Rating:  Summary: Nora Roberts Has Hit on a Winning Combination Review: Laine Tavish, owner of a growing antique shop in tiny Angel's Gap, has struggled to put down roots and shed her past as Elaine O'Hara, daughter of a small-time crook. Building a comfortable life for herself, she covets her privacy almost as much as she values her friends. But all that she has worked for is suddenly threatened by an odd visitor to her shop, which is even more disturbing when she recognizes him (too late) from long ago, just seconds before he dies in her arms. He ran straight from his encounter with her into the street and the path of a car. The words he whispered as he slipped away made no sense to Laine. While she is puzzling over what it means, she encounters another stranger to her little town: handsome and charming Max Gannon. Laine wonders if he is a friend or a foe. Once she decides, her life becomes even more complicated.Big Jack O'Hara, Laine's father, finally hit the big time with a diamond heist. Trouble is he hooked up with a very nasty fellow named Alex Crew, who never intended to split the take. Since Big Jack disappeared with the goods, Crew figures he has stashed them somewhere, and he's betting that somewhere is with Laine. He ransacks her home and her store, leaving her more angry than spooked. But he doesn't stop with just a wild search of her house. Fortunately, Big Jack taught Laine how to take care of herself. By the end of the first half of the book, almost everything seems well wrapped up. But there's more --- much more. Over fifty years later Laine's granddaughter, Samantha Gannon, writes a book about the decades-old heist. Samantha's elation over the book's success is quickly overshadowed by the discovery of her house sitter dead in her apartment. When another body turns up, the police sniff out the connection and the investigation gets hot. Lt. Eve Dallas lands the case and handles it with great aplomb. She tolerates no nonsense, tells it like it is, and commands a great deal of respect. She wants this guy --- bad. The murders are so cruel and violent, and Dallas believes that time is running out --- for her investigation and possibly for Samantha Gannon. She fears Sam just might be the next victim. The 480 pages of REMEMBER WHEN virtually flash by. Once you get involved in Laine's life --- and the lives of her family --- you'll be kicked back in your easy chair for hours of relaxed enjoyment. Nora Roberts has hit on a winning combination. --- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
Rating:  Summary: Two in one.... Review: With Remember When, we get two great stories written by popular writer Nora Roberts and her alter ego, JD Robb. Nora Roberts is a great romance writer who just happens to write great mysteries/suspence under her pseudonym. Finally she brings both of her talents into this 2-part novel. Remember When is written in 2 parts- part one features Nora Roberts writing style- the heroine is Laine Tavish who owns an antique shop....but she also harbors a secret past. She is the daughter of a conman and her past comes back to haunt her when her uncle comes to visit. Her uncle gives her a warning and then dies of a car "accident." Now Laine is targeted, her home searched and Max Gannon shows up to find out why. Together she and max work to find the secret and the hidden treasure. Part two - takes us into the future. Eve is a detected who is trying to find the treasure that has eluded Max and Laine. She is joined by Roarke- a handsome reformed thief. Together they try to solve the decades old mystery, murder and find the treasure. The epilogue reunites Lanie and Max (now grandparents) and brings the two stories together. Remember When is Nora Roberts and Jd Robb at her best- it will introduce NR fans to JD Robb series and vice versa.
Rating:  Summary: LOVED this book!! Review: I love the way Nora Roberts/JD Robb blended the two stories together. WONDERFUL read! .. and such an innovative idea!
Rating:  Summary: Excellent Review: I highly recommend this book! This was the second Nora Roberts book I've read, and the first J.D. Robb and I loved it. She is a gifted story teller and easily draws the reader into the story. I love the way she sets this story in the present (2003) and then takes it into the future. Hers are books you don't want to put down until you're finished, and then when you're finished you wish there was more. The characters are very real and endearing. I'm am a big fan and will definitely be reading more of her books.
Rating:  Summary: Another winner from Nora. Review: I read Remember When with some trepidation, after all its a big "ask" to seemlessly blend the two styles and established characters from both sides of Nora's writing career. Also, I had never read J. D. Robb before and had no interest in doing so. How wrong I was. The first part of the book is set in present day and written by Ms.Roberts. We have a pretty conventional story between the two leads, Laine and Max, and a nice assortment of background characters including Laine's Father, a con man, thief and lovable rogue.And they are all hunting diamonds. In approx 250 pages we have a great romance, a grand adventure and recovery of part of the haul. So, part two deals with the unsolved mystery of the rest of the diamonds and a view into the world of J.D.Robb's Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her gorgeous husband Roarke. This is the world of the "In Death" series and it does'nt matter if you have'nt read a word of them before - the dialogue and storyline flows.Here it is Laine and Max's granddaughter who becomes involved, when her housesitter is murdered and the old case comes back to haunt them. The whole book was expertly plotted and written - although I guessed the culprit way before the end it did'nt spoil my enjoyment one whit. I would highly recommend it - this one had something special about it , and yes, I'm off to get the back copies of the "In Death" series! Funny. Moving. Different. Highly recommended.
Rating:  Summary: Too Cool! Review: If you like Nora Roberts books and J.D. Robb books (one and the same author) you will love Remember When which combines all the best of both "authors" The first half of the book is vintage Nora Roberts with a diamond hest thrown in for suspense. The second half calls forth Eve Dallas to solve a 50 year old crime. It's a great-fun read.
