Review: Vision in White

Vision in White
Nora Roberts
Contemporary Romance
Berkley/May 2009
Bride Quartet/Book 1
Purchased

From the author's website ~

The first book in the Bride Quartet—following the lives and loves of four friends who run Vows, a wedding-planning company. Wedding photographer Mackensie “Mac” Elliot is most at home behind the camera, but her focus is shattered moments before an important wedding rehearsal when she bumps into the bride-to-be’s brother…an encounter that has them both seeing stars.

A stable, safe English teacher, Carter Maguire is definitely not Mac’s type. But a casual fling might be just what she needs to take her mind off bridezillas. Of course, casual flings can turn into something more when you least expect it. And Mac will have to turn to her three best friends—and business partners—to see her way to her own happy ending.

I'm late to the phenomena that is Nora Roberts. I always wondered how someone could write so much and still produce quality work. It seems the more I read of her the less I have to wonder. :)

Vision in White is certainly about the romance of Mac and Carter but there is also a very important relationship that, for me, was just as important. The relationship of the four women who make up Vows is critical to the story. I absolutely loved the interactions of Mac, Emma, Laurel and Parker. They're like sisters and best friends all rolled into one, or four. :) You would think after all the years they've known each other they wouldn't have any secrets but there are still a few that they keep.

Mac is the photographer at Vows and has this incredible ability to get the perfect shot. She works well with her clients, even the difficult ones, but her love life is what's lacking perfection. Mac was a heroine that I liked from the start. She's very good at the business side of taking the pictures for the Vows clients but is still able to maintain her creativity when it comes to taking photos. There is a scene where Mac is taking pictures of Rosa, who is pregnant and is not feeling comfortable in her pregnancy. Mac is able to not only get Rosa to feel good about being pregnant, she gets Rosa to feel beautiful and powerful and that beauty and power come through in the photos. That is Mac's gift - capturing the beauty of the moment.

One of Mac's major weaknesses is her mom Linda, who is a real piece of work. She jumps from man to man which means Mac had no stability growing up. The stability she got growing up came from Parker, Laurel and Emma and their families. Linda also plays the guilt card to get money out of Mac. A real bitch of a mom. I loved it when Mac finally broke free from Linda.

Carter Maguire is a teacher at Winterfield Academy, the local high school. He's also a beta hero. I rarely read betas and when I do they're usually a secondary character, like a sidekick of the hero. This time around Roberts has made the hero a beta. Unfortunately, I think that's what took me so very long to warm up to Carter and take him seriously. Sure he was cute and smart and kind of goofy at times but his uncertainty and nervousness got on my nerves. He does have a good sense of humor and is aware that he has habit of over thinking things. I think the fact that he was aware of this and that he had had a crush on Mac when they were in high school, made it easier for me to like him.

Mac and Carter together were a sweet couple. They had fun together and played well off each other. Carter was the more serious of the two and Mac the more carefree one. This gave the couple a good balance. Mac was gun shy, given her experiences with her mother and her string of boyfriends, Mac isn't too quick to want to get serious. As she gets to know Carter, Mac is able to deal with her trust issues and trust not only Carter but herself.

Overall, a good, solid start to a new series. I was able to get the audio download for Bed of Roses, book 2. It's Emma's story. So far so good and it's making me want to read Laurel and Parker's stories too.

Rating: B+