Nora Roberts is one of the most prolific contemporary authors alive (like James Patterson — both have written over 200 books). Her latest, “Identity,” is a romantic suspense thriller about a con man who victimizes a 25 year old woman, stealing her identity, money, credit, insurance, equity and murdering her best friend.

Morgan Albright begins as a happy, hard working person, happy homeowner with a cute house (and a list of projects she’s budgeting for) and a great roommate to help with the mortgage. At one of her two jobs, as a bartender, she meets smooth and handsome Luke Hudson, who comes in a few times. And after just one pizza date and a small party dinner at her house, he returns during the day to steal her laptop (and her life), but encounters Nina, not Morgan, unexpectedly home sick, and kills her. The FBI contacts Morgan to tell her this guy is a serial killer named Gavin Rozwell who steals identities of women with androgynous first names AND then their lives — presumably murdering the missing victim. She’s the first survivor since he killed Nina by accident.

Overwhelming debt, guilt, and legal entanglements force Morgan to sell her beloved house at a loss and move to small town Vermont where her mother and grandmother live and operate a family business.

I felt so much pain for hardworking, amenable, energetic Morgan, who didn’t deserve what that psychopath Gavin did to her or Nina. And then I was enraged that Gavin Rozwell considered her the “one who got away” and decided to eventually ruin her, her mother and grandmother in Vermont just as Morgan is employed by another fierce granddaughter/mother/grandmother trio. That awful feeling of oncoming dread was pervasive immediately. Where and when would he reappear? How much ruin is he going to afflict again? Will these trios of strong women destroy him instead? (Grandma has already stated she wants to twist his….off, after re-landscaping the surrounding areas in blue). Please, please, please. Of course, Nora Roberts is known for the satisfying romance aspect, so Morgan does get a chance to find someone the polar opposite of the sleazoid con artist. Someone equally enraged about Rozwell and willing to protect her.

Loved this! Morgan was the perfect heroine and Roberts celebrates the main character’s job as a bartender (a female role not usually featured). 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Let’s have a lavender margarita and an apricot colada to appreciate this tense thriller and sweet romance!

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

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES The main character, Morgan, has beautiful green eyes. And her evil pursuer, Rozwell, uses green contacts.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO daffodils are blooming in March, and Nina, who works at a garden center, is planting season appropriate pansies in April.

Thank you NetGalley for the early preview of Nora Roberts Identity! This was two of my favorite genres come together, romance and suspense. Morgan is a total hero in this book who just as she begins to feel that she is a capable adult; comes home to her house and finds her best friend and roommate murdered.

Going thru the emotions is one thing, but finding out it was a man you were starting to crush on that wanted to ruin your world is another.

But as much as he ruined her life and made her uproot everything she worked so hard for, it all becomes clear that she is a fighter and he is the one who has been ruined and her life only gets better and so do the people in it.

A wonderful love story with suspense, thrills and a dog!

TW/CW: Murder, violence, stalking, sex

REVIEW: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and am voluntarily writing an honest review.

Identity is the story of Morgan (Albright) Nash, a young woman who is targeted by a con man/identity thief/serial killer who completely destroys her life but leaves her alive against his will. She is forced to relocate to her grandmother’s home in Vermont and attempts to start her life anew, while knowing that the man is still out there wanting her dead.

The beginning of this book and the premise are great. They first few chapters really dragged me in and they flew by. But after Morgan gets to Vermont…well, let’s just say this book gets slower than maple syrup. At times it’s more a how-to-Bartend book than anything about what’s happened to our characters.

The romance is, unfortunately, very blah and lukewarm. I never really felt anything between them at all.

And the climax of the book, very sadly, was a real let-down.

While there are some good things in this book (I especially liked the chapters where she got into our serial killer’s head) and the writing itself is solid, I was expecting more from this book.

Completely enjoyed this story and I can't wait to purchase it. From the beginning I was hooked with Morgan she works hard and owns her own home. She has a roommate to help pay the bills and works two jobs to stay ahead. Everything in her life drastically changes and comes crashing down on her. She works hard to rebuild her life and not allow it to keep her down.

