While Nora Roberts is a prolific writer I have to confess that I haven't read any of her novels until now. I found this an easy read where I become immersed into the family saga so much so that it was difficult to stop reading! It was also an excellent introduction to Nora Robert's writing as it is a stand alone story and not one of many in a series where you need to read from the first in order to really follow onto the rest.
Nora Roberts is an excellent writer, creating deep and realistic characters and complicated but compelling storyline with romance, mystery and suspense!
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Australia for the introduction to Nora Roberts by giving me the opportunity to read and review Come Sundown.

Another fantastic Nora Roberts book, I was captivated from the start.
This story wavers between the present day and about 25 years in the past leading up slowly to now. A family in Montana runs a ranch and resort. This story is about their lives and their loves. A family member disappeared years ago and suddenly more women are turning up dead, are they connected? I can honestly say wow, I didn't see that coming at all. There is drama, action, suspense and romance all packed into this book. I enjoyed all the characters, even hated some. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I'm sad I'm doing this but I am DNF'ing a Nora Roberts book. This one just isn't for me but even though the content is not for me (I'll explain why) I'm still giving it 3 stars because it's well written and if the content works for others, I'm sure they will enjoy it. Plus I enjoyed the mild romance happening between Bodine and Callen.

First of all, this is more of a sweeping family saga with some romance and suspense thrown in. I would not call it romantic suspense nor would I call it women's fiction though it has some leanings that way. It's kind of a difficult book to categorise. My friend Bambi calls it a modern western romance which is probably accurate too since it's set in Montana amidst a horse ranch and resort. Given I'm not one for family sagas, I found I enjoyed getting to know Bodine and her family, and the business empire they have built and run as a family. I enjoyed the family connections and the various relationships linking everyone together.

I liked Bodine and her Type A personality, needing a plan, ticking off boxes and running the resort business. I also enjoyed how much she cared about everyone who worked for her and how important they were to her in different ways. I loved her work ethic and her can do attitude.

Enter Callen and I liked his relaxed attitude and his mild flirtation with Bodine. I liked that he laid his cards on the table about wanting to date Bodine and her teasing him with a non-reply. It was very sweet. I particularly liked how he said he liked how pretty she'd grown up to be. That had my heart going pitter-patter.

What I couldn't stomach was Alice's story. It was gut-wrenching and made me feel ill in my stomach. I guess after having just DNF'ed a story about a horrible serial killer, Alice's plight was too much for me to handle. Ms Roberts interspersed regular chapters of Alice's ordeal and suffering in the past, switching back and forth between present day with Bodine and Callen, then back to Alice. I even seriously considered not reading Allice's chapters because I found them so disturbing. Credit to Ms Roberts for her skill in writing and how she made me feel. I'm certain she meant to convey how truly awful Alice's situation was and she did a stellar job of it.

I may consider picking this up again another day and finishing the story but for now, I just don't have the constitution for it. However, all that said, don't let what's stopping me stop you from reading it. It's a good book if you like this kind of story.

Another great Nora Roberts book. This one centres around Bodine Longbow and Callen Skinner, Callen is a long time friend of Bodine's brother Chase. He left his family ranch to chase a dream and after his father's death finally comes home. Unfortunately his father gambled most of his money away and the Bodines purchased it, with the last patchbeing sold to the Bodines when his mother left to stay with her daughter and family.

Callen is offered a job at Bodine Ranch and Resort and here he thrives on his work with one of the loves of his, the horses.

Alice Bodine, Bodine's Aunt left home on the day of her sister's wedding well over twenty five years ago and that has always been a bitter pill for the loving and close family to swallow. Unbeknownst to the family, her disappearance was not all that it had seemed.

There is danger and murder happening around the town and everyone is worried as two of the victims were known to all.

Bodine has her hands full running the resort and she enlists the help of Callen who only too gladly is willing to take on some of the resort work as well as helping Chase and Rory work the ranch.

Feelings between Callen and Bodine surface as well as others on the Bodine property and the story includes other wonderful characters. All the family have starring roles but most of the story evolves around Bodine and Callen.

This was a very enjoyable read, as with other Nora Roberts books, you just want it to keep on going.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and voluntarily review this book.

