Customer Reviews

Enchanted: The Donovan Legacy (Silhouette Intimate Moments, #961)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

"Enchanted" is the fourth book in Nora Roberts' "Donovan Legacy" and it is exactly as its name suggests, enchanting. It is a lovely tale of fantasy and romance, and of finding the truest magic in the heart.
Rowan Murray has finally made a decision for herself and escaped from her smothering life in San Francisco to a friend's cabin on the Oregon coast. Rowan immediately feels more at home in her new surroundings than she ever did in the city, and for the first time in longer than she can remember, she begins to listen to her heart.
Rowan falls in love with the place she is calling home, and notices almost every day a sleek and gorgeous black wolf watching the cabin (and her) out of his golden eyes. She also meets her dangerously handsome and mysterious neighbour Liam Donovan. Rowan and Liam have an immediate and intense response to each other, which continues to grow as they become friends.
But Liam Donovan is filled with indecision. The innocent and beautiful Rowan makes his blood run hot and his body yearn, but he feels he has no right to take advantage of her at such a vulnerable time in her life. He also knows his honour is such that he will not allow their relationship to progress much further, until she knows of his special heritage and the gifts that come with it.
Will Rowan be able to accept Liam for who he is once she knows the incredible truth? And will Liam be able to open his guarded heart and offer Rowan the one thing that really matters?
Read it and find out.
I really loved this book. Nora Roberts has crafted a sweet and whimsical tale of magic and destiny and love. The story is refreshingly original and the romance between Rowan and Liam is fresh and fun. I thought Liam was a great hero, stubborn and brooding, but yet with a soft and loving heart. He's not in the least bit creepy, and all that's necessary to realize that is a bit of imagination. This is a story of magic - it's not supposed to be realistic - who would want it to be? So when you read this book, suspend your disbelief and just enjoy it. I guarantee this magical, fanciful tale will sweep you away and leave you sated and happy!

As a woman so often ruled by her family, never making any choices for herself, Rowan Murray ventures to a cabin in the woods in search of solitude and time to evaluate herself and her life. She's surprised to find she feels more at home in the tiny cabin surrounded by the beauties of wilderness than she'd ever felt in her home in the city. Then she meets Liam Donovan-the owner of a cabin a few miles through the woods from hers. Suddenly he's with her in her thoughts, her dreams, and as a relationship begins to flourish his effect on her sends her sailing to a fantasy world. But there are many things about Liam Donovan that Rowan is unaware of. Particularly his heritage. As the story unfolds, Rowan learns of this heritage and that of her shocking heritage as well.

While this is the first book from THE DONOVAN LEGACY series that I've read, I can assure you I will be reading more. The story behind ENCHANTED is one of fantasy nestled in a sweet romance. Shape-shifting witches, magical powers, and secrets hidden in the past keep you turning the page demanding to know more. The description of each scene brings the story jumping off the pages to life, making you feel as if you are truly experiencing the moments rather than simply reading about them. A very delightful read.

This book is awesome! I fell for it as soon as I started reading it. Before, I thought Sebastian was just the man, and now that I have read this Liam is really the man! The two of them were my favorite characters in the books about the Donovans. Liam's character was handsome, dark, and mysterious! I not only found a plot, but understood it and enjoyed it. There was heat between Liamand Rowan as soon as they met and it didn't end even at the end. This book and The Donovan Legacy make you wish you had that kind of magic inside of you, and yern for more. The only thing I had a problem with is that with The Donovan Legacy Sebastian and Mel had twins, Shawn & Keely, and with Enchanted they only had Aiden and she was pregnant again. I would really like to know what happened there. This book makes you believe in the goodness of magic and love. I will definitly read both books more than once!

Enchanted is the next book in the Donovan Legacy series. If the reader has read the previous books, this one is a charming addition. It stands on it's own as well if you haven't read the others.

The relationship between Liam Donovan and Rowan Murray begins in Oregon where Rowan has gone on vacation to a friends cabin. Rowan becomes alarmed when she sees a golden-eyed black wolf watching her but then she begins to become more comfortable with the presence of the wolf. She meets her elusive neighbor, Liam, and is mystified by him. She begins having erotic dreams of Liam she can't explain.

Liam is a Donovan witch and can `shape-shift' into different forms. He is the wolf that watches Rowan and who she has taken into her home.

I found Enchanted to be an excellent addition to the Donovan Legacy and enjoyed it from beginning to end. It lives up to the other books in the series and was an enjoyable read.

So dissappointing after the wonderful books Captivated, Entranced, and Charmed. Nora should have left well enough alone if this was the only inspiration for continuing the series.

A self-centered hero and a lovestruck wimpy heroine, no plot. The premise had promise but there was no follow through. This Donovan, Liam is a second cousin to the original Donovans. He's isolated himself in the mountains to make a life altering decision. He must decide whether or not he wishes to assume the mantle of Prince of his people from his father. On the wind is carried a message... Love is coming for him. He is determined not to let this influence his choice, in fact he shrewdly decides to use the fact to support his ultimate decision. As prince he must marry another hereditary witch. Should the woman not be so, he can use his love as an excuse to decline. Should she be one, he can reject her and make it his reason to decline.

His gift is the ability to shapeshift. His favorite form is that of a wolf and that's how he meets the heroine.

