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The Stanislaskis #1
Taming Natasha
Don’t miss the first book in the beloved Stanislaski series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts!Composer Spencer Kimball and his young daughter are new to town. It’s a small community, and in such close quarters beauty is hard to miss — and when he sets eyes on Natasha Stanislaski, he’s thunderstruck by the intensity of his attraction. The former ballet dancer turned toy shop owner has a fiery temperament that draws Spencer like a moth to the flame. However, he isn’t sure if Natasha would be interested in a single father. Sensing a hidden wound, Spencer and his little girl join forces to find a way into Natasha’s closely guarded heart. He’ll do whatever it takes to tame Natasha’s fears…and show her how to love.Originally published in 1990.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1990
1698 people are currently reading
3513 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,188 books59.4k 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 393 reviews
May 27, 2020
I am not having a very good time with reading for the last couple of days ... I am hard pressed to up it to three but I guess, it wasn't as bad as the last one I read and I gave that two stars so, maybe this one is a three ... and that is being generous.
Cheesy, predictable ... I shouldn't really hold that against it as I sort of knew before starting it that it was going to be like that. An older NR book! I think I am just being very impatient waiting for the new SEP which releases on June 9th and annoyed that it is not released early! I mean, it is written. The ARCs are out there ... why not give it to the rest of us?? Ignore me!! LOL. I am cranky. And I am trying to read what I already have and stop the "one-clicking"!! We shall see how long that lasts ...
Cheesy, predictable ... I shouldn't really hold that against it as I sort of knew before starting it that it was going to be like that. An older NR book! I think I am just being very impatient waiting for the new SEP which releases on June 9th and annoyed that it is not released early! I mean, it is written. The ARCs are out there ... why not give it to the rest of us?? Ignore me!! LOL. I am cranky. And I am trying to read what I already have and stop the "one-clicking"!! We shall see how long that lasts ...
August 28, 2017
This is the first book in the Stanislaski series. Natasha is a beautiful woman who owns a toy shop. She has had a troubled past but is improving her life.
Spence has also had a rough time, but now he is trying to be a good father. That involves taking his little girl to the toy shop owned by a beautiful Ukrainian woman.
They get off to a rocky start on the way to romance and stumble over a few secrets, but that's what makes this one of Nora's classics.
One shout out I want to do for the fabulous Nora is the fact that whenever she includes children in her stories she never forgets them. How many times are you reading away on a great story and pause on the parents who can skip out without thinking about babysitters, baths, meals, etc. Nora always brings the children and all the work involved to the front of the story. Kids do kid stuff in her books. That's one of the reasons she's the Queen. 👸🏻
Spence has also had a rough time, but now he is trying to be a good father. That involves taking his little girl to the toy shop owned by a beautiful Ukrainian woman.
They get off to a rocky start on the way to romance and stumble over a few secrets, but that's what makes this one of Nora's classics.
One shout out I want to do for the fabulous Nora is the fact that whenever she includes children in her stories she never forgets them. How many times are you reading away on a great story and pause on the parents who can skip out without thinking about babysitters, baths, meals, etc. Nora always brings the children and all the work involved to the front of the story. Kids do kid stuff in her books. That's one of the reasons she's the Queen. 👸🏻
May 27, 2016
It’s been a long time since I read a pure romance. Yes, that’s what Nora Roberts’s Taming Natasha is. There is no paranormal, science-fiction or mystery suspense twists in the plot, so popular today. You could say that it’s an old time kind of tale (not because it was published in 1990). But it does not come out as an outdated story at all.
Spence Kimball is a famous composer and college professor, and a widowed father. Natasha is a former ballerina now a toy store owner. Both had difficult relationships and endured troublesome pasts. Spence, with the help of his love for daughter Freddie seemed almost recovered; Tash still anguishes with all she went through and has a hard time trusting again, most of all her own feelings. Both moved to this little town in West Virginia to build a new life.
When they meet, we witness instant attraction and over the chart chemistry. This is a story about personal growth: recovering from heartbreak and regaining one’s sense of self-worth. I loved both on their own, each with their shortcomings and conflicts, and adored them as a couple. They do not have an uncomplicated or easy relationship, however always endearing. They fit well together and are thoroughly believable. Freddie is charming and enriches the reading experience. This is a beautiful and emotional story, masterfully delivered by Roberts.
I read it the fist time a few years ago, but I liked as much or even more now. Highly recommended!
Spence Kimball is a famous composer and college professor, and a widowed father. Natasha is a former ballerina now a toy store owner. Both had difficult relationships and endured troublesome pasts. Spence, with the help of his love for daughter Freddie seemed almost recovered; Tash still anguishes with all she went through and has a hard time trusting again, most of all her own feelings. Both moved to this little town in West Virginia to build a new life.
When they meet, we witness instant attraction and over the chart chemistry. This is a story about personal growth: recovering from heartbreak and regaining one’s sense of self-worth. I loved both on their own, each with their shortcomings and conflicts, and adored them as a couple. They do not have an uncomplicated or easy relationship, however always endearing. They fit well together and are thoroughly believable. Freddie is charming and enriches the reading experience. This is a beautiful and emotional story, masterfully delivered by Roberts.
I read it the fist time a few years ago, but I liked as much or even more now. Highly recommended!
