Considering Kate by Nora Roberts

Considering Kate (2001)
Nora Roberts
Grade: A-
Genre: 'contemporary' romance
Sex scenes: mild
Source: own
Stanislaski series: (1) Taming Natasha, (3) Falling for Rachel, (4) Convincing Alex and (5) Waiting for Nick

Once I read Waiting for Nick, I couldn’t not start Considering Kate – NR and her Stanislaski series is just much too addictive. Considering Kate wasn’t what I expected (though I didn’t know what to expect) but all in all, it was a brilliant way to round off what is arguably NR’s most consistently excellent series.

At twenty-five and still in her prime, Kate has decided that it’s time to retire from the stage and return home to open up her own ballet school. It’s a difficult decision to make, especially since she’s still so young, but years of endless rehearsals, performances, travelling and making small talk with those in the arts and culture circles has made Kate weary and she longs for a family and life of her own in the small town where she grew up. An old building in the area has recently gone on the market and while neglected and in need of serious refurbishment, it’s the right place for what Kate wants; and what Kate wants, she gets.

Waiting for Nick by Nora Roberts

Waiting for Nick (1997)
Nora Roberts
Grade: A
Genre: 'contemporary' romance
Sex scenes: mild
Source: own
Stanislaski series: (1) Taming Natasha, (3) Falling for Rachel, (4) Convincing Alex

I have been waiting for Freddie and Nick’s book since Falling for Rachel when Nick was first introduced and the pair met for the first time. At thirteen, with her first glance at the rugged, nineteen-year-old bad-boy, Freddie tumbled headlong into puppy love that has only developed into the real thing over the years. Fresh into New York to start a new life for herself, Freddie is determined to partner with Nick and slot herself into his life until he asks himself why she wasn’t there all along. All the Stanislaskis know that Freddie is in love with Nick as well as she knows it herself; now it’s just time for Nick to realise the same …

Convincing Alex by Nora Roberts

Convincing Alex (1994)
Nora Roberts
Grade: A
Genre: contemporary romance
Sex scenes: regular NR
Source: own
Stanislaski series: (1) Taming Natasha, (3) Falling for Rachel, 

Book four, and I'm still loving this series. Yes, I have given this a marginal grade up from the rest, but that's because I think Bess is my favourite heroine, not because this is necessarily my favourite book of the series. I still need to read books five and six before I can make a proper, informed choice, but if they're as good as the first four books, I'm going to have to read them all again before I can even think of choosing.

Bess McNee is very serious about her work. If this means caking on make-up an inch think and squeezing into hot-pink spandex to work the streets in the name of research, then by God she'll do it. When Detective Alexi Stanislaski (equally serious about his work - no guesses here about what he does) mistakenly arrests Bess for soliciting him, Bess can't help but think that her night has only got better. Not only has she got her time masquerading as a prostitute to help her with her newest storyline on the show 'Sacred Sins' for which she is one of the writers, but if she ever needs to write an arrest/jail scene, then her research is all done!

Falling for Rachel by Nora Roberts

Falling for Rachel (1993)
Nora Roberts
Grade: A-
Genre: romantic suspense
Sex scenes: standard mild and dreamy NR
Source: own
Stanislaski series: (1) Taming Natasha

I'm actually quite surprised. With all the stuff that I wrote in my review of Taming Natasha about the majority of later books in NR series being subpar, I've allowed myself the night to reflect and sitting here with my green tea (just plain), I find myself having enjoyed Falling for Rachel just as much as the previous two books in the series.

Rachel is a public defendant, worked off her feet. When she is assigned Nicholas LeBeck's case, she manages to see beyond his tough facade and sees the shaken, vulnerable boy underneath his gang jacket. He may be guilty of burglary and theft, but since he won't give up the names of his fellow gang members, Rachel is determined to save him from jail. So is Zack, Nick's step-brother. he puts up bail, agrees to pay for all the stolen merchandise, not just what was found on Nick, and gives Nick a home and a job at his bar, Lower the Boom.

Judge Beckett agrees to a two-month probationary period to monitor Nick. What Rachel and Zack hadn't counted on was being appointed Nick's co-guardians.

Taming Natasha by Nora Roberts

Taming Natasha (1990)
Nora Roberts
Grade: A-
Genre: contemporary romance
Sex scenes: pretty standard Nora Roberts, really. That is, for those not well versed in Roberts' books: mild and dreamy.
Source: own

First thing to note: I'm a HUGE romance reader. The majority of books that I review here will be romance. So if you're a romance snob who can't get beyond Fabio covers and the identify with society's general contempt of romance as a genre, then this isn't the place for you.

On the other hand, if you don't care that you're seen in public reading what is clearly a romance novel, then I'll carry on.