Tribute

by Nora Roberts

A young woman gets caught up in the secrets and shadows of a big-screen legend and a small-town scandal in this #1 New York Times bestseller from Nora Roberts.

Cilla McGowan, a former child star, has found a more satisfying life restoring homes. So she comes to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley to save the dilapidated farmhouse of her grandmother—a legendary actress who died of an overdose there more than thirty years ago.

Plunging into the project with gusto, Cilla’s almost too busy and exhausted to notice her neighbor, graphic novelist Ford Sawyer. Determined not to carry on the family tradition of ill-fated romances, Cilla steels herself against Ford’s quirky charm, though she can’t help indulging in a little fantasy.

But it’s reality that holds its share of dangers for Cilla. A cache of unsigned letters found in the attic points to a mysterious romance in her grandmother’s life, and may be what sparks a frightening, violent assault. Now, if Cilla and Ford are unable to sort out who is targeting her and why, she may, just like her world-famous grandmother, be cut down in the prime of her life

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

464 pages, Hardcover

First published July 8, 2008

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

[Jilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I find myself fascinated by a man who admits to enjoying fairy tales and uses the word "impinge"- barely misses a beat while indulging in a brief girl-on-girl fantasy. "

You and me both, sister!
If you are shopping for a new book boyfriend to add in to your giant book boyfriend harem, have I got the man for you!

His name is Ford, but I'll allow it, and he writes and draws graphic novels and has a cool dog that kind of gives me this idea:



Ford lives across the road from Cilla, our heroine, who has just moved in to fix up an old house that used to be owned by her grandmother. Cilla agrees with me about the man and dog:

What did her hot-looking neighbor and appealingly ugly dog want now?

The feeling is mutual. Ford takes a look at Cilla, holding a sledgehammer for demo, and immediately starts drawing her as a super-hero. I'm totally jealous. I want to be a super-hero. Unfortunately, I would probably be more like this:


Hair high, boobs low. Gravity is a fickle bitch!

Ford falls for Cilla, but she is very gun-shy about relationships.

You're serious. You're serious about friendships, about your work, your family. You're serious about Star Wars, and your active dislike of Jar Jar Binks---"

"Well, God. Come on, anyone who---"

"You're serious," she continued before he went on a Jar Jar rant, "about living your life on your terms, and being easygoing doesn't negate that one bit. You're serious about what kind of kryptonite is more lethal to Superman."

"You have to go with the classic green. I told you, the gold can strip Kryptonians' powers permanently, but---"

Holy shit!! Someone who feels as strongly about Jar Jar as I do! I really, truly, never thought I would see the day. And, I have proof!! Anyone who has read my reviews for a while have witnessed my Jar-Jar hatred! It's documented!!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

^Just one example from over a year ago. I have more. Many many more. My hatred of Jar-Jar runs deep AND wide.


Stupid Jar-jar. Even thinking about him gets me stabby.

*shaking it off*

This story is a lot of fun for anyone who watches HGTV as well. I found myself looking up "zinc countertops" and "waterfall edges" during her construction phase. My hubs is in construction so he has had to ban me from watching those fixer-upper shows. Once, after watching too many, I took a sledgehammer to our fireplace.... it turned out great! eventually. After he worked really hard...



My husband deserves a reward for every time I've shown him drawings of a new idea I had for a part of the house and he spent tons of sweaty hours making it happen for me. But, at the same time, it is probably good for him - all the exercise and stuff. So, maybe I deserve the reward. Yeah, probably me..

Anyway, back to the book!
There is also a mystery, along with renovations and romance in this book, and yes, I figured out who it was as soon as they were introduced. It was just a feeling I had. I think that if you read a mystery writer's novels often enough you start to get a sense of who they are going to have as the bad-guy. I've read over 50 Nora Roberts books. I should probably have a sense of where she hides her stash of emergency chocolate. I know she has one. Don't all moms have one?


Aw, you really ARE perfect, aren't you? Wait. How do you feel about Jar-Jar Binks and building me a mailbox that looks like a little house?

Well, have fun reading this book. It's pretty fun.
I need to end this rambling review now because I just got inspired to draw up plans for a little house shaped mailbox with its own little mailbox! How adorable will this be??? I think I might go wake up the hubs to tell him about it.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the world of romance novels there are a vast number of hot men. It's their personalities that differ. Some are overbearing, some are rich, some are sophisticated and a few are the geeky guy next door.
That's where Ford Sawyer hits, and that's the kind that melts my heart. I'm actually fairly easy to please, I just want the guy to not be sexist. Ford isn't.
He's not just the 'book boyfriend' type he's the 'drag this boy down the aisle' type.
Let me explain my newest love; he writes and illustrates graphic novels. His house has a fully equipped gym with a sauna and pool. And don't even get me started on the amazing kitchen. I mean, I might even LIKE to cook in it.
All his many attributes had me but I fell over the edge at the scene where Cilla is run off the road by a jerk. When Ford arrives does he do the macho thing of trying to hit the guy? No! He goes straight to Cilla so he can take care of her. Then he lets the old lady who is holding the guy at hoe-point (you'll have to read it to truly enjoy the scene) take care of him.
Ford always puts Cilla first, never pushes himself in her life, and stands beside her. Not in front.
As for Cilla? I love her, too. She's a brilliant contractor who is rehabbing her grandmother's house. She's not bitchy, spoiled or (my least favorite trope) has low self esteem. I weary of the beautiful girls who think they are plain and *back of hand on forehead* "how could he possibly love me?" You know the girls I'm talking about. She reads and is smart so Obviously no guy wants her. *Woe is me.*
Anyway, Cilla is confident, kind, cheerful and works hard. I love her!
Excellent, excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone. There's suspense, romance and power tools. What more could you want? 😁

[jenjn79 · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there'd been an epilogue at the end of the book, I would have given Tribute 4.5 stars probably. Otherwise it was a solid 4-stars. I didn't absolutely and utterly LOVE the book, but I enjoyed it quite a bit (and was rather annoyed that everything seemed to be going wrong this week, keeping me from finishing the book).

