In Talamh, a warrior named Keegan exits from a lake holding a sword thats supposed to protect the fey. In Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered a treasure of her own. Breen loved telling story of magical places. In her 20s she's in debt and hates her job. Then she finds that her mom had been hiding an investment account that has millions in it from her long lost father. When she heads to Ireland she realized that she had so much she didn't know. And she was being called home to her dangerous destiny.
This was a very interesting story. Real life and supernatural mixed.

First book in the Dragon Heart Legacy Trilogy.

I almost never read books falling under the fantasy/sci fi/paranormal/dystopian/etc... umbrella. I rarely enjoy them. Nora Roberts is the exception. I have read every single book published under her Nora Roberts pseudonym. Even Promise Me Tomorrow! At one time I could say that I had read every book she had written, but life pulled me away from the In Death series somewhere around book 20. And now that there are more than 50, I find it daunting to catch up.

Anyway, back on track. Despite enjoying Nora Roberts's writing, I still always go into her fantasy trilogies with some apprehension. I have no idea why I worry- I always enjoy them and The Awakening is no exception.

I really connected with Breen. Perhaps it is because I am a former teacher and I also struggle with confidence and self worth. Regardless, Breen is easy to like. I really enjoyed her path of self discovery and I cannot wait to read the next two books!

The audiobook is narrated by Barrie Kreinik and she does an excellent job!

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review. (Which does not alter my opinion in any way, as I would have read this anyway!!)

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* always a bit cautious of romance books but this wasn't bad, or at least i didn't have to skip anything. it's a bit long but looking forward to reading the next one.

The Awakening has fascinating, intricate worldbuilding and it's written in Nora Roberts' signature prose. This book was a mix of highs and lows for me, though. I love the use of Celtic mythology and the way the this book sets up the rest of the series, however, I disliked basically every character at one point or another throughout the novel. The only people I absolutely loved were Marco, Sally, and Derrick.

I get the whole trope of a shy MC who discovers her power and her confidence, but sometimes Breen just frustrated me. One of the reasons I don't read YA anymore is because it's too angsty and the characters have a tendency to emotionally overreact to everything, but this book had the opposite problem. It was just too polite and that irritated me. Breen just accepted a whole other world and her abandonment too easily for me. I wanted her to be angrier (probably because I'd be angrier in that situation) and she takes a lot of shit from Keegan for no reason. I can forgive Breen for being so easygoing, though, because that's basically her entire character but it starts to feel like people are taking advantage of that trait. She's expected to put off her questions so she doesn't upset her grandmother, Morena expects her to just believe in faeries and is upset because she doesn't remember her even though Breen was three the last time they saw each other and her memories were wiped! All these characters have had lifetimes of knowing about magick and multiple worlds and Breen, and it chafes a bit that they all just expect her memories to flood back and for her to learn what they've spent their whole lives learning in the space of a few months. I also really don't like Keegan. The more I read the more I was physically cringing away from their interactions. I really wanted Breen to either verbally smack him down or at least magickally best him, but she's too patient and understanding to do that (insert eyeroll here). Also, I'm a little more than annoyed that Odran appears to be a one-dimensional villain so far. He's evil. I get it. He drinks the blood of virgins, killed his son, and wants to drain Breen of her powers, but that just all seems too neat. I like a little depth to the villain, some "I'm doing the wrong thing for the right reasons" complexity maybe.

Anyway, that's my rant about what I didn't like but it was balanced by a reasonably cool plot and freaking DRAGONS- that didn't play enough of a role in my opinion. I'll most likely be reading the next book because, despite all my issues with this one, Nora Roberts has a really engaging way of writing (even if her characters are too nice sometimes).

My first Nora Roberts book but definitely not my last. The Awakening is the story of Breen Kelly. A young, twentysomething who is living a life she hates, being a person she hates, only to find a secret that her mother has hidden from her for her entire life - an investment account abundant with money. The investment account is the final straw, the push that convinces Breen to go on a trip to Ireland with her best friend, Marco, in hopes of finding her father. While in Ireland, Breen settles down. She stays and Marco goes back to America. She focuses on her writing. She gets a dog. And then one day she finds herself falling into a new world. Welcome to Talamh. A world where real warriors, dragons, witches, mermaids and elves exist. And a man named Keegan. Breen is faced with her new reality and struggles to decipher between what she thought she knew and what she now knows. She is strapped between two worlds and must decide which one to choose.

The Awakening is a prequel to what becomes the The Dragon Heart Legacy and boy is it a good one. First off, I loved the characters. They were so well executed in their own, unique ways and if I am being honest, I need a Marco in my life ASAP. Breen's transformation has she found herself and battled her self-doubts is one that I easily resonated with, causing me to root for her even more. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to The Awakening and look forward to continuing the series.

