What do You think about The Winning Hand (2002)?
Orjinal Adı:The Winning Hand olan Utangaç Milyoner'in Goodreads Puanı 5/4,10 Benim puanım 5/5 Serinin en beğendiğim romanlarından idi.Serinin ilk kitabında yer alan ve Komançi kanı taşıyan Justin Blake ve Serena MacGregors'un oğlu Mac-Robert MacGregor ve Özgür ruhlu,masum bir kadın olan Dusty Wallace'in hikayesi idi..Bu kitapla birlikte MacGregor'de yeni kuşağa geçmiş oluyoruz..Hikaye de diğer aile üyeleri Daniel vardı o olmasa olmazdı elbet..Yine çöpçatanlık peşinde idi..Serena ve Justin tam otuz yıllık evli idiler..Hala daha birbirlerine aşıktılar..Üç çocoukları daha vardı onların hikayesini okuyacakmıyız bilmiyorum ama en çok Duncan Macgregoru merak ediyorum..Mac Las Vegas'taki imparatorluğu gazinoyu o yönetmektedir...Bir gün gazinoda Jackpotda jack pot'ta 2 milyon dolara yakın para kazanıldğını görür.Parayı kazanan ufak tefek minyon yaşının bile kumar oynamak için şüpheli olan bir genç kız görür..Darcy Wallace.. Genç kız hayatının kumarını oynayıp kazanmıştı..Kansas'taki evini,işini kaybetmiş orayı terk ederek Las Vegas'a gelmişti..Fakat cebinde 9 dolar vardı bununla iki kere yemek yiyebilirdi..Ayakları ona bir jackpot makinesinin önüne kadar sürükler elindeki parayı makineye atarak kolu çeker...Bingooo..O da ne? Tam tamına 2 milyona dolara yakın bir para kazanır..Ve o anda bayılır..Mac-Robert MacGregor'un kollarına hem de..Milyoner olmuştur ama çok tecrübesizdir..Kızılderili reisi sandığı mekan sahibinin yardımlarını kabul eder..Mac yardım etmeğe karar verdiği bu genç kızdan zaman geçtikçe etkilenmeye başlar Darcy ise buyurgan nişanlısından kaçtığı bu şehirde önce milyoner olur..Zamanla tanıdığı MacGregor ailesine ve Mac'e aşık olur..Para amaçlar için araçtır sadece o da uzun zamandır hayalini kurduğu yazarlığa soyunmaya karar verir..Çok güzel bir seri ilk çıktığında serinin ilk kitabını ben çok sevmemiştim..Fakat seri devam ettikçe serinin müdavimi oldum herkese tavsiye ederim...
—HÜLYA
Before The MacGregor Grooms, the oldest grandson of Daniel MacGregor had to get married, and, of course, Mac finds his true love in Nora Roberts' The Winning Hand, a Silhouette Special Edition romance novel.::: Back to Vegas We Go :::Robert MacGregor Blade, otherwise known as Mac Blade, is the oldest son of Serena and Justin Blade, owners of a chain of casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Mac is content with his life managing his parents' casino in Vegas, The Comanche, and having brief flings with locals and showgirls until Darcy Wallace shows up in the casino one night with less than ten dollars in her pocket. Darcy is fleeing a controlling ex-fiance, and not only did her car break down just outside of Vegas, but she also had her purse stolen.When she notices that a progressive slot machine has a payout ending with the exact same amount of money she has left to her name, she puts her last few dollars into the machine, and (true to the fairy tale ideal) wins the jackpot. Mac realizes that this shy Kansas librarian is totally out of her element, and decides to take her under his wing as she adjusts to her new life as a millionaire.Of course, no novel about a MacGregor would be complete without some involvement by the family patriarch, and once Daniel MacGregor meets Darcy, he decides that she is the perfect match for his grandson, and does everything he can to encourage a romance. The trouble is, Mac thinks that Darcy needs to experience more of the world, and that she doesn't belong in Vegas, much less as part of his life as a casino manager.::: Formulaic Entertainment :::Not a single plot point is unexpected in The Winning Hand, from Darcy winning the jackpot to the appearance in Las Vegas of her ex-fiance to the ending. Darcy is described as adorable and fairy-like, and of COURSE Mac's family falls in love with her and notices how lonely she seems to be. Of COURSE Mac falls in love with her too, and takes her for such cliche-ridden outings as