A review by nancybeth
Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts
3.0
Overall, a bonkers romance that is something I wouldn't normally enjoy, but Nora Roberts is damn good at what she does. I was so invested in the family dynamic. I normally hate flashbacks, and yet the time with the h/h as children was my favorite part of the book. I cried multiple times at Luke's acceptance into the family and growing trust and understanding of what it meant to be loved unconditionally. I laughed too - both at the intended jokes and the ridiculousness of them basically being step-siblings. Luke seemed to be the ONLY person who saw anything taboo about their relationship. I loved both main characters, but more importantly, I loved the family and community that surrounded them, especially Lily and Max.
For the not so good, and what brought down my rating: This book was way too long. It should have been cut by 100-150p. It dragged in each of the 3 parts. The romance could have been interwoven into the magic a bit more. I HATE one of the tropes in the latter half of the book and the blackmail plotline made me mad at how it destroyed the relationship. And Luke definitely needed to grovel more, but I was also pissed at Roxie. The magic was a little too detailed for me, but I think it is only because I wanted to see more of their relationship in the magic. I did appreciate how seriously both characters took their jobs, in spite of any troubles they were dealing with together.
For the not so good, and what brought down my rating: This book was way too long. It should have been cut by 100-150p. It dragged in each of the 3 parts. The romance could have been interwoven into the magic a bit more. I HATE one of the tropes in the latter half of the book and the blackmail plotline made me mad at how it destroyed the relationship. And Luke definitely needed to grovel more, but I was also pissed at Roxie. The magic was a little too detailed for me, but I think it is only because I wanted to see more of their relationship in the magic. I did appreciate how seriously both characters took their jobs, in spite of any troubles they were dealing with together.