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The O'Hurleys #1
The Last Honest Woman
When journalist Dylan Crosby starts digging up the past for the book he's writing about her infamous late husband, Abigail O'Hurley Rockwell is determined that she will do everything possible to keep the family's secrets under lock and key.' to 'The truth could not be told. Abigail O'Hurley Rockwell was a desperate woman. Journalist Dylan Crosby was going to start digging up her past for the book he was writing about her infamous late husband. It was just research to him, but to her it was a painful reality that had to be kept under lock and key for the sake of her children. Abby would do anything to keep their world safe - no matter how complelling Dylan's promises might be.... What was she hiding? When Dylan Crosby came to grill Abigail O'Hurley Rockwell about her famous late husband, he expected cool white mink, icy diamonds. What he got was dusty dungarees and womanly warmth. Why would socialite Abby pretend to be a hardworking country mom? Worse, why did he believe her loving lies? THE O'HURLEYS! Entrancing triplet sisters with three compelling stories to tell.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1988
2064 people are currently reading
2807 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,225 books60.3k followersNora 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
July 29, 2023
3.5 stars - Not 100% in love with the romance itself, but really like the family dynamics and the heroine was great. I'm excited that we get all the stories for the siblings
June 17, 2020
Translation widget on the blog!!!
O poveste despre curaj și forță. Despre puterea unei femei de a răzbate prin orice greutăți pentru copiii ei. Și nu doar atât...
Abby și cei doi băieți ai ei trăiesc o viață simplă și fericită la ferma lor de cai, dar odată cu sosirea lui Dylan la fermă, pentru a lucra la biografia fostului ei soț — pilotul de curse Chuck Rockwell, lucrurile încep să se schimbe. Abby este nevoită să treacă din nou prin toată agitația și suferința aceea, dar pentru copiii ei este nevoită să o facă. Vrea ca aceștia să nu își urască tatăl.
Neînțelegeri, presupuneri, vorbe aruncate care provoacă suferință și rănesc... Dylan le face pe toate acestea chiar dacă se simte atras de tânăra văduvă.
Pe măsură ce întregul adevăr iese la iveală, sentimentele celor doi se schimbă.
O poveste de iubire dulce, un balsam pentru două suflete rănite! O lectură care te face să crezi că există a doua șansă!
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....
O poveste despre curaj și forță. Despre puterea unei femei de a răzbate prin orice greutăți pentru copiii ei. Și nu doar atât...
Abby și cei doi băieți ai ei trăiesc o viață simplă și fericită la ferma lor de cai, dar odată cu sosirea lui Dylan la fermă, pentru a lucra la biografia fostului ei soț — pilotul de curse Chuck Rockwell, lucrurile încep să se schimbe. Abby este nevoită să treacă din nou prin toată agitația și suferința aceea, dar pentru copiii ei este nevoită să o facă. Vrea ca aceștia să nu își urască tatăl.
Neînțelegeri, presupuneri, vorbe aruncate care provoacă suferință și rănesc... Dylan le face pe toate acestea chiar dacă se simte atras de tânăra văduvă.
Pe măsură ce întregul adevăr iese la iveală, sentimentele celor doi se schimbă.
O poveste de iubire dulce, un balsam pentru două suflete rănite! O lectură care te face să crezi că există a doua șansă!
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....
May 6, 2012
I had a few problems with the h in this one, one moment she could be an incredibly strong woman raising her sons on her own while on the other hand I found her belief to lie about her husband kind of martyr like.
She was 18 when she got married to a famous race car driver, it was few months of bliss and then hell. Her husband died in a crash five years ago and the whole world was already aware of his numeral infidelities and other transgressions but the h kept quiet, now she's agreed to do a biography because she needs the money & she wants her son's to have a legacy of her father. What I disliked was that she lied to the hero constantly even though he could look beyond her lies.
She did tell him the truth once not the full extent of it, I did admire her desire to protect her kids but dunno she had this martyr complex and kept on lying and I didn't get why, her husband was a douche.
She knew the H thought she was a gold digger at first with loads of money who was just making a show of running a ranch, but she never told him that she didn't get a single penny from her husband and that her witch of her mother-in-law got it all and that she had to get a loan to live. I get it why she didn't tell him before but after she got involved with him, she should have instead her sister had to tell the H.
The H had been married before so that is why he thought that she would be a social climber but he saw her later, her love for her children and everything. He made her see herself as a woman and also that her husband was a failure not her.
What he didn't understand was why she didn't leave her husband and she does tell him later that she had hope and didn't want to admit failure but at the end she had served him with divorce papers.
I am left with mixed feelings about this book, I just had a problem with the h and her tendency to fudge the truth, all in all not a book I can recommend.
She was 18 when she got married to a famous race car driver, it was few months of bliss and then hell. Her husband died in a crash five years ago and the whole world was already aware of his numeral infidelities and other transgressions but the h kept quiet, now she's agreed to do a biography because she needs the money & she wants her son's to have a legacy of her father. What I disliked was that she lied to the hero constantly even though he could look beyond her lies.
She did tell him the truth once not the full extent of it, I did admire her desire to protect her kids but dunno she had this martyr complex and kept on lying and I didn't get why, her husband was a douche.
