This book, where to even start. To preface, I’m not a long time follower of Nora’s writing but this was amazing. This book played like a movie. Morgan our lead is written is such a way that should be relatable for every woman. She truly is her own hero and that resonates in our world today.

The romance is honest and real. Miles is everything you want in a male protagonist. He is strong but he still lets Morgan be Morgan. This mystery will chill you to the bone not because it’s the scariest but that it could be real. Like in the book, the helplessness that I felt for Morgan made me feel so vulnerable.

Honestly this book is probably a 4.5. I haven’t read a five star read but this comes as close as I’ve read in a long time.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgally for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Roberts is at the top of her game with her latest book, Identity. I have been reading her books for many years, more than I want to admit to, and she always keeps up with current happenings and this book is no different. Identity is an intense story about identity theft and murder, and how deeply it affects the victim who is left to pick up the pieces of her life. I was so engrossed in this story that I read it until 2 am until I realized I had to work the next day but picked it back up the next evening and read it until I finished. Nora Roberts is the queen of suspense and with a great romance thrown in!

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. I loved this story and give my thanks to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, as well as NetGalley for the opportunity to read it in exchange for my honest opinion. I gave it five fabulous stars!

OH! MY! GOSH! This was so fantastic! Plenty of suspense and a little romance. I could not put it down but also was afraid of what would happen next. I haven't read a Nora Roberts book in a long time but this one has me jumping at sounds. Have tissues near for the crying.

Morgan moved around a lot when she was young because her dad was in the military. After the divorce, her and her mother still moved a lot. Morgan always wanted roots so she finds it in Baltimore. She works two jobs and bought her own little house. She gets a roommate, Nina. When she meets a guy, Luke, at her bar, they go on a date and she fixes dinner for him. When Nina comes home early because she's sick, and Luke is there. He kills Nina and takes Morgan's car. Luke is a serial killer and is killing women who look like Morgan and taking their identity and all their money. She loses everything and moves back to Vermont with her mother and grandmother. She gets a bar managers job at a resort and starts to rebuild her life. She meets one of the owners, Miles, and they start a relationship. Luke is crisscrossing the country and is making his way to Morgan, whom he blames for his bad luck. But it will not be as easy as he thinks to kill Morgan.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed for Netgalley *

4.25 STARS

Despite being an avid reader, “Identity” is actually the first Nora Roberts book I have read to date. While the intriguing premise is what initially drew me in, it was the unfolding of the storyline that kept me engaged from start to finish.

Romantic suspense if one of my favorite genres, so I welcomed this author’s unique spin within a category of books that I am deeply familiar with. Her writing is clear and concise, and her characters are well-developed and aptly flawed in every way that counts.

That said, however, the pacing felt a bit slow at times, while the ending felt rushed and anti-climactic. The author played it “safe,” in my opinion, most likely writing to her specific audience, while my personal tastes veer a little darker. Hence, the 4.25 star rating instead of 5.

Still, this specific assessment didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of my first Nora Roberts book or deter me from devouring it in just one sitting. “Identity” is definitely a book I’d highly recommend.

Nora Roberts has the ability to draw you in, making you feel like you’re sitting with a good friend who is telling you the story. This story is no exception. Before I finished the first half of the book, I took turns feeling happy, then wanting to crawl under my covers and cry for the rest of the night. The problems the main character faces could happen to anyone, which helps the reader develop a connection. The ups and downs, the challenges she faces, will have you on the edge of seat, while still letting you see. Her growth and strength. Suspenseful and poignant, I found myself unable to put it down. I highly recommend.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Identity
By Nora Roberts
Pub: 5/23/2023

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!
I loved this book. Hated to see the story end. Sad fact this type of crime is more common than not and Nora Robert's did a great job telling Morgan's story after her identity was stolen and lost everything along with her best friend. Loved all the character's and loved seeing Morgan make a very strong and accomplished comeback. Loved the romance between Morgan and Miles and of course Howl.
Enjoyed reading about the family and how they all came together to be there for Morgan.
Highly disliked Luke but he was that necessary evil to make this work. When a writer can make the reader feel so much emotion about the characters you know it's good, okay not good, it's great! Just disappointed about the goat. I will say no more on that.
Highly recommend!

I love everything that Nora writes because she’s one of the very few authors that can keep me engaged throughout the stories no matter what topic is talked about or what genre she writes in.

This one will be another hit of hers and I’m hoping to see it on the big screen as well. It’s a suspenseful story with a compelling character and I loved the side characters as well.
I was on the edge because I wanted to know what happened next since the first half of the book created the perfect atmosphere and there was something hanging over their head at all times.

Suspenseful, thrilling and a must read story


I’ll be posting my full review closer to the publication date .

Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors, I dont even need to know what her books are about I just always read them. This one grabbed me from the first page, so easy to get lost in her stories and so very hard to put down. Nothing better than a book about friendships and trying to find your own way only to have it all ripped apart.

Then you realize maybe you just have to go home for a fresh start, so many different relationship aspects especially between the three generations of Nash women, for me that was the best part of the entire story-how they talked things out, told stories from their earlier years and totally supported each other with everything they did.

