Heart of the Sea

Veteran romance writer Roberts is known for her ability to deliver a rich and satisfying story, and this conclusion to her Irish trilogy (following Jewels of the Sun and Tears of the Moon) is no exception. The final installment begins when wealthy builder Trevor Magee arrives in the Irish village of Ardmore. There he meets Darcy Gallagher, who aspires to the more lavish lifestyle that only a wealthy husband can provide. Immediately attracted, the two begin to negotiate an arrangement uncomplicated by the messiness of love. Their hearts have other plans, however--and so does Carrick, a brooding faerie prince who uses them to plot a reunion with his long-dead and long-lost lover, Lady Gwen. Although she could have limited her bold, beautiful and wealth-conscious protagonists to 1980s glitz-and-glamour superficiality, Roberts is triumphant in realizing fully developed characters, as both Trevor and Darcy turn out to be vulnerable human beings with appealingly ordinary hopes and dreams. (Dec. 5)