at the beginning of the story, is used up after just a few chapters. The author shows the ordeal of a woman suffering from cancer, whose son starts a more than unusual career as a thief in order to be able to pay the bills. What worked wonderfully in another of the author's novels goes completely wrong here. Sure, the story has a certain charm, and the humor is not neglected either and the characters show the typical loyalty and family love. And so far, everything is good. But the evil is too defiant, too vain and the plot just seems too much sunshine here.

No question, the writing style is clearly that of Nora Roberts. The structure, the design, everything fits. Unfortunately, the story between the pages didn't convince me at all this time. This book only shows sophistication in the thieves that the main character plans and carries out. Otherwise, it is only a pale habit of presenting details, landscapes, and scenes.

Characters

The individual characters are ultimately the reason that saved the novel from the rating crash. Strength and willpower are shown that are simply convincing. Well, Nora Roberts doesn't omit a cliché that I don't usually see her do, but it seems to work here. While it doesn't elevate the story above average, that's better than a zero number.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, not a novel that I can recommend without hesitation. The plot is far too predictable, the characters have little depth despite all the tragedy, and that certain something is completely missing. For a Nora Roberts book, this story is surprisingly bland and uneventful. A pity. Despite the humorous components, this novel is disappointing and this time remains only average for me.

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Blanvalet in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Die unglaublich stimmungsvolle Note, die besonders zu Anfang der Geschichte gefesselt hat, ist schon nach wenigen Kapiteln aufgebraucht. Die Autorin zeigt den Leidensweg einer krebskranken Frau, deren Sohn eine mehr als ungewöhnliche Karriere als Dieb startet, um die Rechnungen bezahlen zu können. Was in einem anderen Roman der Autorin wunderbar funktioniert hat, geht hier komplett daneben. Sicher, die Geschichte hat einen gewissen Charme und der Humor kommt auch nicht zu kurz und die Figuren zeigen die typische Loyalität und Familienliebe. Und so weit ist auch alles gut. Aber das Böse ist zu trotzig, zu eitel und auch der Plot wirkt hier einfach nur zu alles eitel Sonnenschein.

Keine Frage, der Schreibstil ist klar der von Nora Roberts. Der Aufbau, die Gestaltung, es passt alles. Die Geschichte zwischen den Seiten konnte mich nur leider diesmal gar nicht überzeugen. Raffinesse zeigt dieses Buch nur bei den Diebeszügen, die die Hauptfigur plant und durchführt. Ansonsten ist es nur blasse Gewohnheit im Präsentieren von Details, Landschaften und Szenen.

Charaktere

Die einzelnen Figuren sind letztlich der Grund, die den Roman vor dem Rating-Absturz bewahrt haben. Da werden eine Stärke und Willenskraft gezeigt, die einfach nur überzeugt. Gut, Nora Roberts lässt kein Klischee aus, was ich normalerweise nicht von ihr kenne, aber hier scheint es zu funktionieren. Es hebt die Geschichte zwar nicht über die Durchschnittlichkeit hinaus, aber das ist besser als eine Null-Nummer.

Resultat

Leider kein Roman, den ich bedenkenlos empfehlen kann. Die Handlung ist viel zu vorhersehbar, die Figuren haben trotz aller Tragik kaum Tiefgang und das gewisse Etwas fehlt komplett. Für ein Nora Roberts Buch ist diese Geschichte erstaunlich blass und ereignislos. Schade. Trotz der humorigen Bestandteile enttäuscht dieser Roman und bleibt für mich diesmal nur Durchschnitt.

 

 

*This book was originally published by St. Martin´s Press on May 24, 2022

Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming. Nora is a member of several writer’s groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.” She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

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4/19/2023

Waiting On Wednesday #204 – Identity by Nora Roberts

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

I´ve seen way better-designed covers as a Nora Roberts book, but this sounds intriguing, so it is my pick for this Waiting On Wednesday post. I guess, I don´t need to tell you, that I am a huge NR fan. Her novels usually excite me every time I get the chance to read one. And I hope that this one will give me some reading pleasure as well.

