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bluebeereads's review
4.0
Sometimes it takes reading old favorites again to pull you out of a slump.
mattyxxz's review
3.0
4th Nora Roberts book that I have read. So far my favorite. I did not expect this book to be a 5-star read. The characters were just great and relatable. I love the relationship of the three sisters alsoNell and Zack. Recommended!
falulatonks's review
3.0
Good stuff - the baking, the witches, the sisters, the joy! I wanted that sense of community and love and things coming together, that's why I picked this up.
Bad stuff - Roberts being Roberts, this is a pretty '90s take on strength and masculinity and abuse, and I found the pushback so many had to Nell's genuine and legitimate fear kind of ridiculous. Zach's "I'm so mad that you think I'm THAT kind of mad!" - also a little ridiculous, because part of you can read it as an understandable character flaw that you should look past, but I feel Roberts wants you to read it as like, right? I don't know.
Bad stuff - Roberts being Roberts, this is a pretty '90s take on strength and masculinity and abuse, and I found the pushback so many had to Nell's genuine and legitimate fear kind of ridiculous. Zach's "I'm so mad that you think I'm THAT kind of mad!" - also a little ridiculous, because part of you can read it as an understandable character flaw that you should look past, but I feel Roberts wants you to read it as like, right? I don't know.
destinyrayburn's review
4.0
I love all of Nora Roberts books! I love the romance, the bonds, and the mystery. This one is just as good as the last one. :D
serinde4books's review
4.0
This was for my book club February read. We are introduced to Three Sisters island and the three witches that must break the curse to prevent it falling into the sea. The first witch is Nell, I could easily relate to her. Be warned she is an abuse victim and there are some graphic scenes that could cause the need for some trigger warnings. Nell has run to the island to escape her abusive husband, and there she finds what she has always been looking for, a home and a family, but how long can she hold on to it? I really liked it, I think I just like Nora Roberts. The Characters were very relatable and likable, and I enjoyed the magic element. The love story was good, not overwhelming but just right. I thought Nell and Zack were great together, he was just what she needed. He was there, he acknowledged her past, but didn't treat her like a victim. He showed her respect and love, and allowed her the time to trust him and open
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com
mary_love's review
1.0
**CHANGED REVIEW AFTER RECENT RE-READ**
Did not age well.
Nell or Helen is the first of the romantic leads in the Three Sisters Island Trilogy. The first time I read this, I thought Mia was a shitty friend, but a reread 8ish years later has shed new and toxic light on this story for me.
Nell has been violently abused by her husband and she escapes to Three Sisters Island (after faking her death), where she finds a true home and true love in the sheriff, Zach. She continues to experience PTSD while the people of 3SI press and press her for information. The attitude is toxic. There are times where moments meant to feel righteous actually feel like a physical punch in the gut as a reader.
Everyone, especially Zach, behaves like they're entitled to Nell's trauma. It is levied against her that, if she really trusts these people, then she'd share her trauma with them.
Zach is the only character who doesn't pry the majority of the book. Then, even though she made specific effort to tell Zach that she would not marry him MULTIPLE TIMES, he is ABSOLUTELY LIVID that she turns out to be married (should be obvious) when he proposes anyway. He then proceeds to leave her until she tells him "the full story." He is told by every character how he is right and she is told how she should have told him about her trauma if she loved him. When she does decide to talk to him, he belittles her, criticizes her handling of her abusive relationship, mansplains, and gives her an ultimatum: reveal she is alive to her attacker so she can divorce him OR break up with Zach. I WAS SICK TO MY STOMACH.
Nell has no therapist, she is verbally abused by her new narcissist boyfriend, Zach, and unsupported by her friends. She never escaped her horrible situation, she only redressed it.
This book is perverse in its toxic masculinity, which is not how the other 2 books are in this trilogy. It has ruined this trilogy for me, but hopefully my edited review can help others decide against reading it.
Did not age well.
Nell or Helen is the first of the romantic leads in the Three Sisters Island Trilogy. The first time I read this, I thought Mia was a shitty friend, but a reread 8ish years later has shed new and toxic light on this story for me.
