IDENTITY is a new Nora Roberts book that walks the Romantic Suspense line but still has the hallmark NR romance staples. I read this arc in a day. The first chapter felt a little 'tell'-y but it sets us up for what is a very very good novel about Morgan Nash Albright, a bartender (Nora loves a specialty trade) who runs afoul of an opportunistic serial killer who steals identities and money from the people he kills. When her roommate gets dead instead of her, Morgan has to deal with the fallout of his intrusion in her life and move back home with her mother and grandmother. This book muses on what it means to put down roots, and what it means to find your identity in a place, in people.

Nora Roberts books have a lot of things but there are several trademarks: the hero or heroine has a special job and you are going to learn all about it (in this case, bartending), the small towns are big into the arts (the DREAM let me move to this town), Ms Nora loves a craftsman and hard worker in a man (same), and the characters who are new to the scene get quickly drawn into the community that cares for them and appreciates them as people. I teared up SEVERAL times during the book and maybe that's because I'm getting a cold but I think it speaks to the fact that Ms Nora knows what she's doing. I've read other romantic suspense books of hers and I liked this one very much because it didn't leave me super stressed. The tension is there and it's a good tension but it doesn't keep you from enjoying Morgan's romance with Miles and appreciating her rebuilding her life. I liked the message the book sends--even when horrible things happen, you will make it to the other side, and you will grow, and you will thrive.

I would give this book an enthusiastic 4.5 stars.
Heat level: 3 for on page scenes but not what I'd consider particularly explicit.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the review copy. This is my freely given honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for allowing me to read a book by Nora Roberts. This was the first time that I read a Nora Roberts book and it wont be my last. This book was full of suspense and action, It could characterize as a thriller. It is a standalone it may keep you wanting to turn the pages.
The Main character Morgan is forced to change her lifestyle and when she is targeted by a person who wants to steal her identity.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5

Morgan has finally found a place to grow her roots which she’s always craved after constantly moving around her entire childhood. She has goals for her new house, so she works 2 jobs gets a roommate who becomes her best friend. She decides to relax a little and enjoy a date with Luke, a guy who is visiting her town on business and hangs out with her while she tends bar.

However, Morgan comes home one day and sees her roommate/best friend dead and finds out her identity has been stolen, her bank account drained, and now she is in massive debt. The FBI let her know it was Luke, real name Gavin, and that this is not his first time and he had meant to kill her instead.

After many months of trying to dig herself out of this financial hole, she decides she has to sell her house and move back home with her mom and grandmother in Vermont. She has to start over.

She gets a job managing the bar at a nice resort owned by the Jameson family. While she’s rebuilding her life, she starts to make new friends and realizes there may be something between her and the oldest Jameson sibling, Miles. But when the FBI inform her that Gavin has killed again and will eventually come back for her, she must realize she is not alone here, and she has so many people in her life now that will do everything in their power to protect her, but will that be enough?

It’s been a little while since I read Nora and wow, how I’ve missed her! This book was such a great reminder why I love her so much and how she got me into romance many years ago.

I loved this book!! The suspense aspect definitely keeps you on your toes and keeps things exciting, but it’s the relationships that I fell for through the entire book. I loved the side characters!!! Morgan’s mom and grandmother and their support and love. The entire Jameson family and their protection over Morgan had me falling for ALL of them.

Highly recommend for a romance/suspense vibe! Thank you to NetGalley and ST MARTINS PRESS for this eARC in exchange for this honest review.

This was an exciting thriller of a book! It’s a well written book and I really liked all the characters. I was really appalled by how easily her Identity was stolen. It really made me so mad for the unfairness of it all.
I did enjoy the story but I felt like it was a bit too long.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I know that Nora Roberts can spin a story, but this one caught me completely off guard. I was completely absorbed into this book from the first few pages. You know what is eventually coming, but the buildup is fantastic.