May 14, 2016
Dulce... Muy dulce ❤
March 18, 2019
Yav bu kadının harlikuvin yazışı bile başka be sen yaz biz okuyalım Nora reyiz!
February 23, 2020
"Taming Natasha" is the story of Natasha and Spence.
Oh my heart <3
In this beautiful story, we have a sweet blooming romance between a smitten and caring H who is a college professor, and a scarred yet beautiful h who is his student as well as the owner to a lovely toy store. They meet when he moves into her town, and his young daughter requests a doll from her shop. How they fall in love- with the H slowly wooing the way into the traumatized h's heart forms parts of the story.
However, this is not that simple of a book. The way Ms Robers treats her characters gives them so much depth, that you end up caring for every single one of them. We get the hero, the heroine as well as the child's point of view. His yearning, her cynicism and apprehension and the daughter's longing for a mother is so well written, my heart broke in so many parts.
The H is a definitely DILF and to die for book husband. Wonderfully considerate of the h's emotions, and definitely the best book dad I've read- maybe ever. Ah total swoon. The h is strong yet fragile, and this dichotomy is shown beautifully by her inner monologues. The daughter Freddie is an adorable charmer, and was the perfect glue for our MC. Her scenes with both the h and H were the highlight, and the heart of this read.
I absolutely LOVED this and would 100% recommend to everyone. Absolutely gut wrenching angst wrapped around a fantabulous story. And what an epilogue..
Safe
5/5
Oh my heart <3
In this beautiful story, we have a sweet blooming romance between a smitten and caring H who is a college professor, and a scarred yet beautiful h who is his student as well as the owner to a lovely toy store. They meet when he moves into her town, and his young daughter requests a doll from her shop. How they fall in love- with the H slowly wooing the way into the traumatized h's heart forms parts of the story.
However, this is not that simple of a book. The way Ms Robers treats her characters gives them so much depth, that you end up caring for every single one of them. We get the hero, the heroine as well as the child's point of view. His yearning, her cynicism and apprehension and the daughter's longing for a mother is so well written, my heart broke in so many parts.
The H is a definitely DILF and to die for book husband. Wonderfully considerate of the h's emotions, and definitely the best book dad I've read- maybe ever. Ah total swoon. The h is strong yet fragile, and this dichotomy is shown beautifully by her inner monologues. The daughter Freddie is an adorable charmer, and was the perfect glue for our MC. Her scenes with both the h and H were the highlight, and the heart of this read.
I absolutely LOVED this and would 100% recommend to everyone. Absolutely gut wrenching angst wrapped around a fantabulous story. And what an epilogue..
Safe
5/5
February 12, 2019
"Наташа" - Нора Робъртс е първа книга от серията и "Станисласки". В тази книга проследяваме проследяваме живота на най-голямото дете на фамилията Наташа, която е оставила в миналото бурни младежки години. Тя държи магазин за детски играчки, децата я харесват и новият и живот процъфтява. И тогава в живота и се появяват Спенс Кембъл и прекрасната му дъщеричка.
Прекрасно написана книга от любимката ми Нора Робъртс. Това което харесвам в романите на авторката е, че докато четеш и си почиваш, отпуска се и се наслаждаваш на невероятни истории, понякога наивни, може би преувеличени, но винаги описани красиво.
Просто спокойствие и романтика излъчват книгите и. Нора Робъртс е сред най-любимите ми автори, чета книгите и на един дъх, и най-вече романите и завършват щастливо. ❤️
Много ми хареса книгата и я препоръчвам горещо. Прекрасна любовна история, изпълнена и с музика и детски смях.
*****
"Някои грешки се поправят бавно и мъчително."
*****
"Има неща, които не трябва да се отлагат нито за миг. Животът е толкова кратък."
*****
"Независимо дали отхвърлят любовта ти жестоко, грубо или деликатно, сърцето винаги оставаше наранено."
*****
"Понякога хората казват неща, които не мислят сериозно, и после съжаляват. "
Прекрасно написана книга от любимката ми Нора Робъртс. Това което харесвам в романите на авторката е, че докато четеш и си почиваш, отпуска се и се наслаждаваш на невероятни истории, понякога наивни, може би преувеличени, но винаги описани красиво.
Просто спокойствие и романтика излъчват книгите и. Нора Робъртс е сред най-любимите ми автори, чета книгите и на един дъх, и най-вече романите и завършват щастливо. ❤️
Много ми хареса книгата и я препоръчвам горещо. Прекрасна любовна история, изпълнена и с музика и детски смях.
*****
"Някои грешки се поправят бавно и мъчително."
*****
"Има неща, които не трябва да се отлагат нито за миг. Животът е толкова кратък."
*****
"Независимо дали отхвърлят любовта ти жестоко, грубо или деликатно, сърцето винаги оставаше наранено."
*****
"Понякога хората казват неща, които не мислят сериозно, и после съжаляват. "
May 14, 2021
Review May 2021:
Fun fact this series has survived all my bookshelf purges in the last five years. Every time I go through my shelf and get rid of books I will never read again, I have kept this series. Partly because of nostalgic and partly because I really love Freddie and Nick's story and it feels weird to not keep the whole series intact. So I decided the other evening to pull this series off my shelf and see if I *still* enjoyed it.
