Review On: Born in Fire by Nora Roberts
Series: Born in Trilogy (Book 1)
Rating: 4.5/5
Born in Fire introduces to us the first of three sisters – Margaret Mary Concannon. Like the title of the story, Maggie Mae (as she is called by family and friends) is like fire, wild and hard to tame. At the beginning of the book, we are introduced to the the sad story that becomes the background for this series. Within the first pages, we discover a father who loves his two daughters but finds himself lacking the love of his wife. We also discover that this lovable father has a hard time keeping money, which becomes a major part of who the Maggie Mae is when the book focuses on her story. Within the first few pages, the story is set when Maggie Mae’s father dies, and she and her family have to move on with their lives in their little town.
In the little town of County Clare, Maggie Mae is a glass artist who makes a living scraping by with the little that she sells of her work. She sells some of the glasswork that she makes while her sister runs a B&B (Breakfast and Bed) from their family home. It is here where Maggie Mae is found by Rogan Sweeney, a businessman who runs an internationally renowned corporation that owns galleries and represents all kinds of artists, and has seen Maggie’s work and her potential. There is an instant attraction between the two when Rogan forces his way into County Clare after numerous attempts to get in contact with Maggie which all ended in rejection. Rogan is stubborn and always gets his way, Maggie is stubborn as well and wants the freedom of her work despite working with Rogan.
It is during this transition, where Rogan and Maggie work together, that both sparks and fights fly as they discover how different they are. Here we also get to see that the family situation between Maggie, her sister Brianna and their mother, isn’t good. We see the wild fiery side of Maggie, the cold and calm icy demeanor of Brianna, and the spiteful attitude of their mother. Here we discover Maggie’s dreams and her fears, her character and personality, and why she doesn’t believe in marriage. And later, how does Maggie cope when the stubborn her is faced with a more stubborn Rogan, who refuses to let her go?
This is the second time I’ve read a Nora Roberts 3-in-1 novel that I personally own. A lot of my other Nora Roberts books are borrowed from friends. I think Nora Roberts really likes to write novels with a whimsical feature to them, not to say that there’s always magic, but the stories I’ve read of hers so far give you the impression that the world revolves around the main characters and that the outside world doesn’t matter. Or something like that. But that’s just probably me.
I was intrigued with the title when I saw it on the shelf at Fully Booked, because I really like stories that take place in England, Ireland and Scotland. What’s more, I was happy to read that the stories were taking place in the Irish country, not in the city. The description of the book had a bit of myth and magic to it, which of course interested me even more.
The great thing about stories like this, is that they feature really strong female characters, characters who stand well on their own and don’t rely on the protection of a man. Call it feminist or whatever, but I love romance novels that feature women with strong personalities, who capture the hearts of men who can stand on the same level as them. These characters are witty, stubborn, imaginative and fearless, but they are also emotional and romantic. These kinds of characters work well on their own, but work even better when they meet the person they eventually fall in love with. Maggie Mae is such a character. She is headstrong and independent, (almost) fearless and she also knows what she wants. I think Nora Roberts built up Maggie Mae’s character well, especially by introducing the part of the story where her father dies. You see that she’s not entirely without weakness, and that she has a wall around herself that helps her take care of herself and her sister. You can see that she loves her sister and her dad and her home very much.
And then there’s Rogan, the guy who has had almost everything fall into his lap. He meets Maggie Mae, one of the few people who’ve said no to him, and you see how he’s both frustrated and challenged by her personality. Rogan’s character is especially interesting because he never once puts Maggie down. Though his way of doing things might be a bit too aggressive, he always looks out for the people he works with, and the people he cares for. You see that Rogan is also an imperfect character, though he has the looks and the money, fame, and he has his own internationally-renowned business. He’s always cool and calm and knows what he wants, but when it comes to Maggie Mae, you see that his world turns upside down and not everything is by his book. Besides passion for work and family, he discovers his feelings for this one woman who seems to always want to defy him. And then when you see them with the same stubbornness – clashing, you see how much in-love they are with each other, though they don’t seem to see it the same way.
In the novel, Maggie Mae is a glass blower, so I liked the parts where Nora Roberts adds in the mechanisms behind the making of glass art. It’s fascinating watching the text try to explain how it works, though parts of the explanations feel to unreal, like it would seem impossible to make something like that in real life. The other members of County Clare also give life to the story though we only see a bit of them throughout the book, but it makes it feel like they’re real and that part of you can also go into an Irish pub and meet the same characters as in the book. Also, the use of Irish slang is pretty interesting and gives the story a certain characteristic that makes it endearing.
I’d really love to go to Ireland now.