From the heart (no fundo do coração [Portuguese])

By Nora Roberts:

Source: Fnac.com. (2017). Do Fundo do Coração - Nora Roberts em Fnac.pt. [online] Available at: http://www.fnac.pt/Do-Fundo-do-Coracao-Nora-Roberts/a911493 [Accessed 16 Jul. 2017].

Book translated into Portuguese by Isabel C. Penteado. It's three novels by Nora Roberts: «tonight and always (uma última noite [Portuguese])», a matter of choice (uma questão de escolha [Portuguese])», and «endings and beginnings (fins e recomeços [Portuguese])».

«Tonight and always» is a beautiful novel. The story is written with love and passion, and first published in July 1983. Nora Roberts manages to put sweetness in what she writes. The story is captivating because there is a detailed description of the feelings, the decoration of the house, ... everything is beautiful and rich. The characters are good-looking. It's a typical plot with action, pain and a happy ending. Some quotes:

• «(...). The sophisticated clothes and manners were offset by a certain sensuousness around the mouth. She liked the contrast. He was built like a tennis player, (...). Good shoulders, trim, strong hands. (...).»
• «(...). She had a filling there was a temper under the cool sophistication. She knew, from reading his books, that he was intelligent. (...).»
• «(...). He's brilliant, conservative, successful. Incredibly sexy. (...).»
• «"We'll make love soon or later, you know."» Jordan said to Kasey.
• «(...). She would not, could not, involve herself emotionally or physically with a man unless there was a firm base. (...).»
• «(...). There was a vibrant sensuality about her that she did nothing to accentuate. She rarely wore anything but the most casual clothes and almost never bothered with even the most basic cosmetics.»
• «(...) some [Plains Indians] practiced self-mutilation to get into a trance and receive visions.» Kasey said to Jordan.
• «"(...). The money is very good, Jordan. (...). But tends to blur reality."»
• «(...). He is not bound by social conventions as I thought. There is a strong rebellion beneath that social politeness. (...).»
• Palm Springs, Riverside County, California, United States:

Source: PALM SPRINGS. Zummprojetosblogspotpt. Available at: http://zummprojetos.blogspot.pt/2015/05/palm-springs.html. Accessed November 1, 2017.

Source: NC Palm Springs Trip. Ncmodernistorg. Available at: http://www.ncmodernist.org/palm.htm. Accessed November 1, 2017.

• «(...). Feeling useful was essential to herself.»
• «"(...). There is nothing like the love of a child. Children don't impose conditions on their emotions. They just give. They have a purity that we lose when we grow up. (...)."» Kasey said to Jordan.
• «(...). "Life is like a mustache, it can be good or bad but it always tickles."» Jordan said to Harry.
• «(...). Even when I leave here and I walk away from him, I'll never be free again. Love binds us together (...).»
• «(...). We should always finish what we started (...).»
• «(...). Why no one bothers to talk to this child? (...). She absorbs the words like a sponge.»
• «"(...) tonight is very cold. White is not used when it is cold."» Beatrice said to Kasey.
• «(...) there were long hours of idleness, and she [Kasey] had never been able to cope well with it.»
• «(...). Emotions clouded her intuition and she could not see clearly. (...).»
• «(...). Her [Allison] ability to feel was far greater than any other person he knew. Would not it mean that her ability to suffer would be equally great? (...).»
• «(...). Where she [Kasey] loved, she was vulnerable, and where it was vulnerable, the mind had no control. (...).»
• «(...). There were lights and people and the muffled noise of traffic. She was perplexed about how she had missed from the visions and smells of humanity. She had felt the need for noise and movement.»
• «(...). So many people, so much life. (...).»
• «"The widening schism between elitist and popular literature has made it difficult for the average person to enjoy light, entertaining reading without feeling guilty."» Kasey said.
• «"She told me that you were (...) a charming man, especially when you forget to be educated." (...)/(...)./"Why don't you kiss me again like you kissed me at the party, like a dominant male?"» Kasey said to Jordan.
• «"(...). Nothing can go wrong with a unicorn. (...)."» Kasey said to Jordan.

Source: B9582 Bibelo De Cristal E Metal Dourado Em Forma De Unicórn - R$ 29,99. Produtomercadolivrecombr. Available at: https://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-933754942-b9582-bibelo-de-cristal-e-metal-dourado-em-forma-de-unicorn-_JM#redirectedFromParent. Accessed November 12, 2017.

