Always a fun time with a Nora Robert’s book. It definitely follows the same beats as previous novels but I enjoyed the characters.

Sloan Cooper is a Natural Resources police officer quickly climbing up the career ladder when a random stop for gas ends with her getting shot and needing to be shocked back to life. A naturally active person, the weeks of physical therapy and setbacks have her looking into a suspicious disappearance that turns out to be only one of many that seem connected. As her life takes on a new shape, complete with an interesting neighbor who's helping her remodel her new house, Sloan is willing to risk it all if it means putting a stop to the disappearances.

I'm a little creeped out by how well Roberts writes the crazy murderers. You kind of end up feeling like they're making sense despite knowing that they're insane. It's the kind of writing that keeps me coming back to her novels decades after reading the first one.

The characters are also fun and engaging, so you get pulled into Sloan's story and enjoy every moment she spends with her family and the new guys in town. It's not just focused on the plot and ignores building the rest of the world and characters, you get a full story in a world and characters that feel real. You connect with them, and it makes the story flow so easily that you don't notice you're 10 chapters in when you only meant to read a couple.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the thrilling read!

Nora Roberts always delivers! I couldn’t get enough of going on Sloan’s journey to find the truth of the missing woman. Many twists and turns that kept me hooked into the story.

I can’t wait to read more by Nora Roberts in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Sloan, who recently is shot on the job, moves back home with her family in Heron's Rest to recover. She's offered a new position which allows her to stay local. During the time of her injury, and with nothing to keep her brain busy, she starts looking into missing persons cases and realizes there's a connection. Though the cases are out of her jurisdiction, she can't help but feel the need to solve these cases. Throw in buying a house, demo-ing and remodeling a house and falling in love, you have yourself a great rom com thriller.

I loved the plot of the book, while I thought the writing was a little clunky for me. You fell in love with the characters and the scenery of the fictional town of Heron's Rest.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

✨ Publication date: May 27, 2025✨

Hidden Nature is a romantic, mystery-suspense story written by Nora Roberts. In true author style, this book is an epic integrated story with a strong female lead and a man with enough character to be the partner she needs.

Sloan Cooper is a Natural Resource officer who is shot during a convenience store robbery and is quite literally brought back to life. Sloan heads home to Heron’s Rest where her family helps her recover.

She spends weeks on leave building her strength and evaluating her career and where she belongs. A local missing woman’s case catches her interest and she can’t help but dig deeper and slowly uncovers a pattern of missing people across several jurisdictions.

Nash Littleford is a new contractor in town, fixing a long left abandoned home and building a business with his brother. The Littleford’s have their own baggage, building a life away from wealthy parents with impossible expectations.

As Sloan and Nash slowly come together, unable to fight the chemistry and leaning on their mutual respect and trust, Sloan is closing in on the killers and discovers her own story is terrifyingly close to the victims.

The romance is slow burn but worth it and the mystery/suspense is the hook that gets you. Experiencing the POV of the killers and their victims is cherry on top I don’t know I needed. This is a 5 star read for me and is highly recommended for your TBR!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #noraroberts #hiddennature

I was really excited for Hidden Nature and I couldn’t wait to read it as soon as I got the e-ARC.

A life-threatening gunshot wound changed Sloan’s life forever, leaving her reeling in the aftermath. Forced into convalescence, Sloan had to re-assess the rest of her life and fight to survive the trauma.

The story pacing was quite slow and I struggled at first to continue with it. I wasn’t able to relate as much to Sloan as I would have liked. In contrast, I loved Nash and Theo. Their bond tugged at the heartstrings. Though Nash was my favorite with his wary, serious demeanor, Theo was a delight.

The romance of the main characters as a bit understated and I miss Nora Roberts’ deep, meaningful writing that used to hook me in deep. The case wasn’t as challenging either, though it was creepy. That said, overall, the story was alright.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After being shot in the line of duty, Natural Resources Police officer Sloan Cooper returns to her hometown of Heron’s Rest, Maryland. Surrounded by her supportive family, she’s determined to heal both physically and emotionally while slowly putting her life back together. At the same time, Nash and Theo Littlefield arrive in town, eager to leave behind the pressures of their privileged upbringing and start fresh with a hands-on home repair business. Their timing couldn’t be better since Sloan has just purchased the fixer-upper next door.

While focused on her recovery, Sloan can’t ignore the troubling disappearance of a woman in a nearby town. What begins as a nagging curiosity grows into something more ominous when, back at work, she encounters similar unsolved cases. As the pieces start to connect, Sloan realizes that these disappearances aren’t random and that the same threat could be closing in on her.

Nora Roberts once again delivers a gripping romantic suspense that balances danger, family, and just the right touch of romance. This one leans more on the suspense side, with Sloan and Nash not coming together until nearly midway through the book, but that slow build makes their eventual relationship feel grounded and believable. More importantly, the heart of the story lies in what Roberts consistently does best: crafting resilient, layered heroines, weaving in the warmth of family bonds, and pitting them against cunning and sinister villains.

Heron’s Rest is another wonderfully drawn setting—charming, coastal, and close-knit, the kind of place you can picture yourself walking into. The secondary characters are also memorable, and I found myself wishing for more scenes with Sloan’s family.

A suspenseful, character-driven read that kept me engaged from start to finish. Fans of Roberts’ romantic suspense will find plenty to enjoy here.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy.

A captivating blend of mystery, romance, and atmospheric suspense. Nora Roberts once again delivers vivid settings, complex characters, and just the right touch of danger and passion. The twists kept me turning the pages, and the emotional core made it unforgettable.

