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Tribute
Tribute
Author: Nora Roberts
Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is a long way from Hollywood. And that's exactly how Cilla McGowan wants it. Cilla, a former child star who has found more satisfying work as a restorer of old houses, has come to her grandmother's farmhouse, tools at her side, to rescue it from ruin. Sadly, no one was able to save her grandmother, the legendary Jane...  more »
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PBS Market Price: $8.09 or $4.19+1 credit
ISBN-13: 9780515146363
ISBN-10: 0515146366
Publication Date: 3/31/2009
Pages: 464
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 431

4 stars, based on 431 ratings
Publisher: Jove
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

rettaliny avatar reviewed Tribute on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I'm not a big Nora Roberts fan. I find her books too formulaic and romances are not my favorite genre. But I do read romances for a change form the thrillers I like and I find Nora Roberts is usually a safe bet for a good read. And she sometimes adds a touch of fantasy and the paranormal to her books so that's a plus for me.

Tribute has a good story about a Hollywood star, her family, mystery about her death and the granddaughter who refurbishes her home in Virginia. The characters in the book are great and the romance hot and very current, not cutesy sweet. Best of all book had a lot of humor.
MELNELYNN avatar reviewed Tribute on + 669 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Cilla McGowen was raised in the spotlight. Her Grandmother was the famous Janet Hardy; a child star turned Hollywood actress and famous singer. Her mother, Dilly, wasn't quite as famous as Janet but managed to stay in the Hollywood spotlight all her life. From a very young age Cilla was thrust in front of the cameras by her mom. She was part of a successful TV show, made a few records, but by the time she was an adult she was pretty much a has-been.

Happy to be out of the public life, Cilla now makes her money flipping houses; it is a labor of love. Finally getting her hands on her famous Grandmothers long neglected farm, Cilla is rehabbing to make herself a home. Questions surround her Grandmothers too early death and as Cilla repairs the house, she seeks answers. But someone doesn't want Cilla around and is making things very difficult for her, her friends and workers. Finding a friend and an unexpected love in her graphic novelist neighbor, Ford Sawyer, Cilla gets some much needed TLC.

This is a lengthy new novel by Nora Roberts, but amazingly enough I flew through 451 pages, easily, I absolutely loved it.

What Nora does better than anyone is create unforgettable and magnificent characters. This book is filled with people who are written so well, you can see them so clearly and you feel like you know them. Every character in this book added something to this story; love, sex, fear, annoyance, growth, laughter, and sadness. You get as invested with the side characters as you do with the main characters. I love that about her work

Cilla is a heroine not without flaws; she's both hard and soft and has been emotionally drained. She's personable and knows her strengths and weaknesses. I found her extremely relatable. Ford was funny, charming and sexy as hell. It took me all about a page to fall for him and his crazy dog.

The story is strong and takes the reader through past and present day at the farm with clever little visits from the Grandmother. Uncovering the secrets of the past and dealing with the danger of the present lead you through a suspenseful and gripping read. I admit I knew whodunit pretty much from the start, but Nora added a little something extra that threw me off and added plenty of surprise at the end.

This book has everything; a solid mystery, a love story, humor and healing. I really enjoyed it. I am also one of those HGTV junkies that enjoy house flipping and rehabbing and I got a total kick out of the demo and rehab of this house. It was fun to watch it change and I had no trouble picturing the results.
lighthouse-lady avatar reviewed Tribute on + 13 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is the first Nora Roberts book that I've been excited about reading in a long time, and it did NOT disappoint. I loved it. Like another reviewer, I stayed up way too late and finished the book in a couple of days, simply because I could not put it down.

Cilla is a real, down-to-earth heroine that you can genuinely LIKE. And Ford is delightful. Nora Roberts made him a strong, supportive, sexy, believable hero. He was exactly what Cilla needed every step of the way.

The best romance books, in my opinion, are the ones in which you pull for the heroine and fall in love with the hero. Tribute accomplishes this and then some.
starvinArtist avatar reviewed Tribute on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I have been a long time fan of Nora Roberts and have to say she doesn't disappoint with "Tribute". From the first page I became invested in the story of Cilla (retired actress who now rehabs houses), as she returns to her roots to live her own life. But while renovating her grandmothers home, strange things begin to happen. The suspense kept me going till the end. Highly recommend.
reviewed Tribute on + 168 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Review of the audio CD: I have to say I didn't really warm up to the narrator. I tried to listen to this audiobook but I stopped. Maybe this is a case where the story is better when you read it, rather than listen to it.
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reviewed Tribute on + 31 more book reviews
Standard Nora novel
Always enjoy her characters" conversations
They often thoughtful, witty and fun to read
Glad she always comes back to renovating historical sites
We need that in the USA
FMK
crysd avatar reviewed Tribute on + 10 more book reviews
Tribute was enjoyable because it felt modern and quirky. I love that the main male character is "dorky" and writes comic books, definitely a change! Cilla, the lead character, is a childhood actress who is now flipping the house of her dead grandmother. There is mix of mystery, sadness, family relations, and love all in this book. I felt it dragged on a little at times with certain aspects, and the ending wrapped up too quickly & easily in my opinion.
bluesbaby avatar reviewed Tribute on + 9 more book reviews
Girl conquers adversity finding new friends and a very special someone along the way. As usual, many twists and turns in the plot so it kept me thoroughly entertained. A fun read and just like I expect from Nora Roberts.
reviewed Tribute on + 383 more book reviews
Great read
robinmy avatar reviewed Tribute on + 2097 more book reviews
Former Child Star Cilla McGowan couldn't wait to get out of Hollywood and away from her headline-grabbing mother. She moves to Virginia to restore her grandmother's farmhouse. Cilla's grandmother was Hollywood legend Janet Hardy who died from an overdose at this house thirty years ago. The house was left in ruins and Cilla wants to fix it to live in. When next door neighbor, Ford Sawyer, meets Cilla, he believes the beautiful contractor will make things in the neighborhood more interesting. As they begin a relationship, someone vandalizes the work project and threatens Cilla's life. It's up to Ford and Cilla to find out why someone wants her to leave.

This is an enjoyable romantic suspense story by Nora Roberts. Cilla has been working on renovating houses for years and now wants to work on her own. She has the knowledge and the money to get it done, but needs to hire the right people for the job. Ford is a great hero. I loved how he supported Cilla through the vandalism and threats on her life. But my favorite character in this book was Ford's ugly dog, Spock, who reminded me of my brother's dog.

I thought the suspense portions of the story were a little weak and drawn out, but the romance and the interesting backstory of Cilla's grandmother made this book interesting. My rating: 4 Stars.
jwigg avatar reviewed Tribute on + 39 more book reviews
I liked this one for the mystery.. it was actually a fun ride all the way to the end. The male lead was also interesting to follow. It was a fun, quick read.

Book Wiki

Original Publication Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
People/Characters
Cilla McGowen (Primary Character)
Ford Sawyer (Primary Character)
Janet Hardy (Major Character)

Genres: