For the Love of Lilah

It’s at this point in the series where the "Me Tarzan, you Jane", "Let the big strong men handle this, little lady" clichés get a little bit tired. And that behavior didn’t really fit Max, the mild-mannered college professor. It probably wouldn’t have been so noticeable if I wasn’t reading these one right after another. At any rate, it’s still a solid romance built upon a complex Nora Roberts family. There’s a little more danger in this one, and you can tell that things will soon be coming to a head. Plus, there aren’t many sisters left!

I most identified with Lilah while reading the story of the Calhoun sisters, 4 women living with their great-aunt and renovating the family's ancestral home into a hotel/resort. They are also trying to find some lost emeralds related to a tragic ancestor while fending off Bad People also looking for the gems.

Lilah is a sensitive, ethereal woman whose work with nature and preoccupation with the spiritual intrigues and mystifies the logical, grounded professor Max Quartermain. Their romance is one of balance and the attraction of people who are in some ways opposites. The most believable of the series, as well as the least bicker-y. That's probably why I liked it so much, I really dislike bickering between romance protagonists.

This story was just so-so. The sub-plot was good but the series search for the emeralds is getting old. It was heavy with descriptive details and the development of the romantic events didn't seem realistic. I skimmed a lot. Lilah rescues Dr Max from the sea during a storm.