She knew the H thought she was a gold digger at first with loads of money who was just making a show of running a ranch, but she never told him that she didn't get a single penny from her husband and that her witch of her mother-in-law got it all and that she had to get a loan to live. I get it why she didn't tell him before but after she got involved with him, she should have instead her sister had to tell the H.
The H had been married before so that is why he thought that she would be a social climber but he saw her later, her love for her children and everything. He made her see herself as a woman and also that her husband was a failure not her.
What he didn't understand was why she didn't leave her husband and she does tell him later that she had hope and didn't want to admit failure but at the end she had served him with divorce papers.
I am left with mixed feelings about this book, I just had a problem with the h and her tendency to fudge the truth, all in all not a book I can recommend.
October 26, 2009
It was an easy and sometimes sweet read. But I did get annoyed at Abby now and again. Yes she wanted to portrait her husband in a good way, and therefore she tried to lie to the writer who was writing her late husbands biography. But why keep it up when he knew she was lying and not to mention when he thought the worst of her. Some things I can understand why she wanted to keep hidden but others made no sense since they really had nothing to do with the bottom line of things.
And Dylan was kind of an ass too, he thought the worst of her, well do your background check and stop judging people from some photos from the past. he is supposed to write this great biographies but he only thinks the worst of people. How is that a good way to start?
So we have two idiots that drove me crazy now and again. And then her famous siblings showed up, it seems they have books of their own too. Not that I got that interested in reading them.
Ok I did not hate the book even if it may seem like that. It was a sweet lovestory, it's just that the man characters were real stubborn. But I read the sweet parts, and I got the true story behind her marriage. That made a good story.
And her kids were adorable, almost the best part of the book, at least the best people of the book. They made up for idiotic adults.
It was an ok book, not bad, and not good. An easy book to read, I did not have to think much and it sure took no time at all to read it.
And Dylan was kind of an ass too, he thought the worst of her, well do your background check and stop judging people from some photos from the past. he is supposed to write this great biographies but he only thinks the worst of people. How is that a good way to start?
So we have two idiots that drove me crazy now and again. And then her famous siblings showed up, it seems they have books of their own too. Not that I got that interested in reading them.
Ok I did not hate the book even if it may seem like that. It was a sweet lovestory, it's just that the man characters were real stubborn. But I read the sweet parts, and I got the true story behind her marriage. That made a good story.
And her kids were adorable, almost the best part of the book, at least the best people of the book. They made up for idiotic adults.
It was an ok book, not bad, and not good. An easy book to read, I did not have to think much and it sure took no time at all to read it.
June 13, 2020
5/5
Nora Roberts es adicción. Ésta novela está publicada en Harlequin y pese a sus doce capitulos, no pude parar de leer hasta el final.
Brevemente les cuento que está es la historia de Abby O'Hurley, la mediana de trillizas (las otras son Chandal y Maddy) y tienen también un hermano varón, Trace, el cual es el mayor y está de viaje. Los papás son Frank y Molly. Todos, salvó Abbyy, se dedican al mundo del espectáculo; Abby en cambio eligió echar raíces en una antigua casa/grsnja en Virginia y dedicarse a la cría y venta de caballos y otro tipos de animales. Ella sola y con la ayuda de sus dos pequeños hijos: Chris y Ben, porque Abby es una joven viuda.
Y tenemos a Dylan, quien es un famoso escritor que carga a sus espaldas un matrimonio fracasado y en cuanto al amor es algo cínico.
Más no contaré porque es una novela corta cuya narración me hizo meterme de lleno en la historia. Yo estaba allí, yo veía como poco a poco se iban enamorando Dylan y Abby y lo disfruté con mucha emoción y pasión.
"La última mujer honesta"es el primer libro de "Los O'Hurleys" que recomiendo leer así un fin de semana. Es una historia que nos habla de segundas oportunidades y de la necesidad de amar cuando la vida está llena de responsabilidad es.
Nora Roberts es adicción. Ésta novela está publicada en Harlequin y pese a sus doce capitulos, no pude parar de leer hasta el final.
Brevemente les cuento que está es la historia de Abby O'Hurley, la mediana de trillizas (las otras son Chandal y Maddy) y tienen también un hermano varón, Trace, el cual es el mayor y está de viaje. Los papás son Frank y Molly. Todos, salvó Abbyy, se dedican al mundo del espectáculo; Abby en cambio eligió echar raíces en una antigua casa/grsnja en Virginia y dedicarse a la cría y venta de caballos y otro tipos de animales. Ella sola y con la ayuda de sus dos pequeños hijos: Chris y Ben, porque Abby es una joven viuda.
Y tenemos a Dylan, quien es un famoso escritor que carga a sus espaldas un matrimonio fracasado y en cuanto al amor es algo cínico.
Más no contaré porque es una novela corta cuya narración me hizo meterme de lleno en la historia. Yo estaba allí, yo veía como poco a poco se iban enamorando Dylan y Abby y lo disfruté con mucha emoción y pasión.
"La última mujer honesta"es el primer libro de "Los O'Hurleys" que recomiendo leer así un fin de semana. Es una historia que nos habla de segundas oportunidades y de la necesidad de amar cuando la vida está llena de responsabilidad es.
