I've read many books since this one and it continues to stand out as one of my all-time favorites. May a knight as wonderful as Murphy come sweep me off my feet. I'm waiting!


Would have been five stars...   June 11, 1999
 8 out of 13 found this review helpful

... for BORN IN ICE, the best book of this trilogy. That one's a lovely romance filled with the coziness and homeliness that makes a house a home and that makes relatives and friends family. I especially loved Grayson's and Brianna's trip to New York.

BORN IN FIRE was charming and funny, with a sharp, fiery heroine. I especially love Ms. Roberts' way with giving us glimpses of interesting professions -- in Maggie's case, glass-blowing. This one would rate 4-1/2 stars if Amazon enabled us to give half ratings.

BORN IN SHAME was nice and interesting, but the weakest of the series. I never understood Shannon's "need" to visit half-sisters she never knew she had or her guilt for initially telling the private detective who tracked her down that she wanted nothing to do with them. Not everyone gets choked up over the idea that strangers have had a private detective tracking you down and poking into your private family life, even despite blood ties.

I also did not see any reason for the paranormal elements to this story. It was as if Ms. Roberts felt obligated to throw some mysticism into the story because the Irish are famous for their mystical heritage.

BORN IN SHAME was good in developing the relationship between the sisters, especially Shannon and Maggie, and I did like the romance. But were I rating it on its own, it would get three stars. As I'm rating the trilogy, I give it 4-1/2. It edges out the Dream trilogy because of the strength of the first two books, but is not quite as good as the Maryland Eastern Shore trilogy.


One of Nora Roberts' Best!   January 16, 2004
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Shannon Bodine knows how quickly life changes. Her father passed away suddenly and unexpectedly a year earlier and now her mother was dying of cancer. Shannon didn't know how she could bear to lose both of her parents so close together, but her mother's dying words shattered Shannon's carefully ordered world. Her real father was Thomas Concannon, a man her mother met and had an affair with in Ireland years ago. Shannon was devastated and grieving when the private investigator found her and informed her that she had two sisters living in Ireland - and they wanted to meet her. Shannon immediately rejected the offer to visit and returned to her work as a graphic artist in New York, but she couldn't focus and nothing seemed important. Before she knew it, she found herself on her way to Ireland and a family she had never met...

From the moment Murphy Muldoon saw her, he knew that Shannon was the one for him. He had been dreaming of her for years and now she was finally here, in the flesh, all he had to do was make her his. But Shannon was strong and stubborn and Murphy found that he had his work cut out for him. Oh, she was attracted to him, he could see that well enough, but she resisted his efforts to court her and refused to believe that she could have a life there in Ireland with him as a painter. But Murphy was stubborn too, and this time, he wasn't about to let her go...

This is the third book in the 'Born in' series and it is my favorite of the trilogy. I loved Shannon and Murphy's characters and enjoyed seeing the people from the other books pop up in this one so I could see how they were doing. Roberts must have a special love for Ireland because she paints such a beautiful picture of the country and makes it almost a character in the book. The love story here is wonderful, two modern people from very different walks of life with some powerful dreams mixed in to make things complicated. This is a wonderful, fast, fun read that I enjoy reading time and time again!


It brings Ireland alive and makes falling in love MAGICAL   February 25, 1999
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

I thought the other 2 in the trilogy were good -- but visiting Ireland from an American woman's perspective was simply wonderful. Nora Roberts brings everything I love about Ireland alive for me -- the music, the green hills, the warmth of the people. I COULD NOT put it down, and looked forward to the subway ride home to read it again! Just one question -- WHERE does one find a man like Murphy Muldoon in New York?!