I've read many books by Nora Roberts (Sanctuary, Genuine Lies, Honest Illusions, to name a few), and I've always been able to count on her novels to hit the spot when I want to read something interesting and romantic.

Blue Smoke didn't fail to satisfy...until the last 60 to 70 pages. There is a very violent and graphic rape scene which really got to me. I just didn't expect that from a Nora book. Usually, things like that don't bother me that bad, but it was a bit too much. She could have left that part out and the book would have been a typical 9 or 10 of 10 by my rating system.

The book's saving grace was the main character, who is spunky and strong. I enjoyed reading about her close-knit family and the ins and outs of their lives. And the guy she finally ends up with was a fun character, too.

Also, I found it difficult to comprehend how the main character could be so dense as to not catch on to who the bad guy was. It was so obvious. If you're looking to give Nora a try, I don't recommend this particular pick. Go with one of her other novels or trilogies such as her In the Garden Series (Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, and Red Lily).