Born in Fire
3.5 Stars

Fierce, independent and gifted, Margaret Mary Concannon is happiest living alone and giving her all to her art. That is until Dublin gallery owner, Rogan Sweeney, arrives on her doorstep with an offer that Maggie cannot refuse - money, fame, and his heart. Can Maggie put aside her troubled past to accept his love and give him her own?

Book #3 in this series was my first ever Nora Roberts novel, and I have been hooked on her writing ever since (over 20 years now). This re-read of Maggie and Rogan's story truly demonstrates Nora's skillful ability to weave an enjoyable and engrossing tale despite a less than appealing heroine.

Despite my soft spot for prickly heroines, Maggie is simply too cold and self-absorbed to be likable. For me, she is in possession of too many of her mother's exceedingly vicious and nasty traits although these are somewhat mitigated by her care for her sister and her love for Rogan.

Rogan is also problematic with his controlling and overbearing nature. Nevertheless, he too has a softer side that comes to the fore every so often.

Overall, it is precisely Rogan and Maggie's flaws that make them perfect for each other. Perhaps, this is the reason that their romance actually works, and their story is believable and entertaining. ( )

I liked the Chesapeake series recommended by AAR reviewer enough to give these a try. They were ok. Loved the Irish settings - West County, Clare. ( )

Nora Roberts books are obviously fairly formulaic but I still find them to be a good Sunday afternoon in the winter or sunny summer day beach read. I think her books are at their best when they are part of a series so she has a chance to develop the characters and story a bit more. This series is one of hers that I think works the best. ( )

A good book. Love the trilogies and how the characters build with each book. ( )

Margaret Mary Concannon (Maggie) is an intense, feisty and gifted glass artist of west County Clare, Ireland. She is the pride of her father, Tom, the dear older sister of docile peacekeeper Brianna, and the vexing reminder to her mother, Maeve, of all that was lost by bringing Maggie into this world. Oh, Maeve surely reminds Maggie, every chance she gets, to express her displeasure with Maggie, the reason for which Maggie was inured since the age of 12.

This strong sense of anger, passion, love for art and resignation feeds the intense emotions Maggie carries inside her whole being. Her mouth-blown art-glass is the visual manifestation of all that emotion as she throws herself into her work, often for continuous days at a time. She's ecstatic when nearby galleries invest in her art and eagerly receive more. That is until she is noticed by Rogan Sweeney, a highly regarded Dublin gallery owner, with satellite galleries in London, Paris, Rome, Venice and New York, who believes he knows what's best for a rising star artist. He demands exclusive rights to her art which quickly rubs Maggie the wrong way. Well, with this being a romance, you kind of know where this book's headed.

This first book in the Irish Born Trilogy was my introduction to the exquisite writing style of Nora Roberts. I was captivated by her descriptive scene setting and tremendous character development. Her glass-blowing descriptions are technically spot on. Ms. Roberts beautifully captured the charm of the Irish country folk of the western isle while revealing the hurried businesslike and well-heeled nature of the Dublin folk. Can they peacefully and truly inhabit their shared island home? Can a person of one world comfortably inhabit the other? The interpersonal tension among lovers, adult child with aging parent, and siblings was palpable and carried the book right through to the glorious end. I eagerly look forward to reading, "Born in Ice" and "Born in Shame" - the remaining two books in this fantastic romance trilogy.

I am grateful to Penguin Random House LLC for having provided through Goodreads First Reads a free copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone. ( )