This book was not for me.
I had high hopes but unfortunately I didn’t like it at all
I have enjoyed this author before but not this time

What a fabulous series I have discovered. I love the mixture of Irish folklore, countryside and American life.
Breen has lived her life in the shadow of her mother, who has instilled in her that she is just about good enough to teach and be content. But when Breen finds out her long lost father has been sending her money for twenty years and it amounts to a substantial sum, she decides to see her roots for herself and travel to Ireland, perhaps even finding her father. What she does find is a longed for family and a world she only dreamt of full of magick, fae, dragons and trouble brewing.
Breen has to chose between what and who she loves in Philadelphia and her roots and duty in Talamh.

Absolutely adored this first book and I have already purchase book two and cannot wait to see what adventures are waiting for Breen, Marco and Keegan.

Always a Nora Roberts fan. The dragon heart series looks set to be another great series when Breen leaves her life for a change in Ireland she sets in motion some unbelievable events and ends up in another world where she finds family she always dreamt of.

Here is an author you can not go wrong with and I have been a fan for many years of her books. The Awakening
by Nora Roberts was no different. This book was a lovely read with a great storyline and with great characters

I highly recommend this book and all of Nora's book. They are a safe cosy reads

Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a review.

A slow beginning, but as always Nora Roberts pulled it out of the bag. There's nothing I haven't enjoyed of Nora's and this is no exception. I'm excited this is 1st in a series as a Nora Roberts fan and a fantasy fan. The setting is spectacular and now I want to visit Ireland. I look forward to book 2. Thanks to Netgalley

In recent years I have mentioned my different reactions to Nora Roberts' books multiple times. With this book, one chapter in, I realised why I used to once devour her books. She has a few series with magic and fantasy and (I guess) Irish folklore blended into a narrative, and this is where I think she shines! This is one such book; I did not pay attention to the blurb as I started the book, picking it out at random, but the weight of an idea of 'magick' is strong from the beginning and only gets stronger as we get more information.
We have an unassuming woman who has very low self-confidence, thanks to her mother's insistence that she is an average person. Her life as she knows it is going to change with a nudge from one of those aforementioned special people. The turns that her emotions take and the depth of her feelings are very well done. I could hear the highs and lows as she braved the unknown to find herself. I am not as sold on the primary love story at this point, but given my understanding of the author, the next book in the series may sell me on it.
The supporting cast was precisely that, supportive! Some of the interactions that involved the good guys brought tears to my eyes like a good book of this ilk ought to do! I really hope to get a chance to read the next in the series. I recommend this to old fans of Nora Roberts and those of straightforward fantasy woven in with contemporary living.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I like Nora Robert's fantasy books even if they differ from the type of fantasy i usually read.
This is the start of a new series and it's a slow burning and enjoyable story.
There's plenty of world building and we are introduced to the characters.
It's a bit slower than I prefer but i thoroughly enjoyed and can't wait for the next in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was my first Nora Roberts book and it won't be my last!

Set in Ireland it slowly builds the characters and the surrounding world, I sometimes wanted it to speed up but overall I loved the development. The friendships kept me going especially Marco because they had me laughing throughout and they just supported Breen so well through her family issues, ew to the mother.

Must read for those who love romance and fantasy, slight Outlander vibes with the time travel.

I received a free copy of this book via netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4 Stars

Mists, shimmering silver fingers, rose over the pale green water of the lake. They twined and twisted toward a sky quietly gray, while in the east, over the hills, a pink blush waited, like a held breath, to waken.
I love Nora Roberts. I can't wait the next book.
Always perfect books. I high recommend for everybody. Thank so much Netgalley

Another amazing contribution from one of my favourite authors, Nora is a Queen of writing, I don’t think I’ve met a book of hers I didn’t love. This is no exception, the story draws you in from the first page and doesn’t let you go. The characters Nora creates are just wonderful strong but flawed, realistic and people you connect with. The story is original and you never see what’s coming, which I love, keeps you on the edge of your seat. Absolutely fantastic

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is the first book in a new fantasy series by thsi prolific Author which I have been looking forward to .

