Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts

Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts
3 stars

Here the back cover:
Determined to re-evaluate her life, Jude Murray flees America to take refuge in Faerie Hill Cottage, where she immerses herself in the study of Irish folklore--and discovers hope for the future in the magic of the past...

Finally back home in Ireland after years of traveling, Aidan Gallagher possesses an uncommon understanding of his country's haunting myths. Although he's devoted to managing the family pub, a hint of wildness still glints in his stormy eyes--and in Jude, he sees a woman who can both soothe his heart and stir his blood. And he begins to share the legends of the land with her--while they create a passionate history of their own...

This is the first book in the trilogy. I read these in order though the posts are out of order. I liked the story overall. It did time me some time to get through this though. Jude, main female character, and Aidan, the main male character, resisted falling in love every freaking step of the way. I know that there has to be some conflict with coming to terms with falling in love with someone you weren't even looking for but it became a situation where I was like "Oh my god...get on with it already!" In the end the story was a good one but this was not my favorite of the series Tears of the Moon took that spot. It had the conflict but not so much resistance that it made it a chore to read.

Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts

Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts

3 stars read 08/18/2010

This is the last book in the trilogy. It is now Darcy Gallagher time to get matched up. Now anyone who read the second book knew that Trevor Magee, the guy who wanted to build the theater attached to the family pub, was going to be Darcy match. And what a match they are. She is so materalistic and consumed with beauty and attention. He has all the money that she could ever want but likes to have order and logic prevail. As we have learned throughout this series both parties will try to resist the spark but that old Irish magic is too strong to resist. Lady Gwen and Prince Carrick are almost reunited if just these last two stubborn souls would just get out of their heads and into their hearts.

From the back:

Darcy Gallagher possesses the voice of an angel, the looks of a temptress, and the temper of a hellcat. She has always believed she was fated to find fame and fortune and assumed it would come in the form of a rich man who would someday appear and sweep her off her feet. And when handsome developer Trevor Magee comes to Ardmore to build a theater that will tie in with the Gallaghers' pub, Darcy thinks she may have finally found her man.

Trevor can't deny his attraction to Darcy, but he is determined to keep things on an emotionally uncomplicated level. Besides, he has business with Darcy as well, as he intends to sign her to a recording contract that will bring her the wealth and lifestyle she desires. But Trevor underestimates the determination of the otherwordly Prince Carrick and Lady Gwendolyn, who are desperate to make their final love match. The more Trevor tries to keep his distance from Darcy (emotional distance, that is, since physically they can't resist one another) the closer he seems to get to her. Still, it will take a life-changing event and the near loss of all that Trevor values before he can realize just how deep his attachment to Darcy runs

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

3 stars

Here's the back:

The sequel to the beloved #1 New York Timesbestseller, The Friday Night Knitting Club. At the Manhattan knitting store founded by Georgia Walker, the members of the Friday Night Knitting Club-including Georgia's daughter Dakota, now a college freshman-continue to rely on each other for help, even as they struggle with new challenges: for Catherine, finding love after divorce; for Darwin, the hope for a family; for Lucie, being both a single mom and a caregiver for her elderly mother; and for seventy something Anita, a proposal of marriage from her sweetheart, Marty, that provokes the objections of her grown children. As the club's projects-an afghan, baby booties, a wedding coat-are pieced together, so is their understanding of the patterns underlying the stresses and joys of being a mother, wife, daughter, and friend. Because it isn't the difficulty of the garment that makes you a great knitter: it's the care and attention you bring to the craft-as well as how you adapt to surprises.

This was a good book. I listed to this as an audiobook. The story was well paced and engaging. The characters were relatable. I wanted to hear about what was going on with these ladies and their lives. Each character has her own seperate story but you don't get confused. They are all linked through the yarn shop and its owner who has died 5 years previous. The one character that did bother me was Lucie, she has a daughter but decided not to tell the child father that he has a child. How selfish is that? Her actions cheats the father but most importantly it cheats the child.

Shopaholic & Sister by Sophie Kinsella

Shopaholic & Sister
by Sophie Kinsella
rating 3 stars
Audio Book 5cds 6hours

back cover:
What’s a round-the-world honeymoon if you can’t buy the odd souvenir to ship back home? Like the twenty silk dressing gowns Becky found in Hong Kong…the hand-carved dining table (and ten chairs) from Sri Lanka…the, um, huge wooden giraffes from Malawi (that her husband Luke expressly forbade her to buy)… Only now Becky and Luke have returned home to London and Luke is furious. Two truckloads of those souvenirs have cluttered up their loft, and the bills for them are outrageous. Luke insists Becky go on a budget. And worse: her beloved best friend Suze has found a new best friend while Becky was away. Becky’s feeling rather blue—when her parents deliver some incredible news. She has a long-lost sister! Becky is thrilled! She’s convinced her sister will be a true soulmate. They’ll go shopping together, have manicures together.…Until she meets Jessica for the first time and gets the shock of her life. Surely Becky Bloomwood’s sister can’t…hate shopping?

Wedding Belles by Haywood Smith

Wedding Belles

by Haywood Smith

rating 3.5 stars

from back cover:

Georgia, Linda, Diane, Teeny, and Pru have been best friends since high school, and never have they needed one another more. Georgia’s precious twenty-eight-year-old daughter, Callie, has gone and gotten engaged. Usually this would be cause for celebration. After all, this is the South, where dreams of white dresses and wedding bells are as important as finding the perfect hat. But Callie’s intended groom just happens to be a man they went to high school and college with: Wild Man Wade! These women know more about the groom than the bride does. His drunken shenanigans. His wild oats. And all of his conquests as well as his mistakes. They can imagine him in the most inappropriate of circumstances, but not as a son-in-law!

With absolutely hilarious Southern observances and dead-on wit about mothers, daughters, marriage, and families, Wedding Belles will have you laughing and crying whether you live above or below the Mason-Dixon line

My Review

Georgia has been told by her daughter that she plans to marry 60 year old Wade. Wade is Callie's father best friend. Needless to say, Georgia is none to happy about this. She tries to think of ways to make this wedding not happen. Wade is a recovering alocholic and is just not the type of man she imagine her daughter to be with.

Against the advice of her friends she gets someone to delve into Wade's background. Or rather she asks her friend to find someone for her. She justifies this action thinking that its her job as a mother to find out if Wade has any skeltons in his closet. Eventually Callie finds the file and completely blows up at the mother. Stating that she no longer had a mother and that she did not want her attending any of the engagement parties or the wedding.

At the suggestion of her husband Georgia attends the next event. And though Callie is still giving her the cold shoulder, she agreed mostly because Wade asked her to, to let her be apart of the events but that it didn't mean that there relationship has changed, Georgia is still disowned as her mother.

Finally on the day of the wedding mother and daughter make a mend. The truth about Wade and all the questionable things in his past are pieced together.

The highlights of this book for me were the parts that included the Red Hat Club meetings, especially the jokes.