Customer Reviews

Dance Upon the Air (Book Club Large Print)

5 star:		(210)
4 star:		(75)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

While I own every single book written by Nora Roberts, I have to say that I usually enjoy her paperback novels better than the hardcover books (Not that it stops me from buying every one of them!).

This particular novel tells the story of Nell, a woman fleeing from an abusive husband to a fictitous island off the coast of Massachusetts, Three Sisters. There she finds her first real feeling of home, friends that she has a mystical bond with and a handsome sheriff who is her soulmate.

The novel nicely blends the charm of a small town and the mystical events that we expect from Nora Roberts. It also is effective at setting up the two upcoming novels that will complete the trilogy. Packed with likeable characters and well paced, the novel is worthy of her "Born in" series.

I really loved this book. It was a surprising and satisfying read that kept me turing pages long into the night. I recommend it highly.

Three Sisters is a small, rocky island off the coast of Massachusetts. Legend has it that the island was once a part of the mainland. Back in the late 1600s, during the Salem witch trials, three sisters, good witches all, known as Fire, Earth and Air, conjured the island and made it a haven against persecution. Unfortunately, the sisters did not fare as well as their island. Air fell in love with a man who proved to be so abusive that he finally killed her in a fit of rage. The second sister, Earth, vowed revenge and when she destroyed her sister's killer, she broke her sacred promise to do no harm. The last sister, Fire, lost her love and in despair she took her own life. Before she died she cast a spell to keep the island safe for 300 years. At that time she prophesied a reunion of three sisters, descendants of the original three, who would join together to redeem their ancestors and save their home from destruction.

Fast forward 300 years to Three Sisters Island. A frightened young woman, Nell Channing, comes to the island fleeing her past. She has been drawn here through compelling dreams. Concealing her identity, with few possessions and no identification, she finds a job as a gourmet cook at a local bookstore and cafe. The cafe's owner and Nell's new boss, Mia Devlin, warmly welcomes her as if she is a long lost friend. She rents Nell a lovely cottage and helps her settle in. For the first time in many years Nell begins to believe she has found a home and a place to make her future. The town sheriff, tall, dark and handsome, (of course), Zack Todd begins to woo her and Nell is drawn to him in spite of her knowledge that she can never become involved.

Then the past finally catches up to Nell. The evil she has been trying to escape comes to the island, endangering her and threatening the lives of those she has come to love. The curse of Three Sisters and the legend behind it are disclosed. Nell discovers that she is one of the three who can break the centuries-old spell and save her home and her life - with the help of two other strong, gifted women whom she has grown to care for as sisters.

One of the other reviews called this novel a combination of "The Witches Of Eastwick" and "Sleeping With The Enemy" and I think that is an apt description. The suspense and sheer terror of being pursued by an enraged, abusive spouse is clearly portrayed here, embellished a bit with the addition of magic and the supernatural. And Nora Roberts depicts the love, camaraderie, humor and complexity of the relationship between the sister witches in wonderful detail. It is easy to love Ms. Roberts' characters as she develops them with great care. The sisters' magic is delightful, as is the romance. The story is appropriately chilling at times and filled with suspense. "Dance Upon The Air" is the first part of a trilogy. I have read all three books and this is my favorite. It is an unputdownable read, perfect for curling up on a cold winter's night.
JANA

Nora Roberts is one of the few 'constants' in romantic fiction today. As an author, she paints vivid characters and sets a colorful scene in your mind where her story will unfold. Her books never fail to capture your interest from the first paragraph and hold it till the last sentence. Her trilogies are beyond compare. 'Dance Upon the Air' is the first of a new trilogy that we fans have been panting for. As she did with her 'Donaovan Legacy' novels, the backdrop here is witchcraft. Trust me when I tell you, when you've finished reading this book, you'll wish you knew where to find a local, practicing 'good witch'. Mia Devlin finds the completion to the 'circle of three' in new islander Nell Channing. She knows Nell is running away, but sees in her the promise of the future. As in all Nora Roberts books, or hero Zack Todd is big, brainy and beautiful. The perfect knight in a shinig sheriff's badge. You get immersed in the love developing between Zack and Nell, and intrigued by Mia's spell casting and 'calling up the wind'. Ripley Todd, sure to be the star of one of the two remaining installments share some of the wittiest and most biting dialog with Mia. Their all too brief altercations will having laughing out loud. I can, and have blindly recommended Nora Roberts books to all my friends without reservation, and 'Dance Upon The Air' is no exception. I can not wait until the fall release of the second book of the trilogy. Thanks again Nora! We can always depend on you !