• «"I'm here at work, Mrs. Taylor, and I'm not anyone's maid unless I want to."» Kasey said.
• «Jordan thought he would not like to have to share her. (...). Jealousy was a new sensation to him. (...).»
• «"(...). An archaeologist is who studies the life and culture of ancient people excavating ancient cities, relics, artifacts. An anthropologist is the one who studies races, physical and mental characteristics, population distributions, habits, social relations." (...).» Kasey said to Liz.
• «"(...). You walk into a room and everyone looks at you, including me."» Jordan said to Kasey.
• «(...). It was so hard to be strong when he was kind. (...).»

«A matter of choice», first published in May 1984, is a police novel with a love story between two socially different people, but both alone and in need of mutual comfort. It was another fascinating novel by Nora Roberts. She knows how to create exciting, vibrant scenes that make a woman's heart pop with recognition. Some quotes:

• «(...). It was only the nouveau riche who went in for ostentation. (...).»
• «(...). Jessica had too much drive, too much energy, to drift. Once she had decided to start a business, she'd moved quickly. Then that same drive and energy had made it work. (...).»
• «The fingers that had gripped her arm had been strong. His build had been wiry. (...). There was something... hard in his eyes. Yet she hadn’t been repelled or frightened but drawn. Even when he’d looked at her for those first three or four seconds, with that intensity that seemed to creep beneath her skin, (...). Safe, (...). He’d made her feel safe. (...). Why should she suddenly feel safe when she had no need for protection?»
• The writing desk, the Queen Anne:

Source: Blog - Patrick Sandberg Antiques. Antiquefurniturenet. Available at: http://www.antiquefurniture.net/blog/a-guide-to-help-you-identify-queen-anne-antique-furniture-3542. Accessed November 14, 2017.

• «"When you want something badly enough, and you don’t give up," (...), “you get it.” Jessica said to Slade.
• «(...) This chair was Chippendale (...). This cabinet was French Baroque—in satinwood, gilded and carved. (...).

Chippendale chairs

Source: Child's Chippendale Chair 3/4. Laurel Crown Furniture. Available at: https://www.laurelcrown.com/childs-chippendale-chair-3-4. Accessed November 14, 2017.

French Baroque cabinet

Source: Louis XIV style (Baroque). Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.pt/pin/533606255824188378/. Accessed November 14, 2017.

• «It’s the way he [Slade] looks at me, Jessica decided, as if he could see what I’m thinking. (...).»
• «(...) He [Slade] had such long, lean fingers. Strong. She [Jessica]’d liked the look of them. Now, she caught herself wondering how they would feel on her body. Competent, experienced, demanding. (...).»
• «"(...). It’s sensible to make a career out of something you know and appreciate, don’t you think?"» Jessica asked Slade.
• «(...) If he could have her, even once, the ache would go. Slade could almost convince himself of that. He needed to touch that butter-soft skin, experience that promise of passion, then he’d be free of her. (...).»
• «(...) He’s quicksand, (...). You’ll never get away if you take that final step. And yet the risk tempted her.»
• «(...) Arousal was too tame a word, excitement too bland. Jessica felt a frenzy, a burst of energy that could only be tamed by possession./Touch me! (...). Take me! It’s never been like this and I can’t bear to lose it. (...).»
• «(...). “Do you think women always dress to stir men up?”/“Don’t they?”/“Normally I dress for myself.” (...)».
• «“Have you had many lovers?” (...)./(...)“I imagine you have,” (...). “You’re a very physical man.” (...).»
• «She’d felt the spark once or twice in her life — that quick jolt that says maybe, just maybe. There’d been no spark with Slade, she mused. There’d been an eruption. (...).»
• «“You’re a beautiful woman, Jessica.”/(...). And somehow she felt he wasn’t only speaking of physical beauty. No, he was a man who’d look beyond what could be seen and into what could only be felt.»
• «"Slade..." (...). "(...). You’re an easy person to confide in because you listen a bit too well.”»
• «(...). Michael, with his smooth gestures, was well groomed in voice and manner, sleekly dressed. Jessica reflected that she’d never seen him in anything more casual than a polo shirt and golf pants. He was all civilized charm and sophisticated sexuality./And she wouldn’t term him rugged though he favored jeans and sweaters. Not charming but disarming, (...). And his sexuality was anything but sophisticated. Animal.»
• «(...). “You haven’t the experience to deal with me, lady.” (...). “I’m not one of your polite country club men, Jess,” (...). “You don’t know the places I’ve been, the things I’ve done. I could show you tricks that would make your French lover look like a Boy Scout. If I decided I wanted you, you couldn’t run fast enough.”/(...).“Which of us is running, Slade?” (...)./“Damn you, Jess.” On a groan, his mouth came down to savage hers.»
• «"(...). Slade, no one that reads that is going to be untouched.” (...). “And isn’t that why a writer writes?”»
• «(...). There was a wall between them—the thin glass wall of status (...). (...).»
• «(...). If the doorbell hadn’t rung, he would have said things best left unsaid, asked things he had no right to ask of a vulnerable woman.»
• «(...). Sipping her drink, she turned to the fire. She wouldn’t let him see the hurt. Every day that she’d been confined in that sterile white room she had waited for his call, watched the door for his visit. Nothing. He’d cut himself out of her life when she’d been too weak to prevent it. (...).»

