Aan de azuurblauwe zee: Gabriella / Alexander

Cordina's Royal Family #1-2

by Nora Roberts, Henk Buys (Translator)

Het vorstendom Cordina is dé vakantiebestemming van deze zomer.

Het leven van de koninklijke familie van Cordina lijkt een sprookje, maar gevaar en intrige liggen altijd op de loer…

Gabriella
Sinds prinses Gabriella ternauwernood is ontsnapt aan ontvoering, lijdt ze aan geheugenverlies. Gelukkig weet Reeve, haar bodyguard, haar geheugen wat op te frissen. Wat ze in ieder geval wel weer weet is dat ze dol is op stoere mannen die haar beschermen…

Alexander
Ooit was prins Alexander voor Eve haar sprookjesprins. Maar omdat het al snel duidelijk was dat die liefde nergens toe zou leiden, vertrok ze. Alexander heeft haar echter nooit uit zijn hoofd kunnen zetten en nodigt haar uit op het koninklijk paleis. Zal het hem lukken haar opnieuw te betoveren?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Chick Lit, Royalty

426 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1986

About the author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Reviews

[Maria Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am convinced that there isn't a single book Nora Roberts can write that I don't fall in love with! I love her characters, the setting descriptions are gorgeous and the plots are phenomenal! this two story book is part of a series I had no idea even existed, but am so glad to have gotten! Can't wait to get my hands on the others!

[Erna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lekker boekje voor tussendoor

[Safiyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

the DRAMA!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are some of Robert's older story and are pretty reflective of stories published in the Harlequin Silhouette Romance books. I would say when you read each book individually they are OK books, but when put together in one book so you can continue the story more seamlessly they become a better story.

I wasn't a huge fan of Gabriella, she seemed a bit to waspish for my taste even giving her some leeway for the amnesia. I enjoyed the second book better.

Roberts writing evolved quite a bit since the time these stories were written, her character development is a little thin in these stories but I think that was more because of the style of the time than her writing ability.

Overall, I enjoyed spending time in Cordinia and it was a nice way to spend time on a weekend while unwinding from the work week.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories of a royal family with three siblings. The first story is about Princess Gabriella after her escape from her kidnappers. Her family hires an American bodyguard. Reeve is an ex-cop with instincts to handle many situations. The only situation he cannot handle is his feelings for the Princess. The second story is about Alex, the oldest sibling and successor to the crown. He fell for Eve many years ago but never let his feelings show. After, many years later, Eve is back and this time, Alex is not going to let her go. Loved both the stories! Just cannot go wrong with a Nora Roberts book.

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

2022

2020
Very cute stories. I'm glad that in the second story we get to see more of Brie and Reeve, as well. It's
one of my favorite things that Nora Roberts does with her series; she always includes her previous happy ever afters in the continuation of the story. I always appreciate that we get to see the original couples progress as we read through the next great love story.

2016

2015

[matti · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s another nora bind up & i think i would give it a 2.5 if i could. i usually always round down but for some reason i don’t want to with this one. i like Command Performance more than Affaire Royale, & i would rate the first a 2 & the second a 3. i like the Cordina series tho & tbh i bought this to read at the beach & it did exactly what i wanted it to. i was entertained !!!!! sue me !!

purchased at Barnes & Noble - Layton

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is actually two seperate books, so I'm going to review it that way.

GABRIELLA:

I'm not bothered by instalove. My big problem with romance books is that the heroine always ends up being a virgin. It seems strange that Gabriella could be one at 25, and have amnesia, and her family not mention that to Reeve. Oh well, minor irritation. I can't decide if Reeve saying that "he took something from her, but she gave him something in return" was trite or if it made up for the silly virgin plot.

I loved Brie and Reeve. I loved them enough that I wasn't even bothered by the "remember this always " post coitus stuff. They have such amazing chemistry. Of all of the characters in both books, they are the most real. In alot of it, I desperately wanted to be Brie. Even with her amnesia, that connection was amazing.

I mostly guessed who the bad guys were. Nora Roberts did a great job of throwing off the scent.