I inevitably buy any book written by Nora Roberts and Dance Upon The Air celebrates her return to trilogies. Nell Channing, the heroine stages her own death and went on the run, ending up on Three Sisters Island where she assumes a new identity. Hired as a cook at the local bookshop cafe, she cooks up a storm every breakfast and lunch. With the help of Mia Devlin,her boss, Nell explores her talents in witchcraft.Struggling to keep the secrets of her past at bay, she falls in love with the local sheriff, Zack Todd, a sensitive and thankfully persistent soul. All is well until a chance sighting brought the long arm of her abusive and demented husband. Deputy Ripley Todd (Zack's sister),a very reluctant witch finally join forces with Mia and Nell to overcome evil.If you like to read and experiment with recipes like I do, you would appreciate Nell's niche at the 'Cafe Book', the quaint little bookshop cafe where she enjoys dishing up the goodies and have the islanders coming back for more! The magical spells are whimsical rather than dark which would otherwise be discordant in a love story. I am now waiting impatiently for its sequel, Heaven and Earth!

This is the first Nora Roberts book I've read, and it was recommended by a friend who thought I would appreciate the witchy content, since I'm Wiccan. I don't normally read romance novels, so I'm not sure how much some of the things that irked me are "part of the genre."

First, what I loved. Nell's struggle to form a new life for herself was empowering and believable, she is an interesting and sympathetic character. I especially appreciated her efforts to "edit out" the inner voice of her abusive husband. I absolutely LOVED the island. Sounds like the kind of place where I'd give anything to live-- Martha's Vineyard but without some of the price inflation? ;) I loved the Ripley character, too. When she finally gives in to her Craft destiny, I could just SEE her "swagger into the circle."

Now, for what frustrated me. I could just as easily-- perhaps MORE easily-- get into and sympathize with these characters if they weren't so perfect. So beautiful, accomplished, neat, talented, and skinny. (Must we know Nell is a "size six"? Would she be less sympathetic if she happened to be a size sixteen?) Most Witches I know are "average" people-- their beauty shines from within. The other thing is the fantasy-magic. Contrary to the Christian reviewer who thought this book was a primer for Wicca, it's not. You can't use magic to instantly bring dead flowers back to life, or create fire from nothing. Wicca is a beautiful and yes, magical religion. It's too bad that authors have to add the Dose of Hollywood to make it work for readers.

I'm aware that romance readers probably aren't looking to see the warts in life, but if you're going to try for an accurate portrayal of an abused wife (and I think Roberts succeeded admirably on that front), why not go the extra step of realistic characters and real magic?

Nora Roberts' books that involve both romance and magic are always my favourites. "Dance Upon the Air" is no exception. I can hardly wait to get my hands on the second in the series ("Heaven and Earth"). I read "Dance" in one sitting--that says a lot. Her characters are well drawn and the story is fantastic. Nell's plight--running from an abusive husband and building a new life for herself--blends seamlessly with Nell's discovery of her hidden legacy--witchcraft. Under Mia's guiding hand and Ripley's grudging assistance, Nell blooms and rediscovers herself--and rediscovers the joys of loving.
I highly recommend this book--as I do all of Nora Roberts' books. If you like the combination of love and casting spells, I advise you to read "The Donovan Legacy," a 3-in-1 book about three hereditary witches and their loves.

