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I’m reading The Liar by Nora Roberts

I’ve been a Nora Roberts fan for a very long time. My favorites have always been her trilogies, whether they’re the romance with paranormal twists books or straight romance, but of course I enjoy her annual hardback romantic thriller releases, too.

The Liar was a book that intrigued me. I was excited to read it and see if it lived up to the hype. The first few chapters were. . .slow. Now whether they really were or whether my perception of them was colored by my recent new adult romance reading, I can’t say. I do know that although the story was building, slow but sure, it wasn’t quite gripping me yet.

The shift came when the female lead, Shelby, returned with her young daughter to her family and home in the mountains of Tennessee. Here the story not only picked up pacing, the heart of the tale began to beat. There was such connection between Shelby and her family and friends,and their community, that it became almost another character in the story.

Of course, the love story didn’t hurt either. Griffin was a leading man worthy of the title, and his part never faltered.

One of the things I’ve always loved about Nora Roberts is that she doesn’t fall into trite traps in her books. We might anticipate the fight that’s going to alienate the romantic leads, but Nora derails it before it happens. She takes another route and leads us to the inevitable conclusion with finesse and style.

This book was no different when it came to the love story, but the thriller part was fairly predictable. No spoilers here, but I’d called the main situation before I reached the halfway point in the book, and I’m frankly surprised no one in the story itself did, too.

Happily, as in all of Nora’s books, the excellent writing, heart-melting love story and fabulous characterization trumps any weak plot lines. I enjoyed this book; it lingered on my mind for days afterward, and I can gladly recommend it.

#Wednesday Meme: What Am I Reading? What am I Writing?

“Maybe this is why we read, and why in moments of darkness we return to books: to find words for what we already know.”
Alberto Manguel, A Reading Diary: A Passionate Reader’s Reflections on a Year of Books

 

It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time to talk about what I’m reading and what I’m writing. Because nothing happens in a vacuum, least of all writing.

What I’m reading now: Blood Magick by Nora Roberts. It’s the third book in her latest trilogy. Once upon a time, Nora released these types of books more often, sometimes within a few months of each other. Her last few, though, have come out over a long stretch of time, and I find that difficult. I read so many books between-times that I have a hard time remembering what happened in the first two.

pjelT0EsThis particular trilogy has been a little more difficult for me, too. I love setting–Ireland–and the premise: three witches, two siblings and one cousin–who come together at the right time to fight against a particularly dark evil that has attacked their family over generations. For me, it’s the characters who are falling just a little flat. Don’t get me wrong: I’m enjoying it, just perhaps not quite as much as I have some of Nora’s other trilogies. Still, reading Nora is always a pleasure, and since she does release less often these days, I’m savoring every word.

I do have to say that I just finished Cora Carmack’s latest release All Broke Down, a Rusk University novel. I’d enjoyed the first one so much that I couldn’t wait for this new book–and I wasn’t disappointed. As a matter of fact, I think I enjoyed this book even more than the first. If you like New Adult romance, you’ll love this one. Especially if you also like football. . .and football players.

What I’m writing now: I’m working on I Choose You, the third book in the Perfect Dish Duo. Yes, I know: a third book in a duo is clearly messed up. But I Choose You is a sort of bonus book: it’s the story of two weddings involving the characters in the first two books, Best Served Cold and Just Desserts. I’m having a blast spending more time with these characters. The book releases December 21st, just in time for Christmas.

See what other people are reading by checking out the links on Literary Addicts here. Happy reading!