Morgan Albright is a highly ambitious young woman, and she has a life plan that she intends to accomplish in as short a period of time as possible. She works two jobs and is stashing money away as quickly as she can make it. She rarely socializes except with her roommate, Nina, until one night in the bar where she tends bar she meets a charismatic man, Luke. She decides he is harmless and Nina talks her into inviting him over for a dinner party one night. He is handsome, kind and considerate, or so she thinks. Her world is shattered when she arrives home late one evening to find the back glass broken and the dead body of Nina. She soon finds out that he has taken more than her friend's life. He has stolen her identity, according to the FBI agents who show up at her door. He ruins her financially, but the FBI agents believe he will be back to kill her. He is a narcissistic con man and serial killer whose actual name is Gavin. She was the one that got away, and they do not believe he will be happy with killing Nina. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Morgan Albright is not your average woman. She has a strength inside of her that allows her to pick herself up and move forward with her life, but she will be looking in the rearview mirror for the rest of her life. It is a cat mouse game from that point forward. We see Morgan rebuilding her life in Vermont while living with her mother and grandmother. Then there are chapters interspersed throughout the book from Gavin's point of view. He is leaving a trail of bodies everywhere he goes. So, there is really no mystery here except for the question of when will he get back to her. Just the mere thought of Gavin and what is doing notches up the tension and suspense.

I loved the character of Morgan. She is strong willed and ambitious. The entire Jameson family stole my heart with their close knit family relations and their desire to make their business a success. The whole premise of this story is actually quite terrifying in that it could really happen. Nora Roberts really knows how to pull the reader into her stories so that you actually live there with the characters until you close the book. I almost sighed at the end.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An interesting book centered around the protagonist and antagonist involved in an identity theft. Unfortunately this situation felt all too plausible. I enjoyed reading how Morgan rebuilds her life. I did find the description of the identity thief lacked nuance. I recommend to any fans of Nora Roberts.

Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for making an ARC available in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been reading Nora Roberts for years and am always so excited when she publishes a new book. Identity was no exception! Nora has a way of writing that brings you right in and makes you feel like you are right there with her character. In Identity, I got to know her leading lady , Morgan, as she goes through something so overwhelming and painful that many people would just give up. But the book continues and shows how much resolve and strength can bubble to the surface in someone when their back is to the wall. Sprinkle in a love story , rebuilding of family ties and a great dog and you’ve got another great book from Nora Roberts on your hands !

3.5/5⭐️

I’ve always been a fan of Roberts, especially her JD Robb persona. But this romantic suspense was just too long. 450 pages may not sound lengthy, but the middle was slow and unnecessary in parts.

A young woman saving up to own her own bar has her identity and dreams stolen and her bf murdered by a cyber thief/psychopath. Starting over she relocates to live with her mom and grandma, finds a great job, great guy and regains her strength and confidence because she knows he’s coming for her as his only mistake in his murdering spree.

While it has the romance (though the male lead is annoyingly alpha), the suspense (mostly towards the end) and Roberts’ signature blunt writing style (also annoying at times), I just was not able to get into it as I usually do her books. Still, not a bad read overall.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the free early arc of Identity for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Morgan is finally settling down in a good neighborhood with her friend Nina as a roommate. But her world comes crashing down after she meets Luke. Luke, the cute IT guy. Luke, the man who she's been dating. Luke, who she let into her life. Luke, who stole her identity and killed her friend and ruined her live... When the FBI gets involved, Morgan quickly realized Nina was not "Luke"'s intented victim...
The premise of this romance/thriller was very interesting, but it fell flat for me. It's told in 3rd person, and the POV changes make it hard to follow at times. The pacing felt weird, which made it very hard to get into. I personally prefer shorter chapters, and it would've been interesting if they alternated the POVs this way. I would've liked to see more of Gavin's side of the story and less of Morgan's day to day, I feel it would've made it more thrilling. It could also have been edited a bit, I feel like there are 100-150 pages too many. I usually love Nora Roberts' work, but this one was not for me.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Former Army brat Morgan Albright has always longed to settle in one place, and so when she gets the chance, she buys a house in a nice, quiet, residential neighborhood... even though it means working two jobs and taking a roommate in order to pay the mortgage. She loves her life, working as an office manager for a family owned construction company by day, bartending by night, and spending her spare time with her friend and roommate Nina. Then one day, a handsome stranger walks into the bar while she is working and says he is in town on business for a couple of months. He starts coming in frequently, and she really enjoys his company, so she lets her guard down and accepts a date with him. The date goes well, so she invites him to her house, where she and Nina host their first dinner party. A few days later, when Nina is home sick with a cold, an intruder breaks in, steals a few pieces of jewelry and some cash and then kills Nina. Afterwards, Morgan finds out the devastating truth....she was the one that let the monster into their lives, and their home. The person who broke in and killed Nina was Luke, the man from the bar she had been dating, and not only that, the intended victim was her. As if that wasn't enough, he had planted malware on her computer during the dinner party, and had stolen all of her financial information and her identity. "Luke" is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder. Soon, bankrupt, and nowhere else to turn, she flees to her mother's home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn't flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn't forgotten the one who got away.
This was one of my favorites of all of the thrillers this author has written. Gavin made a very convincing con artist and sociopath. I really liked Morgan and her "ladies" as she called her mom and grandmother. Morgan had a lot of tenacity, and didn't just curl up in a ball and give up like most people would in her situation. Of course I have to give a shout out to Howl, who fell in love with her instantly, and after all that time of refusing to play fetch with Miles, immediately fetched the ball when she threw it. That definitely made me smile. If you are a fan of thrillers, then you need to put this at the top of your TBR pile. It is a nail biter!

