Morgan Albright is living outside of Baltimore juggling two jobs and is proud of all she is achieving at the age of twenty-five. Her friend Nina lives in her home to help her with the mortgage payments. She meets Luke at the bar she's working at. He's a seemingly nice guy and they start dating. But Luke (whose real name is Gavin) is a psychopath. He kills for the thrill of it as he steals women's identities. And Morgan is his ideal victim. But plans go awry, and Gavin kills Nina, sending Morgan back to live with her mother and grandmother in Vermont. While Gavin has stolen everything from Morgan, she soon realizes that he didn't steal her spirit. But Gavin can't get Morgan out of his head, and he is determined to finish what he started out to do - kill her.

Nora Roberts is one of the most reliable authors out there. She creates compelling stories filled with interesting characters. Identity may not be at the top of my Nora favorite list but it's good. And Morgan is someone you will surely root for. Her relationship with her mother and former-hippie grandmother is wonderful, although she kept calling them "my ladies" which for some reason annoyed me. She gets a job at a family-owned area resort and her developing love story was sweet. As despicable as the killer was, the sections devoted to Gavin were the most interesting and engaging but most of the book focused on Morgan. This book has a bit of everything - some suspense, some romance and more. There's not a lot of surprises but I was entertained. If you are a Nora Roberts fan, you'll be pleased.

Could not put down! This was for sure one of the best Nora Roberts books I've ever read, and I've read almost all of them. Identity hit all the marks of things I love in a good romantic/suspense read: Strong female characters, likeable (and lovable) male characters, family ties and a most depraved villain. The main setting at a resort in Vermont made me want to visit. Also, the title fits in perfectly with the premise. Written in true Nora Roberts style with her signature banter, Identity is sure to be another bestseller! Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Big thanks to Nora Roberts, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

2 ⭐️s

Plot: 3/5
Writing: 2/5
Ending: 3/5

Basic Plot: girl gets tricked by a man who steals her identity and murders her friend, she moves in with her mom and grandma, falls in love with another man, psychopath comes back after her.

My Thoughts:

Nora Roberts is usually an easy read for me. I love thrillers that have a bit of romance to them. But this one just didn't quite do it for me. The beginning had me hooked and I was all about this mysterious man who then went nuts and took everything from her. I actually really liked that Roberts got a little dark and gory with this one.

But then fast forward to the middle and it was just the same thing over and over again. Then the romance element came way too fast and what seemed like out of nowhere. One second she's thinking he's cute, next second she's jumping his bones. Also, why is everyone talking to their family about their sex lives??? WEIRD! Like girl, don't be tellin your grandma and mom about doing the dirty with your new boyfriend. THEN HE DOES THE SAME THING. I was over it.

No spoilers here about the ending... but that all happened way too fast. Things were dragging then all of a sudden it picks up the pace by 1000 then NORA just ends it. Like there was no suspense. No omg whats going to happen. It was like a short little chapter then poof everything is good. This book had some potential too. The plot was interested from the description. But then when it came to the execution it just fell flat. Will I still read a Robert's book? Absolutely. Keep them a bit gory like this one and I'll even be more all over them. But keep the family sex talk out of the next one.

2.5 star overall rating. It felt too long for me and dragged in the middle. Although some people may like the way it's laid out so give it a shot if Robert's is your go-to. I just personally needed more.

I absolutely loved this book! I haven't read many Nora Roberts books, and after reading this one, I have to wonder why. This has to be the best book that I have read so far this year. Ms. Roberts has a knack for giving us likeable characters that we can relate to, as well as others that we can absolutely hate. She was very knowledgeable about everything she wrote about in the book, everything from flower gardening to bar tending, so I believe she did a lot of research about many different topics.

The scene details in this book were very well described, which actually put you where you needed to be at each different place and time, which is a great help in really getting you into a book.

I just didn't want this book to end. It was so very good!