November 15, 2020
2.5 Stars
If you choose to read this story just remember it was written in the 1980’s therefore a traditional style of love story written in that era. If i had read this back in those times I probably would have given it a higher rating, but I didn’t and there was too many eye rolls and eyebrow lifting and it doesn’t stand up to a Nora Roberts of this time hence the lower rating.
If you choose to read this story just remember it was written in the 1980’s therefore a traditional style of love story written in that era. If i had read this back in those times I probably would have given it a higher rating, but I didn’t and there was too many eye rolls and eyebrow lifting and it doesn’t stand up to a Nora Roberts of this time hence the lower rating.
June 22, 2012
I was in something of a funk last night, and this book kept me company. And good company it was. Originally written in the 80s, it's the earliest Nora Roberts book I've read so far. While the book is only mildly dated, really, it is less... I dunno... engaging? than her more recent work.
The biggest weakness is, unfortunately, the core of the four-book series: the O'Hurley family. Raised by a die-hard entertainer, the triplet girls and older brother grew up on the road. They have understandably strong ties to each other. My problem is that those relationships are very idealized. We see the good side of the father's need to perform and his love for them seems real, but the book glossed over any aspects of living an essentially itinerant life that were more negative. Maybe the dad just irritated me and I didn't like how big a pass he gets for those things that annoyed me.
The romance with Abigail worked okay. Just. The situation was overtly confrontational and Dylan was kind of a jerkface and only barely redeemed later on. And Abby frustrated me, sometimes, as well. She's supposedly smart. She can't have thought her plan would really work with someone of Dylan's reputation, could she? It was weak of her to even try.
The pure relationship side of the romance is what made it work, in the end, for me. It was here, when Dylan allowed himself to be softer, more caring, that I started to be more invested in their story. For all my discontent with elements of the book, I ended up liking it well-enough, if only for the central relationship working itself out.
A note on Steamy: Only one real sex scene (though several lead-ins) with occasional frank talk about sex made this way mild on the steamy scale. There are deeper issues involved, however, so this book is more mature than its pure explicitness indicates.
The biggest weakness is, unfortunately, the core of the four-book series: the O'Hurley family. Raised by a die-hard entertainer, the triplet girls and older brother grew up on the road. They have understandably strong ties to each other. My problem is that those relationships are very idealized. We see the good side of the father's need to perform and his love for them seems real, but the book glossed over any aspects of living an essentially itinerant life that were more negative. Maybe the dad just irritated me and I didn't like how big a pass he gets for those things that annoyed me.
The romance with Abigail worked okay. Just. The situation was overtly confrontational and Dylan was kind of a jerkface and only barely redeemed later on. And Abby frustrated me, sometimes, as well. She's supposedly smart. She can't have thought her plan would really work with someone of Dylan's reputation, could she? It was weak of her to even try.
The pure relationship side of the romance is what made it work, in the end, for me. It was here, when Dylan allowed himself to be softer, more caring, that I started to be more invested in their story. For all my discontent with elements of the book, I ended up liking it well-enough, if only for the central relationship working itself out.
A note on Steamy: Only one real sex scene (though several lead-ins) with occasional frank talk about sex made this way mild on the steamy scale. There are deeper issues involved, however, so this book is more mature than its pure explicitness indicates.
April 14, 2019
In case no one has figured out as yet, I am on something of a Nora Roberts roll; interspersed with other books to avoid boredom ..so far it is a great journey
This on starts off sweetly with h's drifter parents having babies; 3 little girls, of which h is one ...
I liked journalist H's character, cynical, suspicious but he had his soft spots; he related well with h's boys ..
h, I found to be a strong character who has a solid bond with her family as well. She loves her boys and her story with her little boy was amazing .... as was H's reaction when he sees the little boy 'with new eyes' and decides the truth is not as important as a little boy's happiness
What didn't work for me; the h's relationship with her ex ...
For a strong girl who came from a close family who were not rich but had plenty of love with each other, she was remarkably doormatty with her husband. I can understand her not telling H about not receiving any money from her husband's estate but why did she tolerate him to begin with ...
After the incident where her younger son was conceived, I could see this h divorcing and claiming a decent share of property, not living in an abusive relationship as a pauper with her little boys ... I can understand her marrying him as a naive 18 year old but cannot understand why she stayed once she became a mother ....
I wish this one could have been better ....
This on starts off sweetly with h's drifter parents having babies; 3 little girls, of which h is one ...
I liked journalist H's character, cynical, suspicious but he had his soft spots; he related well with h's boys ..
h, I found to be a strong character who has a solid bond with her family as well. She loves her boys and her story with her little boy was amazing .... as was H's reaction when he sees the little boy 'with new eyes' and decides the truth is not as important as a little boy's happiness
What didn't work for me; the h's relationship with her ex ...
For a strong girl who came from a close family who were not rich but had plenty of love with each other, she was remarkably doormatty with her husband. I can understand her not telling H about not receiving any money from her husband's estate but why did she tolerate him to begin with ...
After the incident where her younger son was conceived, I could see this h divorcing and claiming a decent share of property, not living in an abusive relationship as a pauper with her little boys ... I can understand her marrying him as a naive 18 year old but cannot understand why she stayed once she became a mother ....
I wish this one could have been better ....