Former Army Brat Morgan has finally settled down in a friendly neighborhood. Her roommate, Nina, helps pay the bills and Morgan has a job as a bartender. But one night, Morgan and Nina host a dinner party, where an IT guy named Luke attends. From that point on, Morgan’s carefully built new life is shattered. Nina is found dead, Morgan’s car is stolen and items area stolen from the house. It turns out Luke wasn’t just an IT guy, but a con man. The FBI informs Morgan that he was actually after her, so Morgan flees in an attempt to start over again. But will Luke forget about the one who got away?

Nora Roberts always writes a great story, and this one is no different. The fast pace, chilling storylines and Morgan’s determined personality make the chapters fly by. Though this one didn’t stand out to me as much as some of her others, it was still an exciting read.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Nora Roberts for the ARC! “Identity” releases May 23.

Morgan Albright is living outside of Baltimore juggling two jobs and is proud of all she is achieving at the age of twenty-five. Her friend Nina lives in her home to help her with the mortgage payments. She meets Luke at the bar she's working at. He's a seemingly nice guy and they start dating. But Luke (whose real name is Gavin) is a psychopath. He kills for the thrill of it as he steals women's identities. And Morgan is his ideal victim. But plans go awry, and Gavin kills Nina, sending Morgan back to live with her mother and grandmother in Vermont. While Gavin has stolen everything from Morgan, she soon realizes that he didn't steal her spirit. But Gavin can't get Morgan out of his head, and he is determined to finish what he started out to do - kill her.

Nora Roberts is one of the most reliable authors out there. She creates compelling stories filled with interesting characters. Identity may not be at the top of my Nora favorite list but it's good. And Morgan is someone you will surely root for. Her relationship with her mother and former-hippie grandmother is wonderful, although she kept calling them "my ladies" which for some reason annoyed me. She gets a job at a family-owned area resort and her developing love story was sweet. As despicable as the killer was, the sections devoted to Gavin were the most interesting and engaging but most of the book focused on Morgan. This book has a bit of everything - some suspense, some romance and more. There's not a lot of surprises but I was entertained. If you are a Nora Roberts fan, you'll be pleased.

Could not put down! This was for sure one of the best Nora Roberts books I've ever read, and I've read almost all of them. Identity hit all the marks of things I love in a good romantic/suspense read: Strong female characters, likeable (and lovable) male characters, family ties and a most depraved villain. The main setting at a resort in Vermont made me want to visit. Also, the title fits in perfectly with the premise. Written in true Nora Roberts style with her signature banter, Identity is sure to be another bestseller! Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Big thanks to Nora Roberts, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

2 ⭐️s

Plot: 3/5
Writing: 2/5
Ending: 3/5

Basic Plot: girl gets tricked by a man who steals her identity and murders her friend, she moves in with her mom and grandma, falls in love with another man, psychopath comes back after her.

My Thoughts:

Nora Roberts is usually an easy read for me. I love thrillers that have a bit of romance to them. But this one just didn't quite do it for me. The beginning had me hooked and I was all about this mysterious man who then went nuts and took everything from her. I actually really liked that Roberts got a little dark and gory with this one.

But then fast forward to the middle and it was just the same thing over and over again. Then the romance element came way too fast and what seemed like out of nowhere. One second she's thinking he's cute, next second she's jumping his bones. Also, why is everyone talking to their family about their sex lives??? WEIRD! Like girl, don't be tellin your grandma and mom about doing the dirty with your new boyfriend. THEN HE DOES THE SAME THING. I was over it.

