Come Sundown Nora Roberts

Published: Piatkus
Date: 30th May 2017
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: Thank you to Hachette Australia
Rating:
                 

Love. Lies. Murder. A lot can happen... COME SUNDOWN

Bodine Longbow loves to rise with the dawn. As the resort manager of her family's resort in Western Montana, there just aren't enough hours in the day - for life, for work, for loved ones. She certainly doesn't have time for love, not even in the gorgeous shape of her childhood crush Callen Skinner, all grown up and returned to the ranch. Then again, maybe Callen can change her mind, given time...

But when a young woman's body is discovered on resort land, everything changes. Callen falls under the suspicion of a deputy sheriff with a grudge. And for Bodine's family, the murder is a shocking reminder of an old loss. Twenty-five years ago, Bodine's Aunt Alice vanished, never to be heard of again. Could this new tragedy be connected to Alice's mysterious disappearance?

As events take a dramatic and deadly turn, Bodine and Callen must race to uncover the truth - before the sun sets on their future together.

All I can say is Nora Roberts does it again with Come Sundown. There is mystery and crime, strong women, a beautiful ranch and resort in Montana, family and friends, romance - all of which combine into making a downright good read.

Bodine - the heroine is a strong, feisty woman and boss, she runs the resort side of the family business really well. She comes from a strong line of women - there's Miss Fancy her great grandmother of 89 years, Cora her grandmother and Maureen her mother. And don't think Miss Fancy sits all day in a rocking chair, don't offend her with that. She can still ride out when she wants over the ranch.  One of the laughs I got from this book was a tee shirt she turned out in one time with a really apt and clever slogan on the front. Not going to spoil it for you though, you just need to come across it.

There is darkness in this novel, Bodine's Aunt Alice went missing, she was a little of the black sheep of the family and had left home to do her thing. However she is taken hostage by a very bad guy and lost to the family. Bodine and her two brothers have never met her or seen her. At times we get the viewpoint of this evil, ugly man and for some that could be off putting. But so far one thing I can say is, Nora Roberts never lets the bad guy win - so hang in there.

These dark spots are juxtaposed against family, life on the ranch and resort. Family bonds are so strong and when Callen rides in on his amazing horse life gets even better. He is a long time friend of Bodine's brother Chase, returning to his place of birth after time in Hollywood training horses. Soon he is very much involved in life on the ranch and resort. And dang it. That horse of his, there is something magical about it.

I love the title of this book and how it relates to the story, won't give it away, but its perfect. At times during the reading I shied away from the ugly, caught my breath at the very emotional points and chuckled at some of the humour that sprang out in places.  

Island of Glass. Nora Roberts

Published:Hachette NZ
Date: 6th December 2016
Format: Paperback
Pages: 339
Genre: Paranormal
Source:Thanks to Hachette NZ
Rating:
               

A vengeful goddess hunts for three jewels; fallen stars that will give endless power. To save the world, six friends have joined forces to stop her. Now, on the wild and beautiful cost of County Clare, their battle reaches its dramatic climax.

As the six guardians face their final challenge, Riley and Doyle are prepared to risk their lives in battle. But with love to sustain them, the quest is doomed to failure...

Island of Glass completes the Guardian trilogy in fine fashion. In it we find the six in  Ireland, at Bran's place recovering from wounds left by last tussle with Nerezza a goddess of darkness. As it happens this is also the place where Doyle grew up hundreds of years before.

Who are they?

Bran the sorcerer

Sasha the seer who sees visions and can foretell what is to come

Sawyer the time and place traveller with his trusty compass

Annika the mermaid who has legs for a finite amount of time

Riley the lycan and archaeologist

Doyle the soldier and immortal, destined to never age or die.

And they come together, now well forged as a clan, finding roots they never dreamed of. They are a team and together they bring themselves and their gifts and strengths to fight the dark, the evil brought into the world by Nerezza. They have two stars, they must find the third and then seek the Glass Island, its whereabouts unknown.

