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As her fans well know, in 1979 a blizzard trapped Roberts at home for a week with two bored little kids and a dwindling supply of chocolate. To maintain her sanity, Roberts started scribbling a story -- a romance novel like the Harlequin paperbacks she'd recently begun reading. The resulting manuscript was rejected by Harlequin, but that didn't matter to Roberts. She was hooked on writing. Several rejected manuscripts later, her first book was accepted for publication by Silhouette.
For several years, Roberts wrote category romances for Silhouette -- short books written to the publisher's specifications for length, subject matter and style, and marketed as part of a series of similar books. Roberts has said she never found the form restrictive. "If you write in category, you write knowing there's a framework, there are reader expectations," she explained. "If this doesn't suit you, you shouldn't write it. I don't believe for one moment you can write well what you wouldn't read for pleasure."
Roberts never violated the reader's expectations, but she did show a gift for bringing something fresh to the romance formula. Her first book, Irish Thoroughbred (1981), had as its heroine a strong-willed horse groom, in contrast to the fluttering young nurses and secretaries who populated most romances at the time. But Roberts's books didn't make significant waves until 1985, when she published Playing the Odds, which introduced the MacGregor clan. It was the first bestseller of many.
Roberts soon made a name for herself as a writer of spellbinding multigenerational sagas, creating families like the Scottish MacGregors, the Irish Donovans and the Ukrainian Stanislaskis. She also began working on romantic suspense novels, in which the love story unfolds beneath a looming threat of violence or disaster. She grew so prolific that she outstripped her publishers' ability to print and market Nora Roberts books, so she created an alter ego, J.D. Robb. Under the pseudonym, she began writing romantic detective novels set in the future. By then, millions of readers had discovered what Publishers Weekly called her "immeasurable diversity and talent."
Although the style and substance of her books has grown, Roberts remains loyal to the genre that launched her career. As she says, "The romance novel at its core celebrates that rush of emotions you have when you are falling in love, and it's a lovely thing to relive those feelings through a book."
Roberts sued fellow writer Janet Dailey in 1997, accusing her of plagiarizing numerous passages of her work over a period of years. Dailey paid a settlement and publicly apologized, blaming stress and a psychological disorder for her misconduct.
Anonymous
Posted June 28, 2011
Nora Roberts is always a good read and I love her work as a whole. My problem is that barnes & noble consistently misrepresents the publishing date of old novels. The information on this book shows a publish date of 6/20/2011 when it was actually published in paperback form in 1996. As a frequent customer I am furious that I must check other websites to find out the exact publish date of books because I can no longer trust barnes & noble to do the right thing!!!!!!!!!!!!
65 out of 66 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.TKsBaskets
Posted June 27, 2011
Sigh, who doesn't love a man in uniform. Even better one who's love a woman for years and is part of a hunky family of brothers.
I have dog-eared copies of this entire series. Now I have them safely in my nook library! This is a great series to go to when you need a great story, wonderful interconnected family, and guys that love their women.
Reading order (for those who asked): Rafe, Jared, Devin, then Shane.
36 out of 36 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BJ38
Posted September 18, 2011
I really enjoy Nora Roberts books but she is about to lose me as a reader! I doubt that B&N is responsible for the misrepresentation of the copyright dates. It is likely the company responsible for creating the ebooks. Both B&N and Nora Roberts should make certain that dates for all future are corrected! SOON.
12 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.theReader278
Posted July 10, 2011
I Also Recommend:
I enjoyed this book so much! I have read most of Nora Roberts's books and this is one of my favourites! Great characters. Interesting story! Can only recommend
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 22, 2012
This is a short story...not a book. It should be packaged with all 4 stories of the MacKade brothers.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 31, 2012
I found my favorite MacKade! I actually cried by the end of this book! Its so good! Only thing is that all the MacKade stories are short ....but they sure are sweet! :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I loved this story of Devin MacKade, town sheriff, and Cassie Dolin, a woman he's loved for twelve years and who was married to a man that physically and emotionally abused her. Devin is a patient and thoughtful man who fell in love with Cassie's children and helped them heal from their experience living in an abusive environment. Cassie's transformation was realistic and Devin's limitations on his patience was understandable but long overdue. His sensitivity endeared him to me and has him be a standout from his brothers. The climax of the story was exciting and the final scene was a definite tear jerker. This is my favorite of the series.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 18, 2011
Great series
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Lilrose
Posted March 8, 2013
I love Nora Roberts and all her books.... And always want more....!!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 17, 2013
R u sure?
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 8, 2012
Could someone please tell me the names of the other books and the order?
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 14, 2012
If there was a plus after the five stars I would add it to this novel. I have read the first two books in this series and really loved them but this one was by far my favorite. I have not cried or laughed out loud over a book in a long time. I can not wait to read the final book in this series!
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Posted July 15, 2012
A
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 13, 2012
Enjoyed all of the books in the Mackade Brothers series
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Lovely Cassie Connor married the man she thought was the image of her dreams, but Joe was quick to anger and abusive. Cassie endured years of brutal beatings, hiding the truth and the bruises from her friend, Sheriff Devin MacKade and from all of the townspeople, too. However, when Joe took his anger out on their two kids, it was over. Joe was locked away in prison and Cassie mercifully granted a divorce.
So, Cassie and her kids started over, but their emotional scars took a long time to heal. Now that Cassie was single again, Devin wanted to let Cassie know how he felt about her, but she was still a little gun shy about any kind of relationship. Slowly, Devin started to wear her down. With patience, love and understanding, Cassie caught a glimpse of what life with Devin would be like.
Meanwhile, Joe was doing his best to be a model prisoner. His good behavior got him assigned to a prisoner road detail working just outside of Antietam. There, he bided his time, waiting for the moment when he could escape and go back to teach Cassie the lesson he thought she deserved.
Spousal and child abuse are tough subjects and I applaud Nora Roberts for handling these problems in the form of an inspiring and uplifting story. This is a testament to the strength and power of an enduring love, the kind that lasts for a lifetime.
booklover1LC
Posted June 28, 2012
I loved it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.bridgerider
Posted June 26, 2012
This whole MacKade series was an great read. Check it out
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DanaD0
Posted June 25, 2012
I Also Recommend:
This entire series is amazing. Pure enjoyment!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 22, 2012
Not bad but not a great read either.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.CK11
Posted June 22, 2012
Enjoyed Devin's story as much as that of his brothers. Recommend that you read books 1 and 2 first or you will know how Rafe and Jared ended up already as this book is a continuation of their lives as well as focusing on Devin. Easy read; the ghosts of the past are still there along with the small town relationships.
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Overview
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?