Remember When
By Nora Roberts & J.D. Robb
ISBN# 9780399151064
Author’s Website: http://www.noraroberts.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
Before I begin let me say that yes I know that Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb are the same person. But the way this book is set up they each played a role in the writing of this novel. I absolutely loved the premise and think you will to.
We start out with the first part of the book being a novella by Nora Roberts. It’s a nice romance story with a little mystery sideline weaved in. It’s not really OBS’s usual genre, but it’s still fun.
Laine Tavish is the daughter of a career criminal, Big Jack O’Hara. Jack was always small time though, so Laine is floored when investigator, Max Gannon, tells her that he took part in a huge diamond heist. But one of Jack’s partners decides he doesn’t want to settle for a portion of the stones, but instead wants them all. Laine has to start believing Max as people start dying and both her home and her antique re-sale shop, Remember When, is broken into.
She turns to Max and they work together to start recovering the diamonds as they fall madly in love with one another.
Then, Nora hands the reins off to her alter ego, J.D. Robb, for the second part of the book, which is a novella in her futuristic In Death series.
It’s the year of 2059 and It’s been over 50 years since the diamond heist and the last quarter of the diamonds have never been recovered. Laine and Max’s granddaughter, Samantha Gannon, has just had her book about the whole ordeal published. Suddenly people start dying as someone is still on the hunt for those last remaining diamonds and Eve Dallas is on the case.
As I said before, I just loved the concept of this book, before I even cracked the spine. I’m not a big fan of short stories or novellas, but the way that the two stories where linked made the two novellas seem like one full-length novel instead. The cover could have definitely used some work though…just a bit too bland for my taste.
My only real complaint about the book is a tragedy that occurs in several novellas; Trying to fit so much in so few pages. The first part of the novel suffered from this with Laine and Max’s relationship. It was too rushed and seemed unrealistic. They only knew each other a couple of days and were talking about marriage!! And that was after Max got busted by the cops for breaking into the store she owns.
Other than that the book didn’t feel like a couple of short stories at all. The storylines were strong and well-developed as where the characters. We didn’t even lose the steamy sex scenes and warm romance between Eve and Roarke like we did in some of the other In Death novellas. In fact, this was the best of the In Death short stories I’ve read so far. And it’s really renewed my faith in the series.