Though the book is a romantic suspense, it doesn't have a high-intensity, frenetic feel that you get in other romantic suspense books (such as those by Karen Rose, Beverly Barton, etc). The suspense is more subtle, less intense because the story is character and romance driven. It's about the people, the past, the relationships. About Cilla trying to make peace with who she is, and who she isn't, and about her trying to find her place in the world after life as a child-star. And it's about the sweet and tender romance that gradually grows between her and Ford. The suspense angle is still there and prominent, but its not exactly the driving force behind the story.

Having said that, one of my favorite parts of this book was the fact that Roberts kept me guessing throughout nearly the entire story as to who the antagonist was. The book was 451 pages and it wasn't until about page 434 that I narrowed it down to 2 people, who shared the same reason for hating Cilla. And it wasn't until page 438 that it became obvious. There were so many possibilities as to who wanted to harm Cilla and Roberts did an excellent job throwing suspicion around. I would lean toward one character then a few pages later change my mind and think it was someone else. Even the reason for why someone was attacking Cilla was left for supposition. If it was that character trying to harm her, then it was for that reason, but if it was the other character, it was for another reason. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. It kept me on my toes and reading carefully to pick up on nuances that might clue me in sooner. And it wasn't until nearly the end that I could finally say "Aha!" It did end up being my number 1 suspect, but until a certain event, I could never say for sure. I love it when books have a well-crafted hidden antagonist. It makes the mind work.

My second favorite part of the book was the character of Ford. He would probably be considered the quintessential Beta Male. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Alpha, but I do love the "good guy" heroes as well. Especially ones with a side of Geek thrown in. And that's what Ford was. A down-to-earth, kind-hearted, geek-ish nice guy. I think Cilla said it best when she called him stable. It's the perfect description for him. That didn't make him a push-over, though. He still had his Alpha Male moments. I just really enjoyed reading about him.

The romance was enjoyable to read. It wasn't a flaming hot romance, though there were moments of heat, it was more sweet and tender than anything. I always like reading romances that have a more natural progression versus the angsty "I don't want to love you" types that are so prevalent in romance novels. When Ford told Cilla he loved her for the first time, I actually sighed. I was really rooting for them to get their happy ending.

Other parts of the book that I liked: some of the witty one-liners, the realistic dialogue, the dream sequences with Cilla and Janet, all the details Roberts put into the restoration of the house...and probably lots of other things. Oh! And the dog, Spock! He absolutely rocked!

What didn't I like? Honestly, nothing comes to mind. There weren't any parts of the book that bugged me. I do wish there had been an epilogue but at least there was a final scene separated from the big finale. It just would have been nice to have an epilogue to show how things settled. But so many romance writers are skipping epilogues these days, so I wasn't surprised that there wasn't one.

I've read some comments that this book is too similar to River's End but I didn't particularly see it. Sure, there is a similarity in the fact that they both deal with a Hollywood icon who died under tragic circumstances, and why it happened. But aside from that, they are very different stories. At least to me. I wouldn't have even thought of the comparison if someone else hadn't mentioned it.

Final thoughts...yet another good book from Roberts. I liked it almost as much as Blue Smoke and more than Angels Fist and High Noon. It's a story I'll want to reread again some day.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tribute is a stand alone, romantic suspense by Nora Roberts. I am still sticking to my one paperback a month off my shelf challenge and this was my October choice. I’ve had it for years and years. It’s a girthy book and took me a little over three days to get through and I loved every single word of it. Once again, Nora makes me wait until the very end through all kinds of twists and turns to find out who the culprit is.

Cilla McGowan is twenty eight years old and is a former child star. She did eight seasons as a child in a very successful series and after that, a few movies and other small things. Stardom was never her dream but more her mother’s. About five years ago, Cilla discovered she had a knack for carpentry and she began flipping houses and has found her thing. She loves it. But now she is about to take on her dream project. She has bought her maternal grandmother’s “farm” in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It’s been left for three decades to fall apart. Cilla never knew her grandmother but she was a legend who died tragically by her own hand before Cilla was even born. But as she grew, she was always being compared to her. Now it was her chance to make a real home, the first she’s ever really known, in a place she feels deeply connected to.

Ford Sawyer is thirty one years old and is a very successful graphic novelist. He lives across the street from the famous home of Janet Hardy which has been abandoned for decades. Now he has a new hobby, sitting on the front porch watching the beautiful carpenter working. Their first meeting might have been a little awkward since he thought she was a squatter. But now she’s just about all he can think of.

Ford comes from a stable family and he himself is a kind, dependable, loyal, not to mention very good looking man. Cilla comes from a family that lived in the tabloids. She doesn’t believe in love or marriage after watching her mother and her endless stream of husbands, and of course, the history of her grandmother. But she can’t help but feel the attraction to Ford. Every time she needs him, even when she doesn’t know she needs him, he’s there, holding her up. And there are plenty of times that it’s needed as things start to happen. Slanderous graffiti, sabotage of her house and vehicle, and then the worst of all, an attack on her.

