Norma Ever After: A Novel

by Nancy Baxter

Once upon a time, specifically our time, there lived an ordinary commoner named Norma Dale. Hovering near thirty, Norma no longer expected passion, or even romance. Not since puberty and the retirement of her single Ken doll and his harem of Barbies. . . .

When Norma’s father leaves her a sea chest brimming with cash, and her beloved plush puffin from childhood, she takes the old stuffed bird as a sign– and decides that it’s high time she started believing in fairy tales. Particularly, the ones her father used to tell her about the mystical Orkney Islands.

So Norma travels to the far north of Scotland, where she discovers that nesting puffins are indeed real. And, unbelievably, so are the handsome men of the heather she’s always dreamed of . . . and they’re looking in her direction.

Suddenly, Norma feels sexy. Not go-go boots and hot pants sexy; more mysterious, like a lithe and lovely young Catherine from Wuthering Heights sexy (minus the dead part). But there’s more than one Heathcliff on these moors. Will she choose the brooding artist, the brash Texan, or the sensitive professor? If those Barbies could see her now. . . .

Genres: Romance, Fiction

290 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2005

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never ever wanted to punch a character in a book as much as I wanted to punch this character. Every decision she made was soooooooo stupid, and it was all because she had low self esteem. The whole time I read it, I was just so frustrated with this character, she never went for what she wanted and it some how came to her. Then when it came to her she left it because it was all just to easy? SOOOOOO stupid.

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Norma Dale has always been the odd one out. When her father dies and leaves her a chest of money, she goes off to Scotland to find the land of his stories of puffins. When she arrives, she finds that she is desirable to many men and becomes tangled-up with a local named Brian, a Texan tourist and Brian's childhood friend, Colin. Complicating things further is Brian's fiancee, Fiona, who does NOT appreciate Norma's arrival. In the end, after MUCH struggle, Colin helps get Norma and Brian together once and for all and Fiona does herself in by plotting too much.

The Druidism lore of the book was cheesy. This book was like Pippi Longstocking meets Harlequin romance. Why wouldn't her mom and sisters wonder how she got all the money to just take off? How did her VISA not expire? Why would Brian fall in love so fast when he once thought of the priesthood? Why did Colin stop trying to sleep with Norma even though he wanted to? So many holes and so much blather about local sites. I'd read Barron's if I really cared.

Cinderella + Porn + Druids +Cat Fight = Trash

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those cheesy books that I found while perusing the library and ended up kind of falling in love with it. It wasn't the best piece of literature I've ever read but I would possibly reread it because I loved the setting so much.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like the ending of this book. I thought the main character ended up with the wrong guy. Also, the book was a little too romance-y for my tastes. That being said, it was not poorly written, I think it was just not to my tastes.

[Kathy Hauck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, loved it, loved it! I couldn't put it down. I even learned a little bit about the Orkney Islands. Love learning while reading fiction!

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was kind of like a so bad it's good chickflick. you know you shouldn't get sucked in because it's so unbelieveable and then you go and get sucked in anyway...

[Dimity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the greatest prose in the world, but it takes place in Orkney, which gives it points in my book.

[Exina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A below mediocre contemporary romance with an irritating, egotistic heroine. Great cover, by the way.

[Becky Phelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It always makes me relive all of my mistakes.