The Ultimate Christmas Countdown: Catching Snowflakes

Local Hero Writer

Mitch had never seen himself as a hero, but for the right woman he could be and as snow falls he finds himself drawn to Hester, the single mum who has moved in upstairs with her son. 

Before the snow melts Mitch has a plan to win Hester over and become part of their family! 

 A Will And A Way

Sharing her beloved uncle’s former home with Michael for six months was going to be hard for headstrong Pandora. They’d known each other since childhood – and never got along! 

However, in spending Christmas together, they discover they have more in common than they’d ever known…

Nora Roberts is fairly renowned for being one of the most prolific romance writers in recent years; with over 200 novels in print, she flits between her crime writer pen name J. D. Robb and her given, releasing usually three books a year.

I had, to my utmost shame, never read a Roberts' offering before this September, and now she's a clear presence on my bookshelf.  Catching Snowflakes is the reissuing of two of her novels from the 80s.

The first, Local Hero Writer, is a charming tale of Hester who meets comic illustrator Mitch.  Mitch ends up falling in love with both her and her young son, who is transported into delights when he discovers that his hero lives in the flat above them.

I think the thing that delighted me the most about this particular story was that, despite some outdated references to cassettes, it manages to capture details of ordinary life - preparing for birthday parties, getting ready for school - without becoming tedious.  It is this that grounds the romance in reality, amking its characters real, relatbale and utterly loveable.

A Will and A Way, on the other hand, reflects Roberts' crime background, with attempted murders entertwined with the blossoming love between Michael and Pandora.

Again the lead characters are only better developed by the setting they find themselves in, complete with loyal butler and cook!  There are some simply stunning descriptions of Pandora's jewellery designs, and Michael's career in television does nothing to dissuade us that here is a hero who would happily sweep his heroine off her feet.

There's an elegance to Roberts' prose that took my breath away; despite being aware of her reputation, sometimes you just have to experience things for yourself.  Sample it and be convinced.

As this is a Mills & Boon release, I present a Mills & Boon boy who spans both today and tomorrow's review, Adam, and whose photography far outstrips my own: