I’m not sure about Nora Roberts being one of my favorite authors after reading this, The basic story line is fine, but she goes off into a strange direction with the rest of the story. Slone Cooper is recovering from an event where she walked in on a robbery and was injured. While recovering, she becomes fascinated by the strange disappearance of a woman. Slone cannot put this incident out of her mind and becomes somewhat obsessed with it. In addition, she buys a fixer-upper to live in and moves into a quasi-relationship with her neighbor, who is in partners with his brother. As she recovers from her injuries, she becomes more involved in the case of the missing woman, who, it turns out, is only part of a bigger group of missing people. missing people. I do not want to give away much, but the reason these people are missing is the reason I am not sure what to make of this book. It was a pretty strange turn for the author. As is usually the case in her books, the heroine of the story, Slone, makes great discoveries and helps the law enforcement involved reach a conclusion in the story.

As I said, this was a different one. Not sure what Nora Roberts is getting into, and I am also not sure I will enjoy her books as much as I have if this trend continues. The relationships between the main characters was great and spot on. I particularly enjoyed watching Slone and her sister falling in love. The story about this small town was fascinating. As I said, however, there was a part of the story I am not sure about. I don’t want to give anything away. I’ll let you read it and make your own decisions. I received this from NetGalley to read and review,

I liked this a lot. Sloan is a kick ass character, and her story of comeback is remarkable. The villains in this story have a sick obsession, and Sloan is in their sights. I also love the setting and the love stories in this one. Nora does such a great job in storytelling! I can’t wait to read her next one!

I really enjoyed Hidden Nature, especially January LaVoy’s narration! Nora Roberts’ annual romantic suspense novels can be hit or miss for me as they’re fairly formulaic. I probably liked this book more than some as it gave me some “In Death” vibes, probably because we get the killers’ POV throughout the story. I liked Sloan’s character/personality and enjoyed her family interactions. Her interactions as a Natural Resources police officer was super cool. I didn’t feel that we got to know Nash’s character as much but it’s Sloan’s story after all!

Sloan Cooper was at the wrong place at the wrong time. She went inside a convenience store and wound up getting shot. While she managed to survive, she did die briefly while on the table. Ordered to stay home from work and to rest and recover, she moves back in with her parents. Not one to stay idle, Sloan digs into a case on several people being abducted and uncovers some connections that might just break the case. It is a race against the clock to see if Sloan can figure out who is behind the abductions before it is too late.

This is my first Nora Roberts book that was not a romance, and I really struggled with it. The pacing just was not there for me, it felt slow and that a lot of it could have been edited down or cut from the story. If you like very little romance and a slow pace in your mystery books you will enjoy this.

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts
Writing: B+
Story: C
Characters: C
Setting: B-
Best Aspect: This started out good and ended fine.
Worst Aspect: The middle 60%. Very dull and slow.
Recommend: Yes.

Absolute PAGE TURNER and I couldn’t put this down! this was a great blend of suspense, mystery and romance. This was actually my first Nora Robert’s book too, so I will be doing a deep drive into the rest of her books!

This was my first Nora Roberts book, and it was definitely average for me. I found the beginning really dragged on for quite a while, probably the first half. The second half of the book definitely picked up and I found myself enjoying it more.

I will say I was disappointed there was no crazy twist, and I didn't particularly like the villain's POV, but overall it was a decent mystery/thriller/splash of romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hidden Nature
By: Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Pub Date: 5/27/25

Another fabulous stand alone for Spring ‘25 from the Queen herself! A little romance, mystery and small town makes for the perfect read.
After being nearly killed in a gas station Sloan Cooper makes the decision to return to her small hometown and work for the local DNR but when people begin disappearing she can’t let her former life as an investigator go to waste. When a new disappearance comes her way too she jumps in with both feet on finding out what’s happening.
Roberts' stand alone always comes with the same feel to them but I still enjoy them every year!

I really enjoyed this mystery. It started a tad slow for me, but had me hooked around 20%. I really enjoyed Sloan and her super close family. Her parents were adorable! Loved seeing a happy sister relationship. Add in the Littlefield brothers as love interests for the sisters and the cast was perfect! We're given an inside view of the killers and their thought processes which I found interesting. I loved how Sloane and Nash communicated and worked together to discover the victim's connections. In some ways, it reminded me of Roarke and Eve from the In Death series. Nash, like Roarke, had no issues with being with a competent woman who didn't need saving. The ending was fast paced compared to the rest of the book, but it was satisfying.

Thank you for the free copy of this book!

Nora Roberts is able to create characters that you love with a back story and history that makes it whole. Sloane and her family stole my heart from the moment I met them. Add in the "Fix-It" brothers and I was complete.

The villians felt a bit "undone" and I found myself trying to understand the motivation a little more however it didnt take away from the overall story line.

I've already been recommending this new novel so at the end of the day, a win for me!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy! I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author, this was my first Nora Roberts!

