Review: Identity by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: May 2023

 Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan's job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party—attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who'd been chatting her up at the bar—her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor.

Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. "Luke” is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.

What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn't his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan's nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother's home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn't flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn't forgotten the one who got away.

In Identity, Morgan is on  track to be able to open her own bar.  She works hard and long hours to achieve her dream.  She also really likes her roommate.  One night, her roommate is murdered and the FBI say it was supposed to be Morgan.  With nowhere to run, she must return to her hometown and start over.

After not really loving this author's last 2 stand alone books, I was skeptical about this one.  I am so happy to say that I really enjoyed this one.  I loved the romance part.  Morgan and Miles were so good together.  I loved how his family embraced Morgan right from the beginning. I also loved the how Morgan, her mother and grandmother healed their relationship.  The suspense part was fairly straight forward, but added a lot of enjoyment to the book...especially the ending.  I feel like the author I love is back and I can't wait for her next one.

Review: Legacy by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: May 2021

Adrian Rizzo was seven when she met her father for the first time. That was the day he nearly killed her—before her mother, Lina, stepped in.  Soon after, Adrian was dropped off at her grandparents’ house in Maryland, where she spent a long summer drinking lemonade, playing with dogs, making a new best friend—and developing the stirrings of a crush on her friend’s ten-year-old brother. Lina, meanwhile, traveled the country promoting her fitness brand and turning it into a billion-dollar business. There was no point in dwelling on the past.

A decade later, Adrian has created her own line of yoga and workout videos, following in Lina’s footsteps but intent on maintaining creative control. And she’s just as cool-headed and ambitious as her mother. They aren’t close, but they’re cordial—as long as neither crosses the other.

But while Lina dismisses the death threats that Adrian starts getting as a routine part of her daughter’s growing celebrity, Adrian can’t help but find the vicious rhymes unsettling. Year after year, they keep arriving—the postmarks changing, but the menacing tone the same. They continue after she returns to Maryland and becomes reacquainted with Raylan, her childhood crush, all grown up and as gorgeously green-eyed as ever. Sometimes it even seems like the terrifying messages are indeed routine, like nothing will come of them. Until the murders start, and the escalation begins.

Legacy is the latest stand alone romantic suspense by Ms. Roberts.  I usually really enjoy these every year. While I did finish this one, I found it to be OK and not her best.  It's not really a romantic suspense.  But more of a long meandering story about a bunch of characters who end up back in a small town to start a new life.  Oh and there is a little bit of suspense thrown in.

I felt like the book was a lot longer than it needed to be.  We follow both Adrian and Raylan from when they are in elementary school, through early adulthood and into present day.  It made the book drag and I found my mind wandering at times.  It was just too much unnecessary background. Since Rayland and Adrian barely spend time together in that entire part of the book, I had a hard time buying into their saying they had feelings since they were kids.  How?   I ultimately did like their romance and I loved how Adrian embraced his kids.  I also loved the friendships that are portrayed in the book. 

As for the suspense part, I wasn't a fan.  I figured out who The Poet was very early on.  It wasn't that difficult.  I never had the sense that Adrian was in danger until the very end.  Honestly, it probably could have been left out altogether and the story would have been fine as a romantic book about friendship.  So, while it's not my favorite by this author, I still recommend it.  

Review: Under Currents by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin Press
Date of publication: July 2019

Zane Bigelow grew up in a beautiful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Strangers―and even Zane’s own aunt across the lake―see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children’s ballet recitals and baseball games. Only Zane and his sister know the truth, until one brutal night finally reveals cracks in the facade, and Zane escapes for college without a thought of looking back...

Years later, Zane returns to his hometown determined to reconnect with the place and people that mean so much to him, despite the painful memories. As he resumes life in the colorful town, he meets a gifted landscape artist named Darby, who is on the run from ghosts of her own. 

Together they will have to teach each other what it means to face the past, and stand up for the ones they love.

I had to take a few days to put together my thoughts on this latest from Nora Roberts. Under Currents is her latest stand alone novel.  I have very mixed feelings about the book.  In a way, I felt like I was reading two very different books.  The first part was a very difficult read.  If child or spousal abuse is a hard subject for you, then proceed with caution.  Nora doesn't hold back.  Then, the book go forward several years and becomes a rambling romance with small smatterings of suspense. Essentially, the book was a lot longer than it needed to be.

