The Hollow

I'm always surprised that I read Nora Roberts at all, let alone pretty much everything she's written. But every time I open a new book of hers I remember why. The lyrical, funny, endearing way that she writes. She writes characters that you care about and can laugh with. And I just love the way that she makes the story real and yet giving it that otherworldly touch. She's great at description by not giving too much, but using as many of your senses as possible. This is the second in yet another trilogy she's authored. While each book using focuses on one particular couple, she has also expanded somewhat to encompass the main group of characters as a whole, as well as the developing relationships and more personal views of each show more character. While she might have "types" that she uses, I've never actually been able to say that this character was most like that character from another of her books. And I like that. There is a rhythm to her books, but also a uniqueness that keeps me coming back for more. Why do I have to wait till December for the final chapter in this particular saga?! show less

Nora Roberts has an uncanny ability to weave romance, mystery and the supernatural without losing any of the threads. Each develops rationally and pulls you into the story. She creates vivid settings so that you feel you could have seen the places she describes and which creates a backdrop of normalcy, firmly grounding the story.The characters are appealing, with men that have a strong sense of duty and loyalty (which makes a female heart flutter). The women are not simpering wimps and play an equal role in the story. Each of the six has vulnerabilities and frailties that make them easy to relate to. In The Hollow, Fox and Layla are the central characters however the others aren't pushed aside as can sometimes happen, so we begin to show more build relationships with them also. The story is quite chilling, a creeping evil with the ability to exaggerate the feelings we most often keep hidden - suspicion, despair, anger, and a group who have no real idea how to prevent it being unleashed on the town again but are desperate to defend themselves and their loved ones.There are no conclusions in this book so you wil be eager to read the next to see how it all ends show less

The Big Evil Bastard amps up his attacks on the six people determined to defeat him/it as Fox and Layla realize they're meant for each other. The dialogue sparkles with wit and heart. Easily the best part is watching Cybil and Gage realize that as Quinn and Cal and now Layla and Fox pair up, the Universe obviously expects them to follow suit. They're trying to resist that inevitablity, and it's adorable. Can't wait for the stunning conclusion.

I still like the concept of this storyline, but I loathed the heroine, Layla. She's hypocritical, inconsistent and just darn annoying. She didn't deserve Fox and I really couldn't see his attraction to her.

I'll continue on with the final book of the series (The Pagan Stone) as I enjoyed the first book so much and hopefully both H/h (Gage/Cybil) won't turn into looney-tunes once their relationship is unveiled.

Fox is a small town lawyer who loves what he does and loves his town. The only problem is that he and two friends unleashed a demon on his beloved town when they were ten and have been fighting the evil every seven years since. Now three women have arrived in Hawkins Hollow to help in the battle and Fox has discovered an all new reason to fight in the frightened yet determined Layla.

I do have to say that I did like this second story of the Pagan Stone demon much better than the first. Fox turned out to be a much better character than I expected. He's got a great personality combining compassion, protectiveness and level headedness. So much of the time attorneys (at least the ones I've read about in romances) are depicted as hard-assed show more over-achievers or worse, which bugs the heck out of me. On the other hand I often found myself comparing his laid back single-attorney office to the one I work in and there is a world of difference. I'd love to work for that guy! Anyway, the paranormal bits were a little creepier in this one and there were a couple really great scenes which show how connected the six friends now are to one another. I thought Layla was a decent enough character, but mostly it was Fox who carried the story for me. I'll certainly be on the lookout for book three in December! show less

The Hollow continues the battle that begin in Blood Brothers and focuses on the romance between Fox and Layla.

Fox is probably one of my favorite male protagonists Roberts has created. I feel like he is a more optimistic male than you see in most of the romance genre. His romance with Layla is interesting, and complicated by the fact that she's the only one of the group who hasn't accepted and lived with her gifts her entire life. Watching her stretch her wings and accept it as her normal is a touching process. One of the major altercations with the boy-demon was great to read; very creepy and well-done.

However, I feel like the process of Layla's acceptance of herself is rushed. I'm not as fond of Layla's personality as I usually am with show more Roberts' characters. She almost feels out-of-place in the group, which is not something I have ever really said about a Roberts trilogy. She's also not a well-developed character; I got to the end of the book and didn't really feel like I knew her still. I also felt like it was weird that someone who ends up being a decently major antagonist is only introduced in this book; that introduction felt very contrived.

As with the first, it's a decent book; a bad Roberts book is better than a lot of the drivel out there. But it's still not up to what I view as Roberts' standards. show less

To start, I had trouble getting through this book the first time-it went from weird to boring and back in turns.

Fox and Layla are part of a group of six who are on a mission to fight an evil demon that soon threatens to take over Fox's home town, Hawkins Hallow. The are both gifted with unique psychic talents that include the ability to read minds. They find themselves drawn to one another as they work together to fight the demon.

Fox and Layla are actually very appealing characters, as are they all. Their romance is fun and fascinating, despite the distractions of the confused plot.

This book is hard to get into. It begins to take a departure from logic and reason. The entire concept of the demon becomes less and less credible as the show more book progresses, and the explanations of it's existence are vague and flimsy. Equally weak are the 'ghosts' that constantly visit characters to deliver vague, fortune-cookie like advice.

Overall the concept is good, and there are some amusing portions, but the trilogy falls short of Nora Roberts' usual standard. show less