Overall, I did. I think this first book is a product of the early 1990's romance genre in which the hero Spencer is very hands on, alpha male, you-will-love-me type. He's not a bad guy, by any stretch of the imagination, and he truly does fall for Natasha but he does have a tendency to bulldoze Natasha and her wishes throughout this book. He sees that she's attracted to him and he uses physical tactics to sway her to him (grabbing Natasha and kissing her, getting up in her personal space so she is flustered by his nearness and cannot protest, etc.). It's not my favorite thing and more than once it left me annoyed but even more than that, it just made me not like Spencer or respect him as a character. Give the lady some space! If she says she doesn't want to go out with you, then she doesn't want to go out with you! Come on, man, jeesh.
Freddie at age six was still cute, albeit a bit more precocious than I remembered. Like she was too perfect of a child. I did like all her interactions with Natasha though, and their visit to Natasha's parents house in which she bonded with Natasha's dad left me grinning. Bumping it back down to three stars because of what I mentioned above but this is still a solid start to the Stanislaskis saga. Off to read Mikhail's book next!
----
Review June 28, 2014: Okay Okay, Okay. I'm bumming this one up to 4 stars, probably closer to 4 and 1/2 stars. I think this is my favorite book of the four siblings (Freddie and Nick's book wins for fav overall). It's just so light and happy and you get to see things from Freddie's POV which I adoreeeeee.
Review October 31 2012: Solid 3.5 stars. Really cute book. I love the introduction to the Stanislaskis, meeting them all for the first time is the best, especially seeing them from young Freddie's eyes. Loved Natasha and her interactions with Spencer, sweet story all around.
Fun fact this series has survived all my bookshelf purges in the last five years. Every time I go through my shelf and get rid of books I will never read again, I have kept this series. Partly because of nostalgic and partly because I really love Freddie and Nick's story and it feels weird to not keep the whole series intact. So I decided the other evening to pull this series off my shelf and see if I *still* enjoyed it.
Overall, I did. I think this first book is a product of the early 1990's romance genre in which the hero Spencer is very hands on, alpha male, you-will-love-me type. He's not a bad guy, by any stretch of the imagination, and he truly does fall for Natasha but he does have a tendency to bulldoze Natasha and her wishes throughout this book. He sees that she's attracted to him and he uses physical tactics to sway her to him (grabbing Natasha and kissing her, getting up in her personal space so she is flustered by his nearness and cannot protest, etc.). It's not my favorite thing and more than once it left me annoyed but even more than that, it just made me not like Spencer or respect him as a character. Give the lady some space! If she says she doesn't want to go out with you, then she doesn't want to go out with you! Come on, man, jeesh.
Freddie at age six was still cute, albeit a bit more precocious than I remembered. Like she was too perfect of a child. I did like all her interactions with Natasha though, and their visit to Natasha's parents house in which she bonded with Natasha's dad left me grinning. Bumping it back down to three stars because of what I mentioned above but this is still a solid start to the Stanislaskis saga. Off to read Mikhail's book next!
----
Review June 28, 2014: Okay Okay, Okay. I'm bumming this one up to 4 stars, probably closer to 4 and 1/2 stars. I think this is my favorite book of the four siblings (Freddie and Nick's book wins for fav overall). It's just so light and happy and you get to see things from Freddie's POV which I adoreeeeee.
Review October 31 2012: Solid 3.5 stars. Really cute book. I love the introduction to the Stanislaskis, meeting them all for the first time is the best, especially seeing them from young Freddie's eyes. Loved Natasha and her interactions with Spencer, sweet story all around.
February 27, 2013
This is on the high side of Roberts' 1990s books. It's nothing stellar, with characters a little too predictably emotional and a plot that doesn't quite gel, for me. Spence is a bit too... commanding for the rest of his personality as a professor and composer and single dad. Natasha is a bit too... passive for the rest of her personality as an entrepreneur and dancer and with strong family support.
That said, this is one of Roberts' best depictions of a dependent child with Freddie (Frederica) stealing many of the scenes she is in as she quietly steals your heart alongside. She's 6 and Roberts gets the flavor of her character pitch perfect and her interactions with Tash are genuine and full of warmth without being cloying or manipulative.
This is also one of the more solid family dynamics for this stage of Roberts' career, I think. I won't name names but some of the series written at around the same time come across poorly to me—overly idealized and deliberately charming in a way I sometimes find almost twee. The Stanislaskis have more depth than that and their interactions carry enough weight that they don't feel like the manipulative intrusion of some of the other contemporary family-based series do.
In all, I liked it and look forward to the stories for the other members of the family.
A note about Steamy: Can I just say Nora Roberts standard, yet? There are one or two more than normal, but they're also shorter than normal, I think.
That said, this is one of Roberts' best depictions of a dependent child with Freddie (Frederica) stealing many of the scenes she is in as she quietly steals your heart alongside. She's 6 and Roberts gets the flavor of her character pitch perfect and her interactions with Tash are genuine and full of warmth without being cloying or manipulative.
This is also one of the more solid family dynamics for this stage of Roberts' career, I think. I won't name names but some of the series written at around the same time come across poorly to me—overly idealized and deliberately charming in a way I sometimes find almost twee. The Stanislaskis have more depth than that and their interactions carry enough weight that they don't feel like the manipulative intrusion of some of the other contemporary family-based series do.
In all, I liked it and look forward to the stories for the other members of the family.
