Tribute by Nora Roberts

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pub. Date: July 2008
ISBN-13: 9780399154911
464pp









Note: First, before you read my review - I want to say thanks to Alice from Hello, My Name Is Alice for joint-reading Tribute with me. It's always so much fun to read and discuss books together. And as you've said so often, it make the book and the reading more special when we know we are reading it together - at the same time. I hope to joint-read more books with you in the future!

Cilla McGowan, a former child stars, came home to Blue Ridge Mountains of Virgina's Shenandoah Valley to get away from Hollywood life and her mother who never gave her the normal childhood life she want. There she end up finding satisfying relief when she decided to restore her famous, legendary grandmother's farmhouse. It's the farmhouse where her grandmother, Janet Hardy died of an overdose thirty year ago. Since then,Cilla find herself having a conversation with Janet's in her dream. It wasn't until she found a unsigned love letters mailed to her grandmother and then a threat letter, that she start to wonder what really happen to Janet and figure out whether Janet committed suicide or was murdered.

Ford Sawyer, a graphic novelist, who happen to be neighbor was smitten by Cilla from the first glance. She has inspired him to use her as a character for his latest graphic book. Because she don't want to be trapped in a illed fate romance, she tried to ignore Ford and his ugly dog, Spock. But she found herself fallen for them.

Things started to turn for the worse, when she is faced with threats, vandalism of her property and violent assault. Someone don't want her there. Cilla and Ford is going to find out who target her and why. And if they don't find out soon, Cilla have feeling she going down right along her grandmother's grave too.

Tribute was a story about Cilla rehabbing and restoring a legendary farmhouse of famous Janet Hardy who death was mysterious and secret. The spirit of Janet rise until the mystery is solve and the conclusion is lay to rest. It also story about Cilla finding peace and to have a normal life in that farmhouse. And find loves, too.

Usually I love Nora previous work and have enjoy most of her stand alone books. I always favor her dialogues, families and humors. It what made me love her books the most. However Tribute just seem different to me. The dialogue was different, the h/h just didn't click enough and there wasn't enough 'spark of fire' romance between couple. And there were too much detail of heroine given the reader her daily progress in rehabbing/restoring the farmhouse. If I didn't know that it's coincident to Nora's real life project, that is being restored/rehabbed into a Bed and Breakfast (it's mention on her website) then I weren't have understood the book itself. Now it make sense. I just think it coincident.

While I did enjoy the book, it not among my favorite. I do encourage you to read the book, to judge for yourself. Because the book was not that bad. There were some good moments in the book too. I only felt it was just different, perhaps because I've read many of Nora Roberts books to know which books click with me more than the others. I also recommend you to read Nora Roberts earlier books, both stand alone and trilogies/series books. IMO, they are more better. I feel connected with the way Nora write interaction between characters, dialogue and family. You just can't go wrong with reading any of Nora's books. Even if there is least favorite one, it's always enjoyable read.

Grade: 4 stars