Nell has been violently abused by her husband and she escapes to Three Sisters Island (after faking her death), where she finds a true home and true love in the sheriff, Zach. She continues to experience PTSD while the people of 3SI press and press her for information. The attitude is toxic. There are times where moments meant to feel righteous actually feel like a physical punch in the gut as a reader.
Everyone, especially Zach, behaves like they're entitled to Nell's trauma. It is levied against her that, if she really trusts these people, then she'd share her trauma with them.
Zach is the only character who doesn't pry the majority of the book. Then, even though she made specific effort to tell Zach that she would not marry him MULTIPLE TIMES, he is ABSOLUTELY LIVID that she turns out to be married (should be obvious) when he proposes anyway. He then proceeds to leave her until she tells him "the full story." He is told by every character how he is right and she is told how she should have told him about her trauma if she loved him. When she does decide to talk to him, he belittles her, criticizes her handling of her abusive relationship, mansplains, and gives her an ultimatum: reveal she is alive to her attacker so she can divorce him OR break up with Zach. I WAS SICK TO MY STOMACH.
Nell has no therapist, she is verbally abused by her new narcissist boyfriend, Zach, and unsupported by her friends. She never escaped her horrible situation, she only redressed it.
This book is perverse in its toxic masculinity, which is not how the other 2 books are in this trilogy. It has ruined this trilogy for me, but hopefully my edited review can help others decide against reading it.
tessiekat's review
2.0
I loved the story and the premise. It was original and sucked me in. However, while it was an adorable and well written book, I struggled with some of the characters, especially the male lead, Zack.
*Sideline Rant* *Rant over*
Nora Robert did build the tension to the obvious confrontation between Nell and her husband wonderfully. He became the boogey man that could pop out at any time and I often found myself holding my breath. I really want to know what happened to Riley to make her not like magic so much, meaning that I will soon be reading the second book in this series, [b:Heaven and Earth|59830|Heaven and Earth (Three Sisters Island, #2)|Nora Roberts|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345222134s/59830.jpg|3153342].
I listened to the Audible Audiobook read by Sandra Burr. I struggled with her voices for several characters. Mia sounded like a 60 year old woman when in fact she turns 30 in the book. Zack's voice was a bit annoying for me as well, but that is probably because I just didn't like him as a character.
Overall, I would suggest it to any Nora Robert's fans, and any fans of men-in-uniform romances, supernatural romances, and romances that include a woman getting her life back together and becoming a stronger woman. I will warn that the topic of spousal abuse is discussed and displayed pretty intensely in the book, and if you struggle with topics like that, it might be one to skip.
*Sideline Rant*
Spoiler
He knows that she is a battered woman. That she went through some horrors by the hand of a man, even if she hasn't told him, however, he insists that "she will come to enjoy his touch" when she displays FEAR at being touched. He gets pushy with his insistence that they will sleep together. Then, later, when he finds out she faked her death and is still legally married, he gets angry that he slept with a married woman, yells at her for lying to him, calls her stupid, and treats her terribly. Even after hearing about the horrible things her husband did to her, how hard she had to work to escape, he won't touch or kiss her until she is legally divorced. I struggled with that, ALOT. Not only did I not like him as a male lead, I found him annoyingly pushy with her boundaries and I just kept thinking that she could do better. He knows that she is emotionally unstable and needs counseling and he is just piling on the crap for her to handle.Nora Robert did build the tension to the obvious confrontation between Nell and her husband wonderfully. He became the boogey man that could pop out at any time and I often found myself holding my breath. I really want to know what happened to Riley to make her not like magic so much, meaning that I will soon be reading the second book in this series, [b:Heaven and Earth|59830|Heaven and Earth (Three Sisters Island, #2)|Nora Roberts|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345222134s/59830.jpg|3153342].
I listened to the Audible Audiobook read by Sandra Burr. I struggled with her voices for several characters. Mia sounded like a 60 year old woman when in fact she turns 30 in the book. Zack's voice was a bit annoying for me as well, but that is probably because I just didn't like him as a character.
Overall, I would suggest it to any Nora Robert's fans, and any fans of men-in-uniform romances, supernatural romances, and romances that include a woman getting her life back together and becoming a stronger woman. I will warn that the topic of spousal abuse is discussed and displayed pretty intensely in the book, and if you struggle with topics like that, it might be one to skip.