A Matter of Choice

by Nora Roberts

It Was One For The Books...

Sgt. James "Slade" Sladerman had practically been born to the force, but he wanted to be a writer, not a cop. No one was more different from him than Jessica Winslow, who was wealthy and working only because she wanted to.

He felt the gap between them keenly, and almost refused to be her undercover bodyguard. But someone had to watch her and he'd given his word-regardless of her innocence or guilt.

Slade couldn't afford to care, but built into the shadow of danger, in the arms of the woman, he'd sworn to protect, Slade knew whatever the price, he'd meet it.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Ebooks

250 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1984

About the author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Reviews

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - While the actual romantic dynamic was very of its time, I did really like the banter and the suspense component of this early example of romantic suspense from La Nora

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Nora's older works, most of them anyway. This one for sure. Her Silhouette Intimate Moments books run the gamut from bad to really, really good. A romance, a mystery, some suspense and you have a wonderful way to waste a day. The formula is really very simple. Nora gets it right with this one and I have to say, it is way better than her last book. I tend to prefer my heroes with a touch of the bad boy with an attitude and that is certainly the case here. Nora's recent ones have been more along the milk toast variety.

Jessica Winslow is the owner of a high-end antiques shop that the FBI suspect is smuggling stolen gems and other items. Her father was a high-ranking Justice before his death so the whole situation could be messy.

James Sladerman "Slade" is an NYPD Sargent and an aspiring author who hopes his hobby will someday pay the bills so he can retire from the NYPD. His boss is sure that Jessica is not involved in what is happening but wants Slade to go undercover to protect her and find out who is.

Slade was not prepared for the endless energy of Jessica, nor was he prepared for the gut-wrenching attraction either. He soon comes to believe that Jessica isn't a part of the smuggling, but he has to prove that and find the person or persons who are. That will be difficult when the attraction grows between them and the baddie is determined to protect his very lucrative business.

[Cyndi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh. This was not Roberts best novel. I found the name of the male hero stupid - Slade. It's like a throwback to a romance from the 80s (which makes sense because that's when this was written). I didn't believe the instant connection between Jess and Slade. I didn't believe that Jess would find Slade's overbearing, almost abusive, attitude attractive. I didn't believe the premise of the case - it seemed highly unrealistic. I didn't find the mystery believable or particularly suspenseful. None of the characters were unique or memorable. I have to say, though, that I don't know if I would have rated this novel so harshly if it was written by a different author. My expectations for Nora Roberts are much higher than for other authors.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I *almost* added this to my historical shelf. Set in 1984 and it really shows. Everyone is smoking ALL THE TIME. Other than that, I found the mystery part of the story totally predicable and most of the characters to be total creepers. It was the style of the time. Lesson Learned. Nora Roberts is great, but I need to stick to more recent contemporaries of hers.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - English Ebook

The last thing NYPD Sergeant James “Slade” Sladerman needs is to babysit a spoiled heiress.

But Jessica Winslow’s antiques shop is suspected of being used by an international smuggling ring, and Slade is being sent undercover to investigate, and keep Jessica out of trouble.

The woman Slade meets isn’t what he expected. And neither is the desire that springs up between them.

Nora Roberts Always delivers! No matter the story. No matter the time or place. Who else can do that?

Thank you so much for letting me, one of you most loyal readers spend time in your world-class.

Myself and daughters have read your J D Robb, Eve Dallas books And Listened to Susan Erickson bring your beautiful characters to life over and over again!

This book was so enjoyable. I loved this beautiful and tough man you created. Jessica was The perfect girl for him! Thank you again and please keep them coming!

[Ashley Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm so glad she writes male protagonists that are actually likable now, because wow.
That was a common problem in the 80s though, and Nora was not immune.

I really liked the main character, Jessica, though. And the story was great, definitely something she'd do now, but with a better male lead. Sorry, Slade. You just weren't enough for me to go gaga over.

[Lyndi W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars Both the H and h are kinda dolts in this one. Nora should have focused a bit more on the mystery and less on the romance. These two didn't work all that well together.

[Laurel-Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sergeant James Sladerman (Slade), of the NYPD, has mixed feelings about his career as a police officer. Writing is his first love, but for the time being, he writes after work. Everything in life is all about making hard choices.

