Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Hidden Star
****½ Hidden Star by Nora Roberts. Romantic suspense. Re-read.
This is the first book of the Stars of Mithra trilogy.
Bailey James (though she doesn't realize that's her name at first) has amnesia. She doesn't have any identification or memory. What she does have is a bag full of money, a gun, a priceless blue diamond, and the feeling that she's in danger. So she very logically consults a private investigator, Cade Parris, to find a missing person: her.
Cade is the black sheep of a wealthy family who's constantly trying to avoid his mother's and sister's attempts to get him to conform to family standards. The fact that Bailey's case will keep him from keeping a date his mother made for him--without his consent--is reason enough to help her, even without that love-at-first-sight thing.
I have a huge weakness for amnesia stories, and this is no exception. I know they're far-fetched, but that doesn't matter. I still love them.
Bailey was a great heroine. I loved that she turned to a private detective to help her out--instead of just panicking, she thought things through and came up with a plan. And when she started remembering things, she was brave and stuck with it rather than taking the easy way out.
Cade, too, was logical. True, he did fall in love at first sight, but he backed up his feelings with intelligent detective work, and had solid reasons to counter Bailey's fears that she'd done something criminal.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Hidden Star unfolded--the slow unveiling of clues, the gradual accumulation of fact. And the romance was understandable: Cade was the only person Bailey knew, and he was a rock for her; Bailey was a damsel in distress yet strong enough that he could respect her as well. I'm not sure I buy that as a forever, settled love, but they could have a worse foundation, and I can believe it's something they could build on.
Categories: Books, 4.5stars, RomanticSuspense
Labels: 4.5 stars, books, RomanticSuspense