Identity

Author Nora Roberts
Publishing Date May 23, 2023
Publisher St. Martin´s Press
Format Hardcover
Goodreads

Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan's job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party - attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who'd been chatting her up at the bar - her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor. Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. "Luke" is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder. What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn't his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan's nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother's home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn't flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn't forgotten the one who got away.

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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6/02/2022

Sacred Sins by Nora Roberts

One of the books I read many years back while going through an intense Nora Roberts phase. I bought her books like others buy candy, borrowed them in piles from the library, and had just a fantastic time. This one is no exception. Somehow the author´s way to describe things, emotions, and scenes has made me want to read more. And maybe it is because her earlier novels show a certain tone she later changed a bit.

Sacred Sins

by Nora Roberts
Publisher Bantam on August 31, 2010
Genre Contemporary Romance
Pages 304
Format Paperback
Source Library
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶✶

In the hot summer of Washington D.C., a young blonde woman is found murdered, strangled with a white priest's shawl. The press flocked to the story because the killer, now dubbed the "Priest," left a note next to the victim: "Her sins are forgiven." The police investigations, led by Sergeant Ben Paris, show little success. When more blondes are killed, the police enlist the help of attractive psychiatrist Tess Court. Because the perpetrator is convinced that he can redeem his victims through the act, she diagnoses him with a split personality. Ben Paris, however, doesn't give a damn about the killer's soul. He just wants to put the killer under lock and key. Ben is not so indifferent to the beautiful Tess. During the feverish search for the killer, a strong relationship develops between the two, who couldn't be more opposite. But not only Ben has his eye on the beautiful doctor. There's another one, and he wants to save her in his own special way...

Story

Actually, Tess only had one favor to do for the mayor when she was doing the psychological profiling for the Washington D.C. Police Department. But she gets drawn into the case more than she initially likes and soon finds herself in the middle of a life-threatening case as the hitman, whom the press calls the "Priest," keeps killing and has his eye on Tess as well. Desperate to help the killer, Tess not only accepts confrontations with Sergeant Paris, but she also allows herself to become ever more deeply involved and almost risks losing her professional distance. And while Tess loses the fight to save a patient's life in a case, the killings to save the lost souls continue, and Tess finds herself fully targeted by the killer.

Style

Nora Roberts is just amazing in her writing style. It doesn't matter whether you're reading a pure romance novel or the slightly bloodier variants as J.D. Robb writes she is always captivating and unmistakable. She uses her words clearly and effectively without using anything superfluous. Nevertheless, it perfectly expresses feeling and style. Not only does it offer the reader wonderful scenes, even if they are bloody and great locations, but the emotions it appeals to are also extremely effective. There is everything from abysmal despair, to protective love, and cold calculation.

You really immerse yourself in the world of the action and are still aware of the fact that something like this can happen at any time in reality. But it is precisely this possibility that makes this Nora Roberts novel lively and very convincing. The tension is systematically built up by the events in the plot and maintained until the end. Sometimes unexpected things happen, and the ending is more than surprising. I then closed the book with great enthusiasm and was completely overwhelmed.

Characters

From start to finish, Nora Robert's characters act believably and utterly compelling. They are profound, especially the character of Ben Paris, clearly and simply described and absolutely effective. The character of Sergeant Paris, in addition to his controlled, violent attitude, has a side that has shaped him more than anything else and determines his actions and thoughts. The author expresses these two sides brilliantly and shows with a sensitivity that something like Ben experienced is not insurmountable, but it is not easy for each individual affected and can be or already is a very explosive topic.

I was immensely impressed by the way Nora Roberts walked this tightrope without turning the character of Sergeant Paris into a hard-boiled oddball for the reader. He has remained an impressive man and the reader notices that with every word.

Conclusion

A gripping novel with a dash of thriller and even more passion. Gripping from the first to the last page. I can only recommend it.

Happy reading

Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming. Nora is a member of several writer’s groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.” She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

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4/28/2022

🎧 Legacy by Nora Roberts

This time, the narrator used her voice in a bit different way. More softened, not as thrilled as she sounded in another audiobook. But still, I had my pleasure listening to it and it was again a wonderful-created novel by Nora Roberts. And I am sure that at some point I will also read the print edition just for the fun of it. And because for me it is often the best way to get a story in completely.

