I really am constantly awed by Nora Roberts. After more than 170 books, she still manages to write stories that completely capture my attention- to the exclusion of all else (I totally got caught at work today sneaking a read instead of looking productive! Crap!). 
 She has a way with descriptive language- her settings are almost characters themselves. Her characters are always well realized and the romances have a way of ringing true, especially because most of the time she portrays relationships that have realistic conflicts and issues. 
 I am not usually disappointed with Ms. Robert's books, and Black Hills is no exception.