As Ford and Cilla try to figure out what is going on, the work on the house continues and the feelings between them continue to grow. Cilla has found a packet of love letters that were written to her grandmother the last year of her life. She is convinced that if she can solve who the author of the letters was, she can put the ghosts of her past to rest. Or, could she possibly be stirring them up even worse?

What a fabulous book. I loved both Cilla and Ford so much and together they were perfect. Nora Roberts writes the most amazing romantic suspense. And believe me when I say that you won’t be able to figure out what is going on until she is ready to reveal it. This has been another fabulous journey. Now I need to start thinking about what paperback I will choose for next month.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a typical Roberts romance… until we meet Ford Sawyer. Now, I admit that this is a personal reaction, but I simply fell in love with him at first appearance and that never abated. I mean how can you resist the combination of a really cool job (graphic novel author and artist), southern equanimity and persistence, and basic, masculine competence?

Cilla was interesting enough on her own, too—a former child actor with enough residual resources to build a new career in a new place and have the time to prove herself in that career as an independent contractor. It's a big break from her former life and that's by design. Indeed, she has to actively repulse those who want to pull her back into show biz (including the occasional flare of unwanted press attention).

The framing mystery was a little weak, but that didn't really matter to me because that wasn't what I cared about at all. Since it gave Ford opportunity for his quiet strength (and clever competence) to shine I was happy to go along for the ride. Indeed, I suspect the book only really rates three stars, but I'm bumping it one for Ford…

A note about Steamy: Standard Roberts level of steam in this one—a few explicit scenes of average length.

[Sombra · Rating 5 out of 5]

La dosis justa de romance y misterio hacen de esta novela una de las mejores que he leído de esta autora.

En esta ocasión nos cuenta la historia de Cilla, una joven que proviene de una familia de actrices cuyas vidas no han sido color de rosa, sino todo lo contrario. Su abuela se suicidó con apenas 39 años, su madre nunca se hizo cargo de ella como una madre normal y ha pasado por un sin número de parejas y matrimonios y ella se casó joven para escapar de la vida Hollywoodiense que llevaba.
Decidida a encontrarse a sí misma, decide mudarse a la casa que su abuela poseía en una pequeña población de Estados Unidos y que la une no solo a sus raíces, sino a su pasado y a su futuro. Es a partir de ese momento que la historia empieza a hacerse complicada.

Me ha gustado mucho como la autora nos ha dado una versión a mi entender bastante cercana a lo que puede llegar a ser la vida de los actores y actrices de Hollywood; los éxitos, los fracasos, sus sentimientos, su doble vida...un todo que puede llegar a ser un cóctel muy peligroso y que, en esta ocasión, arrastra a tres generaciones de una misma familia.

Cilla será el centro del odio de alguien muy peligroso que la quiere muerta y además de eso encontrará unas cartas que serán una puerta abierta a investigar qué pasó en realidad durante ese año que su abuela vivió antes de suicidarse, y si realmente fue un suicidio. Si algo tiene Nora Roberts que me encanta, es como maneja ese tipo de misterios. Hasta el final he estado elucubrando quién podría ser el culpable y debo reconocer que al final me he sorprendido al ver todas las conexiones.

Pero las 5 estrellas no van solo por la historia, ya que en algunos momentos me ha parecido un poco pesada (Cilla es contratista, por lo que en muchas ocasiones me veía envuelta en un ambiente muy a lo "programa de bricolaje"), sino por el protagonista masculino, Ford.
Desde su primera aparición me ha enamorado. Vecino de enfrente de Cilla, pronto empezaremos a ver diferentes capas de su personalidad que hacen que cada vez le adores más y más.
No solo tiene de mejor amigo un perro "feo y extraño" que es una ricura; es un autor de novelas gráficas famosas, es leal, no sabe mentir, está ahí en las buenas pero sobre todo en las malas, salva a Cilla de toda situación que se le presenta y por sobre todo la ve a ella por lo que ves y no por lo que aparenta o deja transmitir. Definitivamente, él será uno de mis hombres platónicos favoritos en este tipo de géneros sin lugar a dudas.

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Ford!!!! Too perfect to be true! LOL

Lovely story about a woman who wants to bring her never-met grandmother's house to it's former glory and finds the love of her life during the renovation! ;-)

But the true star was Ford!

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have I mentioned how much I love Nora? She’s the ultimate source of mental comfort for me, and my mom, and my Memaw, and countless others across the globe. I maintain that her novels are the equivalent of a bubble bath for the brain, and that’s just what I needed this past week. I was terribly sick and the most effective medicines I found for my state of mind were reading this book and catching up on Doctor Who.

I’ve never read a bad Nora novel. But there are definitely some I love more than others, and this is on the top of that list. Tribute is among my favorites of Nora’s standalone works. I love me a home renovation, and a woman making headway in a profession that is generally considered a man’s game, and a look inside a writer’s or an artist’s life, and a good family drama, and a generational mystery, and a beautifully sweet romance, and a close-knit small town. And an ugly, intelligent, charming dog who is totally a character in his own right. This novel has all of those elements. The characters are vibrant and deep, the setting is incredibly charming, and the plot is surprisingly multifaceted and well-paced.

I’ve read this book in the past. Multiple times. And yet I actually didn’t remember exactly who the baddie was, or what the climax would entail, so it was all pleasantly new to me. What I did know for sure was that the end would be happy, which is why it was the perfect choice for a sick day. I can’t wait until enough years have gone by for me to forget again, so I can read it with fresh eyes once more.

