Nora Roberts
Grade: A-
Genre: contemporary romance
Sex scenes: mild
Source: library
The Key Trilogy: (1) Key of Light, (2) Key of Knowledge
Zoe McCourt must find the third and final key to unlock the souls of the Daughters of Glass. The souls of three sisters, Venora, Niniane and Kyna were trapped by the sorcerer, Kane, thousands of years ago, and every generation since, the three chosen women have failed – until now. Malory and Dana have succeeded with their keys – further than any other before. With her clue in hand, and the help of her friends, Zoe must use her courage to find the answer …
Zoe is no stranger to hard work. The eldest of four
children, their father abandoned them when young, and Zoe helped her mother
with her hairdresser business. Pregnant by James Marshall at 16, Zoe had
believed herself to be in love, but when it mattered, James didn’t stand up. Now,
Simon is 9 and better off without his biological father. Zoe has a little house
that she’s worked her butt off for, and she’s about to open her own salon with
her two best friends. Indulgence will
house and art gallery and bookshop as well as Zoe’s salon, and the friends are
very close to opening their doors.
Kane has shown that he was prepared to break the rules, and
so Zoe must be alert. She’ll do anything to protect her son and Simon is under
the best protection available. Zoe isn’t the only one who fears for Simon’s
safety – Bradley Charles Vane IV – heir to the retail giant, HomeMakers, and
best friend of Flynn and Jordan (Malory and Dana’s fiancĂ©es) – is starting to
love Simon like a son, but his feelings for Zoe are far from familial. He’s
made his attraction clear and while Zoe can’t deny the sexual pull, she’s
constantly reminded of the man who left her.
Brad is as vital in finding the key as Zoe is – will she
accept and embrace her feelings for him so that good can triumph?
It’s taken me a good ten months to read the Key Trilogy and while I’m usually
impatient to read NR series in quick succession, in this case, the delay made
the anticipation all the sweeter. This was a difficult series to get me hands
on and it was well worth the wait.
Unlike Malory and Dana, Zoe is a mother, with a great deal
of responsibility on her young shoulders, and so it’s only fitting that she was
left until last. The book has a slightly different tone, with everything geared
towards the culmination of the whirlwind adventure of the past three months: their
quest to find the key, to free the sisters’ souls and the opening of their
business, Indulgence. Everything is
to lose and while they won’t (this is fiction, after all) the stakes have never
been higher.
Zoe’s love-hate attitude towards Brad the entire series has
been hilarious to watch. Each heroine has had some reason or other to hate
their male counterpart at the beginning of the series, but Zoe’s dislike runs
the deepest – made even funnier by the fact that Brad has so far not known why
he sparks such antagonism from Zoe. His wealth and societal status is a painful
reminder of the man she had been in love with and as a result, Zoe has tried to
keep her distance from Brad, but she can’t deny her attraction to him, or how
good he is with Simon.
Simon had a case of the man-of-the-house syndrome going on,
and while he wasn’t opposed to Brad’s relationship with his mother, he was
adamant in ensuring that Brad’s intentions were pure. As always with NR, such
talks are funny and touching to watch unfold, especially as Simon must overlook
his dislike of kissing and ‘the sex’ in order to broach the subject.
I mentioned in my Key of Light review that I didn't know why I hadn't read this trilogy before, and now that I've finished, this series is definitely on my favourite list. The magic element might not be for everyone, but it's the friendships and relationships that keep you reading on and keep you coming back time and again.
Image courtesy of Book Depository
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