Nora Roberts has been my favorite author for over 15 years and I am so sadly disappointed that her recent novels have not been up to par with her earlier works. I fell in love with her books for many reasons including the depth of her characters, the passion and love between the h/h that seemed to jump off the pages well as the engaging story lines. Tribute had absolutely none of these qualities. What really concerned me is the lack of passion between the h/h. It seemed as if Cilla would much rather slap on another coat of paint than to spend any quality time with the hero (he was so unforgettable I can't even remember his name right now). Nora used to described the characters' feelings for one another in a way that left no doubt in your mind that they were in love and should be together. In this novel, the characters merely stated they were attracted and in love but it came across as superficial and unbelievable because the writing did not back it up.

I don't know what's going on with Nora but I strongly recommend that she take a break and write no new novels until she gets her mojo back. She is truly an excellent writer and her latest novels are hurting her credibility.

Loved the book and Nora does not let you down. Has it serious moments and very funny moments. Nora paints a very good picture and you can see it all as you read her stories. Worth the buy and worth the read on a hot summer day. Or a good one to read when the weather is lousy outside and you can't go anywhere.

Enjoy!

The back cover was more interesting than the book! Very little time was spent on the suicide/murder mystery of the heroine's glamorous grandmother. Her romance with the graphic-novelist neighbor lacked sizzle....it was simply bland. Most of the time was spent describing the heroine's efforts to rehab an old house. Ms. Roberts went into excruciating detail about demolishing walls, nailing stuff together, the use of ladder types in painting, picking copper vs. brass faucets, choosing counter finishes, etc., etc., etc. I suspect the prolific Ms. Roberts has just about used up all the stories she has inside her imagination. Instead, she is trolling her everyday life for subjects to write about. I imagine that she must have recently remodeled or rehabbed a house. What is next? Will we read all about gardening? Or how to cook family meals? Or even picking the right paper for scrapbooking? If you're looking for suspense, romance, character development, and captivating storytelling, I'm afraid that this book disappoints.

I have always loved this author, but lately...her characters are so predictable! Everything the main character says or does is "politicaly correct" - not a wrong word, not a wrong move!! They became such flat characters, it becomes a boring read. There is no excitement to her stories - although they are very well written (smooth sailing all along) - but you just know everything falls into place and it becomes same all same all. And yes, I found the dog the best in the story.

What happened to the Nora Roberts I used to know and love?! This book is yet another example of an author getting wildly popular and then, instead of writing to please the readers, they start writing to please themselves. This book is so full of descriptions of house rehabbing that I pretty much read this book through the process of skimming. I'm sorry, but the whole house-as-a-metaphor-for-life thing wasn't working for me! It was dull, dull, dull! Did I mention it was dull? Only people who flip houses will find this interesting. Then there is the endless descriptions of plants and landscaping. Since I don't know what half of the plants and trees she's naming are I can't visualize what she's describing and again, she loses my interest. A prime example of what happens when an author becomes self-indulgent. (we all know how into gardening NR is. How much do you want to bet she's gotten into rehabbing houses now too!)

Besides all that, you have the characters, who seem to be the same in every recent book she's written. (Including the trilogies.) They all speak the same. There is no varience no matter where they are from, what generation they are from, or what walk of life they are from. The heroine is the same gutsy, brash, independant, Dont-tell-me-what-to-do, I-can-take-care-of-myself type. The hero is the same sissified, I-can't- tell-a-hand-tool-from-my-elbow type, who stands around beaming proudly and adoringly at his capable woman. (as do all the men in this book.) O.K. Nora, we get it! You are woman here you roar, go N.O.W., Rah Rah women! Now can you think of something a little different then the same old tired role reversal premis? The romance was flat. No chemistry at all. They basically met, decided they would eventually end up in bed, the rest was just a matter of when. No real conflict. The hero was immediately smitten, of course. Booooring!! There were a few saving graces in this story and some interesting parts which saved it from being a one star book, but generally speaking, I think I'm done wasting time and money on Nora Roberts.

This book didn't grab my attention right away like most Nora Robert's books do. The beginning is a little slow, introducing all the characters and building the story on the past. However, it quickly picked up in the middle and surprised me in the end as to who the character was behind the terrorizing of Cilla, and of Janet. I loved the relationship that builds between Ford and Cilla and also between Cilla and her father. Another great book by Nora Roberts!

I bought Tribute in large print which I always look for. Nora Roberts is an outstanding author. There is no question about that.
When Cilla, a child star, returns to her grandmother's home in Virginia, she has left Hollywood and her mother behind to lead a quieter life. She has learned to FLIP houses and is a whiz with tools. She meets Ford, who lives across the street with his dog, a real character, and they become involved. Her grandmother commited suicide in the house. In the attic she finds old letters that point to the fact that her grandmother was pregnant at the time of her death and that the father, possibly someone from the community, didn't want the baby.
I love a mystery and the found letters were a mystery to solve. I personally got lost in all the different characters and how they were related to each other. I stayed confused and had to re-read a lot of the book, back-tracking to find out who was who. I don't believe this is a book I will keep or re-read but I did like the main characters very much.
Not one of Nora Roberts best but enjoyable all the same.

Who would be to blame for a book like this? The writer? The editor? Both? Surely, more time could have been spent on editing this book, making the language tighter and getting rid of some of the long-winded dialogue. It has always puzzled me that the great NR is able to produce, without fail, book after book after book of bestsellers that pop up but then disappear quickly. Are these books bestsellers because of high volume orders from bookstores or because of lots of sales? I just wish, this great writer would now catch a well-deserved breath, get her creative bearings back and start afresh. And choose quality over quantity.
I won't recap what others in the 1 to 3 star ratings categories have said about Tribute. I agree with all of them. I also agree that this is an excellent book to check out from your local library. Save your $$$ for something that actually pays off in the end (...like an extra little contribution to your retirement fund - but I digress).
...and why Stephen King's quote on the back cover, saying: "NR is cool." Yes, she is (really!!!!). But...what does this have to do with the book. The readers who pay their hard-earned $$$ to buy NR's books are cool.

Nora Roberts has always been one of my all time favorite romance writers. She has truly written some great books. But her last several books have just been so uninspired. It's like she's going through the motions of writing simply to fulfill an obligation. Tribute was by far the most bland book I've ever read by her. I hope she redeems herself soon or all this mediocrity will prevent people from reading some fantastic books in her backlist.

I picked this book up expecting that suspense would be the book's main element. Instead, Tribute is a pretty standard romance involving reasonably original characters, former child star Cilla McGowan turned general contractor and house-rehabber-for-profit and graphic-novel artist and author, Ford Sawyer. The physical attraction is strong from the beginning, and much of the suspense merely relates to when chemistry will overcome caution. In the background, local people hold strong grudges against Cilla's grandmother, Janet Hardy, a star who died from too many pills and too much booze at 39, but who also never saw an attractive man she didn't want, and Cilla's dead uncle who helped some others to an early grave.

The real heroine of the book is Cilla's grandmother's house that Cilla is "restoring" for her own use. If you love the idea of restoring and living in an old family home, this book will probably have above average appeal. If you aren't into home restoration details and graphic novels, you probably won't like this book as much as I did.

Cilla McGowan makes an unusual and poignant heroine. I hope that Nora Roberts will write about her again. I also liked Ford Sawyer. He offers a lot of potential for future books, as well.

The suspense parts of the book were the weakest. In fact, the threats, violence, and problems seemed artificial and the characters' reactions to those events also didn't ring very true.

But all the world loves a lover, and there's a lot to love in this romance.