She is on retreat in an effort to come to a decision of her own. She is dissatisfied with the life choices that have been essentially made for her. She is unfullfilled with her teaching job and with her blase' relationship with her fiance'. She wants to be alone to make a life altering decision. So far so good.

She is taken with the wolf but not so taken with his human counterpart. He is determined not to let her get close in his human form. He does, however, take advantage of her loving nature in his animal form, sleeping in her bed, watching her bathe. Ugh. The catch is that he knows she is a hereditary witch, a fact that has been kept from her. At last, in order to reveal what she is to her, he must reveal himself. Justifably furious with his deceit, she flees, staying away and rebuilding her life until approached by Liam's mother who tells her he's miserable. Swallowing her pride she returns to him. He grudgingly admits that he loves her qualifying it by saying that he doesn't have to like it. Sheesh. Oh and by the way he's decided to be prince regardless of how his romantic life turns out. What a boor!

Well, I had great expectations about this book, but they weren't fulfilled. This story just doesn't have the humor or emotional intensity that used to be so typical of Nora's books. I not sure what is going on. I was disappointed in her last three hardbacks, and now a series book. I am about ready to give on Nora's books. The hero in this book is just too self-centered. In his shape changer role as a wolf, he spies on the heroine while she bathes, undresses, etc. Maybe this was suppose to be humorous? The heroine is just benign. Suppressed by her strictlaced parents, and former boyfriend she escapes to find herself. The conflict in the story is weak. Hero is attracted to heroine, and realizes that this may be a way of bypassing his heritary elfin responsibilities. He not sure he wants the job. For him to accept the role he must mate with a woman of elfin blood. So if he falls in love with a mortal woman, then he can't assume the role. But wait, the heroine may or may not have elfin blood. Also characters are mentioned from her previous books in this series, and the children's names are different. Which by itself is a minute irritation but combined with the book's mediocrity resulted in a disappointing read.

Once I've got into the story, I could not lay it down for even just 2 minutes. It is breathtakingly romantic. The love between Rowen and Liam's wolf form is so touching and intoxicating. The little plays between them, the hug, the nuzzle and the kiss all display a profound love scene. The description of love-making through minds is so amazing that I could not help to appeal to God--Please make this possible earthly!

The romantic story is weaved between magic and ordinary life. It reminds readers the responsibilities they have for their own living, for the one they love and for society. But on the other hand, it also reminds us that some time and fun for ourselves may not only be inconflict with our responsibility, but may even help us to accomplish it better. Hope you all enjoy this book as much as I do.

Considering how much I enjoyed the first three books in the Donovan series, I can't understand why I disliked this book as much as I did. Until I read Enchanted, I literally gulped down Nora Roberts's books and couldn't wait to begin an unread series.

The story of Liam, another Donovan cousin, and his relationship with a new female neighbor begins in remote cabins place in rural Oregon. As Liam presents himself to Rowen, who he later learns is a very distant cousin, he is at first a friendly wolf. Readers quickly realize that Liam is a shape shifter along with his parents. And again as his relationship becomes more serious he wonders how he will explain not only his powers to Rowen, but his place in the family as the rughtful leader. There is the requisite meeting of the entire Donovan clan, who readers of the trilogy have met before, but by then the family closeness and words of wisdom came a little too late for me as a reader.

I regret that I didn't enjoy this book more but even with a favorite author, I guess readers would find one or two books they just didn't care for as much as others. But it certainly won't stop me from reading other series by Mrs. Roberts. As I sit here and finish this review, I'm already thinking about what books I'll read next by Nora Roberts.

As a reader of paranormal fiction, it always amuses me when authors claim that vampires aren't vampires which has become an increasingly popular approach. In this novel Nora Roberts' hero who usually shapeshifts into wolf form refuses to be categorized as a werewolf. He doesn't think he's a werewolf because werewolves are supposed to be brutal uncontrolled killers. Not only isn't this the universal portrayal of werewolves, but this stereotype is a slander against real wolves. So I don't appreciate a perpetuation of the slander in paranormal romances.

Yet I did like the heroine's comfort with wolves, or at least with this particular wolf. That was the most remarkable aspect of the book.

Over time Nora Roberts has gotten better at characterization and backgrounds. I wish that Nora could write a Donovan novel with the writing skills that she has now. She would do quite a job on it. Enchanted is a bit unsophisticated.

Its great to see Nora return to the realm of Paranormal romance. Unfortunately, this novel was a bit weak, even for her.

Numerous problem areas beset this latest edition to the Donovon Legacy. Weak plots. Characters use magick in fantastic ways without mortal limits almost to the point of ridiculousness.

Her heroine Rowan was bland, easily led and had poor self esteem. About the only thing interesting about Rowan was her name. Even her inner dialog was a touch dull. I was mildly irritated that in order to get some measure of self esteem she had to learn to use magick. (I don't have a problem with magick, but I do think its a poor substitute for normal self empowerment).

Liam embodies 'dark brooding alpha' and spends a lot of time brooding about. Even when visiting his cousins he seems a touch on the cold side. Also his powers were a bit overblown. (Teleporting them both to Monterey etc., without even sweat on his brow) I would like to have seen Liam a little less self absorbed and controlling or at least have Liam pitted with a more feisty heroine who could stand up to him when he starts getting overbearing and domineering.

Overall, a two star rating for a book of Nora's is a four star rating for anyone else's. While well worth reading, this one was not quite up to her usual standard