Meet the Stanislaski siblings in these two reader-favorite stories of finding love when you need it most
Taming Natasha Single father Spencer Kimball and his young daughter are new to town. It’s a small community, and when he sets eyes on Natasha Stanislaski, Spence knows he’s met his match. A former ballet dancer, Tash has traded her career in New York City for a quiet life as a toy shop owner instead. The last thing she’s interested in is another man coming to her with promises of a sweeping romance. Still, Tash wants to believe Spence can love her, and Spence wants to prove that he’s here to stay. But with both of them hiding the painful secrets of their pasts, they’ll have to overcome their fears to learn how to love again.
Luring a Lady Nothing in Sydney Hayward’s background of wealth and privilege had prepared her to take the helm of her grandfather’s business. Her new responsibilities leave no time for complications—especially when they come in the form of Mikhail Stanislaski. She’s hired the stubborn artist to fix up one of her properties, and though the attraction is instant, Sydney forces herself to deny her feelings for Mikhail. But working together proves to be a challenge, particularly when Mikhail’s persistent smoldering kisses seem to be winning her over…
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.
Taming Natasha and Luring a Lady feature the Stanislaski siblings with untamable Ukrainian roots. 🤍 Taming Natasha features a headstrong bookstore owner with a past and a clueless music professor/ composer/ dad Dr. Spencer Kimball. This had a lovely small town neighborly vibe with a sassy, vivacious, and spirited young girl- Freddie who catalyzed their meeting and subsequent relationship. This is a sweet and heartwarming story about opening yourself up to second chance love and putting the past to rest 💙 Sydney Hayward is a prim and proper lady, posed to take over her family’s company, Mikhail Stanislaski is a wild and carefree spirit, on paper they are polar opposites, but their meeting was electric and what ensued was a passionate, fun-loving, and emotional journey of independence, taking chances and love.
I honestly love Nora Roberts' writing style and her ability to elevate simple chance encounters into something whimsical and beautiful.
WHAT THE BONKERS? ARE YOU SERIOUS THIS GOT A 4.20 RATING? THIS BOOK SUCKED!!!!
I cannot believe people enjoyed this crap. What a waste of time. I do not get it.
Just to recap. The main character, the girl, whatever the name is because i really could not care, does not want a relationship because of bad experience of relationship. Cue in comes blond beach boy, whatever the heck his name is because i do not care, takes one look at this girl and booms falls in love and has lust spewing all over him and blah blah blah.
First thing to point out. It is highly ironic and hypocritical to put love and lust in the same sentence. But of course! These modern day novels ALWAYS do that.
Secondly, what a boring story. I mean. In the next chapter boom. They are all over each other. And then they fight, but i do not get it ! They barely know each other! What the fudge?? And then she slaps him and then goes and apologies to him. And then they kiss again. Like HUH?
What? the bonkers? is going on?
I mean, what? I really cannot and will not comprehend that such nonsense happens.
How is it this guy takes one look at this character, gets the lust giddys and then boom. Next moment he is a professor teaching and she HAPPENS to be in his class. He kisses her? On what premise does this become okay when they DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER. And she can barely stand him, on some precedent of bad relationships, and then she is kissing him back and then comes the slap and then comes to apologies and then they go out and date. AND OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!
I need to take a breather.
Honestly, save your self the breath.
It sucked.
The one star goes to the one bit i liked. The fact that he is the professor the class she is taking. That was surprising and fascinating.
This book contains stories 1 & 2 in a 6 short story series about the Stanislaski clan. I accidently read stories 5 & 6 first and enjoyed them so much that I am now going back and filling in the holes. I love the Stanislaski bunch - a crazy, loud, and loving family. What is so great about these stories is that while you get your romance fix, it's set amongst a good story and interesting characters. For both stories I was quickly invested in the character's lives and the outcome, even though I knew it would be a happy one.
I could definitely tell these stories were written several years ago, as the language was more toned-down and the romance plots were simpler and not as realistic as her more current stories. These were a fun read, though.
I love the Stanislaskis family. They are passionate, loving and when they fall in love they fall deeply. Taming Natasha is about Natasha meeting Spencer and his young daughter. She owns a bookstore and he is a composer and teacher......His daughter Freddy is so loving and I just adore the family and how they fall for each other.....but watch out because Natasha .... just like the rest of her family...have tempers and curse in Ukrainian.
Luring A Lady is about Mikhail (the oldest in the family) and how he falls for Sydney....who is wealthy and comes from a privledged background. Mikhail is an artist who makes toys, etc out of wood. Love how they meet and fall in love.
Good pregnancy reading, as they are not too hard on the brain. I think family sagas are my least favorite of Roberts' work, because I lose track of all the inter-relations.