The sex scenes between them were not graphic or trite. Really this whole story made me think maybe I could read all of Nora's romances.

So this book was published in 1986, but I'm still blown away at how often a character smokes a cigarette. Outside of the occasional cowboy, I've never read a character smoking.

ALEXANDER:

So in the first book, I really felt like Alexander had no personality, and I wished Bennett had the second book. I changed my mind quickly.

Eve and Alexander were vastly different from Brie and Reeve. They both had feelings and they both spent all their time fighting with the other one. I kinda wanted to hit them both.

Then the bomb went off and all of the romantic peices fell into place. Alexander's hard shell began to crack.

I have to admit, I had no idea whole the mole was this time. I think I was too. caught up in them.

Then what Eve did. I totally didn't see it coming.I thought she was going to destroy the vase. Yeah, that wasn't what she did.

Again with the smoking, in a hospital. They talk about the smell of the hospital, how could they even tell?

The sex scenes with Eve and Alexander were much sexier. I suppose its because they were both edgier characters. Still they weren't graphic or overly trite.


After reading both of these,I really wish I had Bennett's book. I wonder if that Duboque is in that one too.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nora Roberts is one of the most well known romance novelists in the USA. She began writing in 1981 under the Silhouette Romance title with her first book Irish Thoroughbred. Since then she has written over 160 novels, many of which have made the top of the New York Time's best seller list. Her Royals of Cordina series comprises of four novels originally released in the late 1980s and is currently being re-released in two larger books. Gabrielle and Alexander's stories are covered in this volume in two stories titled "Affaire Royale" and "Command Performance"

"Affaire Royale" takes place after the Princess Gabriella has been found amnesiac after her kidnapping. Unable to remember her own family let alone what happened to her during the few days she was missing her family hires an American bodyguard, the son of a family friend and a former police officer. As Gabriella tries to remember she finds herself drawn toward Reeve and with a fake engagement to cover his presence in the palace every reason to spend time with him. Unfortunately her kidnapper still plots in the shadows.

While a little on the cliche side, "Affaire Royale" kept me turning the pages up until the end of the novel. I found the characterizations of our cast of characters to be intriguing as we learnt about them from the perspective of Gabriella and Reeve. The switch between their perspectives is clear and easy to follow, something that many writers have trouble with. It took awhile for me to attach to Gabrielle, much of her perspective seeming distant until around half-way through her story. This is understandable as she has very little idea of who she is or anything personal. This makes it hard to connect with her but it does add to the feeling of amnesia and disconnect that she is experiencing.

Reeve also feels strangely off until later in the story, it takes up until the two begin to really romance each other that they become more relate-able. While it does show character development both in through the slow return of Gabriella's memory and Reeve opening himself up to her but I still have some doubts about the characterization. Reeve doesn't immediately strike me as 'attractive' or 'desirable' in attitude. Not so sure about him physically but his personality and attitude aren't the best compared to other romantic protagonists I've read. Gabriella is intriguing, I've rarely seen a woman in the romance genre with such emotional poise and control. I don't know if that's because she's a royal or if its a side-effect of the emotional distance caused by the amnesia.

The terrorist/political subplot was an interesting addition that helped weave the story together and keep things interesting. It provided a good string to tug everything along in the direction it needed to go compared to other, lighter plots I've seen in non-suspense novels. It does provide a good introduction to the "Royals of Cordina" series.

For its interesting plot and the great introduction to the characters it provided I would recommend "Affaire Royale" to anyone with a taste for Nora Roberts other works particularly if they have an appreciation for royal romances, bodyguards falling in love with their charges and political intrigue. I would give it 3 hearts out of 5 <3<3<3. Despite its positive aspects the characterization and romance are weak compared to other romances I have read and "Alexander" the next book in the series.

"Command Performance" on the other hand is easily the stronger novel of the two. It takes place a number of years after "Affaire Royale" and focuses on Eve Hamilton and Prince Alexander, Gabrielle's younger brother and heir to the throne. Eve, once just the younger sister of Gabrielle's best friend is now a successful producer who has come to Cordina to help produce a series of plays for charity and once again encounters Prince Alexander, who she had a passing crush on which quickly flickered under his apparent dislike. However upon meeting the independent and passionate woman she has become all Alexander wants is to show her is that he is all the man she will ever need.

