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Jack's Stories #1-2
Love By Design
Loving Jack Somehow her own fictional brooding hero had turned up in person right under her own roof, and not it was all romantic writer Jackie MacNamara had to do was convince stubborn Nathan Powell that happily-ever-after began at home - and in her arms. . . Best Laid Plans She was the sexiest thing in a hard hat that architect Cody Johnson had ever seen, but structural engineer Abra Wilson also had a will as strong as a steel girder - and just about as flexible. But Cody had plans for Abra that not even this spirited beauty could resist . . .
403 pages, Trade Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
43 people are currently reading
1964 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,209 books59.6k 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 121 reviews
November 7, 2015
❤ Dos libros en uno. Dos historias de amor PRECIOSAS. ❤ El sello inconfundible de Nora Roberts. ¡La adoro! ❤
April 28, 2024
This novel has 2 novels within it. I would skip the first one called Loving Jack. It was slow-moving and it was dragged out. I put it down more than I read it.
Conversely, I read the second novel in an afternoon. It was hard to put down. It had a good storyline and it was entertaining. An easy breezy read romance.
Conversely, I read the second novel in an afternoon. It was hard to put down. It had a good storyline and it was entertaining. An easy breezy read romance.
April 8, 2012
This is two loosely connected stories by Ms. Roberts.
Loving Jack--
Jackie MacNamara is a bit of a free spirit. Her current goal is to pen a novel, and her cousin finds her a gorgeous home to do it in. Naturally her sneaky cousin fails to tell her that he isn't free to lease her the home, and when Nathan Powell, a straight-laced architect, returns unexpectedly from trip to a job site, the two of them are in a bit of a pickle.
Nathan's carefully kept his life neat and ordered for years, but something about Jackie's warmth really catches him off guard and he finds himself agreeing to share his house temporarily.
Whether or not he can share his heart remains to be seen...
Best Laid Plans--
Cody Johnson, Nathan's partner, is designing a gorgeous new hotel complex in Arizona. Abra Wilson is the chief engineer. She finds his design impractical while he believes her incapable of seeing its beauty. They are naturally attracted to each other but work and her hesitation to become involved in a relationship threaten to keep them apart.
Both very well penned and enjoyable reads.
Loving Jack--
Jackie MacNamara is a bit of a free spirit. Her current goal is to pen a novel, and her cousin finds her a gorgeous home to do it in. Naturally her sneaky cousin fails to tell her that he isn't free to lease her the home, and when Nathan Powell, a straight-laced architect, returns unexpectedly from trip to a job site, the two of them are in a bit of a pickle.
Nathan's carefully kept his life neat and ordered for years, but something about Jackie's warmth really catches him off guard and he finds himself agreeing to share his house temporarily.
Whether or not he can share his heart remains to be seen...
Best Laid Plans--
Cody Johnson, Nathan's partner, is designing a gorgeous new hotel complex in Arizona. Abra Wilson is the chief engineer. She finds his design impractical while he believes her incapable of seeing its beauty. They are naturally attracted to each other but work and her hesitation to become involved in a relationship threaten to keep them apart.
Both very well penned and enjoyable reads.
July 11, 2016
A nice quick beach read, or a great way to "go to the beach" and enjoy the Florida sunshine. Not my favorite Nora Roberts book, but kept my interest.
July 17, 2022
anything written by nora roberts is absolutely perfect. i will not take criticism. she is the blueprint for romance and an absolute icon. i would read nora’s grocery list with pleasure if she published it. <3
February 12, 2018
If you had given me a copy of 'Loving Jack' and a copy of 'Best Laid Plans' and asked me to read them, I would have said that there was no way that they were written by the same author, and absolutely no way that they were included in the same book. Yet, here we are. Neither book was particularly good, though 'Best Laid Plans' was slightly more palatable than 'Loving Jack' which was like an example of How not to write a book.
