As with most of Nora Roberts’ books, this one was well written, entertaining and engrossing. Romance and suspense, good cast of characters.

Nora Roberts is my go to author for romantic suspense. I am never disappointed. Identity is a fantastic battle of wits between a strong, smart female character and a cruel and crafty bad guy. The plot line is so clever and I love getting into the head of the bad guy as much as I do the heroine! I want to thank the author and her publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of her book Identity.

"Wasn't it miraculous, Morgan thought, to have someone love who you are, and never stop?"

°•*⁀➷

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy of this book in return for an honest review. I will never feel as special again as I did when I got the acceptance email for this Identity.

I've been reading Nora for years, but I've never been lucky enough to be the same age as one of her characters before. Morgan was different for so many reasons, but this one seemed to hit the hardest and the fastest. She's focused, hard-working, goal-oriented, practical, energized, happy, and all those other hopeful feelings you constantly wish to bask in when you are in your twenties.

She was where I am in my life right now, always ready for the next thing. Excited for the adventure waking up brings. And then something terrible happens. She loses so much in a moment, falls into that endless grief, only to realize it is so much worse than she could have imagined.

When someone steals your identity, you lose who you were, and you have to find a way to forge someone new. Morgan hits rock bottom, and it brought me back to how I felt in mine. How I leaned on my Mom, how Morgan leaned on hers. She was surrounded by love and comfort, but more than that, she was given a foundation to truly begin again. I don't think we ever understand how lucky we are until tragedy strikes, nor do we realize how much weight we carry until it lifts.

"You'll make new plans, build a new world."

And so she does. And what a joy it was to be a part of it. One of my absolute favorite things about Nora Roberts is how she makes the mundane feel exciting. I loved bar-tending with Morgan. I love spreadsheets so much that every time Nora brings them up, I want to make a million more for my own sanity. I love the three generations of Nash women, the roots, the joy, and the love between them.

I love that love is always so important.

I was on the edge of my seat for half of this, and spent the other half going between crying and laughing. There was so much joy between these pages. I've never felt so at home as I do when I'm reading a Nora book.

What got me the most about this read in particular was Miles. He's quiet, and poised, and carries his power with an invisible suite (as Morgan says). He treats her with so much respect that it's hard to imagine I ever believed Luke to be her match. He stands up for her, he lets her hold her own more than any other male I've ever read by Nora.

He's responsible, and grumpy, and magnetic, and full of so much kindness. I don't think either Miles or Morgan realized how lonely they were until they met the other. I don't think they were looking for someone until they recognized each other's hearts. Love that glows when you surround yourself with each other's worlds... well, that's more than just special.

That's true Identity.

Nora Roberts always creates a complete world with believable characters and Identity is no exception.

Morgan is a driven twenty-something bartender hoping to make her first house a home in Baltimore, with her roommate, Nina. But when she comes home to find Nina murdered, she is left with nothing.

The author gives us a great story, effortlessly paced, tracking the murderer, the FBI agents chasing him, and Morgan as she rebuilds her life in Vermont. It's another great read!

More than 4 stars. There's a reason why Nora Roberts is considered one of the best writers of romantic suspense, and Identity proves exactly that. Morgan is my kind of character. She's hard working, organized, and independent. And she gets more than she bargained for when she meets the hot and charming Luke at her bar. Unfortunately, Luke isn't what he seems, and her world comes crashing down when she comes home to find her roommate, and best friend, Nina murdered. And her identity stolen. After being left with no other option, Morgan returns home to move in with her grandmother and mother, and to start over. I loved the dynamic of the 3 women living in the house together, and the scenes with the 3 of them were some of my favorite. Things start to look up for Morgan when she gets a fantastic new job, and connects with her sexy new boss. Morgan and Miles have a bit of a slow burn thing going on, but I loved their relationship. I loved how close Miles was with his entire family, and I love that Morgan and Miles's family also had a history of friendship. Morgan was able to survive Luke last time with a little bit of luck, but when she finds out that he may still be on the hunt for her, it becomes unclear whether Morgan will get her happily ever after. I liked that we got a lot of POVs with Identity. We didn't just hear from Morgan and Miles, but we also got Luke's perspective on things, as well as the FBI agents that were tracking him. I'm not always the biggest fan of multiple POVs, but I felt like they added a lot to the story. And although we know who the bad guy is (so there's no mystery), I still found Identity to be suspenseful. As you never knew quite where Luke was or what he would look like if/when he found her. Romantic suspense is a favorite trope of mine, and Identity is a great example of romantic suspense done well. Honestly, this reminded me a bit of some of Nora Roberts's older books, and I kind of loved that. I absolutely recommend this one.

Morgan and Nina are roommates who hosted a dinner party. They met Luke there but Nina was murdered and their house broken into after the party.... As it turns out, Luke is really a killer named Gavin and Nina is his 'type'. Gavin also takes all her money and identity.... She flees to Vermont and meets another guy to start all over....

