Nora Roberts Groupies discussion
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Playing the Odds
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Playing the Odds (The MacGregors #1) - August 2020
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Who’s joining in?
I am in. Have the ebook already
I will. I need to read this series anyway.
Super - I've not read this series yet! Looking forward to it.
I'm play on joining as long as I can get the book from the library.
Just put it on hold at the library. I'm first on the list of 3 copies, so hope to get it soon! :)
I have most of the books in this series, so I'll give it a try.
I read the MacGregor series a long time ago and really enjoyed it. I'll gladly join in and reread this one. I need Robin to remind me, though:)
Judi wrote: "I read the MacGregor series a long time ago and really enjoyed it. I'll gladly join in and reread this one. I need Robin to remind me, though:)"I'll remind you.
Love Nora’s first family series! Has any one listened to the podcast Romancing the Shelf? They are reading through all of Nora’s books and they JUST finished talking about all of the MacGregor books last week. A head up for those who haven’t read them yet, the podcast does have spoilers!
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Just finished book 1. It was a fun read. Love Danila. Can wait for open discussions.
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I am so glad this was suggested. I have read this series many times and love the characters. I reread it for this month's challenge. It was so nice to return to stories that I very much enjoy.
My youngest daughter is 18yrs old and she’s named after Serena in this book. Here I am 19 yrs later rereading it. 💕
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I'm seeing a lot of Roarke in Justin.
It the other way because Justin came first
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It is just how she described him. His personality in addition to his physical description. I know Justin came first, but she took a lot from him to make Roarke.
All I keep hearing about is Roarke. What book/series is he in?I'm starting this today.
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Leane, Roarke is one of the main characters in the In Death series by J. D. Robb, Nora’s pseudonym. He’s unforgettable.
Roarke is a complication of the very best hero characters she has ever written. Eve, the heroine of the In Death Series, is a total original.
Jonetta wrote: "I posted the info in the High Noon discussion but it bears repeating!Leane, Roarke is one of the main characters in the In Death series by J. D. Robb, Nora’s pseudonym. He’s unforge..."
Thank you! I haven't made my way over to the In Death series. I will eventually. Nora's body of work is so large it's daunting trying to make my way through it all!
Anita wrote: "Roarke is a complication of the very best hero characters she has ever written. Eve, the heroine of the In Death Series, is a total original."He's been mentioned many times. I feel like I have to meet this man. :)
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Jonetta wrote: "Leane, be forewarned...that series is highly addictive. I don’t re-read but I re-read this series three times...back to back when there was about 30 books."Great. I tend to get obsessed with things so once I start I go all in. The deterrent is there are over 60+ so I would really have to commit!
Yes, I have started over with the entire In Death series many times over the past 10 years. Love Roarke (and Eve) :)Can't wait to start reading this book- I thought I read all of Nora's books already but this one wasn't ringing a bell.
Serena is really smart, with several degrees to prove that and rich too. Why do you think she decided to work as a blackjack dealer on a cruise ship?
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These kinds of scenes were responsible for me dismissing romance novels back in the day. I only resumed reading them about ten years ago (funny...it was a Nora book!) when they’d undergone a radical change.
Things I really liked about the story? First of all, Serena. She’s a strong, self assured and talented woman with lots of skills. I liked that she didn’t play games and was straightforward with Justin about her feelings. She didn’t waste time being coy. I also liked her family and how they related to each other. I loved how she ended up saving herself, too!
I also liked Justin. It was obvious he was the foundation for the character that later emerged in the In Death series as Roarke. He is a self made man with strong sense of right and wrong. I also liked his mixed heritage even though there were some stereotypes used that should have been tossed. That whole “take what I want” attitude wasn’t really who this guy was, at least not how it was applied.
The kidnapping plot added a little suspense, which I liked. Overall, I enjoyed the story for all the reasons above but the underlying theme that Justin’s appeal was him not taking “no” for an answer was a big deal for me. I cringed every time and diminished the man and the relationship.
I’m looking forward to Alan and Caine’s stories.
