IDENTITY will have you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end.

Reviewed by Annetta Sweetko for Fresh Fiction

https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=82339

Wow, the author hit this one out of the ballpark and if I could rate it 10 stars I would! It was a riveting book that I could not put down. The characters were amazing and so glad to see that although eventually in a relationship, the victim is strong, independent and determined . Don't get me wrong, when a serial murderer is hunting you down there's plenty to be afraid of.

Morgan starts over after the unthinkable happens and when her past sneaks up to strike again, the new family managing the resort where she works treats her like family. They institute protection for her at work and her new boyfriend, also a manager at work, ups the protection at home. Will it be enough to keep the deranged psychotic from harming her and her family this time?

The scenery is breathtaking, the characters come alive, and the story is revealed with great mastery. Truly , you don't want to miss this one!

Although I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pub date: 5/23/23
Genre: thriller with romantic elements
Quick summary: Morgan's life is turned upside down when con artist Gavin steals her identity and kills her roommate. To try to rebuild, she moves in with her mom and grandma - but Gavin hasn't forgotten that he left her alive...

I didn't really know what to expect from this book, as I hadn't read anything from Nora Roberts, but the description was so intriguing. And the book lived up to the blurb (so rare, right?!) I was hooked on this one from the beginning; I paired my e-ARC with a library audio copy, and January LaVoy did a great job building the suspense in the story. I loved the mix of Morgan being "on the run" and her relationships with her family (her grandma and mom were both so awesome!) Her love story and HEA was an additional bonus.

Basically, this book is a really fun genre mashup, and I highly recommend it if you need a book to get totally lost in. Despite the 400+ page length, I read it in a day, and now I need to try some other books by Roberts. 4.5 rounded to 5.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Identity by Nora Roberts is an intriguing book that I had a hard time putting down. It’s about a young woman, Morgan Albright. She is well on her way to having everything she wanted in life. A home of her own where she can put down some roots, her best friend who shares the rent and a great job that she loves as a bartender. She hasn’t had time for a love life until she meets Luke at the bar. Her roommate talks her into inviting him over for a home cooked meal, and that’s where it all starts to get intense. Morgan comes home from work to find her Roommate murdered, her car and her identity stolen, and Luke is nowhere to be found.
She goes back home to Vermont and moves back in with her ladies (Mom and Grandmother). It’s a hard pill for Morgan to swallow, as she feels like she has failed. With the help of her family, she puts her life back together, but the FBI that investigated Nina’s death inform her that she is the only one that has gotten away from this serial killer and he has become obsessed with Morgan. The story is amazing and intense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Kudos to Nora Roberts for another great book!

This was my first novel by Nora Roberts. Identity was the perfect combination of romance and thriller for me. Morgan thought she found the perfect man until he turns out to be a psychopath who steals identities. She has to start over by moving in with her mom and grandmother.

The families in this book were so warm and supportive of each other. They are probably my favorite element of the book. Miles was a little stiff at first, but he opens up more and more as the story progresses. Morgan moves from being a victim to a fighter and that is inspiring. There are some slow moments in the story, but they didn’t stop me from reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 change your password stars

I’ve lost count of how many Nora Roberts books I have read. Her books always work for me and this one was no different. There’s romance, fleshed-out characters, and some thriller aspects in this one.

We meet Morgan Albright when she’s got her life together, a great roommate named Nina, and she loves her bartending job. She’s saving up some money to buy her own bar. She’s just started dating an interesting guy too.

Sadly, that life comes to a screeching halt when Morgan arrives home to discover her home broken into, valuables and her car gone, but worst of all, Nina has been killed. Plus, Morgan’s identity has been compromised, her bank accounts drained, and tons of fraudulent activity keeps rolling in.

Morgan is forced to retreat to her family in Vermont to start over. She begins to rebuild her life with a great job at a resort and spending wonderful time with her mother and grandmother. The horrible man who destroyed her life is still out there though. And he has unfinished business with Morgan.

I loved how Morgan worked on herself to get stronger physically and mentally for the inevitable showdown. She refused to cower and go into hiding.

Another compelling read by this author!