February 19, 2020
Abigail is living on a farm raising her two sons the best way she can and holds on to her pride. She needs the money so she signs a contract with a writer and journalist Dylan to write the story of her ex-husband who is a famous race car driver who is deceased. The writer thinks she is this rich woman and cannot image why she is living on this farm doing manual labor and cleaning houses on the side and mucking stalls.
Dylan Crosby started out as a journalist, but now writes biographies. When he decides to write the biography of the late Chuck Rockwell, race car driver, he has ideas about Chuck's widow and the life she's been leading since his death. Dylan couldn't be more wrong about Abby O'Hurley. Living on a farm, raising horses and her two sons, Abby has been on her own for a long time. When she agrees to consult with Dylan about the book, she knows that she's going to have to unveil some nightmares from her past, but she thinks she can control what Dylan gets out of her.
From the beginning Dylan is drawn to Abby, but can't quite reconcile the reality with the image he was expecting. Falling in love with her kids is easy, falling in love with Abby, even though he knows she's lying about her past, makes Dylan reconsider everything he thought he knew.
Dylan Crosby started out as a journalist, but now writes biographies. When he decides to write the biography of the late Chuck Rockwell, race car driver, he has ideas about Chuck's widow and the life she's been leading since his death. Dylan couldn't be more wrong about Abby O'Hurley. Living on a farm, raising horses and her two sons, Abby has been on her own for a long time. When she agrees to consult with Dylan about the book, she knows that she's going to have to unveil some nightmares from her past, but she thinks she can control what Dylan gets out of her.
From the beginning Dylan is drawn to Abby, but can't quite reconcile the reality with the image he was expecting. Falling in love with her kids is easy, falling in love with Abby, even though he knows she's lying about her past, makes Dylan reconsider everything he thought he knew.
February 10, 2020
Abby menerima Dylan di rumah pertaniannya. Dylan akan menulis buku biografi Chuck, mendiang suaminya, dan Abby menjadi salah satu narasumbernya. Dalam pikiran Dylan, Abby hidup bergelimangan harta peninggalan suaminya. Namun yang didapati Dylan malah sebaliknya.
Abby hidup bersama 2 orang anaknya, membesarkan mereka sambil beternak kuda. Ketika Dylan perlahan mulai masuk lebih jauh ke dalam hidup mereka, pilihan Abby hanyalah menceritakan dengan jujur seperti apa pernikahannya dengan Chuck dahulu.
Selain kisah Abby dan Dylan, ada juga hubungan antara Abby dan kedua saudari kembarnya, Chatel dan Maddy. Bagaimana ketiganya saling mendukung meskipun jalan hidup mereka jauh berbeda. Saya dengan mudah bersimpati pada Abby, sebagai anak tengah, Abby digambarkan sosok yang tangguh, mandiri dan sulit membuka diri pada orang lain terkait luka-luka yang dihadapinya. Abby memilih mengobati semua luka itu sendiri daripada meminta bantuan orang lain.
Well...saya penasaran apakah Dylan akan menerbitkan buku tentang Chuck, dan bagaimana kisah Maddy, Chatel atau Trace.
Abby hidup bersama 2 orang anaknya, membesarkan mereka sambil beternak kuda. Ketika Dylan perlahan mulai masuk lebih jauh ke dalam hidup mereka, pilihan Abby hanyalah menceritakan dengan jujur seperti apa pernikahannya dengan Chuck dahulu.
Selain kisah Abby dan Dylan, ada juga hubungan antara Abby dan kedua saudari kembarnya, Chatel dan Maddy. Bagaimana ketiganya saling mendukung meskipun jalan hidup mereka jauh berbeda. Saya dengan mudah bersimpati pada Abby, sebagai anak tengah, Abby digambarkan sosok yang tangguh, mandiri dan sulit membuka diri pada orang lain terkait luka-luka yang dihadapinya. Abby memilih mengobati semua luka itu sendiri daripada meminta bantuan orang lain.
Well...saya penasaran apakah Dylan akan menerbitkan buku tentang Chuck, dan bagaimana kisah Maddy, Chatel atau Trace.
December 15, 2020
This book was written in the 80s, and it clearly shows. A lot of the interactions haven't aged well, but it remains a wonderfully sweet comfort reread if you're willing to forgive that sort of thing.
Some things were more apparent to me this time reading the book, that didn't necessarily jump off the page a few years ago. The more traditional gender roles, for one. A lot of Dylan's attraction for Abby rests on her being warm, sweet, grounded and a good mother, but she still manages to be a well rounded enough character for that to come off as endearing rather than totally regressive.
For his part, his turnaround in terms of priorities was a little too fast to be plausible, but I'll take that over dithering about options and commitment issues anyday.
The children actually seemed like children and not twenty-somethings awkwardly transmogrified into little ones, and genuinely had a lot to add to the story. The O'Hurley family on the other hand was, for such a colourful cast of characters, rather one dimensional and overall fell flat.
I'll probably revisit this in a couple of years. Maybe it's time to pick up Nora Roberts again.
Some things were more apparent to me this time reading the book, that didn't necessarily jump off the page a few years ago. The more traditional gender roles, for one. A lot of Dylan's attraction for Abby rests on her being warm, sweet, grounded and a good mother, but she still manages to be a well rounded enough character for that to come off as endearing rather than totally regressive.
For his part, his turnaround in terms of priorities was a little too fast to be plausible, but I'll take that over dithering about options and commitment issues anyday.
