Vision in White by Nora Roberts

There is simply no pleasing me.

Retro Review*

Vision In White by Nora Roberts 
Book #1 in the Bride Quartet Series
Narrated by Emily Durante
Romance Audio
Book #2 in The Cousins O'Dwyer Series
Amazon ♦ Goodreads

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts cordially invites you to meet childhood friends Parker, Emma, Laurel, and Mac – the founders of Vows, one of Connecticut’s premier wedding planning companies.

After years of throwing make-believe weddings in the backyard, flowers, photography, desserts, and details are what these women do best: a guaranteed perfect, beautiful day full of memories to last the rest of your life.

With bridal magazine covers to her credit, Mackensie “Mac” Elliot is most at home behind the camera – ready to capture the happy moments she never experienced while growing up. Her father replaced his first family with a second, and now her mother, moving on to yet another man, begs Mac for attention and money. Mac’s foundation is jostled again moments before an important wedding planning meeting when she bumps into the bride-to-be’s brother…an encounter that has them both seeing stars.

Carter Maguire is definitely not her type: he’s stable, and he’s safe. He’s even an English teacher at their high school alma mater. There’s something about him that makes Mac think a casual fling is just what she needs to take her mind off dealing with bride-zillas and screening her mother’s phone calls. But a casual fling can turn into something more when you least expect it. And with the help of her three best friends – and business partners – Mac must learn how to make her own happy memories…

My Thoughts

 

If you want your romance with a hefty dose of wedding planning tips this one is for you. By the time you finish this book you’ll be an expert at planning the dream day and at organizing your closet. I could care less about a neat closet, wedding colors, floral décor, and event day “drama” and found all of those bits tedious and thought they overwhelmed way too much of the story. Sorry but it’s my truth. Many disagree so pay me no mind.

I’ve read a lot of books by Nora Roberts and usually her books are pretty awesome when it comes to developing romances. This one though was just lukewarm, meh and not one of my favorites. I hear this book is part of a foursome (but not that kind, so sorry you pervs) but as I didn’t care much about this group of friends (not at all actually) I won’t be actively seeking out the other three. I’ve learned enough about weddings in this book to tide me over until I die.

Vision In White is about a group of besties who grew up playing “wedding day”. They practiced marrying each other and their pets and I have to admit that this part was sort of cute. As they grew, they very conveniently pursued careers that pertain to the wedding industry. Together they’ve created “Vows” which claims to be the ultimate wedding planning venue. They’re all very close and work in a big mansion all cozy-like, a few even live there. They’re also beautiful, successful and conveniently single and sequel ready. You’ve just got to go with it, I guess. This book focuses on the photographer friend and the sweet but klutzy professor who falls hard and fast for her. I’m sorry but her name has escaped me.

I listened to this book on unabridged audio last week. I took notes because I can’t remember a thing. I’m feeling really lazy so I’ll leave you with my notes which pretty much sum up my reactions.

* OMFG, these wedding details are endless.
* Someone prod me with a hot poker before I drive off the road.
* Is the narrator a robot?
* The heroine is okay, I guess.
* Carter (the hero) has a cat with three legs. Awwweeee. I think I have to like him now even though he’s a bit of bumbling, awkward fellow who konks his head too much.
*Heroine needs to grow a spine and kick her whiny-ass, worthless mother out of her life. Their interactions are giving me a headache and are making her look really pathetic.
*Narrative is still painfully robotic but the voices are getting better.
*A quote from the book: “I wanted to stay so I had to leave.” WTF? This is the conflict? The heroine is afraid of LOVE and she plans weddings for a living? Oh good lord, please tell me this isn’t the great big conflict. (Crap, turns out it is!)
*Hero has the patience of my hound dog waiting for a tasty morsel to drop from the heavens. Poor sucker. He deserves better.
*Carter’s friend and professorial colleague is an idiot. He’s in his 30’s (or at least late 20’s) and talks like a fool. He calls Carter “The Big Bad Dog” after he meets the heroine. I just cannot deal with him. He opens his mouth and my ears start to bleed.
*I feel no emotion when I probably should. Have I run off the road and died? Is this never ending story my purgatory? I probably most certainly deserve this fate.
*My undying curiosity has been satisfied. I now know exactly how the heroine has her closet arranged down to the last detail. FFS! I wish I were kidding. I know more about her closet than I do about my own.
*Carter was cute. He was sweet. But cute and sweet can’t carry a book filled with things that bored me to death.

So there you have it. This was a mostly “meh” book but I disliked more than I liked so I’m giving it a 2 ½. A good narrator may have been able to salvage some of it but it didn’t happen in this case.

*I originally read this audio in 2014.