This section of the challenge is Doyle's and Riley's, although of course all six work together. There are sparks between the two and a dawning acknowledgement of what they might mean to each other. As well, we still enjoy the play between all six, the fun and joy that Annika brings to the world, the mistakes some make that angers the others, and more training in readiness for the final fight that must inevitably arrive.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I think this trilogy may become my favourite of Nora Roberts. It has everything, mystery, romance, action, and a dash of all kinds of characters as you can see above. It is witty, has delightful characters, and some ugly ones, a fast moving plot set in a beautiful part of the world. It is with regret that I know we say good-bye to these characters, a mark of a good book for me is when I want more. But some wishes can't be granted!

Bay of Sighs. Nora Roberts

Published: Piatkus/Hachette NZ
Date: June 2016
Format:Paperback
Pages:349
Genre:Paranormal Romance
Source:Thanks to Hachette NZ
Rating:
       

A dark and powerful goddess hunts for three jewels: fallen stars that will give endless power. To save the world six friends have joined forces to stop her. Now, on the beautiful island of Capri, their battle continues...

As the six friends hunt for the mysterious 'star of water' the goddess Nerezza sends a terrifying foe to destroy them. It seems there is no place for love and desire at this time. But true love cannot be denied. And in a battle between the dark and light - it might be the only thing that can save them from a terrible fate.

Bay of Sighs - second book in the Guardian trilogy by Nora Roberts certainly delivered. Another wild ride with the light fighting the dark. It's a formula Nora Robert uses in many of her paranormal fantasy trilogies, but somehow it never gets old. She freshly presents it each time. And I have to say she enchanted me and held me enthralled all the way through this one.

At the centre of this story is Annika the mermaid woman. She has been gifted with legs for three moons obviously to join with the other five to search out and make safe the three stars. She is a delight. Beautiful in body, soul and mind. She delights in everything new, and gets tripped up by the many colloquialisms used by the others. But once mastered she adds them to her vocabulary with gusto. The all love her....

However it is Sawyer who falls in love with her and what a great romance. Sawyer is the time traveller, he has a compass that can transport him and others through space and even time if needed. The two of them will be at the centre of finding this second star - the water star. The others will plan and support, but Sawyer and Annika will be the key ones in this battle with Nerezza the evil goddess who also plots to take these stars.

The story has times of peace and training on the lovely island of Capri in Italy. The six train, sometimes with enthusiasm and sometimes with groans and moans. Sasha has grown into her gift of visioning the future and her paintings are exquisite. Then there are the times of battle, and the world goes mad, some of the six are wounded and everything is full on. 

Things are heating up for Doyle - the immortal and Riley the one who on a full moon changes into a lycan wolf like creature. No doubt sparks will be flying in that quarter in the final book The Island of Glass. I really look forward to this third book and the final show down in a setting that will surely be the ultimate. Can't wait.

About the author:

Nora Roberts is the number one New York Times bestseller of more than 200 novels. With over 450 million copies of her books in print, she is indisputably one of the most celebrated and popular writers in the world. She has achieved numerous top five bestsellers in the UK, including number one Savour the Moment and The Witness,and is a Sunday Times hardback bestseller writing as both Nora Roberts and J. D. Robb.

Website:  Nora Roberts

Guardians Trilogy

Stars of Fortune #1

Bay of Sighs  #2

Island of Glass #3  TBP

The Obsession. Nora Roberts

Published: Hachette NZ
Date: 12 April 2016
Format: Paperback
Pages: 453
Genre:Romantic Suspense
Source: Thanks to Hachette NZ
Rating:
             

Naomi Carson is a survivor. As a child, her family was torn apart by a shocking crime. It could have destroyed her, but Naomi has grown up strong, with a passion for photography that has taken her all around the world.

Now, at last, she has decided to put down roots. The beautiful old house on Point Bluff needs work, but Naomi has new friends in town who are willing to help, including Xander Keaton - gorgeous, infuriating and determined to win her heart.