So when his latest assignment takes him to a small Connecticut town to "babysit" Jessica Winslow, the owner of an antiques shop, while FBI agents circle, trying to find the kingpin of a smuggling operation that is using her shop, Slade is less than thrilled.

His cover, however, will be as a writer who will be helping Jessica organize her huge library.

It should have been a fairly simple assignment, but what Slade had not counted on was the powerful connection that developed between him and Jessica. Would crossing that line interfere with the assignment? Would he be able to walk away afterwards?

Set some time before computers became the go-to technology for authors, and before the regular presence of cell phones, "A Matter of Choice" is a fairly predictable romance with a familiar premise, and while I enjoyed the setting and how the author brings the reader right into the world of the characters, I had it all figured out fairly early. The story had a little more romance and less mystery than I would have liked, but it was an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.

[Ariane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petite lecture légère et intrigante.

[Diana Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not her best, not her worst..somewhere in between.

[Jaqueline Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este foi o primeiro livro que considero ter lido desta autora, apesar de já ter lido J. D. Robb e ter gostado muito.
Este livro é pequeno, tem um prólogo e apenas 12 capítulos, e penso que podia estar melhor aproveitado. Gostei bastante das descrições das casas, mobílias e jardins e, claro está, das cenas de amor entre os protagonistas. No entanto, achei o Slader um pouco forçado em termos de personalidade. Típico “bad boy” que na verdade é um “good boy”.
Estranhamente, achei este livro mais semelhante a J. D. Robb do que estava à espera. O protagonista é um polícia, a história tem bastante ação (fazendo pensar nos policiais) e as próprias cenas de amor bastante descritivas. Estava à espera de algo diferente, mais romântico e menos impulsivo, por parte da autora.
Contado na terceira pessoa e com um teor omnipresente, especificando-se em uma personagem de cada vez e revelando os pensamentos de todas, é uma boa história em termos escritos. Aconselho a quem gosta de romances com ação, tendo esta palavra todo o duplo sentido que possam pensar.

[Tammy Reeping · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

I started reading and couldn't put it down until I finished.
I can't wait for the next Nora Roberts book.

[Judy Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has the same story line as the last novel I read. The setting and the characters are different so I still enjoyed the book. It seems I liked it more than other reviewers.

[Rebecca Neely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book .. fanciful and fun.. romance and mystery.. light fast read.

[Leane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could've been a 3 but the mystery dragged way too much.

[Allyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I forgot and broke my own rule about not reading any more of Nora Roberts’ early books. The treatment of the romantic story arc and the way the hero and heroine interacted was very outdated and it grated on me. The story itself was a lot of fun.

[Mojca · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was first published in 1984 and it certainly shows. Not because of the subject matter, but the voice and narrative style sound dated even for a Silhouette.

The suspense was good with the mystery of just who in Jessica's closer circle was the baddie, while the identity of the main villain, the one pulling the strings, didn't even matter that much in the end.

But once you move away from the mystery, there's not much else there. The heroine seemed like a flake, the hero was an ass, their "romance" was rather forced and rushed, and their passion was a tad too rough to make the romance believable.
In the end they were more like strangers talking about being in love.

The pacing was slow, the voice rather weird...It didn't "sound" like a Nora Roberts book at all.

[A G A VAN DEN BOS · Rating 2 out of 5]

It may have been more acceptable or at least tolerated during the era when the book was originally written, but in this enlightened post machismo era the book reads more like a sado-masochistic article for a pornographic magazine. Another story of an aggressive male knowing better than a relatively naïve woman what she needs and ensuring that this is realized through aggressive sex. This particular book is absolutely sex saturated with four of the twelve chapters almost entirely composed of explicit details describing acts of sex. Most of the rest of the book is also heavily focused upon sexual lusting for one another. When it is not, there is a thin supportive story line that is totally predictable.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Undercover cop James Sladerman (aka Slade) is assigned to investigate an antique shop connected to overseas smuggling, while also protecting its unsuspecting owner Jessica Winslow. The pacing of this book is a bit odd (some action/tense scenes spaced apart by a lot of waiting around), but it's one of Nora's first mysteries and her first cop hero! To hear a full discussion of A Matter of Choice listen to Season 1, Ep. #7 "Nora Roberts 1984: First Impressions, A Matter of Choice, and Less of a Stranger" of Romancing the Shelf, a Nora Roberts podcast: https://romancingtheshelf.libsyn.com/

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kind of got tricked into reading this because I sorted the NR books available for my Nook from the library by publication date and this came out on top and had an unfamiliar title, so I thought this was new. But apparently publication to them means date it was put into e-book form, because this is almost as old as I am. As such, it has a lot of "she said no but her eyes said yes" and "kissed her to shut her up" bullshit in it. But it was kind of interesting to see how NR's writing improved as her plots calmed down (Interpol? Jewel heist? Hired hitmen?).