Nora Roberts brings readers another wonderful romantic suspense novel, Identity . Former army brat Morgan Albright has settled in a neighborhood near Baltimore, Maryland. Her day job as an office manager for a family-owned construction company and her night job as a bartender are helping her get closer to her goal of owning her own bar. She purchased a house and has a friend and housemate, Nina Ramos, who helps with the mortgage payment. However, after their first dinner party, Morgan’s life is shattered. Cash and jewelry are missing, Morgan’s car is gone, and Nina is dead. It soon becomes apparent that a con artist has also stolen Morgan’s identity and assets, and this isn’t his first time. FBI agents arrive, and Morgan struggles to rebuild her life in Vermont. Meanwhile, the killer is getting reckless and failing to cope with life due to his failure to kill Morgan.

Morgan is capable, resilient, a person who makes plans and works towards them, responsible, organized, a fast learner, and creative. Several characters have an impact on Morgan. Luke Hudson is friendly, interesting, a good listener, and confident. Miles Jameson is attractive, blunt, kind, considerate, and respects and values others. These characters, as well as several others in the novel, are well defined with depth and complex traits. They were portrayed in a way that brought them to life.

Readers quickly learn who the murderer is. The suspense is around when this individual will come after Morgan again since she is the one who got away. Meanwhile readers are treated to Morgan’s reconnection with her family and the rebuilding of her life. The book has a good mix of suspense and romance as well as an action-filled ending and is well-plotted. Readers are quickly pulled into the story line with fluid writing and great characterization that grabbed and held my attention and kept me engaged. The real-world issues added depth to the narrative. Themes include family, friendship, murder, grief, work ethic, identity theft, and much more.

Overall, this was a story that quickly pulled me into the narrative and the lives of Morgan and those around her. While the pacing isn’t as brisk as some romantic suspense novels, the author did a great job of building suspense throughout the story and I enjoyed the journey. She is a superb storyteller that intermingled the ever-present threat that was looming over Morgan and the rebuilding of her life. I would love to see this become a series. Readers of romantic suspense will likely enjoy this novel.

St. Martin’s Press and Nora Roberts provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for May 23, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

3.5 stars
I enjoy Nora Roberts' books and was excited to read this. It is an interesting romantic suspense. Morgan is targeted by a serial killer, and after her roommate's death, she goes to Vermont to start over and live with her grandmother and mom. She arrives defeated, and through finding ways to stay busy and getting a job managing the upscale bar at the resort, she gains her confidence back and starts to enjoy life again. I loved watching her transformation, how the family who owns the resort embraced her into their fold, and how well she does the job she loves.
The serial killer considers Morgan to be the one that got away, so interspersed with the chapters about her are updates on where he goes as he tries to allude the Feds and plot out how to get back to Morgan and finish the job. Those chapters were more difficult to read, as he is insane and kills multiple people without remorse.
The end ties everything up, and it was an enjoyable read overall that kept me interested.

This book is frightening as "how" a swindler can absolutely ruin your life after stealing your identity. I didn't find this novel to be a thriller as it was slowly paced with zero build-up. The romance also felt like an unnecessary addition to the story.

The book continuously got bogged down in details like Morgan's shifts at the resort, etc...I needed more serial killer details for it to be suspenseful. Ultimately this story takes a bit to get interesting then falls flat at the end.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy.

I liked the basic plot of this book. It could happen to any 20 something woman, even one trying to be careful on the dating scene. That is what makes this book all the more sinister in nature. Nora's writing style on this one, however, leaves something to be desired. There are many half-finished thoughts and dialogue that made me go back and read the sentence a time or two and sometimes I still didn't understand. Then there is her style that holds the reader at a distance. I never felt like I truly was part of what was going on, especially with the romance. The details of the bartender duties were a little more than I needed, or wanted, to know.

Morgan Nash Albright wanted nothing more than to set roots and grow in a community. After living life as an Army brat and after her parents' divorce with her nomad mother, she was ready to stay in one place. The place she chose was a small suburb outside Baltimore, Maryland. She worked hard as a bartender, bought a small home and is saving to buy her own bar someday. She and her housemate and best friend, Nina, are truly making her house a home. When she meets Luke, an IT specialist in town for an extended business trip, they hit is off and begin to date. Soon thereafter Morgan comes home to a break in and Nina dead. On the heels of that the FBI inform her that Luke is a psychopathic seral killer and that he has wiped her out financially. She fits his type perfectly and is lucky to be alive.