If I could award a minus rating, then I would for 'Loving Jack'. I'd take points away for wasting some of my life when I could have been with other, more perfectly acceptable books. It was like a car crash though, I just couldn't tear myself away because I needed to know just how bad it really was. To be fair, about half way, I started jumping a few chapters at a time. I didn't miss much.
First and foremost, there was no plot. Jack and Nathan were stuck in a house together and that was the sum of everything. I cannot physically think of anything else to say about it, because there was nothing to comment on. The fact that Nathan looked exactly like Jack's imaginary book hero - even the same eyes and hair - was ridiculous. The fact that we kept getting segments from Jack's book intertwined was disruptive and progressed nothing. More so, Jack's hero was called Jake. I cannot tell you how often I had to go back because I mixed up the speakers/characters,
The characters were like a parody of their own traits. Jack wasn't just a good cook or a good author, she was the best author, she was the best cook, she was bright and sunny like a sunbeam and she just made everything that she touched BETTER. She was a fucking delight. She had been to Harvard and law school, and culinary school. She studied this and that and knew this bigshot architect and that guy… she was unbelievable. She had no flaws.
Nathan on the other hand was the uptight stick-in-the-mud to Jack's sunbeam. He was inflexible, grumpy and he wore pressed cotton trousers. His shirt was as stiff as his upper lip, and his personality did not once deviate from this for the entirety of the book.
Their romance was unfathomable and insta-love, which was unrealistic, cheesy and just not developed. There is actually a quote somewhere in the book that says that insta-love is the worst thing an author can do, and yet Roberts herself was doing it. You cannot see me, but I am shaking my head with renewed hatred.
I actually could have gotten over the poor characterisation and lack of plot but the dialogue contained my biggest pet hate in all of book-reader land. Constant clarification and repetition of character names during speech.
"Jack, this is good salad."
"Thanks Nathan! Nathan, do you want more salad?"
"Do you know what, Jack? I really would!"
Not an actual quote from the book but it may as well have been.
*And Breathe*
"Best Laid Plans" had a hard time of it because I was so annoyed with 'Loving Jack' that I almost didn't bother. Though I was glad that I did because it was an improvement. There was actually a plot in this book, and the characters were better developed with flaws and motivations and more tempered personalities. There was a sass and a spark that was lacking in 'Loving Jack', and it felt as though the relationship between Cody and Abra was more developed and believable. I actually rather enjoyed this book as a whole. I didn't really warm to Cody, who didn’t seem to understand the word 'No', but I wouldn't say that he dulled my enjoyment overmuch.
The plot was meatier than 'Loving Jack', and had impact on the characters, there was something else to focus on aside from just their relationship. I mean, it wasn't the greatest book that I've read, but it was certainly better than 'Loving Jack' and was the only reason that the whole collection rated more highly than minus 10 which is what it was going to get. Unfortunately because it was a collection, I have to average it all out, hence the low rate when actually I'd have given 'Best Laid Plans' a 2 or 3*.
If I could award a minus rating, then I would for 'Loving Jack'. I'd take points away for wasting some of my life when I could have been with other, more perfectly acceptable books. It was like a car crash though, I just couldn't tear myself away because I needed to know just how bad it really was. To be fair, about half way, I started jumping a few chapters at a time. I didn't miss much.
First and foremost, there was no plot. Jack and Nathan were stuck in a house together and that was the sum of everything. I cannot physically think of anything else to say about it, because there was nothing to comment on. The fact that Nathan looked exactly like Jack's imaginary book hero - even the same eyes and hair - was ridiculous. The fact that we kept getting segments from Jack's book intertwined was disruptive and progressed nothing. More so, Jack's hero was called Jake. I cannot tell you how often I had to go back because I mixed up the speakers/characters,
The characters were like a parody of their own traits. Jack wasn't just a good cook or a good author, she was the best author, she was the best cook, she was bright and sunny like a sunbeam and she just made everything that she touched BETTER. She was a fucking delight. She had been to Harvard and law school, and culinary school. She studied this and that and knew this bigshot architect and that guy… she was unbelievable. She had no flaws.
