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Book Club - March

Since February's meeting was canceled I again was looking forward to March's meeting and attending with Michelle. The book for this month was one we had both read before and really liked. It was "Key of Light" by Nora Roberts and is the first book in the Key Trilogy.

- The Story -
Nora Roberts blends romance and magic into a captivating tale of gods, mortals, love and mystery. Three women from Pleasant Valley, Pennsylvania recieve dinner invitations to Warrior's Peak, a castle-like estate outside of town. Their hosts tell them a legend of three sisters, demigoddesses, whose souls are trapped by an immortal sorcerer, and they offer the women a large cash prize to search out the keys that will unlock the sisters' prison. The invites come just as all three women had conveniently fallen on hard times career-wise, and were desperate for a change.

"Key of Light" follows Mallory, an art gallery manager.
"Key of Knowledge" follows Dana, a librarian.
"Key of Valor" follows Zoe, a hair-stylist and single mother.


- The Characters -
Mallory Price manages the art gallery in Pleasant Valley and she loves her job. That is until her boss marries and puts his wife in charge and then Mallory's dream job is no longer a dream. It was easy to like Mallory right from the beginning, she's organized, does well under pressure and while she's got a life plan it's not set in stone and she's all about going for what she wants.

Her opposite is Michale Flynn Hennessy. He is editor of the local paper, a job he was kind of forced into after his mother and step-father have to leave Pleasant Valley for health reasons. He's got a big, unmanageable dog Mo. He owns his home and while he's lived there for a number of years it still looks like he just moved in, with just a couch in the living room and a bag of dog food in the dishwasher. He's Dana's stepbrother and his two best friends, Bradley Charles Vane IV and Jordan Hawke, are set up to be the other two leading men of this series.

The characters are easy to like and you've got a front row seat at watching friendship bloom with these three women as they grow closer together based on true friendship and this quest for the missing keys progresses. The relationship between the men is solid as life long friends should be, when Flynn calls Jordan for help, Jordan comes back to Pleasant Valley.

The relationships between the men and women are also great. Mallory realizes that Flynn is perfect for her and doesn't hesitate to tell him that they will be getting married. You're along for the ride as Mallory fits herself nicely into Flynn's life and he grows accustomed to her proposal of marriage.

- Discussion -
I was unable to make this book club meeting but Michelle went without me. She reported that the general opinion was that last month's book was just as bad as we thought and that everyone liked this book and for the few who had never read it they will be reading the next two books.

This is one of my favorite Nora Robert's trilogies so it was no big deal for me to re-re-re...read them again. Unlike last month's book I think these characters are likable, and easy to connect with, you care about hem and hope they succeed in their quest. The supernatural/magic aspects of the story don't make it any less realistic, but add another layer to the story. These characters don't blindly accept the magic but each in turn come to their own understanding and acceptance when the time is right.

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