A note about Steamy: Can I just say Nora Roberts standard, yet? There are one or two more than normal, but they're also shorter than normal, I think.
June 27, 2020
Reseña completa en mi blog: https://elsentirdeunlibro.blogspot.co...
December 25, 2011
Rating 3.5
I enjoyed this book, it was sweet and nice.
When the heroine Natasha meets the hero, she has a very bad impression of him mainly because she thinks he's a married man hitting on her while buying a toy for his daughter but she soon learns differently when she see him in class. The hero is a famous musician and composer and a widowed father who moved to give his daughter a new life and unexpectedly found a woman who awakens deep passion in him and is very prickly.
The moves are made by the hero with the heroine always reluctant to open up about what hurt her in love. The hero was young and selfish once but soon came to realize the love he had for his child while the heroine had been hurt by losing a child. I enjoyed Natasha's family and even little Freddie.
I enjoyed this book, it was sweet and nice.
When the heroine Natasha meets the hero, she has a very bad impression of him mainly because she thinks he's a married man hitting on her while buying a toy for his daughter but she soon learns differently when she see him in class. The hero is a famous musician and composer and a widowed father who moved to give his daughter a new life and unexpectedly found a woman who awakens deep passion in him and is very prickly.
The moves are made by the hero with the heroine always reluctant to open up about what hurt her in love. The hero was young and selfish once but soon came to realize the love he had for his child while the heroine had been hurt by losing a child. I enjoyed Natasha's family and even little Freddie.
July 3, 2016
Entretenido, escrito con la solvencia de la autora , que por algo es quién es dentro del género. Sin más pretensiones que una historia típica. Recomendable para un par de horas de asueto
December 28, 2023
Taming Natasha - Where do i start....
I loved Natasha's Family. And the Ballet Musician Match... It was just... I felt Natasha was so Angry all the time - In Real life No Man i know has ever tried that hard after so Much Dismissal.... She must Look like Monica Bellucci or Angelina Jolie.... I did Feel for Her in the End But... I couldn't understand her reluctance and Anger at the world after so long with such loving friends and family behind her. Yes Im sure the Hurt is there everyday.... But that anger and Mistrust?
I loved Natasha's Family. And the Ballet Musician Match... It was just... I felt Natasha was so Angry all the time - In Real life No Man i know has ever tried that hard after so Much Dismissal.... She must Look like Monica Bellucci or Angelina Jolie.... I did Feel for Her in the End But... I couldn't understand her reluctance and Anger at the world after so long with such loving friends and family behind her. Yes Im sure the Hurt is there everyday.... But that anger and Mistrust?
March 11, 2025
La señora Nora lo volvió hacer,no pude parar de leer.
Me encantó la familia,un muy buen libro para iniciar la saga,tal vez le falte un poco de trama y complejidad,pero funciona cuando no queres muchos problemas.Ya voy arrancar el segundo.
Me encantó la familia,un muy buen libro para iniciar la saga,tal vez le falte un poco de trama y complejidad,pero funciona cuando no queres muchos problemas.Ya voy arrancar el segundo.
April 7, 2019
Няма как да сбъркаш с който и да е от олдскул романите на Нора Робъртс, когато в неделя внезапно ти се дочете приятно разтоварваща любовна история.
September 14, 2010
The thing is that I started The Stanislaskis series beackwards with Waiting for Nick/ Considering Kate, and realized there were two othe books. I absolutly loved Taming Natasha because it's so heartbreaking what both Tash and Spence go through, and it's all about regaining one's sense of self. I think so far it's my favortie of the series. I loved the setting and the atmosphere very small town, and cozy and comfortable kind of like the McCade Brothers series. I loved The Fun House and how passionate she is about her business. I loved that she always takes a class just for herself, and that is so smart for a woman to do. Having read Freddie's story before her parents, I adored Freddie and it helped me understand her romantic, positive attitude. I loved how we got glimpses into what Freddie was thinking as well, because it showed how much she truly wanted a mom and how she wanted her dad to be happy. I also thought it was great that we got little hints about Tash's story, and when she told Spence after she realized she was pregnant, which I loved, it was so heartbreaking, how Anthony dismissed her, and she was so young and naive, and how Lily just died, I mean that's all she had other than her family, and she was gone. I loved Spence's story as well, and how because he was so awful towards Freddie at the beginning, he wants everything for her now. I loved the first day of school, when Freddies got chicken pox and Tash was there and she rocked her and sang to her. I love how cute Freddie is because she thinks Natasha is so beautiful and she wants her with them. I loved Halloween, and of course that night, and I loved how Spence never gave up on Natasha, and he was always there for her. I especially liked when they visited TAsh's family, and how they accepted Freddie so openly. I love Mikhail, and he is always there for his sister. Their whole story of how they came to America, was so courageous and loving, it was beautiful, and how at dinner Natasha told Spence that sometimes you shouldn't be patient. I really love how the series is very family oriented, yet each character is so different and their personality is so different. I really loved the epilogue, and how they got married on Christmas Eve, and how just like parents, they treasured those rare intimate moments together, and how each time they made love it was just them, and they worshiped each other.
February 4, 2017
Another good Nora Roberts book!
July 16, 2015
Gostei de ver a árvore genealógica ao início - mas ao mesmo tempo acaba por ser um spoiler.
Gostei da mensagem deste livro - amar e perdoar, não esquecer o passado e não ter medo de arriscar.
