Identity by Nora Roberts
Contemporary romantic suspense.
Morgan Albright owned an old house she loves near Baltimore. She has a roommate that helps Morgan pay the mortgage. She has a bartending job she loves at a local bar. Morgan has plans for the house and her future. One night at the bar there is a new customer. Friendly, but not obnoxious or overdone. He stays for only two drinks then leaves. After several more drop-in’s at the bar, he asks her out. Morgan is careful to meet him at a restaurant for their first date and all goes well. He attends a small event at her hose with friends. All is good.
Until he breaks into the house, kills the roommate and basically steals everything in Morgan’s life. Multiple loans in her name. New credit cards in her name. He cleared out all her bank accounts and took any jewelry and cash he was able to find in the house. There’s even a loan shark looking for a payback. He took everything from Morgan except her life. It’s what he intended, but the roommate got in the way. Morgan cuts ties, sells the house, and moves home to live with her mother to start fresh.
But he doesn’t forget she’s the only one that lived. And she’s going to have to pay.

Compelling and breath taking. It’s a novel you won’t want to put down.
I liked the grumpy sunshine aspect of her new relationship with Miles. And the dog, Howl is amusing. He won’t play fetch with Miles but he will with Morgan. Too cute.
But the scary serial killer is a mess!

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy.

Identity is Nora Roberts at her best: suspense, murder and romance all packaged up into a heartwarming story.

You may not know this, but I’m a huge Nora Roberts fan. Like, I’ve ready everything Nora’s written, many books multiple times. So when I had a chance to read her new book on netgalley before it was published, I think my neighbours could hear my shouts of excitement. And Identity, Nora’s latest book, does not disappoint. This is classic Nora at her finest, and if you’ve never read a Nora Roberts book, it’s a great place to start. Identity tells the story of Morgan, who’s whole life is destroyed in one fell swoop: identity fraud, her best friend and roommate murdered, and plot twist – it should have been her. She heads home to a small town in Vermont to live with her mother and grandmother as she puts her life back together.

Morgan is a feisty bartender who’s built up a lot of walls after the divorce of her parents. She’s independent to a fault, which of course makes it all that harder when all of her independence is taken away from her thanks to a con man slash psychopathic serial killer. I loved seeing Morgan pick herself up and rebuild her life as she also learns about her family and the women who made her. Nora writes families, both blood and found, so well and the Nash family is a small but strong unit. Her mom and grandma are fierce and fabulous women who I wanted to hang out with.

Of course, it isn’t a Nora Roberts book without a swoony romance. Now, we don’t meet Miles, the love interest until a good chunk through the book. But let me tell you, he’s worth the wait. He’s part of a powerful and wealthy family that runs a big lodge in Vermont. But this isn’t a Succession-style dynasty. This family works hard and cares about each other. Miles is the eldest son and is a straight and narrow man who has the largest heart. I loved watching Miles and Morgan fight and then give into their attraction after Morgan joined the Lodge as manager and head bartender for the fancy restaurant there. Their love affair is steamy and strong: Miles supports her and encourages her to be the best version of herself even while he prepares himself to defend her against the serial killer slowly making his way back to her to finish off his mistake.

Gavin – the serial killer and other main character in Identity – is one twisted man. As the bad guy he doesn’t disappoint. He’s so charming at first that I was totally taken in by him as the reader -so warning to you, you may side eye every person you meet after reading this book. He’s perfectly charming and creepy at turns and his drive is fascinating.

I live to enter a new Nora Roberts world every year and Identity was a top notch romantic suspense read with a side of small town, big family dynamics. I can’t wait to add this to my re-read rotation as it is a new favourite.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

To me, Nora Roberts is the queen of romantic suspense, and I enjoyed Identity. The main character, Morgan, has to make a fresh start after becoming the victim of a ruthless conman who steals her identity. What she goes through is horrifying and all the more scary because of how realistic it is. Morgan is a likable main character who is independent, determined, but also vulnerable. Things seem to be going so perfectly for her back with her mother and grandmother in Vermont, which is a contrast to the villain and his life and plans for revenge against Morgan, the "one who got away."

