Catch My Breath

by Nora Roberts

Two classic stories of having a second chance to embrace life and discover love

Cordina’s Crown Jewel

On the run from the palace, Her Royal Highness Camilla de Cordina wants to be just plain Camilla MacGee, even if it’s only for a few precious weeks. Working in rural Vermont for the devastatingly handsome and utterly cantankerous archaeologist Delaney Caine is the perfect refuge. But Camilla’s irritation with the man soon turns into fascination, then desire, and soon the royal runaway knows she’ll have to confess her secret…

Unfinished Business

It’s been twelve years, but very little in Hyatt Town, Maryland, has changed. Vanessa Sexton, a successful concert pianist, has finally come home to the small town after having her heart shattered all those years ago. In some ways her high school sweetheart, Brady Tucker, hasn’t changed much, either—he is still lean, athletic, rugged… But the once-reckless boy has become a solid, dependable man. He’d stood her up on the most important night of her life; can she ever trust him again?

Previously Published.

Genres: Romance

480 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published August 26, 2025

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

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book at Walgreens at Christmas. I was back in my hometown for the first time in 8 years after a humiliation in LA. It was sleeting outside, the town had cancelled our winter festival and I needed cigarettes. I see my high school friend Jennifer is cashier, same as high school. We are laughing about how I don't smoke American Spirits these days because they aren't PC. She reaches for a carton of Pall Mall 100s in the white box because 2020 got me like an old lady at a casino. A closed casino. Suddenly, a 12 pack of toilet paper shoves this Nora Roberts novel aside. I hear the gravelly voice of Triscuit McKendall. With a dark stain of a blush I remember him standing me up at prom when we were both 17. I turn around and sure enough he has his mask down below his nose revealing the angular planes of his jaw, stubble darkening his lean cheeks. His green eyes are still the color of a Rolling Rock bottle but they have a world weariness to them. Even though I am clothed in my Costco athleisure I feel a surge of longing down there. I crush it and tell myself that I hate him. From his impatient glare he feels the same. Swiftly tapping in my Walgreens rewards number I slid my debit card. To my horror it declines. Another warm and viral loaded sigh escapes Triscuit as he slips his black Amex Gladiator to Jennifer while his other deftly unclips my bra with a practiced tug. I startled like a doe but know that we will meet again. There. Now you read something better than the first novella in this book because it is so bad. It is so bad, that I had to give it five stars because it makes me feel like I could write my own book. If Nora Roberts became a household name writing a story about a run away princess who ends up with seriously the redacted archeologist redacted after she redacted during a redacted in Vermont and they meet redacted to bring them together after he found out redacted then I will unclasp my own bra and wait outside Walgreens for Seth Lengel to come by on his skateboard. Silhouette books can find me here on Goodreads, I've got more where this came from.

[Natalie Ott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable, yet enjoyable. An excellent escape.

[Liana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our beach group chose this book to read together while vacationing. We only read the first story together and when we left, I left the book in the book exchange at our condo complex for some else to enjoy. The first story Codina’s Crown Jewel was as sappy as you would expect for a romance with one twist I didn’t see coming (I won’t give it away). The crown princess runs away from her duties and the paparazzi to explore America as an ordinary tourist but gets stranded in a small town with a grumpy Samaritan and of course they fall love even though neither of them wants to admit it. That’s all I’ll tell you, but it does have a happy ending, of course.

[Jiamelishua Ammons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful & Powerful!!

Once again Nora Roberts has shown true love, sacrifice, and the power it welds on each page. Both stories had me so drawn that I wanted to know more. I was so entranced by the characters and how with each one there was a story that drew them closer to one another. With each paragraph I was pulled further into the story and did not want either one to end. True love never fails. Bravo Nora!!🤗

[Cathey Battaglia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two love stories.
Cordonna is fed up with the demands of royalty. Leaves on her own to “find herself”. Meets an archiologist when she crashes her car out in the country. Relationship develops. Cordinna does not tell him she is of royalty.
Other story is about a concert pianist who was driven to the top in her field by her domineering father. When he dies she returns to visit her Mom she hasn’t seen in 12 years. Also reunites with her high-school flame.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I’m going to leave Nora alone for a little while LOL. Her reissues are irresistible when I am in Target or Wal-Mart and the book I started recently is kind of overwhelmingly large so I put it to the side. I finished all of the Nora’s I had to the side with the completion of this one so now back to the Oscars book

[Lisa Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like "Unfinished Business" more than "Cordina's Crown Jewel" although I felt like the characters in both stories weren't really fleshed out. Both stories felt like "stories" rather than "novels". I also WISH that Nora would create characters who weren't nasty and irritable and sometimes down-right mean to others. I don't understand why people like and love them when they are just unlikeable!

[Megan]

Two books in one. 1st was princess escaping for a little R&R. Met someone who is opposite, or so she thinks. The couple is more alike than they think
2nd book - famous pianist, who travels the world, comes back home for a bit. Will she get back into the small hometown rhythm or go back on tour
Both stories are a bit far fetched, but decent

[Amanda Sauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old fashioned cheesy Nora. My son picked it out for Christmas so that made it better. Reprints from her older stuff but good vacation read. I like her more involved twisty plots than these cheesy predictable romance short stories but still good

[Ashley McCall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this book was giving Hallmark, but it made it such an easy read! The first story was good, but I like the second WAY better. There’s a fun little crossover in the second book too! 2 easy love stories!!

[Laura Aase · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lame runaway princess story who falls for an archeologist

[Deborah Schuebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second story in the book wasn’t quite as interesting as the first. Another romance.

[April Shepherd · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Olive Garden of the book world. It will make a turd.

[Jan Zizzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy, predictable palette cleanser

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed both stories! Despite the short lengths the plot was well developed, the characters personalities shines through, and I was satisfied with the endings.

[Ciara Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a classic feel good book. Sometimes the romance is a bit to much in her books but you can always count on a beautiful love story.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of predictable love stories, same type of characters in both .

[Lucia D'Amore · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Bridgerton you’ll love the first book for sure!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book, love Nora Roberts

[Marie Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I forgot I had finished this, whoops)
This was a cute read! I enjoyed the two stories in one book & that the stories weren’t insta love.

[matti · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think both books are solid romances. i would give both 3 stars. nora knows what she’s doing & she does it well. she’s my comfort author & i make no apologies for that. cuz like sometimes you’re in grad school and are reading a new 18th century british novel every week & a nora roberts mass market paperback is exactly what you need, okay ?

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