Born in Shame
4 Stars

Shannon Bodine is devastated to learn from her dying mother that she is the daughter of Tom Concannon, a married man with whom she had a short-lived affair. It soon emerges that Shannon's half-sisters have been searching for her, and she travels to Ireland in the hopes of learning more about who she is. However, Shannon is wary of opening her mind and her heart to complete strangers, especially Murphy Muldoon, her sisters' rugged yet charming neighbor - a man who might just be her soulmate.

This was my first Nora book, which I read as a teen many moons ago. Although it has mainly withstood the test of time, it is somewhat more angsty than I remembered, and the inclusion of minor elements of magical realism is somewhat out of place as the first two books did not contain these motifs.

Shannon is very similar to Maggie in personality albeit not nearly as prickly and definitely more willing to admit her mistakes. They are both strong, stubborn and snarky, and their interactions are one of the highlights of the story along with Maggie's darling toddler, Liam, who is the cutest little devil!

The updates on the lives of the first two Concannon sisters and their husbands are delightful, and the friendship and camaraderie between the three men lead to some very entertaining scenes.

The romance between Shannon and Murphy has tremendous potential as they have excellent chemistry and their emotional connection is palpable. However, this is where the aforementioned angst is overdone mainly due to Shannon's reluctance to commit because she has a life in New York. This is very difficult to understand given that she has no family, few friends, and a tedious job in an advertising agency. Even she realizes that her life in New York is not all that, so why drag the issue out at all?

Overall, re-reading this series has been fun, and this book, in particular, will always hold a special place in my heart. ( )

This one felt a bit forced. ( )

OK book. Liked the other two books in the series better. This one was too predictable. Had a harder time getting into it. ( )

Nora Roberts books are obviously fairly formulaic but I still find them to be a good Sunday afternoon in the winter or sunny summer day beach read. I think her books are at their best when they are part of a series so she has a chance to develop the characters and story a bit more. This series is one of hers that I think works the best. ( )

Such a good book, probably the best in the trio was so sorry when it ended. It was truly amazing story that reminds everyone that the need to find their routes and maybe when they find them that they will find happiness, faith and love with them. ( )