Expertly done by Nora Roberts. Lots of suspense... a bit of chill... and the book ends with a sweet happy ending as all good romances should... Had lots of fun reading it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Wow. Just...wow. It’s hard to say anything about this plot without giving spoilers so let me say this: I love Ms. Roberts books but Identity may be my latest fav. It grabbed me at page one and didn’t let go. I couldn’t wait to finish, to find out what was going to happen next. And then I was bummed because the book ended. I shuddered with how easy this could all happen to anyone, including me. The most wonderful part was how family, and the family you make, rally around you. All the characters – and there were total characters! – were fun, and funny, and loving, and some even totally creepy. Audrey (Mom) and Olivia (Gram) are there for Morgan. Miles is...okay, besides officially yummy, he is perfect for Morgan. And don’t get me started on Howl...he earns his name AND is absolutely adorbs.

Loved this book. Even though I wanted to know the ending and see Morgan prevail, I wanted it to go on and on. Highly recommend!

The new Nora Roberts romantic suspense is one of the books I most look forward to reading each year, and her 2023 release, Identity, does not disappoint.

I have seen a number of reviews that recap the plot so I won’t do that here, but what I will reference are the subtle details and nuanced layers she slips into the story that, at once, seem innocuous and easy to overlook but come back to play bigger parts at different stages of the book. These seemingly random passages have a purpose and I liked how she wove these pieces into the story while maintaining the pace with the romance and the suspense element.

One thing that did bother me a bit – the majority of the book is the build-up to the eventual confrontation between the heroine and the man out to destroy her. There was so much story getting to that point of the plot that I expected a more epic takedown of the bad guy. I found the conclusion very quick and abrupt and while the bad guy loses I missed having a more suspenseful and satisfying confrontation. My feelings on this hadn’t changed my overall opinion of the book, which I really enjoyed and would highly recommend.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.

Another great romantic suspense from Nora Roberts! She has given us, again, another strong heroine in Morgan Albright. The plot is somewhat formulaic but is still enjoyable. The romance part of the storyline was a bit late in the picture and could have used some more development but that didn't detract from the book at all. I especially loved the interaction between Morgan, her mother and grandmother. Again, I could have used a bit more development in Miles, the hero but it still worked.

I highly recommend!

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

I think Nora Robert's suspense author is back! This upcoming novel as all the parts of a psychological thriller with romance. Strong female character. Quick read that hooks you from the start. Recommend highly. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #Identity

3.75 stars

There’s a reason why Nora Roberts is Nora Roberts, and this book is definitely proof of that. Having never read Roberts before, I jumped at the opportunity to read Identity ahead of publication date. And it did not disappoint.

Identity is a great mix of romance and suspense, which is a delicate balance to achieve. And Roberts knows the job. Her characters are written in a way that doesn’t necessarily put them in a specific time… which is a different feel than a lot of contemporary romance writers today. (For instance, Miles as a character feels kind of old-school, but thankfully not in a toxically masculine way.) I think the ways in which Roberts utilizes third person POV in this book also lends to that feeling. I can tell there’s been a consistency of writing style throughout the years, which is as satisfying as it is comforting.

I, for one, am glad I read a book by one of the greats.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I am a one-click reader for Nora Roberts, especially her romantic suspense novels. This one was like coming home. What other people might view as formulaic, I see as her signature style. It’s all Nora: fragmented to the point dialogue, strong family/community ties, strong resilient capable and independent woman, silent broody but caring man, a dog, LOTS of floral and home decor description, multiple POVs, and a satisfying ending.

I will say, the middle got a bit slow for me (as many of her recent books have) in that I didn’t need or really care about the day to day functions of the killer or the bar or how many flowers she planted, etc. The book could have been 100 pages less and still been suspenseful and good. I would’ve love to see a bit more tension in the romance build up. There was more talk about flowers and cocktails than the actual romance.

But it didn’t disappoint. I will continue to read whatever she puts out. Fans of Roberts’ distinct voice will recognize and appreciate it here.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC copy to read and review. All the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading the book.

I liked the storyline. Morgan was very likable and eccentric. I did not like the language throughout the book. I don't know if it was intentional but alot of words were repeated and it aggravated me having the characters repeat the same words, same words.

I was able to visualize alot as I read and I love that the book was visual beyond the words. I love that it was a thriller mixed with romance! Gave me the best of both worlds. Definitely recommend.

The latest by Nora Roberts provides the reader on quite the journey. This includes so many facets and underlying messages and well written novel that the reader will stay up late to finish. Office manager by day and bartender by night, Morgan Albright is a busy woman. She owns a small house in Maryland and has big plans to renovate her home as well as other ambitions. When she meets and befriends a handsome and likable man, Gavin, at the bar suddenly all her plans are flushed away. One night upon her return from work, she finds her roommate and dear friend, Nina, dead and strangled in their home. What happens next makes the nightmare even more unimaginable when she realizes that she is responsible for letting the monster in and that he also emptied all her accounts as well as taking loans out on her home. Devastated, she returns to her grandmother’s home in Vermont to lick her wounds and try to rebuild her life, but it seems Gavin isn’t done with her yet, but yet Morgan's life is altered permanently. I love the three generations of women as well as the legacy family that is included in this story, nice to see the roots as well as the love of how lives and relationships can change. This is a really great book that the reader will remember as well as learn many things. Definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

Morgan Albright has worked hard in order to be able to follow her dreams. She knows where she wants to live, what she wants to do. She juggles two jobs to help make it happen.

