Year One: Chronicles of the One, Book 1

 

I've finished Year One the first book in her Chronicles of the One series by Nora Roberts.

Product Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A stunning new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts ― Year One is an epic of hope and horror, chaos and magick, and a journey that will unite a desperate group of people to fight the battle of their lives.

It began on New Year’s Eve.

The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed―and more than half of the world’s population was decimated.

Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magick rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river ― or in the ones you know and love the most.

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.

The end has come. The beginning comes next.

Product details
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (Dec 5 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250122953
ISBN-13: 978-1250122957

My Review:

Characters:  The characters were really fleshed out and well written.   You cared for some and others you didn't!

Villains:  I was really happy that we didn't know who the villains were right away and only if you were paying attention you might guess who they were!  Very sick and twisted relationship!

3.5/5

Thanks St. Martin's Press for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

RS Review: The Liar

I've finished "The Liar" by Nora Roberts.

Product Description

The extraordinary new novel by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Collector.

Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions

The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs. The man she loved wasn’t just dead. He never really existed.

Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows — and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning.

About the Author

Nora Roberts is the number-one New York Times–bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including The Collector, Whiskey Beach, The Witness, and many more. She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 400 million copies of her books in print.

Product Details
Hardcover: 512 pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons; First Edition edition (April 14, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399170863
ISBN-13: 978-0399170867

My Review:

I really like the closeness of the family and they support and love each other unconditionally!

It was great that Griff knew that he was in love with Shelby and her daughter and he was very determined to wait until she realized it too!  Wow he so patient and kind!  Loved that he was renovating his house with Shelby and her daughter in mind! 

4/5

RS Review: The Collector (Hardcover)

I've finished "The Collector" by Nora Roberts.

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a novel of a woman who needs nothing, a man who sees everything, and the web of deceit, greed, and danger that brings them together — and could tear them apart.

When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one.

Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn’t capable of violence — against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their investigation draws them into a ratified circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession.

Product Details
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition first Printing edition (April 15, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399164456
ISBN-13: 978-0399164453

My Review:

Lila Emerson enjoys her job as house-sitter for wealthy clients.  Some of the places she stays in are gorgeous and all over the world and she takes care of the home, pets and whatever else to keep the clients happy.  She also writes YA werewolf books during her free time and in-between house sitting she lives with her best friend Julie who has been divorced twice.  Most of the places have fantastic views and she carries a pair of binoculars in her suitcase.

Her latest stint is in central NYC taking care of a luxury apartment.  One night when she is looking out the window with her binoculars she witnesses a beautiful woman being hit and pushed out a window.  Her male companion is found dead in their apartment with signs of suicide by the cops.

During the investigation she is approached by the male victim's brother Ashton Archer a gorgeous famous artist from a wealthy family for more information.  They decide to team up to investigate what really happened and why.

There are secondary characters that really support and help both the hero and heroine.  I really enjoyed the second chance romance between Luke and Julie. 

3.5/5

Dark Witch (Deckle Edge) (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy) Paperback

I've finished "Dark Witch" the 1st book in her Cousins O'Dwyer series by Nora Roberts.

First in the all-new Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a trilogy about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love.

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland.

County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations — and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.

When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.

Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself — and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope — and love — alive.

Don’t miss the next two books in the Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy
Shadow Spell
and
Blood Magick

Product Details
Series: The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy (Book 1)
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (October 29, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425259854
ISBN-13: 978-0425259856

My Review:

I really enjoyed the back story at the beginning of the book but the arrival to the present day one was a bit of a shock.

The romance between Iona and Boyle and also the other relationships were kind of hasty.

3/5

RS Review: Carolina Moon [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Carolina Moon" by Nora Roberts.

Product Description

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts — an utterly spellbinding tale about a woman who, though battered in both body and spirit, can never lose Hope.
Tory Bodeen grew up in South Carolina, in a small run-down house, where her father ruled with an iron fist and a leather belt — and where her dreams and talents had no room to flourish. But she had Hope, who lived in the big house just a short skip away and whose friendship allowed Tory to be something she wasn’t allowed to be at home: a child.

