Loved it!!!! Just enough suspense to keep you wondering when the next thing would happen but enough breathing space for the characters and story to develop. I think what I loved the most is the shift from the man being the only support and hero. She found a whole village to lean on to get her through and then was her own hero through the lessons and power she gained from the entire support system she had.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Nora Roberts is always on my list of must be read books. She is one of my favorites and her books are always a pleasure to read

Identity did not disappoint. Full of suspense and romance and perfectly crafted.

Her characters are ones we grow to love, hate or love to hate. The characters, of the grumpy Miles, Morgan and Gavin are my favorites.

The plot is developed at a great pace and the story if identity theft is one we can relate to in this day and age.

Highly recommend. Add it to the top of your must be read list!

Another summer, another Nora Roberts single title romantic suspense novel. Like several of her other recent releases in this genre (most notably Legacy), the romance and the suspense are awkwardly integrated. One minute Nora is detailing the minute details of the male MC's home décor, and the next she is inside the mind of a deranged serial killer who steals his victims' identity before murdering them. It's like her sweet Inn Boonsboro trilogy (The Next Always et al), scrambled with one of her more disturbing J.D. Robb books.

Morgan, traumatized by the events in the first four chapters, arrives in Vermont as a scared, haunted, and exhausted woman. But once she secures a job as bartender/manager at the swanky resort in town she quickly demonstrates her competence, as well as her courage as she gradually reclaims her life. Unfortunately none of the secondary characters have as much depth. Our hero Miles is handsome, brilliant, and a bit overbearing (but only in an endearing way). His family members, who own and manage the resort where Morgan works, all get along harmoniously. Morgan's relationship with her mom and grandma is all sweetness and light, and although there are hints of previous emotional distance between Morgan and her mother, everything is resolved in one conversation. The love story goes from zero to sixty in just a few pages, and from there it's pretty much smooth sailing. No third act breakup needed when you're trying to avoid a serial killer.

The novel does read quickly (especially if you're skimming through the design, garden, and wedding porn sections), and although most of the suspect tracking work is done by two FBI agents, the inevitable showdown between Morgan and the murderer is taut and exciting.

I've been reading Nora's books for 40 (!) years now, and although I don't love this particular genre of hers I will probably still be there for the next one. And the next J.D. Robb. And the next paranormal trilogy.

ARC received from Net Galley for objective review.

Identity by Nora Roberts Romantic suspense with a strong female lead (Morgan), a dreamy hero (Miles), a lovable dog, loving and caring relatives (The Ladies), and an evil antagonist (Gavin). Classic Nora Roberts.

Thank you to Net Galley, Nora Roberts and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to preview the book.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

One of my favorite authors and she definitely did not disappoint in this Romantic Suspense. Nora provides attention to detail and you feel as if you are right there within the story.

Morgan and Miles meet at work and Morgan is looking for a fresh start after an identity fraud rips her world apart. Miles comes off as a distant person and Morgan tries to figure out how he operates.

As they work closely together a relationship forms but danger is still lurking and someone is still coming after Morgan to finish what he started and planned.

Great read!

IDENTITY
BY: NORA ROBERTS

About 4.5 Stars

This is my first introduction to the very talented Author Nora Roberts, whose new book, called, "Identity," is impressively written. I was so grateful to receive an ARC of hers, because my best friend from High School told me back in 2009, that she was a favorite of hers. I knew Nora Roberts wrote a lot of books, and was a best selling Author, but until I read this fantastic one called, "Identity," I now understand why she is so popular. First of all, when I requested this I hadn't read the synopsis, so I went into it totally blind. I expected it to be a light type of reading experience involving family, and romance. It was exceptionally well written, and one that far exceeded my expectations. Nora Roberts has keen insight into humanity, as evidenced in her ability to create captivating characters, and her plot development is equally remarkable.

The beginning started out describing Morgan as a focused, and responsible young woman, who after graduating college having majored in Hospitality, and Business working two jobs who was reaching her goals. She had bought her own home, and met her housemate named Nina in a gardening center who helped her pay the mortgage by moving in and they became close friends. Morgan was described as growing up as an "army brat," I surmised that her father probably was in the military, and that it meant a lot to Morgan, to put down roots. She had plans to renovate her home, worked for a construction company by day, and a bar tending job at night. I was impressed by the fine details that I was learning about bar tending, which I thought Nora Robert's must have researched, so I was quickly absorbed, as I realized that my instinct to pick this book was going to be a much more in depth rewarding reading experience than I initially thought.

