King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Midnight Bayou

author: Nora Roberts

genre: paranormal romance

pages: 368

published: 2004

first line: The baby was crying.

rated: 4 out of 5





Midnight Bayou is set in New Orleans. Boston lawyer, Declan Fitzgerald, buys and moves into dilapidated Manet Hall, which is said to be haunted. Declan wants to restore the mansion himself.
He meets beautiful Lena Simone, and the two are attracted to each other right away.
As Declan begins to restore the mansion, he sees and hears odd things, such as a baby crying. He also hears Abigail Manet, the baby's mother. Little by little Declan learns of Abigail's story, which is set in the 1900's, and he finds out that his own life is entwined with hers. As the story unfold's Declan learns how Lena is also a part of Abigail's sad story.

I liked the paranormal part of this story, how the mansion is haunted and how Declan and Lena are both a big part of the mansions past. The story was well written, the characters are likeable and the plot was interesting.



Midnight Bayou is my favorite Nora Robert's book, it was also the first one I read by her. I read it a few years back and after seeing a few of her books made into tv movies, I had hoped Midnight Bayou would make it to the tv screen too. And guess what, it has! I watched it this past weekend. It's part of the 2009 Nora Roberts Collection on the Lifetime Network.

(I don't like the photo below, Jerry O'Connell looks like he's naked, what's up with that?)



I think the movie was perfectly cast, Jerry O'Connell plays Declan, and aside from being a bit corny at parts, they translated it well onto the screen.









So, if you're a Nora Roberts fan, or just plain enjoy a good paranormal romance, pick up a copy of Midnight Bayou and watch the movie version, they are both very good.

'A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night . . .'




author: Nora Roberts

title: Blue Dahlia book One of the 'In The Garden Trilogy'

first sentence: 'Birthing a bastard wasn't in the plans.'

pages: 367



rated: 4 out of 5






The book starts off in Tennesse 1892, where the mistress of Reginal Harper, Amelia Ellen Conner, finds herself pregnant. She gives birth to a stillborn daughter and becomes mad with grief.

Then fast forward to Michigan 2001, where Stella Rothchild, thirty something mother of two young boys, becomes a widow when her husband is killed in a plane crash home from a business trip. A few years later, Stella and her kids move to Tennesse. She got a job working for Roz Harper's 'In the Garden' nursery, by Harper House. Part of the job requirement is living on the grounds, so Stella and the kids move into Harper House.





She meets handsome landscaper Logan Kitridge. At first sight, the two don't get along, but after a short while they become attracted to each other.

A few times, Stella swears she hears a sad singing coming from the boys bedroom at night, when she enters the room, it is icy cold. One night her son tells her he 'talks to the lady who sings', so Stella gets freaked out. Roz had told her the house was haunted, but Stella just thought it was an old ghost tale.






A short while later, a very pregnant twenty something Hayley, comes to work for Roz, she is also Roz' distant cousin through marriage. Hayley, Roz and Stella get along very well. As time goes on, Stella's boys keep telling her they see a lady singing in thier bedroom, and Stella herself sees the ghost a few times. Hayley ends up seeing it too. The three ladies get together and try to find out the history of this 'Harper Bride'. It turns out the Harper Bride shows herself to young children and mothers.








I found this book interesting enough. It had a good story line to it. I garden as well, so I could relate to the 'gardening side' of the story.





'Planting a flower's like opening a book, because either way you're starting something. And your garden's your library.'


I like the ghost story to it too, that's what caught my attention most. I like Stella's character. She's a widow, a mom of two and independant. Her kids are a cute addition to the story too. I like Roz and Hayley as well. Roz was kind of a motherly figure, while Hayley was the young pregnant single mom-to-be.

I also liked Logan's character and the romance between him and Stella. I would definitely read the rest of this trilogy.


'It was insane. It was rash and it was foolish, but she couldn't stop herself. They rolled over the grass like frenzied puppies. He smelled of sweat, of labor and damp....Pungent and gorgeous and sexy.'






visit Nora Roberts website



this has been part of the following reading challenges:

-RRC

-TBR

-Triple 8





this book has also been reviewed by:

marg

Three woman. Three keys. Each has 28 days to find her way through a dangerous quest.



After reading S.K.'s Duma Key for the past 3 weeks, I wanted to pick up something totally different, something light and romantic. I've had Nora Robert's Key Trilogy Series for quite some time collecting dust on my bookshelf, and decided it was time to pick one up.



Nora Robert's Key of Light

rated 2 1/2 out of 5






Malory Price, works at an art gallery, and is invited to a mansion, with two other women around the same age as she. Dana and Zoe are also invited. Dana is a librarian, Zoe is a single mom and hairdresser. Malory, Dana and Zoe arrive at the beautiful mansion and two mysterious hosts, Pitte & Rowena, explain that centuries earlier the souls of the three demigoddesses were stolen by a sorcerer. The legend says the demigoddesses can only be freed when three mortal women find the keys to the glass box in which they are contained. If they agree to search for the keys, Malory, Dana and Zoe will each get $25,000, plus they will get a million dollars if they succeed and find the keys. Just for accepting the challenge, the cost is that one full year of their lives will be erased. The three women agree to the challenge. They each have 28 days to search, and all three ladies must find all three the keys in the end to complete the task.

The women are shown a piece of artwork, called 'The Daughters of Glass', depicting the tale of the three demigoddesses, who each share a likeness to Malory, Dana and Zoe. Malory is the first one to have to search for the key. She and the other two ladies become friends pretty quickly, and work as a team to try and search. Dana's older brother Flynn, becomes involed as well and an attraction between him & Malory quickly forms.


As time passes the ladies are shown another painting. At first the ladies thought the story was just fantasy, but they are beginning to believe in the story. Malory has the first painting examined for authenticity, and it dates back to the 1400's. The next painting, seems to have the same theme and same artist, is dated 500 years later. Malory and Flynn begin having vivid dreams as well about the Daughters of Glass.


Sooner than later, two other handsome men, Flynn's friends, become involved as well. And, wow by lucky coincidence, they are attracted to Zoe & Dana and they want to help search for the keys.



This was an ok read. I didn't get too into it though. I don't know, I just didn't really like the characters much or the plot. It fell kind of flat for me.

Almost too corny at some parts, like how there's three guys who are perfect for the three girls. And how Malory falls head over heels in love with Flynn, after only knowing him for two weeks she tells him she is going to marry him.




There are two good love scenes in it though, between Malory and Flynn.




'She was trembling, just enough to arouse him, and her skin was flushing warm.
He could steep himself in her, in the tastes and textures. He could lose himself in that low, driving urge to give her pleasure.

He was tied to her. Perhaps he had been even before he'd met her. Could it be that all the mistakes he'd made, all the changes in direction, had been only to lead him to this time, and this woman?'





I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the 'Key's' trilogy soon though...




this is part of the following reading ghallenges:

romance reading challenge

TBR

I'm still reading Nora Robert's Key Of Light. So far, so good. I have had the Key's trilogy sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust for quite some time. I'll be reviewing this one on my blog soon.




I've read a few of Nora's novels and always enjoy her writing.



Midnight Bayou was the first one I read, and really enjoyed it. It had a good mix of the supernatural & romance, all set in New Orleans.



and soon to come is...




The Hollow: The Sign of Seven Trilogy ...this sounds good, it's listed under 'horror' so I will be picking it up for sure.



http://www.noraroberts.com/