Good characters and a great read!

There is a reason I drop everything as soon as I see Nora Roberts has a new book coming out. She is the queen of romantic suspense (of all romance?) and I will die on that hill!

Morgan lives a quiet life, bartending in a sweet neighborhood in Baltimore and living with her best friend Nina. Even better-- she meets a handsome, interesting man on the job and soon finds herself inviting him to dinner. Not long after, she finds her best friend dead in the house they lived in and learns she was murdered by none other than the charming IT guy she invited into her life.

Uprooting her life again, Morgan moves back home and lives with her mother and grandmother. She finds another job bartending at an upscale resort owned by the Jamesons, a wealthy, close-knit family. She finds herself spending more and more time with Miles Jameson, the handsome man who insists on walking her to her car every night.

Their relationship begins as Gavin, the man who murdered her best friend, sets his sights on Morgan, determined to take down the one who got away.

This has to be one of my favorite Nora Roberts stories in a long time, and that's saying something because I genuinely love everything she puts out. Morgan's relationship with Miles is built on a steady foundation that keeps getting stronger, and her relationship with the two most important women in her life is equally fortified. She's a badass heroine putting down roots with her own Prince Charming, but in this story, she's saving herself.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley. Unfortunately this book was just not for me. I really struggled through the entire book. I normally really enjoy Roberts books so I was disappointed.

Book Title: Identity
Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Mystery/Romance
Pub Date: May 23, 2023
Pages: 448
My Rating: 3.4 Stars

I was a big Nora Roberts fan – read over twenty of her novels. I switched to Psychological Thriller and Romance just didn’t have the appeal it once had.
I heard that her stories have been a bit darker and I thought hmmm sounds like to a good time to give another a try.

Story starts with twenty –five year old Morgan Albright a former Army brat who moved around A LOT. As a recent college graduate she is excited about settled into a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her dream has been to own her own home and her own bar. In order to fulfil her dreams she has two jobs ~ one as Office Manager at a family own construction firm and the other a bartender. Morgan met Nina Ramos at the local garden center and is impressed with her knowledge of plants etc. and it worked out to have her as a roommate which certainly helped with expenses. One evening when Morgan was tending bar she meets Luke, who is flirting with her. They connect and things work out, he seems to blend in with her life perfectly.

However, one day she arrives home to find her back door glass broken, cash and jewelry are missing; her car is gone, and worst of all her roommate Nina lies dead on the floor.
It appears Luke is not who he appeared to be but is really Gavin and is an identity thief as well as a serial killer.
Morgan is fearful that Gavin will come back after her so goes to her mother's home in Vermont. In the meantime, Gavin continues to prey on new victims, but he also hasn't forgotten the one who got away.

This story had me immediately on page one but it did get a bit slow (for me) but I totally had a smile on my face at the end!

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 23, 2023

This book needs some serious proof-reading/editing. There are far too many awkwardly structured sentences. Also, it was often confusing as to which character was speaking.

I tried to like the heroine, but just couldn't make it happen. Every time she referred to her mother and grandmother as "her ladies" I pictured some 90 year old referring to her cats! That was an unnecessary affectation.

Other than updating her pop culture references and the crime, this is the same book she's been writing for the last 20-25 years. Ms. Roberts must have just discovered the em-dash. There must have been 50 or more throughout the book. There were 6 on just one page. The sentences were awkward enough without all the dashes. They were distracting and, in many cases, pointless.

Thank you for the ARC of Identity.

#NetGalley#St.Martin'sPress#NoraRoberts#Identity

I haven’t read Nora Roberts in a while and forgot how effortlessly enjoyable her books are. I was immediately sucked into this one as I don’t know much about identity theft and was intrigued by how devastating it is for the main character, Morgan. I wish that had been the focus.

Once Morgan attempts to start over in a little resort town with her relatives, the story shifts into a predictable small-town romance and gets really really slow. I started skimming toward the halfway point just to see what happens with the identity thief. Unfortunately, that character becomes disappointingly cliché, and the big ending was a letdown.

