Bed of Roses (The Bride Quartet Book #2)
Author: Nora Roberts
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (October 27, 2009)
Recieved From: Library

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
This is book two in The Bride Quartet series, and I have to say that I really liked this one, much more than I liked first book in this series.

Emma is the florist part of Vows, the wedding company that herself and her three best friends had started. She is a romantic at heart, and she loves what she does. Unlike Mac who we read about in the first book, Emma cannot wait to fall in love and have her wedding with her happily ever after. The only problem is that she is realizing that she might want her happily ever after to be with someone who is so close to her, he's practically family.

Jack is a love'em and leave'em kinda guy. Not to say that he doesn't care about the girls he dates, but for the most part the romance has a shelf life of about 2 weeks. His problem is that he's starting to want more, with his best friends unofficial little sister.

I really liked the fact that there was no real 'bad guy' in this book. The only bad guy was the massive difference in personalities between Jack and Emma.
 
I don't know what it is about this book, that seemed to turn me into a blubbering baby, but I would have to guess every other chapter made me bawl my eyes out.  I think it's just the topic of weddings in general, that have been doing to me lately. But, seriously this was a great read.

I didn't want to put this book down, and when I did I often rushed through what I was doing so that I could get back to my book. The banter between Emma and her friends was spot on, and often I could imagine myself having the same type of conversation with my friends. And Emma and Jack, oh boy. They sure brought many a tear to my eye.

I would happily recommend this book to lovers of romance and anyone who just wants a real feel good read.

Vision in White
Author: Nora Roberts
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (April 28, 2009)

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary:
Mac fell in love with photography after capturing a rare moment with her friends as a child. From there on out trying to get Mac to step out from behind the lens was like trying to make a mime talk.

The thing I liked best about this book was that there was no real bad guy or massive conflict. Unless you count Mac's extremly selfish mother or Mac's intense fear of falling in love.

I noticed while reading this book that a lot of Nora Robert's books follow the same MO. The heroine is super strong often absorbed in her work and kind of scatterbrained. While the heroes are usually kind of nerdy or studious, and either super clumsy or really over the top athletic. Not a bad MO, really because the stories work and it gives strong women a chance to realize that love is out there for them too regardless of what they've gone through.

It was a quick read once I got into it. Almost mindless since I was able to put it down when I needed to and I was able to pick it back up and be sucked right back into the story. It did take me a little bit to get into, but I can't quite pinpoint why that was. When I got to the end however, I was disappointed. I didn't want it to end. I'm looking forward to reading the other installments in this series.

The Pagan Stone
Author: Nora Roberts
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Jove (November 25, 2008)

From the back of the book:
Years ago, after their blood brother ritual, Gage, Fox and Caleb emerged from the woods, each with a piece of bloodstone. Now, it will become their weapon in the final fight again the demon they awakened. Winner take all...

Shared nightmares, visions of blood and fire, and random violence plague the longtime friends and Quinn, Layla, and Cybil, the women bound to them by Fate. None of them can ignore the fact that, this year, the demon has grown stronger - feeding off the terror it creates. But now the three pieces of the bloodstone have been fused back together. If only they could figure out how to use it.

A gambling man like Gage has no trouble betting on his crew to find a way. And though he and Cybil share the gift of seeing the future, that's all they have in common. Were they to take their flirtation to the next level, it would be on their own terms, not because Fate decreed it. But Gage knows that a woman like Cybil - with her brains and strength and devastating beauty - can only bring him luck. Whether it's good or bad has yet to be determined - and could mean the difference between absolute destruction or an end ot the nightmare for Hawkins Hollow.

Personal Review:
This was a great series. The Sign of 7 series, is currently my favorite Nora Roberts series.

Growing up Gage had it rough, his father was a drunk and his mother was dead. Caleb and Fox, his friends, kept him grounded though. Their families treated him like one of their own, and made sure he always knew he belonged. Still that didn't stop him from chasing down the next card game. As a child he had it rough, and as a man he was rough and ready always looking for that next thrill, never wanting to stay in one place for too long. And yet every 7 years he found himself coming back to Hawkins Hollow to fight off whatever the boys had released that night when they were 10.

Cybil also had a rough life, her fathers death played a big part in her growing up. Yet, when she found Quinn she knew that she had a friend for life. Her attraction to Gabe was immense, and yet she didn't trust him. Didn't want to get involved with him, all she wanted to do was help her long time friend Quinn and her new friend Layla. She never thought she'd be falling in love.