Synopsis Tagline: A new thriller about one man's ice-cold malice, and one woman's fight to reclaim her life. I haven't read Nora Roberts in years, but when I saw this book available on NetGalley, the synopsis grabbed my attention and I quickly requested it. Morgan, the main character, is putting her life back together after a shattering experience. Readers quickly learn who the murderer is. The suspense is around when this individual will come after Morgan again, being that she is the "one who got away". The author does a great job of building suspense throughout the story and keeping the reader engaged through an intermingled narrative of the ever-present threat that was looming over Morgan and the rebuilding of her life. Fans of suspense will like this latest from Nora Roberts.

Identity is the latest release from the amazingly talented Nora Roberts. A serial killer and identity thief has his sights set on his next victim, but her roommate surprises him and he he has to change his plans. The only one to get away plagues him for many months, until he decides the time has come for him to finally end her. Will she finally be able to put a stop to his madness? Read Identity to find out.
Identity pulled me in from the very beginning and would not let me go until the very end. I loved getting to know Morgan’s character and see it grow from chapter to chapter. This is storytelling at its finest. Nora Roberts has another major hit on her hands with Identity. I highly recommend this story to anyone who is looking for a romance with some bite to it, in the form of a serial killer who steals his victims’ identities.

I am a huge Nora Roberts fan and even will reread her books over and over again. I was thrilled when i was able to get the ARC of her upcoming book. Identity theft is a daily occurrence so it was very interesting to have a NR book about it. I devoured and enjoyed this book, the perfect blend of romance and suspense. I highly recommend this book--is a great beach read! Thank you so much net galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I love the cover, which is what first sucked me in. Secondly, I love these psychological thrillers from Nora Roberts! It was told from the viewpoint of Morgan, our main heroine, but also from our antagonist. Without being a spoiler, I'll say that I lived for the chapters when our antagonist was having rapid changes and was trying to stay focused.

I loved meeting Morgan's family and watching her find her identity, which was reshaped several times in this story. I also enjoyed the family she made for herself. This is kind of vague, but no spoilers! Read it yourself!

I hadn't read Nora Roberts for a long time, until very recently. I don't think I had read anything but her straight up romances. I have to say this was a really, really good book. It is a romantic suspense that involves a serial killer and the one victim that got away. It also involves a really good romance and a lot of finding family again. It has "killer suspense" (sorry, but I had to go there). It gives you characters to abhor, cheer for and just lay your heart out for. A great read!

Thanks to ST. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed this suspenseful story from this prolific author. This was definitely a cautionary tale about identity theft. Morgan is an independent young woman with very specific goals in life. She knows how she wants her future to look and she works hard to achieve it. She is on the right path until she meets Luke and then everything changes in a heartbeat. Not only does he steal her identity and dismantle her carefully constructed life but he murders her best friend in the process. Morgan is horrified to find out that not only is Luke a murderer and thief but a psychopath and serial killer. I don’t want to give away more of the plot as it is a thriller. My only complaint is that I would have liked Miles to be a little more cheery but that’s just me. Overall a great read with a lovely resort setting and some interesting side characters to even out the ongoing suspense. I definitely recommend reading this one.

Another great romantic suspense by NR!

There is so much to enjoy about this story - the overall plot, the slow burn romance, the family elements, and the cozy VT setting. I also just always appreciate how miscommunication is NEVER used in any of Nora's books - her characters speak openly and honestly and it's so refreshing.

I know I can always rely on Nora to deliver!

Rating: 4 stars

Identity is described as “a new thriller about one man’s ice-cold malice, and one woman’s fight to reclaim her life.”
I’ve previously read a few Nora Roberts’ books and I’ve loved some of her series - The Bride Quartet, the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy and The MacGregors. I think this is my first Nora Roberts standalone book and my first that’s described as a thiller, although even though that was in the background, it wasn’t always the focus.
Usually I find Nora Roberts’ writing so easy and enjoyable to get into but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with this one. It was very dialogue heavy which doesn’t usually bother me, but I didn’t love the writing style – which seemed both very matter of fact but also confusing at times – and it actually took me a while to read.
The premise of the book was given away in the description so the anticipation was definitely building in the first several chapters for everything to happen and I wanted to keep reading. However, from there, at 437 pages according to Goodreads, it just seemed way too long to me.
I didn’t really feel the connection between Morgan and her mother and grandmother. Also, to be honest, it really annoyed me that Morgan kept referring to them as “my ladies.”
I did like the bartending aspect as well as the Jameson’s family resort business. I enjoyed learning about all of their various responsibilities at the resort.
While I didn’t love this Nora Roberts book, it won’t stop me from picking up another one in the future if the description sounds interesting.

