The Reef [Paperback]

Nora Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

Searching for a sunken treasure, a beautiful marine biologist and a sexy salvager form an uneasy alliance--and danger and desire rise to the surface.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts returns to a familiar subject-treasure, the kind of treasure found among the shipwrecks in the balmy waters of the West Indies and the treasure of love--love of family, love between the unlikeliest of partners, love found and lost and found again. Marine archeologist Tate Beaumont finds herself thrown together with salvager Matthew Lassiter, eight years after he brutally crushed her first stirrings of young love, as they again attempt to locate Angelique's Curse, an amulet heavy with jewels and history, tainted by blood and madness. An earlier expedition ended in betrayal and tragedy, changing both their lives forever and leaving their families inextricably entwined. Matthew has an agenda of his own: to draw out Tate's former employer, the unscrupulous and mysterious millionaire responsible for killing his father and maiming his uncle--who will stop at nothing to get his hands on Angelique's Curse. Tate and Matthew find themselves circling each other warily, each unsure of the other's motives, yet drawn together by passion and danger beneath the azure waves. The Reef is an entertaining read, delighting readers with its meticulous research and detail, but it fails to adequately develop the tension between its lead characters caused by the love neither trusts can overcome the past. --Alison Trinkle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The Reef represents Roberts (Rising Tides, Audio Reviews, LJ 11/1/98) at the top of her form. Not only does the novel have a passionate, compelling love story at its center, but it is rich with intrigue, suspense, and a full complement of fascinating characters. Roberts's skill at pumping the written momentum aides Sandra Burr's virtuoso performance. Her warm Southern drawl encapsulates the essence of Tate Beaumont and her family: their warmth, humor, and commitment to loving life itself. Matthew Lassiter and his contingent are given equal measure with deeper tones, more northerly accents, and a thirst for revenge that blots out any expectation for happiness. Even Burr's narration, steady and inviting, elevates the reading to greater heights. The story is occasionally wordy, but the pleasure of Burr's performance is worth the time. Highly recommended for all fiction collections.?Jodi L. Israel, Jamaica Plain,
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Jove; mass market edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 051512608X
• ISBN-13: 978-0515126082
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( R ) > Roberts, Nora

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars IN SEARCH OF "ANGELIQUE'S CURSE", June 18, 2000

By 

Nancy Martin (Pennsylvania (orig. NY)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Reef (Hardcover)

I've only read a handful of Nora Roberts' books so I'm no expert on this master of romance. My one complaint with most of these books is that they are very rote and mundane. It's the same old thing everytime but with a different setting. Fortunately, Roberts' style and research saves this book from becoming overly predictable.

The setting is the West Indies and the quest is the search for "Angelique's Curse", a jewel encrusted amulet that has a history of bringing bad luck to the owner. Beautiful, young Tate Beaumont is a marine archeologist, who is on her parent's boat when she meets Matthew Lassiter, on another boat with his family of salvage divers. Tate is immediately smitten with the handsome, athletic Matthew but there is no immediate "happily every after story" yet. They part ways and meet up again years later to search for the amulet. Behind all this is Silas Van Dyke, a ruthless businessman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He was also responsible for the death of Matthew's father years ago and Matthew will not rest until he evens the score.

The scenery is beautiful and the reader is exposed to all the nuances of deep sea diving. I bought this book because the jacket cover was so beautiful and I must admit that I was not disappointed with the written pages on the inside.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Reef, March 6, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: The Reef (Paperback)

What a great book! After all the NR books I have read, I am still amazed by her descriptive abilities only this location is unlike any other. This story has many locations under water. Diving is a huge element, and I felt like I was there.

The characters were well written - Tate Beaumont and Matthew Lassiter had chemistry, friendship, and love. The families were important to the story also. Angelique's Curse was very intriguing. There was a lot of history, mystery, and the curse attached.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, January 25, 2004

By 

Susan Hatler (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Reef (Paperback)

I loved the adventure in this book. Diving for treasure is exciting enough, but then Tate is paired up with Matthew and the tension begins to heat up. Roberts' characters are real and enjoyable, I loved Tate and Matthew, and adored Tate's parents. Matthew's uncle was a quite a character as well. This is a great read - one of my favorites by Nora Roberts.