Nell Channing is on the run! She has had to go so far as to fake her death to escape her abusive wealthy husband. When Nell lands on Three Sisters Island, she finds the place she feels at home. She finds a job at a café owned by Mia Devlin. The two hit it off and become fast friends. Mia is a witch. This is something she neither hides nor flaunts, but when it comes to light that Nell also possesses powers, Mia helps her develop them. While developing her gifts, Nell makes another friend of Ripley Todd, Zack's sister. Ripley is also a witch, but doesn't actively practice.

When the local sheriff, Zack Todd, meets Nell, he is determined to get closer to her. He plans to break thru all her barriers. While she likes Zack, she doesn't disclose her deception because she is afraid of being found. When her identity is revealed, her life is at risk. It will take the strength of the Three Sisters - Nell, Mia, and Ripley for her to survive.

I enjoyed this first installment of the Three Sisters. The practicing witches were a new aspect for me and interesting to read.

Legend has it that the idyllic Three Sisters Island was formed in 1699 when three magical sisters cast a spell to save themselves from the Salem Witch Trials. The circle of three caused a landmass to break off from the coast of Massachusetts and float out to sea, where the three witches lived and loved, albeit unhappily. The legend states that three descendants of the original witches must unite one day to form the circle of three again and save the island from sinking into the sea.

Cut to the year 2000...on the run after faking her own drowning in California in order to escape her abusive husband, skittish Nell Channing has just arrived by ferry with nothing but her beat-up old Buick and $208. She steps into the Book Café just in time to witness the chef hanging up her apron to head for the big city. Desperate to fill the job and sensing a kinship with Nell, owner and local good witch Mia Devlin offers Nell the position, along with a rental cottage near the beach. Soon everyone on the island is coming in for lunch to check out the new chef and sample her culinary magic. Lovable local hero, Sheriff Zack Todd, makes the Book Café a regular stop on his rounds too. Sensing that Nell's on the run from something or someone, he makes excuses to keep bumping into her. Zack's feisty sister and deputy sheriff, Ripley, is the reluctant third witch in the trio. Ripley and Mia were childhood friends, but grew apart when Ripley decided to deny her obvious magical powers.

I enjoyed reading this book and will definitely read the second and third books in the trilogy. Roberts has created lovable characters that you can't help but root for as they become friends, fall in love, find their self-esteem, claim their magical powers, and fight evil. While `Dance Upon the Air' is Nell's story, the second and third installments of the trilogy will feature Mia's and Ripley's stories. My favorite of the three is Mia, a strong, confident business owner who anyone would love to have as a friend. I can't wait to read her story.

Ms. Roberts name is synonamous with quality. Dance Upon The Air is no exception. Every time I am in a book store, I am on the lookout for new books by favorite authors. When I see one of Ms. Roberts books, it is a quick rush of adrenaline as I picture the adventure I will be embarking on. I try to savor the feeling for as long as possible, without reading the book. I usually last about 12 hours, maximum. Ms. Roberts is my favorite author. I have read all of her books, several times, and they are like old friends. I wish the other books in the trilogy were already completed, as I am having a hard time waiting to find out the fates of Mia and Ripley. Not to mention, the sheer joy of being surrounded by their growing dynamics and relationships. I can't believe this was compared to "Sleeping with the Enemy", what a slap in the face to Ms. Roberts! As if a movie will EVER approach a book for quality! Thank you, once again, for the rich tapestries you weave with words.

I really liked this book. Nora has really created a strong female character, one that I think is much more stronger than her previous heroines with abused pasts (except for Eve Dallas). Nell gets away from her abusive husband by faking her own death and is drawn to Three Sisters Island. We find out she is actually a descendant of the original three witches that created the island, and her coming there completes the circle. On the island, she grows and is able to become close with people and form relationships. She is able to assert herself and get a job with the local "practical" witch, and later on she starts her own business. The romantic relationship with the town sheriff is nice, but her realtionship with her sister witches is even more interesting. One is the practical witch Mia Devlin, who was hurt by love; the other is the sheriff's sister, Ripley Todd, who has turned away from her powers. I really enjoyed this book, and finished it in one day. It's a nice break from Nora's recent mysteries, with the surprise twist of who the killer is. this is a story of growth and renewal and I *cannot* wait for the next two books in the series.