Breen is weighed down by student debt , working all hours in a job she does not enjoy WHEN she discovers
her Mother ( with whom she has a difficult and distant relationship ) has lied to her her whole life - she finds documents that shows she has millions in the bank .
Quitting her job she resolves to travel to Ireland , perhaps to discover her father - who promised to come back when she was a child but who never returned - but mostly to take up her passion - writing !
What she discovers is another world , one her father belonged to , A world in which she discovered people who love her and those that do not . A world that would make her future decisions difficult - could she leave all she knows behind , especially her best friend . Could she have the best of both worlds ?

This book is a slow burn , setting the scenes in both worlds but without a cut and dried ending - leaving the reader wanting more - which is perhaps what all writers should aspire to .
I look forward to the next in the series .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Interesting, Unique and a book I will be collecting for my forever shelf I have found this one hard to put down and have been completely captivated.
I adore the writing style, plot and characters. A great book!

A slow burn fantasy novel, the first in a new trilogy by Nora Roberts.

Breen, the central character, starts the book 'beige', for want of a better description. Pressured by her mother into teaching, she has also been told repeatedly that she is average. And she is living an average life, doing a job she doesn't like that her mother pushed her firmly towards and otherwise following her mother's rules, dying her red hair brown, straightening out her curls and generally working not to stand out. How much more unhappy she would have been without Marco in her life I can't imagine!

this book becomes the story of Breen's awakening - not just to her father's world and magic, but to herself, what she wants and likes. She starts this journey when she discovers the money her father has sent for her, and decides to journey in Ireland. I haven't been there myself, so I'm not sure how accurate the descriptions are, but if they are, I would love to go sometime - although I'd be happy to stop there and not travel on to talamh!

I enjoyed the slow descriptive pace of this book, something I was in the mood for this unusual winter. I enjoyed the world building as well. I would say the focus of the book is split equally between the characters; descriptions of the day to day life around the character each part of the story is focused on; and the fantasy element. As such, not all the characters are developed as much as in a Nora Roberts book that doesn't have a fantasy element, but most weren't 2D either - Breen, Marco and Sally certainly sprang to life on the page. this balance worked for me as I read this book.

I enjoyed this and will be looking for 2 and 3 when they're published.

What a fantastic start to the new trilogy. I love Nora Roberts' writing style and her ability to weave a story.
Her female characters are strong and complex and her male characters are sexy and fierce without being arrogant.
In Awakening Been discovers she has a legacy she's never known about and a move to Ireland has her uncovering a whole new world of dragons and warriors.
But there are dangers that she's to be ready for if she's to leave her old world behind.

If there is an author whose writing can transport me to a different world, then that's Nora Roberts. She weaves magic with her words and she did not disappoint in this book.

We follow Breen, a middle school English teacher, living a very mundane life in Philadelphia. She is struggling to pay off her student loans by doing a job that she does not like. From her very childhood, Breen has been told by her mother that all she can hope to be is just average. And that is what she has ended up believing.

Breen's dad left her and her Mom when Breen was still young, and she has always thought that he has left them for good and does not want to keep in touch with them. Until one day, when she finds something in her mother's office that changes everything she thought about her father. In an attempt to connect with her estranged father, Breen, accompanied by her best friend Marco, decides to go to Ireland - her father's birthplace.

Once there, she starts exploring things. With some encouragement from Marco, she starts her blog to try her hand at writing (which was her heart's desire for a long time), she goes hiking and learns gardening. In Ireland, she starts to realize that she is not just average or dull, that she can do the things that make her happy, and she can be good at doing those things. She starts getting more self-assured.

Breen's journey of self-discovery and her efforts to find her father in Ireland slowly take a weird turn when strange things start happening around her. She keeps seeing a man with silver hair everywhere she goes. She meets a woman with a pet hawk in the woods who disappears as suddenly as she appeared. Her dreams are filled with visions of a place with two moons in the sky and a dark tower full of demons. Then one day, an apparently lost dog leads her deep into the woods to a different place. A place where people have wings and can turn into animals. A place where dragons fly freely in the skies, where people ride these magnificent beasts. A place filled with magic.

This place is Talamh. Here she meets her Grandmother. Here she finds her roots, her peace, her heart. Here she finds her magic, her birthright. Here she awakens. She awakens to her legacy of wielding magic. She understands where her father came from, what he gave up for her and her mother, how he honoured his responsibilities to his family and his birthplace. She understands that she is a bridge between the worlds, and though things look peaceful and cozy in Talamh, darkness is brewing around the corners. The dark God wants to drink her power and claim the world for himself. And Breen might just have the power to stop him.

