Blackberry Summer by Raeanne Thayne is a sweet read. While a tad predictable, Ms. Thayne still does a good job of drawing you into a picturesque town and unique, interesting characters with all kinds of intricacies that will keep you turning the page!

But be aware that once the book is finished you might find yourself out from under the spell of the quaint town. You might find yourself thinking there wasn’t enough to Claire and Riley’s romance to make it lasting. And you might be looking at your husband and thinking could that be me? Could my husband I have two kids with leave me for a younger woman? If you’re one of those…you’ll be passing this book along to someone else. You’ll want to see if you’re alone in being put under a spell or if the book was good…I would love to know which you fall into.

Buy Blackberry Summer now!

Book Details:

• HQN Books
• May 24, 2011
• ISBN-10: 0373775938

Book Description:

Claire Bradford needed a wake-up call.

What she didn’t need was a tragic car accident. As a single mom and the owner of a successful bead shop, Claire leads a predictable life in Hope’s Crossing, Colorado. So what if she has no time for romance? At least, that’s what she tells herself, especially when her best friend’s sexy younger brother comes back to town as the new chief of police.

But when the accident forces Claire to slow down and lean on others—especially Riley McKnight—she realizes, for the first time, that things need to change. And not just in her own life. The accident—and the string of robberies committed by teenagers that led up to it—is a wake-up call to the people of Hope’s Crossing. The sense of community and togetherness had been lost during those tough years. But with a mysterious "Angel of Hope" working to inspire the town, Riley and Claire will find themselves opening up to love and other possibilities by the end of an extraordinary summer….

With the recent release of New York to Dallas, Nora’s latest J.D. Robb release, I got to wondering…what was left for 2011. So a review of my 2011 list of Nora’s releases shows the following is left:

OCTOBER

The Unquiet (featuring "Chaos in Death" novella)

About the book:

From J.D. Robb:

Eve and Rourke return to investigate a series of murders connected to a brilliant young surgeon in Chaos in Death.

From Mary Blayney:

A shopkeeper’s solitude is complicated by a magic coin, a daring rogue, and dreams of her late husband, who whispers but one word…wish.

From Patricia Gaffney:

A lonely woman and a hotline psychic turn their astonishing connection to the other side into an unexpected romance.

From Ruth Ryan Langan:

The shattered soul of an angry spirit imprisoned in a Scottish manor house could be a young widow’s only salvation.

From Mary Kay McComas:

A young ghost eases his brother’s pain and guilt by inviting him into the dreams of an imaginative author of children’s books.

Buy The Unquiet now!

NOVEMBER

The Next Always (The  Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy, Book 1)

About the book:

The historic hotel in BoonsBoro, Maryland, has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it’s getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect of the family, Beckett’s social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there’s another project he’s got his eye on: the girl he’s been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen…

Buy The Next Always: Book One of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy now!

Originally published in 1995/1996, Nora Roberts’ The MacKade Brothers series has been re-released a number of times over the years. The most recent releases contain two books in one. A lot of my visitors have emailed wondering about the order of these books. So here’s a brief breakdown of the books in order of their original publication date. Hope this helps!

Name Your LinkYou can buy the latest versions of the MacKade Brothers’ books at Amazon by clicking on this link now!

Return of Rafe MacKade

Originally Published: March 1995

Bad boy Rafe MacKade has returned home after ten years, appealing as ever. Not even lovely Regan Jones, the town’s reserved antiques dealer, is immune to Rafe.

Pride of Jared MacKade

Originally Published: November 1995

Attorney Jared MacKade, who has his pick of women, is finding it hard to keep his dealings with Savannah Morningstar strictly business.

Heart of Devin MacKade

Originally Published: February 1996

Devin MacKade had watched Cassie Dolan from afar for twelve years. Twelve years of watching her married to another man, a man who believed in hitting his wife. Devin had finally had enough, Cassie was free now, and it was about time she knew how Devin felt.

Fall of Shane MacKade

Originally Published: March 1996

When shy professor Rebecca Knight captures the interest of the youngest MacKade brother, The Fall of Shane MacKade can’t be far behind.

Name Your LinkBuy the latest versions of the MacKade Brothers’ books at Amazon!

2011 Release

2009 Release

For those who enjoy Nora’s books (and the frequency with which they are published!), you might be surprised to find that while the first book in Nora’s new trilogy—the Inn BoonsBoro books—will be released in November 2011, you’re going to wait until May 2012 for the next installment: The Last Boyfriend.

While the average is about six (6) months apart for her books in general, her ‘Fall’ series/trilogies are usually released a lot quicker. We found the last series (the Bride Quartet books) were the start of the new releasing schedule…at least a little…in that they were released an average of four months apart. But this new series appears to be releasing almost six months apart.

Are we ready for the queen of romance to slow down the publication of her traditional romances?

If you are a fan of her J.D. Robb books you might be okay with this…as she’s working on other books for that series at the same time. But those who were fans long before the Robb days might just be a bit disappointed in the number and frequency of her releases.

As for the annual single title romance hardback she puts out each year followed by the paperback version released around six months to a year later (yes, her latest Chasing Fire won’t release in paperback until April 2012 a year after the hardback!), I garner she’s going to keep that up for now.

From what I found on ADWOFF’s message board, Nora said this about her upcoming 2012 hardback single title release:

Right now I’m working on the 2012 hardcover. As a teenager our heroine has her first rebellion and as a consequence witnesses brutal murder. This brilliant, socially awkward girl goes under the protection of the US Marshalls, but things go horribly wrong. Some 12 years later, with only herself to depend on, she’s still on the run. Until she meets the charming and tenacious local chief of police in the quiet area of the Ozarks where she’s trying to settle down.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

I guess the moral of my post…change is hard but in this case, it isn’t up to us. Heck, it probably isn’t even up to Nora. Who knows? What I do know is that I’m glad she’s still releasing anything.

For your copies of Nora’s latest, check out these links to insure you get the best “pre-order” price:

Chasing Fire

The Next Always

The Last Boyfriend