"Hidden Nature" felt like a decent but not super great entry in the Eve Dallas series (written by Nora Roberts under the name J.D. Robb). FMC Sloan is a Natural Resource Officer (essentially a cop) who returns home to recover and rebuild after being shot, dying on the table, and being brought back to life. She becomes intrigued by a local disappearance, which over time becomes a fascination with a series of missing people, all of whom were resuscitated after some sort of life event. Roberts brings the reader into the lives of the killers, and adds in a romantic interest for Sloan in the form of Nash, who left a successful financial career in NYC to start a contracting business in the mountains. Nash provides emotional support as Sloan gets closer to finding the killers and danger to herself.

This book felt a bit formulaic and the pacing was off - it plods for quite a while, and then the ending felt rushed and abrupt. There were a lot of side plots and details that felt superfluous, and Sloan was somehow supposed to be this amazing detailed-oriented police officer who also misses some very obvious events along the way.

Overall, not a bad read but not one I was unable to put down. 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy. I have historically loved Nora Roberts' books, but I more and more think she is using a ghost writer these days...because her new books do not compare to her older books. It is like a different person is writing these stories.

I could not get into this one, and the story/characters lacked the things I look for in a good romance. This book just didn't do it for me, and honestly, her last three to four haven't been good either. Something is going on with the writing, and I'm sad that her books have lost the sparkle, in my opinion.

Rating: 2⭐️

Nora Roberts continues to be one of my favorite authors. She has a wonderful way of developing her characters and their stories. I enjoyed the fast pace start to this book and the heroine, Sloan Cooper. Sloan struggles with her recovery from a near death experience, her home reconstruction, and investigation into kidnapping and murder. I did not enjoy the portions regarding the killers. These appeared weird and grotesque. The pace of this book was a little slow. This book did not pull me as much as most of her books.

Thank you to Nora Roberts, her publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early release.

I loved the plot but it didn't feel well executed. The story seemed to lag a bit and I found myself getting bored during certain parts and looking forward to other parts. I was hoping for more of a balance between the female protagonist and the criminals. It also didn't feel like Nora Roberts' writing. She's one of my favorite authors and I can always count on her books being a good palate cleanser after I've read a not so well written book but this was a disappointment. I look forward to her next book.

Liked the mystery, the relationships and romance. The mystery was very intriguing but then felt rushed at the end.

Nora Roberts has yet again taken us on a journey that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and engaged the entire book. I enjoyed this book because while you knew what was going to happen it still keep you on your toes and had you continuing to guess when and where it was going to be. I also enjoy the story that Nora Roberts weaves with each of her books. Everyone is a person and even if they are a small character you still get to know about them and have an idea of what they are like.



Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

"Hidden Nature" delivers what longtime Nora Roberts readers have come to expect: a solid plot, a touch of magic, and strong emotional arcs. While the story has its engaging moments and the characters are likable, I found myself increasingly fatigued by the familiarity of Roberts' writing style. The formulaic structure and predictable dialogue made it hard to stay fully immersed. It’s a good book—but for readers who’ve followed her work for years, it may feel like more of the same.

Sloan works for the Natural Resources Police. When she gets shot at a mini mart, she ends up back home where she learns about a series of kidnappings. ARC from NetGalley.

What happens when a cop gets injured, but has to take down two evil killers? Make sure to read this captivating read to find out. Hidden Nature is written well and I could not stop turning the pages. It keeps you guessing until the very end and the suspense in this one was good. I enjoyed all the characters in this one a lot. Overall, this was one that I highly enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who likes mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this great read in exchange of my honest review of Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts.

Thank you @NetGalley and @St.Martin'sPress for the ARC. This book is Nora Roberts at her best. I enjoyed the many points of view and the pacing was smooth and engaging. Sloan Cooper is a NRP Officer and she is shot on the way home from an intense manhunt. She goes home to convalesce and is reminded how much she has missed home and family. Yet, the job calls to her and something sinister is happening close to home and she can not sit it out. Also two brothers move in next door and one might just be able to help her find romance.