But as Naomi plans for the future, her past is catching up with her. Someone in town knows her terrifying secret - and won't let her forget it. As her new home is rocked by violence, Naomi must discover her persecutor's identity, before it's too late.

Again with The Obsession  Nora Roberts has aced another book out of the park. Once I started it I didn't want to stop. It begins with a ghastly crime, that Naomi - the heroine, comes upon by accident and curiosity.  She is only twelve years old. She and her brother go to live with her uncle Seth and his partner Harry, who surround them with love and give them the security they need.

Now Naomi is settling down into one place in the Washington State, she has fallen in love with an old house, in need of renovation. As the story progresses we hear about the renovation, and as a reader I really enjoy a good renovation! The house sounds totally gorgeous.  Naomi is adopted by a stray dog - she names him Tag because he insists on tagging along. 

Zander is a local car mechanic, plays in a band, and before long he is making a move on Naomi. Along with him, his friend Kevin and wife Jenny become good friends. Naomi does what she loves best, photography. She soon finds oodles of things to photograph, not least of all the hot men working on her renovation!

Everything goes along so well, until.... A killer is in the midst of the town, and the crime has such a similarity to the one that Naomi walked in on years back - there just has to be a link. Mason turns up, everyone is on the look out, but will they find the killer before he gets to Naomi? For once I knew who the killer was from the start of the second spate of crimes, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book and seeing it out to the final denouement.

Classic Nora Roberts!

Stars of Fortune. Nora Roberts

Stars of Fortune
Nora Roberts
Published: Piatkus
Date: November3rd  2015
Format: Paperback ARC
Pages: 304
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Source: thanks to Hachette NZ

Sasha Riggs is a reclusive artist, haunted by dreams and nightmares that she turns into extraordinary paintings. Her visions lead her to the Greek island of Corfu, where five others have been lured to seek the fire star. Sasha recognizes them, because she has drawn them: a magician, an archaeologist, a wanderer, a fighter, a loner. All on a quest. All with secrets.

Sasha is the one who holds them together—the seer. And in the magician, Bran Killian, she sees a man of immense power and compassion. As Sasha struggles with her rare ability, Bran is there to support her, challenge her, and believe in her.

But Sasha and Bran are just two of the six. And they all must all work together as a team to find the fire star in a cradle of land beneath the sea. Over their every attempt at trust, unity, and love, a dark threat looms. And it seeks to corrupt everything that stands in its way of possessing the stars…

So is there anything new for Nora Roberts to write in terms of her magical/paranormal trilogies? I didn't think so, therefore I began Stars of Fortune with a little trepidation. However it wasn't too long before I found myself swept away into the story that begins the Guardians Trilogy.

I love the cover of the book, the setting is Corfu in Greece. Picture the blues and whites and Mediterranean sea, the olive groves. Perfect setting, loved it.

There are six characters, all on a quest to find the three stars before the evil god witch Nerezza does. Sasha is an artist and seer. In the beginning she is a bit of a recluse, not fully trusting of her gift. Physically weaker than the others. She arrives in Greece and then slowly they all begin to link up until there is a team. Yes Sasha and Bran are the main couple in this book, but they all must work as a team, and trust each other. And that trust is not readily given. Sasha though is determined to see unity and speaks her mind forcefully on the matter at times.

Bran is a magician, with a place in New York and Ireland. He is a magician on many levels. Then there are Riley - the archaeologist, and Annika - a gentle beautiful mystery, who are the other two women. As a reader we aren't let into their secrets straight away, although a few clues are strewn along the way. The other men - Sawyer a wanderer and Doyle a fighter do not release their secrets early - and nor did I find any clues along the way as to exactly what they are. Let's just say - freakin' awesome.

The six must work together on a quest and find the stars. As well they must deal with whatever Nerezza the god witch throws at them. Be it black and evil, be it sneaky and cruel. She is the dark and they the light. She has minions who do her bidding and aid her in her evil quest for power and destruction.

