This book follows the story of an injured cop who searches for killers in her community. This book did not feel as traditional of a Nora Roberts book as I was expecting, but was entertaining and engaging. The main character goes through a lot of progression through the story from badass cop to injured and sidelined, back to badass cop. I enjoyed watching her navigate the challenges at each stage. The additional characters in the book, including Sloan's family and love interest were all very likeable and well developed. In places, I felt the book slowed a bit and probably could have used a bit more editing, but not to a point of concern or that it would prevent me from recommending it. As always, there is a love story embedded throughout which I thought was really well done.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the advance reader copy and to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Sloan is an officer in Natural Resources. When injured on the job, she returns home to recover near her family. And she starts putting together a series of seemingly unconnected missing person cases, finding the link and looking for a serial killer.

This was such an engrossing thriller. To be honest, I didn't even really need a romance plot. Indeed, my favorite romance was between Sloan's younger sister and a man who just moved to the area.

There were some aspects that were grotesque, so I flipped through those pages quickly. And I don't even quite know how to summarize the content warnings (but definitely look for them or DM me).

But most of all, I was left with the reminder of just what a fantastic writer Nora Roberts is. She can draw me into any story and make me love the main characters, no matter how flawed.

4.5 stars rounded up

One thing I’m certain of is that Nora Roberts never writes the same book twice. I’m always satisfied, and I’m always rushing to find out what’s going to happen.

In Hidden Nature we follow a police officer named Sloan as she tries to find out what’s happening to multiple missing people.

I read this book in one day. Couldn’t stop. And I wasn’t disappointed. The writing is great, and the plot kept moving forward. I’ll recommend this book to anyone looking for something thrilling.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

This book had me intrigued from the very start. I love the journey and it was interesting to see who the main character could trust or could not trust throughout the book. It was suspenseful and the romance in it was good as well.

Nora Roberts is on my must-read list. One of the things I like best about her books is the glimpses into career fields that I know nothing about. I would’ve liked to have seen a little more of Sloan on the job as a Natural Resources Officer. The characters were all likable, and the bonus romance was sweet.

The bad guys are just creepy enough to make you want to know what happens next. The story keeps you engaged and provides a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Nora Roberts for the eARC.

Inquiring minds want to know: Could this be the start of a new series? If it is, count me in; Maryland Natural Resources police officer Sloan Cooper won me over from the git-go, and I warmed up to the rest of those I'd expect to be recurring characters almost as fast.

For most of the book, though, I almost felt like I was channeling another favorite series - Kate Carlisle's Shannon Hammer. Both lead females are strong women, and both are heavily involved in the construction industry (Shannon owns her own company, while Sloan's family, including her sister Drea, are in that business here in a place called Heron's Nest while Sloan focuses on the business of being a cop. I'll also say construction is a subject near and dear to my own heart after growing up with a DIY father who could build just about anything; what that means is for the most part I really enjoyed all the details about home construction and remodeling that might be a bit of a turn-off for others.

But that part aside, the plot centers on Sloan's returning to her family's home to recover from gunshot wounds when she was off-duty and unexpectedly attacked in a convenience store. As she begins to recover, she's afforded an opportunity for a promotion and relocation right where she is - an offer that takes on a whole new meaning when both she and her sister run into very intriguing - and very hunky - guys who relocated here to start a (what else!) construction business.

But duty calls as well; a young woman who's vanished under very mysterious circumstances catches her attention - and a search for similar disappearances is a great way to spend time while she's on limited duty. Soon, though, it becomes almost an obsession as several other cases turn up in three states; all vanished with no trace, no evidence and no apparent connection. Sloan, though, believes otherwise and sets out to find one while she's in the midst of kindling a new love as well as redoing a fireplace so she can kindle a fire on cold winter nights.

And so it goes, with chapters detailing progress on the building projects, Sloan's investigation and insights from a couple of very psychologically damaged people. Everything gets resolved by the end, though with no shortage of edge-of-seat action. It was a thoroughly enjoyable journey for me, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of another book by a long-time favorite author.

readers can always count on Nora Roberts for a good read. Hidden Nature has suspense, romance and mystery all rolled into an exciting read. Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store—and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.
After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents’ peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.
She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young—the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.
Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case—and she's willing to risk her life again if that's what it takes to stop the horror.

With its mix of recovery, romance, and investigation, Hidden Nature is definitely a jam-packed novel, filled with drama and suspense. But the thrills get lost in the family drama—and the lengthy buildup and the unbalanced storytelling can make for a frustrating read.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

I absolutely loved this book! It catches you from the first page when the main character Sloan sustains gunshot wounds and is in the hospital. There are plenty of twists of twists and turns, mystery and intrigued a bit of romance neatly wrapped up in this book. This book will will hold your attention and turning the pages straight through toto the end to see how things evolve and resolve.This book is a winner in my opinion. Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Nora Roberts does romantic suspense so well. Sloan is on leave after being shot in a convenience store robbery, but her investigative nature won't let her rest. When a woman goes missing, Sloan finds out she's not the first and starts looking into all the disappearances. Noah is new to town and the perfect romantic interest for Sloan. As readers, we get a behind-the-scenes look into the reasons behind the disappearances and who is responsible. That lends suspense to the story as Sloan gets closer to uncovering the reason for the kidnappings.