After years and years of constantly being moved around (Army brat life) all Morgan wants is to settle down and plant roots. To have a forever home. She has found the place she wants to stay, the house of her dreams, has Nina, the best roommate a person could want to help with the finances and works two jobs to save for all of the renovations she has in mind and is living the life she always dreamed of. She meets a seemingly lovely handsome man and invites him to the first dinner party she and Nina throw. Next thing you know her life is thrown into chaos. Nina is dead, her car, everything she had of value and her identity are gone. Her home is no longer safe or feels like hers. Turns out the nice guy is a murderous con man who is also a serial killer and mad he didn’t get Tiffany. He killed Nina as Morgan wasn’t there and she is told by the FBI that he never forgets and will not give up until he kills her too. She packs up and leaves to stay safe, heads to across the country but cannot forget that there is a murderer out for her and any others along the way while trying to create a new life for herself. In true Nora Roberts fashion she has created a suspenseful storyline with great characters, settings and that drew me in immediately. A truly wonderful read that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

I have not read Nora Roberts in a few years. I can honestly say I put off reading this book, big mistake. I loved the book and could hardly put it down.
Morgan Albright was raised a military child; she moved a lot in fourteen years. When her dad divorces her mother, they move around still for years. After college Morgan settles in a small town she has researched and now has a home she purchased and is working two jobs. She has a roommate and Nina and is living her best life. Luke comes into the bar where she works at night. After he stops by several times, they strike up a connection. Nina is dating Steve and Morgan invites Luke to dinner for the four of them.
Luke is actually a con man and a serial killer. He kills Nina since she was home sick when he broke into finish stealing Morgans money and identity.
After the FBI comes to visit Morgan, she realizes she let that monster into her and Nina's life. After she loses everything, she moves to Vermont to live with her grandmother and mother. She goes to work at a fancy resort as the bar manager. Luke is really Gavin and he now feels like Morgan ruin his life since he had to kill her roommate and not her.
The story is well written and shows Morgan getting on with her life and Gavin trying to kill other women to satisfy his craving; but really is losing it mentally. Morgan is being updated by the FBI agents still on the trail of Gavin.
This was a wonderful romance and suspense story.

I was very interested in the premise and was drawn in almost immediately. Unfortunately, the writing style and errors quickly jarred me out of the story and I spent the rest of the time annoyed at the weird phrasing, errors, and repetitive wording.

This is my first book by Nora Roberts and I think it’s obvious that I was disappointed. I’ll definitely be trying another one (maybe an older one?) so I can see what all the hype is about! This one wasn’t it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

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 St. Martins Press for the opportunity to step inside an intense real-life crime.

Identity is a great addition to the Nora Roberts collection. Although it has the "tone" of the books you would recognize from Nora Roberts, there is a point in the book that makes you stop and have to take a second read. Then for the rest of the book, you are gripped and waiting to find out what happens next.

The story is engaging, surprising, and entertaining, and I want more of this group of characters. Definitely a great read and if you love Nora Roberts, you will not be dissatisfied. If you haven't read her books before, this will make you want to go back and read others. Worth the read and hope there are more like it.

NR is one of my top go to authors.
A deranged predator has wreaked untold grief on Morgan’s planned life. But it could be the best thing for her since she moves back to Vermont and becomes even closer with her grandmother and mother. She also finds Miles.
I loved Howl, he was a hoot. I also loved Olivia, the grandma.
The villain was a total jerk and his takedown was a bit of a let down.
I liked Miles, but he was a little clunky in his character and personality, but good hearted.