Nora Roberts - Island of Glass

As the hunt for the Star of Ice leads the six guardians to Ireland, Doyle, the immortal, must face his tragic past. Three centuries ago, he closed off his heart, yet his warrior spirit is still drawn to the wild. And there’s no one more familiar with the wild than Riley—and the wolf within her…
An archaeologist, Riley is no stranger to the coast of Clare, but now she finds herself on unsure footing, targeted by the dark goddess who wants more than the stars, more than the blood of the guardians. While searching through Irish history for clues that will lead them to the final star and the mysterious Island of Glass, Riley must fight her practical nature and admit her sudden attraction to Doyle is more than just a fling. For it is his strength that will sustain her and give her the power to run towards love—and save them all…

Comment: This is the third installment in the Guardians trilogy by Nora Roberts. The conclusion of the story ends with the final two protagonists becoming a couple and the group finally defeating the villain and giving the stars back to the goddesses that were responsible for keeping them.

In the final story, reluctant team member Doyle returns to Ireland, the place of his birth but also where his darkest memories originated and that does play a part in his emotions. 

Riley is the other "single" member of the group and she is on a mission to help the other with the practical things thy need to look for the caves where they suspect the final star is hidden. 

These two don't seem to get along that much, not that they don't like each other but they just don't seem to have much common ground, but things change when a casual situation makes them start thinking about what it would be like. Suddenly, an attack changes everything and they do go past their dislike for the cliché of being the only two of a group not hooking up...

I liked the story as a whole and because this is by Nora, a writer whose books I think I'll always enjoy reading, even the ones with tropes I don't like much.

Her older romances (mostly from the 90s and early 00's) rung quite a bell for me and I remember many of them fondly and re-read many scenes here and there. What I like the most about her stories is the sense of family, of connection between the characters, how we get to know the characters because they have a very specific thought process or, should I say, the author has a very unique way of telling us about he characters.

This is why some of her more recent books have not been as memorable or emotionally punching for me. They have felt more polished, more meticulous in the sense it feels as if each scene and situation has to carefully fit into a box of "check ✓" in order to the story to follow a certain path and end where it's supposed to.

This story, as other have, felt like the characters were too perfect in how they behaved, in how they thought things, in how they did chores and tasks to accomplish a goal. I don't think they expressed their feelings as emotionally or as intensely as I've read in other books by the author. I miss that eagerness to get to connect with the character.

For instance, Doyle is the hero of this book and he is an immortal who has lost his family a long time ago. He mourns and misses them still and as expected doesn't want to form lengthy relationships for fear of losing them too. (other heroes of this author have been "molded" like this as well)

Do we get to follow his messy thoughts as he falls in love with Riley? Do we get to be in his head when he discovers he likes his new friends upon knowing they are there for his back? We are told these things in a very polite, precise manner but I miss the emotions.

Then Riley, the heroine, so prickly but so smart and wanting to help as much as she can. She is described as independent, confident...and she changes into a wolf. This author's paranormal elements aren't always up to the expected, it's often more in the subtlety level but I wanted to know more about her being a wolf. I wanted this part of herself to have more importance, to have her thoughts on that part of herself. However, it was all so simple, taken for granted and useful just for the tea efforts' needs. It was a bit of a letdown, let me tell you.

Some readers have said the romance between Riley and Doyle was a bit contrived and I understand that, especially because we didn't have as many "hints" about them in the previous books as the author usually does in her trilogies. They were a couple because it had to be so and I confess I would have liked more sweet and passionate scenes between them and not just the few we got.

The relationship with the other characters was also very methodical. I'd say just a different choice of words or of how a scene is played out could have made the difference...

I know it sounds as if I'm too picky and tat I just complain but as a whole the story makes sense and I wanted them to reach their goal. I know what to expect when it comes to mrs Roberts' books and most of them are good enough for me to keep up with my fan status. I keep pre ordering all her books anyway. It's just that no matter how rigorous and familiar her writing is when it comes to the final product, no matter how well chosen the words might be, the books just feel a bit impersonal. But, of course, maybe it's just my own impression.

Grade: 7/10