Re-read almost 10 years later, and I had no recollection of the plot or characters. Holds up well. I like this family.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading both of these novels by Nora Roberts. Honestly, a series like The Stanislaskis: Those Wild Ukrainians is not the type of series that I ever thought that I'd even attempt to read. More surprisingly, I'd never imagined -- not even in the slightest -- that The Stanislaskis: Those Wild Ukrainians would be a series that I would enjoy and in which I'd become emotionally invested. But, I'm convinced that unexpected surprises still lurk around the most unlikely corners. The right time arrived for me to begin exploring Nora Roberts as an author; therefore, the right time arrived for me to learn about and want to explore the excitement of this unique, exotic, and exciting series of hers. And... May I say that I am glad that I embraced this surprise when it came along.
TAMING NATASHA: (4.5 stars) - I really enjoyed reading this novel by Nora Roberts. Because I thoroughly enjoyed reading both REFLECTIONS and DANCE OF DREAMS, I was looking forward to reading this first novel in The Stanislanski series. Like REFLECTIONS and DANCE of DREAMS, I was drawn in and charmed by the fact that both Dr. Spencer Kimball and Miss Natasha Stanislanski lived and worked in a small, close-knit town. I was pleased that Shepardstown, West Virginia, was just large enough to offer a university, but it was still small enough that friends and neighbors knew each other intimately. Strong, caring, and friendly ties existed among the citizens of Shephardstown, West Virginia, and I related to that "homey" feeling immediately. For, you see, Shephardstown, West Virginia, reminded me of the small community in which I have lived my entire life. As in the two previous, aforementioned novels, I also enjoyed meeting the entire cast of characters introduced throughout TAMING NATASHA. I admire the fact that Dr. Spencer Kimball was a college music professor and composer. I sincerely appreciated the way that Nora Roberts chose to convey the role that music played within this novel. Although music's role was more subtle and understated in TAMING NATASHA than it had been presented in either REFLECTIONS or DANCE OF DREAMS, its very presence still enhanced the plot line very sweetly. Also, I admire the beauty, intelligence, drive, and dedication that Natasha Stanislaski illustrated by moving to a new town alone and building a successful business. Such a lofty venture would require independence, strength, determination, and hard work; fortunately, Natasha embodied each trait masterfully. I am so glad that Nora Roberts skillfully created yet another strong female character. And... Then, of course, there is the adorable Freddie Kimball. I fell in love with this precious little girl from the very beginning of the novel because her personality and zest for life were so infectious. The plot of TAMING NATASHA surely would not have been the same without Freddie's sense of humor, love, optimism, and childish innocence. Although the chemistry, love, and attachment that exists -- and later blossoms -- between the Kimball family and the Stanislanski family was a joy to witness and unfold so patiently from beginning to end, I believe that a connection would have never been foraged at all if Freddie had not been an integral part of Spencer Kimball's life. This particular plot detail -- Spencer being a widower and a single parent -- is not one that I am familiar with in Nora Roberts' work. It has never been a factor in any of the novels that I have read up to this point; however, I found it to be a charming, fanciful, breath of fresh air in TAMING NATASHA, I really could not have asked for a better setting or a sweeter story. Honestly... The only ways that this novel could have exceeded the expectations that I had built up in my head were if Nora Roberts had done the following. First, I wish that she had enabled the plot line to move more fluidly sooner than it did. I felt like I was having a hard time becoming engaged with the characters and plot line for the first few chapters. Then, second, I wish that Nora Roberts would have incorporated the element of professional dancing into Natasha's life more than she chose to. I loved the role that classical music and professional dancing played throughout both REFLECTIONS and DANCE OF DREAMS, so I was disappointed by the fact that the latter art was barely broached in TAMING NATASHA.
