Three Fates

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Romance Suspense Novel
Review: This is one of my favorite Nora Roberts books. It's also one of the best books I've ever read. I truly enjoyed the characters and how they interacted with one another, and following the exciting plot with it's twists and turns. This book is a page-turner and well worth the read.

Rating:
Summary: No more Nora for me
Review: This is the second Nora Roberts book that I have read and it will probably be my last. This decision is prompted in great part by the fact that I am not a fan of romance novels. (Excuse me; the cover calls Ms. Roberts a write of women's fiction. And please, get another photo that makes you look less like a .... well makes you look a bit more plesant.) At any rate, for me to read a work of "women's fiction" there needs to be more there than a love story. Well in the case of this book, it's three love stories; and amazingly, between three siblings. And of course they are all trying to unite the three fates. The trilogy thing gets overworked, as does the analogies to the three fates.

The three fates are three women from mythology. The first spins the thread, the second measures it, and the third cuts it. By the middle of the book, whenever one of the characters, usually Tia, went into another one of their soliloquies about "weaving-the-thread-into-a-tapestry-and-we're-all-destined-to-be-together" rants, I just skipped to where the story actually started again.

At any rate, Ms. Roberts' attempts at injecting some form of meaning or depth into her fiction are shallow and contrived.

As another reader pointed out the Prologue was good, and then, the book falls flat on it's face. I have always been amazed at how in "women's fiction" people manage to fall in love at first sight. In reality, I just don't think that happens. We have six people in this book, three of which are related, and they all fall madly, head over heals in love within hours of meeting their soon to be partners. The chances of that happening are slim to none. And the pairings are so bizarre. We're to believe that a healthy Irishman who runs a boat tour company in Ireland is going to fall for a neurotic, wealthy PHD; that his younger brother is going to fall for a rebel, ex-exotic dancer, who is also rich but has had a falling out with her family; and that their sister falls for a wealthy self made man in the security business. Of all the romances, the last was to me the most believable.

Bottom line: not really believable, not literary, not worth your time.

My star ratings:

One star - couldn't finish the book
Two stars - read the book, but did a lot of skipping or scanning. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection or search out other books by the author
Three stars - enjoyable read. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection. Would judge other books by the author individually.
Four stars - Liked the book. Would keep the book or would look for others by the same author.
Five start - One of my all time favorites. Will get a copy in hardback to keep and will actively search out others by the same author.


Rating:
Summary: A fun read, but not her best
Review: When you're as prolific a writer as Nora Roberts, you're bound to repeat yourself a time or two, but The Three Fates rings just a bit too familiar for me. I was waiting at the door of the bookstore the day this was released and had finished it by dinner. And while if offered an interesting story (the mystery and romance of the Three Fates, three silver statues, was the best part) the characters were too similar to other recent paperback trilogies. Basically, she crammed three love stories into one book but I never really felt that I got to know any of the characters well enough to connect with them, with the sole exception of Dr. Tia Marsh. Her shy, hypochondriac was funny and sweet and I enjoyed watching her change and grow. But I would have liked to learn more the Sullivan family, Cleo and Jack. I'd love to see Ms. Roberts' next hardcover focus on one set of lovers so you can really get to know and understand the characters. These three sets of lovers all fell too hard, too fast for there to be any enjoyment watching them take the fall. I wouldn't pass this one by, just don't expect too much.