The children actually seemed like children and not twenty-somethings awkwardly transmogrified into little ones, and genuinely had a lot to add to the story. The O'Hurley family on the other hand was, for such a colourful cast of characters, rather one dimensional and overall fell flat.
I'll probably revisit this in a couple of years. Maybe it's time to pick up Nora Roberts again.
September 18, 2020
Wasn't feeling the best, I wanted something to read though wasn't up for much that required more than riding along.
Nora's early books typically satisfy that need so I dusted this off since I couldn't recall anything, pulled from archives, and finished in one day.
Romance Book.. You know whats coming, what the twists and turns will be and where it all ends.
Just what I needed.
Nora's early books typically satisfy that need so I dusted this off since I couldn't recall anything, pulled from archives, and finished in one day.
Romance Book.. You know whats coming, what the twists and turns will be and where it all ends.
Just what I needed.
August 8, 2025
Las dus de vertaling. Vermakelijk (bouquet reeks) verhaal uit 1988. Dus sommige dingen zijn achterhaald qua technologie. Leuk dat de kids niet alleen een vermelding waren maar dat er ook interactie met hen was. Zaten ook een paar s::s scenes in. Was wel even verbaasd dat het zich in de VS afspeelde omdat er “De Ierse O’Hurleys” op de kaft stond. 3 sterren voor dit boek in zijn genre.
July 6, 2021
2.5 stars, rounded up.
I’m choosing to view this book through two filters.
Filter One: Published in 1988, 3 stars
This book is a wonderful paperback romance. Easy to read, enough drama and intrigue to push the story along and a whole family of crazy characters to keep the series going for four books. Abby is strong and sensitive. Dylan is pushy but kind. Chuck is an excellent villain and conveniently a dead one so he doesn’t need to be dealt with. The premise is unique enough that it doesn’t matter that the rest of the story follows the expected paperback romance cliche.
Filter Two: Reading in 2020, 2 stars
I guess I just expect more from a romance novel these days than two characters meeting and falling in love within a week. Especially when two kids are involved. It’s clearly unrealistic and unlikely and actually seems like the only reason Abby hasn’t remarried is that she hasn’t met another single man her age who was nice to her kids. If you just take the book at face value, it’s a fun easy read. But don’t expect to dig any deeper and find gold here. I’m choosing to enjoy it for what it is and continue down this series to see where we go from here.
Other books in the O'Hurleys series:
#2: Dance to the Piper ⭐⭐
I’m choosing to view this book through two filters.
Filter One: Published in 1988, 3 stars
This book is a wonderful paperback romance. Easy to read, enough drama and intrigue to push the story along and a whole family of crazy characters to keep the series going for four books. Abby is strong and sensitive. Dylan is pushy but kind. Chuck is an excellent villain and conveniently a dead one so he doesn’t need to be dealt with. The premise is unique enough that it doesn’t matter that the rest of the story follows the expected paperback romance cliche.
Filter Two: Reading in 2020, 2 stars
I guess I just expect more from a romance novel these days than two characters meeting and falling in love within a week. Especially when two kids are involved. It’s clearly unrealistic and unlikely and actually seems like the only reason Abby hasn’t remarried is that she hasn’t met another single man her age who was nice to her kids. If you just take the book at face value, it’s a fun easy read. But don’t expect to dig any deeper and find gold here. I’m choosing to enjoy it for what it is and continue down this series to see where we go from here.
Other books in the O'Hurleys series:
#2: Dance to the Piper ⭐⭐
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December 28, 2015
The first book in the series, introducing the O'Hurley family, starting with Abby, the middle of triplets and widow of a famous racer, and Dylan Crosby, a journalist hired to write her late husband's biography.
Abby is doing her best to raise her two sons alone, while trying to make her horse breeding farm stable. She's far from what Dylan expected and he insists on viewing her with his expectations in mind for a long time, led by the cynicism of past experiences.
He does not think very highly of her and can tell that she's lying, while she is determined to keep her secrets her own, but the sparks between them fly from the beginning.
An engaging story with its ups and downs, and a few entertaining glimpses into the original O'Hurley family. Maddy, the youngest triplet's story comes next in Dance to the Piper.
Abby is doing her best to raise her two sons alone, while trying to make her horse breeding farm stable. She's far from what Dylan expected and he insists on viewing her with his expectations in mind for a long time, led by the cynicism of past experiences.
He does not think very highly of her and can tell that she's lying, while she is determined to keep her secrets her own, but the sparks between them fly from the beginning.
An engaging story with its ups and downs, and a few entertaining glimpses into the original O'Hurley family. Maddy, the youngest triplet's story comes next in Dance to the Piper.
December 10, 2015
Abigail was 18 when she married a famous race car driver, but not long after their "happy ever after" it became a nightmare. He cheated constantly and didn't hide it. He Flaunted his many women.
A race car crash ended his life 5 yrs ago. Now she's agreed to do a biography with journalist Dylan because she needs the money. Also, she has an unreasonable need to have her children grow up with an altered image of who their father was.
Dylan thinks she is nothing but a spoiled rich girl, can't imagine any other reason she would have stayed besides the money. Unbeknownst to him, she received nothing from her spouses death, all of this fortune going to her mother in law.