LURING A LADY: (5 stars) - I really enjoyed reading this novel by Nora Roberts. Because I enjoyed reading TAMING NATASHA so much, I could not wait to continue reading this series. As much as I ended up enjoying and appreciating TAMING NATASHA, I must admit that I enjoyed reading this second novel included in The Stanislaskis series even more. LURING A LADY grabbed my attention from the very first word and held it captive until the very last. Unlike the beginning of TAMING NATASHA, LURING A LADY neither started slowly nor was difficult to become invested in. First, Miss Sydney Hayward was my favorite character introduced in this novel. I found myself intrigued by her from the beginning of the first chapter. I liked the way that she looked, I admired her breaking and overall demeanor, and I appreciated the drive and determination she possessed in terms of running a successful business. Miss Sydney Hayward was the epitome of a true lady, and she certainly deserved to be treated in that manner. Second, I was just thoroughly excited and thrilled to meet Mikhail Stanislaski in TAMING NATASHA, and he was the perfect man to complement Sydney in her journey to find her own independence, sense of belonging, and love that she had never had. Just in the same way that Mikhail's older sister, Natasha Stanislaski Kimball, this sensitive, giving, talented artist also revealed the fact that he also possesses a dramatic flare and a passionate temper behind those masculine, strong, dark looks. Speaking in terms of physical appearance alone, Mikhail Stanislaski was not the type of man that a prim, proper, sophisticated, and well-bred woman like Sydney Hayward should be initially attracted to, but the chemistry that existed between them was undeniable from their first meeting. They made a perfectly well-suited pair, and the differences in their individual background was not as big a stumbling block to their interaction as it could have been. In LURING A LADY, Nora Roberts vividly created a situation in which a strong, well-put-together lady had an opportunity to see exactly what she could become if she allowed herself to be lured into the arms of a handsome, rugged man. Someone who was not chosen for her. Also, I found the entire Stanislaski family to be just as warm, loving and accepting toward Mikhail and Sydney in LURING A LADY as they had been toward Natasha, Spencer, and Freddie in TAMING NATASHA. Love, respect, and closeness is the firm foundation on which this sweet family built their lives and relationships.
1 - TAMING NATASHA Even with the small sparks of humour, Natasha was just too mired in guilt for my enjoyment. As much as I love reading this series for the fourth time, this book is probably my least favourite. I loved Spencer, even with his honest admission of what a selfish and terrible father he originally was. He at least owned his past and was dealing with improving his relationship with his daughter Fredricka. Natasha on the other hand was still wallowing years later in her grief. Being immature and making the mistake of believing the lies of a narcistic man was not her fault. What happened with her baby was not her fault and I never understand how her family has allowed her to wallow for years. They all seem stronger and tighter than that to me. Her behaviour and actions in telling Spencer he was going to be a father again was terrible. Apart from it taking Natasha practically to the end of the book to get her head out of her butt, I enjoyed this. I owned this series in paperback and read it years ago.
2 - LURING A LADY Thoroughly enjoyable read from page one. Uptight, trying to prove herself Sydney and free spirited, hot gypsy blooded Mikhail, what a couple these two make. These two strike sparks from their first meeting. Both have hearts of gold but it is a bumpy road to get to where they are comfortable with each other. Mikhail gets there a lot sooner than uptight Sydney. Along the way Sydney has to deal with a manipulating mother, a company employee trying to take over her company and a couple of accidents. I owned this series in paperback and haven’t read it for a few years. I found this at my local library. The updated version, date and cover wise, seems to be the same stories.
This is the introduction to the Stanislaski family who emigrated from Ukraine. They are a strong, resilient, robust group of formidable and attractive people who love life and protect the ones they cherish and help those who need support. They are not afraid to stand up for what they believe.
When Natasha Stanislaski meets a handsome, dashing musician in her toy store with his adorable young daughter, she feels a strong attraction, one that she does her best to ignore. She has been hurt in the past from another man who tossed her aside. She does not want to trust another man in her life but can’t help be continually drawn to the adorable daughter who has already captured her heart. The little girl reminds her of what she once lost.
This is a lovely romantic novel that will pull you in with Roberts innate ability to create scenes that are full of sensuality and beautiful characters. An enjoyable read!
Awesome stories, full of love,heartache,misunderstandings and lovely resolutions. Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors - I love her In Death series,but everything I've read I leave feeling better than when I started. She Is the best descriptive writer I've ever read. You don't just read her scene descriptions, you feel and see everything in technicolor! . Get ready to be a part of het books!
I have been reading Nora Roberts for years. She is the best. I branch out and decided to read another author for a book or two, but then I just have to read one of trilogy’s or novel. This one does not disappoint. So easy to know the characters and the atmosphere in her stories. Can’t wait to read the next one in the Stanislaskis series.
Overall i thought this book was really cute. Characters were cute and sweet. The stories were easy to follow. The romance was definitely one to smile and giggle about.
I definitely recommend this book of you are looking for a cute, simple, easy romance book.
Super excited to read about the rest of the Stanislaskis romance!! 🤍🤍
I think Natasha’s story is my favorite of the siblings. It felt like there was a bit more substance to it. Plus, I liked how she pulled herself up after hardship. Again, I’m a fan of how the characters reappear in each of the stories. Sometimes these type of series make it seem forced. This one didn’t. Typical 90s novel from Nora Roberts. Bigger fan of her mystery ones.
Read both books thar one ending felt like a great waterfall. Such happy family seems to pull everyone. They are awesome books and Mikael I can only imagine the beautiful couple.
Taming Natasha 2.5 Luring a Lady 3.5 I loved luring a lady! It was the perfect romance. I loved the inclusion of the family and her wanting to belong. Just perfect.