Gostei da mensagem deste livro - amar e perdoar, não esquecer o passado e não ter medo de arriscar.
January 25, 2024
3,9/5 ⭐️
PL
Rodzina Stanislaski ciekawa, kiedyś przeczytam o dalszych losach członków tej rodziny.
ENG
Stanislaski's family is interesting, someday I will read about the fate of other members of this family.
Druga miłość Nataszy - 3,7/5 ⭐️
( Taming Natasha )
PL
Fabularnie średnie, za szybko sie wszystko działo i nudne wątki czasem, ale nie najgorsze, czasem było śmieszne, szczęśliwe zakończenia z łezką w oku 🥹
ENG
Plot average, too fast everything happened and boring threads sometimes, but not the worst, sometimes it was funny, happy ending with a tear in his eye 🥹
Dziedziczka fortuny - 4,1/5 ⭐️
( Luring a Lady )
PL
Bardzo podobna sytuacja jak z Natashą i Spence'm, ale docieranie się Sydney i Michaił'a bardziej mi się podobało ich histroia miała więcej plot twistów i ciekawie się czytało ich historię.
ENG
Very similar situation as with Natasha and Spence, but getting to Sydney and Mikhail more I liked their histroia had more plot twists and interesting to read their story.
PL
Rodzina Stanislaski ciekawa, kiedyś przeczytam o dalszych losach członków tej rodziny.
ENG
Stanislaski's family is interesting, someday I will read about the fate of other members of this family.
Druga miłość Nataszy - 3,7/5 ⭐️
( Taming Natasha )
PL
Fabularnie średnie, za szybko sie wszystko działo i nudne wątki czasem, ale nie najgorsze, czasem było śmieszne, szczęśliwe zakończenia z łezką w oku 🥹
ENG
Plot average, too fast everything happened and boring threads sometimes, but not the worst, sometimes it was funny, happy ending with a tear in his eye 🥹
Dziedziczka fortuny - 4,1/5 ⭐️
( Luring a Lady )
PL
Bardzo podobna sytuacja jak z Natashą i Spence'm, ale docieranie się Sydney i Michaił'a bardziej mi się podobało ich histroia miała więcej plot twistów i ciekawie się czytało ich historię.
ENG
Very similar situation as with Natasha and Spence, but getting to Sydney and Mikhail more I liked their histroia had more plot twists and interesting to read their story.
August 21, 2020
Taming Natasha is book one in the Stanislaskis series by Nora Roberts. After his wife dies, Spence Kimball decided he needs a change. Spence Kimball to move to West Virginia to teach Music at the local College. On arrival, Frederica Spence's five-year-old daughter saw a beautiful toy store. Spence, his sister Nina and Frederica went inside and met the owner Natasha Stanislaskis. However, for Spence and Natasha, this encounter will change their lives forever. The readers of Taming Natasha will continue to follow Spence Kimball and Natasha Stanislaskis to find out what happens.
Taming Natasha is a lovely sweet romance that I was able to lose a couple of hours sitting near the heater. I enjoyed reading Taming Natasha. I love Nora Robert's portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. I like Nora Robert's description of the setting of Taming Natasha that complement the plot of this book. Taming Roberts is well written and researched by Nora Roberts.
The readers of Taming Natasha will learn about running a toy shop. Also, the readers of Taming Natasha understand the problems of being a single parent.
I recommend this book.
Taming Natasha is a lovely sweet romance that I was able to lose a couple of hours sitting near the heater. I enjoyed reading Taming Natasha. I love Nora Robert's portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. I like Nora Robert's description of the setting of Taming Natasha that complement the plot of this book. Taming Roberts is well written and researched by Nora Roberts.
The readers of Taming Natasha will learn about running a toy shop. Also, the readers of Taming Natasha understand the problems of being a single parent.
I recommend this book.
April 11, 2017
No sé si soy yo o es demasiado perfecto que ella tenga como negocio una tienda de juguetes, que él sea perfecto, guapo y tenga una hija y que acaben juntos porque todo es cosa del destino... siempre me gusta una buena novela de Nora Roberts pero a veces creo que son demasiado perfectas para mi gusto...
July 11, 2011
Uma história de amor engraçada, gostei do Natasha mas acho que faltava força à protagonista, irritou-me algumas das atitudes dela relativamente ao Spence mas tendo em conta o contexto em que foi escrito (década de 90) acho que está uma história bem conseguida.
A Freddie era muito engraçada, proporcionou momentos engraçados com a Natasha, a relação que elas criam é muito fofa! A familia Stanislaski é demais, todos muito peculiares...
A Freddie era muito engraçada, proporcionou momentos engraçados com a Natasha, a relação que elas criam é muito fofa! A familia Stanislaski é demais, todos muito peculiares...
April 20, 2013
If you enjoy complicated plots and well developed characters, perhaps you should look elsewhere. When I reached the end of this book I was shocked ... because almost
nothing happens. Frigid toy store owner meets handsome music professor, he pursues her, she eventually acquiesces, she gets pregnant. Honestly, I picked this book up only because it was one of the few immediately available for download from my library as I was preparing for a long plane flight.
nothing happens. Frigid toy store owner meets handsome music professor, he pursues her, she eventually acquiesces, she gets pregnant. Honestly, I picked this book up only because it was one of the few immediately available for download from my library as I was preparing for a long plane flight.