As Dylan realizes Abigail is more than she appeared he is intrigues and desperate for find out who she really is and what makes her tick.
Another Great book by Nora Roberts.
A race car crash ended his life 5 yrs ago. Now she's agreed to do a biography with journalist Dylan because she needs the money. Also, she has an unreasonable need to have her children grow up with an altered image of who their father was.
Dylan thinks she is nothing but a spoiled rich girl, can't imagine any other reason she would have stayed besides the money. Unbeknownst to him, she received nothing from her spouses death, all of this fortune going to her mother in law.
As Dylan realizes Abigail is more than she appeared he is intrigues and desperate for find out who she really is and what makes her tick.
Another Great book by Nora Roberts.
January 2, 2016
Um boa leitura, sem grandes surpresas e poderia ser melhor porque tinha todos os ingredientes que gosto: um escritor disposto a descobrir tudo sobre o marido dela, uma viúva batalhadora e história de um casamento infeliz.
Mas o final me pareceu incompleto, era como se faltasse algo. Não ficará entre os meus favoritos.
Mas o final me pareceu incompleto, era como se faltasse algo. Não ficará entre os meus favoritos.
October 26, 2019
Sick in bed and just wanted some Nora to read. Always does the trick.
August 25, 2021
This was good right up to the end, which kind of let the rest of the book down with its abruptness, sort of leaving one with the feeling that the last couple of chapters had been lost somewhere.
February 12, 2021
Am citit aceasta carte înconjurată de nor de melancolie. Mi-am adus aminte de mine, cum citeam astfel de cărți cu naivitatea vârstei, cu încredere în iubirea care șterge tot ce e rău în viața protagoniștilor și cu un zâmbet larg. Pentru mine, cărțile de dragoste au devenit provocările cele mari tocmai pentru că am trecut de vârsta în care tot ce zboară se mănâncă și nu mai văd romantismul în orice gest îmbrăcat în haine pompoase de către autor. Dar, citind-o pe Nora Roberts am realizat că mi-a fost dor de aceste cărți ce nu pun accent pe sexualitate ci pe sentimente și care îmbracă finalul într-un basm în care iubirea învinge răul.
Atunci când jurnalistul Dylan Crosby este însărcinat să scrie biografia fostului pilot de curse care a murit într-un accident de mașină, acesta se deplasează la casa tinerei văduve și mamă a doi copii. Dezamăgit în general de perversitatea femeilor, acesta pornește cu foarte multe prejudecăți. ʼʼFemeile erau viclene încă de la naștere. Erau construite să joace rolul de făpturi neajutorate, vulnerabile. Până puneau gheara pe tine. Ca să te eliberezi trebuia să sângerezi puțin. Apoi, dacă te ducea capul, te uitai bine la cicatrici din când în când ca să îți reamintești cum funcționa viata.ʼʼ
Convins că va găsi o femeie înfumurată, acompaniată de personal dispus să îi îndeplinească toate dorințele, înconjurată de lux și opulență, Dylan se încăpățânează să nu se lase păcălit de simplitatea femeii care îl întâmpină. Se așteaptă tot timpul că totul e o farsă căci imaginea creionată de ziare, în care poza învăluită în blănuri la brațul soțului îi stăruie obsesiv în minte. Dar pe parcurs va înțelege că nimic nu e ceea ce pare și mai ales se redescoperă pe el alături de Abigail și cei doi băieți ai ei.
E foarte dificil să vorbești despre o astfel de carte fără să dezvălui foarte multe, mai ales că din descriere ne dăm seama cum va decurge povestea. Ce vreau să spun, este că am un fragment preferat din această carte care m-a încărcat de bunădispozitie și mi-a sporit dorința de a citi și despre celelalte fete ale familiei. Cât de mult mi-a plăcut când toată familia s-a întregit! În special am fost cucerită de Frank, tatăl celor trei triplete. Artist din fire, expert în a se fofila de la orice sarcină casnică, un încăpățânat convins că poate învăța pe toată lumea să danseze step și absolut delicios când încearcă să se facă util în lucruri care îl depășesc. Când una dintre iepe trebuia sa fete, singura lui treabă a fost să sune veterinarul,dar el o ține bună cu apa fiartă și în curând nimeni nu se mai putea apropia aragazul pe care fierbea patru oale cu apă. Unde mai pui ca era pregătit să sune oricând la 112.
Atunci când jurnalistul Dylan Crosby este însărcinat să scrie biografia fostului pilot de curse care a murit într-un accident de mașină, acesta se deplasează la casa tinerei văduve și mamă a doi copii. Dezamăgit în general de perversitatea femeilor, acesta pornește cu foarte multe prejudecăți. ʼʼFemeile erau viclene încă de la naștere. Erau construite să joace rolul de făpturi neajutorate, vulnerabile. Până puneau gheara pe tine. Ca să te eliberezi trebuia să sângerezi puțin. Apoi, dacă te ducea capul, te uitai bine la cicatrici din când în când ca să îți reamintești cum funcționa viata.ʼʼ
Convins că va găsi o femeie înfumurată, acompaniată de personal dispus să îi îndeplinească toate dorințele, înconjurată de lux și opulență, Dylan se încăpățânează să nu se lase păcălit de simplitatea femeii care îl întâmpină. Se așteaptă tot timpul că totul e o farsă căci imaginea creionată de ziare, în care poza învăluită în blănuri la brațul soțului îi stăruie obsesiv în minte. Dar pe parcurs va înțelege că nimic nu e ceea ce pare și mai ales se redescoperă pe el alături de Abigail și cei doi băieți ai ei.