Note about the narration: January LaVoy is one of the best narrators in the business and this was no exception.

Sloan Cooper is a Natural Resources police officer who is shot during a convenience store robbery. She moves to her hometown of Heron’s Rest to recover. When a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds a kidnapping trend but no common denominator. Her contractor/boyfriend helps her with the mysterious and bizarre case. Can she stop the criminals before she is the next victim?

Oh my what a twisted sense of "helping" that the bad guys had in this story! I was sucked into the story from the beginning, and really invested in the story, but when I found out more and more about Clara and Sam I was horrified but I also had to keep reading to find out more and to learn how Sloan recovers and puts a stop to their spree. I really appreciated the way it happened, and not to add spoilers, but it happened in a way that didn't compound trauma on a heroine just to add trauma. Sometimes we get heroines that are put through the wringer over and over, and I was dreading it but this felt good.

Nash and Theo were a great set of characters to add to the story and I enjoyed getting to know them and imagining the houses they were refurbishing. I really enjoyed the story and imagining the natural beauty of the area. Sounds like a great place to visit!

WOW This book was not really what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it. There were parts that were a little hard to read as I am not 100% into the medical world and blood and procedures, it was limited so I was ok.

The story of a recovering law enforcement officer, finding love in an unexpected way, while recovering in her hometown. A small hometown with not much going on, but there is always something going on...... There were some missing people in the larger area and things were not adding up for her. She started asking questions to have something to do while she was trying to follow Dr's orders from her work injury. She was not really looking for love, but love found her in a way that turned her life upside down. In the process of following a case, she found herself in the middle of it. A life changing interaction.

This books has some twists and turns, was a fun read and easy listen as I did both. I would recommend this.

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts is a suspenseful romantic suspense novel featuring Natural Resources police officer Sloan Cooper. Sloan returns home to recover from being shot when she walks in on a robbery in progress.

Sloan has great observations skills & loves her job, so it's hard for her to slowdown while recovering. Noah and his brother move to town as both are looking for a more satisfying life. While he is good at his investment job, he's not happy. He purchased a fixer upper and started a handyman business.

Even though readers know the antagonists the storyline keeps readers engaged. The author does a great job developing the characters, including the antagonists, who were well-developed. It was chilling to get their point of view throughout the novel.

This a well-written, intriguing novel with plenty of action and well-developed and compelling characters.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

I’m not a big fan of romance books, but this doesn’t feel like a typical romance story. It has suspense, mystery, lots of character, & romance, all blended into a interesting, can’t put it down story. It flows smoothly & every component fits. Very well done! #HiddenNature #NetGalley

4.5 ⭐️

I will read anything that Nora Roberts writes because her books are so full of suspense and she mixes some romance in and I just devour them.

This one was no different. Honestly I think that Nash belongs on my book boyfriend list. I loved Sloane. She is such a strong character and was able to overcome literally everything that was thrown at her. The two as a couple was the icing on top of the cake.

The suspense aspect was so good! It kept me turning the pages because I had to know what was going to happen. I liked that we got chapters from the suspects POV because it definitely allowed the reader to get into their heads.

New York Times #1 bestselling author Nora Roberts presents the story of iNatural Resources police officer Sloan Cooper who returns to her childhood home in Heron’s Rest to recover from a near-fatal gunshot wound. After being shocked back to life three times, Sloan has a tough recovery ahead of her.

When a woman disappears from a grocery store parking lot the day before Thanksgiving, Sloan is captivated by the circumstances of her disappearance. Searching for similar cases online, she realizes that there are other missing persons who have similar characteristics.. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young―the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.

Luckily, the new man in her life, fix-it brother Nash Cooper, shares her passion for solving this mystery. Determined to put an end to the abductions and stop these evil-minded killers, will Sloan do whatever it takes, even if it means putting her life on the line?

Not too many books start off like this one… with a bang! Literally. Great characters, great pace, and a twisting narrative. Started reading this from NetGalley and finished it on audio from the library. I would recommend either one.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Roberts does a great job of writing suspense and captivating the reader. The characters in this story are so relatable, especially Sloane, who is an officer for the DNR. The villain and motive was different in this story. I liked how Sloane was involved and how she helped investigate the missing persons.
I enjoyed all the characters and the house renovations that happened in this one.
Overall, this tale was well done, but maybe just a touch too predictable for my liking.

This was a very busy book with multiple story lines going at one time. I knew that they would all intersect and make sense at some point - - it just took a bit. That said, I still enjoyed the story and the way it was woven together. Ms. Roberts never fails to deliver an entertaining story, and I'm always pleased at the variety of stories that she writes.

This book revolves around main character, Sloan who gained a second chance at life and is determined not to waste it. But her goals may interfere with the goals of others and that may just put her in the crosshairs yet again. Along the way, we blend in a little romance too - - naturally.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration worked well for me. I always enjoy being able to rotate between an ebook and audiobook because I can stay immersed in the story that way. The character portrayal in this audio was done well. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.