Legacy

by Nora Roberts
Publisher Macmillan Audio on May 25, 2021
Narrator January LaVoy
Genre Novel
Length 14 hours and 57 minutes
Source Purchased, Audible
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

Adrian Rizzo was seven when she met her father for the first time. That was the day he nearly killed her - before her mother, Lina, stepped in. Soon after, Adrian was dropped off at her grandparents’ house in Maryland, where she spent a long summer drinking lemonade, playing with dogs, making a new best friend - and developing the stirrings of a crush on her friend’s 10-year-old brother. Lina, meanwhile, traveled the country promoting her fitness brand and turning it into a billion-dollar business. There was no point in dwelling on the past. A decade later, Adrian has created her own line of yoga and workout videos, following in Lina’s footsteps but intent on maintaining creative control. And she’s just as cool-headed and ambitious as her mother. They aren’t close, but they’re cordial - as long as neither crosses the other. But while Lina dismisses the death threats that Adrian starts getting as a routine part of her daughter’s growing celebrity, Adrian can’t help but find the vicious rhymes unsettling. Year after year, they keep arriving - the postmarks changing, but the menacing tone the same. They continue after she returns to Maryland and becomes reacquainted with Raylan, her childhood crush, all grown up and as gorgeously green-eyed as ever. Sometimes it even seems like the terrifying messages are indeed routine like nothing will come of them. Until the murders start, and the escalation begins...

Story

Adrian needs to prove that she can create something without the help of her famous mother. And make it a success. Her way of doing Yoga and teaching it to others is different from the way how her mother does it. And so, it doesn´t take long before both have a serious conversation about how different they see life and family. And for Adrian, it means that she no longer wants the hectic life New York offers.

Style

Well, this time the audiobook sounds a little quieter in tone and atmosphere, but other than that, January LaVoy's voice was once again brilliant and incredibly versatile. How she lets you forget that it is only one person reading the novel. And I am still guessing about how the narrator can let her voice sound the way she sounds with Lina, Adrian, and all the other figures. Her performance has clarity and brilliance and yet sounds completely different from the other audiobook where I heard her voice for the very first time.

Characters

Adrian is in many ways like her mother. Like Lina, she knows what she wants, how she wants it, and what to do to achieve it. But unlike her mother, Adrian needs her family more than anything else in the world. Her grandparents, the place in Maryland where her mother was born and raised. For her, life is more than having a successful career. She wants a family, kids, and a career. It was absolutely entertaining to listen to the novel and to hear how the main figure got what she wanted.

Conclusion

This novel shows in an entertaining way how health, mind, and the will to get everything in life a person could possibly want, can be achieved. It was a pleasure to listen to the outstanding voice of January LaVoy again, although this time the atmosphere and sound were different.

Happy listening

Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming. Nora is a member of several writer’s groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.” She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

January LaVoy

January LaVoy, born in Trumbull, Connecticut, is an American actress, most recognized as Noelle Ortiz on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. LaVoy made her Broadway debut in the Broadway premiere of the play Enron at The Broadhurst Theatre on April 27, 2010. She has appeared on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters across the country, and guest-starred on several prime-time network series, including Elementary, Blue Bloods, and N0S4A2. She is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA and is a full-time faculty member in the Department of Theater and Dance at Emory University. January LaVoy is an AudioFile Magazine “Golden Voice” since May 2019. She has an extensive body of work in both narration and commercial voiceover. With hundreds of audiobook titles to her credit, she has received more than thirty Earphones Awards, eighteen Audie Award nominations (including seven wins), and was named Publishers Weekly's "Audiobook Narrator of the Year" for 2013. Her voice has been heard in national campaigns for dozens of products, and she shares a 2020 Grammy nomination with Meryl Streep and the cast of the Charlotte’s Web audiobook, in which she plays the title role of Charlotte.

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4/14/2022

Finding The Dream by Nora Roberts

I was very eager to find out how Laura would deal with everything. And expected this story to answer all the questions I had and to tie all the loose ends. It turned out to be the best book of this trilogy. At least for me. Pure entertainment.

