The Search by

26 November 2010


Genre: ,
Setting:

ISBN: 9780749941796

On a chilly morning in February with a misty tain shuttering the windows, Devin and Rosie Cauldwell made slow, sleepy love.

Fiona Bristow lives on Orcas Island, a close-knit community, where she runs a dog training centre. She also has 3 dogs of her own, labradors trained in search and rescue, and often called upon to find the missing. But her idyllic seeming life hides a secret[1] When she was younger she survived an attack from a serial killer. Her description, and the fact that the killer then went after her fiancé, a cop and his dog, and killed them, are the reason he was arrested. Now some one else is out there using the same m.o. And not only does Fiona have to put up with the fact that maybe this new copy-cat is coming after her, but there is also a new man on the island. Brooding and artistic, Simon Doyle might just be worth having around.

I’ve never read any Nora Roberts before, but I started this while doing cover at one of our smaller branches, and although I didn’t finish it then, when another copy came in at work I figured I may as well finish what I’d started. Plus it had puppies!

And in many ways it is very similar to my previous read, Lady of Quality, which makes sense I suppose, they are both romances. But even allowing for that. You have a central female character who wants to maintain her independence and her own life, when along comes a rude male who just so happens to turn out to be the love of her life. Okay, so the setting is hugely different, and you don’t get many serial killers showing up in regency romances, but a romance is a romance.

This isn’t as well written as Heyer’s though. It is entertaining enough, and a quick read, but it never managed to grab me as much as Heyer’s books do. Maybe I just never got Simon. His “thing” seems to be that he is grumpy. And has rage issues. But it had puppies to distract me, although these are more the perfect mary-sue type dogs than any I’ve experienced in real life :)

All in all a fairly solid entertaining read, but I wouldn’t be rushing off to read more by Roberts. Wouldn’t run a mile either mind, just not fussed one way or the other.

Other reviews: Impressions of a reader ; Persephone reads ; I read good

Linknotes:

  1. Damn I really gotta stop coming out with these cliched lines

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4 Responses

  1. Caroline says:

    I haven't read any Nora Roberts either. I got something somewhere. I am always so curious when I know a writer has a lot of fans, wanna find out what it's all about. The puppies sound like the most appealing in this one. I am a sucker for animals in books (and in life).
    Caroline´s last blog post ..Roger Martin du Gard- Confidence africaine aka African Secret 1931

    • Fence says:

      I have to say that it isn't one I'd actually recommend. But it wasn't terrible, so for a way to pass the time without overly engaging your brain.

  2. I've read a few Nora Roberts, but usually I don't care for modern anything. I love Heyer, she is actually my all time favorite Regency Romance author….

    I realize I haven't added much to the conversation here…. The main reason I'm leaving a comment is to say that I love the title of your blog "Susan Hated Literature" and your tagline "She'd much prefer to read a good book". I laughed outloud when I read it because I could not agree more.

    Smiles,

    Teresa
    Teresa Thomas Bohann´s last blog post ..The Beautiful Lady Emma Hamilton Regency Romance Era Supermodel

    • Fence says:

      Thanks Teresa, it is actually a line from a Terry Pratchett book. And it is so very true :)

      I don't think that I've heard from anyone who has ever read a Heyer and hasn't enjoyed it