This book was a surprising and comforting find this winter when it's sequel came out and began to receive some marketing. I hadn't heard of the series before, and I genuinely enjoyed myself as I listened to this audiobook while baking Christmas cookies. It was the perfect easy, cozy fantasy to sweep me away to another world while I baked.

This book is not one of the hardened, sweeping high fantasies currently popular in the genre. Rather, it takes a much more gentle approach with themes of family, love, and friendship that would be familiar to fans of Nora Roberts. This series belongs firmly in the category that I label "feel-good fiction."

I enjoyed the characters in the book, and I found myself rooting for the main character as she came into herself and fought to balance the two worlds she lived in. The world building was a little light, but not surprising given the tone of the series.

Overall, I enjoyed this book enough to listen to the sequel immediately after I finished it, and I am looking forward to reading the third. I would rate this book 3.5 stars.

3.5 stars

I always feel that Nora Roberts writes such captivating and engaging books, I think it might be a little difficult for me to be even the tiniest smidge of objective here.

Breen Kelly is living a life she pretty much 90% hates. She hates her job, her clothes are more than dull, and her love life is non-existent. If it weren't for her best friend, Marco, and her surrogate family she wouldn't know what end was up or down. After a series of curious events, Breene discovers that her mom has kept quite a secret from her, one that has quite a hefty price tag attached. Furious that her mother would secretly keep an investment account that her estranged father set up for her and to discover that she actually has nearly 4 million dollars when she has been struggling to meet her student loan payments, well.. that is just the last straw. Breene and Marco set off for a dream vacation to Ireland while she figures out her next steps in life. Only the vacation experience ends up being way more than Breene ever expected and she soon ends up finding she has family and a life she had forgotten in Ireland with quite the discovery in itself.

First, I have to say I quite loved the queer community involvement in Breene's story and overall support structure. Her bestie is a gay man and her surrogate "Mom" is a drag queen with a heart of gold. She also has a whole bunch of friends in the community. I love that for her.

Nora Roberts always has the ability to write an all-encompassing and intriguing fantasy story. Where I have found her previous books to be a romance in the forefront and the fantasy is the backdrop, I found The Awakening to be a bit of the opposite. Yes, we do have some romance here and pretty steamy smexy times, I felt like the overall fantasy world and the prophecy story and the backstory of Breene's family were more center stage here. It isn't bad, just making an observation.

The Awakening is very much a beginning of a trilogy centered around Breene and Keegan. Their relationship is very much a slow burn that starts with some pretty intense irritation with the other. I'm not a huge fan of sleeping with someone to get another person off your mind, but that's just me and my salty self, but I could help but deduct some book boyfriend points from Keegan for that one. (sorry, not sorry). I also had a hard time connecting with Breene at first. She was such a pushover, it grated on my patience. I know, that's her story arc or awakening to be the power she is meant to be, but still... I have a hard time reading characters that don't stand up for themselves and get easily pushed into doing things they don't want to.

The world-building and setup were fun and creative. The pacing dragged in a few of the more daily activities sections, but I understand that this was done in effect for establishing patterns and all that.

Barrie Kreinik did a wonderful job narrating. She created such a vast array of characters that were each unique. Not to even mention her, to me, flawless execution of words that I would have struggled with and most likely butchered in the Gaelic or I don't even know the origin. I really enjoyed the whole audio experience.

Overall, I am seriously enjoying the beginning of The Dragon Heart Legacy series. Just be forewarned, this book ends with a cliffhanger, so you need to prepare to grab The Becoming as well.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Somehow, I've not read anything by Nora Roberts yet. This book is enchanting, especially the descriptions of Ireland. I love the friendships and seeing the MC grow into her dreams and newly found roles. The first in a trilogy, it's definitely setting up for a battle between good and evil. The narration was good.

Maybe it is my own heritage and current quest to figure out the missing pieces of myself and life purpose but man, did this book rock my soul.

A cast of characters I fell for hard and fast, two worlds full of vibrancy, and the magic of hope that we can make it out of our challenges alive.

The cliffhanger ending was brutal at it's worst and genius at its best. I cannot wait to pick up The Becoming and journey back to Ireland and Talamh with Breen to see what will come next for her, the people she loves and the worlds that she tethers together.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this gift of a book when I needed it most.

Breen Siobhan Kelly is a young schoolteacher living in the "gayborhood" of Philadelphia with her best friend, Marco. Her mother has always told her that she'll only be average. She even dyes her beautiful red hair mouse brown to avoid calling attention to herself.

