A Will and a Way by Nora Roberts

A Will and a Way by Nora Roberts

I’ve read at least a dozen of Nora Roberts novels over the years, some of which were quite good (especially her J.D. Robb novels). So, when I heard this one was on a list of her top seven stories, I thought I’d give it a try. It’s a quick and enjoyable tale, but I didn’t think it was extraordinary. In fact, the basic ideas seemed a bit used to me and this one wasn’t a particularly fresh take—but it may have been fresh when it was written. I just don’t know the field well enough to make that determination.

 

The basic plot is that a beloved relative tries a little matchmaking when he dies by making a niece and a relative by marriage (i.e. not a blood relation) live in his mansion together for six months to gain their inheritance. Since neither cares about money, he threatens to give the inheritance to their worthless relatives if they fail to do as he asks. In doing so, he sets up two problems—enemies to lovers, and, of course, the villainous relative willing to do anything to get the millions.

 

Now I think the whole “I don’t care about money” character trait was an easy cop out. They don’t have to be greedy jerks to be able to recognize that inheriting a few million would be nice, but they actually looked bad to me pretending that money was not a factor in their thinking but not wanting their “horrible” relatives to inherit the dough. I also find the “enemies to friends” idea to be a tired motif that Roberts used a lot. (I seem to recall that several of her books start with the guy humiliating the heroine, which I have always thought was a terrible way to start a romance. But since Nora Roberts has sold tens of millions or more books, she probably knows more about it than me.)

 

Now all of this makes it sound like a terrible book, but it’s not. It’s a quick and enjoyable story. It just didn’t feel very fresh or believable.