So many issues with this one, I don't even know where to start, but let's see:
1. first off, children should not get married (they both acted like immature brats who have no business being in a relationship and raising chilren);
2. the FMC was horrendous. I think as a reader I was supposed to be on her side, but she was a terrible partner to the MMC (who, don't get me wrong, had his own issues, but nowhere near hers). She was so unreasonable, and the way she tested Gavin by asking him to move out and then being upset that he did? Yeah, let's not normalise this shit. Our partners aren't mind readers;
3. the FMC's sister was infuriating. She acted like random people online whose only advice to relationship troubles is to break up. It pissed me off how much she was putting her nose in where it didn't belong and acting like her sister's marriage falling apart was just some good drama, never giving a single thought how it would affect her nieces;
4. it focused WAY too much on the physical. Apparently all you need to fix a marriage is to get railed really good. Instead of actually communicating with each other, they first tried to make each other horny and the rest of the book just obsessed over how horny they were. There was the tiniest bit of reflection and self-analysis, but it wasn't enough when their problems went way beyond the bedroom;
5. the way the Russian character was treated rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn't funny;
6. the author was way way WAY too heavy handed and in-your-face with her commentary on relationships and sexism. This felt very much like a "woman writing men" and they just weren't realistic (as sad as that is because naturally I wish men cared enough to learn to be better partners). The way they preached feminism to Gavin was just so over the top it was laughable. I think it was a nice idea to have this men's book club, but I expect more sublety, not to be banged over the head. It almost felt like a desperate attempt to make them likable for female readers;
7. it was just so heteronormative, and not only that, but it painted women as a single organism. No, we don't all want the same shit.

It's not the worst book I've read, but I also don't have anything good to say about it aside from the fact that at least it was a very quick read.

I loved this one! Based on the blurb and marketing, you might think it's simple women's fiction (blegh, I hate this term) without much depth, but you would be so wrong. This story had complexity and heart, and it will definitely make you reflect. I have really conflicting feelings about the characters, but it's not a bad thing by any means. They are written so, so well. Toon put such a fresh spin on the romance aspect of the story and it was something I had never encountered in a book before. Whether you agree with the FMC's choices or not, you can't deny that the author did a great job with this one.

The only thing I wasn't too keen on was

the unexpected pregnancy

, but that's just personal preference.

It's all I can do not to roll my eyes.

In all seriousness, I did not enjoy it. While this third and final book of the series did not start out with recap of the previous book lasting at least until the 40% mark (as the second book did), I was still incredibly annoyed throughout because the the author kept describing people, creatures and places as if it was the first time they appear in the series. She seems to have zero trust in her readers' memory. I do not need a reminder every time what a Forsworn is or who one of the side characers is when they've had loads of page time already. And the one thing she should have explained, as it was not mentioned in the second book (I checked), she just glosses over as if I should know what it is. Even beyond that, the writing was rather poor (the author just loves to overuse certain phrases) and the story just as convoluted and messy as in the second book. The thing I loved most about book one was the found family. That enjoyment was diminished in the second one and completely destroyed in this one, as their relationships and interactions became monotonous. It was always the same: Deka doubting herself, Britta saying 'we're here for ye Deka', and the others joining in. Over and over again. Blegh. Glad it's over. The two stars are for Ixa, the star of this series as far as I'm concerned.

This was my first Nora Roberts and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was also my first time reading a book that was simultaneously mystery and romance. I went into this book with some hesitation, as Roberts is a household name who publishes a ton of books a year, so I wasn't sure what I'd be getting here, especially as I also just read my first James Patterson and was sorely disappointed. Roberts is no doubt a much more talented writer, and very deserving of being so well known.

The first part of the book immediately pulled me into the story and made sure that I'd want to see this through to the end. The middle parts, although slower and not mysterious, were really nice, although  the male love interest was a little obnoxious at first. I thought I'd get sick of all the renovation talk, but I loved seeing Naomi make a life for her and settle down in the little town.

I can't say the reveal was surprising. I couldn't see how the bad guy could have been anyone else, but I didn't mind there not being a huge twist. I'd rather it be predictable than the whole book being full of red herrings and the twist being too much of a reach.

One negative thing I will say is that there were a few pieces of dialogue that felt super weird or just out of character. For example, when Naomi and Xander went to talk to and comfort Loo, Naomi started shilling her prints for the bar. Read the room. Or when Naomi told Jenny and Kevin about her history, Jenny asked Naomi to apologise for not trusting them enough earlier, even though they've only known each other for a few months. So there were a few odd moments and a few bits of confusing writing as well, but all in all I'm pleased to have read this.

Mediocre writing, but overall pretty entertaining.