Vision in White is the first book of the Bride Quartet series of romance novels, written by Nora Roberts. It spent two weeks atop the New York Times Bestseller List and reached number 3 on the USA Today bestseller list, marking the first time one of Roberts' books had become a bestseller in trade paperback format. A downloadable casual-play computer game based on the book was introduced by I-Play in 2010.
In her thirty-year career, Roberts had published almost 200 novels. Vision in White was one of ten Roberts novels published in 2009, including five new releases and five reprints. When it was released on April 28, 2009, its cover premiered the use of a special logo to differentiate her new releases from reprints of her past works.
The novel marked Roberts' return to contemporary romance. The new series revolved around a wedding planning enterprise run by four childhood friends. This first story featured the developing relationship between wedding photographer Mackensie "Mac" Elliot and English professor Carter Maguire. Like several other Roberts novels, Vision in White explored how a protagonist balanced a successful career with a dysfunctional family environment. Although the hero is a fairly typical representation of the romance novel archetype of the professor, the novel is slightly unusual for a romance in that the hero must convince the heroine to take a chance on love.
Background
Nora Roberts is a prolific author of romance and futuristic suspense novels. From 1979 through 2008, almost 200 of her novels were published. On average, she completed a book every 45 days. She does not outline the novels in advance or create character biographies, preferring to develop the plot as she goes.
According to Publishers Weekly, three of the top-ten bestselling mass market paperbacks of 2008 were Roberts novels. Her new releases focused primarily on paranormal and fantasy romance. In 2009, Roberts returned to the traditional contemporary romance subgenre with Vision in White. The novel was the first in her Bride Quartet, which also included Bed of Roses, Savor the Moment, and Happy Ever After. Each novel in the series focuses on the love story of a different founder of Vows, a fictional wedding planning business.
Vision in White was released by Berkley Books on April 28, 2009. The novel was one of ten Roberts books released that year. Five of the releases were paperback reprints of books previously issued. Three were new hardcovers, including two published under the pseudonym J. D. Robb. Vision in White and its sequel, Bed of Roses, were released in trade paperback. To help readers differentiate the new releases from the reprints, the covers of the two trade paperbacks included a medallion with the initials NR.
Plot summary
The novel follows the relationship of photographer Mackensie "Mac" Elliot and English teacher Carter Maguire. Mac and her childhood friends Parker, Emma, and Laurel are the founders of Vows, a fictional wedding planning company in Connecticut. While accompanying his sister to a planning session at Vows, Carter renews his acquaintance with Mac and confesses that he had been infatuated with her since high school. She is intrigued by his honesty and earnestness and decides to embark on a casual fling with him.
After seeing her parents' numerous failed marriages, Mac does not trust the idea of commitment. Her determination to avoid emotional intimacy is reinforced as she struggles against her mother's continued tactics of emotional manipulation.
Their relationship progresses slowly through the book. Each protagonist receives much advice from a large circle of friends and family. With the support of her friends and Carter, Mac develops the courage to stand up to her mother. By the end of the novel, she realizes that she does not have to relive her parents' mistakes, and chooses to embrace her love for Carter.
Analysis
The four novels of the Bride Quartet share a strong emphasis on sisterhood. The heroines of the books bonded as children and have become sisters by choice. Throughout the series, they provide mutual support and acceptance of each other's quirks. Focused on their careers, the heroines have little time for outside relationships, and they rely heavily on each other for comfort, help, and distractions. A similar theme is seen in several of Roberts' other works; her In Death series, written as J. D. Robb, has a heroine who has created a family from female friends and colleagues.