I am looking forward to the next two in this trilogy very much. Sasha and Bran made a delightful couple, but how Nora Roberts is going to match up the others - each with some very strange gifts, I am just not sure how that is going to be achieved. Maybe magic - anything can happen of course in the realm of fantasy!

The Liar. Nora Roberts

The Liar
Nora Roberts
Published: Brilliance Audio
Date: 2015
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: January LaVoy
Length: 16 hrs 37min
Genre: Romantic suspense
Source: Own book



Shelby Foxworth is left with massive debt when her husband is drowned in a boating accident.  She does what she can to repay the debts he has left behind and returns home to her family in Tennessee with her delightful three year old daughter.

There she meets Grif who is renovating a part of her mother's home.  Soon they form a strong bond, but there are still secrets and depths to the story relating to her husband. And soon there is murder and people hanging around that puts her brother Forest ( a local law enforcement officer) and Griff on alert.

I really liked Shelby and her grit in facing up to what life has thrown at her. She has a wonderful relationship with her young daughter and she is able to stand up for herself when someone from her school days gives her a lot of grief with her mean and bitter ways. I loved Shelby's family and the way they all pulled together.

The suspense part was pretty much low key, I am sure most readers saw early on what was going to happen, but that's okay, while I enjoy the light suspense I know how it works out in a Nora Robert's book and I just enjoy the ride!

It was narrated very well by January LaVoy, her pace and variation of voice for the range of characters was excellent and I am sure the listening of it provided that extra bit of enjoyment. Again excellent narration takes the book up a notch. (I notice recent reviews on Audible are a little harsh on this book because of the plot, but I guess it depends what you are looking for when you pick a book up.)

Blood Magick Nora Roberts

Blood Magick
Nora Roberts
Published: Brilliance Audio
Date: 2014
Narrator: Susan Eriksen
Length: 11hrs 48 min
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Own audiobook

County Mayo is rich in the traditions of Ireland, legends that Branna O’Dwyer fully embraces in her life and in her work as the proprietor of The Dark Witch shop, which carries soaps, lotions, and candles for tourists, made with Branna’s special touch. Branna’s strength and selflessness hold together a close circle of friends and family - along with their horses and hawks and her beloved hound. But there’s a single missing link in the chain of her life: love…

She had it once - for a moment - with Finbar Burke, but a shared future is forbidden by history and blood. Which is why Fin has spent his life traveling the world to fill the abyss left in him by Branna, focusing on work rather than passion. Branna and Fin’s relationship offers them both comfort and torment. And though they succumb to the heat between them, there can be no promises for tomorrow.

A storm of shadows threatens everything that their circle holds dear. It will be Fin’s power, loyalty, and heart that will make all the difference in an age-old battle between the bonds that hold their friends together and the evil that has haunted their families for centuries.

Dark Witch completes the Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy.  I enjoyed it, just as I did the first two in the trilogy.

This time it is mainly the story of Fin and Branna, but of course the other couples are included.

There was a couple of surprises along the way, and of course the dark is eventually overcome, but how, I'm not saying, apart from lots of magic!

Susan Eriksen was a very good narrator, I like her very much.  I liked the narrator too from the first book.

Shadow Spell. Nora Roberts

Shadow Spell
Nora Roberts
Published: Piatkus
Date: 2014
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 319
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Own book

With the legends and lore of Ireland running through his blood, falconer Connor O’Dwyer is proud to call County Mayo home. It’s where his sister, Branna, lives and works, where his cousin, Iona, has found true love, and where his childhood friends form a circle that can’t be broken…

A circle that is about to be stretched out of shape—by a long-awaited kiss.

Meara Quinn is Branna’s best friend, a sister in all but blood. Her and Connor’s paths cross almost daily, as Connor takes tourists on hawk walks and Meara guides them on horseback across the lush countryside. She has the eyes of a gypsy and the body of a goddess…things Connor has always taken for granted—until his brush with death propels them into a quick, hot tangle.

