Rating: 
Summary: NOT NORA'S BEST BUT STILL A GREAT STORY...
Review: After (what seemed to me) a long wait for this book, I rushed out for it as soon as it hit the bookshelves. HEART OF THE SEA, which takes us to a beautiful land in Ireland, rich with magic, beautiful lush green land, and legends could stand on it's own without the prior stories, but I wouldn't recommend it. Without the other two books in this trilogy: JEWELS OF THE SUN and TEARS OF THE MOON, you'd miss out on just how much the land and family ties mean to the Gallagher clan. You would also miss out on how the family came to be involved with Trevor Magee. This book is about the fiesty female of the clan, Darcy Gallagher and how her heart was won over by Trevor Magee. Both believed the were immune to love, but Darcy is the first to discover that love does sneak up on you when you least expect it. At first, Trevor sees Darcy as she wants the world to see her; caring for nothing but money and a way to travel the world beyond Ardmore and the family pub. Trevor is there to oversee the building of a theater he later names DUACHAIS (Gaelic for the roots of a place). Trev Magee's ancestors were from the land of legends and left Ireland never to return. Trevor's dream had been to return to this land and build his dream, a theater like no other. The Gallagher pub was the perfect place to add this monument of his heritage. Darcy frustrates him every chance she gets. He finds her a total contradiction at times and tempts him like no other woman he's known. Both claim mutual attraction and lust, but know with each passing day they are only kidding themselves. Trevor finds there is magic in the Land of Magic. He's not only staying in a haunted cottage, but has to deal with a faerie prince who insists on Trevor doing what he demands. Carrick the prince shows up to make sure Trevor doen't make the same mistake he made that cost him the love of the woman he wanted and loved most in this world, Lady Gwen who haunts the cottage. Prince Carrick made the mistake of offering her jewels three times but never the words she needed to hear, and is doomed to wait for his love until the third Gallagher finds true love. Though they bumble it up time and time agin, love finds it's way to Trevor and Darcy. As they say the words, Prince Carrick and his Lady love Gwen are seen together flying on a white horse, leaving in their wake a rainbow that glimmered like jewels. The spell is broken and a new love begins.
Rating: 
Summary: The conclusion to another wonderful Nora Roberts Trilogy
Review: Nora Roberts has written another Trilogy that has made me decide to look into my Irish roots. She makes the town, people, and traditions sound irresistable. I'm drawn to finding out more about a country I was never really interested in before. And of course, I loved the story!
Rating:
Summary: Conclusion to a delightful series
Review: JEWELS OF THE SUN, the first book in the "enchanting" trilogy by Nora Roberts, was the first Nora Roberts book I ever read. It hooked me on her books very quickly, and it's a great plus that she writes them fairly quickly. HEART OF THE SEA is truly enchanting, as it says on the cover. The magic is more evident in this last installment: in the first book, Gwen was only seen, in the second (TEARS OF THE MOON) she spoke to Brenna, now, finally, Gwen actually sticks around to have conversations. It was very rewarding to finally get to hear her side of the romance with Carrick. And speaking of Carrick, he is as charming and impatient as ever! I was also pleased that Roberts developed Darcy's character to be more than her materialistic traits that appeared prevalent in the pervious books. She is a caring and talented woman who is unafraid of going after what she wants, but she is vulnerable as well, which makes her more human and even more likable. Trevor is the perfect match for her. He, too, goes after what he wants with single-minded determination, which is why it's so great to watch the sparks fly between him and Darcy. The secondary characters are back in force as well. Jude and Aidan's relationship is stronger than ever, and it is wonderful to see Jude's tremendous growth in confidence since JEWELS OF THE SUN. I confess to being a little disappointed in Brenna and Shawn; I expected them to bicker and snap good-naturedly as they did before they got married, but becoming husband and wife seems to have made them a little *too* sappy -- despite this, it was still nice to visit with them again. HEART OF THE SEA and its predecessors are lighthearted and uplifting throughout, and I came away as fulfilled as I have with any book by Roberts. Any fan of Roberts will appreciate this book; first-time readers, start this series at the beginning, but by all means, read it.