After reading about the successful dinner party between Nina, her serious boyfriend Sam, Luke the well dressed, handsome, charming, IT guy, Morgan met at her job, I was thinking how he and Morgan were likely to develop a relationship. Suddenly, as I was reading about how Luke broke in and brutally murdered Nina I had chills, and had to go back and reread what I had just read. I was jolted and shocked while he described how he had hacked into Morgan's accounts, and how quickly he stole her identity, savings, charged up her credit cards, absconded with hundreds of thousands of dollars by already having taken the funds from a home equity loan. My heart's pounding out of my chest thinking about how sadistic and what a psychopath he was by targeting her because of how she looked physically. He was the scariest Serial killer I have ever come across in a novel before. I read thrillers all the time, but I wasn't prepared for him to do what he did. For the rest of the novel, I had goose bumps whenever I read about him. He constantly changed his appearance, and picked out women who looked like his mother, who he also murdered. While Morgan was mourning the death of a close friend, he was able to slip away leaving her with a visit from the two Special Agents from the FBI telling her that he meant to murder her. Nina was home sick, and he murdered her, because she was at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Morgan hates Winters as do I, and she had to move in with her mother, and grandmother whose home and business sounded interesting in Vermont. The community was intriguing, and sounded like it was an ideal place to live. Morgan got a new job as the manager at a high end resort bar tending. The family owned business that owned the resort, were all kind and worked well together. I admired Morgan's work ethic. She was good at her job and a relationship developed with one of the men in the family who looked out for her, but was also her boss.

I think that the character development was stunning and very clever. I was glad for the respite between the sections with the Serial killer, which I would have liked to be more frequent, which alternated with the longer sections of the strength of Morgan's courage and determination to rebuild her life. After, everything that she went through, she was successful at not letting it defeat her. She was kept informed by the FBI that she was the only survivor of that sadistic Serial killer. Despite the FBI Agents warning her that he would try to kill her, she was able to continue with moving forward with living a productive life. She was empathetic towards others and professional while doing her job. I knew within the first few pages that I was going to love this novel. The genre is hard to classify because it had a romance between Morgan and her boss, that seemed to develop without a gradual build up. It was also the creepiest and scariest thriller when it switched to the parts of the serial killer. It is one that once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. I loved the relationship that Morgan strengthened with her mother. By understanding how hard it was for her mother after the divorce, it showed Morgan's maturity. I can see why Nora Roberts is so popular with my Terrific reading experience, and I'm so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this early. I highly, highly recommend this and I will look into reading her previous standalone novels.

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley, Nora Roberts and St. Martin's Press for generously providing me with my wonderful ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#Identity #NoraRoberts #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

I have been a long time Nora Roberts fan and I always devour her books.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy!!

When I started this book, I rolled my eyes. Another story abou5 a woman in trouble and the rich guy comes to her rescue! But I kept reading* and as always, I loved this story!

I enjoyed the characters and the setting and the storyline!
Thank you for another great book!

I’ll start by saying I’ve read many Nora Roberts books over 20 years. A few of her books are ones that I happily re-read. This probably won’t be one of those.

Things I didn’t like:
- Choppy dialogue with multiple speakers that made it hard to distinguish who was talking.
- The ending was very abrupt. I would have hoped it had lasted longer. I was disappointed that there was so much build up for such a short release.
- I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Morgan and Miles.
- “Her ladies”

What I did like:
- Morgan’s journey and growth after Nina’s death and the foil it served against Gavin’s decline.
- The emphasis on family, both made and inherited, which serves as a theme in Nora’s books.
- The description of the setting in Vermont. I was itching to go.

All in all, this would be a fine beach read. I’ll be re-reading Midnight Bayou or the Three Sisters Island trilogy for my favorites. I was very excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an honest review.

I was so lucky to get this early thru Net Galley. It is a wonderful story of unfathomable loss at the hands of a true psychopath. But Morgan regroups and rebuilds with the love and support of her family and the family she gains from of all places a job doing what she loves.

I doubt I've missed a single book in the popular "Eve Dallas" series this author writes as J.D. Robb, but to the best of my recollection this is the first I've read that she's penned as herself. And my reaction is weirdly mixed; while I enjoyed it thoroughly - to the point of not wanting to put it down - in other ways it kind of made me crazy.