Plenty of women have found their way to Connor’s bed, but none to his heart until now. Frustratingly, Meara is okay with just the heat, afraid to lose herself—and their friendship—to something more. But soon, Connor will see the full force and fury of what runs in his blood. And he will need his family and friends around him when his past rolls in like the fog, threatening an end to all he loves…

Shadow Spell is the second in a trilogy - the Cousins O'Dwyer.  It is set in the west of Ireland very near Castle Ashford.  It's full of magic, family, love and danger.

This second book is mostly the story of Connor and Meara, and how they find their way towards each other.  They have always been good friends, but now something more is opening up between them. It's wonderful and beautiful, however it also opens up Meara to danger, as Cabhan - the evil sorcerer they wage war against, turns his evil darkness towards her.

Meara believes she is not worthy of love, she holds the shame of her father leaving their family and going off, as her own.  Cabhan preys on this and suggests all kinds of things to her that make her doubt even more.  Can she welcome love and all that Connor is beginning to offer her, or will she be sucked under?

As in the first book, it is the circle of three that is powerful - Iona, Connor and Branna, and the three encircling them, Blake, Finn nad and Meara.  Of course there are the loyal, magical horse, hound and hawk as well.  To say nothing of a little cutie, Bugs who I hope we'll meet a little more of in the final book.

I also liked the linking of Connor back to the original three, especially with Eamon.  It was a nice touch. 

The dialogue is fun, if you live or have lived around Irish people for any length of time you'll recognise it as exactly how they talk.  The setting around Castle Ashford has me wanting to visit. There is plenty of action and suspense and weaving of spells.  The greatest spell for me was the warmth of friendship and love between these people and for their animals. 

Do they finally beat Cabhan? Well there is another book in the trilogy, and if they had, what would that be about now?  If you enjoy the inimitable Nora Roberts writing, then you will find this trilogy to your taste.

Black Hills. Nora Roberts

Black Hills
Nora Roberts
Published: Doubleday Book Clubs
Date: 2009
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 538
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: Own book

Lil Chance fell in love with Cooper Sullivan pretty much the first time she saw him, an awkward teenager staying with his grandparents on their cattle ranch in Montana while his parents went through a messy divorce. They spent every summer together, trekking in the Black Hills, tracking cougar and falling in love. Then Cooper broke her heart and moved back to New York City.

Ten years later and Cooper has given up his job in the police force to run the ranch after his grandfather is injured in a fall. Lil has stayed true to her love of cougars and of the Black Hills and opened an animal sanctuary. She has been targeted by animal rights campaigners in the past but this time someone seems intent on murder. As hikers are killed, animals mutilated and a family member goes missing, Lil knows that she has no choice but to turn to Cooper for help in her fight for survival ...

I know I've come late to Black Hills by Nora Roberts, I've had it sitting there on audio for awhile but as I am not so fond of male narrators I picked this book up cheaply at last year's Fair and so have just enjoyed the read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and read through it quickly in a couple of days.  As always Nora Roberts includes a good romance, great characters, interesting suspense, fun dialogue and as well this time, added in wild animals and a wild life refuge.

Lil and Cooper have been friends since childhood, when Cooper came to his grandparents farm for the summer, as a young New Yorker, and not at all comfortable with the life in the back blocks. However over time that changed and he came to appreciate life there.  After a time of courtship in their early twenties Lil and Cooper parted ways.  While Lil did not appreciate this, it was necessary for both of them.

Lil goes on to become an expert in her field and sets up a wild life refuge, not far from her parents' farm.  She has a passion for this field and I enjoyed learning some details about the various animals housed there - bobcats, cougars, an old tiger and a whole lot more.  Especially delightful was the relationship Lil had with Baby, a cougar who could have chosen the wild, but elected in no uncertain terms to stay with Lil.

There are some nasty murders in the story and ultimately this murderer has his sights on Lil, the suspense builds slowly as the story of Lil and Cooper plays out.  When the final part came of course Lil wins out with a little help from her friends.