Rating:
Summary: the best yet
Review: this book is by far the best of all three. it tied in all of the loose ends of the first and second books, and it was a good ending for carrick and lady gwen. nora roberts is an inspiring author... although this may be considered a trashy romance by some, it captures all the magic and myth of ireland. i credit her for sparking my interest in ireland. i have fallen in love with the country, and i believe her books have made me all the more interested in the legends and myths and fairy tales of this magical place, where ghosts and faeries are something to be believed in and relied upon. i thank her for that. roberts has a solid, well-written story all through the trilogy. she also has a talent for capturing feelings and translating them into words that few people have. i am thoroughly pleased by the outcome of the three books.
Rating:
Summary: IRELAND BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN OUR NORA !
Review: All Nora Roberts fans have their own expectations when they purchase one of her books. Rarely does she disappoint. In the end, it isn't her talent in question, but her choice of story telling and ending that may conflict with the readers preferences. I had to chuckle just a little when reading some of the other reviews. Criticizing a romance author for overkill when describing a character is like criticizing Mel Gibson for being "Mel Gibson". It just comes with the genre! A writer is doing their job by arousing emotions in the reader. Sometimes you may not like those emotions, but that's life, isn't it? Like every book Nora has written about Ireland, this series was not only entertaining, but it also gave us a longing for a culture, a family, and a life we will never have. As readers, we would all do better to focus on "the journey", and not "the destination". Sure, I would have enjoyed a little more closure at the end about Carrick and Gwen. Who knows, maybe Nora is already planning another series based on them. Leaving readers "wanting more" is also part of her genious. As always, I was sorry to turn the cover on the last page.
Rating:
Summary: my review
Review: Trevor has come to Ireland to fulfill a fantasy: to reconnect with his past and to leave his mark. However, he finds so much more than that!...he finds his true love. Even though I did not read the two previous novels in this Irish series, I was glad the author had explained enough of them in this book to be able to understand the legend of Carrick and Gwen. As usual with this author, her books are full of romance, mystery and longing, but they make it so much fun to read! The characters are very lively and the story, even with the magic it contains, is gripping and you cannot really predict the result until the very end. Good read and taylor made for these long winter nights!
Rating:
Summary: Heart of the Sea
Review: Simply put, loved it, loved it, loved it! Smart and sassy, Darcy and Trevor make the perfect couple--Miss Nora knew what she was about when she put them together. The characters were solid, the dialog was laugh-out-loud entertaining and her literary eloquence was at top form. Aside from the loose completion of Gwen and Carrick's end of the story, there was little to want in the face of this beautiful novel. I can't help but be a devout fan! This one's a must read!!
Rating:
Summary: A magical ending for a wonderful new trilogy!
Review: Darcy Gallagher knows exactly what she wants. A rich man who will love and adore her, and shower her with all the baubles she could ever wish for. And when that wish comes true she finds she was wrong -- she wants something more. A man who can love her as much as she loves him. Could that man be Trevor Magee? A heart-warming conclusion to Nora Roberts Irish trilogy!
Rating:
Summary: You'll be sad to see the Gallaghers go!