a moonlit ride in the desert and a ride on a roller coaster at another casino. From the initial "coincidence" of the slot machine payoff ending in the same amount as Darcy has in her pocket, you know exactly how this story will end: poor little Midwestern girl makes good in Sin City.Still, this is Nora Roberts, and these are the MacGregors, and they are always fun. Roberts always takes care to make even her short romance novels fun to read and authentic, and the reader feels like they are right in the casino along with Darcy. I've never even been to Vegas, only lived vicariously through family and friends, and yet I still felt like I'd been there and seen what Darcy sees. The appearance of Mac's grandfather, the MacGregor, is always enjoyable, and he's in rare form in The Winning Hand, not only harrassing his grandson about marriage at every turn, but also taking over as Darcy's financial advisor, and chewing every scene Roberts writes him into.The Winning Hand may not be the meatiest Nora Roberts book ever written, but it's fun and enjoyable, and it's always nice to go back and spend time with a family that she's written about in so many of her novels.This review previously published at Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Winnin...
—Cyndy Aleo
We all live ordinary lives. We wake up in the morning, we go to work/school/whatever, we work our asses off, we come home, we watch a little tv, maybe hang out with some friends or cuddle with our significant other and we go to sleep. And then we dream. We dream of being rich, being famous, being a trendsetter, winning the lottery. Yes, we ALL want to be that girl, the one who hit the jackpot! "I think I saw a puddy-cat!"The one with a ticket to instant fame and wealth. "Buying my way to a better dress sense!"The one who's every man's sexy girl-next-door fantasy... Finally... JACKPOT!!!!The Winning Hand cashes in on all of our deepest fantasies of instant wealth and a hot guy to love. Darcy Wallace is literally down to her last dollar when she hits The Comanche on the Las Vegas Strip. She's punchy from walking in the desert sun with no food, water or rest. So when she hits the $2 million jackpot on the slot machine, all she can do is faint into sexy Robert MacGregor Blade's willing arms. Mac is the ultimate gambler, but he has met his match in this fairy-like, naive looking Kansas girl on the lucky streak of a lifetime. He feels an urge to protect the innocent, overwhelmed Darcy from the wolves already baying at the door for her newfound wealth. Darcy, for her part, is alone and friendless in a strange town and is only too happy to trust her instincts and put her faith in Mac and his charming family. The MacGregors has got to be my mostest favoritest romance series of all time. The family saga, spanning three generations and ten books, is heartwarming and charming. Read objectively, The Winning Hand is pretty awful in parts, especially the bits where Mac takes on a decidedly paternalistic air and tries to dictate what is best for Darcy; thankfully, despite being one of Nora's more submissive heroines, Darcy isn't a total wimp and manages to retain her own personality throughout. But the real charm of this story, for me, is its fairytale aspect. First you have the sheltered princess who runs away from the evil ogre. Then she wins a ton of money so she can ensure her continued liberation. Wish-fulfillment fantasy Number 1Then she meets Prince Charming, who shelters her in his castle. When the ogre comes to take the princess away, they face him down together. Then the prince and the princess fall in love. Wish-fulfillment fantasy Number 2There are some minor hurdles to cross on the path to true love, but eventually, the prince and the princess kiss and make up... Whoops! That's not quite the kind of kissing I was looking for!and live happily ever after! Wish-fulfillment fantasy Number 3 to 1 million...THE ENDNothing But Nora Week, Book 4
—Vinaya