Finding The Dream

by Nora Roberts
Templeton Trilogy #3
Publisher Berkley on October 2, 2012
Genre Novel
Pages 354
Format Paperback
Source Blanvalet
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶½

They swore eternal friendship to each other - the three young girls Margo, Laura, and Kate. Sheltered Lauren, daughter of a hotel owner and heiress to the legendary Templeton fortune, finds her life in tatters after the end of her loveless marriage. But with the help of her friends, she remembers her strengths and her fighting spirit awakens: Without her inheritance, Lauren wants to finally build her own life. And nothing will stop her – except for love …

Story

Laura Templeton finds herself reunited after years of falling apart in her marriage and the bitter realization that her ex-husband only wanted her for her name and inheritance. But a Templeton must control herself, stand up, and face her responsibilities to family, business, and society. However, on her thirtieth birthday, Laura is certain that the grief and role she has let her ex-husband force her into is over. She gets active, organizes her daily routine tightly, and gets the hotel running. Her two friends Kate and Margo are loyal and tireless at her side. When the horse breeder Michael Fury enters her life, it becomes emotionally turbulent for Laura for the first time - a state that she enjoys every second to the fullest.

Style

In the last volume, a slightly aggressive undertone can be heard in places, which combines wonderfully with the otherwise prevailing humor and charm. Nora Roberts has found just the right mix of humor, injured vanity, and lively dialogue that I expected from this volume about Laura. It was already apparent in the first two volumes that the protagonist and personality had to turn around in the last one, otherwise it would have become a boring and predictable story. The author has done this through Laura's decision to actively earn a living again and to contribute her part to Templeton's hotel operations, even if she is the boss of it all. Nora Roberts cleverly incorporated the way Laura then managed to do this, proving just how inventive and flexible a mother of two must be. Laura does not only need these qualities with her two daughters, but they are also of great benefit to her in the hotel business. And the fact that she doesn't see herself as the boss, but as part of the whole, gives her additional plus points. The novel benefits immensely from the main figure’s renewed confidence and her romance with Michael is the famous icing on the cake.

Characters

In the third part, the characters have some positive surprises in store. Laura, who had been rather reserved until then, shows a temperament and passion that I would not have expected from her. Always appearing controlled and fragile, she turns into an energetic and goal-oriented person in course of action, who fights for her place in life after the ugly divorce and also successfully stands up to her husband in the hotel. However, she does not lose her graceful charm, her tenderness, and her warmth. Her transformation is the purest gain for the plot and the character itself. The other characters react accordingly to these changes and so a firework of feelings and passions is ignited before the eyes of the delighted and at the same time somewhat astonished reader that has it all. The love scenes between Laura and Michael Fury alone are highly explosive and heat up the story, wow!

Conclusion

The conclusion of this trilogy is full of spirit, passion, and very eventful. In my opinion, this is the best part of this trilogy. The readers can look forward to a great plot and some surprises. This volume is highly recommended for all Nora Roberts fans.

Happy reading

Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming. Nora is a member of several writer’s groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.” She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

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2/25/2022

Holding The Dream by Nora Roberts

I didn´t expect the second volume of the Templeton trilogy (as it is called in Germany) to be that much fun. The humor, the sometimes-hilarious dialogues, the great setting, and the way how the main figure thinks about herself, her family, and life, in general, were great to see. It was a pleasure reading this novel and I found myself thinking if the author has shown a bit of her private life in this book.

Holding The Dream

by Nora Roberts
Templeton Trilogy #2
Publisher Berkley on September 4, 2012
Genre Novel
Pages 374
Format Paperback
Source Blanvalet
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

They swore eternal friendship to each other - the three young girls Margo, Laura, and Kate. Kate awakens one day from the deceptive lightheartedness of her life and discovers that her past hides a dark secret. This knowledge changes her attitude towards the loved ones around her and fuels her ambition: she wants to prove that she is special and from now on she focuses all her aspirations and all her dreams on professional success. Until love takes a dramatic toll ...