January 29, 2015
Esta parece ser outra saga bastante interessante. A Nora tem uma mão talentosa para lidar com famílias numerosas.
March 26, 2016
Лека, забавна и романтична книга, която без проблеми допринася за един хубаво прекаран следобед.
January 8, 2017
No real story to this - just former ballerina who now runs a toy shop meeting and falling for a single dad and his adorable daughter ...
September 22, 2018
When she was younger, Natasha experienced heartache and loss that changed her life forever. She now owns a toy store in a rural town in West Virginia, where she keeps everybody at arms distance while still interacting freely with the towns people. In walks a gorgeous man with his adorable daughter Freddie and a woman that Natasha assumes is the man's wife. So she's furious when he looks at her with heat and passion and absolutely irate when he asks her out. She soon learns that this man is Professor Spencer Kimball, her new music history teacher at the college and a single father. Natasha isn't about to get soft and give into the attraction though. She needs to keep him at a distance so those passionate, stirring feelings will also stay away. She had them once before and has no need for them ever again. But Spencer can't leave Natasha alone. She is a perfect match for him and his daughter and fits seamlessly into their family unit. He also can't resist the attraction that pulls them closer together. But Natasha still isn't talking about her past and whatever happened still has the power to affect their future.
If you've read enough Nora Roberts, it's kind of easy to place this in a timeline. It's early enough that it still has "the attack kiss" which was honestly a thing in some of her earlier works. The hero just sort of kisses out of the blue without consulting the heroine. At least in this story, the attack kiss happened after some acknowledgement of attraction, but it still felt out of the blue. And in more modern stories (not HP though) the heroine would have slapped the hero for it. This is also in the time of the head-hopping...I mean, holy crap, one paragraph would be Natasha and the next would be Spencer with absolutely nothing to signify the switch had happened. Talk about confusing, but IIRC also fairly standard for the earlier works. However this is late enough that we see sex scenes, which are passionate and romantic, but decidedly NOT erotic. The language is kind of vague with lots of describing of feelings and looks, but not of what they're actually doing....unless you believe they're wrestling. Lots of tumbling and covering and challenging and offering, but not a lot of penetration, sucking or biting. It usually ends with him "moving inside her" or "slipping into her" and then reaching new heights of pleasure together. This is fairly standard NR - the passion is there, but the steam factor is pretty low.
I give props - I have read some children in NR stories that were completely unbelievable, either too adult or too child-like for their age or WAY too perfect. You also see a tendency for parents to be way too perfect, but this is quite different here. Spencer was once an awful parent trying to make amends and it really feels like he's still trying to figure it out. So the relationship between Spence and Freddie was really well written - you can honestly get feels from the way he describes how much he loves his daughter. It's probably my favorite relationship in the book...even more than Spence and Natasha. They were just okay. I liked Spence, but Natasha and her decision to remain aloof and distant because of her past trauma, made it hard for me to really like her. I think if more of her pain and struggle had been written in, I would have still liked her while seeing her struggle to remain aloof. But we don't learn about what caused it until pretty far in and she's so good at keeping her pain under wraps that she just came across as unfeeling (even worse because she was actually trying to be). In the end, we do learn what causes this and it's easier to sympathize, but in her pain she hurts Spencer, who by that time was my favorite character (NR really does write good heroes) and I wanted more grovel from her. Instead, she spills her story and gets lots of comfort and then forgiveness without really groveling for leaving Spence in suspense (haha!) and hurting him or for pretty much abandoning Freddie for over a week.
If you've read enough Nora Roberts, it's kind of easy to place this in a timeline. It's early enough that it still has "the attack kiss" which was honestly a thing in some of her earlier works. The hero just sort of kisses out of the blue without consulting the heroine. At least in this story, the attack kiss happened after some acknowledgement of attraction, but it still felt out of the blue. And in more modern stories (not HP though) the heroine would have slapped the hero for it. This is also in the time of the head-hopping...I mean, holy crap, one paragraph would be Natasha and the next would be Spencer with absolutely nothing to signify the switch had happened. Talk about confusing, but IIRC also fairly standard for the earlier works. However this is late enough that we see sex scenes, which are passionate and romantic, but decidedly NOT erotic. The language is kind of vague with lots of describing of feelings and looks, but not of what they're actually doing....unless you believe they're wrestling. Lots of tumbling and covering and challenging and offering, but not a lot of penetration, sucking or biting. It usually ends with him "moving inside her" or "slipping into her" and then reaching new heights of pleasure together. This is fairly standard NR - the passion is there, but the steam factor is pretty low.