[Floripiquita · Rating 3 out of 5]

El libro es entretenido. La película, por su parte, bastante mala. No sé porqué pero todas las pelis basadas en los libros de Nora Roberts convierten las historias en naderías de telefilm de sábado por la tarde.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release: July 2008

WOW…just WOW! I just finished Nora Robert's new book "Tribute" and my heart is still racing. I don't know how La Nora does it, but she has written yet another sure-to-be-bestseller that is truly a romantic suspense. The story softly, quietly pulls you in as the hero and heroine become real to you and you begin to feel their excitement, uncertainty, happiness, anxiety, joy, fear, and finally their triumph. It's a stunning emotional rollercoaster of a ride that you won't want to miss.

Cilla is a former child star, the granddaughter of a Hollywood icon who died tragically at age 49 and the daughter of an actress. She rejected the life of glitz and glamour and now, in her late 20s, after a myriad of false starts, she’s finally found what she needs…renovating her dead grandmother’s farm into a home for herself and a career as a contractor. She doesn’t have time in her schedule for a man or romance even if that handsome guy across the road with the funny dog seems to be growing on her. But it doesn’t take long for her to figure out that at least one person, if not more, have decided she needs to leave, one way or another.

Ford writes and draws very successful graphic novels. He tried the big city lights, but figured out he did his best work back home in rural Virginia. Now he’s got the perfect house, a job he loves, and Spock, an ugly but vastly entertaining and intelligent dog. Then he spots his new neighbor across the way and she inspires a new character for him, interest in her renovation work, and soon she just inspires him period. As the threats against Cilla turn physical, he discovers a possessiveness and protectiveness he’s never known, and a love he didn’t plan on.

You’ll fall a little in love with Ford, and you’ll root for him to ‘get his girl’. The slower pace and small town flavor give a strong sense of change to what Cilla is accustomed to and her gradual acceptance by the community accompanies her growing feelings for Ford. The contrast between the warmth of the secondary characters and the threat of the unknown menace will send tingles down your spine. And the mystery is well done with plenty of available suspects.

As Cilla and Ford explore their relationship, the mystery deepens and the renovation progresses. It’s a very clever and subtle use of symbolism. Both the story and the characters are strong and exquisitely detailed. The dog Spock sometimes steals the show, and becomes just one of the personalities you’ll remember long after this story is done. “Tribute” is another winner by Nora Roberts that has earned a definite spot on my keeper shelf.

[Ann Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cilla McGowan, a has-been actress decided to fix and make some changes with her grandmother's Little Farm in Virginia as a tribute but she found home, instead.  She's smart, beautiful and good with power tools. 

Ford Sawyer lives across the road from her.  So many things to love about him.  He is adorable, sweet, a very good man.  He writes and draws graphic novels.  (super cool!)  He creates heroes and super villains. He created a super hero using Cilla as the model.  A charming nerd.  And he trusts Cillia to handle herself until he decided she couldn't. 

The talk of decoration, tiles, landscape, caused my eyes to glazed a bit. But this is definitely another winner from Nora Roberts.  The whodunit kept me guessing till the last part.  I really had no idea who it was and imagine my surprise when it was revealed. 

Overall, a very enjoyable read.  I Love love Ford Sawyer :)

[Agustina Uliarte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó mucho, es un poco más distinto a la tetralogía cuatro bodas porque acá ademas de la historia de amor, tenemos misterios que hacen la trama más entretenida.
Pronto reseña en el blog.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad that I read this book! I love so many books, but I honestly can't remember when I have read one that I enjoyed more than Tribute. I found it to be exceptional. It has great writing, wonderful characters, and a good storyline. I found the heroine, Cilla McGowan, to be very likeable, as were several other characters, particularly her father and her ex-husband, but the hero made the book. I have seldom read about a hero that I enjoyed more, and Ford Sawyer has to be the best beta hero I have ever encountered in a book. Although the novel is romantic suspense, the suspense doesn't come strongly into evidence until about a third of the way through the book. The first part of the book is spent developing the characters and building their relationships. The book grabbed me and pulled me in from the beginning and was just so enjoyable that I read most of it with a smile.

Janet Hardy was a sensational Hollywood star who had been on the stage since she began with Vaudeville at the age of four. She became addicted to alcohol and drugs at an early age when her mother and agents gave them to her to help her sleep, keep her awake, etc. Janet spends her life yearning for love, and looking for it constantly. She buys a Virginia farm, feeling that it is a place of peace and warmth. She loves to spend time at her farm and holds fabulous parties there. Her life is one that veers between brilliant light and dark shadow. Tragedy strikes her life when her eighteen year old son, Johnnie, drives while intoxicated and perishes in a car crash along with one of his passengers. The other young passenger is paralyzed for life. Janet seems unable to recover from this blow to her life, and she spends quite a bit of time alone on her farm. In 1973, about a year and a half after Johnnie's death, Janet is found dead at the farm at age 39. Her death is ruled as an accidental overdose of pills and alcohol, but many believe it was a suicide. There are also rumors of murders and conspiracy theories.

Thirty-five years later, Cilla McGowan has just purchased her grandmother's beloved farm from her difficult mother, Janet Hardy's daughter. Twenty-eight year old Cilla saw the farm once, several years ago, and she feels drawn to the place. She is determined to take the terribly neglected farm and make it once more into a home of beauty. Cilla has spent the last few years flipping houses on the West Coast, and she has a dream of living in her grandmother's house and running her own business as a contractor. Cilla jumps in and begins to work on the house, doing much of the labor herself. In the attic, Cilla comes across a number of old love letters written to her grandmother, but unsigned. The last letter, written ten days before her grandmother's death, is very bitter, and indicates that this affair with a married man ended badly after resulting in pregnancy. The letter has a threatening tone, and Cilla begins to wonder what this may have had to do with her grandmother's death.

