born in ice

born in ice
concannon sisters trilogy #2
nora roberts
fiction/romance
jove
published 1995

Brianna Concannon is a woman with a rare gift for creating a home, and she makes use of this talent by running a bed-and-breakfast in a picturesque corner of Ireland. Mystery writer Grayson Thane is an American who grew up in an orphanage and has spent his life alone. A restless wanderer with a painful past, Grayson arrives at Blackthorn Cottage intent only on soaking up the Irish atmosphere and writing his next novel, but he finds far more than he bargained for. The beautiful, calm Brianna soothes his disquiet soul, and in her Grayson finds the home he hadn't realized he needed. Brianna knows that by falling for him, she risks her heart, already bruised and scarred by a young love who left her at the altar. But the yearning to let the American melt the ice around her cold exterior is irresistible. Unless Grayson can let go of his past to forge a future with her, Brianna may have gambled her heart in vain. 

It doesn't matter that I read these books years ago.  I still get caught up in them.  I found myself staying up late into the night because I didn't want to put the book down.  Even though I knew what would happen, at least the sum of it, I didn't want to stop in the middle.  I don't remember exactly what my teenaged self thought of the details of the book, I just remember loving it.

This time I'm older, and a mother so maybe my perspective is different.  I find I have a harder time than Brianna forgiving her mother.  I think that maybe I'm more like Maggie. Prone to emotional outbursts and able to hold a grudge, but I have to admit that the few times she's shown she does love her daughters have melted my resolve a bit.

The books also rekindle my desire to visit Ireland.  Especially here, with Grayson describing the landscape for his novel, we're rich with descriptives!  How could you not want to stay at Blackthorn and drink in the history?

Roberts ability to spin a tale and draw you in has never been as apparent as it is here.  I think in her trilogies or quartets she shines best, able to continue to flesh out her characters.  They become even more realistic, you're invested even more into their lives.  I mean come on, she makes housework sound thrilling!