Born in Shame (Born in Trilogy, Book 3) [Mass Market Paperback]

Nora Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2012

A talented graphic artist, Shannon Bodine's life revolved around her job at a prestigious New York advertising agency. But her world was turned upside down whe she learned the identity of her real father: Thomas Concannon. Respecting her late mother's last wish, Shannon reluctantly traveled to County Clare. There, her loneliness and shame melted away in the embrace of the family she never knew existed. And amid the lush Irish landscape steeped in mysticism and legend, she discovered the possibility of a love that was meant to be...

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This third and final novel in Roberts's Irish trilogy is the story of Shannon Bodine. Shannon's life is rocked by an emotional earthquake when she learns the identity of her real father. Obeying her late mother's last wish, American Shannon travels to County Clare, Ireland, to meet the sisters she never knew she had. Warmed and comforted by the bond that grows between her and her sisters, her heart is lured by the charm of the Irish countryside and tempted by the attraction of horseman Murphy Muldoon. Murphy takes one look at Shannon and knows that she is the woman he's waited for all his life. But Shannon is a practical woman. Will she open her heart and mind to the timeless, magical bond that connects them? Or will she reject fate's plan and leave Murphy to return to her life in America?

From Publishers Weekly

The final installment in Roberts's Ireland-based trilogy about three sisters who are brought together by a packet of old love letters, tells the story of Shannon Bodine, the American-born half-sister of Maggie (Born in Fire) and Brianna (Born in Ice). There are few surprises here?the characters and basic plot have been deftly set up in previous novels, but the story takes on an unexpected poignancy when Shannon reluctantly accepts Maggie and Brie's invitation to visit Ireland. Shannon plans a quick trip, just long enough to satisfy her curiosity about her sisters and the father they shared. What she hadn't planned on was finding herself, and the man from another lifetime who haunts her dreams. With prose that's lively and compelling, Roberts' creates exceptional characters whose relationships with each other develop and grow, and live on in the reader's imagination and heart.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Jove; First edition (February 28, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 051511779X
• ISBN-13: 978-0515117790
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( R ) > Roberts, Nora

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Born In Shame, February 22, 2008

By 

Kelly "Reviewer for The Sinfully Sensuous" (Littleton, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Born in Shame (Born in Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Shannon Bodine lived a charmed life until she found out that her life was based on a lie. Her mother had an affair with a married man, and the man she had always loved as a father, wasn't her natural parent. Since her mothers last wish was for her to seek out the family she never knew, Shannon heads to Ireland.

When she meets Brianna and Maggie's neighbor Murphy Muldoon, they find an unexpected connection and immediate attraction. He had been dreaming of Shannon for as long as he could remember, and knew they were destined to be. Shannon was a painter, and Murphy loved his little piece of country life. He didn't know how they could intertwine their lives, but knew she was a part of him.

I wasn't impressed with the flashbacks and past life twists. Overall the characters lacked the development I expect.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Nora Roberts' Best!, January 16, 2004

By 

Silmarwen (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Born in Shame (Born in Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Shannon Bodine knows how quickly life changes. Her father passed away suddenly and unexpectedly a year earlier and now her mother was dying of cancer. Shannon didn't know how she could bear to lose both of her parents so close together, but her mother's dying words shattered Shannon's carefully ordered world. Her real father was Thomas Concannon, a man her mother met and had an affair with in Ireland years ago. Shannon was devastated and grieving when the private investigator found her and informed her that she had two sisters living in Ireland - and they wanted to meet her. Shannon immediately rejected the offer to visit and returned to her work as a graphic artist in New York, but she couldn't focus and nothing seemed important. Before she knew it, she found herself on her way to Ireland and a family she had never met...

From the moment Murphy Muldoon saw her, he knew that Shannon was the one for him. He had been dreaming of her for years and now she was finally here, in the flesh, all he had to do was make her his. But Shannon was strong and stubborn and Murphy found that he had his work cut out for him. Oh, she was attracted to him, he could see that well enough, but she resisted his efforts to court her and refused to believe that she could have a life there in Ireland with him as a painter. But Murphy was stubborn too, and this time, he wasn't about to let her go...

This is the third book in the 'Born in' series and it is my favorite of the trilogy. I loved Shannon and Murphy's characters and enjoyed seeing the people from the other books pop up in this one so I could see how they were doing. Roberts must have a special love for Ireland because she paints such a beautiful picture of the country and makes it almost a character in the book. The love story here is wonderful, two modern people from very different walks of life with some powerful dreams mixed in to make things complicated. This is a wonderful, fast, fun read that I enjoy reading time and time again!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Shameful About this Book!, March 21, 2005

By 

Susie Morris "Book Junkie" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Born in Shame (Born in Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

One of the things that sets Nora Roberts above other authors is her ability to produce a trilogy that gets better with each book. By the time you read the third and last book, you're left wanting even more. That's definitely how I felt after reading the Born In trilogy.

In Born in Fire we were introduced to hot-tempered Maggie, Thomas Concannon's oldest daughter. In Born in Ice we were introduced to cool and reserved Brianna, Concannon's second daughter. Now in the third and last of the trilogy, we meet Shannon Bodine, the illegitimate daughter of Thomas Concannon. We finally learn about Amanda (the woman who came into Thomas' life and showed him how to love again after years of marriage to a heartless woman). We learn more about Maggie and Brianna's mother and her life of misery. We also learn about the unborn child Amanda carried with her to America all those years ago when she left Thomas.

Shannon grew up in America and didn't know that her real father was actually an Irishman she had never met. When her parents die, she learns the truth and sets out to fulfill her mother's dying wish that she meet the sisters she never knew she had. Shannon travels to County Clare, Ireland not really knowing what to expect and still reeling from confusion.

It's not an easy meeting, but a bond begins to grow between Shannon, Maggie and Brianna. While they're blazing new ground and learning about each other, Shannon also must deal with her attraction to long-time Concannon family friend and neighbor, Murphy Muldoon. This is where the story differs from other Nora Roberts books. Roberts shows a magical love that is timeless - the destiny of two lovers from long ago brought back to the present so they could possibly reunite if only they open their minds and hearts. The underlying message is simple - true love is eternal.

I've read other reviews and spoken with many people about this series, and this book is definitely one up for debate. The "paranormal elements" of encounters in past lives between these two characters and flashbacks to show that past relationship aren't received by some readers with an open mind. I found it to be an interesting twist and added a new dimension to the overall story line. If you liked the Donovan series (the tales about the three witch cousins, Morgana, Anastasia and Sabastian) then you should love this trilogy. This is definitely not your cookie-cutter romance plot.

I feel the characters are strong and developed well. The reader is given more insight into Murphy Muldoon and from the glimpses we were given in the first two books, this is a nice option. If you believe that true love is eternal, then it explains why Maggie and Brianna were never interested romantically in the hunk that lived next door!

As with other Silhouette romance books, this is short and provides a quick read. It's a great way to spend a cold afternoon and will make you feel warm inside.