Final Score 4 Stars

I tried with all my might to get into this book. I mean, it's Nora Roberts! I adore her writing style and books. But this one, just missed the mark for me. It was too reminiscent of her other works and felt like a hodge podge of of her previous books rolled into this book. I'm giving this a 4 star review but this felt more like a 3 star review. Please forgive the lateness of this review, but between moving, settling in, and working - I somehow missed that I forgot to leave one.

Maybe I'll go back and re-read this - I feel like I should - but it will be a while.

Nora Roberts can deliver a hit 9 times out of 10 and with this one she does it again! Sloan is a great character trying to redeem herself in her career. The twists and turns, with some expected and unexpected events, we follow her as she solves the crime and comes out on top.

Hidden Nature is a gripping romantic suspense that blends mystery, resilience, and heart. After Natural Resources officer Sloan Cooper is shot during a robbery, her recovery in the peaceful town of Heron’s Rest becomes anything but restful. When a woman vanishes without a trace, Sloan’s instincts kick in—and soon she uncovers a disturbing pattern of disappearances across multiple states.
Roberts delivers a strong, layered heroine in Sloan—tough, intelligent, and deeply human. The mystery unfolds steadily, with just enough twists to keep the pages turning, though the middle does slow down in parts. A budding romance adds warmth without overshadowing the darker storyline.
While the final reveal isn’t quite as shocking as expected, the story wraps up satisfyingly, with justice served and Sloan stepping into a new chapter. Overall, Hidden Nature is a solid, suspenseful read with emotional depth and a lead you can’t help but root for.

Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store—and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.

There was so much potential for this book. I usually like to read her JD Robb books and have read them all in that series, so this style was not new to me; however, it did not feel the same as it was not Eve and her team taking on the bad guys.

I could not stand the killers in this book and every time there were on page it took me out of the story. The beginning of the book dragged as well.

I think I am going to have to stick to the JD Robb books from now on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the “read now” copy of this book! I am a huge fan of Nora Roberts. This one was excellent as usual. She has a way of creating characters that you can’t help but love. And then she puts them in situations that I can’t wait to see how they’re going to get out of. Definitely loved this one!

I get where Roberts’ is going with this story but it took WAY too long to get there. I lost interest at about 20% and suffered to about 40% until I just gave up. I am not a fan of slow burns and this is incredibly slow.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

I am always surprised that each of the Nora Roberts are so unique in plot. This one is no different. I was surprised by the nature of the bad guys in this one. It was a bit creepy. However, I loved the book. The family was one I could easily see enjoying being a part of. The suspense was perfectly balanced with the romance. The story was built well and was worth taking your time with. Thanks to you Nora for another great story.

Wow. This story is like two genres masterfully mixed together. A really fun light romance Sloan is such a great character- love a strong female lead!!! And then there’s the very dark side of a thriller. Super creepy! Heart pounding ending. So good.

You, random internet review reader, know and I know that I am a Nora Roberts apologist. I have read very close to all of her books and I’ve liked most of them! I’ll defend her against misogynists until I am blue in the face. So it hurts no one more than me to say that this one is a big miss for me.

Firstly, I wish she’d let go of the notion of cops as romantic leads. Regardless of your personal feelings about cops, I think we can all agree that she’s done enough! Enough cops and enough construction and a book with both is overkill. It reads like Roberts phoned it in.

Secondly, the pacing was bad! It didn’t get interesting until like… 65% of the way through the book. It was slower than my grandmother getting out of a beanbag chair.

Finally, for a couple of years there, it felt like Roberts was trying to *say* something with her novels - the one about the devastating impact of gun violence? That stuck with me (it’s called “Shelter in Place” if you are unfamiliar). I don’t know if she got backlash for that, but for the last couple of years her books have been so blandly inoffensive that it is honestly a little tedious to read.

If you are a fan of Nora Roberts then you know what you are getting into - there's always a great second act and then a finisher that will tie everything up at the end is a very satisfactory way. I think that at this point I have read a lot that I feel like I can see the formula on the page so it becomes less enjoyable for me, so in the spirit of transparency I will say that I did not finish this book and only made it about halfway through before losing interest.