I love how reliable Nora Roberts is. I've read dozens of her romance novels over the years (no interest in the JD Robb In Death series at all) and they are pretty consistent in delivering what I want from them. In this case, it's perfect beach reading. I grabbed up this series for my week down the shore and burned through all four while I was there.
The McKade brothers are known for being trouble, which naturally means they need to settle down with awesome women by the end of each book. The set up is the same as in any of them - you start a book with one brother and one girl who is obviously the love interest, and they end up married or engaged by the end of it.
A difference between this and many of Roberts' other series is that these are not all set up in the first book. Often, you'll get the entire cast up front and be reasonably sure of the pairings before the final chapter of that first volume is completed. This one didn't work that way. Only Rafe and Devin's pairings are set up from the get go. Shane and Jared both meet their respective women at the openings of each of their own books. Made for less time with each couple, but kept me from waiting through the other stories to see each play out.
Standard romance fare applies. Resistance to a relationship, something passionate happens to change it, big conflict of some kind, grand gesture leading to happily ever after. Added bonus to this one is the connection to the Battle of Antietam. The series is set in Antietam, and the land is laden with history. The boys and their women (and yes, I word it that way intentionally) are very connected to the ghosts of the past, in particular relating to a story of two young soldiers who meet in the wood, fatally injure one another, and crawl off to two properties, each housing supporters of the other side. How that plays out historically is relevant to the plot, so I'll leave it at that. But it's a neat thru line.
If you like Roberts, you'll love this series like her others.
These Book Covers are such classics because you saw that Nora Roberts created a Formula that still continues to this day. Showing Men who are just as Family Oriented, Romantic, & Handsome who sweep the women off of their feet.
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