I discovered that Nora Roberts also writes crime novels under the name J.D. Robb, so I might check out one of those as I did enjoy the crime elements in this book.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story was gripping from beginning to end. Nora Roberts created the perfect cocktail of suspense, romance, and strong characters. The Nash women were strong, sweet and I loved the dynamic between grandmother, mother, and daughter. Miles is my new favorite book boyfriend - I loved his matter of fact manner and watching his romantic storyline grow with Morgan. Gavin is a psychopath written so well you will be checking over your shoulder as you read.

Nora Roberts does not disappoint with her newest book and I promise you will not want to put this book down. Between the highly tense moments you spend with Gavin to the sweet moments you spend with Morgan, you are guaranteed a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish! Run, as if you’re being chased by a serial killer, to grab this book when it releases in May!

I have never read a Nora Roberts book and I felt it was about time. Sadly, this one was not for me. The story started very interesting, and I enjoy the characters. After 10% was like watching someone’s real (boring) life in real time. Every workday, every drink, every step laid out on the page. After 50% I skimmed a ton. For a book that could have had a lot of drama it was one of the dullest ones I ever read.
Recommended For: Only read if you have read Nora Roberts before, do not start here.

I love Nora Roberts’ stories, and this is no exception. Identity theft is a new theme, and we learn how cruel and inventive con artists can be. The novel is quite lengthy and dragged a bit. I was reading a JD Robb novel at the same time, and the short staccato sentences of the “In Death” books jarred me here, the writing style for the crime novels are not a good fit here in this book.

Because of identity theft our heroine loses everything she has worked so hard for, and the murder of her roommate deepens the loss. Morgan has been lucky though, as this particular Identity thief always kills his target. She learns from the FBI agents that she is only one who has survived. Morgan returns home to live with her mother and grandmother while she decides what path to take moving forward. A large portion of the novel stalls with the endless details of the tasks of bar tending and the day-to-day running of a family-run resort hotel. I honestly missed the cues of which family member she was going to end up with. But I’ll still be among the first to read another Nora Roberts book.

Morgan Albright isan army brat who wants nothing more than to put down roots. She buys a house gets a roommate and is living her best life bar tending by night and office managing by day. All of that is interrupted by a serial killer. Who kills her best friend/roommate by mistake. Morgan is the i.tended victim. To come.back she moves on with her ladies and gets a job bar rent at the local resort. Where she meets Miles Jamison. Where she starts to ser down roots again. But for the said serial killer she's the one who got away.

Nora Roberts has done it again. She has written an exciting and fun story. Full disclosure she is my favorite go ro author. I love her books and this one has become one of my favorites. The characters are fun and loving. Morgan's story of finding herself all while living with a cloud over her head is wonderfully fun and entertaining all at once.

I received this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
I love Nora Robers and her JD Robb books as well!

While I feel this book started off a bit "awkward" in the writing department, it soon picked up and the story started to flow!

Morgan is a hard working, dedicated to her personal goals, and work ethic type of person. Working 2 jobs to meet her plans for her future have left her social life a bit stake. But she doesn't mind. She has her own house that she shares with a woman who becomes more than just a tenant but a best friend!
She loves the family construction company she works for during the day. But working the bar in the evenings is where her heart is at!
And that's fine.
Work, save, meet the goals she has set out for herself even faster!
Until HE comes in to the bar. Starts getting friendly with the locals. Sets himself up in the community as a "known" person. Gets under her radar and slips into her trust unnoticed.
Then Morgan's world comes crashing down!
The man she had let into her world is out of town working. Her best friend is found murdered in their home. Her identy has been stolen, life savings gone, debt piles up around her and the world just keeps kicking her while she's down.
Until the FBI knocks in her door and everything she knows is turned inside out.
She's to blame, or she feels as if she is!
She brought him in to their world.
She trusted him.
She should have known something wasn't right.