She thinks she is just sharing regular Bartender’s talk with a smooth stranger named Luke, but the man is taking note of everything she says.

Forced to start over after the murder of her housemate and best friend Nina along with all-encompassing identity fraud,she moves back home to live with her family.

She starts to rebuild her life there. But will she be able to keep it?

For me, the title—Identity—spoiled some of the plot initially, but the story grows richer, more interesting. The story held my interest. I enjoyed this book.

**I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of Identity by Nora Roberts from NetGalley. Opinions in this review are completely my own.**

Nora Roberts has been my go to author for YEARS! I think I own every book she's ever written, so I was super excited to read this one before it was even out. I got approved for this book Friday and then read it all Saturday! I love all of her books and they usually rate 3-5 stars for me. The romantic suspense type is one of my favourite as it kind of ties what she does with the In Death series by JD Robb, with the romance she does in her usual novels. First of all, I love the resilience that Morgan has. If someone had done what Luke did, to me, I would have likely just given up and been done. I loved the theme that things may not go in the way you expect, but it may turn out better than you expect. The relationship that she build with her mom and grandma was amazing. I loved that she called them "my ladies"; I thought that was cute. I loved all of the characters-- the Jamesons and the Nashes. They were just so cool. I wanted to be friends with them.

There were a couple of parts where I felt I had read it before, like a deja vu moment (the part where Liam wanted the ropes course) but not sure why. I had not read this book before. As well, there were a couple of times where I wanted to know more.. like what happened to her credit (how was he still able to keep opening accounts and getting money after she had reported it.

Spoiler ahead:
I thought it was interesting how we could see Gavin as he started to unravel and I just loved how Morgan took him on at the end. I love that she didn't have to rely on "being saved".

Overall, I loved everything about this book. I've already recommended it to multiple friends (and my mom).

I am a big Nora Roberts fan. I love her more recent books better than when she first started out. She has developed a gift of realism. In other words her books are almost like reading a biography. Everything is very real and possible, especially in today's world. Identity is almost too real. I know a lot of people who have been the victims of identity theft and it is a train wreck to recover from if you ever do. Include identity theft as one of the traits of a serial killer and you have a Nora Roberts book that is hard to put down. I will say there were some parts that were a little too slow for me. A lot of feelings and thankfulness and emotional conversations. The ending was also rather abrupt. Of course I knew how it would end but I thought it would be a little bit more detailed. But this doesn't stop me from giving it a five-star review. The book did keep me turning the pages! I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

Will be posted to Goodreads, Instagram and Facebook as publisher recommended for timeline!

Nora Robert’s will always have a soft spot in everyone’s hearts, deservedly. She writes about relatable, lovable characters that the reader can root for. This story is no exception. Morgan grew up an army brat and wants to make her identity in a place where she can finally put down roots. But when she meets a dangerous new person, her goals are shattered and she must fight for her life. Through her family and new friends’ support, she must take back her identity goals, freedoms, and hopefully save her life and future in the process. A roller coaster ride, my heart leaped and swelled as it does with all of Nora Robert’s books. The ending was super satisfying and made me melt. Thank you Nora Roberts for another journey of love. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for this opportunity with a pre-publication copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review. #noraroberts #NetGalley

********** COMING MAY 23, 2023 ***********
I was so excited to read Nora Roberts newest thriller, Identity. The subject matter is torn from today's headlines; using the web requires us to protect ourselves from identity theft. Yet scammers find ways to get in, which is the basis of this story. Romantic suspense, thrills, family bonds, and starting over are all themes woven into the fabric of "Identity". The characters are , villain aside, people you would like to be friends with in real life. The slow build romance also works the same with the mystery- suspense, ratcheting up the tension until you cannot take anymore---then the pace flies! Nora Roberts always delivers a heart felt romance alongside the thrills. Don't miss this!
Thank you #NetGalley , #St,Martin's Press, and Nora Roberts for sending me the digital book to read and voluntarily review. I was so excited to get it!
#Identity #NetGalley

Wow! I loved this book! It’s a mix of suspense, romance, and intrigue. I loved all the characters and they play their parts so well. Morgan, the main character, was very lovable and you couldn’t help wanting the best for her. Ms Roberts ratchets up the suspense by providing updates about the “bad guy” and the FBI barely missing him and then closing in on him. I was so pleased to read this book as I’ve taken a break for a couple years from this author. I wasn’t too keen on the direction of her romances. I recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense with a little romance thrown in. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.