Nora Roberts is a crapshoot. You never know exactly what you’re going to get, but you almost always like it. This was one of her more modern thrillers. It did involve serial killers and stolen identities. It wasn’t a full-on romance, but romance was at its core, and did have a happily ever after. This book was a little long, but you usually expect that from Nora Roberts. I did thoroughly enjoy listening to this. It was a great way to pass the time while I was working on other things.

Veena’s review of Identity by Nora Roberts
Romantic Suspense published by St. Martin’s Press 23 May 23

Identity is a beautiful multi-layered book about murder, relationships, trust, and life coming a full circle that might bring us back to a different place than we expected. I absolutely loved the wonderful three-dimensional characters and how the story played out.


Morgan has a contentious relationship with her parents and is content to create her own life far from them. She has a lot of ambitions and is not afraid to work hard to achieve her goals. Having experienced a dysfunctional relationship with her family, she has no time for men in her life until she lets the wrong man in the door. It’s enough to give you nightmares, since the man is a serial killer and con artist in a totally different class of con artists. When her best friend falls victim, a chain of events is triggered that will have repercussions for both parties.

Drowning in debt from the identify theft perpetrated by her erstwhile wannabe boyfriend/con artist, Morgan finally gives in and returns to her hometown where her mother and grandmother now run a business and live together. She finds herself welcomed warmly and discovers that her mother has grown after heart break, and they might actually be able to forge a lasting relationship.

She finds a job that she loves and gives herself permission to heal and grow, and, lo and behold, she also opens her heart to a new relationship. I love Morgan’s story as she revels in her creative side and develops new friendships and finds love. In the meantime, the identity thief/serial killer is not faring so well. It’s almost as though his failure with Morgan threw him off his game and nothing seems to go right for him, even though he does not stop killing.

I found the story so inspirational as Morgan wrests control of her life again and finds happiness and new strong relationships. I loved the secondary characters and wonder if the author will give us more stories that are waiting to be told for these characters.

Grade: A

I don't know how she does it, but Nora Roberts just knows how to write a really entertaining, gripping story. I was pulled in from the beginning and had not a single dull moment throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for making this audio book available to me. I really enjoyed the narrator. She gave each character something special. I will look for books that she reads in the future. Nora Roberts has done it again! I found the story interesting from the beginning. The story moved at a perfect pace and the characters were well developed. The women were all strong personalities, and I found myself really enjoying that. While Nora Roberts is known for her series, I love her stand alone novels. This one is completely binge worthy!

Nora Roberts is definitely a go to author for me. She really hits it out of the park with this one. Romance, friendship, family, psychopath. It's all in here!

Everything I want in a Nora Roberts story. It was just a touch of scary, a ton of suspense, and somehow still sweet. I really enjoyed this and hope that we get more in this series. The characters were great and I loved the setting.

5 stars.

Nora never disappoints. Her interesting characters and fast moving plots always have the story ending before you are ready. Identity theft, starting over, and the importance of family run throughout the story.

If you are a fan of Nora Roberts, you know that she is great at writing stories that get you sucked in right away. This is one of her thrillers, in the same vein as Hideaway.

In Identity, Morgan is a young woman focused on her financial goals. She works hard at two jobs to support herself and realize her dream of home ownership. One night, she meets a handsome stranger at the bar she works at. After lots of conversations over several days, he asks her out. But, his intentions are not what Morgan thinks. Pretty soon, her roommate is dead and her identity has been stolen-- leaving her bereft and bankrupt. Morgan must start over again as the serial killer who missed her is still out there.

This is a stand-alone novel, and a perfect summer beach read for thriller fans.

From my blog: Always With a Book

I have been reading Nora Roberts for a long time. I vividly remember being stuck on the couch after having knee surgery in high school and having a stack of books next to me and there were definitely some Nora Roberts books there…that’s how long I’ve been reading her books! She’s also an author my parents read, my mother-in-law reads and my sisters read – so I love that I can pass her books on to them after I read them. There’s something quite endearing about all of us enjoying this one author!

My favorite of Nora’s books have always been her romantic suspense novels and I feel like they just keep getting better and better. This latest one really kept me on edge – who hasn’t been a target of identity theft in one form or another? It’s so easy to identify (no pun intended) with Morgan in that respect, though of course, things go to the extreme here.