This book is entertaining and I liked getting to know Morgan. I like the Jameson family, who own the Vermont resort where she starts working. The new romantic relationship she begins seems sincere, but a bit rushed. I enjoyed the book overall but didn't care for the chapters told from the villain's point-of-view because they were very disturbing. Some of the dialogue seems unnatural, but the story is engaging and I like the way things turned out in the end.

I received an advance copy of the ebook at no cost from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

It's Nora Roberts, you're getting exactly what you thought you were going to get. A well defined location, characters, story, and a very good read.

This is the story of Morgan Albright, who finds herself involved in a horrible crime and ends up moving home with her mother and grandmother. Of course home is a lovely town in Vermont, a town where everyone knows everyone, and more importantly, they all look out for each other.

While Morgan's very detailed life plans have been shattered, she rebuilds, accepts that change is inevitable, and finds a way to make her new life her best life.

I enjoyed reading Identity and couldn't wait to pick it back up while going about my day.

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

In most of Robert's novels, you don't find out who the antagonist is right off the bat. In this novel, she changes pace a bit and gives you the real identity of the villain, but morphs his character along the way.
My great aunt gave me my first Nora Roberts novel at 14 years old. She writes stories that pull you in but leave you emotionally damaged all the same. I felt all of Morgan's pain throughout the novel, but still was able to enjoy the growth she envisioned for herself. Her relationship with Miles and the rest of the Jamieson family was one that was admirable, and loving, but most of all I was jealous of her Ladies, the Nash women. Separated by time, anger and sadness, they reconnected and built a relationship that was far better than any of them could have hoped.

All in all, this novel was a standard Robert's novel. It did not blow me out of the water, but I still read it in entirely one sitting and felt satisfied at the end. I would definitely recommend for those who like her novels.

Morgan Albright’s nightmare began when she arrived home to find her roommate murdered. The police arrived and soon after the FBI, as her roommate was the victim of a serial killer, a serial killer who meant to kill Morgan. In addition, the killer accessed her accounts and ruined her financially. Her only option was to return to her mother’s home in Vermont, but at least she was alive…for now. The FBI believes that he will not give up as they continue their search. Her job as a bartender at Après has given her a chance to get back on her feet and she takes the time to learn self-defense moves. Miles Jameson, eldest son of the third generation, finds her incredibly interesting while she admits that she is attracted to him. She never knows when the killer will strike and she needs to be able to SING (solar plexus, instep, nose & groin) to give herself a chance to survive. This story was amazing, containing the power and grit of the authors “In Death” series, but in the “now”. The characters come alive on the pages as you wait for the killer to make his move. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

4.5/5 ⭐
4/5 🌶️
4.5/5 🕵️‍♀️

Oh Nora. Nora, Nora, Noraaaaa! You've done it, again. You've made me fall in love with every single character and then crushed my soul over and over. Not to be dramatic but this is one of my favorite books I've read in the Nora Roberts collection. I am a tried and true fan but every time I pick up one of her novels, I am continuously amazed by her character development/research, writing, and love she puts in to these books.

As we know from the synopsis, Morgan has been pushed to her lowest, by no fault of her own. Her best friend is killed within the first few chapters and you mourn along side her. As if her best friend was your best friend. As if that can't get any worse, the man that took her life has destroyed Morgan financially, Which will pierce your hearting knowing hundreds of Americans are dealing with identity theft every day. It goes into the crippling details as we watch Morgan do and give everything she can to get out of debt that's not her own.

She inevitably succumbs to moving home with her mother and grandmother. Which is where the story takes a turn and we fall in love with every single person in their small town of Vermont. And we meet Miles. Oh, Miles! Be prepared to fall in love with him the most.

I laughed, I cried... a lot. I also got very very scared and couldn't sleep for multiple nights. Note to anyone with an over active imagination, this isn't a good one to read before bed. The details of the murders are gruesome and I found myself wanting to skip past the gory details but without them, you don't understand why you're rooting for Morgan as much as you do. You want her to succeed even more.