Continuing with the major characters of "Affaire Royale" this book also shows what happened seven years after the last book. Gabriella and Reeve have gotten married and have had four children, Eve who we were briefly introduced to has become a producer of a well-known theater troupe in America and the foiled plot of a few years ago still hangs over their heads. as the opening night performance the threat of death against a member of the royal family if their demands aren't met. Through all of this, the passion between Alexander and Eve builds to a fever pitch.

Compared to "Affaire Royale" our main characters of "Command Performance" are much easier to connect with. Eve's ambition, her feelings, and pride are easy to relate with. Alexander, his temper and control are also easy to understand and he is shown to be both flawed and attractive at the same time. This is much stronger characterization then in the last book, perhaps because because there was less to introduce and explain about our setting and characters.

Cordina remains an amazing setting, building on what we were introduced to and continuing with the idea of royal duty, individuality, and romance in the context of the pressures of a royal title. It allows us to further explore the world Roberts has created for our reading pleasure. The continuation of the intrigue plot does not feel forced and in fact helps to add character depth.

If you are a fan of Roberts and her Cordina series I would definitely recommend "command Performance" while it is pretty much necessary to read "Affaire Royale" first to truly understand the book I would say that most are going to enjoy this one better then the first. I would give "Command Performance" 4 hearts out of 5 and "Gabriella & Alexander" 3.5 hearts overall.

[Della Tingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of two books in one. Both books focus on the rulers of Cordina. The family is likable, as are their friends, but the romance is strange. In both novels, they seem to get ahead of the game by jumping into bed before actually dating. I don’t know how to explain it, but I know, for me, I think people should date and talk and get to know each other. These couples don’t work that way. There are even times when the word no is ignored, especially in the first novel Affaire Royale. More than romance, there is a mystery in both books in Forever Summer. I didn’t work them out either time! 🤪

I read Hideway by Nora Roberts previously, and I loved it and gave it five stars. It was such a surprise to me! That’s just a little fyi in case you want to read that one! It’s better than this one!

[°•♡Melanie♡•° · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Affaire Royale and though it wasn't a bad book, it wasn't an excellent book. It did end well and it got better in the last 3 chapters, but ohhh was it hard to get into.
The only character I liked was Reeve, Gabriella had her moments, but to me, she kinda rubbed me the wrong way.
Is it in any way a bad read? No. But, its nothing I'd write home about; maybe it's just a me-thing since recently I've been in a bit of a reader's slump here (seriously, I've had to DNF a couple already.....)
I hate to put "Command Performance" off til later because I LOVE Eve Hamilton, but I think it may be best since I had high hopes for this book, and unfortunately, this book really disappointed me.
I would give it a 3.5-3.75 stars; the last 3 chapters really saved it, but from chapter 5 to 8 were really hard to enjoy because it was so bland.
That's just me.....

[weaverannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In het fictieve landje aan de Middellandse Zee, het Koninkrijk Cordina, leeft een koninklijke familie. In dit boek wordt eerst een stuk van het leven van prinses Gabriela beschreven. Door haar familie wordt ze Brie genoemd, zodat je als lezer doorlopend denkt, dat je een boek over Franse kaas leest.
Brie wordt ontvoerd, gered door haar bodyguard, van wie ze in eerste instantie niets moet hebben. Hoe voorspelbaar.
In het tweede deel komt het leven van Alexander, de kroonprins, in beeld.
Helaas: hetzelfde gevoel van voorspelbaarheid en saaiheid overheerste, ondanks de bommen die ontploften.
De twee delen uit de serie over twee andere familieleden ga ik maar niet lezen.