This book has so many things going for it that kept me engaged throughout. There’s the small-town feel that is so perfectly created. The characters are all fleshed-out and it’s easy to become attached to them, especially “the ladies” as they are referred to in the book, Morgan’s mother and grandmother. I just loved them! For the thriller part, there is the serial killer, who was just the perfect kind of diabolical without being too evil, if you know what I mean. This is a romantic suspense as opposed to a crime fiction book so we got shades of evil and you felt that terror, but it doesn’t prevent those who don’t read terribly dark books from wanting to keep reading. And of course there is the romance. I enjoyed this part. It is paired well with the suspense and it doesn’t take over the whole book.

This was a completely immersive, engaging read and I very much enjoyed it. I look forward to Nora Roberts’ romance suspense books each Spring/Summer because I know how entertaining they are and this one definitely delivered!



Audio thoughts: I just love listening to these books on audio now. They are exactly the type to get lost in and the narrator, January LaVoy, really does a great job bringing this one to life. Her pacing and intonation is spot on and she does such a great job with all the characters.

What would you do if you had a plan for your future? You have 2 jobs, a home, a roomate whose a close friend you adore and a savings plan to buy your own business, then in the blink of an eye it all disappears. Your friend is murdered, your savings and identity stolen leaving you heartbroken and in debt. This is the start of Identity and our introduction to Morgan.

This tale is ripped straight out of today's headlines. The devastation of having your life stolen and knowing that you could be dead is chilling and a reminder to be mindful of everyday conversations/meetings. Nora Roberts has a gift for creating a sense of urgency in life threatening moments. She also has a gift of creating moments when her characters gain strength, make new connections and learn to take back thier lives. With Morgan as bartender, Roberts had me wanting to become a mixologist and try my hand at making a new summer cocktail.

Suspense and a realistic storyline involving identity theft and murder hooked me. Roberts even provided chapters from the perpetrator’s point of view. She then balanced out the tale with small-town life, the resort and a slow-burning romance that felt genuine. Crime fiction lovers will enjor this read, just like I did.

Many thanks to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to Roberts latest crime thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed it. January LaVoy was the perfect narrator!

I love getting AudioARCs! Thank you to Macmillan Audio, the writer. Nora Roberts, & NetGalley for this thrilling read. The great thing about reading an author that is as popular as Nora Roberts is that you know going in you will more than likely find your time reading well spent. I admit, this is my very first Nora Roberts and I am so excited because now I know what all the hype is about. I just loved this novel and the roller coaster of emotions the reader goes on as we follow Morgan through this seemingly impossible time.
Morgan is a construction company manager by day, and a bartender by night and she LOVES her jobs almost as much as she loves owning her own home and living there with her best friend Nina. Then the worst happens. Nina is murdered by the man Morgan was beginning to allow into her life (by accident, it should have been Morgan). The same man viciously attacks her life using his skills as a hacker and IT extraordinaire to steal her identity and every dime she owns and then some.
For many of us this would be the end, but not for Morgan. Instead, she sells her home and leaves her life in Baltimore for a picturesque Vermont life with her ladies (her mother and grandmother). Here she begins to put her life back together. She lands the perfect job and does it exceptionally, and even begins a budding relationship with a man who is on the edge of overbearing but is all the things she needs in her life.
But the threat isn't over. Morgan's athacker, Gavin sees her as the one who got away and his mojo is failing in the aftermath of her escape. He takes his time and plans his second attempt to kill her; killing others along his path. The FBI are on his tale but he will stop at nothing to make sure he finishes the job and kills Morgan.
This is only a bit of the goodness that this novel holds. It was a quick and fierce read that has me scanning the other books in the authors vast collection of works.
I give this a definite 4.5 star rating!!!!!

NO REGRETS!!!!!

Another hit for Nora Roberts. Love her books and Identity was no exception. Narrator was very pleasant.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ARC. Nora Roberts is a Queen. This book had everything. Morgan was a wonderful heroine, strong, loyal and full of heart. You will rout for her. The suspense was so good, I could not stop listening. A must read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Identity
By:Nora Roberts
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Pub Date: May 23,2023
Morgan grew up an army brat so as an adult all she craved was a home base. After saving and working 2 jobs she buys a house. Welcomes a roommate, Nina, who quickly becomes her best friend.
While working her bartending job she meets Luke an IT guy who does home security. The girls host their first dinner party and that’s where things start to go horribly wrong.
Luke is a con man and he worms his way in to Morgan’s life by installing a capture program on her computer while attending their dinner party. A week later while Morgan is at work, he comes back to retrieve the program finds Nina home and kills her.
From there, Morgan loses everything. Loans are taken out in her name, credit cards too. He even steels her car. Her savings is depleted. She ends up having to sell her house, but Luke isn’t done with her yet. She ends up moving back home to her mom and grandma. gets a job and meets Miles, but Luke isn’t done yet. Just has Morgan finds her happy again and Miles proposes things go down hill fast.