Story

Kate's life is numbers, mathematical calculations, and her work as an accountant. There are no frills or useless odds and ends with her. Everything must be organized up to that point and, above all, planned well in advance and checked many times before a change is allowed. But the fact that humans also have such natural needs as food, sleep, and clothing are annoying side effects that Kate would prefer to ignore. She always wears dark blue suits and costumes and thinks make-up is an absolute bad investment - just like sensible food. Coffee is her elixir of life, which she consumes by the liter. She swallows stomach tablets like others water and sees her apartment as a practical place where her closet and her second job are. A perfectly balanced and normal life for Kate, until one day she discovers that her father, who died in an accident, was a fraud and thief. This knowledge weighs heavily on her, increases her stress considerably and so it happens as it must happen: Kate collapses with unbearable stomach pains.

Style

The second volume of the Templeton trilogy is also characterized by humor, wonderful dialogues, and a subliminal mischievous undertone, which makes the volume a wonderful pleasure to read. Kate's often dry comments as to why a customer needs such a porcelain elephant at all or her sometimes very practical thoughts bring an additional dose of humor to the plot and have often conjured up a happy smile on my lips. In addition to Margo's ambitious yet easygoing nature, there is another fresh twist that makes the novel original and fits the tone of the first volume perfectly. The Templeton family is doing everything to make Kate healthy again, which also means that she has to say goodbye to her beloved coffee and the stomach pills disappear. The way she gets Byron to exercise and adopt a healthier lifestyle is delightfully portrayed and even inspired me to dig a little deeper into nutrition.

Nora Roberts simply knows how to put the men in the limelight and not let the women look like mindless, weak creatures, despite all the male care and attention. Kate's blossoming makes it clear that weakness can also be a strength that makes us human.

Characters

With just a few words, Nora Roberts has also created characters in this novel that complement each other perfectly through their contrasts. It brings color to the plot, fun, and credibility that I, as a reader, was delighted to perceive. The author charmingly shows that an unhealthy lifestyle, too much stress, and coffee can become a problem that women should not underestimate.

Kate - what a woman. Lord in heaven, I never thought that a person could be so stubborn. Kate never took it for granted that her uncle and aunt would take her into their family as one of their own. She wants to repay their care and love with brilliant academic performance, a scholarship, and professional success. But Kate only realized years later that she was completely wrong when her lifestyle gave her a reminder in the form of a stomach ulcer.

Conclusion

Lively dialogues, a dreamlike landscape, and highly interesting characters also make this volume of the Templeton trilogy a great reading experience. All I can say is read!

Happy reading

Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming. Nora is a member of several writer’s groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.” She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

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1/24/2022

Daring To Dream by Nora Roberts

What a wonderful start to a new trilogy. And if I may say so, I count this trilogy as one of the best Nora Roberts has ever written. The depth, the strength, and the fantastic, created plot and figures show once again, that the author knows how to develop a story.

  

Daring To Dream

by Nora Roberts
Templeton Trilogy #1
Publisher Berkley on August 7, 2012
Genre Novel
Pages 370
Format Paperback
Source Blanvalet
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

Margo, Kate, and Laura were brought up like sisters amidst the peerless grandeur of Templeton House. But it was Margo whose dreams first took her far away . . .

Margo Sullivan had everything a young woman could ask for. But while growing up along the rocky cliffs of Monterey, she couldn’t help but dream of bigger things. The daughter of the Templeton’s stern Irish housekeeper, Margo had been treated like a member of the family. Deep down, she knew that money could not buy the thing she craved most - her mother’s acceptance. Maybe things would be different if she could be sweet like Laura - or had Kate’s shrewd head for business. But all Margo knew how to do was be Margo, and that meant doing things her own way - no matter what the consequences . . .

Story

Margo, daughter of the Irish house manager, grows up in Templeton House with Laura, Josh, and Kate. Along with her friends, she enjoys a basically carefree childhood and teenage years. Only her mother absolutely cannot understand her daughter´s urge for wealth, success, and fame. The troubled mother-daughter relationship is soured even further when Margo decides not to go to college as planned, instead of leaving Templeton House literally overnight. Years later, she returns, betrayed by her lover, bankrupt, and with a nasty drug scandal in the media.

Style

The first volume of the Templeton trilogy is written with a mischievous undertone, lots of humor, and wonderful dialogues and offers its readers a somewhat different insight into the life of a rich family. Although this is provided with all privileges, it basically does not claim them particularly. Sure, the Templeton’s live in a large and luxuriously furnished house, but it´s a house full of warmth, security, and love.

