Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as the other two
Review: I'd marked the date for the release of Heart of the Sea on my calendar months before it came out. I have to admit, I had to make myself finish it. As predicted, it was about Darcy Gallagher and Trevor McGhee, the third set of love birds who have to get together to reunite Carrick and Gwen. If you don't get sick of hearing how beautiful Darcy is and get the impression that she knows it, you're probably skimming too fast. Darcy is a gold digger and the most materialistic barmaid in Ireland and she ain't ashamed to admit it.... on about every page. The book's all about how Carrick works his magic to bring the last of the Gallagher clan to their true love. There's some of the same sexual tension you read in the previous two books with some singing and shopping thrown in. Perhaps the best scene is when Jude's baby is born. Even then, though, Darcy comes across like a greedy twit. As other reviewers have said, you expect more from Ghost Gwen and Fairie Carrick in the end rather than the "ride off into the sunset on a winged horse," especially after three books of buildup, but they get about a paragraph on the last page. Not nearly as good as the second book which wasn't nearly as good as the first, but Nora loves those trilogies!
Rating: 
Summary: Finally, a break from the norm!
Review: I've read some of the other reviews and have my own theory as to why there is such a conflict among readers. Ms. Roberts has broken away from her normal heroines, those who need something that they were missing; loving parents, self-confidence, loving relationships. Darcy has it all, a loving family, self-confidence that falls just shy of overabundance, a healthy happy life. She likes men and sex and isn't afraid to take what she likes. She also likes money, and admit it, whom among us doesn't? Most fictional heroines just don't acknowledge this need. Altruism is their motto. Frankly, that just wears thin. This was a refreshing change of pace, and I hope that Ms. Roberts continues in this vein for some time. The only fault I could find with this book was the lack of story that dealt with Carrick and Gwen. They were barely mentioned, and then only as an afterthought to the general plot. Hopefully Ms. Roberts will see her way to telling their story, before during and after this trilogy.
Rating: 
Summary: Left me wanting more!
Review: Jewels of the Sun was my favorite one of this trilogy, but Heart of the Sea was very good. I want Nora Roberts to write more books about the Gallagers now! Forget falling in love (yes, I know she's a romance writer), I want to know all about the couples' children and Darcy's singing career . . . there's a lot of future book material here. Also, in defense of Darcy: I like her. She's not money-grubbing, she's a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it! One of the best things about this trilogy is that all three women are strong, independent characters. If Darcy is ruthless, it's because she's been treated ruthlessly and that's what she knows. How many men ask her out because of her wit and intelligence, do you think? None! It makes perfect sense that she would look at external factors first, since that's how men look at her.
Rating:
Summary: heart of the sea
Review: The gallagher sibs are back in the third and last installment of this irish trilogy.....Carrick the fairy prince and his lady love Gwen have waited three long centuries for the love of pure heart to happen three times and break them free of the long torturous time apart..with the success of aidan and jude,shawn and brenna carrick gets restless..It seems the last sibling Darcy is a little more complicated she dreams of life away from the pub and ardmore with a man of great wealth to lavish her the way she deserves..with the building of the theatre onto the pub enters travis magee traveling to oversee a project, but really wanting to unlock some mysteries of the past..both thought they were unable to love and darcy being the flirt she is mistakes him for a commoner but still flirts with him anyway he playing the similar game pursues soon she learns that people unable to love maybe able to after all,but does trevor only want her to satisfy his own business deals ???set in a story is a very pregnant jude a very impatient carrick and an ever wise gwen a new business propsition for the siblings and lots of romance makes this a book that can not be missed,....my only complaint is the way she weaved this beautiful story of carrick and gwen then at the end rushed to finish the " happy ending"...... for those who think i am giving the ending away...come on we all know by now its always a happy ending.....
