Author: Nora Roberts
Publishing Date: November 2010
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I received a used copy from paperbackswap.com
Happy Ever After is the last book in Nora Robert's Bride Quartet, a series that revolves around four twenty-something women who co-own a wedding planning company. Parker Brown's three best friends from childhood have found the loves of their lives and are soon to be married. Parker, Ms. Super-Organized, hasn't made time for herself. She is great at micromanaging everybody else’s lives but when it comes to dating she has let the ball drop. Enter Malcolm Kavanaugh, Parker's mechanic and brother’s friend. He is not intimated by Parkers cool demeanor. He wants to take their relationship to the next level. He just has to let Parker know that his intentions are honorable.
Happy Ever After is a good conclusion to a fun series. I feel like the women of Vows, Emma, Mac, Parker and Laurel are my girlfriends too. Nora Roberts is just good like that. She really excels at scenes with group action and dialogue, and there is plenty of that in Happy Ever After. Not to worry though, Parker and Mal get their one-on-one time too. Mal is my kind of hero. He knows what he wants and he is confident enough to go after it. He takes what he wants and asks for it after the fact. Uppity Parker doesn't have a clue how to handle Malcolm. He is completely unpredictable and the shields she keeps in place end up shattering in his presence.
I rather enjoyed Happy Ever After, however this book was not a WOW book for me. I feel that Mal and Parker were missing that magic ingredient, that certain something, to make it really shine. I don't know if the development of the relationship was too quick for me, or if I just wanted more scenes between Mal and Parker. I really don't know, but something was missing. All in all, this was a fun book to read and Happy Ever After was a satisfactory conclusion to the series.
Here is what others had to say:
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Kaetrin's Musings
5 comments:
Thanks for the great review. I often wonder how some of these authors manage to keep the energy level so good with these series. Evidently Norah Roberts is one of the best, but even she can stumble once in a while. You're right, though . . . it is a great series and I am looking forward to this final book.
I really enjoyed this series. Agree that the women were the best part of it.
Hi Jill. I came to visit and imagine my surprised pleasure when my little blog appears at the end of your review! Thx!
I think if I were to rank the series, I would say:
1 Vision in White
2 Bed of Roses (close, so close to being number one but not quite)
3. Happy Ever After
4. Savour the Moment (not terribly close to being number 3 at all).
I didn't connect with Laurel through the series - I think she came across to me as too bitchy. Whereas, I really liked Parker even though she's pushy and oh so organised. (And of course, I adored Mac and Emma).
I would have liked more Mal in this book but it was a nice end to the series. Do you think the book finished a bit abruptly?
Ugh, I'm so sure I commented... so where did it go?!?
Ah well, what I was saying is that I think the book is missing some magic because the romance has been building up in the previous books... and something else, but I forgot ^_^; LOL.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book. Once again, a solid entry... just missing a bit of omphf/wowzer factor. I really liked Mal though... I think Ms Roberts should write a series about mechanics LOL.
Dr. J - Nora Roberts is the Queen. I can't believe how prolific she is with writing. I think she had 4 books published this year. That is crazy! I hope you enjoy this one.
Leslie - Yeah, looking back on this whole series I think the romance is weak, but the friendships between the women are what kept me coming back for more.
Kaetrin - Your welcome with the link :)
My order would go like this:
1. Vision in White
2. Happy Ever After
3. Bed of Roses
4. Savor the Moment
Like you, Laurel was my least favorite of the women. She was much to prickly for my taste. Although, I did love the way Parker proposed to her at the end of the story. But there is a part of me that wonders just what he saw in her.
I really liked Parker, out of all the women I think I relate to her the best. But I did think that there should have been more between Parker and Mal. I also thought the ending was too abrupt. It seemed too easy or something. I needed more.
Nath - Hah! Yeah, who knew mechanics could be so sexy, right?! I would read a series about them, LOL!
Sorry about your comment. The romance was definitely building up and I don't know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. Maybe my expectations where too high.
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