I give props - I have read some children in NR stories that were completely unbelievable, either too adult or too child-like for their age or WAY too perfect. You also see a tendency for parents to be way too perfect, but this is quite different here. Spencer was once an awful parent trying to make amends and it really feels like he's still trying to figure it out. So the relationship between Spence and Freddie was really well written - you can honestly get feels from the way he describes how much he loves his daughter. It's probably my favorite relationship in the book...even more than Spence and Natasha. They were just okay. I liked Spence, but Natasha and her decision to remain aloof and distant because of her past trauma, made it hard for me to really like her. I think if more of her pain and struggle had been written in, I would have still liked her while seeing her struggle to remain aloof. But we don't learn about what caused it until pretty far in and she's so good at keeping her pain under wraps that she just came across as unfeeling (even worse because she was actually trying to be). In the end, we do learn what causes this and it's easier to sympathize, but in her pain she hurts Spencer, who by that time was my favorite character (NR really does write good heroes) and I wanted more grovel from her. Instead, she spills her story and gets lots of comfort and then forgiveness without really groveling for leaving Spence in suspense (haha!) and hurting him or for pretty much abandoning Freddie for over a week.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2019
Originally Reviewed on Bewitching Bibliophile
I picked this one because one of the apps I was using to read was acting up so I couldn't read the book I wanted to last night. I downloaded this because it's one of my Nora titles I wanted to complete for 2019 and as soon as I started it I fell into it. Now keep in mind the reason Natasha's family came to the US was big in the 90s and yet it hasn't improved much because the same issues are going on right now.
I started this book and fell in love immediately with Natasha because she was a successful woman who had a strong sense of self and character and when she assumed the man she found attractive was someone without a moral code she was so offended and I loved how she put him in his place when he hit on her. For Spencer, he felt like he's been hit by a ton of bricks, he hadn't acknowledged his feeling for years and now he's moved from NYC, settling his daughter into a new environment and here is a complication he hadn't expected and yet he's the most open to the feeling they both feel.
I loved the push and pull of feelings Natasha was having. I totally understood her fear of truly believing that her heart knew what it was doing this time because the last time it wasn't as discerning and had been returned to her battered and heavily bruised. I love that for her even though her dreams had been shattered she still embraced parts of it by opening the business she did. I love that she fell first for Freddie, then for Spencer. I loved Spencer and the fact that he wasn't afraid to chase Natasha & still gave her space when she needed it. However, he wasn't above using any advantage he had when he could to make her realize she could trust him.
I loved her family and the way they embraced the changes in her life but had her back the whole time. They embraced Freddie and Spencer but never gave Natasha's secrets away. I loved how we got Freddie's opinion on what she wanted to happen and what she saw and her Christmas wish. I loved how she made the story have so great levity when the adults were struggling to figure out what to say or how to say it.
My favorite moments where the ones when I couldn't help but bust out laughing. They had such good chemistry and moved well together. I loved when they argued when they worked together while Natasha tried to hold her feelings together but she kept falling in love with them and the family they represented. I felt Spencer's confusions, Natasha's fear and they desire to get it right at the end. The kick to the chest when we learned everything in Natasha's past, the hurt that Spencer felt when he realized that he could lose her, and the fear that she had left him for good. Those last moments made me sob and want to read as fast as possible so I could know what happened.
I even loved the glimpses of the people that made up their friends. I loved the town although I had to laugh at the idea that small towns don't have their issues with muggings and crime. I also love that Natasha is an immigrant, her experiences that she shared was something I could totally understand and knew how the community around her both aided and held her back. I totally understood her love of the fairytales and how they were her entrance into reading as they were for me as well. Other than that I absolutely loved their back and forth and the fact that this was a character driven story. I read this in one sitting and couldn't wait to dive into the next one.
★★★★1/2☆
Have you read this?? Share in the comments down below and let me know what other books you would recommend like this.
As Always,
Happy Reading my loves,
I picked this one because one of the apps I was using to read was acting up so I couldn't read the book I wanted to last night. I downloaded this because it's one of my Nora titles I wanted to complete for 2019 and as soon as I started it I fell into it. Now keep in mind the reason Natasha's family came to the US was big in the 90s and yet it hasn't improved much because the same issues are going on right now.
I started this book and fell in love immediately with Natasha because she was a successful woman who had a strong sense of self and character and when she assumed the man she found attractive was someone without a moral code she was so offended and I loved how she put him in his place when he hit on her. For Spencer, he felt like he's been hit by a ton of bricks, he hadn't acknowledged his feeling for years and now he's moved from NYC, settling his daughter into a new environment and here is a complication he hadn't expected and yet he's the most open to the feeling they both feel.
I loved the push and pull of feelings Natasha was having. I totally understood her fear of truly believing that her heart knew what it was doing this time because the last time it wasn't as discerning and had been returned to her battered and heavily bruised. I love that for her even though her dreams had been shattered she still embraced parts of it by opening the business she did. I love that she fell first for Freddie, then for Spencer. I loved Spencer and the fact that he wasn't afraid to chase Natasha & still gave her space when she needed it. However, he wasn't above using any advantage he had when he could to make her realize she could trust him.
I loved her family and the way they embraced the changes in her life but had her back the whole time. They embraced Freddie and Spencer but never gave Natasha's secrets away. I loved how we got Freddie's opinion on what she wanted to happen and what she saw and her Christmas wish. I loved how she made the story have so great levity when the adults were struggling to figure out what to say or how to say it.
My favorite moments where the ones when I couldn't help but bust out laughing. They had such good chemistry and moved well together. I loved when they argued when they worked together while Natasha tried to hold her feelings together but she kept falling in love with them and the family they represented. I felt Spencer's confusions, Natasha's fear and they desire to get it right at the end. The kick to the chest when we learned everything in Natasha's past, the hurt that Spencer felt when he realized that he could lose her, and the fear that she had left him for good. Those last moments made me sob and want to read as fast as possible so I could know what happened.