In the meantime, Cilla meets her handsome neighbor, graphic novelist, Ford Sawyer, and his ugly but loveable dog, Spock. Both Ford and Spock are too adorable for Cilla to resist, and even though she doesn't believe she has room in her life for a man, she is soon spending time with them both. Ford is kind, patient, and willing to just spend time with Cilla until she is ready for a more intimate relationship.

Soon Cilla's ex-husband pays a visit and stays to help out with the house. Cilla's father lives nearby, and although she has never really known him, he starts to spend time with her. Cilla is happy with the progress on the house and with the people who are now part of her life, until events indicate that she has an enemy who wishes malice to her and her new home. As Cilla tries to forge a new life for herself, she is suddenly beseiged by threats, vandalism, and acts of violence. Cilla and Ford believe that the current threat to Cilla has a possible connection to the death of her grandmother. While Ford tries to keep Cilla safe from harm and figure out who is behind the sinister acts, she must decide if there is a permanent place for him in her new life.

Tribute kept me thoroughly hooked and entertained. I loved the sweet, touching romance that developed between the hero and heroine. I admired Cilla, but I thought that Ford was incredible. The author portrays him as a handsome, virile, sexy man, but more than a bit of a geek. He has some sweetly endearing traits such as being terrible with tools - he says he saves lives by staying away from them, and he is happy to let Cilla deal with emergencies that require their use. He has always been so adorably dorky that he actually finds it cool to be a police suspect when things first start to go amiss at Cilla's. At the same time, Ford is very protective towards Cilla, and will go to whatever lengths it takes to keep her safe. He is not afraid to let her know how much he loves her, and he makes certain that she knows he will be there for her no matter what. Ford's dog, Spock, was also loveable, with his "happy dances" for food and his imaginary cat chasing. This was just a great, enjoyable read, and I didn't find anything about it that I did not like.

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cilla McGowan is a former child star from a family of performers and she's now working on becoming a building contractor. Her grandmother was a famous actress and singer and her mother is also in the business. Cilla has returned to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to restore her grandmother's farmhouse, which has been neglected for more than thirty years since her death. Ford Sawyer is a graphic book writer and artist who lives across the street and becomes interested in what she is undertaking and, well, Cilla, too. Things get dicey when Cilla's property keeps getting maliciously vandalized and she comes under assault from forces unknown.

The romance between Cilla and Ford was the highlight of the story for me. While I enjoyed the restoration project and the community of people in the town, Ford's incredible wit, nerdiness and sensitivity made this special. His little dog, Spock, described as being so extraordinarily unattractive that he's cute, was also a big hit. Cilla has a lot of baggage that Ford manages to unpack and put away and his sense of humor made for a lot of quotable moments.

The mystery element wasn't the best here as it seem to drag on and my initial instincts about the identity of the killer were on target. There really wasn't much of a suspense element until the end but it was fairly anticlimatic.

If you're looking for a really good romance and lots of laugh out loud moments, then you'll enjoy this story.

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprised myself by giving this only 2 stars, but I was bored through almost the entire book. There was too much home improvement chit chat. I didn't appreciate the dreams with Grandma. And the numerous secondary characters felt undeveloped to the point, I kept trying to remember who was whom.

And then I really surprised myself for guessing who the real "bad guy" was when I could barely remember the character.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well... I was bored.

Then again, I know I wouldn't like the Hollywood/child actor/actress side of the story.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a HUGE fan of Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb I found this book not great and not horrible--a solid 3 star performance. Which with a different author might be okay, but I expect more from Nora. I don't think it deserved its hardback release as it is definitely paperback material. I enjoyed the book, but the 'suspense' plot line was not up to par with her other novels that inlude a suspense component and the romance was just okay. She spent an inordinate amount of time detailing the rehab on the house.

I also think she included far too many peripheral characters. I got confused on who was Patty/Penny/Cathy/Tom/Steve/Shanna/Brian/Matt/Jxxx(whatever Matt's wife's name was)/Buddy/Dobby, etc etc...there were just way too many characters that we were supposed to care about. She usually only does this if it's been a family series and you already know all the characters. The book was entirely too long with a lot of very fleshed out sub-plots that didn't need to be there. I mean, at the end of it all, why did we really need to meet Steve? Couldn't someone else have gotten their head bashed in? He just seemed to be a plot device- he ran in, got his head bashed in, provided us with some 'coma' drama, and ran back out. However, I liked him and wished he would have stuck around.

I totally agree with the reviewer that said had there been an epilogue the rating would be better. Me, too. I'm left with all these questions- What happens when the comic books are released? Does it get optioned for a movie? Will Cilla play the character? What happens when she finishes the house? It's like, as long as the book was, it still needed a little more. Nora Roberts is infamous for extremely short denouements, often ending the story right after the action is over. Sometimes it works, especially in a series when you know you'll get more in a later book, but it didn't work here.

Bottom line, it's a good beach read with a nice plot and some really cool (if somewhat recycled) main characters, but not stellar. I would definitely wait for the paperback or until it goes on the bargain book table at Barnes & Noble. My favorite character is Spock the odd, but extremely communicative dog. Favorite line, when Ford says, in response to what kind of dog is Spock, "The four-legged kind."

[Mrs. Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zoinks! That was a weak Nora Roberts read for me. I will always pick up a NR until I read them all. I even sometimes re-read ones that are super strong. I’ve been known to consume an entire trilogy in one night and I’ll always love NR until the end of time.

