Nora Roberts – The last honest woman

The first book in the O'Hurley series, published May 1, 1988.
Genre: contemporary romance
Cover: I prefer my book cover, it features a landscape. I really don’t like the title though.



The truth could NOT be told.
Abigail O’Hurley Rockwell was a desperate woman. Journalist Dylan Crosby was going to start digging up her past for the book he was writing about her infamous late husband. It was just research to him, but to her it was a painful reality that had to be kept under lock and key for the sake of her children. Abby would do anything to keep their world safe – no matter how compelling Dylan’s promises might be...


Abby is working hard to make a comfortable live for herself and her two little boys. She owns a little farm in Virginia, where she has just started breeding horses. Her husband was a famous race car driver, but their marriage was far from perfect. Chuck Rockwell swept her off her feet when she was 19, and their married quickly. She followed him around the world, until she got pregnant with their first son, Ben. His mother never approved of Abby, as she was just a third rate entertainer, and living with her for a while, was not easy for Abby. So she persuaded Chuck to buy her a little farm. But Chuck was not a man to settle down, he craved the racing world, the speed, the fame, the women. And after he died, his mother, who still ruled his trustfund, cut Abby and her children of without a cent. It has not been easy repairing the house and getting the farm up, but she managed it. And now this journalist wants to write about her husband, she will have to keep the ugly truth from him, to protect her sons... They don’t deserve to know everything about her husband ...

Dylan has this completely wrong idea about Abby: he pictures her as a money grabber who snatched herself a rich and famous husband and then stopped supporting him during his races. He expects a big wealthy ranch and lots of servants. After all, he has seen all those pictures of Abby in Monte Carlo, Paris, New York, wearing jewels and furs. He could not be more wrong ... To write the book, and interview her, he will have to live in her house for a while. But he refuses to acknowledge what he sees. Sure she must be leading him on. All women are born deceivers, his ex-wife taught him that. But he will get to the bottom of the truth, he has interviewed other people already, like Chuck’s latest mistress.

What he does not expect, is falling for her boys, and for Abby herself...


I know I have read and enjoyed the other O’Hurley books, but I can’t remember anything about this one, and I am sure I have read it before. I have the Dutch books in one big trilogy after all.

I liked Abby, she has always been the strong and dependable one of the triplets. She has built a good life for herself and her sons, and she wants to protect them from the uglier side of their father. She is not used to anyone taking care of her, apart from her mother, so when she gets sick and Dylan steps in, she doesn’t know how to react.
But by bit, Dylan gets the truth out of Abby. She did not know about his drug abuse, but she did know about his many girlfriends. She is the one who filed for divorce though...

I had a hard time liking Dylan, as he is a typical 80’s hero. Take charge, and just grab the woman if she doesn’t do what you want. Sure Abby is attracted to him, but she won’t just sleep with him because of that. And he doesn’t want to accept that. He wants her in his bed. And when she tells him she loves him, he doesn’t know how to handle that. He is a free spirit, he doesn’t want to settle down, or does he?

It was fun when Abby’s whole family descended upon the farm though, her bond with them is so great. Her father who doesn’t want to lift a finger if he doesn’t have to, who is a born entertainer, as is her mother. And her famous sisters Chantel and Maddy, they do pitch in, just like old times. But they all love Abby, and will protect her from Dylan if necessary.

A nice little romance, and I liked it. Perfect for a rainy afternoon.

7 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian