The Last Honest Woman

- Nora Roberts

Cannington, WA

December 11, 2020

GOODREADS BOOK BLURB:

When journalist Dylan Crosby starts digging up the past for the book he’s writing about her infamous late husband, Abigail O’Hurley Rockwell is determined that she will do everything possible to keep the family’s secrets under lock and key.’ to ‘The truth could not be told. Abigail O’Hurley Rockwell was a desperate woman. Journalist Dylan Crosby was going to start digging up her past for the book he was writing about her infamous late husband. It was just research to him, but to her it was a painful reality that had to be kept under lock and key for the sake of her children. Abby would do anything to keep their world safe – no matter how complelling Dylan’s promises might be…. What was she hiding? When Dylan Crosby came to grill Abigail O’Hurley Rockwell about her famous late husband, he expected cool white mink, icy diamonds. What he got was dusty dungarees and womanly warmth. Why would socialite Abby pretend to be a hardworking country mom? Worse, why did he believe her loving lies?

SERIES / GENRES:

MY REVIEW:

meh, nothing special:

☆☆☆☆☆ 2.5/5

I’m choosing to view this book through two filters.

Filter One: Published in 1988, 3 stars
This book is a wonderful paperback romance. Easy to read, enough drama and intrigue to push the story along and a whole family of crazy characters to keep the series going for four books. Abby is strong and sensitive. Dylan is pushy but kind. Chuck is an excellent villain and conveniently a dead one so he doesn’t need to be dealt with. The premise is unique enough that it doesn’t matter that the rest of the story follows the expected paperback romance cliché.

Filter Two: Reading in 2020, 2 stars
I guess I just expect more from a romance novel these days than two characters meeting and falling in love within a week. Especially when two kids are involved. It’s clearly unrealistic and unlikely and actually seems like the only reason Abby hasn’t remarried is that she hasn’t met another single man her age who was nice to her kids. If you just take the book at face value, it’s a fun easy read. But don’t expect to dig any deeper and find gold here. I’m choosing to enjoy it for what it is and continue down this series to see where we go from here.