Review: I sure was sad to see them leave. When I held _Heart of the Sea_ in my hands at the bookstore, I had mixed feelings running through me... a part of me wanted to rush up to the counter slap some money into the cashier's hand and then rush home and gobble it up. Another part of me wanted to carefully set the book cak down and walk away so that I would have a part of Ardmore waiting for me for as long as I liked. In a way, it seemed to me that buying _Heart of the Sea_ was like sealing it's fate. As soon as I bought it, it would be like saying good bye to a cherished friend. It seemed as if I bought _Heart of the Sea_ I would be sending the Gallaghers away, for their story would end. If this little battle is going on inside you, put an end to it right now. _Heart of the Sea_ was worth the wait and Nora Roberts once more delivers many hours of pleasurable reading. Travel again to the little town of Ardmore, a place of love, magic and faeries. Meet up with the Gallaghers, two of them happily married. Aidan and Jude are two peas in a pod, or should I say three, as the Jude you'll meet in here is a very pregnant Jude. Shawn and Brenna still have their arguments about their future, but the love between them is obvious. And then there's Darcy, the wild Gallagher. What about her? She's always said she wanted to land a rich husband, but when the wealthy Trevor Magee comes to the sleepy little town to build his theater, is it Darcy's dream come true? Trevor is drawn to Ardmore because of his past. His roots are sunk into the little town, and when he visits, he finds that it is the perfect spot to build a theater. And, Darcy Gallagher might not be a bad thing to amuse himself with. She's gorgeous, intelligent, and talanted. The two are attracted to each other, and it seems like it will be the perfect relationship as the two of them are determined that they are not capable of love. But, as the days progress, they do fall in love. Can they both sacrifice their pride to admit it? I loved _Heart of the Sea_. I've been waiting for it ever since the end of the last book. Oh, if only all waiting was rewarded this sweetly! In the last books of the Ardmore trilogy, we got to know Darcy, and many people came to think of her as a brat. In _Heart_, you get inside Darcy's head, and realize that she's not the selfish person you once thought. Trevor was definitely a good match for her, and they both play very nicely off each other. Nora Roberts did a very good job of fleshing him out and making him come alive. It was very entertaining to watch them interact. In the previous books of the Ardmore trilogy, Ms. Roberts captures the essence of Ireland. She's captured it in _Heart_ also, but she's got something else too. Music. Nora Roberts has grasped the heart of music and stuck it into this book. It's amazing. You can almost hear it. The swells, the cries, it's all here. Her writing talant shines and it will capture you. The only thing that disapointed me about _Heart of the Sea_ was the lack of ending between Carrik and Gwen. They are the underlying rythum of these books, and when their spell is finally put to an end, there's not very much attention put to it. But, it's not enough to ruin the book. All in all, _Heart of the Sea_ is a fantastic read, and I can't wait to visit the Gallaghers again soon. Buying this book doesn't put an end to the trilogy. No, it's just the begining.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite up to par
Review: "Heart of the Sea", the 3rd (and final) installment in this Irish trilogy, is the story of Darcy Gallagher and her collision course with that thing called love. She claims - vehemently - not to be looking for it, but it finds her in the like-minded form of Trevor Magee, the wealthy American who has come to Ardmore to build the theater of his dreams, and moreover, to reconnect with his Irish roots. It is but a mere step for Darcy and Trevor from attraction to interest to an affair, but when both fall over that final barrier and headlong into love, neither is willing (or able) to admit it to the other. This of course leads to various misunderstandings -- Darcy believes Trevor is interested only in her physically, like so many men before him, and Trevor believes Darcy has to be lured into being with him with the promise of money and homes and travel. Neither is right, of course -- and both eventually see the light with the help of some "outside" intervention. That comes in the form of Carrick, the Prince of the Faeries, and his lady love Gwen, who have been waiting three long centuries to be able to be together again. In the previous books in the trilogy we heard the legend and met Carrick and Gwen, and in this final installment both characters are getting impatient for their spell to be broken, which can only happen when Darcy and Trevor give their hearts to each other. Having become quite invested in Carrick and Gwen getting their "happy ever after", I will say that I was quite disappointed that their swan song is so briefly written. The disappointment could have been lessened if Darcy and Trevor's ending was more elaborate, but there, too, the author chose brevity. Perhaps I'm just sad to see the end of the trilogy, but I would have loved an Epilogue about these characters. In summary, this book contained most of the best elements of the previous two ("Jewels of the Sun" and "Tears of the Moon"), such as wonderful descriptions of the Irish countryside that would do the Irish tourism board proud and warm, fully developed characters who the reader really can become invested in. Yet, at the same time, there's something a bit more contrived about this pairing that just makes the book a bit harder to love.
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