[Vanessa Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

PT: O primeiro livro que li de Nora Roberts. Ela é uma escritora aclamada mas nunca fui muito atraída para policiais românticos. Este agradou-me bastante. Slade é um polícia que é enviado para investigar um caso de contrabando de jóias numa loja de antiguidades, mas durante essa investigação, tem de proteger a dona da loja - Jessica - uma rapariga jovem e energetica que vai dar muito trabalho a Slade. Ambos não vão conseguir controlar as emoções e acabam envolvidos. Só que a teimosia de ambos vai tornar este romance tórrido numa divertida leitura.
Acho que a história podia ter sido mais focada na investigação e menos na atração mútua. Mas foi de leitura viciante. Consegui o livro gratuitamente no site da editora saida de emergência.

EN: The first book I read by Nora Roberts. She is an acclaimed writer but I was never very attracted to this books. This pleased me a lot. Slade is a police officer who is sent to investigate a case of jewelry smuggling in an antique store, but during that investigation, he has to protect the owner of the store - Jessica - a young, energetic girl who will give Slade a lot of work. Both will not be able to control their emotions and end up involved. But their stubbornness will make this torrid romance a fun read.
I think the story could have been more focused on investigation and less on mutual attraction. But it was a addictive reading. I got the book for free on the publisher's website - saida de emergência.

[Jill McCracken · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Matter of Choice by Nora Roberts, originally published in 1984, is definitely a product of the times both in the actions of the characters and the style of her writing. Having been a Ms. Roberts fan for a good many years it is interesting to have read one of these earlier books to see how much has changed in her storytelling and still how much is the same. The female main character, Jessica is a bit too stupid to live at times, which always annoys me in any story and I think the more modern heroines she writes are not quite so bad. Slade, the archetypal gumshoe is still the same good, caring but gruff hero I have come to expect. The ingredients are almost the same: Slade is a writer (and also an NYPD police sergeant) looking for inspiration to finish his literary work, so he moves into the home of a member of the opposite sex to whom he feels attracted. He fights against it, and the other character isn't indifferent to his qualities, leading invariably to sex and to the question: are they able to overcome their their uncertainty and social barriers in order to stay together? However, in this book we have some mystery, apart from that formula, and that's what pleased me most. I found it very neatly done even if it was a bit of a simple resolution. Well done Ms. Roberts. I give this one three jewels: 💎💎💎

[RomanceIsMyJam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this wasn’t the worst older Nora Roberts book I’ve read. This was a tad slow. The intimate scenes became repetitive and tedious to me so I skimmed some. Often times attraction is translated to love. And I can’t take the threat verbally and actual physical threats by the male character. These are also typical of her older stories. It’s cringey.
Jessica is obnoxious at times. She can be scatter brained or restless. She’s forgetful and that is a personal pet peeve of mine so I found her irritating. And once again Roberts writes a female character as delicate and wispy thin, ugh.
The villain and cohort were obvious to me so I was just insisting the story move along already several times. As you can see it took me a long time to finish this story. I got distracted by other books and wasn’t really drawn to pick this one back up for the story. I only resumed reading it because my copy is part of a collection in one printed book and I was ready to move on to the next book. I probably should have DNF’d, but alas I torture myself with my need to complete things I start.