Thank you so so SO much to net galley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to have the ARC of this book. I enjoyed it so much and, as always, I cannot wait to see what Nora publishes next.

The second I read the synopsis I knew this was one I needed to read; Nora Roberts is an incredible author so of course the writing was great. The entire book had me on the edge of my seat waiting for the shoe to drop, the suspense was at an all-time high. I enjoyed how she incorporated the romance while keeping the thriller theme; it was balanced so perfectly, not too much of one thing but the perfect blend. I couldn’t put it down, at the same time I didn’t want it to end. The characters were great, I love how she included so many powerful, badass women.

This was an interesting read. I would say more towards the suspense side of things than the romance side, but mainly because of the structure. We don't even meet the "hero" of the book until a third of the way in, which is unusual. I found the beginning of the book kind of interesting because of that, though - I didn't know what to expect. What kind of turned me off of this book were the conversations between all the characters. They felt awkward to me - not because of any one reason that I could pin down but I think the main thing that stood out to me was that EVERYONE said exactly what they were thinking all the time, which just isn't realistic. A lot of the characters just felt so two dimensional for me, and seemed almost like really similar versions of each other. For how much conversation there was among a lot of characters - a lot of them ended up having the same "voice" to me. Other than that issue, I liked the story line. I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to find out what would happen next!

I've read a few books by Roberts, and they are hit or miss for me. This one was a miss. The pace was too slow for a thriller/mystery, but yet it wasn't much of a romance story, either (and I was okay with the latter). The relationship felt forced and unnecessary. The dialogue felt stilted ... and there was too much of it. The characters felt a bit unrealistic as they didn't exhibit a range of emotions (for instance, no one seems to get mad). I had a bit of a preference for Gavin, and I wish we'd seen more, particularly in place of Morgan's work. Some parts were overly detailed without cause, making for a choppy feel. Perhaps a tighter edit and a shorter book would've worked better.

Nora Roberts never, ever, ever fails to deliver. Logical, well-executed, smooth, fast-moving plot. Strong, passionate characters who know when to give, when to take and when to put it all on the line. The elements are always there, but you also get a unique, original story that captivates you, keeps you guessing, make you draw back in fear or reach for a tissue to dab your eyes – and has your total attention first page to last.

Morgan Albright has finally settled down and started planning a future. She’s found the perfect best friend housemate in Nina, she loves her job as a bartender and is working towards owning her own bar some day and isn’t opposed to a little casual flirting and dating, especially with the cute IT guy who has started hanging around when she’s working. It’s a good life. Until Morgan comes home the day after the dinner party she and Nina threw for IT guy Luke and Nina’s fiancé Sam. Morgan finds evidence of a break-in: door glass smashed, cash, jewelry, laptop, car stolen – and Nina savagely murdered. And that is the day Morgan’s life changes forever, and not for the better, because while Luke does in fact have excellent IT skills, he’s not Luke and he’s not a regular guy. He’s a crazed serial killer who steals identities and brutally kills his victims – after taking away every single thing they have.

The transition from good Luke to monster Luke is abrupt and flawless. Very effective. You’re just starting to develop a mental picture of this cutie and hoping he’ll fit into Morgan’s life, when he shows up at her house, discovers Nina is unexpectedly there and becomes viciously and violently angry in a methodical and terrifying way. His careful planning is disrupted by “having” to kill Nina; that day he intended only to begin the identity theft. Morgan’s murder would come at the appropriate time. He’s already unstable and dangerous. Now he’s unstable, dangerous and blames Morgan for the house not being empty when he broke in.

The process Gavin (Luke) follows to terrorize Morgan is indeed chilling. Step by step he goes about destroying her reputation, financial security and peace of mind. After a year of rebuilding every time he destroys she can’t do it anymore: she’s depleted personally, professionally, financially and emotionally. She goes home to her mother and grandmother in Vermont to try and start over, or at least feel safe again. But while Gavin may be a psychopath he’s a smart one and of course he knows where she is. He continues his ever more erratic plan to finally catch up with her and make her pay for ruining his life.