I finished this book last night. I have to say I was totally bored with the first half of this book. Justin just kept showing up wherever Serena was on the ship or a land excursion. I was beginning to think he was a stalker. Like Jonetta mentioned, he doesn't take "no" for an answer when he is kissing Serena. I know this was a normal storyline for 1980's romance, but I've outgrew it a long time ago. Happily, the story got interesting when the couple were off the ship. Serena was a strong heroine. She seemed to be very straight forward when dealing with Justin. She was also a person who wanted to experience life and didn't want to depend on her family to provide everything. Justin grew on me. At first I thought he was a bit of a jerk. But his dealings at the casino and the ensuing bomber won me over.
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Jonetta wrote: "I liked the story but could feel it was dated. One thing that bothered me throughout was Justin’s failure to accept it when Serena said “no.” It threw me out of the story whenever he would grab her..."I've never read any of Nora's early romantic books - or any other authors in the 70s or early 80s - because of the way the "romance" seemed to be treated and the reputation the books seemed to have. I don't think I ever saw any of them in hardback...and of course so many paperbacks had strange covers.
I've been wrestling with finishing this book for the very reasons you mention - his inability to hear 'no'. I must say I'm more willing to finish it now - knowing things do change in the book.
Thank you for bringing clarity to this issue. MDy
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Jonetta wrote: "Mdy, it got MUCH better in the second half. I’d hang in there."I will.
I didn't get the same vibe as the rest of you about the romance. If he had taken no to be a firm, "I'm not interested", no, he would have moved on and there would have been no book to write. Justin was a man who didn't let obstacles stand in his way and when Serena didn't shut him down totally and completely, he kept pursuing her.
I forgot to add that I loved that Serena didn't have to be saved by the hero when she was kidnapped. She took care of the situation on her own.
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I loved that, too.
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It was the grabbing and holding on that was over the line. He should never have put his hands on her, not letting her go. Been there. It’s awful.
Like I said, she didn't shut him down, so some part of her was okay with it.
I agree, she didn’t shut him down so she must’ve wanted him to go after her
Leane wrote: "Jonetta wrote: "Leane, be forewarned...that series is highly addictive. I don’t re-read but I re-read this series three times...back to back when there was about 30 books."Great. I tend to get ob..."
Leane, it is definitely worth the time invested. I am reading In Death for the first time (I almost never do re-reads) and I'm on Book 40. The secondary characters keep me as interested in the series as the primary ones.
I just finished this book. I loved it. I didn't have a problem with Serena telling him "no". She was such a strong character that I felt if she really didn't want to pursue anything with him, she would have taken action. I tried to go back in time to the mid 80's when this was written and this wasn't unusual for a storyline. I did enjoy the second half of the story more than the first half. I liked the "kidnapping" part and especially loved how Serena didn't need anyone to save her. She did it on her own.I could easily see that Justin was the groundwork for Roarke. He has all of Justin's great qualities.
I loved Daniel. I imagine that he will be interfering in all of his childrens' love lives.
Nora Roberts Groupies
Books mentioned in this topic
High Noon (other topics)High Noon (other topics)
Settings
Nassau, Bahamas
Hyannis Port, Massachusetts
Atlantic City, New Jersey
12 Chapters
Character List
(view spoiler)[
Serena (Rena) MacGregor: Graduate of Smith with degrees in English, history and sociology. She took a year to work on the cruise ship Celebration as a blackjack dealer. She’s 26-years old and has blond hair and violet blue eyes.
Justin Blade: Gambler on the cruise ship. He owns a hotel-casino, Comanche, in Las Vegas. He owns four others through the country and Europe. He has black hair and green eyes.
Alan MacGregor: Serena’s oldest brother. He’s a US senator.
Caine MacGregor: Serena’s youngest brother. He’s a state’s attorney.
Daniel MacGregor: Serena’s father, a financial wizard. He’s married to Anna. They’re the parents of three children.
Anna Whitefield MacGregory: Serena’s mother, married to Daniel. She’s a thoracic surgeon.
Lily: MacGregor housekeeper.
Nero: Serena’s assistant at the Atlantic City Comanche.
Kate Wallace: Justin’s assistant.
Dale Zimmerman: Serena’s supervisor.
Renicki: Atlantic City police lieutenant.
(hide spoiler)]
Spoiler Info
(view spoiler)[
Serena’s kidnapper was the son of the man Justin killed. The man was Charles Terrance Ford and his son’s name is Terry. He was the one that set the bomb in Las Vegas. (hide spoiler)]