New friendships were made, slow blooming love came in with a bang when it was least expected and more relationships came from that, and Morgan became even stronger and smarter. Everything came together nicely and it was wonderful to have such a strong female character getting it done!

Nora Roberts knocked it out of the park with this one! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC for my honest review.

A romantic thriller is what awaits you in Nora Roberts’ Identity. Morgan Albright is working hard at building the life she envisioned for herself. She is happy at her bartending job, loves the new home she purchased and has a roommate she adores. She’s even found a handsome and interesting man who she’s excited to spend time with. But he is not who he appears to be and she quickly discovers his real motivation….. a murderer and identity thief. This discovery sets the story in motion as Morgan tries to rebuild her life by moving home to Vermont to live with her mother and grandmother, always knowing HE is still out there looking for her.

The storyline grabbed me from the first pages and I was hooked. I loved Morgan right from the start and thought the character development for each of the essential characters was done with precision and depth, making them seem real. I found the book to be a little too lengthy with extraneous information, sometimes taking me away from the story that I was eager to stay engaged with.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: May 23, 2023

You can never go wrong with Nora Roberts at the helm even when the ARC is a 'Read Now' piece via Netgalley.
I jumped on board this ship and I'm so glad I did because Nora has always been a fan favorite of mine over the years.
Identity was unique in that there's a murderer on the loose who continues to kill while leaving evidence of a gal he's really interested in which turns out to be our very own -Morgan.
Morgan's friend Nina has already been killed and the clues turn to Morgan being next!
Unless someone can stop Gavin Rozwell in time and there's no time to waste as things are escalating with more bodies being identified.
This was a longer than expected but it was a constant state of entertainment that held its ground and kept my attention longer than even I expected possible.
I enjoyed the fact that somehow after arrest and conquer we have the ultimate award with happiness and tranquility. Peace is on the horizon.
Love it all.
Thank you Nora Roberts, St. Martin's Press, Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I have yet to ever be disappointed by anything Nora Roberts writes. I loved this book! A little romance, suspense, mystery, and family bonding what more can you ask? There was never a dull moment, it pulled you in from the beginning and never let go.

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Roberts has written another suspenseful novel with engaging characters and fast-paced action. Morgan Albright is a woman with ambition and drive. She works two jobs and doesn't have time to focus on romantic relationships. Luke Hudson comes into the bar where she works one evening, and her life erupts into chaos. Her identity is stolen, and she loses everything she worked so hard to achieve. Her housemate, and best friend, is murdered in their shared home, and she struggles to cope with her grief.

Eventually, she returns to Vermont to live with her mother and grandmother. She finds a new job that she loves and begins to rebuild her life. But, the thief is also a serial killer who is not through with Morgan. She is the only victim that he didn't kill, and he is obsessed with his need to make her pay for living.

Strong female characters, as well as deep family ties, are depicted throughout the story. This serves as a contrast to the sociopath hunting Morgan, who sees women as targets and lacks connections with anyone.

The author is skilled and draws the reader into the action. Fans of Nora Roberts expect her books to keep them on the edge of their seats. Identity doesn't disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley for Arc of Nora Robert’s latest book. I have to admit that I muddled through this one. Very predictable. Morgan’s growth was expected, but her constant reference to “her ladies” was annoying.
A lot of dialogue.

I have been reading Nora Roberts’ books for a very long time, and I have never read a bad one. And then she wrote Identity. I was really having a hard time breathing at the end. But then there was the epilogue, and it was perfect. If Identity was a drink, it would have a splash of thriller, a jigger of strong women and a twist of romance, served with a side of family. It was impossible to put down. I loved the good characters and the setting, and honestly, the evil thriller kept making my Apple Watch go off. You know, the red screen that says “high heart rate”! I read until my eyes went dry, and after some eye drops, I read again. Bravo Nora Roberts! You have a winner! Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy, all opinions are my own.

Fantastic book by Nora Roberts! I LOVED the three generations of Nash women and seeing all that they could accomplish and do. It was a romance crossed with suspense and kept me reading late at night!

I really liked this book so much so that I stayed up late two nights in a row to finish it. This book had enough twist and turns to keep it moving and to make you want to loose sleep over to just read a little more and a little more. I may have taken a long lunch break one day to just see if I could finish... I hope she has a second and third book to delve deeper into the rest of the family. There are a few siblings I would love to hear more about.

4.5 Stars 🌟

This was an interesting stand alone by one of my favorite authors. We follow along with the female MC Morgan who begins the story with her life plans in front of her. She is a very goal oriented person who is willing to forgo things now for what she will be able to afford in the future. She owns a home with her roommate Nina and life is good.

Unfortunately, she runs into a crazy sadistic serial killer who sets his sights on her. His plans go awry and while Morgan was the initial target, Nina is the one who is murdered. This is where the story begins.

We then follow Morgon through the aftermath. Through the complete devastation and destruction of her life until she has no other choice and is forced to move home to her grandmother's home in the northeast.

