“By the time she was eight, Mackensie Elliot had been married fourteen times.” — First sentence (Prologue)
Vision in White by Nora Roberts is the first book in the Bride Quartet. Here we meet childhood friends Parker, Emma, Laurel, and Mac, and their love stories. Together, they co-own Vows, one of Connecticut’s well-known wedding planning companies.
Book 1 begins with the story of Mackensie “Mac” Elliot, the lady behind the camera. Her character resonates with me because I know the exhilarating feeling of getting behind the camera and shooting. The funny thing is, Mac’s passion for photography was accidental: she captured her first wonderful moment (she calls it the “blue butterfly” moment) during one of their make-believe weddings as children. The rest, as they say, is history.
Mac doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters because she sees the truth in her own family—until Carter Maguire shows up in her life. Carter is an English teacher at their high school alma mater. He’s safe and stable, and Mac just doesn’t see him as her type. Being an English teacher, Carter has a way with words, and he expresses himself extremely well.
“Why? Why am I the one?”
“Because my life opened up, and it flooded with color when you walked back into it.”
If you asked, I couldn’t say no.”
“That’s not good enough, for either of us. When I ask, you need to want to say yes.”
Corrine, Carter’s ex, gets a brief appearance in the story where she tries to get her former lover back and goes into “competition mode” with Mac. I resolved to dislike her from that moment, but her character was cut short. All of a sudden, she goes off the radar, and I thought, “hey, that was convenient…” I was torn between wanting to read more of the “crisis” and wanting her to get out of the way so that Mac and Carter can carry on.
Another character that gets on my nerves is Mac’s mother, Linda. She is probably the most selfish mother on the planet, caring only for herself and thinking the world revolves around her. Mac is constantly being manipulated by her mother, and she gives in to her every whim every single time.
I think this is a good start to the series. The blue butterfly is an epiphany in this story. Having read quite a few of Nora Roberts’ series, I would say this probably isn’t the best, but it’s not bad either. Still too early to make any concrete assumptions. Her books do read like a formula, and I guess if you read the same author enough times, it’s natural to start feeling that way. After all, that is the author’s signature style. However, I would recommend Vision in White to readers who like a good story with a touch of wittiness and romance. Friendship and love are the themes of this series.
Mac said something—a beautiful insight into marriage—almost at the end of the story:
“It doesn’t come with guarantee. Why should it? It’s not a car or a computer. It’s life, and it’s messy, and it breaks down. It’s a promise, to try. […]”
Vision in White is a joint reading with Julia—I thoroughly enjoyed our email discussions! Thank you, too, for waiting ever so patiently for me to get the book. I’m looking forward to the next instalment, Bed of Roses, scheduled for release in November this year, and to our continued joint reading of the series.
Related Posts:
Bed of Roses (Book Two in The Bride Quartet)
Savor the Moment (Book Three in The Bride Quartet)
Happy Ever After (Book Four in The Bride Quartet)
