Silhouette Romance #801: Courting Catherine

This is the first book in the 5-volume Calhoun series, and it is the best of the lot by a rather wide margin. It should also be read first, but I read it after the other four books. The writing here is more focused, tighter. There is no lurid bedroom distraction--the first Nora Roberts book I've read without one. Somehow it works better that way. The plot works nicely. C.C. Calhoun is a shapely if rather oily auto mechanic heroine, and Trent St. James is a thirtyish businessman, bent upon buying the sisters' castle and turning it into a luxurious hotel. The conflict of personalities and life aims is certainly there and keeps the book moving. But once again, what makes most Nora Roberts books worth reading is her ability to create a place and take the reader there. This time it is a century old stone castle overlooking the ocean in Bar Harbor, Maine. The characters and dialogue are OK, like the plot. It is Bar Harbor and the castle that kept me reading and interested me.

COURTING CATHERINE is the beginning of a series revolving around the Calhoun women. This story tells of a strong female (Catherine or CC) who would rather work in her auto repair business than worry about attracting men. She's happy with her life, herself and wouldn't change much. If only we all could have the amount of self-esteem that CC has! The exception to her happy life is the fact that she's being forced to sell her family home to a hotel conglomerate. And then there is always the fact that she and her family are unable to find the truth about a story of missing emeralds whose legend has spanned many generations. Is the story true and are the emeralds real, or is it a tall tale handed down from generation to generation? Trenton St. James III is the owner of the company buying the Calhoun mansion (with a name like that, you know he has to be wealthy). He goes to the coast of Maine to arrange the final details. A spit and polished business man attracted to a pretty grease monkey -- sounds far-fetched but Nora Roberts pulls it off as only she can. COURTING CATHERINE will have you cheering for CC's spunk and understanding how Trent can fall hopelessly in love with her. This romance goes well, but the future of the emeralds must wait until another book in the series. COURTING CATHERINE doesn't have much in the way of cerebral exercises, but will definitely have you smiling and saying, "Ah...".

Courting Catherine is a title from a series The Calhoun Women which was first published in 1990 and has recently been reissued. Once again it is similar to Nora Roberts' other romance books from series but still worth the journey and destination. An eligible bachelor is invited by an aunt to possibly buy the home of her four nieces. Her nieces parents died years before in a plane crash and now the white elephant of a home is slowly becoming a burden none of them can afford. Aunt Coco has invited Trent St. James to the house for a few days. He is interested in possibly acquiring the property and house for his conglomerate, but Aunt Coco also has another type of merger in mind with four eligible nieces. What Trent and one of the sisters, Catherine doesn't expect though is to fall in love. There is also a mystery angle to this book as the sisters and Trent try to find an unbelievable and legendary emerald necklace given to their great grandmother by their great grandfather. And as an added element to the book is a glimpse into the life and love of their great grandmother Bianca. Like most of Ms. Roberts romance books, I did enjoy Courting Catherine and look forward to reading the other four titles from this series.

I loved listening to this audio book recording of Nora Robert's Courting Catherine, it is about a young lady named Catherine Calhoun who is called C.C. by everyone, she is a mechanic and meets a wealthy guy named Trenton St. James when he comes into her garage, it is a great story and as some spooky moments while they are looking for the lost necklace in the spooky old mansion and talk about the ghost and there is also a sinister villain who is up to no good! This audio book is a keeper!

Loved the characters, the reader and the plot of the story. I loved it all!