While watering her mother's houseplants, Breen finds statements indicating that she has over $3,000,000 in the bank. Her mother has kept the account a secret. After learning that the money has been transferred each month, Breen decides to quit her loathsome job. She and Marco will travel to Ireland to find the source of the deposits. While in Ireland, Breen accidentally falls back into the life she forgot.

I really loved this book, and was so sorry when it ended. I would highly recommend this title to any adult fantasy readers.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital audio copy of this book from Net Galley.

#TheAwakening#NetGalley

I've heard such great things about this author so this book was quite the disappointment for me. The main character was so bland, she's just super sweet and naturally good at everything she does (to an unbelievable extent). Every time she tries something new, she's immediately amazing at it, everything basically gets handed to her on a silver platter. The book gets 2 stars because the writing itself was actually pleasant and I thought the narrator did a really good job, especially with the accents.

Other than that, the story is really slow and filled with so much detail. This might work for some people but I personally need a little more plot. I'm not interested in every meal and beverage a character ingests unless it has some bearing on the story. At 40%, nothing had happened. Something exciting happened around 48% and then pacing dropped again.

I think this book is for someone looking for an atmospheric trip to Ireland, rather than someone looking for an exciting fantasy with adventure and dragons. I will not be continuing on with this story.

I was provided an audio ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Breen, an unhappy middle school teacher who has been held back and put down by her successful and driven mother for most of her life. When she finds out that her mother has been lying about her estranged father for years and that he's been sending funds to provide for her since they divorced, Breen is understandably angry. She and her best friend Marco decide to take a trip of a lifetime to Ireland to try to find her father and reclaim some of Breen's lost heritage. While in Ireland, Breen begins a journey of self discovery starting out with Marco and it becomes even more after she meets her Grandmother and learns more about her family. This book has been out for a while so I won't go into the plot too much. I really enjoyed taking this journey with Breen, I was captivated by the story and enjoyed the characters! If the second book isn't out yet, I know it will be available soon.

I loved this! The narrator was wonderful, and I thought she did a great job with the different characters and accents. I didn't know much about the series going in, but I've read a different paranormal/fantasy series by Nora Robert so I thought I'd give this a try. I'm so glad that I did. I thought the world building was excellent and it makes me want to take a trip to Ireland even more than I did before. I thought Breen's character development was good, but some of the side characters could have used a bit more development. Keegan who I assume is going to play a much larger role as the story develops is a good example, Breen spends a good deal of time with him, but I don't fee like we know him yet. We know he's driven by duty and has high expectations of everyone, but we don't get to know the man very well, at least not yet. As for Breen, I really liked that she went from a timid kind of push over character to someone that while she was skeptical of the new world she is now part of, was willing to speak up for herself. She communicated her needs even if people weren't willing to listen, and she was willing to train to fulfil her duties even if she didn't always want to.

I felt that the magic system was a bit under developed. When it came to Breen developing her abilities, everything just kind of came to her without much effort. Maybe that was by design, but it felt too easy considering how hard she has to work at everything else. I also didn't love the ending. The audiobook is over 15 hours long, and the ending makes it feel like a really long introduction instead of a standalone novel. I'm very much looking forward to the next book, but I feel like the conclusion could have been a more sound as I prefer books even if they are part of a series to feel like they stand on their own. The ending almost felt like a cliffhanger after such a long book, I don't have a feeling of closure. It does make me want to pick up the next book ASAP, so that works in the author's favor. I'm looking forward to book 2 and seeing where the series is headed.

I was a little confused for the first few opening chapters and it took me a bit to get into this book. Thankfully Barrie Kreinik does a WONDERFUL job narrating, so even if I wasn't sure exactly what was going on I was content to just listen and enjoy the ride. Eventually I did feel like the story began to flow better and I had a better grasp of what was going on. I did expect more BOOK from this book - it felt more like a very long prologue than an actual book in and of itself. That being said, it sets up the rest of the series wonderfully and by the end I was VERY excited for book 2!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to The awakening by Nora Roberts. When this book was published I put it on my TBR list because it sounded like the book would be just what I wanted to read. However, there was always something else to read and I forgot about it. BIG mistake!!! This audio version was wonderful and I loved the story!!! It is also fantastic that I can follow it up with the audio for book 2 The becoming right away!!! The narrator, Barrie Kreinik was wonderful and easy to listen to. I hope she continues the series! Breen finds out her father has been sending money to an investment account for years, which her Mother has kept hidden, while Breen has been working at a job she hates to make ends meet.. Once she finds out, she decides to go to Ireland for a wonderful holiday, hoping to find her Father again. Traveling with her BFF Marco, she is quickly enthralled with the wonders of her Father's country. What she doesn't know is the world her Father came from, who has been waiting for Breen to come back. This is a wonderful start to a fantasy triology filled with the Fey, and I just adored both the relationship Breen has with Marco, but also with new dog Bollocks!