«Endings and beginnings», a novel first published in January 1984: when I think Nora Roberts' imagination has run out, she ends up surprising me with another wonderful story. Her stories always have a happy ending. She has a huge ability to describe feelings, especially love. She also supports the plot with solid information about the characters and scenarios. Some quotes:

• «(...). He had the two things most essential to a reporter: credibility and sources. (...).»
• «(...). Thorpe dressed down on the job, wearing nothing to distract the viewer's attention from his reporting. (...).»
• «(...). Liv separated men into two categories: safe and dangerous. (...).»
• «(...). I have not led up to it. (...). She knew the signs to look for: the smiles, the soft, promising words. Thorpe hadn't spared any of those. It was an impulse, (...). There hadn´t been anything desperate or ever particularly loverlike in the kiss. He hadn't been rough; he hadn't tried a seduction. (...).»
• «"What do you want?" (...)./To be the best, (...). To win. To be Olivia Carmichael without having to lose pieces of myself along the way. I want to be whole again.»
• «"I liked the fast pace, (...)." Thorpe said.»
• «Thorpe was used to pressure in his work. In truth, he thrived on it. That was his secret. He could go for days on snatches of sleep and still throb with energy.He did not need vitamins, (...).»
• «(...). He had noticed the hesitation. It pleased him to know that she wasn't indifferent toward him. If he made her nervous, it was a beginning. (...).»
• «"I work." (...). "That keeps me busy enough."» Liv said./«(...)./(...)./(...). "What do you do on Sunday afternoons?"» Thorpe asked Liv./«(...)./"I usually try to catch up on my reading." (...).» Liv answered.
• «(...). Her scent was different, he [Greg] noticed, more sophisticated, less artless. (...).»
• «"You were a good friend to us, Greg. (...). It was a difficult period of my life. You made it a bit easier." (...).» Liv said.
• «(...). The grief was still there, only dulled by time. (...).»
• «"(...). I wanted too much from him; he didn't want enough from me." (...).»
• «(...). Liv kept her ears tuned to the light political talk and gossip. She wouldn't learn any state secrets, but she had made contacts. A reporter couldn't afford to ignore the smallest scrap of information. You could never tell what could lead to bigger things. (...).»
• «(...). I lived on extremes. Staggeringly happy, unbearably sad. It's better this way, without all those peaks and valleys of emotion. Safer. I've had enough of risks and failures. Smarter. (...). You can't be hurt if you don't take chances.»
• «This is what she had decided she wanted. Quiet, privacy. No one to depend on — no one to answer to. What she had now was hers; what mistakes she made were hers. (...).»
• Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland, USA:

Source: Memorial Stadium (Baltimore). Enwikipediaorg. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Stadium_(Baltimore). Accessed December 20, 2017.

Source: Memorial Stadium - history, photos and more of the Baltimore Orioles former ballpark. Ballparks of Baseball - Your Guide to Major League Baseball Stadiums. Available at: http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/ballparks/memorial-stadium/. Accessed December 20, 2017.

• Orioles:

Source: Baltimore Orioles. Enwikipediaorg. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Orioles. Accessed December 20, 2017.

