Blue Smoke

An oldie, one I’ve never read till now. Nora Roberts always satisfies. I’ve read everything since this book but going back to see what, if anything, I’ve missed

It was a long, but exceptional read. I will definitely check out her other books! What a great author to cozy up to!

Good book, just started reading it.

Enjoyed getting to know the characters and their special bond …interesting story line…. Shows is true strength. Good pace as well.

It had everything a great read needs😊. Believable characters , suspense, bravery , strength, friendship, family and lots of romance developing !

This book was great from page one. The author developed the characters early in the book which made the reading more relatable.Lots of excitement Mixed with a Loving family and romance.

I personally LOVE Nora Roberts, and I love the plot of this story however I just felt like the whole time it was just missing SOMETHING. I’m not sure quite what. I wouldn’t recommend this as a first book to read by her, however the storyline is extremely well written. I loved the characters! Would still recommend as long as you’ve read another Nora Roberts first!!

Expect an endearing hero, a heroine whose toughness is tempered by a wounded heart, a passionate, supportive Italian family and touches of genuine humor. Unlike some reviewers, I didn't find the violence especially graphic. Yes, there are graphic depictions of dead bodies, but in all but one case, Roberts is careful to make it clear that the victims of her killer arsonist were killed quickly, before he set the fires.Seriously, I'm more squeamish than most about graphic depictions of brutality and torture. I try not to subject myself to books and movies that I know will have a torture theme, and I wouldn't recommend this one if I had found it particularly gruesome. The villain is nasty as can be, but the romance is so perfect and the extended family so delightful, the romantic fantasy was more than worth the few pages that made me squirm.Now, about the romance that's at the heart of Blue Smoke: it's absolutely lovely, with one of the sweetest and most playful build-ups to a sizzling relationship that I can remember reading.Early on, Reena's father talks about how he fell in love with her mother at first sight. The hero falls for Reena that way, across a crowded room at a college party, and spends years fantasizing about her, frantically looking for her when he spots her at a shopping mall or in traffic, and boring his friends with his talk of "Dream Girl." Fate finally brings them together, and although Reena is initially protective of her heart, the love that grows between them seems as genuine as her parents'.When she realizes that her stalker/arsonist may also have been responsible for the deaths of two young men in her past - and that his next target could be the man with whom she has finally found love - the suspense is all the more palpable because the affection between the two characters seems so real and was so hard-won.Who wouldn't love a man who is great in bed, handy around the house, loves you to distraction, has a sense of humor that keeps him from being sickening about it, likes your family, and can hold his own when he's being interrogated by your parents? (When Bo asks Reena's brother if he has anything to fear from her father, the answer is, "Ever watch the Sopranos?")I bought the Audio CD (unabridged) to keep me entertained during a long holiday car trip. As always, actress Joyce Bean - who has also narrated romantic suspense novels by Linda Howard, Sandra Brown and Karen Robards - does a marvelous job of separating the characters without making them caricaitures. Her low-key, husky reading of love scenes makes them sizzle, aided by her subtle, unforced way with voicing male characters.

Ok so this story had some highs, a lovely Italian family element that tied some of the loose ends and smoothed out some of the rough edges but! Be warned on the violent scenes (2 in particular) that were just too dark for my liking. Was it a well told story? It was ok. It felt rushed, and the characters weren’t as vivid for me on this one. There were definitely a few high notes and I enjoyed the lead male character 🥰 There was a bit of romance (6 out of 10) but again felt rushed and almost crammed into the book. There were some chilling scenes I needed to etch out of my memory and yes, there was a moment where the book was slammed down and left untouched for a week or two just to recover from the shock 🤦🏻‍♀️ Be warned, it’s a dark story that gets worse before it gets better, and I feel like Norah believed the horror scenes would make up for the lack of storyline, character embellishments and romance - but it didn’t. It was an ok told story (not the best), there were moments where I couldn’t put the book down and moments where I was weary to pick it up again so my review might not be helpful. But let me say this; it’s definitely one of Norah’s darkest maniac characters I’ve come across (I’ve read almost 8 of her books so far so not sure if I qualify to form a full opinion on the matter) but if you are looking for a dark infuriating thriller, this is for you!

This is not the regular Nora Roberts love story. The action and drama are nail biting and exciting. I could not put the book down. An excellent storyline, powerfully written with well developed characters.Brilliant!

I really enjoyed this particular book and I also really liked the characters. The villain of the story was pretty dark and quite a challenge.

Another excellent thriller from Nora Roberts. Fast paced from the beginning it held my interest from start to finish. I’d recommend.

Once again another story you can’t put down. Wonderful characters and plot. Storyline exciting and keeps you wanting even more