Nora releases a stand alone thriller every spring and they are always one I look forward to. My favorite quote comes from Miles,
“It’s not a force field against psychos, it’s a ring!”-Miles
If you like a little romance mixed in with your thriller this is the book for you.

I have loved Nora Roberts for years and I hadn't realized that she has started writing thrillers, I thought of her more as a romance novelist. Identity gives the reader a mix of both thriller and romance. Morgan has a relatively mundane life until she meets someone who changes her life forever.
I loved how Morgan interacts with her mother and grandmother and how she calls them her ladies. I also loved how Morgan fought for herself and for her future.
Filled with some mystery, thrill, and romance Identity was a great story of facing obstacles, surviving, and thriving.

Identity
Nora Roberts
Narrated by January LaVoy
#2023AudioBookChallenge


Nora Roberts’ latest stand alone is a story within a story, a blend of women’s fiction and suspense. Nora’s protagonist Morgan is amazing, she’s down to earth, honest, reliable and what she endures is horrifically tragic but it’s the fact that she just keeps putting one foot in front of the other that will make the audience root for her while wondering if they would ever be able to endure it. The villain is pure evil and every reader or listener will hope for his demise to be as painful as possible. Then there are Morgan’s ladies, her mom and grandmother who are perfect for their roles as supporters with just enough family drama to add a bit of angst yet the audience will know they are always in Morgan’s corner. The police/FBI role is almost its own tale with interesting, empathic, hardworking agents trying to find this sadistic killer and put an end to his reign of terror and this master storyteller’s savvy way of entwining both plotlines is flawless. Then of course, there is as always, a love story, a slow burner that may catch the audience off guard if they didn’t read the blurb, but with a bit of time and Nora’s wonderful way to weave a tale it will become obvious why Morgan and Miles work. The frightening seemingly never-ending identity theft drama is so authentic and coupled with the bone chilling serial killer case makes this fast paced, intense novel absolutely unputdownable! The read will appeal to a wide audience range, both men and women and the fans of Lisa Gardner or Patricia Cromwell.

Narration:
January LaVoy (who I have really enjoyed before) hits this one out of the park, she makes the perfect Morgan and has the talent to make each and every voice it’s own and is a very convincing male voice too making the Macmillan Audio version of this novel the best way to experience it.

Growing up an itinerant Army brat all Morgan Albright ever wanted was roots so after finishing college she made it happen. By working two jobs, as an office manager for a construction company by day and a bartender by night and rooming with her bestie Nina to help pay the bills Morgan is able to buy a small house and start planting those roots. The last thing she’s looking for is love but when Luke, a handsome IT guy who’s only in town temporarily shows interest she may be up for a fling so to find out she and Nina decide to host their first dinner party and invite Luke and Nina’s boyfriend Sam.

Then one night after work Morgan comes home to find the house she loves ransacked and worse Nina the sister of her heart, murdered.

But that’s just the beginning.

Starting with a visit by a couple of FBI agents who tell her a story about a serial killer named Gavin who choses his victims very carefully, murders them, steals their identity then changes disguises and moves on to his next target. Worse Nina isn’t who he was after she was just in the way, Morgan was his real target and when they tell her to check her accounts the nightmare continues when she realizes she has nothing but a sinking hole of debt and seemingly no way to climb out of it.

The last thing Morgan wants is to give up but with little other choice she accepts her mother and grandmother’s offer to move in with them in Vermont. But she makes sure they both know this is only temporarily until she gets back on her feet. Soon she realizes with a job she loves and the support of her ladies she’s starting to plant roots again, then Gavin kills another woman but this time makes it clear he’s not done with Morgan, and the nightmare continues.

This is a very compelling thriller (audiobook version) that held me mesmerized from the first listen. I connected with the characters immediately. The main character is very likable 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.

The narrator of the audiobook, January LaVoy, did a fantastic job giving distinct personalities and voices to the characters she portrayed. I would seek out her work again.

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.

In true Nora Roberts fame, her writing is tight and her storytelling is on point. I wish there had been more of the identity theft theme but the book was good nonetheless.

Identity by Nora Roberts published may 2023. Morgan has a good life Two jobs she likes and a friend, Nina as a housemate. But when a man she meets kills her friend and steals her identity. Morgan goes to Vermont to live with her mom and grandma. She needs to find her identity again. This is a great book of love and murder mystery

I enjoyed this audiobook so freaking much!! It’s could totally be a movie and I’d watch it!! I loved the story! It had suspense and romance! Highly recommend!