Nathan on the other hand was the uptight stick-in-the-mud to Jack's sunbeam. He was inflexible, grumpy and he wore pressed cotton trousers. His shirt was as stiff as his upper lip, and his personality did not once deviate from this for the entirety of the book.
Their romance was unfathomable and insta-love, which was unrealistic, cheesy and just not developed. There is actually a quote somewhere in the book that says that insta-love is the worst thing an author can do, and yet Roberts herself was doing it. You cannot see me, but I am shaking my head with renewed hatred.
I actually could have gotten over the poor characterisation and lack of plot but the dialogue contained my biggest pet hate in all of book-reader land. Constant clarification and repetition of character names during speech.
"Jack, this is good salad."
"Thanks Nathan! Nathan, do you want more salad?"
"Do you know what, Jack? I really would!"
Not an actual quote from the book but it may as well have been.
*And Breathe*
"Best Laid Plans" had a hard time of it because I was so annoyed with 'Loving Jack' that I almost didn't bother. Though I was glad that I did because it was an improvement. There was actually a plot in this book, and the characters were better developed with flaws and motivations and more tempered personalities. There was a sass and a spark that was lacking in 'Loving Jack', and it felt as though the relationship between Cody and Abra was more developed and believable. I actually rather enjoyed this book as a whole. I didn't really warm to Cody, who didn’t seem to understand the word 'No', but I wouldn't say that he dulled my enjoyment overmuch.
The plot was meatier than 'Loving Jack', and had impact on the characters, there was something else to focus on aside from just their relationship. I mean, it wasn't the greatest book that I've read, but it was certainly better than 'Loving Jack' and was the only reason that the whole collection rated more highly than minus 10 which is what it was going to get. Unfortunately because it was a collection, I have to average it all out, hence the low rate when actually I'd have given 'Best Laid Plans' a 2 or 3*.
January 21, 2018
The first story was good, but the second... WOW!
July 1, 2024
Loving Jack: A wonderfully refreshing romp into the life of Jackie McNamara, a woman who is very good at many things but sticks with nothing until she finds herself writing her first book while "rooming" with an architect who is somewhat straight-laced and stodgy. Jack is a great character, full of happy impulse and honesty, which makes for a light and entertaining read and hours of enjoyment.
Best Laid Plans: Cody, introduced in Loving Jack, finds himself in the Arizona desert dealing with a female engineer who does nothing but argue with him over his blueprints. It takes a dark turn towards the end, which was a bit of a surprise, but on the whole was another fun read.
Best Laid Plans: Cody, introduced in Loving Jack, finds himself in the Arizona desert dealing with a female engineer who does nothing but argue with him over his blueprints. It takes a dark turn towards the end, which was a bit of a surprise, but on the whole was another fun read.
July 18, 2009
This book has two stories. Both stories are good. That's all
Read
October 12, 2009As always, a good easy satisfying read
March 26, 2011
Enjoyed it.
January 6, 2009
Classic Nora.....I'll just leave it at that. I really enjoyed this one.
August 6, 2022
Een heerlijk boek om jezelf helemaal in te verliezen. De twee romantische verhalen sluiten feilloos op elkaar aan.
Het eerste verhaal gaat over Nathan en Jackie. Jackie huurt een huis via haar oom, maar het huis blijkt al bewoond te zijn. Nathan zit niet te wachten op zijn onverwachte gast en wil haar eigenlijk weg hebben. Als ze kookt mag ze nog een tijdje blijven. De liefde bloeit langzaam op.
Het tweede verhaal speelt zich af op de bouwplaats van een vakantieoord. Vanaf dag 1 heerst er een spanning tussen de architect Cody en de ingenieur Abra. Af en toe irritatie, maar uiteindelijk zorgt de spanning voor hartstocht. Het project loopt in de soep en wordt pas later als zij getrouwd zijn en kinderen hebben volledig voltooid.
