Tribute by Nora Roberts Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Tribute
Book Review: Bob Villa/This Old House with a bit of romance thrown in
Summary: 2 Stars
Boring. I too had a HARD time getting through this. It was a chore. I guess I might have learned quite a bit about restoring a house if I'd actually paid close attention to that drawn out part of the story. Oh, and can't forget the graphic novel descriptions. I found the whole premise of the story - the Janet Hardy mystery to be totally dull and I really couldn't care less what happened so many years before. It was simply drawn out, way out and it got old fast for me.
The characters were 2 dimensional. They all talked alike (as is NR's routine these days in her books), so the character development or personalities didn't come out. Ford was supposed to be a nerd, but talked 'cool' like everyone else. Lots of slang. I'm married to a nerd and have known many. They don't talk like Ford. His speech patterns were not any different than Cilla's. AND CAN SHE POSSIBLY WRITE A BOOK WITH COMPLETE SENTENCES, USING 'the's, 'a's', pronouns, etc??? It is unnatural for everyone in a book to speak like that.
I did like Spock, the dog. He was the best character in the book.
I used to be a huge NR fan. I've read nearly all her books. I think this book will have to be the last one for me. I have tired of her, I guess. She doesn't write the way she used to. Some people will argue that it's natural for her writing to evolve and change, but give me the old great Nora Roberts books. Those were great romances. I, myself, don't care for her new writing style she has adopted.
So, obviously I don't recommend this book and I got it from the library.
Book Review: Boring and bland
Summary: 2 Stars
If I wanted to read a book about rehabbing a house, I'd buy a manual. It was actually difficult to work my way through this book and since I like to read for pleasure, that's a problem. The characters were dull, the plot was tired, and the dialogue the same as all her books lately. Looks like, after more than 15 years as a NR fan and avid reader, I need to put her in the "get it from the library" pile.
So sad as it used to be I couldn't wait for a new NR release... I'm really disappointed.
Book Review: Boring, boring, boring....
Summary: 1 Stars
Endless pages about picking paint colors, faucets and tile. Way, way too many pages about rehabbing the house.
Cilla is indecisive and self-centered. She wants to put her Hollywood past behind her, but spends page after page overthinking it and talks endlessly (and I do mean endlessly) about her past, mother and grandmother. Nearly every conversation quickly turns to talking about her own situation. No wonder she never had any friends.
Ford and Spock are the only saving grace in this book; unfortunately not enough to raise it above one star.
Book Review: Change Your Opinions, Keep Your Principles; Change Your Leaves, Keep In Tact Your Roots. - Victor Hugo
Summary: 5 Stars
Cilla McGowen was raised in the spotlight. Her Grandmother was the famous Janet Hardy; a child star turned Hollywood actress and famous singer. Her mother, Dilly, wasn't quite as famous as Janet but managed to stay in the Hollywood spotlight all her life. From a very young age Cilla was thrust in front of the cameras by her mom. She was part of a successful TV show, made a few records, but by the time she was an adult she was pretty much a has-been.
Happy to be out of the public life, Cilla now makes her money flipping houses; it is a labor of love. Finally getting her hands on her famous Grandmothers long neglected farm, Cilla is rehabbing to make herself a home. Questions surround her Grandmothers too early death and as Cilla repairs the house, she seeks answers. But someone doesn't want Cilla around and is making things very difficult for her, her friends and workers. Finding a friend and an unexpected love in her graphic novelist neighbor, Ford Sawyer, Cilla gets some much needed TLC.
This is a lengthy new novel by Nora Roberts, but amazingly enough I flew through 451 pages, easily, I absolutely loved it.
What Nora does better than anyone is create unforgettable and magnificent characters. This book is filled with people who are written so well, you can see them so clearly and you feel like you know them. Every character in this book added something to this story; love, sex, fear, annoyance, growth, laughter, and sadness. You get as invested with the side characters as you do with the main characters. I love that about her work
Cilla is a heroine not without flaws; she's both hard and soft and has been emotionally drained. She's personable and knows her strengths and weaknesses. I found her extremely relatable. Ford was funny, charming and sexy as hell. It took me all about a page to fall for him and his crazy dog.
The story is strong and takes the reader through past and present day at the farm with clever little visits from the Grandmother. Uncovering the secrets of the past and dealing with the danger of the present lead you through a suspenseful and gripping read. I admit I knew whodunit pretty much from the start, but Nora added a little something extra that threw me off and added plenty of surprise at the end.
This book has everything; a solid mystery, a love story, humor and healing. I really enjoyed it. I am also one of those HGTV junkies that enjoy house flipping and rehabbing and I got a total kick out of the demo and rehab of this house. It was fun to watch it change and I had no trouble picturing the results. This book showcases every reason why I love Nora Roberts writing so much, enjoy!
Cherise Everhard, July 2008
Book Review: Child Star Comes Home
Summary: 4 Stars
From Hollywood to the Shenandoah Valley, Cilla McGowan, former child star, returns to her former movie star grandmother, Janet Hardy's, "Little Farm" in Virgina. All too soon she finds out that someone holds a vendetta against her now deceased grandmother and is taking it out on Cilla. She has returned "home" to pay tribute to her grandmother's old and battered farm and make it her own. Having a background in flipping houses, Cilla sees this old house and its surrounding property being restored and making it her own, however, someone else wants her back in Hollywood. Nora once again weaves a beautiful and suspenseful story. The description of the "Little Farm" and the work that Cilla puts into it is so clearly visualized to the reader, that you can almost see the home being restored. The climax to the mystery will take you by surprise, however, the book keeps moving from the very beginning, never slacking, as our heroine has flashbacks and dreams of her famous grandmother and days gone by. Ford Sawyer, her graphic artist neighbor and Cilla McGowan are an intriguing duo. I really enjoyed Cilla's mom, Dilly, and her Beverly Hills drama; it brought some very well-done comic relief to a serious story. Cilla's bonding with her estranged father was nothing less than heartwarming and played out in a very realistic manner. "Tribute" is a compliment to Nora Roberts and a gift to her readers.