You know you can pretty much depend on Nora Roberts to deliver when it comes to romantic suspense. She generally gets the combination and the consistency of the ingredients right and her latest, Come Sundown, is no different. We're offered likeable, charismatic but not-too-cheesy characters; clear and engaging writing that reels readers in; along with an enjoyable and not overly predictable plot.

This book opens in 1991 as a contrite Alice is returning home to the family property she left three years earlier. She's 21 and life hasn't quite turned out the way she wanted but it's not too late and she knows her family will forgive her for running away. Unfortunately for Alice (and her family) she hitches a lift with the wrong man... *cue dramatic music*

We're then in the present day where we meet Bo and Cal (who's just returned to the area after a stint away) and the rest of the Bodine / Longbow family. Bo and her two brothers get along amazingly well and are all involved in the family business along with their parents and Bo's grandmother and great grandmother. Her long-gone aunt, Alice, is rarely spoken of and her own mother (Maureen) and great grandmother are particularly bitter about Alice doing the flit on her sister's wedding day.

Of course we flick back and forward in time and know that Alice 'tried' to come home. And over time we see that her captor, Sir, transforms her from a belligerent spirited young woman into someone quite different.

And in the present two young women are dead. Because Cal's just returned to town and a local cop has a grudge against him, he falls under some suspicion, but then there are others who are new to the ranch and resort, including Jessica - a city girl who's become Bo's right hand and the resort's events manager... not to mention a potential love interest for one of Bo's brothers.

There's an ease with which Roberts unfurls a story. We're briefly in the mind of a killer, but mostly we're introduced to likeable characters with a myriad of complexities. There are a few romances on offer this time around and thankfully Roberts handles the sex scenes with a light and deft touch so there's no prolonged foreplay (#sorrynotsorry) in terms of the oft-used will they / won't they stuff. The plot itself was an interesting one but a little weird for me as the last book I read (The Marsh King's Daughter) also featured a woman held captive over many years (along with her daughter).

I'm not sharing any spoilers by mentioning Alice's return - cos the backcover blurb refers to it - and Roberts does a very impressive job at eking out her memories and her experiences. I particularly liked the sensitivity she provides via the family in reminding Alice of her past and the home (and world) she once knew.

This book is very much set in rural America and I'm not usually a fan of horses and cowboys and country music, but this was very engaging and actually quite interesting in terms of the work being done in terms of growing the ranch and resort and prepping of the horses for shows and riding lessons.

Of course the suspense in this novel is all in who the kidnapper / killer will target next and whether or not Alice is safe. And that kept me reading and reading. Until I was done. So this latest by Roberts will certainly hook you in. There's a little bit of the 'happily ever after' on offer but it's not too overpowering. Fans of Roberts (and newcomers alike) will most certainly not be disappointed.

All I can say is Nora Roberts does it again with Come Sundown. There is mystery and crime, strong women, a beautiful ranch and resort in Montana, family and friends, romance - all of which combine into making a downright good read.

Bodine - the heroine is a strong, feisty woman and boss, she runs the resort side of the family business really well. She comes from a strong line of women - there's Miss Fancy her great grandmother of 89 years, Cora her grandmother and Maureen her mother. And don't think Miss Fancy sits all day in a rocking chair, don't offend her with that. She can still ride out when she wants over the ranch. One of the laughs I got from this book was a tee shirt she turned out in one time with a really apt and clever slogan on the front. Not going to spoil it for you though, you just need to come across it.

There is darkness in this novel, Bodine's Aunt Alice went missing, she was a little of the black sheep of the family and had left home to do her thing. However she is taken hostage by a very bad guy and lost to the family. Bodine and her two brothers have never met her or seen her. At times we get the viewpoint of this evil, ugly man and for some that could be off putting. But so far one thing I can say is, Nora Roberts never lets the bad guy win - so hang in there.

These dark spots are juxtaposed against family, life on the ranch and resort. Family bonds are so strong and when Callen rides in on his amazing horse life gets even better. He is a long time friend of Bodine's brother Chase, returning to his place of birth after time in Hollywood training horses. Soon he is very much involved in life on the ranch and resort. And dang it. That horse of his, there is something magical about it.

I love the title of this book and how it relates to the story, won't give it away, but its perfect. At times during the reading I shied away from the ugly, caught my breath at the very emotional points and chuckled at some of the humour that sprang out in places.