"Blue Smoke" by Nora Roberts

"Blue Smoke," from romance-writer Nora Roberts, is another good read by the author. While romance stories can be a little formulaic, Nora's stories always have great characters and interesting backstories. "Blue Smoke" is no exception. The story focuses around cop/arson investigator Caterina Hale (Reena) who, since age 11, has been followed by fire in one way or another. This story is a little different in that we actually get to meet Reena when she is 11, and get to grow up with her a bit over the years. The main story really starts when Reena is now 31 and an arson investigator with her local Maryland police department. She has just bought her first home, and discovered a handsome carpenter for a neighbor. What follows is fairly predicatable (as far as the romance goes) but really, the fun in any romance novel is in the getting there. The playful banter between Reena and Bo (the carpenter extraordinare) and Reena's boisterous Italian family make the book great. This book is a fun summer read (or anytime read really).

This is another book that deals with adult subject matter. Not recommended for teens (unless a parent reads it first).

Books BookTeens Reading
Nora Roberts