Miles Jameson’s family owns the resort hotel where Morgan finally begins to work. He’s not all that friendly and has a reputation as a demanding, aloof man. Well, maybe so, but there’s something there and author Roberts fans that flame and unpacks that relationship as only she can. Friendships (and more) grow, relationships between families are uncovered, rifts among relatives are healed, job satisfaction is once again a possibility. Sounds like a great place for Morgan to be, except for the lunatic who lets her know he’s coming – and soon. Roberts makes you feel each step he gets closer.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of Identity via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest opinion. It has the trademark Nora Roberts dialogue, cadence, romance and thrills readers have come to love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Loved this book! It had the perfect blend of romance and suspense. I enjoyed Morgan and Miles's story. They were great together, and I loved Miles's dog, Howl.

I hope that the other Jameson siblings each get their own book. I would love to see how Nell's story turns out, and it would be interesting to see who Liam ends up with.

Morgan Has A 5-Year Plan To Build The Life Of Her Dreams, But Gavin Has Plans Of His Own For Her! Morgan’s Story Is A Thrilling Read With Suspense That Builds Throughout. Teary At Times, She & Miles Have Excellent Chemistry & Fabulous Banter That Had Me Laughing Out Loud.

Morgan Nash, late twenties, is serious-minded and goal-oriented. She had been raised in a military household, so she is good with rules and discipline. All the moving around every couple of years left her feeling a little disconnected, though. She is self-reliant and doesn't have many friends. When her parents divorced, it was largely the end of her relationship with her father, but her mother floated around in Morgan's teenage years, so the sense of home she always wanted never came. When she left for college, she decided to rectify that on her own and began planning. She double majored in business and hospitality, then chose the Baltimore area to settle down and grow roots. Her first goal was to buy her own home, and she worked hard at two jobs to accomplish that goal by age twenty-five. Working as an office manager of a family-owned home improvement company by day and a bartender by night, she hoped to save enough to open her own bar in a few years' time. To accomplish that, she needed a roommate, and Nina soon became so much more. They became quick friends. But while Morgan might consider herself a good judge of character - a skill that might come naturally, but one she has nevertheless honed and relied upon as part of her bartending routine - she makes a grievous error when a certain man enters her life.

FBI agents Morrison and Beck have their work cut out for them when it comes to Gavin Rozwell. He goes by many names and like a chameleon, he blends in effortlessly in each new setting he chooses. They've been after him for a while now and the pressure is on to catch him before he succeeds with yet another victim. He messed up when he targeted Morgan Nash, and that might mean their luck is changing. Gavin is sure to make more mistakes now that his confidence is rattled.

Morgan tried to stick it out, but with her identity stolen and her life upended, she finally accepts the reality of her situation. She heads to Vermont for a fresh start. Her dreams of home ownership and becoming a business owner will have to take a backseat while she takes some time to rebuild. What she doesn't anticipate is that going home to her mother, a woman she always considered weak, will help her discover that the roots she dreamed of were there all along.

Morgan finds the sense of family and friends she always yearned for when she takes a job for the Jameson family at The Resort at Westridge, a family-owned oasis outside of the sleepy tourist town that her grandmother has always called home. Managing Après, the resort’s main bar, is a dream come true and more than she could have hoped for. But as hope blossoms, Morgan is repeatedly reminded that Gavin is still out there, and he hasn't forgotten her. And sooner or later, he will come for her.

Morgan has a five-year plan to build the life of her dreams, but Gavin has plans of his own for her. Morgan's story is a thrilling read and the suspense builds throughout. Teary at times, she and Miles have excellent chemistry and fabulous banter that had me laughing out loud. This story is well written. It is plot-driven. There is a large cast of unique characters that keep the story moving. They are real and complex. The story is told in third person omniscient. I prefer when the POV has clear shifts from one character to another. Here it largely blends together. The story is primarily in Morgan's POV; however, it also slips into Gavin, Miles, Audrey, Olivia, Morrison, Opal, Nell, and Drea’s POVs. I rate this book 4.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I was really excited to start reading this book. I really enjoy Roberts' romantic suspense titles but last year's book hadn't been my favorite so I was really looking into this one and wow did it deliver! Morgan is a good main character. She's smart and independent. She likes people and learning about them. She's good at her job and good at working towards her goal. She's self aware enough to admit when she needs help or when she's in the wrong. I loved her relationship with her grandmother and her mother and the family they are working on rebuilding.

The Jameson family is also an interesting group. They're very well off but ambitious and fair. They've created a successful and well run business and are close as a family. But lurking in the shadows of all this perfection and happiness is Gavin - serial killer and identity thief. I found Gavin one of the most unnerving bad guys Roberts has created and not even because of how violent he was. Identity theft is a concern for most of it and reading about the level of damage Gavin was able to do made going fully off the grid pretty tempting.

As I expect from Nora Roberts' books this pulled me in right from the very beginning and I didn't want to put it down to the very end. This definitely has some dark elements and some somewhat detailed descriptions of Gavin's violent attacks. It was definitely the most soothing read but I enjoyed it from beginning to end!

There’s something about a Nora Roberts novel that feels familiar. I always know I can count on her to deliver, and that I’m in good hands. This read was no different. It’s creepy and dark in places but I’m all for the murder and suspense vibes—as long as there’s a romance. And this one had it in spades.

Once again the queen has woven her magic in story telling. A romance thriller that has you staying up late to read just one more chapter. Morgan is a workaholic, not by choice but to prove to herself that she can plant roots and work towards her dreams. Working two jobs allowed her to fulfill one of her dreams, she has her own little house. Taking in a housemate to help with the mortgage also had the side benefit of having Nina as her best friend. Meeting a nice guy at the bar she bartends they hit it off and after several times seeing him there she agrees to get pizza with him. Nina comes up with the idea of a double date, a home cooked dinner at their place. All goes well and they have a great time. Till a few days later when Morgan comes home and finds Nina murdered. The FBI gets involved and tells Morgan she is lucky, that the man who did this was that guy she met a the bar, He is a serial killer and steals the victim identity only he didn’t kill her. Heartbroken and totally overwhelmed with all the bills the thief has piled up, she gets a lawyer she can’t afford. As a last resort she sells her house and moves back to Vermont to live with her Grandmother and mother. With her grandmother connections she gets a job at a holiday resort and loves her position of bar manager.
Miles is part of the family run resort and makes sure all runs smoothly along with the family. Each has their own niche in the running of it. As he checks out the new bar manager he is amazed by her efficiency and her looks. But when the FBI informs them, local police and Morgan that the killer has killed again and he most likely will come back for her, Miles protective side comes out and he realizes the is much more to the women than her bravery.
Love the pace of the story, a real eye opener of how easy someone identity can be stolen. Scary! Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #Identity #NoraRoberts

Identity.... Identity theft is one of those things that freaks me out kind of like when you lose a spider behind a peice of funiture. This has just the right amount of romantic suspnese and will keep you on the edge of your sit.

I highly recommend grabbing this one if you are heading out on vacation this almost 500 pages thriller will be someone you wont be able to put down.

Cant wait to see what Nora writes next,

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet, suspenseful and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I haven't read a Nora Roberts, so was excited to dive into this and I wasn't disappointed. Identity felt a bit different than some of her previous books, and I loved the premise - which is quite different. Identity has a little bit of everything- mystery, suspense, romance and is a bit of a thriller. What's interesting to me is that things some other reviewers took issue with were exactly the things I found so fascinating with this one. Identity got a little dark in some places, but that was perfectly balanced with some of the lighthearted sections. I really enjoyed the love interest and the way he interacted at times with Morgan. Really happy to be back in a Nora Roberts book and now can't wait for the next one.

A well paced romantic thriller with all the good ingredients for a good story. Morgan’s life has been turned upside down and she has to star over after losing everything, even her roommate and best friend, in the hands of a cold murdered. Can she redo her life, even finding love, coming back to Vermont and her family with the assassin in the loose?