Rating:  Summary: An Interesting Concept Produces Good Result Review: Remember When is an entertaining read that is light and funny in the first half and dark and suspenseful in the second. I feel that to truly understand and appreciate this book you will need to have read and enjoyed at least some of the In Death series written by J.D Robb as the characters have been through so much that you really need some background in order to appreciate the many characters and their relationships this time around. The first half of the book centres on Laine Tavish and Max Gannon and their whirlwind love affair. Max meets Laine whilst pretending to be just another customer in her antiques shop. In reality he is an investigator trying to find out if Laine is involved with a robbery of diamonds her father perpetrated. The dialogue between Laine and Max was sparky and energetic and had me laughing out loud many times. Nora Roberts' seamless writing style was entertaining and stylish. I did not have any trouble believing that the couple were meant to be together. All in all, the first half was fun and entertaining and I was sad to let Laine and Max go. (Sorry, but I had to include *SPOILERS* in the next paragraph about previous In Death books to explain my opinion). Readers who know Nora Roberts well may have read some of her past offerings as J.D. Robb. These books are set in New York in the future, around 2059, and deal with the long standing relationship between Eve, a police detective, and Roarke, a billionaire businessman and ex-criminal. I must say that I like the relationship between Roarke and Eve - it is complicated and tender, passionate, loving and very deep. They both have had tough pasts and difficult times but they are clearly meant to be together. However I must say that I don't care very much for J.D. Robb books. I lost all respect for Roarke after it was revealed (In Vengeance in Death) that he brutally murdered people who were guilty of a rape and murder some years ago. The unbelievably disgusting methods he used to kill the criminals turned me right off him and I haven't been truly able to enjoy a J.D. Robb book since. I also don't like the harsher plots and shallow characters the books seem to thrive upon. The view in these books is that the future is a rather grim and violent place. I would recommend Remember When to those who have enjoyed Nora Robert's past books but I would urge new readers to try some of her stand alone books first (such as Homeport or Carolina Moon) and some of the J.D Robb series before they read this one as it is good, but not in my opinion her best. JoAnne
Rating:  Summary: What's Not to Like? Review: If anyone has read any other J. D. Robb books, this one (including all others) is a keeper. My review will be very short and to the point: Buy it!!! If I hadn't been working, going to school, and getting a hot water heater all in the same week, I would have read the book in one sitting. I own all of J. D. Robb books and am very reluctant to allow anyone to read my copies. If they are loaned to very near and dear friends, they know to bring my books back in the same condition they received them (pristine) or they have to repurchase the book. But this book is a definite keeper....
Rating:  Summary: Double your pleasure, triple the intrigue Review: For fans of either of the author's personas (Nora Roberts or J. D. Robb), Remember When is a truly entertaining and novel approach to the genre. What has always been Roberts' (and Robb's) strong point are present in this novel as well. We see very strong lead female characters that are able to balance their sensual sides along with their work lives, as well as the turmoil thrown at them unexpectedly. The first part of the novel is Nora Roberts writing as herself--a romance that brings its duo together with a diamond heist and intrigue as backdrop. While the second half is J D Robb's turn to shine, as the story picks up about 50 years after the first half ends. We meet up with Robb's Lieutenant Eve Dallas as she comes across a murder connected to those diamonds from the first half. Characters from Roberts' half of the novel are only peripheral to the second half so each part is essentially a stand alone novel. Roberts does both halves well; writing a sexy, fun, and fast-paced romance with some intrigue and plenty of steam and then follows it up with a much edgier who-dunnit with her very sexy (and wounded) Eve and Roarke. As far as characterization goes, the Robb half has the first half beat by far. This half has the benefit of reprising the "In Death" series characters. Eve and Roarke are a great pairing and each novel brings their relationship more depth (complimenting the sensual scenes well). While their motivation seems to be pretty one-dimensional, their quirks grow more endearing with each book. As for villains, well, they leave more to be desired. We only know them through short scenes and the protagonists' view points. So if you are looking for something that delves into the criminal mind, this isn't the type of novel you are looking for. But what truly makes this novel is the approach to telling the story. There are two very distinct ways the two halves of the story are told. Nora Roberts fans who have never read a J D Robb novel should beware. Robb's stories are told with a lot more edge and violence. The strong female lead, the humor, the sensual nature are all carried through both voices, but Robb tells the story in very different language. The focus is not on Eve and Roarke, but on the crime and the solving of said crime. If you are a fan of both "authors" this is a must read, you will enjoy the continuity and the almost voyeuristic sneak peak in the characters from the Roberts half.
Rating:  Summary: Awesome Review: When I first heard that there was going to be a "co-author" book between Roberts and Robb I thought that it would short change us on the Robb part of the book. However after purchasing the book and reading it the only thing I could wish for was that both parts had been even longer. I absolutely loved this book and would have no second thoughts about picking up another done in the same fashion. I loved the way these two stories (because they are excellent stories in they're own right) were melded together to form one absolutley awesome book. Even though I had plenty of other things I was supposed to do (such as sleep) I could not put this book down. I was captured from the first page to the last.
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