Unpopular opinion, but the writing in Nora Roberts’ new Dragonheart Legacy series is incredibly weak and the characters are flat and annoying. Roberts takes the easy way out at every turn, including handing everything to her characters on a silver platter. There is no struggle and no development here. And if Roberts had her LGBTQIA characters say “girl” one more time in conversation, I felt I was going to scream. She apparently had no ideas on how to flesh out a gay character beyond stereotypes. Disappointed for my first novel by her.

I grabbed this one in audio and I could not stop listening. I was enthralled from the beginning. Breen is struggling through life, a life she is not happy with. She is a school teacher and barely making it by with the ever-mounting bills and working from paycheck to paycheck. When she takes the bus to her mother's apartment to water the plants since she is traveling for work she finds the office a mess with papers scattered. As she is picking them up she finds out her mother has been keeping a secret from her. A secret bank account in her name from her father. When she finds out she now has over 4 million dollars this is life changing and after paying off her debts, allowing Marco, her best friend, to perform a makeover on her and rid her of the dye and bring her hair back to the glorious natural red, she makes plans for a trip to Ireland to find her roots and more about her father. This author has a way of bringing us right into the story and I felt as if I was right there with Breen through the entire journey from Philadelphia to Ireland and then into the realm of Talamh. Oh, I'm not going to tell you any more, read or listen to this one yourself but be prepared to grab the next one in the series (it is available).

My mom always told me to give a book 3 chapters to decide if I like it or not. I've gone 3 chapters and normally I like Nora Roberts's books, but this one is just not grabbing my attention in any shape, size, or fashion. The narrator is ehhh . . . nothing that catches my ear. As such, I am going to DNF this book. I will keep checking out Ms. Roberts' books, but this is just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy.

After listening to The Awakening, I am again reminded of the majestic and wonderful worlds well written fantasy novels can take me.

Let me start with the work done by Barrie Kreinik. Whenever someone can weave in and out of accents never cease to amaze me and Barrie was amazing! She brought Nora Roberts’ words to life and combined with Nora’s writing, I was sucked into the amazing world of Talamh so much so, it made me feel like I was about to descend on a rollercoaster at times throughout the novel. That terrifying yet exhilarating feeling results in superb world building. I especially loved the fact the characters involved both this world and the world of Talamh. Also, thank goodness I had the audio because I for sure would have been pronouncing many names incorrectly!

This was my first novel I have read by Nora and certainly will not be my last. She has written numerous novels and I can’t wait to read some of them. I’m also eagerly stoked that I will be listening to the second novel in the Dragon Heart Legacy series!

There was a time when you would always see me with a Nora Roberts book in my hand. I loved her writing so much. True escapism, it always made me happy to read one of her engaging stories.

Over time, they became a bit cookie-cutterish to me and so I’ve stepped away from them for the past few years. But from time to time, I pick up one of her new series, trying to find that old feeling.

The Awakening has been on my list for about 6 months. Now that Book 2, The Becoming is ready to release, it was the perfect time to jump into Book 1.

The story takes place (majority) in Ireland which is fabulous. Only it takes a while for the character to get there and I was a bit bored of the pre-Ireland story. Once she sets foot on the green Island, it gets a bit better and I felt the escapism envelope me. From about 25-60% in the book I was blissfully happy. Then the last 40% was once again dry, like the first part of the story, even though they were still in Ireland. The characters are pretty superficial, the magic is glossed over, the types of magical creatures are barely mentioned and the love interest held no sparks! Like, at all!

And, um, where are the dragons? Oh yeah, they appear every once in awhile with a rider. But since this is named the Dragon Heart Trilogy, shouldn’t they be much more prominent in the story?

I don’t know. It’s a decent read but just barely. I’m moving on to Book 2 in the hopes that the hook will get me. Fingers crossed!

The narration for the audiobook was very good, I love hearing the Irish accents and she did a wonderful job. The cover is also beautiful and represents the story well.



Thank you #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for this #audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's been 20 yrs since I've read a Nora Roberts novel and this new series seemed like a great reason to get back into her wonderful writing style.
I chose the audiobook version and I'm so glad I did. 

Hearing the Irish brogue of the narrator really placed me in Ireland right alongside Breen and Marco.  Certainly not a slow moving book I couldn't wait to sit down and listen to each day.  It was fun, it was exhilarating and I eagerly await the release of the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to ride along on Breen and Marco's adventures!