Just after reading Jewels of the Sun and Tears of the Moon, wouldn't a reader be wanting to move on to the third installment of the trilogy, Heart of the Sea? Brenna may have been a well-motivated character, but the daring countenance of Darcy Gallagher gives the third part of this set a really amusing edge that can engross anyone who likes a good showdown. This book is the best of the trio.

While Darcy takes advantage of the vacation fund she has accumulated, she is on holiday in Paris when wealthy American entrepreneur Trevor Magee comes to Ardmore to build a small theatre next Gallagher's Pub. Shawn has moved out of Faerie Hill Cottage and Trevor rents it from Jude and Aiden, preferring that over staying at the local hotel. The Ardmore theatre is his pet project, and he is taking a hands-on leadership position on the construction. Darcy, who resides in the living space above the pub, bobs her head out the window the morning after her return and when Trevor sees her, it's lust at first sight.

Unlike her brother, Shawn, Darcy wants the finer things in life--jewels, fine clothes, gourmet food, and a beautiful home. She also dreams of seeing the world like her eldest brother, Aiden, did. She is a dark-haired beauty who blokes chomp at the bit to have a chance. At the age of 25, she's never been in love, and claims she'll only marry a rich man. Many are more than willing to wait the extra half hour or so she takes past their agreed meeting time to prepare herself. She manages the dining room at Gallagher's with aplomb, singing and flirting as she takes and fetches the punters' orders. She is already saving money for her next holiday.

Regardless of his money, Trevor Magee is a fine specimen of a man. His grandfather, Dennis Senior, had emigrated to America from Ardmore when his father was a small child. Dennis made a fortune once he crossed the pond, and his son and grandson continue to maintain it. Most of the family business is in building and real estate, but Trevor indulged his interest in music by procuring a record company. Curious about his heritage, Trevor wants to learn more about the village his grandfather turned his back on. At the age of 32, he escaped an engagement that made him reticent, but like Darcy he has never been in love.

When Darcy and Trevor meet, the attraction is immediate. Both possess an arrogant nature, so seeing them silently challenge each other is fun. It soon becomes clear that Darcy's perpetual lateness for social appointments has nothing to do with disorganization. She obviously keeps an immaculate home and is really at the top of her game when working the dining room. She keeps people waiting because she knows people are willing to wait for her. When she appears to meet Trevor for a date, she is floored when she learns he's not there. While she was primping, he was busy making phone calls. The little games they play until they become comfortable with each other make this 2000 novel absolutely engaging.

Darcy is a metropolitan woman who functions well in a smalltown and is ready to take on all challengers. When she tells Trevor she wants a rich man, he goes out of his way to impress her with his dosh. She enjoys the flash, yet in the end she realizes it is not enough. She wants Trevor's heart as well. Some people may see how they exhibit their most impressive features as obnoxious, yet they still come off likeable. What they value most is the people they love and the welfare of those around them.

After reading all three parts of this trilogy, the one bothersome factor is that in each one the Gallagher sibling comes to an epiphany that they're in love. Darcy is no lovesick female, but this realization occurs differently for different people. It's a growing attachment for some people, while others feel that charge the first time they make eye contact with their intended.

The passage of time in this storyline seems to blur. Jude was pregnant in the last novel while Brenna and Shawn became an item and the same pregnancy continues in this one. There are periods in the narrative between the two books when it seems an awful lot is happening in just seven months, especially since Jude delivers her baby near the end. Granted, some construction projects don't need as much time as others, but in addition to being the foreman for the theatre, Brenna has also built the home she and Shawn are living in. Speaking as someone who is unfamiliar with the intricacies of this work, does that sound doable?

The background legend of Carrick and Gwen also concludes with this book, but the details are too sketchy to derive much satisfaction from it. Carrick is prince of the faeries in the hill where Faerie Hill Cottage is perched. Gwen is the ghost that haunts the cottage. Three hundred years before, Carrick fell in love with the mortal Gwen. The relationship never worked out during her lifetime, but folklore says that once they bring three mortal couples together they'll have another chance. Given those details, many questions remain. Why does it take 300 years to achieve this goal? After all that time there was never an opportunity to do it sooner? It is never clear what is so special about the Gallagher siblings to give them the ability to break the curse.

Carrick and Gwen were inserted into the story to accentuate the atmosphere of provincial Ireland, which Author Nora Roberts renders very well. Ireland is a land of folklore and superstition. Although banshees and leprechauns have a more direct association with its soil, they are overlooked--most likely because they would alter the tone of this novel.

Of the Gallagher trilogy, Darcy is the best of the female principals. The way she uses her talents and sexuality is fun to follow. Trevor ain't so bad either. Heart of the Sea is wonderful for anyone who enjoys romance and Irish culture. This whole trilogy makes ideal reading for St. Patrick's Day, but is good any other time as well.


Recommended: Yes