Honestly, to me, this is where the story begins to shine. We get to see how relationships can always be given a second chance. There are now three generations of Nash women living under the same roof. We are given snippets about their earlier relationships and the issues that they had between them. What we get to see and watch are three generations of strong women, learning and realizing how amazing each particular woman is. Oh, and there is also a serial killer on the loose.....

In between there is a love interest and some GREAT secondary characters.

I really, really enjoyed every second of this book. The bad guy was truly awful and the main MC's were awesome.

Isn't that how it should be?

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

Perfect blend of suspense, romance, wit, and a fab ending!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book is quite long and I actually found myself so highly engaged that I could not stop reading. So instead of doing the work I was supposed to be working on, I was reading all day.

Roberts’ writing is superior when it comes to romantic suspense and that slow, dripping build-up.

This plot is addicting! Identity is unique and highly detailed, plus she ties in plenty of surprises that completely had me captivated.

The character development is spot on and I absolutely fell for Miles. I think his gruff exterior and deep feeling, mushy interior is why I couldn’t put this book down.

I really love the way Roberts captured the conversations between Miles and Morgan. Much of this book is written in short, choppy sentences, building that heightened hype and excitement.

We do know who the perpetrator is, but that also heightens the suspense as we get separate breakout chapters dealing with him and his activities specifically.

I just love this book! It is subtle and at times intense. Roberts builds tough resilient characters along with some wonderful family connections. I think this is a winner all around with the multiple aspects of romance, family, suspense, and crime tension. The ending is awesome and Identity is definitely on my Best of List!

I could go on and on, but make sure to put this one on your reading list!

I have an occasional argument with a friend who is certain that Nora Roberts has a stable of ghost writers and I am certain that she writes every word of her own books because the author voice is so consistent. I haven’t actually read a new Nora Roberts book in a few years, but Identity was like putting on an old familiar sweater. Of course Nora Roberts has evolved as an author over her 40+ year career, but I still know a Nora Roberts book when I pick it up (even when she’s writing under her pen name).

Morgan Nash Albright is working two jobs and has a housemate to help pay the mortgage on her small house. She’s saving money and putting down roots in a community she chose. At night she works as a bartender at a neighborhood bar and dreams of having her own place in the future. While at work, a handsome man strikes up a conversation with her. He comes back a few times and asks her out for a casual date. He never pressures her or makes her feel unsafe. He is a psychopath serial killer who has targeted her, plans to steal her identity and then murder her. It all goes wrong when he murders her housemate instead. She has the grief and then the financial fallout to deal with. Eventually she sells her house and moves in with her grandmother and mother in Vermont. She gets a job at a family run resort, starts to rebuild, and starts dating a son of the resort owning family. But, the serial killer hasn’t forgotten her.

This is actually a hard review to write. On the one hand, picking up Identity was so comfortable and familiar. Part of my brain snuggled right into the experience. I’d say among Nora Roberts’ books it’s very good, but not great. One of the features of Roberts’ books that I have always loved is the pulling together of family and community. Everyone, excluding the serial killer, is pulling for Morgan to success and putting in the resources to allow her to rebuild her life. She gets a job because her grandmother and the Jameson family matriarch go way back. At every turn she is offered help and support from friendship to the FBI. I believe every one deserves that level of support, so it is comforting to read a world in which that happens.

It also reminded me why Nora Roberts isn’t my go to author anymore. I don’t love hanging out in the mind of a misogynist, fatphobic serial killer. With all of the everything everywhere for the past 7 or so years, I just don’t want to be there. I know that he is the villain, so as readers we should understand that his misogyny and fat phobia is bad. But, the views he expresses are not outside the mainstream and I can hear women referred to as negative body descriptions by your average person in the grocery store. We also see him murder several women on page, and I don’t want that in my head (I can read the news for that). I also didn’t love that when the killer was unraveling he gained weight and found joy in potato chips. It felt like an extra helping of fat phobia. And I’m not even going to get into the mental health representation. I want to be clear that this is how I feel and I’m not demanding that anyone else feel the same way. We all cope with the world in our own ways.

If you like Nora Roberts, this is a very good entry to her oeuvre.

CW: Murder on page and in past, domestic abuse in past, mental illness, harm to an animal, misogyny, fat phobia.

I received this as an advance reader copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Identity is about a woman who has her life together until her identity is stolen. The man who stole it courts women, steals their identity, then kills them. In this case, it was Morgan's roommate who was murdered. Morgan's life falls apart and she returns to her grandmother's house to live with her grandmother and mother. Morgan slowly rebuilds her life.

The FBI is involved and says she is his first victim to survive. The murderer can't forget her. He leaves things he stole from Morgan on his new victims and makes it clear he will come and kill her, eventually. Can she defend herself or will she lose everything again?

I really enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful enough that I binge-read it, but not so scary it gave me nightmares. It ended happily, too. Ms. Roberts is a skillful world builder and I could feel the desperation of Morgan, the worry of her friends and family, and the hatred of the murderer. The book is up for pre-order. It comes out on May 23, 2023.