Happy Ever After
13. Nora Roberts, Happy Ever After
In this conclusion to the Bride Quartet (after Vision in White, Bed of Roses, and Savor the Moment), Parker Brown’s love life finally takes center stage. Parker is a detail-oriented micro-manager who likes to have everything in her life planned. And sexy mechanic Malcolm Kavanaugh is not part of the plan. They share an undeniable physical attraction, but Parker is determined to be calm and rational about their encounters. Yet with every kiss, Parker and Mal grow closer to one another, and soon they’re both in deeper than they ever expected. Can these two very different people stay together for the long haul?
As with the previous books in the series, this novel offers up sugary-sweet romance and a picture-perfect happy ending. I was looking forward to reading Parker’s story, since she was my favorite of the four girls, but this book is pretty much exactly on par with the other three. It’s fluffy, it’s a fast read, and it definitely provides a romance fix, especially if you like over-the-top sappy sweetness. However, there’s not really any depth to the characters, and all the “conflicts” are either shallow or depicted in a shallow manner. Some Amazon reviewers have also (justly) pointed out that these four women’s lives are just too damn perfect, and that does get annoying. Overall, I enjoyed this book, as well as the whole series, but there’s nothing particularly memorable or special about it.