The story is a mix of romance and suspense starring Morgan Albright, who tends bar at night after her day job to earn enough money to refurbish the small house she bought in Maryland. At the bar, she meets - and takes somewhat of a liking to - a friendly, uber-considerate guy named Gavin. Not only does he steal her identity and wipe out her entire financial life, he's a monster who kills her beloved roommate Nina, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Morgan then learns from the FBI that he's a suspected serial killer, and it's likely she was to be his next victim.

In financial free-fall and owing thousands of dollars - I guess her bank and credit card companies had no fraud protection - she heads to her mother's home in Vermont, where her grandmother lives as well. There's a backstory there, too, but all seems to be rosy now as the other two women - "My ladies," as Morgan calls them - take every opportunity to assure Morgan how great she is and how much they love her. Their local "connections" help Morgan land a posh job managing the bar at a nearby upscale family-owned resort.

Hanging over her head, though, is the realization that Gavin is a psychopath who isn't finished with her; she's the one who got away, after all, and he will stop at nothing to get her back. That, in her view, threatens the job she loves and complicates her budding relationship with the resort family's eldest son, Miles, who isn't the most pleasant of characters in his own right. But here, too, Miles, Morgan's "ladies," all the family members who run the resort and all but one of the employees constantly reassure Morgan that she's smart, beautiful and far too valuable to be thrown to the wolf who hasn't found the door (yet).

The rest of the story tracks the romance and the killer's progress in working his way to Morgan - and of course, you'll get no details from me on those issues. The whole thing held my attention throughout, even if I did quickly tire of an excess of dialog, mostly arguments over who's more perfect, or who loves who more and lengthy explanations of why good bartenders know so much about so many things (hint: yes, there's a ton of repetition). The ending didn't come as a big surprise nor increase my fondness (or lack thereof) for any of the characters, but it was satisfying nonetheless. All in all, it's an enjoyable read - with the end result that I'm looking forward to the author's next book. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Mogan works two jobs to afford the home she has in Baltimore. Add to that her friend Nina who helps with the mortgage. One of her jobs is bartending and in walks and intriguing man. Gavin. The relationship begins but Gavin isn’t what he portrays. Nina finds this out the day she comes home and finds her house broken in, Nina dead, things stolen- and the worst her identity stolen - money taken from her accounts etc. she is devastate. All her goals and dreams crushed, she moved back to Vermont to stay with her mother and grandmother. She bartends, she meets a wonderful man- life is good —- but Gavin hasnt forgotten her and he sends reminders that he is coming for her.
Once again Nora writes a thrilling book!!!

I have read a lot of Nora Roberts books in my lifetime from her early romance books to her more recent “magical series”, so I was really excited to have the opportunity to read and review her latest book “identity”. This book doesn’t quite fit any genre. It’s not a pure romance nor is it a true thriller or suspense. The romance component lacked any true depth; they just were together and then in love. I liked the beginning, especially the threat of the “killer” but the suspense was drawn out and lost some luster. Also the dialogue was very repetitive and long-winded. Yes we get it, Morgan works hard, is a strong Nash woman, and loves her “ladies”.
With all of that said, I did like the book but did not love it. I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me read an advanced copy for my honest review.

Another fantastic romantic suspense from Nora Roberts. I loved all the characters and I wish I could give it a 10.

IDENTITY by Nora Roberts is a perfectly balanced romantic suspense that I read straight through in one sitting. This is a standalone story featuring a young, vibrant professional bartender who becomes “the one who got away” from an obsessive serial killer who steals his victims’ identities, drains their accounts, strangles them, and then robs all their valuables.

Morgan Albright has been uprooted her entire life as an Army brat, but now outside of Baltimore, she works two jobs and has a roommate to own her own home. Morgan and Nina have become very close and are more than just roommates, they feel like sisters. When they decide to have a dinner party at their home, Morgan does not realize the charming man she has met at the bar she works at is not an IT executive but a conman and killer, who targets a particular type of woman.

Morgan comes home from work to discover her home robbed, her car gone and her roommate dead on the floor of her office.

Morgan learns from the FBI that the man she knew as Luke, was not, but is a serial con artist, thief, and murderer. Morgan moves home to Vermont to live with her grandmother and mother as she begins to rebuild her life. Her new job introduces her to an interesting new man who helps her enjoy herself again as they build their relationship, but there are messages sent to her from all over the country reminding her that she will not get away forever.