After young Hope’s brutal murder, unsolved to this day, Tory’s life began to fall apart. And now, as she returns to her hometown, with plans to settle in and open a stylish home-design shop, she is determined to find a measure of peace and free herself from the haunting visions of the past. As she forges a new bond with Cade Lavelle — Hope’s older brother and the heir to the family fortune — she isn’t sure whether the tragic loss they share will unite them or drive them apart. But she is willing to open her heart, just a little, and try.

Living so close to those unhappy memories will be more difficult and frightening than Tory could ever have expected, however. Because Hope’s murderer is nearby as well.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 470 pages
Publisher: Jove (April 1, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0515130389
ISBN-13: 978-0515130386

My Review:

Tori (Victoria) Bodeen grew up in South Carolina with a religious fanatic father who would beat her to get rid of her psychic powers (she can sense people and their circumstances) and her mother who didn't protect her.   Hope Lavelle was her only friend who helped her escape her troubled home by letting her be a regular kid by having fun, etc.  Hope was eight when she was brutally murdered and raped and Tori experienced the event which has affected how she interacts with people.  The case has never been solved and she has decided to come home to confront her troubled childhood and to learn the truth of Hope's murder and who did it.

Hope's older brother Cade tries to get close to Tori but she rejects him.  She doesn't like getting close to people because they don't appreciate her gift and they get offended by it.  Cade doesn't give up and eventually melts Tori's heart with his charming self and his looks.

All of the characters were well developed with their own interesting story lines. 

3/5

Contemp Review: The Perfect Hope: Book Three of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy (The Inn Trilogy) [Paperback]

I've finished reading "The Perfect Hope" the 3rd book in her Inn BoonsBoro trilogy by Nora Roberts.

A new novel of starting over and star-crossed love.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts introduces you to the Montgomery brothers — Beckett, Ryder, and Owen — as they bring an intimate bed-and-breakfast to life in their hometown.

Ryder is the hardest Montgomery brother to figure out — with a tough-as-nails outside and possibly nothing too soft underneath. He’s surly and unsociable, but when he straps on a tool belt, no woman can resist his sexy swagger. Except apparently Hope Beaumont, the innkeeper of his own Inn BoonsBoro.

As the former manager of a D.C. hotel, Hope is used to excitement and glamour, but that doesn’t mean she can’t appreciate the joys of small-town living. She’s where she wants to be — except for in her love life. Her only interaction with the opposite sex has been sparring with the infuriating Ryder, who always seems to get under her skin. Still, no one can deny the electricity that crackles between them a spark that ignited with a New Year’s Eve kiss.

While the Inn is running smoothly, thanks to Hope’s experience and unerring instincts, her big-city past is about to make an unwelcome — and embarrassing — appearance. Seeing Hope vulnerable stirs up Ryder’s emotions and makes him realize that while Hope may not be perfect, she just might be perfect for him.

About the Author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels.She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 400 million copies of her books in print.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; First Printing edition (November 6, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425246043
ISBN-13: 978-0425246047

My Review:

Ryder Montgomery is a hardworking and serious construction worker who is annoyed by the prim and proper innkeepr Hope Beaumont.  He thinks she is gorgeous with her killer stilettos which makes her legs seem like miles long.

Hope Beaumont is the innkeeper of BoonsBoro Inn and she is recovering from a humiliating relationship which makes her flee from DC to the quaint small town and the inn.  She thinks Ryder is handsome and she isn't above watching him without his shirt on at the construction site across the street.

We also conclude the story of Lizzy an ancestor of Hope and her beau Billy (who we find out is a relative of Ryders).

4/5

RS Review: The Witness [Hardcover]

I've finished "The Witness" by Nora Roberts.

Product Description

Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man’s seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems — and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail’s reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something — and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399159126
ISBN-13: 978-0399159121

My Review:

This book was well written with exciting twists and turns and an interesting plot. 