Het eerste verhaal gaat over Nathan en Jackie. Jackie huurt een huis via haar oom, maar het huis blijkt al bewoond te zijn. Nathan zit niet te wachten op zijn onverwachte gast en wil haar eigenlijk weg hebben. Als ze kookt mag ze nog een tijdje blijven. De liefde bloeit langzaam op.
Het tweede verhaal speelt zich af op de bouwplaats van een vakantieoord. Vanaf dag 1 heerst er een spanning tussen de architect Cody en de ingenieur Abra. Af en toe irritatie, maar uiteindelijk zorgt de spanning voor hartstocht. Het project loopt in de soep en wordt pas later als zij getrouwd zijn en kinderen hebben volledig voltooid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2024
LOVING JACK,
I enjoyed this story, Jack was a delightful character, who shook up Nathan into living life to the fullest, instead of being so closed off.
Jackie has a rather bohemian style which I love, and being a mum of an author, I felt quite maternal towards her, and wanted to shake Nathan at times for being so uptight 😂
BEST LAID PLANS,
ln this story there was a bit more intrigue, with the goings-on on the worksite, but I loved how Abra was so independent, Cody was much more focused on realising Abra was his than how Nathan was in the first story. I also love how Nathan and Jack are brought into Cody and Abra's story. I think this story was more intense at the end.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I actually love reading Nora Roberts books, from her older books to the latest.
I enjoyed this story, Jack was a delightful character, who shook up Nathan into living life to the fullest, instead of being so closed off.
Jackie has a rather bohemian style which I love, and being a mum of an author, I felt quite maternal towards her, and wanted to shake Nathan at times for being so uptight 😂
BEST LAID PLANS,
ln this story there was a bit more intrigue, with the goings-on on the worksite, but I loved how Abra was so independent, Cody was much more focused on realising Abra was his than how Nathan was in the first story. I also love how Nathan and Jack are brought into Cody and Abra's story. I think this story was more intense at the end.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I actually love reading Nora Roberts books, from her older books to the latest.
November 7, 2018
I felt a bit cheated by this book. Love By Design was first published in 2003 but the two constituent stories first appeared in 1989 and they seemed rather dated.
Loving Jack: I found Jack's unfailing optimism and cheerfulness irritating. Nathan's more cautious and rational approach was refreshing in a male lead. However, the book was too long and wordy and I found myself skipping chunks.
Best Laid Plans: This was a better paced story. Abra was a strong female in a male dominated environment. Quite liked the sparring between her and Cody. Again, too much unnecessary description.
Not her best
Loving Jack: I found Jack's unfailing optimism and cheerfulness irritating. Nathan's more cautious and rational approach was refreshing in a male lead. However, the book was too long and wordy and I found myself skipping chunks.
Best Laid Plans: This was a better paced story. Abra was a strong female in a male dominated environment. Quite liked the sparring between her and Cody. Again, too much unnecessary description.
Not her best
May 1, 2019
Loving Jack Somehow her own fictional brooding hero had turned up in person right under her own roof, and not it was all romantic writer Jackie MacNamara had to do was convince stubborn Nathan Powell that happily-ever-after began at home - and in her arms. . . Best Laid Plans She was the sexiest thing in a hard hat that architect Cody Johnson had ever seen, but structural engineer Abra Wilson also had a will as strong as a steel girder - and just about as flexible. But Cody had plans for Abra that not even this spirited beauty could resist . .
April 16, 2024
I found this book to be cute. It is a nice light romance, great after finishing a heavy book. This is my first time reading a book by this author, and I do like how it was simple and quick to read. I found the story line moved quickly and the characters grew through out the story. This book did have two books in one, and I would say “Loving Jack” would be my favorite of the two. It was cute and bubbly.
