Review: Happy Ever After

Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As the last book in the Bride Quartet, Happy Ever After closely followed the format laid out by the books that preceded it. The novel was predictable in the extreme. However, it was also lovely. Reading these books is like eating devil's food cake. You've had it before, but the frosting is so pretty, and it tastes so good, that you really don't care. Instead, you ask for another slice. That's what this series reminds me of: four slices of devil's food cake. Rich, and tasty and warm, with both sweetness and bitterness. Overall, a great cake--even if it is one of the most popular recipes ever.

This is the story of Parker Brown and Malcolm Kavenaugh. They've been dancing around each other since the first book, so it's no surprise that they finally came together in this last book. Parker is the scion of a wealthy Greenwich family. After her parents' deaths, she chose to convert their ginormous home into a wedding resort with her three closest friends providing the major services. This has paid off for all of them quite well. The business allowed them all to stay together, and it's brought a measure of success into their lives that they might not have otherwise found. However, in the middle of managing all of the brides and everyone around them, Parker has managed to stay alone. She's had few long term relationships, and she's been able to scare away any man that flirted with her.

Mal is not what she expected. He's immune to her freeze ray, and he's spent enough time observing her that he understands how she manages people. He won't let her manage their relationship, keeping her confused. He knows he wants Parker, but how much he wants her remains to be seen. What he doesn't realize is that his past will be the one thing that could come to between them.

I shamelessly enjoyed this series, and I'll gladly reread each of the books in it. They're not the greatest books ever written, but Roberts' particular strength here seems to be in making this old, familiar story enjoyable. She does not subvert the genre or try to change it in any way. Instead, she tells a sweet and lovely story about mature, successful adults that would like to have a partner in life. I recommend this highly to anyone that enjoys a good romantic read.



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