Elizabeth Finch was brought into this world by artificial insemination to a cold women lacking any emotions and is a pre-med student with an eidetic memory at 16 years old.  She rebels one night and as a result loses a friend and watching a man shot by the Russian mafia .  She goes into witness protection but she isn't safe and goes into hiding for the next 12 years.

Now living in Bickford, Arkansas as Abigail Lowery who lives in her mini fortress.  She has top of the line security alarm, the doors and windows have several locks on them and carries a gun.  She also has a massive mastiff as a guard dog who would kill on signal.  She only interacts with the local townfolks when she really needs to (shopping for food).

Brook Gleason is the well-liked and respected police chief who has taken a professional and personal interest in Abigail.  He senses she is hiding something or running away from someone and is determined to bring her out of her shell.  He decides he wants to get to know her better and even though he respects her boundaries he slowly and carefully helps her stretch them.

Abigail and Brooks characters were both well developed and I was really rooting for their HEA.

I really liked Abigail for rebelling and going against her mom, she was exceptionally smart, taught herself how to survive, courageous and loves animals.

4/5

Thanks Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Chasing Fire [Hardcover]

I've finished "Chasing Fire" by Nora Roberts.

Product Description

The number-one New York Times - bestselling author delves into the world of elite firefighters who thrive on danger and adrenaline - men and women who wouldn't know how to live life if it wasn't on the edge.

There's little as thrilling as firefighting - at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home - even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering.

Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is one of the strongest ever - and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kids' arcade.

Everything is thrown off balance when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year's tragedy. Rowan knows she can't complicate things with Gull - any distractions in the air or on the ground could mean the end - but if she doesn't find someone she can lean on, she may not make it through the summer. . . .

Product Details
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (April 12, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780399157448
ISBN-13: 978-0399157448

My Review:

Storyline:  Last season Rowan watched her jump partner, Jim Brayner, die while on a jump with her.  She is blames herself  and still has issues with it she has to get past ... like the dreams that have been haunting her.

Gull is determined for Rowan to let him 'in', and in his own dogged way inserts himself into her daily routine...they are just beginning to have a relationship when the woman who had been dating Jim, the jump partner who'd died, shows back up on the base begging for a job and because she is pregnant with what might be Jim's child, is given one. But she blames Rowan  and is determined to make her life hell.

Characters:   Rowan is strong and independent woman who is hard but fair. She is a good trainer and team leader. I loved the scenes in which she trained the new smoke jumpers and the way she supported them and joked with them was admirable.  She is also quick tempered, loyal to her friends and family and very protective of her dad.  Man she could even kick butt!

Gull is intelligent, interested in a lot of variety of different things and seems to live his life exactly the way he wants to.  I really enjoyed their highly entertaining bantering dialogue and the way Gull focused on Rowan and never gave up on her.   I'm really glad Rowan gave him a chance.

I loved reading about the camaraderie of the smoke jumpers and about their missions. The smoke jumpers are like a small family who love to rib each other and there are a lot of funny scenes between them.  I was  interested in reading about their operations and I was impressed that with every jump into the flames they risked their lives.
  
Romance:   Both Rowan and Gull are such a wonderful couple because they support each other and work well together. 

I also enjoyed the smaller love story between Rowan's father and a woman he meets. Their relationship is so cute and sweet and shows that you are never too old to find love.

Killer(s):  The killer was pretty screwed up and life wasn't so great for them.

5/5

Thanks Laura from Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Black Hills [Large Print] [Hardcover]

I've finished "Black Hills" by Nora Roberts.

Product Description

#1 New York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts takes us deep into the rugged Black Hills of South Dakota, where the shadows keep secrets, hunters stalk the land, and a childhood friendship matures into an adult passion.

A summer at his grandparents' South Dakota ranch is not eleven-year-old Cooper Sullivan's idea of a good time. But things are a bit more bearable now that he's discovered the neighbor girl, Lil Chance, and her homemade batting cage. Even horseback riding isn't as awful as Coop thought it would be. Each year, with Coop's annual summer visit, their friendship deepens from innocent games to stolen kisses, but there is one shared experience that will forever haunt them: the terrifying discovery of a hiker's body.