The story of Margo is basically told through two storylines, which cross again and again. It may be that Margo is standing right in the middle of a mountain of clothes in the present and then pans back to her past and the reader learns how she got these noble pieces. For me as a reader, the novel was so wonderfully varied, full of surprises and unexpected twists.

Characters

The cohesion of a loving family unfolds its full scope in this story, even if one or the other family member does not want to make use of it or is still looking. An enormous range of depth, character weaknesses and strengths, differences of opinion, recognizing yourself and trusting yourself and the world, as well as the fact that wealth and happiness are not only found in money, fame, and appointments, also gives the reader some insight and recognition in oneself. Weakness can be the greatest strength if one is willing to allow it.

The contrasts in the respective characters could not have been more successful than in this novel. Boyish and highly intelligent Kate, Laura, and Josh´s cousin meet shapely and extremely ambitious Margo and gracefully fragile, very controlled Laura. All grew up under the same roof from birth, enjoyed the same upbringing, and yet couldn´t be more different in their views, actions, and thoughts.

Conclusion

An extremely successful start to a promising trilogy from the famous pen of Nora Roberts. Ideal for relaxed and enjoyable reading hours.

Happy reading

Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming. Nora is a member of several writer’s groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.” She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

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12/31/2021

Legacy by Nora Roberts

As an old Nora Roberts fan, and with a weakness for beautiful covers, I simply had to read this. The summary sounded so good and so I started listening to the audiobook before I changed the book form and continued reading the print edition. And this one was a great read with many unexpected surprises and twists.  

Legacy*

by Nora Roberts
Publisher St. Martin´s Press on May 25, 2021
Genre Novel
Pages 434
Format Hardcover
Source Library
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

Adrian Rizzo was seven when she met her father for the first time. That was the day he nearly killed her - before her mother, Lina, stepped in. Soon after, Adrian was dropped off at her grandparents’ house in Maryland, where she spent a long summer drinking lemonade, playing with dogs, making a new best friend - and developing the stirrings of a crush on her friend’s ten-year-old brother. Lina, meanwhile, traveled the country promoting her fitness brand and turning it into a billion-dollar business. There was no point in dwelling on the past. A decade later, Adrian has created her own line of yoga and workout videos, following in Lina’s footsteps but intent on maintaining creative control. And she’s just as cool-headed and ambitious as her mother. They aren’t close, but they’re cordial - as long as neither crosses the other. But while Lina dismisses the death threats that Adrian starts getting as a routine part of her daughter’s growing celebrity, Adrian can’t help but find the vicious rhymes unsettling. Year after year, they keep arriving—the postmarks changing, but the menacing tone the same. They continue after she returns to Maryland and becomes reacquainted with Raylan, her childhood crush, all grown up and as gorgeously green-eyed as ever. Sometimes it even seems like the terrifying messages are indeed routine like nothing will come of them. Until the murders start, and the escalation begins…

Story

Adrian wants to do something for her own. She needs to prove that she can create something without the help of her famous mother. And make it a success. Her way of doing Yoga and teaching it to others is different from the way how her mother does it. And so, it doesn´t take long before Adrian and her mother Lina have a serious conversation about how different they see life and family.

Style

The writing style is soft, sensitive, and shows a form of life, not everyone is made for. Mother and daughter want the same but have different ways to achieve their goals. Nora Roberts shows the conflict and how the main figure, Adrian, literally breaks free from her mother without changing how she wants to do things.

I liked it very much that Adrian loves the same things, her mother does, but still has her own way of handling everything.

Characters

Adrian is in many ways like her mother. She knows what she wants, how she wants it, and what to do to achieve her goals. But unlike her mother, Adrian needs her family. Her grandparents, the place where her mother was born and raised. For Adrian, life is more than having a successful career. She wants a family, kids, and a career. And the way how she does it is fascinating to read.

Conclusion

Another wonderful book and a perfect read for a lazy afternoon. This novel shows in a very entertaining way how health, mind, and the will to get everything in life a person could possibly want, can be achieved.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition published by Diana on October 18, 2021.

Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming. Nora is a member of several writer’s groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.” She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Follow

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Read more »