As a long time Nora Roberts fan, I definitely have preferences over some of her stories. For instance I think she can be a little melodramatic in the supernatural ones, but I really like her stories about Ireland, especially the Born in Ireland trilogy. The Donovan Legacy series has a little bit of both.
Lovely, guileless Rowan Murray felt drawn to brooding Liam Donovan with a power she’d never imagined possible. And his breathtaking kisses convinced her he felt the same. But she soon realized her darkly enigmatic neighbor was as elusive as the mysterious wolf she’d seen lurking about her cabin. Liam was tormented by indecision. He understood he had no right to love Rowan, knowing what lay ahead. But the allure of her beguiling innocence overpowered his will until he could resist no longer. And he knew, if he was ever to make Rowan his, he had no chance but to reveal his incredible secret. (Courtesy of Goodreads)
Okay, first of all, this isn’t my least favorite Roberts book for sure. It’s still sweet and entertaining. I liked the interaction between Liam and Rowan, and like just about all of her books, I really enjoyed the story (after the prologue which was a little melodramatic with the supernatural introduction). However, there were a few things that made me cringe. For instance, Rowan and Liam are cousins. Not first cousins, but cousins close enough to be able to trace the lineage. This bugged me a little because even though it’s not exactly incestuous, it’s still kind of gross. They did it because Rowan turns out to be a witch, too, but I don’t understand why the Donovan family is the only family with supernatural powers. Why couldn’t Rowan’s great grandmother just have been best buds with Liam’s great grandparents because they were both witches. It would take the creep factor out of the book completely. (Disclaimer: this is the last book in the Donovan series and I haven’t read the others, so it might have already been established that the Donovans are the only witch known witch family still alive.)
That being said, I really liked Rowan’s character. I thought she was pretty strong, and I liked how she didn’t let Liam control her at all. I also thought it was interesting how the guy she was supposed to fall in love with (the one her parents like) was actually a good guy too, and they just weren’t meant to be together. I have to admit, I like that because a lot of the time romances have the exes of the heroine be incredibly evil, which is unrealistic, even though it can make for a good story. I definitely prefer the more three-dimensional characters, however. All in all, a pretty good read if you can look past the distant cousins factor.