But this one was total weak sauce. Ford was a lousy main love interest. Boring expositions of house building and renovations that didn’t add to the novel. The secondary cast of characters were not fully developed so I wasn’t really sure who was who. When the bad guy is revealed at the end I was a bit like...who? This book is like 3 stories in 1 and they don’t meld well together. It’s also unnecessarily long...like 100 pages too long.

It’s also starting to bother me how NR does her dialogue. I feel like no one talks the way she writes. I wish she’d have a conversation with herself out loud and hear how her dialogue sounds. It’s cheesy.

Plus, I’m sort of over the macho alpha male getting angry at the “damsel in distress” and grabbing her and kissing her in a fit of passionate rage. If my husband did that I’d knee him in the balls.

Part of me wonders if I’m out growing Nora and her writing style. But there is a comfort there and she can spin a good tale. This one just was a boring, outdated, mess.

Sorry Nora - I still love you!

Pop Sugar 2020 Summer Challenge: A book involving a summer romance

[Jane Gakere · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ✨ . I love a good romantic suspense and this was among my top 3 from Nora Roberts. There was a good balance between the suspense and romance and I was invested in both equally. Though 3/4 way I guessed the bad guy… it was still very believable. There were long parts on construction and home renovations that I could have done without hence why it’s not a five star. Highly recommend.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho. Este libro combina muy bien el romance con el suspense sin que se pase. El romance me ha gustado mucho se ve desde el principio, pero no se van a la cama a la primera.
Cilla me ha gustado como protagonista me ha caído bien. Porque hay algunas protagonistas de Nora que no me caen bien afortunadamente no es el caso. Y su trabajo como manitas no es el que más me agrada, pero me gusta como la autora narra los oficios de los protagonistas y a veces parece que se documenta mucho en eso y bueno siempre me gusta saber cosas nuevas.
Y el protagonista Ford me ha encantado es un escritor de novelas gráficas y un poco friki y con Cilla es un amor.
El Padre de Cilla me encanta. En general me gustan casi todos los personajes la autora hace que te encariñes con ellos.
Steve el ex marido de Cilla al principio pensé que iba a ser el tercero en discordia o crear problemas. Pero resulta que no y me ha caído muy bien.
El suspense muy bien conseguido aunque el libro a veces se me ha hecho un poco aburrido porque era demasiado cotidiano y narrar como se hace la casa y las obras que me encanta que la autora narre el día a día cotidiano. Pero a veces no pasaba nada realmente importante solo la rehabilitación de la casa.
Aunque debo decir que conforme avanzaba la trama aunque está muy bien hecha, yo me he olido quién era el amante y el malo. Pero porque me he hecho una teoría y he acertado.
Porque ya voy conociendo a la autora de otros libros.
Y bueno me ha parecido un buen giro y entiendo porque el malo hace lo que hace aunque no lo comparta.
Y el final precipitado como siempre en esta autora osea la acción siempre pasa en las últimas páginas y no te da tiempo ha asimilarlo y te deja con ganas de saber más de los personajes después de que se sepa todo. Siempre echo de menos en esta autora un buen epílogo es una de las pocas cosas malas que le veo que después de encariñarte con los personajes nos deja sin saber que pasa a continuación.
Y bueno le pongo 4.5 estrellas realmente es uno de los buenos de Nora pero para mi gusto le falta algo para que sea un 5.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tribute is a fantastic read with a wonderful romance featuring one of Nora Roberts’ best love interests and an excellent main character.

Cilla McGowan is only too happy to leave her life as a former child star behind to move to her grandmother’s farm to restore it to its former glory. As Cilla begins her work on the Little Farm, she uncovers secrets from her famous grandmother’s past leading Cilla to question everything she knows about the woman. With the help of her charming and handsome neighbor Ford Sawyer, Cilla begins looking into her grandmother’s past while juggling the renovations at the farm. But the more Cilla looks, the clearer it becomes someone is determined to stop her from finding the truth.

Cilla never wanted to work in the entertainment industry, but when you come from a family who does, you’re left with little choice. After leaving the industry, Cilla discovered her love of flipping houses. Some of my favorite parts of this book are where Cilla is renovating the farm. I loved watching her come up with new ideas for the house while trying to stay true to its history and it was clear how much she loved what she was doing.

Ford is quite possibly my favorite of Nora Roberts’ heroes which is saying something considering how many books she has and my having read most of them. He’s incredibly sweet, kind, and an all around good guy. Ford is the creator of a popular graphic novel series and when we first meet him, he’s trying to figure out his next idea. I loved how he found inspiration through Cilla and I enjoyed their banter over the subject when Cilla learns about the new character.

Cilla and Ford have a great relationship from the start, it’s full of fun banter and flirting with obvious mutual respect between the pair. Their chemistry is amazing and I loved all of their scenes together. Their relationship does take a while to get going as Cilla doesn’t believe she’s capable of having a good relationship due to her history plus she believes she doesn’t have the time due to the renovations. I loved that Ford never pushed Cilla for more than she was ready for and ultimately she’s the one who takes the big steps in their relationship.

Cilla begins looking into her grandmother’s past after she finds hidden letters that make it clear her grandmother was in a secret relationship before she died. Upon finding out about the romance, Cilla wonders if it somehow contributed to her grandmother’s suicide or if she even killed herself at all. I really enjoyed how Cilla processed the information she finds out about her grandmother through dreams where she talks to her grandmother. It was an interesting choice and one I’d not seen used before. In addition to the plot centered around Cilla’s grandmother, Cilla is dealing with someone anonymously harassing her and damaging the work she’s doing to the farm. I liked how both of these storylines were wrapped up and the ending of the book was well done.