When she can't take anymore anguish that has befallen her, she heads to the safety of family.
Family that she didn't want to burden, didn't want to depend on. Family that will always be there for her no matter how far down she feels she's fallen

Starting fresh is the best way to make lemonade, cakes, and flower arrangements! So start fresh she does.
She lands an amazing new job that would be her dream, if her dream wasn't having her own place. She's settles into the routine and life of being with family. Making new friends and just learning to live again.
And then the world comes knocking.
He's done it again.
He's killed and sent her reminders. He's mad that she got away.
He's making sure she knows he's not done with her.
But she's stronger than he remembers.
She's not alone.
She's more determined to keep the new life she's made for herself.
And while he may have stolen her Identity he won't be able to steal who she is deep down!

I really enjoyed the book. The characters felt like they came alive. I enjoyed the concept of having different elements. You have a little romance, friendships, sympathy, anger and family. The book had no slow spots, was very believable and I loved all the characters.

Goddess Nora has done it again!
I loved this book!
There is great characters, excellent writing, and lots of drama. I truly couldn’t stop reading. I even ignored my phone. 😱
I can’t wait for her next novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Morgan Albright sets her goals for life after college, a job she likes, a house she owns, and putting money in the bank. After a childhood of moving around she wants to settle. As a bartender she excels not only making drinks but in her social skills with customers. She meets a seemingly delightful gentleman but delightful he is not. Morgan’s life is torn apart as the con-artist takes the life of her roommate, steals her identity, hits her bank account and destroys what she already has worked so hard for. To start anew she moves to Vermont to live with her mother and grandmother and begin a new life as she works to take back her identity. In the meantime con-artist Gavin doesn’t want her to forget him, continuing to taunt her and use her identity. Will her financial well being ever be her own? Morgan takes a bartending job at the local resort and a new perspective begins. But once lost how hard is it to get back what you want - the who you are and what you will be. I love the characters, their interactions with each other, and as always this is one of the best things about a Nora Roberts book. The characters become like family and you hope someday she’ll make a revisit so we can meet once again. This is another of Nora’s books she knocks out of the park!

I am an huge fan of everything Nora Roberts and her newest book, Identity, is just another masterpiece written by an amazing author. Morgan is finally getting her life together. She has two jobs, a house she loves with a roommate whose also her best friend. Her plans are all working out until she meet a man at her bar. This man is a serial killer who woos his targets, kills them, and then steals all their money. When Morgan’s roommate becomes his victim instead Morgan soon becomes the “one who got away”.

I loved the characters in this book, especially Morgan, her mother, and grandmother. Their relationship was enviable and heartwarming. I loved Morgan’s personal growth as well as her recognizing she was stronger then she thought. Without giving anything away the other character’s were equally amazing and made me wish they were real people.

This book was so amazing and I can’t wait to see what else this masterful author puts out next. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to
Read this advanced copy.

This book is so good. It is very subtle and yet intense at times. As always, Nora built a resilient characters that are realistic and the reader will love and root for. In this novel, you will find romance, family bonds, suspense, and crime. In short, you get an exceptional book, from one of my favorite authors.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC. #NetGalley #noraroberts #identity

I haven't picked up a Nora Roberts thriller in a few years, but she always draws me right back in by writing a story that I can't put down.

Morgan Albright dreams of putting down roots, and is working hard to accomplish her goal by working two jobs, while owning and renovating her home with the help of her housemate, Nina. She meets Luke when he drops in at the bar she works at, and they hit it off, going on a few dates, but ultimately, keeping it casual. It sounds like the start of a cute romance novel, but takes a dark turn when Morgan finds Nina dead, and Luke is the main suspect.

The cat-and-mouse game that follows really cranks up the tension and unease, especially with how frighteningly easy it seems identity theft can occur and ruin everything. Even during the happy scenes, I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I loved the juxtaposition of Morgan moving on with her life and Luke stuck in the same cycles of his past. My only complaint is that the end is just a tad rushed, which seemed a little anticlimactic after spending a majority of the book watching Luke plot and stalk Morgan, but it tied everything up neatly.