There is just something about Nora’s suspense books that keep me coming back! And this one was no different 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The tension, the characters, the small town setting! I loved it from beginning to end, a little crime sprinkled with romance & a home renovation 💕 absolutely perfect!!

What to expect:
✨small town
✨multiple POV
✨found family
✨suspense
✨second chances

If you haven’t read a NR romantic suspense, now is your sign! Thank you @stmartinspress @netgalley for the early copy!

Another hit for Nora Roberts. She has uncanny way to build her characters into real people in her books. I truly believe they are real human beings by the time I am done reading about them. Which I give credit to Nora Roberts to knowing how to do this and bring them alive right there on the page for us to enjoy.

In this story she brings us back Sloan Cooper, Natural Resources, police officer. Just as her and her partner get finished with wrapping up one case she walks in to a convenience store and walks into the worst part of any police officers day. A robbery gone bad, she gets shot and she has her life changed for the rest of her life.

After being brought back from the dead she has to go stay with her parents to recover as she couldn't be alone. While she is there she meets a new man who helps her with a new mystery, because she can't sit still. When Sloan catches wind of a woman who has gone missing from a grocery store parking lot she starts looking into it from her computer and finds more cases just like it. Where this ends is well up to you because you have to read the book.....

Terrific book that will scare you, and keep you riveted to your seat!

Happy Reading!!

Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the early read.

Natural Resources officer Sloan Cooper is in her hometown recovering after being shot and brought back to life in a convenience store robbery. While taking the time off and thinking about her next steps, a woman disappears in a nearby town. Sloan starts digging and uncovers a sinister pattern of missing persons across various states.

In classic Nora Roberts's style, we also see the abductors/ killers perspective and why they murder their victims. Of course, they appear to be mild mannered people but with a diabolical cause to "righting the world." It is completely over the top and insane.

While all of this is happening, Sloan meets newcomer, Noah, who moved to her hometown to take over home renovations. She confides in him about the case and they fall in love along the way.

I really enjoyed this romantic suspense. Nora Roberts's books are a bit formulaic but if it's not broke, why fix it? I loved the romance between Sloan and Nash. I thought the book was a little sluggish at times but it definitely picked up after the first third.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC. Hidden Nature is out now.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
Creepier and more graphic than what I expected but an interesting
read with likeable characters.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the connection between the victims and felt so badly for them and their loved ones that they died for the reason their murderers considered appropriate. But it was creative because the connection was not clear...until it was. I liked Sloan, her family, and friends. Overall, it was a good mystery with a little romance thrown in and I definitely recommend it.

Another winner from Queen Nora Roberts. With the right amount of suspense vs romance, perfectly paced, sense of family and well researched - this did not disappoint.
I swear, every time I read a book by Nora Roberts, I want to pick up a new hobby (not the bad guys') and no worries - it will be super easy and not hard at all. A half bath only half complete and a badly painted bedroom later - a contractor had a gig.
She is so good at providing such details but still keep the pace of the story moving - from multiple POVs - this story won't bore you and would be perfect to read cozied up by the fire.

I love Nora Roberts! I love the unique story that each book has. In Hidden Nature the main character is a Natural Resources cop who is injured on the job, and the shift that event brings to her life and love. The mystery was engaging and disturbing, but gripping!

Sloan is a natural resources officer on the top of her game. On a stop, she arrives during a robbery, is shot and almost dies. She needs to return to her parents home to recouperate. Determined to get back to her job she discovers that her recovery will take longer than expected. During this time she buys a house that needs work, and meets a contractor. Nash intrigues her and they find an easy friendship that leads to more. She becomes intrigued by a case of some missing persons that draws her into a web that could cost her life (a second time). Great characters and a well told story makes this another Nora read!

DNF at 25%

This was my first time ever picking up a Nora Roberts book and I know she is very popular, so I'll be honest, my expectations were high. Unfortunately, I did not like this book at all. Right off the bat, I found the writing to be very descriptive (not necessarily a bad thing), which made the plot feel so slow. I've never read a romantic suspense/thriller before, so I was intrigued, but I quickly determined that this may not be the genre for me. It felt like I was reading two different books with completely opposite vibes from one chapter to another. This wasn't a bad book, but it just didn't click with my reading preferences.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Hidden Nature is a captivating blend of romantic suspense that hits all the right notes. As someone new to Nora Roberts, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The romantic tension between the characters is well-balanced with the unfolding mystery, creating a gripping pace that made this a quick and engaging read. The suspense kept me turning pages, while the emotional connection between the characters added depth. Roberts weaves together intrigue and romance with skill, making it easy to get invested in both the plot and the people.

I listened to the audiobook version, and January LaVoy did not disappoint. There is a reason she is one of my favorite narrators! Her performance brought the characters to life and added even more emotional richness to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC and Macmillan Audio for an ALC.

Another great Nora book! Love the pace of this story and the character development. Have been reading Ms. Roberts for many years and this did not dissapoint

I really enjoyed hidden nature by Nora Roberts. It has romance, mystery, and suspense. It drew me in from the beginning, and I could not put this one down. I finished in a day. Sloan, Drea, Nash, and Theo were really relatable and well developed. I love the way the family supported Sloan and had no problem, welcoming Nash and Theo into their close knit group. The hunt for justice kept me on the edge of my seat and I needed to find out what happened to these people and who was responsible. I would love to see this become a series! If you’re looking for a great romantic suspense, you need to pick this one up today.