I even loved the glimpses of the people that made up their friends. I loved the town although I had to laugh at the idea that small towns don't have their issues with muggings and crime. I also love that Natasha is an immigrant, her experiences that she shared was something I could totally understand and knew how the community around her both aided and held her back. I totally understood her love of the fairytales and how they were her entrance into reading as they were for me as well. Other than that I absolutely loved their back and forth and the fact that this was a character driven story. I read this in one sitting and couldn't wait to dive into the next one.
★★★★1/2☆
Have you read this?? Share in the comments down below and let me know what other books you would recommend like this.
As Always,
Happy Reading my loves,
June 2, 2017
I remember learning about the Stanislaski clan soon after I first started reading Nora Roberts' books in 2001, but I was unsuccessful in finding new or old copies of the series. That is why I have only now gotten my hands on Taming Natasha, twenty-seven years after it's original Silhouette Special Edition release.
Taming Natasha is a Category Romance Nora Roberts book, meaning it is roughly half the length of her typical Single Title novels (400+ pages) of the day. Because of how short the book is in length, Spence and Natasha's relationship moves at an accelerated pace . To put things simply, Natasha is a former ballerina who escaped Ukraine as a child to come to New York with her family, and who now runs a toy store in a small town in West Virginia. Spence is the son of a wealthy New York family, and former composer turned music professor who moves from New York to West Virginia with his young daughter several years after the death of his estranged wife.
Natasha is immediately put off by Spence because he ogles her in front of a woman she believes is his wife when they first meet. Spence is confused by her brusque treatment of him, but is determined to get to know her. Luckily for him, Natasha enrolls in random classes at the local college where he's teaching, and winds up in his class. Fancy that!
Their interactions bring them close due to class and his daughter's frequent visits to her toy store, but Natasha is against a relationship, with him or with anyone, because of painful past experiences. Spence has his own painful past , but together they help each other overcome their grief so they can begin a new life, all within three months of meeting. Like I said, things move very fast.
If this book had been a Single Title novel, you can be sure we would've received lengthy flashbacks of Natasha's childhood in Ukraine and days in ballet, as well as Spence's marriage and past in music composition. This book contains none of the thorough research that Nora Roberts demonstrates when writing about the hobbies and professions of her characters, as she does in Single Title works, but the book does not lack because of it - it is simply solely focused on the romance.
Nora Roberts' old writings rarely disappoints me, so I will come back for the remainder of the series after I chip away at some of the other books on my reading list.
Taming Natasha is a Category Romance Nora Roberts book, meaning it is roughly half the length of her typical Single Title novels (400+ pages) of the day. Because of how short the book is in length, Spence and Natasha's relationship moves at an accelerated pace . To put things simply, Natasha is a former ballerina who escaped Ukraine as a child to come to New York with her family, and who now runs a toy store in a small town in West Virginia. Spence is the son of a wealthy New York family, and former composer turned music professor who moves from New York to West Virginia with his young daughter several years after the death of his estranged wife.
Natasha is immediately put off by Spence because he ogles her in front of a woman she believes is his wife when they first meet. Spence is confused by her brusque treatment of him, but is determined to get to know her. Luckily for him, Natasha enrolls in random classes at the local college where he's teaching, and winds up in his class. Fancy that!
Their interactions bring them close due to class and his daughter's frequent visits to her toy store, but Natasha is against a relationship, with him or with anyone, because of painful past experiences. Spence has his own painful past , but together they help each other overcome their grief so they can begin a new life, all within three months of meeting. Like I said, things move very fast.
If this book had been a Single Title novel, you can be sure we would've received lengthy flashbacks of Natasha's childhood in Ukraine and days in ballet, as well as Spence's marriage and past in music composition. This book contains none of the thorough research that Nora Roberts demonstrates when writing about the hobbies and professions of her characters, as she does in Single Title works, but the book does not lack because of it - it is simply solely focused on the romance.
Nora Roberts' old writings rarely disappoints me, so I will come back for the remainder of the series after I chip away at some of the other books on my reading list.
July 3, 2020
As a readers' advisor, I need to read from all genres so I can understand the appeals and be able to refer readers to books. Nora Roberts is a big name in romance, and many people have recommended her works. After reading the last in this loosely grouped series about different relationships in different generations and branches of the same family, I decided to go back and read the first, despite my knee-jerk aversion to any title containing the word "taming" in juxtaposition to a woman's name!
The language, the description of people and surroundings, the ambience if you will, was good. The people's situations, career choices, and physical descriptions are sufficiently unique as to draw in the reader and make her want to know more. But...this first in the series was basically the same book as the last one, which I read yesterday! Woman with difficult past meets new man, feels challenged by but overwhelmingly attracted to him, develops a soft spot for his kid, gets sucked in. I won't reveal the specific spoiler, but the kids in both stories did the same thing to facilitate the relationships! C'mon. How lazy can you get, especially in the SAME SERIES?!
The language, the description of people and surroundings, the ambience if you will, was good. The people's situations, career choices, and physical descriptions are sufficiently unique as to draw in the reader and make her want to know more. But...this first in the series was basically the same book as the last one, which I read yesterday! Woman with difficult past meets new man, feels challenged by but overwhelmingly attracted to him, develops a soft spot for his kid, gets sucked in. I won't reveal the specific spoiler, but the kids in both stories did the same thing to facilitate the relationships! C'mon. How lazy can you get, especially in the SAME SERIES?!
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