February 20, 2019
Six stars are for Best laid Plans. Nora Robert's book has 2 books in this one. Loving Jack and Best Laid Plans which is my favourite. It follows Engineer Abra Wilson who has to work with an architect Cody Johnson who is full of charms. Its a beautiful love story that is recommended to anybody who believes in love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2020
I read the first story, “Loving Jack”.
I’ve read and immensely enjoyed romance by Nora Roberts before, but it’s her newer work, whereas these stories are over 30 years old. I think the time difference showed in the writing and made it hard for me to get into. However, the story was charming albeit predictable, and I enjoyed it enough to finish it.
I’ve read and immensely enjoyed romance by Nora Roberts before, but it’s her newer work, whereas these stories are over 30 years old. I think the time difference showed in the writing and made it hard for me to get into. However, the story was charming albeit predictable, and I enjoyed it enough to finish it.
March 12, 2023
I really loved the start of this book, it reminded me of an old Carey Grant movie, The story may have gotten a bit predictable but in all the right ways, but the beginning was plausible and the upbeat character of Jack was the type of person that would be nice to have around in any setting, just fun. This was a Good read.
August 27, 2023
2.5 for me. I liked the first story and couldn't get through the second.
In the first love story, Jackie is a spunky, flighty, but competent woman with a stonchy, tight laced architect. Very honest and direct storyline.
The second was about his architect partner interested a woman who was the lead engineer in one of his projects. Too much fighting and fussiness for me!
In the first love story, Jackie is a spunky, flighty, but competent woman with a stonchy, tight laced architect. Very honest and direct storyline.
The second was about his architect partner interested a woman who was the lead engineer in one of his projects. Too much fighting and fussiness for me!
August 17, 2024
There are two stories in this book - definitely dated stories (a typewriter was in the first one :)
Love, Jack was a cute & fun story - 3 stars.
Best Laid Plans was a fast DNF - I did NOT like the hero's immediate decision to ask heroine (construction manager) out to dinner and seeming lack of respect for her position.
Love, Jack was a cute & fun story - 3 stars.
Best Laid Plans was a fast DNF - I did NOT like the hero's immediate decision to ask heroine (construction manager) out to dinner and seeming lack of respect for her position.
April 7, 2025
Didn't actually finish, had to give up once I realized not wanting to touch this book had grounded my reading to a halt as I typically read one book at a time. If you are super into romance and don't care much about anything else, you may enjoy this. If you need substantial things beyond steamy scenes (that didn't feel natural at all to me) then steer clear.
January 8, 2021
Am I the only one who can’t seem to enjoy a love interest that can’t seem to understand the word no? I’m sorry, but just because you’re handsome does not give you the right to tell me “it’s going to happen” basically. You better not grab me and kiss me after I’ve already said no. 😡
November 28, 2022
Loving Jack (Jack's Stories #1) ⭐⭐
👉🏻 Jackie “Jack” MacNamara & Nathan Powell
Best Laid Plans (Jack's Stories #2) ⭐⭐
👉🏻 Abra Wilson & Cody Johnson
👉🏻 Jackie “Jack” MacNamara & Nathan Powell
Best Laid Plans (Jack's Stories #2) ⭐⭐
👉🏻 Abra Wilson & Cody Johnson
June 12, 2023
This is a fun story to read and jacks personality just makes the book enjoyable. She’s a carefree spirit that is a jack of all trades. I’ve read this story 2x now and have enjoyed it equally both times!
February 4, 2025
You can always count on Nora Roberts to give you a good story, or in this case, two good stories. Of course there is always love and romance, difficulties causing the lovers to separate, and a final coming together. You never know how, though. Fun to read, fun to follow.
May 20, 2017
Another two for the price of one saga. Spirited women that breathe life into these arrogant men.
December 21, 2017
A great read by Nora Robert's.
February 4, 2018
loved all of it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews