As a prospective career in romance fiction writing appears a distant dream unattainable through work or talent Bewildered Hearts are encouraged to take faith in unlikely success stories and genre phenomenons such as Nora Roberts, the world's most prolific author. The dedication she shows to her craft is so great she only occasionally takes breaks, and during those brief holidays she writes futuristic police procedurals under the name J.D. Robb, the world's second most prolific author. During these last few weeks we have been coping with the task of reading about another of her franchise families, the insensitively affluent MacGregor clan. In Parts One and Two of the overly verbose The MacGregor Grooms Roberts has married off the wealthy, gorgeous and talented painter D.C. and the rich, handsome and brilliant gambler and small business owner Duncan. Nevertheless, however many that is now is still not enough for the serial matchmaker Daniel MacGregor. As a result, the wily old wino has set his gaze on grandson Ian MacGregor, a prosperous, attractive and intelligent lawyer. Ian has recently bought a large house somewhere near Boston, Massachusetts, and has begun to fill it with tasteful, expensive furniture. Damn it, barks Daniel to no one in particular, won't this boy ever settle down?
As with all men Ian needs a woman, a steady, calming influence to nurture him and be pregnant with his children. Therefore Daniel begins to scour the state for eligible, single ladies and who better than Naomi Brightstone, who just took over the family business, Brightstone's, Boston's most respected and idealised bookstore. Not only has Naomi over-hauled the shop in light of the dwindling fortunes of street-front booksellers, adding a coffee bar and children's section, but she has also over-hauled herself, in light of the dwindling fortunes of overweight, ugly women who smell funny. Now she wears perfume and make-up, dresses in outfits that accentuate her slim, yet shapely, figure and has halted her shy, secluded existence behind shelves of novels. All she needs to finish her transformation is the contract officially confirming her as partner in the business, and a lawyer is bringing those papers over personally, and not just any lawyer, but a lawyer from the law practise of MacGregor & MacGregor, only the most beautiful, lucrative law practice on the planet.
MacGregor & MacGregor is the family business, where Ian works with his sister, the eminent, stunning and gifted Laura Cameron and possibly other members of his endless family. Ian has one final stop to make before he can head home. He has to personally deliver the freshly-drawn up papers to Brightstone's, where he must also unearth some first editions as a favour to his grandfather. After some reminiscing about his perfect childhood Ian meets Naomi and an enduring tale of love has begun to be unfurled. Naomi can't help but be impressed by Ian's charms, good looks, muscular frame, smarts, finances and confidence. Equally, Ian is taken by Naomi's scent, reading glasses and her most noticeable trait of being a woman. Days later and Naomi has plucked up the courage to visit Ian at his office and drop off the last of The MacGregor's book orders. What she lacks in nerve and self-belief is quietly made up for in narrative necessities, and a date is made, ostensibly to celebrate Naomi's career-achievement, but in actual fact to allow she and Ian to continue sniffing one another and sighing.
After a light bout of physical intimidation Ian displays his affection for the finer things in life, taking Naomi to a fancy restaurant where they discuss Celtic music, old things and other obscure pastimes to prove they are a couple with common interests. With everything going smoothly, the candlelight stirring romantic feelings and the silk-flavoured wine loosening inhibitions, Ian reveals his devastating tactic to keep Naomi in his life. He wants to build a library in his resplendent house. Having researched libraries on the internet Ian discovered they are filled with books, much like bookshops, so who better to help stack books into a room than the manager of Brightstone's, a bookshop that is literally filled with books? Naomi is naturally disappointed, but remains philosophical. Of course, what would a dishy and flourishing MacGregor child want with a formally dowdy potato-chip-eater like her? With the meal dispensed with and few calories consumed the date concludes outside Naomi's home, but no sooner did Roberts introduced her potential conflict of mixed signals and misunderstood verbal gestures does she negate it completely, as Ian lowers his head and luscious flow of thick, masculine hair to passionately kiss Naomi on her timid, feminine lips to reveal any number of proverbial rainbows, clouds and low-carb cupcakes.
As Nora Roberts subtly exposes Naomi as nothing more than a woman the third chapter ends and the spirited race from respectful courting to life-affirming sex to blissful matrimony has wasted little time on the respectful courting stage. As with D.C., Duncan and every other hero in Roberts' series, Ian the lawyer is a spectacular example of the glorified male. Within a handful of pages Naomi has surrendered to his will, overwhelmed by his presence and ability to speak. However, there are allusions to the difficulties that lie ahead. Unlike the previous two heroines Naomi is the polar opposite of the secure, emotionally-stubborn Cat Farrell and the possessed, uptight Layna Drake. While D.C. was able to break down the latter's prim exterior through the use of sex and compliments, Duncan had to conquer the vulnerability within Cat through the use of sex and gifts. Despite these eye-opening differences, Naomi has neither the sexual confidence of Cat nor the independent determination of Layna. After all, she is a work-in-process, an introverted virgin who has only ever read about compliments in encyclopaedias. How does a man make a wife out of such disarray and anxiety? Through the use of sex, gifts and compliments perhaps?
If anyone knows the answers to those questions we can assume Nora Roberts has a semblance of an idea, as she wrote the story and it is doubtful she will throw around trite psychological epiphanies and thoughtless scenes of casual sexism in a deluded belief this will satisfy the reader. As is typical of her focus throughout these revealing briefs Roberts switches the point of view with jarring regularity, but merely uses the opportunity to helpfully reinforce how marvellous Ian is. The MacGregor himself rears his head on two occasions, breaking from a scotch to abuse Ian's answerphone and then as the centre of conversation during the dinner, as his grandchildren have been taught to always twist flirtatious banter into an anecdote about an elderly relative. His work here, however, seems rather unnecessarily. Within moments of their initial meeting hero and heroine appear made for one another, because they were made for one another by a lazy author struggling with a deadline. Ian has designs to settle down and take a wife, and Naomi is the first woman he sees having come to this decision. Meanwhile, Naomi is powerless against male sexuality and has no thoughts or ideology to call her own. As The MacGregor lies back for his mid-afternoon nap he can rest off his stupor easily, safe in the knowledge that this is one love story that will not warrant one of his needless cameos, although it may require some of his alcohol.
As with all men Ian needs a woman, a steady, calming influence to nurture him and be pregnant with his children. Therefore Daniel begins to scour the state for eligible, single ladies and who better than Naomi Brightstone, who just took over the family business, Brightstone's, Boston's most respected and idealised bookstore. Not only has Naomi over-hauled the shop in light of the dwindling fortunes of street-front booksellers, adding a coffee bar and children's section, but she has also over-hauled herself, in light of the dwindling fortunes of overweight, ugly women who smell funny. Now she wears perfume and make-up, dresses in outfits that accentuate her slim, yet shapely, figure and has halted her shy, secluded existence behind shelves of novels. All she needs to finish her transformation is the contract officially confirming her as partner in the business, and a lawyer is bringing those papers over personally, and not just any lawyer, but a lawyer from the law practise of MacGregor & MacGregor, only the most beautiful, lucrative law practice on the planet.
MacGregor & MacGregor is the family business, where Ian works with his sister, the eminent, stunning and gifted Laura Cameron and possibly other members of his endless family. Ian has one final stop to make before he can head home. He has to personally deliver the freshly-drawn up papers to Brightstone's, where he must also unearth some first editions as a favour to his grandfather. After some reminiscing about his perfect childhood Ian meets Naomi and an enduring tale of love has begun to be unfurled. Naomi can't help but be impressed by Ian's charms, good looks, muscular frame, smarts, finances and confidence. Equally, Ian is taken by Naomi's scent, reading glasses and her most noticeable trait of being a woman. Days later and Naomi has plucked up the courage to visit Ian at his office and drop off the last of The MacGregor's book orders. What she lacks in nerve and self-belief is quietly made up for in narrative necessities, and a date is made, ostensibly to celebrate Naomi's career-achievement, but in actual fact to allow she and Ian to continue sniffing one another and sighing.
After a light bout of physical intimidation Ian displays his affection for the finer things in life, taking Naomi to a fancy restaurant where they discuss Celtic music, old things and other obscure pastimes to prove they are a couple with common interests. With everything going smoothly, the candlelight stirring romantic feelings and the silk-flavoured wine loosening inhibitions, Ian reveals his devastating tactic to keep Naomi in his life. He wants to build a library in his resplendent house. Having researched libraries on the internet Ian discovered they are filled with books, much like bookshops, so who better to help stack books into a room than the manager of Brightstone's, a bookshop that is literally filled with books? Naomi is naturally disappointed, but remains philosophical. Of course, what would a dishy and flourishing MacGregor child want with a formally dowdy potato-chip-eater like her? With the meal dispensed with and few calories consumed the date concludes outside Naomi's home, but no sooner did Roberts introduced her potential conflict of mixed signals and misunderstood verbal gestures does she negate it completely, as Ian lowers his head and luscious flow of thick, masculine hair to passionately kiss Naomi on her timid, feminine lips to reveal any number of proverbial rainbows, clouds and low-carb cupcakes.
As Nora Roberts subtly exposes Naomi as nothing more than a woman the third chapter ends and the spirited race from respectful courting to life-affirming sex to blissful matrimony has wasted little time on the respectful courting stage. As with D.C., Duncan and every other hero in Roberts' series, Ian the lawyer is a spectacular example of the glorified male. Within a handful of pages Naomi has surrendered to his will, overwhelmed by his presence and ability to speak. However, there are allusions to the difficulties that lie ahead. Unlike the previous two heroines Naomi is the polar opposite of the secure, emotionally-stubborn Cat Farrell and the possessed, uptight Layna Drake. While D.C. was able to break down the latter's prim exterior through the use of sex and compliments, Duncan had to conquer the vulnerability within Cat through the use of sex and gifts. Despite these eye-opening differences, Naomi has neither the sexual confidence of Cat nor the independent determination of Layna. After all, she is a work-in-process, an introverted virgin who has only ever read about compliments in encyclopaedias. How does a man make a wife out of such disarray and anxiety? Through the use of sex, gifts and compliments perhaps?
If anyone knows the answers to those questions we can assume Nora Roberts has a semblance of an idea, as she wrote the story and it is doubtful she will throw around trite psychological epiphanies and thoughtless scenes of casual sexism in a deluded belief this will satisfy the reader. As is typical of her focus throughout these revealing briefs Roberts switches the point of view with jarring regularity, but merely uses the opportunity to helpfully reinforce how marvellous Ian is. The MacGregor himself rears his head on two occasions, breaking from a scotch to abuse Ian's answerphone and then as the centre of conversation during the dinner, as his grandchildren have been taught to always twist flirtatious banter into an anecdote about an elderly relative. His work here, however, seems rather unnecessarily. Within moments of their initial meeting hero and heroine appear made for one another, because they were made for one another by a lazy author struggling with a deadline. Ian has designs to settle down and take a wife, and Naomi is the first woman he sees having come to this decision. Meanwhile, Naomi is powerless against male sexuality and has no thoughts or ideology to call her own. As The MacGregor lies back for his mid-afternoon nap he can rest off his stupor easily, safe in the knowledge that this is one love story that will not warrant one of his needless cameos, although it may require some of his alcohol.
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