As the seasons change and the years roll, Lil stays steadfast to her dreams of becoming a wildlife biologist and protecting her family land, while Coop struggles with his father's demand that he attend law school and join the family firm. Twelve years after they last walked together hand in hand, fate has brought them back to the Black Hills when the people and things they hold most dear need them most.

An investigator in New York, Coop recently left his fastpaced life to care for his aging grandparents and the ranch he has come to call home. Though the memory of his touch still haunts her, Lil has let nothing stop her dream of opening the Chance Wildlife Refuge, but something . . . or someone . . . has been keeping a close watch. When small pranks and acts of destruction escalate into the heartless killing of Lil's beloved cougar, recollections of an unsolved murder in these very hills have Coop springing to action to keep Lil safe.

Lil and Coop both know the natural dangers that lurk in the wild landscape of the Black Hills. But now they must work together to unearth a killer of twisted and unnatural instincts who has singled them out as prey.

Product Details
Hardcover: 752 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult; Lrg edition (July 7, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399155872
ISBN-13: 978-0399155871

My Review:
 
I highly recommend this book if you like fast paced and well written story with great characters!
 
Storyline: There is two storylines with the first one is who killed a victim 15 yrs ago, some recent murders and who is after Lil and the second is the relationship between Lil and Cooper. 

Characters: All of the main characters were well written and I really enjoyed the history between Lil and Cooper. I could understand why Coop did what he did when he broke up with Lil (the reason behind it).  He wanted to become a cop and he did (he was one hell of a cop) and then went into security.  When a colleague is killed he decided he had enough and moved back home with his grandparents to help them.  Lil became a world-renowned biologist who specializes in wild cats and founded the Chance Wildlife Reserve.

Romance: I enjoyed the romance between Cooper and Lil because I enjoy books where the main characters are former lovers who find their way back to each other and they both are haunted by the dead body of girl they found 15 yrs ago.  I'm really glad they are finally back together at the end because they both love each other and it was young foolish thing that Coop did to lose Lil!

Killer: The main killer was just sick and really enjoyed his killings (had no remorse).  He believes he's god gift to woman and the reason for his killing is that they are invading his people's land.  He watched his father kill his mom when he was 15 (I believe)!

4/5

The Search [Hardcover]

I've finished "The Search" by Nora Roberts.

Product Description

The #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a riveting novel where a canine search and rescue volunteer fights danger and finds love in the Pacific Northwest wilderness.

To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life-a quaint house on an island off Seattle's coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescues. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare...

Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer, who shot and killed Fiona's cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He's the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon's house, and he's at his wit's end.

To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can't handle. Simon, however, is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he's a rugged and in-tensely private artist, known for the exquisite furniture he creates from wood. Simon never wanted a puppy-and he most definitely doesn't want a woman. Besides, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to his hormones.

As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona's life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands...

Product Details

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition first Printing edition (July 6, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399156577
ISBN-13: 978-0399156571

My Review:

Storyline: I really enjoyed the storyline because I'm a huge animal lover and I'm interested in finding out what Canine Search and Rescue teams do.  Loved the interaction with Jaws the out of control puppy and how smart he is and the knack he has to become a great Search and Rescue dog.

Characters:  Fiona is a great character because after her tragic event she became strong, powerful and didn't let it bring her down.  She loves her dogs and the people in her life!  Simon is also a great character because he's anti-social, swears alot and rude, messy and doesn't really care what people think of him!

Romance: I loved the romance between Fiona and Simon because it was well written, they are total opposites of each other but they are what they exactly needed!  You can really see the chemistry and heat between them even though Simon keeps saying "she's not his type!"

Killer:  The original killer doesn't like his kills to be messy, he's well organized, smart, etc.  The copycat killer really gets into his kills, he's deranged and loves to hurt women!

5/5

Thanks Browyn from Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review on my blog, greatly appreciated!