Tribute is one of my favorite Nora Roberts’ books and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a contemporary romance with a hint of a mystery.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Nora Roberts novel and although I came in with no expectations whatsoever, I have to say- I was a bit disappointed. I thought that the smut aspect of it would exceed most other books but I was wrong.

To begin with, the story itself wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. Maybe it’s because I don’t care much for fixing houses but I found myself feeling distant and withdrawn from the main story line. For this reason it didn’t maintain my attention whatsoever and I found myself putting this book down many, many times. I even waited months to finish the last chapter, just because I didn’t care that much what happened to the main characters or how the story ended for that matter.

Further on, the pace of the story was a bit too drawn out for my liking. I wanted more action but instead things happened way too slowly and we only got further into solving the mystery towards the end of the book. That’s not to say that I don’t like romance, I love romance, I would have just liked to see a more equal amount of romance to mystery. Instead, the real action began way too far into the book and before that all we got was romance between the main two characters.

Also, the smut was adequate, that is all. It didn’t blow me away or make me want to keep reading, it was just….eh. The reason for this was because it seemed a little too vague, even to the point where I had to reread certain parts because I had a hard time understanding what exactly was going on at some points. I like when smut is not too vulgar and not too vague either and this book just didn’t do it for me in that aspect. I don’t know whether or not I will try another Nora Roberts novel in the future, we will have to see.

The only redeeming quality I found in this book was the character development and how real the characters themselves seemed. I especially liked that the two main characters had little quirks and hobbies and everything else that actual people have. Cilla was the handyman, the one who’s passion was to remake houses, while Ford’s was to create comics. It was also unique because the stereotypical traits of a woman and a man were reversed in this case. This made for an interesting dynamic between them and it made the book more enjoyable.

All in all, this novel was okay. However, I would not recommend it to anyone because I think there are many other books out there that are much more worth your time.

[Noelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reseña completa: http://cazadorasdelromance.com/critic...
Me gustó mucho. Cilla y Ford me encantan, son muy monos. Y como Cilla se integra en la familia de su padre, que es muy agradable. El perro es genial. Y todo con un "enemigo hostil" cerca que hace que Ford tenga que estar ojo avizor porque ella quiere defenderse sola.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tribute is a contemporary family story with romantic suspense themes, set in Virginia.

Child Hollywood star Cilla has grown up in the shadow of her grandmother Janet who was a famous actress in her day. Cilla has left acting to pursue a career in house renovation and she is starting with her grandmother’s home which has been neglected for decades.

Across the road lives graphic artist Ford and his crazy dog. Cilla and Ford become friends and he even models a new graphic strip idea on Cilla and her strong power tool wielding characteristics.

While Cilla employs local contractors and pours money into the community, someone doesn’t want her around. Vandalism and hateful messages threaten her well laid plans. Should she stay or should she go? These are questions she asks herself after each heinous act.

I liked the setting and the characters in this story, especially Ford and his way of looking at situations very differently. Cilla’s renovation ideas were inspiring and got me thinking about things that I might want to change at home. I liked the creepy sub-theme which added a dark element, and I had fun trying to work out the clues as to who it could be who wanted Cilla gone.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I go into a Nora Roberts book, I expect to not be very surprised. And this isn't exactly fair of me, because while yes, we're talking romance novels here and the romance genre certainly has a huge list of common tropes, this does not mean Ms. Roberts is necessarily going to use them.

Let me give you an example with Tribute. The instant the heroine's ex-husband showed up, I expected him to be a bastard and/or to get a rivalry going for her affections with the guy she was obviously interested in. I also expected there to be Angst and Grief Oh Noez(TM) involved in why she was no longer married to said ex-husband. None of these things were the case, and this was delightfully refreshing. The ex-husband is in fact a fairly admirable guy and it's a bit of a shame that he's on camera for the comparatively small amount of time he is.

And that's just one thing I liked about this book overall. Okay, yeah, fine, we're also dealing with the common trope here of Heroine Moves into Small Town and Takes Over Abandoned Family Home, and Then Falls In Love With Next-Door Neighbor. We've all been there done that. But this time around, I gotta say, the next door neighbor was so very much right up my alley that I adored practically every sentence that came out of his mouth. The man is a graphic novelist, and very, very clearly a geek. I don't know if Ms. Roberts is herself geekily inclined, but if she isn't, she's got access to people who are, because she did a fabulous job portraying her geek hero. I actually squeed when the heroine tried to throw him a line about love being like kryptonite to Superman, and he started trying to debate what kind of kryptonite. AND! He owned both classic and new Battlestar Galactica on DVD.

I liked as well that our heroine Cilla, a former child star, is taking on the new career of redesigning houses--and that she does a lot of the physical labor herself. This makes her a very cool contrast to Ford, who, while not scrawny, does not have any particular skill at construction. It's very cool to see her be the dominant one in a skill one would consider traditionally "masculine", and to see him not be threatened by that in the slightest.

Someone is, of course, out to get Cilla--someone who apparently takes very unkindly to her efforts to restore her grandmother's house and to dig up old family history. So there's some good suspense here too, playing off against the developing love story between Cilla and Ford. It's a lesser degree of suspenseful tension than you typically get in a JD Robb novel, but that's okay; this is a less violent scenario, at least up until the very end.

All in all a fun read. Four stars.

[Paul O’Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, writen with such character. This won't be the last story I read from Nora Roberts. Good case for reaching outside of your usual 'reading comfort zone', this was definitely worth it.

[Christine Kirchoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It kept me up into the early hours of the morning.Piece by piece I'm pulled into the story and held hostage by her words. Full Review: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews/...