No spoilers here about the ending... but that all happened way too fast. Things were dragging then all of a sudden it picks up the pace by 1000 then NORA just ends it. Like there was no suspense. No omg whats going to happen. It was like a short little chapter then poof everything is good. This book had some potential too. The plot was interested from the description. But then when it came to the execution it just fell flat. Will I still read a Robert's book? Absolutely. Keep them a bit gory like this one and I'll even be more all over them. But keep the family sex talk out of the next one.

2.5 star overall rating. It felt too long for me and dragged in the middle. Although some people may like the way it's laid out so give it a shot if Robert's is your go-to. I just personally needed more.

I absolutely loved this book! I haven't read many Nora Roberts books, and after reading this one, I have to wonder why. This has to be the best book that I have read so far this year. Ms. Roberts has a knack for giving us likeable characters that we can relate to, as well as others that we can absolutely hate. She was very knowledgeable about everything she wrote about in the book, everything from flower gardening to bar tending, so I believe she did a lot of research about many different topics.

The scene details in this book were very well described, which actually put you where you needed to be at each different place and time, which is a great help in really getting you into a book.

I just didn't want this book to end. It was so very good!

Nora Roberts brings readers another wonderful romantic suspense novel, Identity . Former army brat Morgan Albright has settled in a neighborhood near Baltimore, Maryland. Her day job as an office manager for a family-owned construction company and her night job as a bartender are helping her get closer to her goal of owning her own bar. She purchased a house and has a friend and housemate, Nina Ramos, who helps with the mortgage payment. However, after their first dinner party, Morgan’s life is shattered. Cash and jewelry are missing, Morgan’s car is gone, and Nina is dead. It soon becomes apparent that a con artist has also stolen Morgan’s identity and assets, and this isn’t his first time. FBI agents arrive, and Morgan struggles to rebuild her life in Vermont. Meanwhile, the killer is getting reckless and failing to cope with life due to his failure to kill Morgan.

Morgan is capable, resilient, a person who makes plans and works towards them, responsible, organized, a fast learner, and creative. Several characters have an impact on Morgan. Luke Hudson is friendly, interesting, a good listener, and confident. Miles Jameson is attractive, blunt, kind, considerate, and respects and values others. These characters, as well as several others in the novel, are well defined with depth and complex traits. They were portrayed in a way that brought them to life.

Readers quickly learn who the murderer is. The suspense is around when this individual will come after Morgan again since she is the one who got away. Meanwhile readers are treated to Morgan’s reconnection with her family and the rebuilding of her life. The book has a good mix of suspense and romance as well as an action-filled ending and is well-plotted. Readers are quickly pulled into the story line with fluid writing and great characterization that grabbed and held my attention and kept me engaged. The real-world issues added depth to the narrative. Themes include family, friendship, murder, grief, work ethic, identity theft, and much more.

Overall, this was a story that quickly pulled me into the narrative and the lives of Morgan and those around her. While the pacing isn’t as brisk as some romantic suspense novels, the author did a great job of building suspense throughout the story and I enjoyed the journey. She is a superb storyteller that intermingled the ever-present threat that was looming over Morgan and the rebuilding of her life. I would love to see this become a series. Readers of romantic suspense will likely enjoy this novel.

St. Martin’s Press and Nora Roberts provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for May 23, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

3.5 stars
I enjoy Nora Roberts' books and was excited to read this. It is an interesting romantic suspense. Morgan is targeted by a serial killer, and after her roommate's death, she goes to Vermont to start over and live with her grandmother and mom. She arrives defeated, and through finding ways to stay busy and getting a job managing the upscale bar at the resort, she gains her confidence back and starts to enjoy life again. I loved watching her transformation, how the family who owns the resort embraced her into their fold, and how well she does the job she loves.
The serial killer considers Morgan to be the one that got away, so interspersed with the chapters about her are updates on where he goes as he tries to allude the Feds and plot out how to get back to Morgan and finish the job. Those chapters were more difficult to read, as he is insane and kills multiple people without remorse.
The end ties everything up, and it was an enjoyable read overall that kept me interested.

This book is frightening as "how" a swindler can absolutely ruin your life after stealing your identity. I didn't find this novel to be a thriller as it was slowly paced with zero build-up. The romance also felt like an unnecessary addition to the story.

The book continuously got bogged down in details like Morgan's shifts at the resort, etc...I needed more serial killer details for it to be suspenseful. Ultimately this story takes a bit to get interesting then falls flat at the end.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy.