Overall, I liked the book.  I enjoyed the characters.  I liked that there was no real angst between Zane and Darby.  I loved their relationship and enjoyed going on their journey into love.  The peripheral characters were great as well.  I loved the family that surrounded Zane and his sister.  What I found lacking was the mystery part.  Or, I could say mysteries.  Because honestly how many different culprits can target a couple realistically in a short span of time.  It wasn't hard to figure out who the culprits were each time.  One of the reveals was so anticlimactic and disappointing.  I think Nora fans will enjoy the book.  I have just read better from her in the past.

Review: Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of publication: December 2018

They look like an everyday family living an ordinary life. But beyond the edges of this peaceful farm, unimaginable forces of light and dark have been unleashed.

Fallon Swift, approaching her thirteenth birthday, barely knows the world that existed before—the city where her parents lived, now in ruins and reclaimed by nature since the Doom sickened and killed billions. Traveling anywhere is a danger, as vicious gangs of Raiders and fanatics called Purity Warriors search for their next victim. Those like Fallon, in possession of gifts, are hunted—and the time is coming when her true nature, her identity as The One, can no longer be hidden.

In a mysterious shelter in the forest, her training is about to begin under the guidance of Mallick, whose skills have been honed over centuries. She will learn the old ways of healing; study and spar; encounter faeries and elves and shifters; and find powers within herself she never imagined. And when the time is right, she will take up the sword, and fight. For until she grows into the woman she was born to be, the world outside will never be whole again.

Of Blood and Bone is the second book in the Chronicles of The One trilogy.  This one focuses mainly on Fallon Swift.  She is the baby born to Lana at the end of Year One.  She is also the one from the prophecy who is supposed to save the world. While there are some recaps throughout the book, I would caution that this book does largely assume that you read the first book. 

 I ended up liking this one a bit more than the first book. The pacing was a lot better and it kept my interest. I never felt bored.  I really enjoyed watching Fallon grow up and into her magic.  A lot of times, we end up reading about a heroine destined to save the world, but we don't get to see her grow into herself.  I appreciated that the author took this book and gave us that glimpse.  We get to see her struggle with wanting to be a normal kid and realizing the fate of the world is basically up to her.  It made me genuinely care and root for Fallon.  I was also happy that while it is clear, Duncan is going to be her love interest in the next book, it wasn't a big focus here.  Fallon is only 17 at the end of this book.  I want to see her grow up a bit more before we give her a romance.

In addition to Fallon's story, we go back to the town of New Hope to see how the group from the first book has faired.  While those scenes were important to the story, I liked Fallon's scenes the most.  The one thing that disappointed me about the book was the battle toward the end.  It was a bit anti-climatic.  I'm hoping the battle in the last book is more exciting. The final book, The Rise of Magicks comes out in November 2019.  

Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Date of publication: May 2018

Sometimes, there is nowhere safe to hide.

It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children shopped together, and the manager at the video-game store tended to customers. Then the shooters arrived.

The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the memory of huddling in a ladies' room, hopelessly clutching her cell phone--until she finally found a way to pour her emotions into her art.

But one person wasn't satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that another conspirator is lying in wait--and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.

Shelter in Place opens with a pretty detailed mass shooting in a local mall in Maine.  There is no trigger warning, but I would assume from the synopsis that people who would be triggered would avoid this book anyway.  I am torn on how much I enjoyed this book.  The opening scenes were tense and had me on the edge of my seat.  Then the next quarter of the book dragged.  It wasn't until about halfway through that the book really got going again.

Part of what made me hesitate to say I loved the book was finding out pretty early on the identity of the other conspirator.  I think I would have felt more suspense had the reveal been toward the end with most of the book putting the pieces together.  We also follow the main characters through their college years up until they meet again on the island.  I know that it was meant as a way to see how their lives were shaped by the shooting, but I found much of those passages longer then they needed to be and honestly would have been fine with  some simple flashbacks.

The romance was sweet. I just wish it hadn't taken so long to get to it. Reed and Simone were an unlikely pair, but I bought into it anyway.  Reed was my favorite character with CeCe being a close second.  I would have loved to have a grandmother like her.   

This is a fairly enjoyable stand alone.  I'm sure most Nora fans will pick it up.  I did like it, I just didn't love that whole thing like I usually do.  

Throwback Thursday: This Magic Moment by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First published by Silhouette in 1983

Pierce was an austere and solitary figure, a magician who had dazzled and entranced audiences all over the world. Only one woman, Ryan, had guessed the pain that lay behind his art, the past he had chosen to conceal behind the flash and the glitter.