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cilla McGowan, washed-up star, comes to Virginia to restore her famous grandmother's house. But someone doesn't want Cilla around, determined to do anything to drive her out of town. But she's not alone; her hot and quirky neighbor, Ford Sawyer, a comic book author, is close at hand to help...And to keep her in Virginia.


What makes this book (if you saw the TV movie, the book is way better, even though you know who did it) memorable is Ford Sawyer. He deserves five stars all on his own. I love the guy. What's not to love after all. He was nerdy, quirky, hot, protective, loyal, deceptively laid back and relaxed and so damned in love it made me want to go out and find me a Ford of my own.
Compared to him, Cilla, the heroine, paled and I must say I didn't really know her, not even in the end. It's not every day the heroine plays such a second fiddle to the hero. She was rather formulaic, a pretty standard NR heroine with a chip on her shoulder and an independent streak. But she was rather bland and generic.
Heck, Spock the dog had more personality than she did. The supporting cast was more interesting than she was. I don't know how to explain it, she left me quite cold and disinterested.

The suspense was good, even though I knew who the villain was. If I didn't, the identity would've been a huge surprise, something I wouldn't have seen coming, which is always a plus. The big bad was pleasantly twisted, wearing a perfectly innocuous mask, which made the big reveal that more coldly shocking.

The book started off rather slow and I didn't much care for the flashback/dream scenes, but it picked up the pace toward the end, creating a nice feeling of anticipation. The hero was adorable, the supporting cast provided a nice backdrop to the story and the shop talk, though rather abundant, didn't deter from the overall enjoyment.

[Kate Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2* (I feel like 4.2 stars is becoming my standard now 😭)
Tribute follows cilla, a childhood actor searching for asylum away from LA. She purchases her grandmothers rundown acreage in hopes of fixing it up. Her grandmother was also a successful movie star who tragically died of suicide…….. or did she 😟 while cleaning up her attic, cilla finds love letters addressed to her grandmother, which only leads to more drama and threats towards cilla. With the help from ford sawyer, her super hot comic book writing neighbor 😏, they attempt to uncrack the mystery of what happened to cillas grandmother.
Ok and back to my thoughts about the book. I really enjoyed it, however ☝️, the Nora Roberts books I’ve read traditionally have like a mystery/thriller plot line along with like the main character and her story (and usually a romance w it too), but this book was literally 85% abt cilla fixing up her house and falling in love with ford. Don’t get me wrong!!!!!! I was very into the romance and they were so adorable together, but cilla didn’t get to trying to solve the mystery of the letters and who kept terrorizing her until like the last 50 pages 😭😭 I was literally stressing on how this book was gonna wrap up bc Nora def waited to the last minute to get a move on the mystery part. Great writing as always, but soooooo many characters. It was hard to keep track of who was the plumber, and the gardener, and the painter, and are the gardener and painter brothers? Or are they friends? And which one’s dad was friends w cillas dad when they were kids? And whose grandfather had an affair with cillas grandfather? There were literally two characters named patty and penny and one was fords mom and the other was cillas step mom and I couldn’t not keep them straight 😭😭😭 anyways I’m just rambling now and no one is reading this sooooo I’m gonna go start a new book now 😋

[Alex (Alex's Version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second re-read May 2022 thoughts:

Tribute by Nora Roberts is a captivating novel that has earned its place as my favorite book by this talented author. The story is filled with drama, secrets, and a strong and relatable heroine named Cilla McGowan. From the moment I started reading, I was drawn into Cilla's world and couldn't put the book down.

Cilla, a former child star and the granddaughter of the renowned actress Janet Hardy, has decided to leave Hollywood behind and establish herself as a house flipper. She returns to her parents' roots, purchasing the Little Farm in Virginia with the dream of restoring it and creating a home and business there. Alongside her ex-husband and best friend, Steve Chensky, Cilla learns the ropes of house flipping and begins to build a loyal crew of local workers.

However, Cilla's dream is threatened by a series of disturbing events. An almost fatal assault on Steve, followed by acts of cruelty and escalating vandalism, make it clear that someone doesn't want her to succeed. Despite the danger, Cilla is determined to make the Little Farm her first real home and build a relationship with her father and step-sister.

One of the aspects that I loved about Tribute is the character of Cilla herself. She is a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to take risks and follow her dreams. Her determination and resilience in the face of adversity make her a truly admirable heroine. I could easily envision iconic actresses like Barbara Stanwyck or Bette Davis portraying Cilla on the big screen, which added an extra layer of excitement to the story.

Another highlight of Tribute is the romantic subplot involving Cilla and her handsome graphic novelist neighbor, Ford Sawyer. Their chemistry is palpable, and their relationship adds depth and warmth to the story. Ford's desire to use Cilla as a model for a new character and his genuine interest in becoming a part of her life create a delightful dynamic between the two characters.

Nora Roberts skillfully weaves together elements of romance, mystery, and family dynamics in Tribute. The suspenseful plot kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth behind the threats against Cilla and her loved ones. The setting of the Little Farm in Virginia adds a charming and picturesque backdrop to the story, enhancing the overall reading experience.

In addition to the engaging storyline, Tribute also explores themes of resilience, forgiveness, and the importance of finding one's true home. Cilla's journey to create a life for herself and overcome the obstacles in her path is inspiring and relatable.

Tribute is a truly wonderful novel that showcases Nora Roberts' talent for crafting compelling stories. With its dramatic plot, well-developed characters, and themes of love and redemption, this book is a must-read for fans of romance and suspense. I highly recommend Tribute to anyone looking for a captivating and satisfying read.