I liked the basic plot of this book. It could happen to any 20 something woman, even one trying to be careful on the dating scene. That is what makes this book all the more sinister in nature. Nora's writing style on this one, however, leaves something to be desired. There are many half-finished thoughts and dialogue that made me go back and read the sentence a time or two and sometimes I still didn't understand. Then there is her style that holds the reader at a distance. I never felt like I truly was part of what was going on, especially with the romance. The details of the bartender duties were a little more than I needed, or wanted, to know.

Morgan Nash Albright wanted nothing more than to set roots and grow in a community. After living life as an Army brat and after her parents' divorce with her nomad mother, she was ready to stay in one place. The place she chose was a small suburb outside Baltimore, Maryland. She worked hard as a bartender, bought a small home and is saving to buy her own bar someday. She and her housemate and best friend, Nina, are truly making her house a home. When she meets Luke, an IT specialist in town for an extended business trip, they hit is off and begin to date. Soon thereafter Morgan comes home to a break in and Nina dead. On the heels of that the FBI inform her that Luke is a psychopathic seral killer and that he has wiped her out financially. She fits his type perfectly and is lucky to be alive.

Wiped out emotionally and financially Morgan goes to Vermont and her mother and grandmother. There she finds the solace she so desperately needs and a new purpose. As the Bar Manager for the upscale bar, Après, in the exclusive Resort at Westridge. Not only a new purpose but a man too. Miles Jameson, scion of the family that owns the resort and COO of it. His family has deep roots in the community, and he takes his position there seriously.

While "Luke", whose real name is Gavin Roswell, spirals after his failure to kill Morgan, she is getting on with her life, something Gavin just can't abide or let stand. He is making threats and the FBI and Morgan are taking them seriously. Morgan begins a self-defense regime and becomes stronger for it. She is determined not to become this man's victim again.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

When I received this book in the mail, I realized that I had never read a Nora Roberts book. While I have read a few of the “In Death” series, written under the pseudonym J.D. Robb, I hadn’t ventured into any of the Nora Roberts books — and there are a lot!! So I was excited and pleased to receive this book in the mail, to read my first one.

Identity tells the story of Morgan, independent, somewhat estranged from her family, living in another state than her there (but not close) family members. She meets a handsome stranger, so charismatic that she agrees to a date with him. She is a bartender, and usually doesn’t do that type of thing, but Luke is attractive and available, so Morgan is happy to begin to test the waters of dating him. Well, disaster strikes, and Luke is not who he says he is. The life that she thought she had comes crashing down around her, and Morgan heads to her mother and grandmother’s home in Vermont. She really doesn’t want to be going, but she has no other choice. The rest of the story details her time in Vermont, picking up the pieces of her life and beginning again, with some remains of her old life hanging over her head.

Now, again, I have never read Nora Roberts, so I don’t know if this is usual or just with this book, but I was confused as to the genre of the book. It was billed as a “thriller” on the cover and in the Goodreads summary. And it did have elements of the “thriller” genre, however, MOST of the book read more like a women’s fiction book. 75% of the book basically detailed Morgan’s life, her rebuilding after the horrible events that took place, and her beginning a new job and meeting her new beau. It detailed her relationships with her mother and grandmother, and the other people that she worked with. Then, the rest of the 25% of the book would be the “thriller” portion, dealing with the aftermath of the event, sometimes told by “Luke’s” point of view. Again, I’m not sure if this is usual for Nora Robert’s books or not.

Although this book was interesting and engaging, I felt like it was WAY TOO LONG. The minutiae that it dealt with in Morgan’s life could have been eliminated, and made for a more concise book. It bogged down the book to the point where I wasn’t sure where some of it was going.

Also — and this is probably just me — I kept looking for these big twists and turns (because it was called a thriller) that just didn’t happen or materialize. Probably (again) from my lack of experience with Nora Roberts, coupled with my absolute love of the psychological thriller, I kept looking for some huge twist that never came. It disappointed me, in a way, but I think that might just be true to form of this genre of book. My expectations were not aligned to the actual content of the book.

Overall, I did like the book. I was happy to read my first Nora Roberts book, but in some ways it did not meet my expectations. I gave it four of five stars, and would recommend to those who lean more toward the genre of Women’s Fiction. This hits bookstores on May 23, 2023.