Life Is...: April 2011

Recently, I've been frequenting our local library. I will admit it is much cheaper than going to the local Barns and Nobles or Target and plunking down a wad of cash for a book, however good it may be. I'm also lucky that we have a very good local library that is full of current and recently published books. They can also get books from nearby Sioux Falls so if I want a particular title I can request it.

A few months ago I came across a series by the author Nora Roberts. She is a prolific writer and has lots of books out. This particular series is called the Bride Quartet and consists of four books : Vision in White, Bed of Roses, Savor the Moment, and Happy ever After. The series is about four longtime best friends who run a wedding planning business. Each woman has her own story and of course finds Mr. Right and falls head over heels in love. Vision in White is about Mackensie, who is the photographer, and how she meets and falls in love with Carter, an English teacher. Bed of Roses has Emma, the florist and hopeless romantic finding her white knight Jack, an architect. Laural, the pastry chef, is the subject of Savor the Moment. She finds love with Delaney, lawyer and brother of her best friend Parker. The series ends with Happy ever After, Parker's story. Parker is the wedding planner and CEO of the business, who's carefully laid out plans for life have been turned upside down by Malcolm, the mechanic.

Each book is stand alone good and you don't have to read them in number order to figure out what is going on. What I really enjoyed about this series is the way each character is written. The dialog between the women is witty and fun. You can believe they would talk and interact this way. They talk like girlfriends so nothing is off limits. She has a way of putting a sassy tone in her dialogs that makes you the reader feel like you are a fly on the wall when they start discussing their love lives (or lack of). The other refreshing thing is that each woman is a totally different type of person dealing with their own personal issues. Because each character has a different personality, the friendship between them feels real. Each person may have her own book and story but all of the women are a crucial part of that book. Even the males in these books are treated with respect. Unlike some books where the guy is nothing more than a big stud with attitude and looks, the men in these stories are all very different and much more modern. They have thoughts and feelings and very likable.

Another aspect that is enjoyable is the amount of time the author puts in describing each woman's profession. Instead of just putting a camera or flower or rolling pin in the story as a way to skip from sex scene to fight scene to sex scene, she invests time and energy to make the character real. There are passages in the book that really go into details about the photography sessions or the floral arrangements or even the wedding cakes themselves. She also manages to sprinkle in the numerous weddings and events that take place. You get those wacky and chaotic moments that really would happen in a wedding, crazy brides, drunk guests, and feuding wedding party members.

The only criticisms I would have is the time frame of the romances is a little short for my tastes, I don't know if it is just me but I would want to date more than a few months before deciding that I want to spend the rest of my life with this person. Also, the living arrangements of these ladies are a little too perfect but she does make it seem believable.

Overall, if you want a fun read that makes you laugh and cry, then read these books.