E foarte dificil să vorbești despre o astfel de carte fără să dezvălui foarte multe, mai ales că din descriere ne dăm seama cum va decurge povestea. Ce vreau să spun, este că am un fragment preferat din această carte care m-a încărcat de bunădispozitie și mi-a sporit dorința de a citi și despre celelalte fete ale familiei. Cât de mult mi-a plăcut când toată familia s-a întregit! În special am fost cucerită de Frank, tatăl celor trei triplete. Artist din fire, expert în a se fofila de la orice sarcină casnică, un încăpățânat convins că poate învăța pe toată lumea să danseze step și absolut delicios când încearcă să se facă util în lucruri care îl depășesc. Când una dintre iepe trebuia sa fete, singura lui treabă a fost să sune veterinarul,dar el o ține bună cu apa fiartă și în curând nimeni nu se mai putea apropia aragazul pe care fierbea patru oale cu apă. Unde mai pui ca era pregătit să sune oricând la 112.
May 23, 2020
Thought i had read all Nora Roberts books but somehow missed this series.
After reading thrillers for so long i found this very much a light read and very sweet. You could tell what had happened and what was going to happen before it did. Not to say i didnt enjoy it but very different to what i have been reading, maybe why i read in one night lol
Will give series a go since started it!
After reading thrillers for so long i found this very much a light read and very sweet. You could tell what had happened and what was going to happen before it did. Not to say i didnt enjoy it but very different to what i have been reading, maybe why i read in one night lol
Will give series a go since started it!
April 15, 2021
It's not terrible but it's missing the humor and charm I've come to expect from Roberts' novels.
Plus the hero was kind of a grabby douche and I'm not a fan.
Apparently the H in book 3 tells the h that she totally deserves being stalked because she flaunts her beauty so I'm just noping out of the rest of the series.
I much prefer her romantic suspense stories but I think I've run out 😢😢😭😢
Plus the hero was kind of a grabby douche and I'm not a fan.
Apparently the H in book 3 tells the h that she totally deserves being stalked because she flaunts her beauty so I'm just noping out of the rest of the series.
I much prefer her romantic suspense stories but I think I've run out 😢😢😭😢
November 24, 2024
[4.5 stars]
May 11, 2014
This is the first chapter of the O'Hurley series. A set of triplet girls, born to a song and dance couple always on the move to their next gig.
With music and travel in their blood, the paths that they take as adults are predictable. That is except for Abby.This is her story.
Swept off her feet by a charismatic race car driver, she finds that life in the fast lane is not all it's cracked up to be. Her marriage rocky at best, she retreats to her horse farm in Virginia. There she finds a modicum of peace, raising her babies and spreading her wings in the world of horse breeding.
When her husband is killed in a crash, she
retreats ever deeper into the peaceful solitude her farm offers. That is until she allows a biography to be written about her late husband.
The brash, intense reporter sent to ferret out "the facts", threatens to destroy her hard won peace. She seriously rethinks her decision.
Love can be sweeter the second time around. That is my take away from this story. I liked Abby right away, her back story and the strength to do what needed to be to take care of her kids.
Dylan, the reporter/love interest was harder for me to warm to. But I did, even though he poo pooed her concern over presence of the children and their possible reaction to the relationship. Personally I found that offensive and would have been a deal breaker for me. But hey,not my story to tell, right?
In the last part of the story, we are re-introduced to all the triplets along with Mom and Pop, as they gather in support of Abby.
A perfect set up for chapter two of the O'Hurley's.
With music and travel in their blood, the paths that they take as adults are predictable. That is except for Abby.This is her story.
Swept off her feet by a charismatic race car driver, she finds that life in the fast lane is not all it's cracked up to be. Her marriage rocky at best, she retreats to her horse farm in Virginia. There she finds a modicum of peace, raising her babies and spreading her wings in the world of horse breeding.
When her husband is killed in a crash, she
retreats ever deeper into the peaceful solitude her farm offers. That is until she allows a biography to be written about her late husband.
The brash, intense reporter sent to ferret out "the facts", threatens to destroy her hard won peace. She seriously rethinks her decision.
Love can be sweeter the second time around. That is my take away from this story. I liked Abby right away, her back story and the strength to do what needed to be to take care of her kids.
Dylan, the reporter/love interest was harder for me to warm to. But I did, even though he poo pooed her concern over presence of the children and their possible reaction to the relationship. Personally I found that offensive and would have been a deal breaker for me. But hey,not my story to tell, right?
In the last part of the story, we are re-introduced to all the triplets along with Mom and Pop, as they gather in support of Abby.
A perfect set up for chapter two of the O'Hurley's.
June 5, 2022
Tonight, you will no longer serve me. That is intimidation and a result of what Roberts persevered inside this book.
I enjoyed reading it but also expected more out of it. The story is about a room of captives, explaining the character that is no longer alive.
And writing is such an admirable job and to carve out facts is where a writer blows his head and questions his patience and vulnerability. As a daily experience, I stand by it.
Dylan would feel above cautious statement while manoeuvring the efforts to dig out Abby’s life that no longer serves her, but is a part of her tantalizing marriage.
When something is shapeless, we try to hide its imperfection from others with the fear of shame and insecurity. Abby would process the same fear while facing Dylan’s question about her husband chuck. This fear is associated with her two children. No mother would want her child to know the venom of their father. That is all she wanted.
Love for Abby was a meaning of sex and forced one. While she begins to feel the warmth in the presence of Dylan. However, Dylan's motive to write a belligerent biography of Chuck would lose its meaning somewhere.
I could not continue the story because it was finished before but also it did not give much meaning to comprehension. Yes, the ending was lost in an abyss.
While finishing a story is not always hitting the last page but also finishing it in the middle of somewhere. It happened in this story.
That could also mean the end, but unsatisfactory.
QOTD: Have you ever finished a book to the last page, but mentally finished the story in the middle?
I enjoyed reading it but also expected more out of it. The story is about a room of captives, explaining the character that is no longer alive.
And writing is such an admirable job and to carve out facts is where a writer blows his head and questions his patience and vulnerability. As a daily experience, I stand by it.
Dylan would feel above cautious statement while manoeuvring the efforts to dig out Abby’s life that no longer serves her, but is a part of her tantalizing marriage.
When something is shapeless, we try to hide its imperfection from others with the fear of shame and insecurity. Abby would process the same fear while facing Dylan’s question about her husband chuck. This fear is associated with her two children. No mother would want her child to know the venom of their father. That is all she wanted.
Love for Abby was a meaning of sex and forced one. While she begins to feel the warmth in the presence of Dylan. However, Dylan's motive to write a belligerent biography of Chuck would lose its meaning somewhere.
I could not continue the story because it was finished before but also it did not give much meaning to comprehension. Yes, the ending was lost in an abyss.
While finishing a story is not always hitting the last page but also finishing it in the middle of somewhere. It happened in this story.
That could also mean the end, but unsatisfactory.
QOTD: Have you ever finished a book to the last page, but mentally finished the story in the middle?
June 2, 2012
Disclaimer: I'm reading this because it is a) available as an audio download at the library b) was 'in' last night when I was looking for a short book to listen to while waiting for the book I really want to turn up at the library and c) is short: less than 7 hours worth in fact.
Ugh. Some books I feel are too smart for me: see Snow for example. This book... I thought was not smart enough. The hero was annoying beyond belief. If this is supposed to be an Alpha male I don't want one - he came across to me as a bully, and a stupid one at that. For an investigative journalist he seemed weirdly unable to give up his assumptions in spite of pretty clear evidence to the contrary. The dramatic climax of the book was so clumsily signalled in the first couple of chapters that I spent the entire last third of the book anticipating it. I can only assume that Nora Roberts has come along as a writer since the '80s.
Ugh. Some books I feel are too smart for me: see Snow for example. This book... I thought was not smart enough. The hero was annoying beyond belief. If this is supposed to be an Alpha male I don't want one - he came across to me as a bully, and a stupid one at that. For an investigative journalist he seemed weirdly unable to give up his assumptions in spite of pretty clear evidence to the contrary. The dramatic climax of the book was so clumsily signalled in the first couple of chapters that I spent the entire last third of the book anticipating it. I can only assume that Nora Roberts has come along as a writer since the '80s.
October 18, 2009
This is the first book of the The O'Hurleys series, Abby gets to fall in love all over again. In the process of leaving a legacy for her children, having a book written about her late husband seemed the thing to do. After meeting Dylan and seeing how deep he was really going to probe for the answers she didn't want to give she started second guessing that choice. Dylan just wanted answers and knew that the widow was the only source, what he didn't count on was becoming attached to the kids and to their mom.
Book 1 ..... While most of this romance is predictable, there is a few twists to the story that make it interesting . The family dynamics is fun and very enjoyable. Intersted in starting the next book in the series to find out which sister gets to find love next.
Book 1 ..... While most of this romance is predictable, there is a few twists to the story that make it interesting . The family dynamics is fun and very enjoyable. Intersted in starting the next book in the series to find out which sister gets to find love next.
September 15, 2016
Wieder mal ein typischer Nora Roberts-Roman. Hier geht es um die Familie O´Hara (Mutter, Vater, Sohn und Drillingstöchter). In diesem Roman wird die Liebesgeschichte von der mittleren Drillingstochter Alana erzählt. Wieder eine mit einfachen Worten, aber detailreiche erzählte Liebesgeschichte.
Für Zwischendurch, wenn man etwas einfaches und nettes lesen will, ist Nora Roberts optimal. Freue mich im Anschluss auf den zweiten Teil.
Für Zwischendurch, wenn man etwas einfaches und nettes lesen will, ist Nora Roberts optimal. Freue mich im Anschluss auf den zweiten Teil.
July 4, 2011
Old skool silhouette from Nora Roberts. Really enjoyed this story of a tough biographer and a widowed horse breeder. The story really holds up despite its age. It is jarring to have the hero light up a cigarette more than once in the story, but overall it's still a strong story.
February 2, 2010
A very easy to read book. A sweet story but it was rather shallow. I wanted a bit more flesh to the H/H bones, more background. And what happened to the book that was so central in the beginning?
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