His unhappy childhood had taught him to rely on nothing. Yet Ryan was determined to offer him the only truth she knew: Their love was no illusion.

Unfortunately, This Magic Moment has fallen under the "bad early works" list by one of my favorite authors. This Magic Moment was so cringy, I skimmed the last half of the book.  The characters were cliche and the dialogue was over the top cheesy. 

I had the biggest issue with the the main character, Ryan.  Her reactions were contradictory and over the top.   After knowing Pierce for a couple of days, she claims to be in love with him.  But a day later, when he wants wants to sleep with her, she says no because she doesn't know him.  How can you  know someone enough to be in love with them, but not enough to sleep with them?  After they do finally do the deed, she freaks out because she woke up alone.  She keeps up the rant when he shows up fairly soon after with a valid excuse.  At that point, I could't take much more and skimmed to the end.  I'd say this is one you can skip.

Throwback Thursday: Opposites Attract by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First published in 1992 by Silhouette

Asher Wolfe and Ty Starbuck were tennis superstars - Ty all fire and flash, Asher the ice princess with devastating control. Three years ago, the combination had resulted in a passionate affair. But misunderstandings had catapulted Asher into an unhappy marriage with another man. Now the ice princess was back on the circuit, determined to win. But her concentration was threatened, as Ty's dark eyes dared her to become the fiery woman he had once loved.

If you are a big fan of tennis, then you will probably love Opposites Attract.  This throwback is filled with tennis terminology and tennis matches.  I'm not a tennis fan, so I found those parts of the book a bit tedious and skimmed most of them.  Without them, the book would probably be more of a novella length, so they were probably added for filler.

Aside from those portions, this is an angsty second chance romance with a sweet ending.  A lot of the angst was due to miscommunication that I found frustrating. There were a couple of things that I found annoying, but they are kind of nitpicky.   To me, Asher is not a girl name.  It's a boy name, so that kept throwing me off as I kept picturing a man.  And every time I heard Ty referred to as "Starbuck", I would picture the character from Battlestar Galactica.  Authors really need to think through their name choices. It's not a bad read, but it's not one of her best throwbacks.

Year One by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of publication: December 2017

It began on New Year’s Eve.

The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed—and more than half of the world’s population was decimated.

Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magic rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river—or in the ones you know and love the most.

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.  The end has come. The beginning comes next.

Nora Roberts has kind of been hit or miss with me when it comes to her fantasy series. I have loved some of her older ones. However,  I really didn't care for her last witch series and only read the first two out of the trilogy.  I had high hopes for this newest series. Year One is about a virus that wipes out 80% of the world's population with magic thrown in.  It sounded like a good read.  Unfortunately, it was more of a miss than a hit for me.

The story overall was entertaining enough.  But it honestly it was kind long and kind of boring.  That's not really something I would hope to get when I read a post apocalyptic story. There was no real suspense or sense of danger throughout most of the book. There were many predictable parts that anyone could see coming a mile away. 

The characters were just there and didn't really add much to the story.  They could have been anyone.  Except maybe Fred.  She was fun.  One of the biggest problems that I had with it was the cast of characters.  There were too many to follow. There are the initial ones that we follow throughout the majority of the book.  Then we are all of a sudden introduced to more and more once they settle in New Hope.  I lost track of who the original ones were by that point.  Then they are all dropped to follow only one for the last 20% of the book.  It felt unsatisfying to not know what happened to the rest of them.

I'm not sure the whole magic element worked for me. It made no sense why people were all of a sudden getting powers or changing into fairies and shape shifters. I guess the biggest problem is the same I have with the Walking Dead.  We have no idea what caused the virus.  I feel a bit confused.  Was it a bird? Was it magic?  Where did all of the magic come from? Hopefully in the second book there will be more of an explanation.  It was a long book with no real answers.  I also felt like it was very reminiscent of The Stand.  It had the good versus evil fight.  The good and bad making their way across the country to converge together in one place.  The big bad and the chosen good....  I'll probably try the next one just to see what happens.  I'm just holding out hope it's better than this one.

Throwback Thursday: The Heart of Devin MacKade by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First published in 1996 by Silhouette

Devin MacKade had watched Cassie Dolan from afar for twelve years. Twelve years of watching her married to another man, a man who believed in hitting his wife. Devin had finally had enough, Cassie was free now, and it was about time she knew how Devin felt.