[Jane Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

a love story for the ages

A jewel heist! Can the grumpy police sergeant go to Connecticut, solve the mystery, protect the primary, write his novel and fall in love? If Nora Roberts is writing their story.. definitely possible James “Slade” Sladerman is sent to watch over and protect Jessica Winslow who happens to own an antique shop. She is vibrant, full of love and love and joy. Where will this grumpy policeman fit in? He is sent to organize her late father’s library which when he sees it, realizes that this is not a joke. Completely unorganized but Slade is up to the challenge. Keeping Jessica safe? That is a totally different problem. And how to deal with his feelings for her when hers are simply out there to be seen. A cast of supporting characters and like Jessica you do NOT want them to be part of the smuggling going on unbeknownst to her in her shop. An absolute fun read… many times over. Grab this one. 5 Stars

[natkajo · Rating 2 out of 5]

𓆉
2/5
4/10

damnn... to nie było to czego oczekiwałam. Wątek romantyczny był okropny. Pierwszy raz w życiu nie mogłam się wczuć. Główni bohaterowie, pomiędzy którymi toczy się "to" napięcie są źle wykreowani. Mają ponad dwadzieścia lat, a zachowują się jakby byli dziećmi. Były to strasznie irytujące postacie, tak samo głupoty popełniane przez nich w całej książce. Rozumiem, że książka ma swoje lata, ale naprawdę nie oczekiwałam dużo. Mimo wszystko, gdy kilkanaście lat temu czytała to moja mama była zachwycona, także dużo zależy od gustu. Być może trafiłam na zły egzemplarz, dlatego też nie mówię tej autorce "nie". Ten wątek z przemytem na którym opiera się fabuła, był przyjemny w czytaniu. Podsumowując, lepiej że autorka już nie pisze romansów. Gdy czytałam te sceny romantyczne( które są praktycznie na każdej stronie) miałam ochotę jedynie skipnąc do rozwinięcia się wątku z przemytem niż czytać takie romantyczne wypociny. Historia pozostawia mnie z dużym niesmakiem.

[Charlotte Griggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading several of Nora Roberts novels, I expected more. Maybe it has a lot to do with when this was written, but the whole thing was far too predictable.

Sergeant James "Slade" Sladerman was sent to Connecticut to keep an eye on the commissioners goddaughter. Immediately, the two found a connection - it was typical and expected. Slade came off as this mean and arrogant man. Jessica found this appealing and attractive. The whole connection was just weird and I wish there would have been some sort push with Jessica.

Jessica owned an antique shop in which someone had been smuggling diamonds through shipments. Again, the predictability was too high - it was obvious that it was Michael or David.

If this novel had focused on the heist a little more than the romance, it might have been better.

[L.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romantic suspense along the lines of The Obsession and Black Hills. There have been glimmers of Roberts' talent in a few of her older books but this is the first one I've read that really grabbed me the way her later standalones do. The plot was intriguing and the dialogue was smooth with the exception of the fact that Slade told Jessica to shut up several times and was fond of calling her an idiot (which, unlike heroines in many of Roberts' earlier books, she really wasn't.)

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! It made me wonder what Roberts herself thought of it when she wrote it. Did she realize how much better it was than her other books? Obviously she'd started down a path toward the type of writing that would eventually make her one of the most successful romance writers in the world. I wonder if she realized that.

[Francesca ❆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another short romance sprinkled with a dash of mystery that I wished it would’ve been written as a full length novel.
I enjoyed the romance between Slade and Jessica, their characters were well constructed and I loved how much they balanced each other.
I quite enjoyed the frantic personality of Jessica and how strong she is, with how she lives her life and how much she cares about her loved ones.
Slade gruffness was quite entertaining and watching him adjust to the rhythm of Jessica was quite cute. His determination and internal conflict as he developed feelings for Jessica was very heartwarming.
The ending was quite charming and sweet.

[Moira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cop and the heiress

Slade , a homicide cop and struggling writer is asked to watch over the goddaughter of the NY Police Commissioner. Someone close to her is smuggling through her antique store. Is it her childhood friend, David, son of her cook or her assistant Michael who considers himself in love with her?

Information will unfold to divulge the smuggler, but only after attempts on Jessica's life. Slade is determined to keep her safe but she fights him at every turn. When he sees her injured it's more than his heart can take? But can the homicide cop and the rich heiress make a go of it?

[Lirisha Tuladhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

well to be honest.. i really enjoyed the book .. thr romance.. the thrill.. the way the story was written it was all smooth...
the setup plot was a bit weak though.. for it seemed that..all the case was too easy to figure out.. who the culprit was akready could be evident and could be guessed without much brainy thoughts..
the love story was great but somehow the power of grasping a strong plot story loosened here..
Slade and Jess was indeed a pair!! Im glad it didnt just end up broken relationship..