After receiving a box full of books from my mother, I came across a few novellas by Nora Roberts that I’ve read in the past and have enjoyed enough that I felt the need to write up reviews for them. I’ll be honest, I haven’t re-read them, but skimmed through them enough to write up the reviews, so if I leave anything out, you can tar and feather me later. The four novellas are (in no particular order): Untamed, Less of a Stranger, From This Day, and Blithe Images. Here are their reviews.
Jo Wilder had the heart of a lion and the temper of a wildcat. And when Keane Prescott crossed her path, she bared her claws. Jo was certain her charming new boss imperiled everything she cared for, but she couldn’t deny the attraction between them. Though Keane’s kisses left her breathless, it was his tenderness that threatened to tame her heart.
The emotional fight between Keane and Jo is as fragile as the bonds of a lion tamer and the lions. While both of them feel the attraction, Jo’s job and Keane’s decision continually interferes with any kind of relationship they try to build. Roberts does a great job showing us the dangers of being a lion tamer as well as the emotional wreck a tamer’s loved one can go through. Untamed is definitely a nice and easy read for anyone looking for something quick. I’m pretty sure this novella is out of print, but you can find it in the two-in-one novel, Dream Makers, along with Less of a Stranger.
Less of a Stranger
Confident and colossally arrogant, David Katcherton swept into Megan Miller’s life and awakened feelings that had long been lying dormant. But she wasn’t about to fall for this irresistible stranger who was after her grandfather’s business. As Katch challenged her to fulfill her dreams, he also aroused passions she’d never known before….
I have to be honest about this novella, Less of a Stranger didn’t hook me as easily as some of Robert’s other novels. It seemed really formulaic with a hot shot real estate developer going after a run down carnival and ending up falling for the carnival owner’s granddaughter. The story itself wasn’t bad, but it has never made me want to pick it up and read it again. I’m pretty sure this novella is out of print, but you can find it in the two-in-one novel, Dream Makers, along with Untamed.
When B. J. Clark, manager of the Lakeside Inn, met the new owner, Taylor Reynolds, she was fully prepared to dislike him. She feared–and with good reason–that he planned to transform her lovely, sleepy old hotel into a resort for jet-setters. But when sparks flew between them, B.J. soon found herself torn between her professional antagonism and her growing attraction to the man she had sworn to despise.
Again, just a tad bit formulaic with the businessman who just took over a small town business. This time around, the business is a small bed and breakfast in Vermont and the hotel is a little old fashioned, which is all apart of it’s charm. BJ is very much the small town girl who catches the interest of the jet setting Taylor and their worlds clash a little, but as with all of Robert’s novels, there is definitely a HEA ending. This is another one of those novellas that I enjoyed reading at the time, yet nothing about it stands out. I remember the premise about it, but it didn’t hook me enough to want to re-read it. I’m pretty sure this novella is out of print, but you can find it in the two-in-one novel, By My Side, along with Temptation.
Beneath her sophisticated beauty, fashion model Hilary Baxter was still just a small-town girl from Kansas. How could she be expected to resist the devastating charm of her new employer, mesmerizing magazine mogul Bret Bardoff? Bret knew all the moves, all the right things to say to leave a woman defenseless. But as he discovered the alluring innocence behind Hillary’s world-famous face, it was Bret who was left defenseless…against the pull of his own heart.
This is one of those stories that tend to stay with you. You may not remember everything, but the moment you pick it up again, you get sucked into the story and bits and pieces start to come back to you. The whole idea of the small town girl finding love with the big city businessman isn’t exactly new, but Roberts adds her own twist and gives it a fresh take. While I admit I haven’t been re-reading these novellas to write up the reviews, I’m really tempted to continue reading Blithe Images. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a good romance and this one has all the necessary emotions – irritation, hard to get, acceptance, and finally the fight to get the HEA.
Erg, just dropping by to tell you I finally answered your questions to my WG#12 post. You can find them here:
http://www.inthelouvre.org/sunday-salon/the-sunday-salon-reading-writing-mini-reviews/
Thanks for asking, I had a lot of fun trying to come up with intelligent answers! :p