by Juliet Chase

Created on: September 09, 2009

The first book in Nora Roberts' Irish Trilogy, Jewels of the Sun kicks the entertaining series off by introducing us to the legend that ties the three books together. The gist of the legend is that three couples are required to find true love in order that the ancient faerie prince and his true human love ( a distant ancestor) can finally find peace and happiness. It seems that the faerie prince got impatient and let a few too many years go by before trying to make things right.

For this first book, the featured modern couple are Aidan, the eldest of three Irish siblings who runs the family pub and Jude, the hapless American trying to find herself in Ireland after an empty failed marriage. She figures she'll do this by exploring her Irish heritage although she wasn't expecting ghosts to be part of the package. Trained as a psychologist and working as a university professor she quickly comes to the conclusion that folklore is more interesting than pure academia but continues to feel that the world and her relationships probably should conform to her mother's standards instead of what she is observing around her.

There is a certain predictable formula to the setup of the book and the trilogy that will be familiar to Nora Roberts fans, but instead of making things boring it gives the reader a comforting sense of structure and confidence in a happy ending. The relaxed charm of the Irish countryside comes through in the setting and the characters making the reader long for a peat fire and a cosy pub nearby. As the endearing characters work their way through the misty Irish landscape and encounters with ghosts and faeries, there is an entertaining read to be had. The human relationships have their struggles too and as the characters work on confidence and communication, the plot develops around them. Sometimes a charming man just can't be trusted, or can he? The strong emphasis on sibling relationships and family will be familiar as well. It's the perfect book for that day when you are home sick or expecting to be touring airports. Don't forget to pick up the rest of the series, Tears of the Moon and Heart of the Sea while you're at it - you'll be ready to see how the younger siblings, Shawn and Darcy, turn out long before you get to the last page of this book.

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