Source: MLB Baltimore Orioles Logo Black Background 1920x1080 HD MLB Baseball / Baltimore Orioles. Sportshdwallpaperscom. 2017. Available at: http://www.sportshdwallpapers.com/hd/mlb-baseball/baltimore-orioles/mlb-baltimore-orioles-logo-black_1920x1080_956-hd.html. Accessed December 20, 2017.

Source: Reliever Oliver Drake makes team, Orioles' Opening Day roster nearly finalized. baltimoresuncom. Available at: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-norfolk-0401-20170331-story.html. Accessed December 20, 2017.

• «He knew how to arouse a woman, even a reluctant one. Arrogance, yes, but he was so blatantly at ease with it, the trait was somehow admirable.»
• «(...). She didn't want to rely on anyone for safety again. It was too easy to be disappointed. (...). His eyes were intelligent, shrewd, saw too much. The more he saw, the greater the risk that he could gain an emotional hold on her./She had allowed herself to be involved before. She still bore the scars. For years she had lived on the belief that the only way for her to keep her serenity was by withdrawal. (...).»
• Soho, London, United Kingdom (UK):

Source: Soho London Guide |Your Guide to the Local Area. Everything you need to know about rent and living in London. Available at: https://www.movebubble.com/2015/01/soho-london-guide/. Accessed January 1, 2018.

Source: Soho - Hidden London. Hidden-londoncom. Available at: http://hidden-london.com/gazetteer/soho/. Accessed January 1, 2018.

• Westminter Abbey, London:

Source: The History of Westminster Abbey, London. Historic UK. Available at: http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Westminster-Abbey/. Accessed January 14, 2018.

Source: Westminster Abbey » Picture Gallery. Westminster-abbeyorg. Available at: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/visit-us/picture-gallery. Accessed January 14, 2018.

• The Big Ben, London:

Source: Big Ben: Tudo que você precisa saber sobre o maior símbolo de Londres | eLondres.com. eLondrescom. Available at: https://www.elondres.com/big-ben/. Accessed February 11, 2018.

• «(...). That had been in their college days, when there had still been dreams. (...). Then, there had been no love left to spare for dreams. (...).»
• Scotland Yard, the Metropolitan Police Service of London:

Source: Getty. The Met moves from its historic New Scotland Yard HQ. getwestlondon. Available at: https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/metropolitan-police-moves-headquarters-after-12110769. Accessed February 12, 2018.

• «(...). If it didn't make sense, it didn't matter. If it wasn't safe, she didn't care. She had needed an evening with someone who could make her laugh, make her think. Make her feel. (...). A few stolen hours was all she wanted. A few hours to forget all the promises she had once made herself. (...). Tonight she was free of the past, free of the future.»
• «(...). Couldn't she see how much he loved, how much he needed, and have pity on him if nothing else? (...), he was desperate enough to take pity if it was all she could give him. (...).»
• «(...). And she had sensed something in him, a desperation that she didn't dare accept.»
• «(...). He wanted her to experience every drop of pleasure he could give. (...). Each time she moaned his name or reached for him, the shock of it rocketed straight through him. Desire pulsated from her - for him. That alone took him to the edge of reason.»
• «(...). Intimacy was no small gesture for her. Intimacy meant commitment. To her, the two had always, would always, walk hand in hand. (...).»
• «(...). When you had gone through the worst and survived, nothing could ever hurt you in quite the same way again. (...).»
• Capitol dome, Washington, United States of America:

Source: United States Capitol. Hoffmann Architects, Inc. Available at: http://www.hoffarch.com/projects/united-states-capitol-dome/. Accessed April 30, 2018.

• «(...). If you live calmly, without disturbing your life with emotional attachments, you can't be hurt. That's how I was going to live. From that moment. No one, nothing, was ever going to take me to that point again. (...).»
• Potomac river:

Source: US Capitol. Destination360com. Available at: http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/washington-dc/us-capitol. Accessed May 6, 2018.

• «(...): no questions, no advice, only support. (...)»
• «"I haven't thanked you" (...). (...). "For being there, and for not saying all those tidy little words people say when someone falls apart.", Liv said to Thorpe.
• «(...) "I need you. It scares me to death." (...). "I know what it is to lose. I'm not sure I can survive a second time." Liv said to Thorpe.