[Emna ELLEFI · Rating 2 out of 5]

je lis Nora Roberts a chaque fois que j'ai besoin d'une brise d'amour , de couleurs et de douceur surtout après un thriller ou une histoire qui me bouleverse ...
Celui là contient 2 histoires classiques de la famille royale de Cordina .. Fidèle a elle même avec un style fluide , une description joyeuse du cadre royal un peu vintage comme un conte de fées , mais au bout d'un moment ça devient répétitif et très nian nian ... anyway , c'était l'indication parfaite après Cujo qui me hante toujours ...

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sickeningly sweet, I loved every single bit of this book. I love Nora Roberts and her stories and I’ve read some that didn’t have both stories made to go together so I love that this one did. I think that’s what really kept it interesting for me - even though the first book was about Brie and her life and the second story wasn’t, we still know how she’s doing and what’s going on and vice versa.

I’ve never given five stars before, maybe I’m a sucker for love or maybe it’s my intrigue for royalty but this book definitely had me hooked from beginning to end!

[Jessica Weida · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading Nora Roberts. I really enjoyed both of the stories captured in this novel. I loved the mixture of mystery, romance and royalty. I usually don't enjoy contemporary romance but this added the right fairy tale romance and it was so tastefully written, that the spicy scenes were not over some of over described. I look forward to reading the next book which includes two stories as well.

[Katie Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting introduction to the writing style of Nora Roberts which has been praised by my female relatives for so long. The first story I found dull, predictable, and bland. However, it was worth reading for the second story presented which made up for what the first one lacked. I actually liked the characters it followed and their chemistry was much better than the previous story. While also a little predictable, I didn't mind for the cute romance it provided me.

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story in this book was a solid 3 star read for me. It was a standard love story, fun but it was missing a lot of the drama promised by the premise. The second one was more fun and bumped the book as a whole up to the four stars. The second relationship had more tension and drama, which made the novel more interesting. I really liked how the characters flaws were what contributed to their tension and the love story needing the resolution of those character flaws in some measure.

[Hanne Desot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really amazing book.
But brie her story was just really boring the romance didn´t have any build up i was like 30 pages in the book and they already kissed. The ending of their story was ok but it could´ve been better. But i loved Alex and eve´s story i just loved everything the fact that she jumped in front the gun and their little love moments.

[Di Schlenk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories in a series.
Royal Affair left you hanging, but some of the loose threads tied up in Command Performance.

Series based in a country called Cardina and follows the royals who have been threatened by criminals.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this in a raffle basket and it was a lovely break from the stress of the past December. Two nice related stories in a royal setting, with happily-ever-afters. I might look into whether there's a final book to wrap up the overall plot, because I found that interesting.

[Janelle Hawkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

As romance novels go, this is a light easy read. Technically a two parter, since there are two different stories told, but they tie together in that it’s the same family just different time periods. Enjoyable, light read!

[Michelle L · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book we meet Prince alexander who is all that his country need for a good ruler. However, everyone thinks Alexander needs a wife. He is a young prince and he know who he wants to be with he just has to convince the American theater producer that he is the one he wants.

[Donna Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I somewhat enjoyed. I was interested and glad there were two books, so a continuation of the same family, although a step forward in time. I often wish a book could share more of the characters later in life.

[Cheryl Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved both of these fairy tales! They take place in Cordina with the royal family: Armand, Alexander, Gabriella and Bennett. Nora Roberts is the best at love stories. Add in Reeve and Eve for the romantic interests.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fascinating read from Nora. I enjoyed the plot of Gabriella's amnesia and the heroism and determination in Eve's story. The romance in both books were of royal fairy tales and first loves. My heart is full from both accounts.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was actually two stories. One of Nora's more "harlequinest," but enjoyable, if you believe in fairy tales! Which secretly, I do. The fairy tales where a prince swoops in!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A guilty pleasure! I actually got quite attached to the characters and the mystery even though it was very light.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Love romance novels that have suspense, drama or intrigue entwined. This book didn't disappoint, I couldn't read it fast enough to see what would happen next. Great characters and plot.

[Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are two of the older Nora Roberts stories originally published in the late 80s. If you’re a fan, definitely check them out. They’re on the more fairytale and sentimental side of her work.

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally, it only takes me a few days to read through a Nora Roberts book. These short stories were actually hard to get into.