I loved Breen's entire journey in this story. From being a person who doubted her every move, to being someone who is confident in herself, she indeed 'Awakens' in this book. Her Awakening is not just her coming to understand and control her magical abilities, its also her struggle to be the best of what she is, and not think less of herself. Her mother had structurally and systematically broken down her self-worth by constantly telling her that she nothing more than average at the best. Over time, Breen came to believe in that. Breen's 'Awakening' came in form of finding a way to break free from these psychological constraints and finally doing something for herself, for giving herself a chance.

With her grandmother and her new (or old) friends from Talamh, she learns about magic. At the same time, she fights to keep her own space in our world and work on her own creative goals and career ambitions. I loved this part of the story. There are so many other books that have alternate worlds where the protagonist goes to those worlds and everything that they had in our world becomes of no consequence. I loved that the author focused on developing Breen's character in this world as well. Breen not only became adept at magic, but she also grows to be her own person (in both worlds). She learns how to develop and fight for her career and her dreams in this world. Does this mean that she suddenly becomes a pro at using magic? No. She is good at some things, but she also lacks in other things. And this is also something that I loved and admired a lot. Again, so many times, in so many other stories, it is shown that the protagonist suddenly becomes an expert in all abilities. That seems unrealistic. Breen's story was much more relatable. Another thing I liked about Breen's character was that even though she is bad at some things - like physical combat - she never gives up on her training. She knows she is not good at it, but she also knows that this is a necessary skill and she always gives her everything to it.

The story is a slow burn, as is the romance. This just adds to the magic of the entire tale. The descriptions of the places are beautiful! We feel as if we are walking down the streets of Galway with Marco and Breen. When Breen walks into Talamh for the first time, we feel as if we have walked into a magical land with her.

All the characters are amazingly fleshed out. The highlight of course is Breen. I loved how she became her own independent person. I loved Marco and Sally. The reason Breen finally understands her own worth is because of the constant love and encouragement she receives from Marco and Sally. They are her real family.
Marco is the best friend that everyone should have! I honestly loved him so much! His relationship with Breen is so precious! And Sally is such a mama bear! Breen's grandma is the epitome of an amazing grandma. Her love interest, Keegan, is also a great character. He is honorable and ethical and a good leader of their tribe. I loved the slow build-up of their relationship. I even liked the character of Breen's mother. Breen's mother is a representation of many many parents who try to mold their kids into something that they are not for their own 'betterment'. The kids just end up getting smothered by this.

The world-building was amazing. The magic system was a bit vague, but it added to the charm of the story for me. The characters and their relationships were the main focus of the story and I loved every bit of it. This book was definitely more environmental with a focus on self-discovery. This is the first book of a series and I can't wait to find out where the story will go in the next books.

Fantasy fiction is not a genre I generally enjoy but because it was Nora Roberts I thought I would give it a try. It didn't disappoint! The same great storytelling as usual with brilliant characters. I wasn't ready for it to end when it did.

Bringing together a magical portal and the classic chosen one trope, this start to a new fantasy series by the acclaimed author is enchanting, evocative, and entertaining. The beautiful, scenic views of Ireland are painted in this contemporary fantasy to contrast the warmth of a wonderful found family. A flawed young woman in search of the missing parts of her puzzling life—a father who she assumed to have left and relatives at stake—crosses the thin barrier to step into a Celtic-inspired magical world where her destiny is determined and surprising revelations await to be disclosed. Greater focus on characterization and world-building was understandable as a first installment but the lack of enough propulsion to plot was dissatisfying and certain paths were predictable.

The Awakening, The Dragon Heart Legacy Book 1, Nora Roberts

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General fiction ( Adult).

Its ages since I read a Nora Roberts trilogy, ( or any from her alter ego Nora Robb come to that...) Those I have read have always been when all the books are released. I hate waiting for next parts, and part two is Nov 21 and its scheduled to finish in Nov 22! I find I've forgotten much of the story by time next installment is out. Still, when all parts are out its wonderful to get lost in another world, in a back to back reading fest. I can see this story being one of those.

