Title: Honest Illusions Author: Nora Roberts
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: February 5, 2015
Publisher: Piatkus
ASIN: B00S9T9UNW
Roxy Nouvelle understands the art of deception. The daughter of a world-renowned magician, Roxy has inherited her father's talents—and his secret life as a jewel thief. She loves the thrill of the game and can take care of herself.
Roxy is smart and resilient, but she has one weakness: Luke Callahan, a sexy escape artist with a roguish reputation. Five years ago they fell into a passionate affair—but then, true to his art—he disappeared, leaving Roxy brokenhearted and furious.
Now Luke is back, trailing secrets and danger in his wake. Why did he run out on Roxy all those years ago? And can she ever trust him again?
My rating:
Roxy and Luke grew up together, ever since her father took the runaway boy under his wing, and through time, their relationship changed from initial animosity to friendship, and in the end, love. But Luke's past came back to haunt him, and he left his family, and his heart, behind to protect them.
But now, after five years, he's back, determined to get it all, especially Roxy, back no matter the cost.
I must confess these "time progression" stories by Ms Roberts are hit-and-miss for me. Unfortunately, this one falls into the "miss" category. I can't really put my finger on why that is, it simply didn't pull me in. It actually dragged too slow and too long in the beginning, establishing the characters, their history, and their relationships, and it definitely took too long to get back to the present...And then, finally in the present, everything was resolved rather quickly.
I guess the prologue, set in the present, ruined it for me, since the story immediately moved back into the past, and the whole reason for the anger in the prologue, took too long to be explained. Or maybe it's just me.
I also didn't really connect with any of the characters, and the main couple left me especially cold. Roxy was a brat and Luke was a jerk for the better part of the story, and once they finally started to get interesting, it all went down the drain thanks to an especially twisted villain, whose motive was a bit far-fetched, if you ask me, and his actions rather disproportionate compared to the "offense". I know crazy people think differently, but still. It was a bit too much.
Some reviewers complained Roxy was too quick to forgive Luke for abandoning her for five years, but I found the resolution to the conflict refreshingly quick. Which it had to be, since the book was running out of page space. 😉
It was better than some contemporaries out there, but still only average in Ms Roberts' opus.
3 stars, contemporary, contemporary romance, Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb, suspense/mystery/adventure/thriller
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