Wiped out emotionally and financially Morgan goes to Vermont and her mother and grandmother. There she finds the solace she so desperately needs and a new purpose. As the Bar Manager for the upscale bar, Après, in the exclusive Resort at Westridge. Not only a new purpose but a man too. Miles Jameson, scion of the family that owns the resort and COO of it. His family has deep roots in the community, and he takes his position there seriously.

While "Luke", whose real name is Gavin Roswell, spirals after his failure to kill Morgan, she is getting on with her life, something Gavin just can't abide or let stand. He is making threats and the FBI and Morgan are taking them seriously. Morgan begins a self-defense regime and becomes stronger for it. She is determined not to become this man's victim again.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

When I received this book in the mail, I realized that I had never read a Nora Roberts book. While I have read a few of the “In Death” series, written under the pseudonym J.D. Robb, I hadn’t ventured into any of the Nora Roberts books — and there are a lot!! So I was excited and pleased to receive this book in the mail, to read my first one.

Identity tells the story of Morgan, independent, somewhat estranged from her family, living in another state than her there (but not close) family members. She meets a handsome stranger, so charismatic that she agrees to a date with him. She is a bartender, and usually doesn’t do that type of thing, but Luke is attractive and available, so Morgan is happy to begin to test the waters of dating him. Well, disaster strikes, and Luke is not who he says he is. The life that she thought she had comes crashing down around her, and Morgan heads to her mother and grandmother’s home in Vermont. She really doesn’t want to be going, but she has no other choice. The rest of the story details her time in Vermont, picking up the pieces of her life and beginning again, with some remains of her old life hanging over her head.

Now, again, I have never read Nora Roberts, so I don’t know if this is usual or just with this book, but I was confused as to the genre of the book. It was billed as a “thriller” on the cover and in the Goodreads summary. And it did have elements of the “thriller” genre, however, MOST of the book read more like a women’s fiction book. 75% of the book basically detailed Morgan’s life, her rebuilding after the horrible events that took place, and her beginning a new job and meeting her new beau. It detailed her relationships with her mother and grandmother, and the other people that she worked with. Then, the rest of the 25% of the book would be the “thriller” portion, dealing with the aftermath of the event, sometimes told by “Luke’s” point of view. Again, I’m not sure if this is usual for Nora Robert’s books or not.

Although this book was interesting and engaging, I felt like it was WAY TOO LONG. The minutiae that it dealt with in Morgan’s life could have been eliminated, and made for a more concise book. It bogged down the book to the point where I wasn’t sure where some of it was going.

Also — and this is probably just me — I kept looking for these big twists and turns (because it was called a thriller) that just didn’t happen or materialize. Probably (again) from my lack of experience with Nora Roberts, coupled with my absolute love of the psychological thriller, I kept looking for some huge twist that never came. It disappointed me, in a way, but I think that might just be true to form of this genre of book. My expectations were not aligned to the actual content of the book.

Overall, I did like the book. I was happy to read my first Nora Roberts book, but in some ways it did not meet my expectations. I gave it four of five stars, and would recommend to those who lean more toward the genre of Women’s Fiction. This hits bookstores on May 23, 2023.

It’s Nora Roberts at her best at romantic suspense! I don’t think I need to say more than that! Just a true power house and this is why she’s one of my auto-read authors! Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

I loved all the characters in this story. Family was such a huge part of this. Enough drama to keep you wondering "when the bad guy would strike again" Heartwarming story about family and friends who become family and will do anything to protect you, as well as an inside look at the mind of a serial killer.

So creepy…. So good I just couldn’t put it down! Romance and psychopaths don’t usually go together, but Nora Roberts made it work in this book. A book of starting over and rebuilding with the perfect twist of mystery.

I've always been a Nora Roberts fan, but this book just didn't do it for me. The pacing was all off, and it felt too long. The first half of the book could have been written in a couple of chapters instead of 200 pages. It was too descriptive, and I didn't feel the chemistry between the MCs. Also, the way that Morgan referred to her mother and gram as 'my ladies' was very cringy for me. I wanted to love this book but didn't at all.

3 star rating, thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy for my honest review.