Rating:
Summary: It would have been wonderful
Review: Darcy Gallagher is a woman who knows exactly what she wants. She wants fame. She wants fortune. She wants a man to provide it for her. And she makes it clear to everyone that she will get that. With her beauty and her charm, which are balanced by an inordinate amount of pride and arrogance, Darcy oversees the service at her family's pub. She is not simply a barmaid. She is so much more. Trevor Magee can see that. Aside from her beauty and her arrogance, which fascinate him to no end, he sees a market for her stunningly rich voice. He could make her famous. He knows it's what she wants. But as the two struggle with and indulge in the attraction they bear for one another, they come to realize that what they say they want is not their true hearts' desire. As if being confused by their unexpected feelings for each other is not enough, a faerie prince is pulling all the strings he can to make sure they fulfill their part of the legend. This conclusion to Nora Roberts' Waterford trilogy is wonderfully written where style comes into play. Although some of the dream sequences are a little too trite, she has integrated them well into a solidly written story and the legend she has created for these characters. Because the legend of Carrick and Gwen has stretched across the two preceding stories, Roberts' audience has come to care for them as if they were main characters themselves. I was somewhat disappointed with her treatment of them overall simply because I felt they were shortchanged in the end. In addition, Darcy Gallagher was a character that elicited a mixed reaction from me, most of which was unfavorable. Though I appreciated her emotional comeuppance, I wasn't quite sure what she brought to the relationship though it remains clear the part she played in fulfilling the legend. The best part of this story, however, is Trevor Magee. When he comes to Ireland, he is a man with the supposedly linear purpose of building his theater. But what Darcy and the reader soon learn of Trevor is that behind the successful businessman lies a man who is in search of his roots. When Trevor opens himself up to the community of Ardmore, he opens himself up to the possibility of its magic as well. And in pushing aside his initial distance, Trevor becomes more a part of that community than he ever anticipated. Most of all, he is to be admired for loving Darcy despite the fact that she deliberately, and continuously, misrepresents herself and expects him to understand her in spite of it.
Rating:
Summary: I am a big Nora Roberts fan, but I was disappointed.
Review: I was looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy, as I had loved the first one, Jewels of the Sun. The second installment, Tears of the Moon, didn't live up to Ms. Roberts' reputation for warm likeable characters. Unfortunately, for the second time in a row, we have a thoroughly unlikeable heroine. I agree with a previous reviewer who said that Darcy is the "worst sort of money grubber." It seems unrealistic to me for Trevor to believe she'd love him even if he were penniless. Trevor seems to be an okay guy but if he's such a hunk, and rich to boot, why does he feel the need to "buy" her companionship? What saves this book is the charming backdrop of a small Irish village and the rowdy, wonderful Gallagher's Pub. The best parts of the book are the ones where Aidan(the perfect hero, in my opinion) and Jude are in the forefront. Their relationship is so sweet and loving. If this is your first Nora Roberts novel, Heart of the Sea can give you a glimpse of how wonderful her stories are, but she has written far better ones than this.
Rating:
Summary: The Crowning Jewel in Roberts reigning Irish Trilogy
Review: Heart of the Sea was quiet possibly the best of the three books in this WONDERFUL series. I'll admit I had my trepidations about finding love with Darcy's "I'll marry a rich man and no one else" attitude, but Roberts pulls it off brilliantly. Her characters were believable and endearing. This is a book full of wistfull sighs, daring dreams, and everlasting love complete with a fairy tale ending we don't always see in real life. Tempers flare and hearts beat wildly as this stunning novel winds the remarkable series to a close with the reader knowing that it truly goes to show that "love conquers all"
Rating:
Summary: Good ending to the series, but a few missteps...
Review: I've read all three books and enjoyed them greatly. The characters are all well drawn and the interaction between them is terrific. I only had a few quibbles. I thought that the initial meeting between Darcy and Trevor was contrived. How many American's named Trevor are going to be on the building crew? How many men named Trevor do *you* know? (G). It's not a common name. Ms. Roberts would have done better to give him some family nickname he could have given Darcy without lying about what he was called. That entire scene was an insult to Darcy's intelligence. The ending! I was so happy that Carrick and Lady Gwen got together, but just riding off into the sunset was dissapointing in the extreme. After cheering for them through three books, I expected some kind of 'show' when they got back together. Sort of a la Ladyhawke. Not the same, but certianly more drama/melodrama. After all (G), we're talking about Ireland, Ghosts, and a Prince of the Faeries here! Still in all a great read. If it weren't for those two things, which bothered me a lot, I would have given this book five stars.
Rating:
Summary: Leading with your heart
Review: This the third installment in the Irish trilogy is by far the best. You have gotten to know Darcy Gallagher from the first two books so there isn't a lot of time you need to take to get to know her, you already do. It was refreshing for Ms. Roberts to let us in more on the main male character here, Trever Magee, you learn why its hard for him to not only to love but to trust. My favorite parts of the book came whenever Carrick or Gwen were around. Through the preceding two books Carrick was the one who kept pushing couples to get together, I really enjoyed the fact that by now Gwen is just as impatient as her true love. Read this the final in a very ingauging and truly heartfelt series.
Rating:
Summary: Heart of the Sea
Review: I am going against the reviews here. I thought the ending seemed rushed. First off, I hated Darcy and all that she stood for. Nora did a great job with her character because I did despise her. Trevor is too weak though. When Darcy was asked by Trevor to show him the local attractions and she told him he would have to pay her in order for that to happen. He should have dumped her then and there. She was nothing but the worst form of money grubber. The ending with Carrick and Gwen was what I was waiting for and it was really played down. I expected more about them, rather than the a-typical ride off into the sunset with not a word more.
|
