Review : Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts

Title : Blue Smoke Author : Nora Roberts Reading Dates : 29 Jun - 2 Jul 2011
From goodreads :
The blaze that night at her family's pizzeria changed young Reena Hale's life. Neighbors and relatives would help the Hales rebuild. The Baltimore authorities would arrest the arsonist responsible. But as Reena beheld the fire's brutal beauty and destructive power, her destiny began to take shape. She would understand and master its terrible force-and one day become an investigator herself. But she is not the only one fascinated by the flames. Someone else sees their power-and is obsessed not with conquering the fire but with controlling it, owning it, using it to exact vicious revenge . . . When Reena finally joins the arson unit, her strength and wits are constantly tested-although sometimes the job seems like a snap compared to her love life. But she can't always blame the men-after all, a soot-caked woman barking orders and smelling of smoke isn't the biggest turn-on in the world. Then she meets Bo Goodnight, who seems different. He's been trying to find Reena for years, and now that she is close enough to touch, he has no intention of letting go. Nor does the man who has begun to haunt Reena's life-with taunting phone calls and a string of horrifying crimes. And as Reena tries desperately to trace the origins-of the calls, the fires, the hatred aimed in her direction-she will step into the worst inferno she has ever faced. From the incomparable Nora Roberts, Blue Smoke is a tale of gut-level fear, human triumph, and the bonds that carry us through our darkest times.

Book Review of Blue Smoke.
It’s been some time since I read a Nora Roberts book, so I thought I’d re-read one of my favourites by the author, which just happened to be Blue Smoke this time.

There are a few reasons I like Blue Smoke. The same reasons which applies to all the Nora Roberts romances that I like. Her main characters almost always clicks. Its a rare thing for me to find her couples not absolutely perfect for each other. And more than half the enjoyment in reading her books comes from watching the hero and heroine figure that out. No matter how many times I re-read them, it’s always a treat.

The other reason is the recurring emphasis on family. In this case, that would be Reena’s big, loud and protective ones. I love how they’re always there for each other. Yet, like any real family, they have their ups and downs too.

The only negative here is the case that Reena is working on. I must admit that apart from the first time that I read this one, I’ve mostly skimmed those parts in all subsequent re-reads. The arson investigation simply isn’t as interesting once you know the story.

Still, Blue Smoke is one of my comfort reads. One of those books that I might pick up when I’m feeling blue and looking for something to cheer me up.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Yes. I've done so a few times.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series if there were one? Probably.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? Romance fans.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it.

Books alluded to :

Challenges : 100+ Reading Challenge