Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts

Title: Honest Illusions
Author: Nora Roberts
Series: Stand alone 
Source: Borrowed from friend
Format: Paperback
Pages: 492 Pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (from author's site):

The daughter of a world-renowned magician, Roxy Nouvelle has inherited her father’s talents—and also his skill in an activity that he thought he managed to keep hidden from her. Into this colorful world comes Luke Callahan, an escape artist who captures Roxy’s heart—and keeps secrets that could shatter all her illusions.

First Paragraph: The Lady Vanishes. It was an old illusion, given a modern twist, and never failed to leave the audience gasping. The glittery crowd at Radio City was as eager to be duped as a group of slack jawed at a dog and pony show. 

My Review: Life is hard for the 12-year-old Luke Callahan. In his attempt to safe himself from the hell he calls home, he is force to be a runaway, live on the street, earning money through pick pocketing. His life takes an unexpected turn one day when he meets Max Nouvelle, a magician, who breathes life into his world: takes him in, loves him like his own son, teaches him to be his apprentice and eventually shares his hidden secret with him. With Max as his father, Lily as his loving mother and Roxy as a lovely yet snarky sister, Luke feels like he has everything he ever wanted.

As he grows older, the feeling Luke has for Roxy grows stronger, making him feels guilty, as Roxy is practically his sister. However, when Roxy makes her sudden moves, the romance buds immediately. Their happiness doesn’t last forever as the ghosts from Luke’s past creeps into his world again; forcing him to vanish in order to protect the family he comes to love. What would Luke do when he realises that he needs to stand up to claim back what he has missed and wins back the woman he loves? Will Roxy ever forgives Luke for leaving her behind at the time she needs him most? What is the real mystery behind Luke’s disappearance?

Reading through Honest Illusions is like munching a bunch of chocolate that you can’t have enough of. Written in a time progression manner, where the story travels from one period of characters’ lives to another, Honest Illusions is definitely one of the best romance novels I’ve ever read. Fluidly written, the author seems to be a master in weaving the events in the past with what happens in the present, leaving readers with no unanswered questions and complete satisfaction. The strength in this book lies in its beautiful prose, along with interesting, multilayered characters and also the structure of the story itself. Huge part of the Honest Illusions consists of what happen in the past, allowing readers to thoroughly understand what really happen to the main characters, what makes them who they are and why they act in certain ways.

The characters created by Roberts in this book are real and well balanced. Luke, for instance, is a good looking, well-behaved, strong and stubborn character, but at the same time, he is actually an extremely vulnerable person. His past shapes him that way and this can’t be shaken off by simply moves on. Roxy, on the other hand, is a delicate, beautiful and soft character but she also has strong traits in her that keeps her standing when she faces difficult situations. All these make Honest Illusions an extremely delightful read.

A story about true love between lovers, true love among family members and about trust and acceptance, Honest Illusions is indeed a kind of book that must be read by those who enjoy contemporary romance. I enjoyed it great and is definitely one of the books that I’ll re-read in the future.

Final Verdict: With its beautiful, lyrical prose, Honest Illusions is a meaningful and beautiful book with its own capability to make you laugh, cry and sigh at one time or another. This is the kind of book that will  captivate and pull you in before you realise it.

Memorable Quote: He [Luke] makes me remember not to forget. If you forget all the pain, the loneliness, the despair, you forget to be grateful for the lack of it - Maximillian "Max" Nouvelle