This is the book in the series I have been waiting for.  Devin and Cassie's story has been an arc over the first two books and I was really looking forward to seeing them finally get together.  I can finally say that I liked one of the stories in this series.  I hold out hope for the final book which is Shane's story/

In The Heart of Devon MacKade, Cassie is now divorced from her abusive ex-husband and Devin is ready to make is move.  He has been in love with Cassie since high school. I devoured this book.  It was so sweet and gut wrenching.  I loved seeing these two finally get their HEA.  If you read  only one of the books from this series, I recommend this one. It's the best.  

Throwback Thursday: The Pride of Jared MacKade by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First published in 1995 by Silhouette

Jared MacKade believes in taking a stand, and he never turns his back on a fight. So when his work as an attorney brings him up against Savannah Morningstar, her rude behavior and strong defenses aren't nearly enough to scare him off―quite the opposite. Thoughts of the outrageously direct and sinfully sexy woman keep Jared coming back for more. And the more he gets to know her, the more determined he is to stand by her always.

The Pride of Jared is the second book in the MacKade brothers series.  I was hoping I would like this one more than the first one.  Nope, not even close.  I actually really disliked this book.  I'm not sure I could hate a character more than Savannah.  She was so unlikable.  She was rude, obnoxious and so unbelievably insecure.  I couldn't understand how Jared fell for her.  Maybe it was her ethereal beauty that I was constantly reminded of over and over.  The only slight redeeming quality was the relationship between Jared and Bryan.  Sadly, it wasn't enough to make the story worth recommending.

Throwback Thursday: The Return of Rafe MacKade by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First published in 1995 by Silhouette

Ten years after disappearing from Antietam, Maryland, the bad boy has returned. Cleaned up and successful now--and still dangerously good-looking--Rafe MacKade sets the town on fire, and tongues wagging.

Lovely newcomer Regan Jones is intrigued--what kind of man could cause this sort of talk? She's just about to find out....

I'm not sure I can really say I enjoyed this early book by Nora Roberts.  The Return of Rafe MacKade is the first in a series about the MacKade brothers living in a small town.  Rafe MacKade has moved back to town and is turning the local haunted house into a bed and breakfast.  Regan is helping him furnish the house with antiques.  He wants her for more than that.

I wasn't a fan of either main character.  Rafe was a jerk throughout pretty much the entire book.  I like an alpha male character, but when he asks a woman how much longer he has to wait for sex, I lose a lot of respect for said character.  Regan was kind of a wet dishrag and really uptight. She claims to be independent, but I never really saw it.  They had too much angry sex and fought all the time.  I wasn't confident in their relationship. The "Grease" ending moment was kind of ridiculous.

The side story of Cassie and her abusive husband was more interesting.  I liked the conclusion to that part of the story.  I hope she and Devon get together in a later book.

Throwback Thursday: Playing the Odds by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First published in 1985 by Silhouette

The cards were stacked, though neither of them knew it. Serena MacGregor's father left nothing to chance when he sent Justin Blade -- part Comanche and all gambler -- on a Caribbean cruise. His daughter was evading her responsibility to produce grandchildren by working as a blackjack dealer on the CELEBRATION. Odds were they'd meet.

Serena's father had his hopes riding on what would happen when they did. Win, lose or draw, they were meant for each other, proving indisputably in this case that lucky in cards did not mean unlucky in love. 

I was surprised at how much I liked this early one from Ms. Roberts.  It's definitely a bit cheesy, but in the end I thought it was a cute story.  Justin did take a bit of time to grow on me.  He was a bit pushy in the beginning.  His alpha side was a bit off putting. He redeemed himself in the end.  Serena was a great character.  She wasn't wishy-washy and definitely gave as good as she got. The other characters were fun as well.  My favorite was Serena's dad.  He was hilarious.  

There is a little mystery included in this one.  I did guess the solution to whole the stalker/bomber was or at least what it was all related to.  But, I didn't really mind that much.  I'm definitely going to be hunting down the rest of the series to read about her brothers!

Throwback Thursday: Dual Image by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First published in 1985 by Silhouette

SHE COULD BE ANY WOMAN HE WANTED…

As "Amanda Jamison," Ariel Kirkwood suffered stoically through the daily traumas of a popular soap opera. She was adored by her loyal fans, as well as the real people in her life.

Booth DeWitt had written his greatest script. From the pain of a bitter marriage came a bitingly brilliant story. Ariel knew she wanted to play the scheming wife-a complete change from her sweet daytime heroine.

Ariel the actress awoke the ghosts of Booth's past with her eerily perfect portrayal of his ex-wife. Ariel the woman broke through his hardened cynicism-and tempted him to love again!