Nora Roberts latest novel of romantic suspense, Identity, centers on Morgan Albright Morgan starts seeing a man, Luke Hudson, that turns out to be both an identity thief and serial killer named Gavin Rozwell Gavin not only murdered Morgan's roomate, but stole her identity. Morgan heads to her family's home in Vermont for a fresh start. She succeeds by landing a job at trendy ski resort, falling for the resort owner's son, Miles, but her life is suddenly put back in danger when she learns that Gavin is tracking her down to settle his score with her.

I can always count on Roberts for a good story. Her trademarks such as a strong yet vulnerable heroine, close knit families, and a hero who is an equal match for the heroine. She also creates some truly chilling chapters that focus on Gavin.

Unfortunately, there are too many characters that come and go. There is also too much background description along with too many details especially when it comes to scenes where Morgan is at work making drinks.

Identity had the potential of being classic Roberts, but instead it's a better then average read by the beloved author.

What a page turner! I enjoyed reading this book so much. From the suspense to the romance. This book has a little bit of everything. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

This is a very compelling thriller that was hard to put down. I connected with the characters immediately and the villain is oh, so very evil. I was kept enthralled throughout the whole book. The ups and downs of the main character were heartbreaking, but her resilience was inspiring. I loved the entire supporting cast.

This is a book for readers who enjoy strong women and I hope you pick it up.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Nora Roberts shines in this resplendent romantic mystery. She uses her sharp writing skills to bring the readers a great story. The characters are magnificent in a page turning plot. Morgan is a magnificent character. She is strong and resilient in the face of grave danger. Miles is stoic and hardworking. Readers will be intrigued by the cat and mouse game played by the killer. As the story is told from several voices the dialogue is sharp and witty. The romance that blossoms between Morgan and Miles is very sweet. It is a story about the bonds of family and resiliency.

IDENTITY is a romantic suspense novel that tells the story of Morgan Albright (Nash), a woman whose identity is stolen and whose roommate and best friend is murdered by a con-man who gained Morgan’s trust while she was tending bar. Morgan is the first of Gavin’s victim’s to survive – normally he murders the women whose identity he steals. Morgan ends up moving back home to Vermont to live with her mother and grandmother and gets a job as a bartender at the local resort. As she rebuilds her life, the FBI tells Morgan that Gavin’s end goal is to finish what he started by taking her life.

Let me start by saying that in my teens and 20s, I was a HUGE Nora Roberts fan; I used to buy her romances and her romantic suspense novels the day they were released which I don’t do very often. In the last 5 years though, I’ve found I have somewhat outgrown Nora’s style and she is no longer a “must read” author for me. Instead, I pick and choose with Nora books to read based on the premise. That being said, the premise of this novel sounded incredibly interesting so I was very excited when I received an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley.

Although there was a lot going on right at the beginning of the story, the story lagged quite a bit for me. I didn’t think things picked up in Vermont until about the 50 or 55% mark; if I hadn’t received an advanced copy, I’m not sure I would have made myself finish this book as I usually give books less time to capture my interest. At one point around the 40% point, I found myself skimming some of the chapters because I wanted to finish. I also found the use of “my ladies” by Morgan to describe her mother and grandmother to be somewhat cringeworthy and I found the dialogue to be mostly unrealistic – I had to ask myself, who talks like this?

But what saved this story is the fact that Nora Roberts knows how to write a good story. The second half of the book was interesting and I really enjoyed the parts where we got to see into the mind of Gavin; I wish there was a bit more of that and less day-to-day in Morgan’s life. As usual, Roberts crafted a kick-ass heroine in Morgan and I loved the ending and her role in it.

Based on the slow start, I’m giving this one three stars, but I think Nora Roberts fans will enjoy this one. A special thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 Stars

This was a really good romantic mystery/thriller. I absolutely loved Miles and Howl. Morgan was a good main character who wasn't too perfect. All in all, Nora Roberts did what she always does, which is write a good story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

What do you do when the life you built is stolen from you? Morgan Albright is a strong, independent woman who is living the life that she has built. When she meets someone who is in town for just a little while, she strikes up a friendship with him. He is not all that he seems however, and he steals her identity, her money, and murders her best friend. Can she build a new life and maybe an even better one?