I found the start Very Slow, at times it dragged. There were a few magic elements slid in with Sedric's interventions but they are few and mysterious as we don't know then what its all about. I did out aside a couple of times and come back to it another day here...
Then once more we have the obligatory Gay Best Friend. Are there really so many of these? Solid, safe backups, someone who's protective to death, trustworthy, has the other persons best interests are the front always? And of course, good looking, great friends etc. It seems every other book has one now, and its beginning to feel unreal. They've been in the last three books I've read, all different genres.

So, once that slow start is past its a story that was great fun and had me gripped. Magic, magical creatures, spells, Good and Bad people, and of course a contender for the male MC's heart. That's very early though and may just be wishful thinking on my part, I do so love a good “ bad” manipulative person ;-) The possibilities are there, so I'm hoping it happens.
I love Nora's writing, full of interest, lots of minor plots, lots of threads to hold my interest. The story doesn't jump about, just moves through these threads, these different sections, gradually joining them all together.
I loved the characters, in both worlds, and the sheer volume of supernatural in the story. I hate ones that promise magic, and then throw in a tiny speck, a few minor spells and that's it. Once Bree is in Talamh she's surrounded by all magics. I loved it. Just hate that wait for next two parts.

Stars: Four. If it wasn't for that slow, slow start this would be a five star read. Roll on the next book. And the one after ;-)

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

So it is no secret that Nora Roberts is one of my favourite authors, in fact one of my favourite series ever is The Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy so when I saw she had done another paranormal book set in Ireland I couldn't contain my excitement.

The Awakening is the first book in the new Dragon Heart Legacy series. And introduces us to the main character Breen Kelly, a teacher who hates her job, living in Philadelphia with her gay best friend Marco. Breen has worked hard for everything she has and is shocked to discover one day that her Father who she thought had abandoned her years before has actually been sending money to her mother in a trust fund for her amount to millions of dollars. Realising that her father didn't leave her, her and Marco travel to Ireland to try and discover what happened to him and discover her heritage. On arriving, two worlds collide and not only does Breen discover what happened to her father but she is transported through a portal to Talamh the place of her birth and the real adventure begins. The cast of characters are fantastic there are so many I want to learn more about. One both sides of the portal.

Nora Roberts paints such a beautiful picture of Ireland, with all its lush green hills, you feel like you have been transported there and if you haven't been already you will be longing for the day you can see if for yourself (it is worth the trip believe me) The way she writes of the fae and folklore is also mesmerising and you are also transported into that other world routing for Breen.

The only downside I can see to this book is that I have to wait another year to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Awakening is an urban, portal fantasy set in Ireland and the fantastical world of Talamh. The story is mainly told from the perspective of Breen, a young woman in America. Breen is an insecure and introverted woman who has lived her whole life being in the shadow of an overbearing mother. With her mother constantly working to put her down, she has a low opinion of herself and is very much vulnerable. Breen finds out some uncomfortable truths about her life and her mother that compels her to make the necessary changes in her life to get herself away from her controlling mother. With the help of her friends, she decides to start discovering herself. It also gives us the perspective of Keegan, a young man who takes up the sword to protect his realm from dark forces. The two meet together, and interesting things start to happen and change the route they had planned for themselves.

The story is superbly written, with the backdrop of Ireland setting an atmospheric quality to it. The writing is beautiful and descriptive, giving the readers the feeling of being part of the story. It will make you want to visit Ireland, that's for sure. The pacing is much slower and you don't get to see much action in this book as it is laying the groundwork for the upcoming books. But, trust me, you will never be bored. It is a book that you will want to read slowly and savor. The magic system is soft, and we are introduced to a lot of magical and fantastical creatures in the story. This book does a lot of world-building and character development and is a great set-up and foundation to build the rest of the series. The character introduction is more detailed, making me feel connected to the characters. I loved the introduction to the folklore, mythology, the different realms, and portal magic we get to experience through the story.

Overall, the story was a strong start to a fantastical series. I have no doubt it will take us through an unforgettable and picturesque journey. The charm of the place and characters stand out in this book. If you loved the Cursebreaker series, you need to check this one out. There are some prominent similarities, and yet at the same time, this is unique on its own. If you didn't know already, I loved the book, and I gave it a 4 - 4.5 stars rating. The ending has left me wanting more, and I can't wait to see what Breen will get up to in the upcoming books. I highly recommend checking this out if you love portal, urban fantasy with beautiful descriptive writing that you need to savor slowly.