Dual Image is classic early Nora Roberts.  Ariel is a soap opera star.  Her character on her soap opera is a smart yet meek woman.  Ariel longs to play someone with more substance.  She reads for the part of a villain in an upcoming television movie.  Booth is the screenwriter and thinks Ariel is perfect for the part... a little too perfect.  He has been burned by his ex-wife and refuses to fall for her.

I thought this was a cute romance.  I loved Ariel.  She is smart, independent and a free spirit.  Her devotion to getting custody of her nephew made her loving heart show through. Her scenes with Scott were really cute. I did think the "I Love You" came a bit early, but I did feel like they spent time getting to know each other before leaping into bed.  I didn't really care for Booth at first. but he grew on me.  

One of the fun things about the story is the scenes of  the soap opera and movie that are included in the book.  They really brought me back to the 80s when I used to watch General Hospital after school.  So cheesy and dramatic!  This is one of Ms. Robert's better throwback books.  Definitely give it a try!

Throwback Thursday: Luring a Lady by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First published in 1991 by Harlequin

Nothing in Sydney Hayward's background of wealth and privilege had prepared her to take the helm of her family's corporation. Her overflowing new responsibilities left no room for complications--and Mikhail Stanislaski was definitely a complication. Sydney had learned the hard way that she could never love anyone--least of all, this earthy, disturbingly masculine stranger who came from a world so different from her own.

Still, the way she felt when he put his hands on her--strong, work-hardened hands--made her doubt her resolve to remain alone. This gifted man seemed to have a rare talent for luring a lady, even a very reluctant lady, into his arms....

Luring a Lady is the second book in the Stanislaski series.  I reviewed Taming Natasha last week and decided to start this one right away.  Much to my dismay, I couldn't  even finish this book.  While I liked Mikhail, I couldn't stand Sydney.  I really  just couldn't stomach reading about another woman who thought she was frigid  and was the reason her marriage  failed.  Lady, he cheated on you because he was a douchebag and that is all.  I was liking the story until the scene in the limo when Sydney is saying that Mik displayed disgusting behavior toward her mother at the dinner party. Ok first, eww, and second he kissed her hand. But Sydney, who made out with a guy to get back at Mik, was totally innocent?  Then less than a minute later she is practically mauling Mik in the car and begging him to "take her".  Nope, can't do it.

I'm not sure if I will continue with this series.  While I liked Taming Natasha, it took I me a while to warm to Natasha. I didn't see me ever warming to Sydney. I need a book where I can like the characters.  

Throwback Thursday: Taming Natasha by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First publisher in 1990 by Silhouette

Natasha Stanislaski left youthful indiscretions far behind when she settled in rural West Virginia. Her way with children made her toy store a success; her fiery temperament kept men safely at bay. Then brash Spence Kimball and his adorable little girl joined forces to nudge their way into her shop...and her closely guarded heart.

Sensing that a hidden wound was what made Natasha such a tigress, Spence cautiously probed her gentler emotions, nurturing the feelings she both longed for and dreaded. Slowly he felt her sensuality stir, felt her pain yield to passion. But when he vowed to love her always, make her his wife and the mother of his child, she bristled in terror. What would it take to tame her fears? 

Set in the early 1990s, this story is a very bittersweet straight romance.  I liked the characters as well as the love story.  Natasha own a toy store in a small town in West Virginia.  Spender and his daughter "Freddy" have just moved to town to start a new and slower paced life.  For Spencer, it was instant attraction.

I loved Spencer.  He was just too cute as he went about wooing Natasha to give in to their attraction.  I loved that they ended up becoming friends. first  and took things slowly.  I will admit to not like Natasha at first.  She was kind of a bitch.  But after learning her back story over the span of the book, I could see how she ended up being untrusting.  Freddy was also a cute character and I liked her scenes with Natasha.

If you are in the mood for a good solid contemporary romance, this one is worth checking out.  It's the first in a series about the Stanislaski siblings.  I will be checking out the next book soon.

The Obsession by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Berkeley
Date of publication: April 2016

Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father’s crimes and made him infamous.

Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, thousands of miles away from everything she’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton.

Naomi can feel her defenses failing, and knows that the connection her new life offers is something she’s always secretly craved. But as she’s learned time and again, her past is never more than a nightmare away.

