book club

The MacKade Brothers: Devin and Shane by Nora Roberts

 The Heart of Devin MacKade

Devin MacKade knew it was his destiny to serve and protect the small town of Antietam, Maryland. And he always suspected his future should have little Cassie Connor in it. After Cassie married the wrong man, Devin tried to convince himself there would be other women, other loves. Now, after Cassie's divorce, Devin can finally follow his heart. But can Cassie follow hers?

The Fall of Shane MacKade

Shane MacKade loved women. He loved the look of them, the smell of them, the taste of them—everything about them. So the last thing he expected was to become a one-woman man. And even more surprising was that it was the Ph.D.-toting academic Rebecca McKnight that had him heading for a fall. Are Shane's days as a bachelor over? It's a possibility.

(thanks to amazon)

This was a fun introduction to the MacKade family and I liked seeing how both boys turned their romances around. Although I do think that these shorter NR books are a slight disappointment because she seems to stuff so much story into a couple hundred pages that it is hard to really get into the characters and their lives. It is as though we are just settled and then it all ends. But, sweet characters and it even had a touch of the spiritual/ghost world. (By the way, I was introduced to NR through her most recent novels in InnbonsBoro and I felt like the MacKade brothers are rather similar to the Montgomery boys and their stories...) Nonetheless,I give it a B.

Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood

Jordan Buchanan is thrilled that her brother and best friend are tying the knot. The wedding is a lavish affair—for the marriage of Dylan Buchanan and Kate MacKenna is no ordinary occasion. It represents the joining of two family dynasties. The ceremony and reception proceed without a hitch—until a crasher appears claiming to be a MacKenna guest. The disheveled and eccentric professor of medieval history warns that there's "bad blood" between the couple's clans, stemming from an ancient feud that originated in Scotland and involving the Buchanan theft of a coveted MacKenna treasure.
Jordan has always led a cautious life and has used her intelligence and reason to become a successful businesswoman. So she is intrigued but skeptical of the professor's claims that the feud has been kept alive by the grave injustices the Buchanans have perpetrated over the centuries. But when Noah Clayborne, a close family friend and a man who has never let a good time or a pretty woman pass him by, accuses Jordan of being trapped in her comfort zone, she determines to prove him wrong and sets out on a spontaneous adventure to the small, dusty town of Serenity, Texas, to judge the professor's research for herself.
Maneuvering through a close-knit community in which everyone knows everyone else's business, Jordan never anticipates the danger and intrigue that lie in her path, nor the threat that will shadow her back to Boston, where even in familiar surroundings her life is at risk.
A powerful thug who rules by fear, a man who harbors a simmering secret, and an unexpected romance that pierces all defenses—Julie Garwood weaves these dazzling elements into Shadow Dance, a searing tango of passion and peril.
(thanks to her website)

A fast and enjoyable read,like usual. I liked revisiting the Buchanan Family and seeing who would finally match up with the manly and charismatic Noah. Twists even at the end and I sort of saw them coming but I also thought the bad guy was going to be someone else. It was a bit annoying with the slight cliffhanger at the end, and I feel like a lot of her couples are similar (the guy is a tough guy and not sure and the girl knows the guy is hard to pin down but she falls in love with him anyways but tries to ignore it ) A good weekend read! I give it a B.