December 2, 2010
ROSY ENDINGS: “Happy Ever After” is the fourth installment of the “The Bride
Quartet” series by Nora Roberts. courtesy of berkley trade
‘Happily Ever After’
by Nora Roberts
By PATRICIA CHASTEEN
Epoch Times Staff
Nora Roberts, the NY Times 1 best-
selling author, gives us another
novel—the fourth book in what
she calls “The Bride Quartet”—
called “Happy Ever After.”
The quartet relates the story of
four childhood friends—Parker,
Emma, Laurel, and MacKensie—
who turned their childhood game
of playing wedding day into a real-
life dream job, a premier wedding-
planning company called Vows.
Each of the four has a particular
talent suited to Vows: MacKensie
(Mac) takes stunning photographs,
Emma is a fabulous floral designer,
Laurel, the cook, makes delicious
concoctions and gorgeous wed-
ding cakes, and Parker is the one
who meets all the bride’s demands
and keeps everything on a tight
As you read each one in the quartet,
you look forward to the time when the
next book will come out continuing
the story of the four friends.
schedule. Altogether they make a
wonderful package and Vows de-
livers the dream wedding every
bride wants.
The first three books found Mac
(book one – “Vision in White”),
Emma (book two – “Bed of Roses”),
and Laurel (book three – “Savor
the Moment”) finding their own
true loves and planning their own
weddings.
Parker is not only the main plan-
ner for her dear friends’ weddings
but she finds the perfect, dreamy
wedding gown for each of them.
“Happy Ever After” finds the
first friend’s wedding approach-
ing—Mac is marrying Carter, a
teacher, two weeks before Christ-
mas. Parker is thrilled for her
friends and happy that they have
found true love, but she realizes
that her own life is being spent
solely on planning other people’s
weddings and not finding the “one”
for herself.
She throws herself into the work
of Vows and takes calls and emails
at all times of day and night.
An auto mechanic Malcolm
Kavanaugh entered the picture
in book one as a minor character
and was immediately drawn to
Parker.
Malcolm is the friend of Del,
Parker’s brother. He recently
moved back to Connecticut to live
near his mother after suffering an
almost fatal injury in a car crash
while a stuntman for a Hollywood
movie. But even though he’s very
The Epoch Times Literature B5
interested in Parker, he knows that
it’s a major step from flirting with
NEW YORK - 200 Madison Avenue (at 35th St)
her to a serious relationship—es- Tel. (212) 889-0700 - newyork@roche-bobois.com
pecially since Del is very protective
of his sister.
Parker is also drawn to Malcolm
MANHASSET, NY - 1180 Northern Blvd
despite the fact that they come Tel. (516) 365-9755 - manhasset@roche-bobois.com
from vastly different backgrounds.
Parker confesses to her friends that
Mal “rattles” her with his motorcy- PHILADELPHIA - 313 Arch Street
cle-riding, leather jacket-wearing, Tel. (215) 922-2900 - philadelphia@roche-bobois.com
and complete lack of social skills.
But she senses that Malcolm is
hiding his past from her. BOSTON - Ritz-Carlton Towers, 2 Avery Street
Parker’s business risks have Tel. (617) 742-9611 - boston@roche-bobois.com
paid off—Vows is one of the most
successful wedding planning com-
panies in Connecticut. But taking NATICK - 579 Worcester Road, Route 9
a risk with her heart is something Tel. (508) 650-5844 - natick@roche-bobois.com
that Parker has refrained from
doing so far.
Roberts is at her best when she
writes novels that are part of a tril- ATLANTA - CHICAGO - COLUMBUS, OH - CORAL GABLES, FL - COSTA MESA, CA
ogy—or in this case—a quartet.
DALLAS - DENVER - ESTERO, FL - HOUSTON - LA JOLLA, CA - LOS ANGELES
SAN JUAN, PR - SCOTTSDALE - SEATTLE - TROY, MI - WASHINGTON, DC
She weaves the stories together
so that you get to know all the
characters in each book and come
to care about them. Each of the
four books concentrates on one of
the friends, but you see and meet
all the friends and their future
romantic interests from the first
book.
That’s one of the most impor-
tant things about her books—you
care about the characters and they
are people that you like. They
have their faults, their tragedies,
their joys and sorrows—but you
genuinely like them and that
makes the novels interesting and
heart-warming.
As you read each one in the quar-
tet, you look forward to the time
when the next book will come out
continuing the story of the four
friends.
Even though you pretty much
know how things are going to turn
out—and figure out whose going
to fall in love with who—the book
is titled “Happy Ever After,” after
all—it’s still very enjoyable read-
ing. Especially because Roberts
is a master at describing scenes—
in this case: beautiful wedding
gowns, lovely flowers, towering
wedding cakes, and stunning
photographs.
By the time you are finished with
all four books, you see the world of
wedding planners from start to fin-
ish and have the chance to “meet”
and get to know four couples in
their search for happiness.