Vision in White by Nora Roberts

What do you get when you combine an absent father, a narcicistic and manipulative mother, and an innate talent for photography? Mackensie Eliot, the staff photographer at Vows, a high-end, all-inclusive, wedding venue in Greenwich. Even though Mac is surrounded by marital bliss, she's never been able to master the long-term commitment. So, when a sexy schoolteacher harbouring an old crush enters her life, she's swept up by passion and romance more quickly than she could have anticipated. But is she equipped for real love, or will she let it slip through her fingers?

Well, I managed to hold out for 15+ years, but this past weekend I finally gave in and read a romance, Vision in White by Nora Roberts. And you know what? I liked it. I suppose I was expecting Harlequin, so the focus on all of Mac's personal relationships and not just her budding romance with Carter was a relief. I must admit the greatest draw for me personally was the wedding venue angle, since I will be experiencing matrimony myself in August.

What can I critique about this book? I found the love scenes had just the right amount of visual stimuli and tasteful description to make me feel slightly risque as I read on the ferry, but it was tame enough that I would happily pass it on to my mom (as an interesting aside, I picked it up at my mother-in-law's). It's a trade book, so no typos here, but then again, no plot surprises either.

Romance novels and rom-coms are (unsurprisingly) made for the same audience. So, if you like yourself a good rom-com, you'll undoubtedly like this book (although it isn't particularly humourous). For me, I find it sufficed to get me from Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island to the Tsawwassen terminal. Maybe I'll pick up the next in the series, Bed of Roses, when I go back to the Island for my next round of wedding planning.

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Copy source: loan
Genre: romance
Format: hardcopy