Born In Fire - Nora Roberts

I didn't find the back blurb for this one but found this from PW:

The first in a projected trilogy about the lives of three Irish sisters, Born in Fire gets the series off to a fine start, telling the story of talented glass-artist Maggie Concannon's contentious relationship with Dublin gallery owner Rogan Sweeney. Country-dwelling Maggie is otherworldly, prickly and outspoken, while Rogan is an urban sophisticate; nevertheless, the attraction that springs up between this unlikely pair is both believable and compelling, thanks to Roberts's (Private Scandals) skillful character development. Lacking melodramatic overtones or strange twists of fate, the plot may seem less than exciting, but the conflicts Maggie and Rogan face are refreshingly realistic and the characters themselves, well-rounded and likable, will keep readers engaged.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Maggie Concannon lives for her work with glass. She and her sister Brianna have to put up with her widowed mother's tantrum's and selfishness after her father died and now her life is going to take a turn as a Dublin gallery owner wants to do a show with her work.

I found Maggie to a tough heroine, too tough in fact to have any interest to me. I appreciate people made tough by circumstances but that they still have something more, call it vulnerability or sensitivity, deeper feelings than that hard shell they live behind of. In Maggie I couldn't sense any of that. She was direct to the point of hurting others, and was completely self centered regarding her work and her needs. I was much more interested in Brianna, who seemed less revolted, less intolerant but not fragile and with a passionate, if hidden, nature. I was even more in finding out what happened to their mother to make her the awful person that she was. I have to confess to have really disliked the little we know of Maggie and Brianna's father who I feel must be much to blame for both Maggie and her mother's behaviour.

Regarding Rogan Sweeney, the hero, he wasn't very interesting to me either. At first it seemed he was only interested in Maggie's work. Then he develops a severe case of hots for her. I'm afraid they never really convinced me as a couple and although I'm sure I'll see them as a happy couple in the next two books of the series I'm not sure I would predict a happy marriage for them based in this story.

I think the "less than exciting" aspect that PW mentions was really what stuck with me. In the end it felt like a series book stretched a bit to make it a full length.

Grade: B-