The Stanislaski series by Nora Roberts

The stanislaski series consists of 6 books focusing around the Ukranian family.

Taming Natasha- Natasha and Spencer Kimball
Luring a Lady- Mikhail and Sydney Hayward
Falling for Rachel- Rachel and Zack Muldoon
Convincing Alex- Alexi and Bess McKnee
Waiting for Nick- Nick LeBeck (Zack's brother) and Freddie Kimball (Natasha and Spence daughter)
Considering Kate- Kate Kimball and Brody O'Connell

A really lovely series that i have to say thoroughly enjoyed reading. The wonderful story of how the Ukranian family came to settle in America.
I was unsure if i would like this series because the titles didnt really stand out to me and i didnt think i would enjoy them that much.
I was wrong again and did infact really enjoy them.

Taming Natasha

Natasha is a wonderfully energetic and loving character and i was a little taken by her in this book. She lives in West Virginia and owns a toy store. She has a past and a history, coming to America at a young age and sruggling the first few years of her life there. The moe from the war torn Ukraine was difficult and frightening but her parents wanted what was best for them.
Natasha and her two siblings came into the country and made a life for themselves. Her youngest sister was born in America.
Spence Kimball is a widow with a 5 year old daughter Freddie. He moves to the small town to give his daughter the best life possible. He is a world famous composer and one that Natasha knows about and has danced to when she was prima ballerina.

Natasha and Spence hit it off and become entangled with each other. Natasha falls in love with Freddie and struggles with her feelings for Spence. She once was in love and fell pregnant following that she quit ballet and had the baby. Shortly after birth the baby dies and leaves Natasha distraught.
Natasha has to relive and come to terms with her past in order to make a future for herself.
Her family make their debut in this book, brothers Mikhail and Alexi and sister Rachel and  the brilliant Nadia and Yuri her parents.
Yuri is the centre of this family and Nadia is the heart of that centre, strong characters that reminded me a little of The MacGreggors.

I really enjoyed this book and couldnt wait to start on the next. As you know i have OCD when it come to reading and if i start a series/trilogy etc i have to finish the whole lot in sequence and one after the other while the last is still in my mind.

Luring a Lady

Mikhail is a very strong and huge man. He exerts power and stregnth and makes women weak at the knees. He has an accent and can melt away any fears or thoughts with his gentle words. He is of course very good looking as all of Nora's men are!
He is a carpenter and artist. He works with his father on contruction but indulges in art and sculpting with wood.

Sydney Haywood is a business woman and just taken over her grandfather property business that she has no idea how to run. Mikhail lives in a building she owns and has issues with maintanence etc and after no help or contact for 18 months he charges head first into her office demanding answers.
She explains her grandfather died and she has recently taken over. She promises to start repairs immediately.
Both of them however feel the passion and sizzle when they were near each other and they found themselves interested. She goes to the building to help and get to know Mikhail and he finds himself more and more infatuated with her.

She was married before so of course there lies the issue that is going to comeback and bite them in the ass come the time they say 'I love you'.
True to form the story involves the rest of the family and the relationship crashes, after a heartfelt one to one with her ex husband Sydney realises she needs Mikhail and him her.
Happy happy ending of course.......

Falling for Rachel

Rachel was born in America and resents it always, not having the history of walking through the mountains to America to a better life. She was born into that better life.
She is a lawyer, public defender to be exact and loves her job.
Nick LeBeck is arrested by Alexi, Rachels brother and Rachel is his PD. Messed up in a gang and a load of crap that goes along with it.
Zack Muldoon is Nick's older step brother who was in the Navy for year, returning when his father died 2 years before.
After court Zack and Rachel are appointed legal guardians of Nick and have to work together to help him.

As you can imagine the story goes into the whole history of Nick and Zack and Rachel trying to get through to him. He gives in a little and she takes them to meet her family and Nick slowly melts. Freddie falls in love with Nick then at the age of 13 (watch this space!).
After much love and passion and plenty of sex the end blow and final woosh is Nicks old gang trying to rob Zack's bar and shoot him. Nick jumps infront of the bullet and nearly dies.
Is there a happy ending???
OF COURSE there is, Nora wouldnt dissapoint!

Convincing Alex

Alexi is a cop and a good one. He is working on the case of prostitutes being murdered. He arrests 2 women he believes are working girls and wants to question them about the murders. Once he gets them to the station he finds out that the cute blonde is actually not a hooker but a writer for a popular soap and is in fact a red head.
There is immediate annoyance on his part and some attraction. She is very happy and enthusiastic about life and the show.
After much resistance Alex finally gives in to his needs and desires and the finally admit they have feelings for each other.
There again is the emotional deal of Bess easily falling in love and dealing with the fact that this time it is real love and Alex cant accept that. Alex has issues with trust and jealousy and he hates to not be in control.
Bess inadvertantly helps Alex solve the case and finally things become better, and a happy ending happens.

I liked Alex's character and Bess is a brilliant and vibrant person. She fits in well with the family and its great to once again see the family and how they have all changed and grown. Natasha has had children and so has Mikhail and his Sydney is preggers again and Rachel is about to pop and goes into labour at the dinner table!
Its a great read and again i enjoyed it.

Waiting for Nick

This book follows Nick (Zack's brother) and Freddie (Natasha and Spence's daughter). Now she is 24 and moving to New York to follow her dream of being a lyricist. As Nick is a composer and a good one about to write the score for a new musical it is a perfect time for her to start her career and also get him to fall in love with her like she has been with him for the last 10 years.

Zack is dealing with his past and still has it interferring with his life. After seeing that Freddie is set on helping he lets her try and while they do they slowly fall in love and fall into bed.
The musical is being funded by Reed Valentine and Maddy O'Hurley is starring, YES YOU HEARD IT RIGHT!!! This is a fabulous twist and i very much enjoyed the fact that we get to meet all of the O'Hurley's again. I was shocked and totally excited when i got to read all about them again.
Abby and Dylan had 4 kids, Maddy and Reed had 3 (1 twins) and Chantel and Quinn had triplet boys. It was lovely to see how their characters have developed.

After a violent and heart breaking scene there is a happy ending at the end!

Considering Kate

Kate Kimball is a strong and confident woman who knows exactly what she wants. She is a prima ballerina and had success all over the world.
She moves back to West Virginia now wanting to settle down. She opens a dance school and hires Brody O'Connell to do the rehab. He has a small boy and is a widow, the story has a similar ring to Natasha and Spence's story.
They hit it off and after much getting in his way she finally wears him down and they get jiggy!

Kate goes to New York for a one off performance and gets Brody and Jack to go with her to see her dance.
The principle dancer and choreographer for the dance is Davidof (from Reflections and Dreams book, not yet blogged) I loved that again Nora has connected her books and feel that this is something she will continue to do over the list.
After an emotional finale they finally admit they want to be together forever and want to get married and the cutest bit is when Jack asks Kate to marry hima dn his father. Its too cute.

Again the rest of the Stanislaski gang is in the story and all of the generations, Nick and Freddie have 2 kids in this book which is great and the progression of all of the characters is relative.
Emensly enjoyed this series and was a little sad they ended, they had fantasy and romance and dance and violence and lots of heart ache. Brilliant writing and wonderful insight into really dreadful things that happen to people in the real world.
The tug at your heart strings and ou find yourself aching along with the characters and you find crying and laughing with them too.
I was actually on the train and reading one of the books and there was a really funny part that i laughed at forgetting i was on the train and not sitting ina  quiet room, i was that engrossed in the story.
Quite simply LOVED IT! 10/10.