The story moved quickly, the characters all had detailed backgrounds, and were very well rounded and written. I think that this series would be an awesome movie, if done right. There is enough paranormal in it to make it spooky, but enough romance and friendship to make it the perfect mix.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Key of Valor
Author: Nora Roberts
Paperback: 332 pages
Publisher: Jove Books (2004)

From the back of the book:

What happens when the very gods depend on mortals for help? That’s what
three very different young women find out when they are invited to
Warrior’s Peak.

Light and Knowledge have succeeded in their
quest, and two of the keys have been found. The final, and last, test
goes to Zoe McCourt - Valor.

Zoe has the courage to raise her
young son alone, and to face all the adversity life has thrown at them.
But will she have the courage to face a foe determined to do anything
to stop the third key from being found - even destroying everything -
and everyone - she loves?

Personal Review:
This ended one of the best trilogies I have read in a long time. Of course everybody lived happily ever after, but at the same time the road getting there wasn't very predictable. The characters in this one were fantastic. Zoe was one of my favorites, and Brad was just scrumptious. Defiantly one I'll be reading again.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Key of Knowledge
Author: Nora Roberts
Paperback: 352 Pages
Publisher: Jove (November 25, 2003)

From the back of the book:

What happens when the very gods depend on mortals for help? That’s what three very different young women find out when they are invited to Warrior’s Peak.

To Dana Steele books and the knowledge they hold are the key to contentment. But now that search for knowledge must include the second key needed to release three souls held captive by an evil god.

She won’t be alone, for she’s formed fast friendships with two very different women. She can’t allow herself to be distracted by the return of the man who broke her heart so long ago, for a danger beyond anyone’s imagination is determined to keep her from completing her quest.

Personal Review:
This book was a good solid read, if there ever was a sequel to read in order this is it. This book follows the first one (The Key of Light), and if you don’t read them in order it could be kind of confusing. Dana was such an amazing character to me. She’s the kind of person who takes charge and doesn’t let anyone hold her down, although she does have her moments of weakness, and she does have her flaws. The best part about this book was that Dana was a librarian, which made it speak to me even more since that is what I want to do. Although I think I could do without the whole immortal god threatening my way of life thing.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Key of Light (The Key Trilogy Book 1)
Author: Nora Robert
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Jove (October 28, 2003)

From the back of the book:

What happens when the very gods depend on mortals for help? That’s what three very different young women find out when they are invited to Warrior’s Peak.

The Malory Price Life Plan does not include a quixotic quest - but the strangers on Warrior’s Peak claim that she must find a key that will release three souls held captive by an evil god.

Little does she know that the quest will bring her two new friends, the love of her life, and danger beyond anyone’s imagination.

Personal Review:
This book set up the beginning of the trilolgy beautifully. Usually in the first book of a series, most authors spend too much time focusing on one person, instead of using the first book to set up the specific story and introduce the rest of the key players. All of the characters are different from one another in large ways, but they all compliment one another wonderfully. Flynn and Mal are a cute couple, he’s rough and relaxed where she’s soft and up tight. The other characters in this book are funny, Dana’s a librian with a temper, and Zoe is the mother with a heart of gold. The men folk in this series are just as amazing. Jordan is the bad boy author, and Brad is the rich guy with a good guy complex. The rest of this series is going to be good, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summer Pleasures
Author: Nora Roberts
Paperback: 532 pages
Publisher: Silhouette Books (August 1, 2002)

From the back of the book:
Second Nature - Wrangling an exclusive with notoriously reclusive Hunter Brown was a real coup for Celebrity magazine reporter Lee Radcliffe. But alone on a camping trip with the seductively mysterious author, she discovered it was Hunter she wanted…exclusively.

One Summer - A summer spent traveling across America with cynical, brooding photojournalist Shade Colby was not Celebrity photographer Bryan Mitchell’s idea of a dream assignment. They disagreed abotu everything - everything, that is, except the fierce attraction they could not deny.

Personal Review:
Second Nature - The first story in this book fell a little flat for me. While it was entertaining it just didn’t suck me in the way many stories written by Nora Roberts do. Lee felt a bit stuffy at times, which I guess was the way she was supposed to be given her personality, but for me it just felt as if it was being forced. Hunter was delicious, but in one of those ways that you know shortly after meeting or having him, you’d want to trade him in.

One Summer - I identified with this story much more than “Second Nature”. This read was quick and snappy, almost couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. Where as the other one turned me off, this one got me reading as fast as I humanly could. Bryan felt like someone I would be friends with, I kept finding myself wanting to offer her advice. Shade was someone that while I wouldn’t necessarily be friends with, he is someone I could see my friends with.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5