Book #31 - Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

I really enjoyed the first book in Nora Roberts' Bride Quartet, so when I saw that the second book was out, I knew it would be my second romance novel for this challenge.

I think it's part of a woman's nature to be fascinated with anything having to do with weddings when you're planning one. Or maybe that's just something I tell myself to make me feel better. Regardless, I can't seem to get enough weddings right now. Like Vision in White, this novel follows another of the Vows partners, this time Emma who's the florist of the group, as she embarks on a new relationship with an old friend. The formula's not exactly reinventing the wheel, as it's the same plot line as the first book. But it's still entertaining to follow the story of Emma and her new, main squeeze Jack.

The friendship of the four women also continues to grow and blossom during this novel, and you can already see hints of the couplings that will likely take place in the last two books. However, I don't like to give up on a series once I've started it - so expect a recap of the third book not long after it's published.

Book #19 - Vision in White by Nora Roberts

I know it's probably hard to believe, but this is the first Nora Roberts book I've ever read. I'm not sure what kept me from her in the past; maybe because my mom was always thumbing through one, and as a rebellious teen often does, I didn't want to read anything that was enjoyed by my mother. Good news - I've grown up, and as a bride-to-be, Vision in White was a great first Roberts' novel to experience.

This is the first book in her Bride Quartet (I'm not sure if you've picked up on it yet, but I like to read series). It follows four life-long friends who run a wedding business called Vows. Mackensie is the photographer, Emma is the florist, Laurel is the baker and Parker oversees everything else as the traditional wedding planner. They all live and work in the same sprawling Connecticut estate, and we not only learn a little bit about their business, but also about each woman.

Mac is the main character in this first novel. She hasn't yet found Mr. Right, until a man from her teenage years comes back into her life when his sister hires Vows to plan her wedding. Shy, yet surprisingly sexy, professor Carter Maguire is exactly what's missing from Mac's life. They beginning seeing each other, and like in any romance novel, there isn't a happy ending right away. But Mac and Carter's romance is chronicled in a way that showcases Roberts' sharp, clever writing and develops two very real characters that are easy to like and relate to.

Not only is the novel about finding the right guy in unexpected places, but it's also about friendship. It conveys how the four friends love and support each other through thick and thin, and how they manage to respect each other while running a very successful business.

Vision in White was the first romance novel I've ever read, and I'm anxious to read the books that follow in Roberts' Bride Quartet. It was like watching a cute romantic comedy - although at times it's highly predictable, when it's over, you're still really glad with the happily-ever-after.