After loving last couple of stand-alones by this author, I was looking forward to The Obsession.  For the most part, I enjoyed it.  It involves Naomi who years before discovered her father was a serial killer and saved a life in the process.  She misdoes to the small town of Sunset Cove and buys a house.  There she meets Xander who makes her want to settle down maybe.  Soon local murders are discovered to be tied to her past.

While I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to, I still enjoyed it.  The biggest problem for me was that I felt like the book wasn't sure what it wanted to be. Normally, Ms. Roberts books have a great balance of romance and suspense, but not in this one.  It felt unbalanced.  There was too much background that could have been done in flash backs or could have been summed up in a couple of paragraphs.  For me, it took away from the amount of suspense that could have been built up for the mystery.  In that regard, it was kind of lacking and the ending was pretty rushed.  I also figured out the killer early on.


What I did like was the romance part.  I love Xander.  He now has a place on my book boyfriend list.  Who doesn't love a hot alpha who loves to read?  His library probably rivals mine.  That alone would make me fall for him.  I like how he pushed through Naomi's defenses and made her realize she should stick and not run as usual.

I think fans of this author will enjoy this one, so I do recommend picking it up.  I look forward to her next one.

Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Berkley
Date of publication: November 2015

To celebrate the rise of their new queen, three goddesses of the moon created three stars, one of fire, one of ice, one of water. But then they fell from the sky, putting the fate of all worlds in danger. And now three women and three men join forces to pick up the pieces…

Sasha Riggs is a reclusive artist, haunted by dreams and nightmares that she turns into extraordinary paintings. Her visions lead her to the Greek island of Corfu, where five others have been lured to seek the fire star. Sasha recognizes them, because she has drawn them: a magician, an archaeologist, a wanderer, a fighter, a loner. All on a quest. All with secrets.

Sasha is the one who holds them together—the seer. And in the magician, Bran Killian, she sees a man of immense power and compassion. As Sasha struggles with her rare ability, Bran is there to support her, challenge her, and believe in her.

But Sasha and Bran are just two of the six. And they all must all work together as a team to find the fire star in a cradle of land beneath the sea. Over their every attempt at trust, unity, and love, a dark threat looms. And it seeks to corrupt everything that stands in its way of possessing the stars…

I'll be honest, I was a bit hesitant to read this book.  I have enjoyed this author's earlier fantasy trilogies. But her last one, "The Cousin's O'Dwyer" series (starting with Dark Witch), I couldn't even finish.  I was completely underwhelm by the first two books and I didn't bother with the last one in the trilogy..  I am happy to say, that Ms. Roberts is indeed back to her good writing form with a great start to a new fantasy series.  Stars of Fortune is what Dark Witch could have been. In this new series, six strangers are drawn together to search for three stars that were formed for a goddess queen.  There is a dark force who wants the stars for her own. It is up to them to save the world from living in darkness.

What I loved about this book was the characters.  All of them have a special gift, but those gifts aren't revealed all at once.  I'm not going to give them away because it would definitely ruin the story.  There are a couple of surprises.  I think my favorite character was Annika.  Her personality does across as naive and very rose colored, but once you realize where she comes from, it all makes sense.  She was a breath of fresh air and added in a lot of comic relief.

I thought the plot in this one was strong.  Each of the six characters were well fleshed out. I also loved the world that Ms. Roberts has built in this one.  This is not a repeat of the "Circle Trilogy".  It's very different.  In fact, I think I may just end up liking this one better in the end.  Here's hoping the next book, Bay of Sighs is equally as strong.

Throwback Thursday: For the Love of Lilah by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
First published in 1991 by Silhouette

Mystery and danger still swirled around Lilah Calhoun's ancestral home. The fabled lost emeralds continued to attract treasure hunters--and at least one dangerous criminal. And they had brought a man unlike any Lilah had ever known.

Maxwell Quartermain was a reserved college professor, more at home in the past than in the present. But from the moment Lilah dragged him from the Atlantic, she found he could make her melt with merest glance--and that troubled her deeply. For Lilah wasn't used to needing anyone as much as she needed Maxwell Quartermain... 

So far, I think For the Love of Lilah is my favorite out of the series.  This time around it is Lilah's turn for romance.  She finds it with Max, who literally fell out of the sea!   I loved these two together.  Max was really cute and really insecure about Lilah.  It was refreshing to see the woman be the pursuer for once.  The story arc of the necklace is finally advanced a lot more.  We find out more details about Bianca's death and her love affair with Christian.    The best character in this one was Great Aunt Colleen.  She was hysterical!  I can't wait to read the conclusion!