I always look forward to a new Nora Roberts or J.D. Robb book because they just never disappoint. I fell right into this story, the characters lives, the suspense and the romance and I never looked up again until ‘The End’ very late at night or very early in the morning, depending on how you look at it. Morgan is a wonderful heroine with an upbeat attitude towards her customers and life itself. She worked so hard, not once but twice in her life to make her personal dreams come true. I also love how she worked to make herself physically stronger. The generational household showed the deep connections the women had and their love for each other. The dialogue between them was very entertaining. Miles was a swoon worthy alpha hero who shows his love for family and Morgan through what he does for them even when he seems a little overbearing, Morgan stands up to him. The cat and mouse suspense plot between Morgan and Gavin kept me turning the pages.

I highly recommend this great romantic suspense and author!

4 stars

I’ve long been a fan of Nora Roberts and pretty much devour any book she’s written, several times over in some cases. I feel like this one would be no different.

Morgan is a young woman with a set plan for her life and how she’s going to get there, down to her spreadsheets and timetables. When an elusive stranger comes into her life, she welcomes the distraction as a little fun. The fun would leave her emotionally and financially ruined.

Overall the story was good and it kept me coming back to see how it would end up. Predictable in places (what romance book isn’t to some degree really) but still worth turning the pages. Filled with multi-generational dynamics, it was a fun read. My only disappointment was the final build up to the ending was a let down. The story gets built up to the climax only to have it wrapped up so quickly. Still good though.

I loved it! Nora Roberts is always a great read.
This book has it all; a little romance, mystery and suspense.
As Morgan is succeeding in her life with Roomate Nina, tradgedy hits when a Luke enters her life pretending to be what he isnt. It leaves Morgan with major loss and forced to starting over and there is only one place she can go- home to her ladies (mom and grandma). As she slowly tries to recover from all that has happened, she begins to set roots in a new job and a handsome love interest. She struggles to fully grow roots in her new home until Luke, who is on the run and keeps reminding her that he is coming for her, is finally caught.
It was really easy to like the characters, good story line. Good suspence and twists to keep it interesting.
Highly recommend this book!
Thabk you to goodreads, and author and publisher for the eARC in return for my honest review

Nora Roberts books can be hit or miss for me. This one fell right in the middle. The beginning really hooked me. Once things got to Vermont they really slowed down, as Morgan slowly discovers she can have a life and family. She builds herself up, becomes stronger emotionally and physically and really develops into the perfect heroine. But she was maybe a bit too perfect. The dialogue was a bit over the top, the way everyone pauses and seems to speak the exact same way. I did have trouble understanding who was speaking at times. Except for Miles, Mr. Grumpy.

Reading about life working at a resort really made me feel like I wanted to go there on vacation! And the suspense towards the end, especially with the villain's POV, really kept me engaged. All in all a solid romantic suspense.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY!!

I adore Nora Roberts and this book was why I love her.. Here's what I really loved about this book.
- I'm a big fan of her standalone contemporary novels. I love that she always picks a topic and really researches the heck out of it.
- I loved that Morgan worked as bartender/manager of a bar, another part of the book that was really well researched and put to paper.
- I loved Her mom and grandma (or "her ladies") were some of the best parts of this story and I couldn't get to their scenes fast enough.

A great story involving identity theft, danger, suspense, murder, new beginnings, romance, family dynamics, new love, and more! After the murder of her friend in the home they shared, Morgan returns to her mother’s home in Vermont when she has nowhere else to go. She’s not out of danger yet and takes steps to protect herself and her family. In the process, she forms a closer bond with “her ladies”, as she calls her mom and grandmother, and finds love and an extended family.

This is an awesome story that grabs you from the start.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's been a while since I've read a Nora Roberts and I forgot how much of a comfort read author she is for me. I really enjoyed Identity. I loved the Jameson's and the Nash's. Morgan is such a fun strong character and I would def go hang out at Apres while she was bartending. Miles is tall, dark, and quietly swoon worthy. The romance is there but my favorite parts of this book were definitely more about the family connections. I just love big close families and the Jameson's are that and then the Nash women are just so strong and there for each other. "Luke" was a freaking psychopath and I really liked watching him lose his cool and the glimpses we got into the FBI agents chase for him. All in all another great romantic suspense from Nora.