Trilogy Time thaws out from being Born in Ice

 I wasn’t planning on updating my Trilogy Time reading challenge so soon but it turns out that I have a few thoughts to share about the middle book of this Nora Roberts trio, Born in Ice.

This second installment of her Irish Born trilogy focuses on Brianna, the younger sister of the previous novel’s fiery natured leading lady, Maggie May. Unlike her straightforward sibling, Brianna prefers a quieter life and tends to be the peacemaker in most situations, especially when it comes to Maggie and their constantly complaining mother Maeve.

Brianna makes her living by having her house become a bed and breakfast stop for tourists (back in those ancient days before Air B&B!), which works out well for her there. However, when she gets a lengthy reservation from an American writer, both host and guest find their lives changing in more ways than one.

The writer in question is Grayson Thorne, known for his successful string of suspense thrillers as well as never settling down in one place for too long. The man even sells his books to publishers in single shot deals,that’s how determined he is to come and go as he pleases!

Grayson intends to finish his latest book by finding some inspiration in Ireland yet it’s not long until Brianna becomes his true muse.

 There are scenes where she and Grayson walk about local ruins and even a castle at one point, with Brianna sharing a few legends passed down through the ages that hit his creativity like a thunder bolt; some of my favorite moments of this story as it’s like watching someone’s imagination unfold right in front of you:

Brianna’s calm demeanor is tested quite a bit, not only by the growing feelings between her and Grayson but a few secrets and lies regarding her family(one of which leads into the third book in this trilogy)coming to light.

Woe betide anyone thinking that Brianna is either a meek and mild miss or a cold hearted creature; while she knows when to chill her passions (a self protective mode for the most part), her wrath when unleashed is something to behold, even making her sister Maggie step back from those flames of fury.

At heart, though, Brianna is a loving soul who needs to learn to put her needs at the top of the list instead of the bottom and Grayson has to learn to face his nonfictional fears of allowing himself to make a long term commitment beyond completing a book.

It’s that mix and match of emotional intelligence that makes their romance as engaging and thoughtful a read ,almost like a duet of elemental proportions:

So right now I am in the midst of  Born in Shame, the last entry in this trio where we meet Shannon, a third sister born in America to a very different mother than Brianna and Maggie((yep, one of those family secrets uncovered there!).

Grieving the recent loss of her mother, Shannon is invited to meet her new found sisters and while that initial getting to know you deal is both awkward and enlightening, she also might find a potential love connection in Murphy, a longtime friend of the Concannon sisters.

So far, this reading time with Nora Roberts has been a lovely experience and when I make my next trip to the library, maybe I can find some of her other books to enjoy. Taking a chance on something new can definitely pay off, particularly when it means more page turning pleasure to come: