Born In Shame

A true classic for me finally concludes....again. I remember when I first read this trilogy I read them out of order, starting with this one. This time I read them in the correct order and I still loved every page.

I wished more fiercely that Tom Concannon was still alive. I would have loved, as Shannon might have, to see them dance around a relationship, but the story wouldn't have worked as well if he hadn't passed in the beginning. Shannon's not my favorite sister (that would be Maggie, I think - hard to choose), but she's a great character anyway. Murphy, on the other hand was my favorite of the men of County Clare. And as always, I'm sad to leave the Concannon sisters in Ireland. Maybe someday Nora Roberts will revisit and show us Liam and Kayla all grown up!

*3.5 STARS.

(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)

Okay, singular complaint out of the way first: I don't enjoy random large paranormal/mysticism/whatever elements in books that are billed as straightforward contemporary romance. Much less in the third of a trilogy which has had none of it before! I'm still peeved about this, because I think the characters could have had a tremendous love story without the unnecessary elements that were included in the book. I do appreciate that Roberts did not go overboard with it, though. That aside, I loved so many things about this book! I could sympathize with Shannon and eventually grew to like her. I absolutely fell head over heels with Murphey, and I loved how he called her by her full name (Shannon Bodine) all the time like it was a term of endearment to him. I liked watching the bond between the three sisters grow, and I just love the Ireland setting in general. Also, I'm still in love with the voice of the guy who reads these audiobooks. Just saying. If you love a good Irish accent, look up the audiobooks of this trilogy!

Earlier in book #2, Brie found 3 letters written by a Ms. Dogherty to her father which lead the Concannon sisters to the discovery of their half-sister, Shannon Bodine.

Hours before her mother passed away, Shannon Bodine's past shattered as her mother told her the story of Ireland and a certain Tommy Concannon. She told her of one rainy day in the Clare County and of the gentle man she met when she went traipsing in Ireland. And how she loves that man. Knowing only one father for all her life, Shannon is shocked to the core to found out that she is not the daughter of the man she thought was her father.

She soon learns about her sisters and after an invitation from Brie, Shannon decided to go back to the place where she was conceived. She met her sisters and their husbands along with their precious little children and she met Murphy Muldoon. She fell in love with Ireland and all it has got to offer.

This time Roberts includes the element of mysticism in the book. Glimpses and flashes of Shannon's previous life are described through her dreams. In order to find herself, Shannon must first open her heart and believe.