Loved this romantic suspense story from Nora Roberts. In some ways, it reminded me of some of her older novels. Slow start and builds ever so well towards an interesting climax! I thought the crime of targeting those who had been revived/clinically dead was very original. I really enjoyed this one. I wish I could rate this as 4.5 stars!

Another winner from Nora Roberts! Hidden Nature is a suspenseful story that starts with Natural Resource Police Corporal Sloane Cooper walking into a robbery in progress and finding herself on the losing end of a gunshot. While recovering, she stumbles into an ongoing investigation of a missing person that engages her curiosity. Her recovery also awakens in her a desire to make some changes in her life, and Sloane finds herself back in her home town, involved in the investigation well as a home renovation and even a potential new relationship. What will happen when everything collides? A page-turner that had me drawn in from the start -- very much recommended!

I shouldn't be surprised that I really enjoyed another book by Ms Roberts, I usually do. She manages yet again to come up with a unique MC, I really liked Sloane and found it interesting to learn about Maryland's Natural Resources Police. When we meet our heroine, it is moments before her life changes forever. The first part of the book is one person's journey back from a physical and mental nightmare. As Sloane works to get her life and career back, she is home with her family in her hometown. Family love and support are a big part of this story, and Sloane uses both to help steady herself, gain her physical strength back, and get back to thinking about the job. When a local woman goes missing, Sloane uses the case as a mental exercise to inch herself back into work mode. She looks for like cases and thinks she may have found a couple when she gets an offer to transfer to the local NRP with a promotion. Once Sloane goes back to work, she continues to study these missing person cases on her own time. As she makes progress, starting to work with other areas with similar cases, can she figure out what all these victims have in common? Can she figure out how she is tied in? This is a wild mystery that will keep you engrossed till it's fascinating finally. Many thanks to #Netgally, #St Martin'sPress, and the author for the opportunity to read. #HiddenNature #NoraRoberts #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

🌲💉👮🏻‍♀️🔨🩸🐕

<i>Hidden Nature</i>:

I love Nora Roberts. Let me start with that. Before I say anything else, please know she is basically an auto-buy author for me, so I am very familiar with her story telling and writing style.

But… man. This fell pretty flat. It was just bleh. Nothing really happened? The story started with a bang (literally 😅) but then it really didn’t pick up again until 50-60%. There were a handful of scenes from the perspective of the <i> villains</i> that were interesting enough, but nothing about this story was able to hook me in.

Sloan was the most developed character by far, but the rest of them felt pretty surface-level. The romance was weak. I really didn’t sense any sort of chemistry between Sloan and the MMC, which is so unusual for a Nora Roberts novel in my experience. I usually enjoy the banter between her characters as the suspense builds and plots thicken, but I didn’t get any of that with this one. Once you meet the bad guys, it’s pretty clear where the story is going. Which is good because it did build anticipation, but also kind of bad because at times it felt like flipping through pages and pages of fluff to get there.

I will say though, that the bad guys in this one have a unique motive that I’ve never seen in another book, tv show, or movie. I really liked that aspect of it, I just wish that the romance, the build up, and the character development were a bit stronger.

3/5 overall
🌟🌟🌟

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

I am always so impressed with all the different genres that Roberts writes. This is a romantic suspense set in a small town with Sloan who is back home to heal from an injury. While she is there, there is a case of a local woman missing and is intrigued by it and tries to help the local police solve it. At the same time, Nash and Theo moves to town and starts a small business.

Despite knowing who the killers are and their motivation, it was interesting to see their perspective. I think knowing this, the story does become predictable.

I enjoyed the slow burn romance of Sloan and Nash. They were focused on Sloan's home renovations and slowly getting to know each other better. I appreciate that Nash didn't try to be alpha and was impressed with Sloan's independence and strength.

January LaVoy is a phenomenal narrator. She did so many different voices to distinguish between the characters.

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio for a copy of the book.

3.5 stars

If you are a fan of the style of writing in the JD Robb series, this book will likely appeal to you.

Nora serves up a strong female lead character Sloan Cooper, a Natural Resources Police Officer who is seriously injured when she and her partner make a stop for fuel and snacks. Returning to her hometown to recuperate at the time a woman goes missing in a nearby town, Sloan commences her own investigation, uncovering links between other missing persons.

This story is predominantly a romance, although Sloan does not officially meet her love interest until about 40% into the book. Yes, there is a couple who are serial killers, however, we know who they are, but it does serve up a bit of suspense in terms of how it will play out. You know they will be coming for Sloan, but when and how it will happen, that you have to wait for.

The story is full of family dynamics, the wonderful childhood the Cooper girls had vs. the different experience the Littlefield brothers had, of little love, affection and the weight of expectation. The brothers find their happiness in shunning the world of expectation and moving the Heron’s Rest to pursue their passions, along the way, finding love (the Cooper sisters), and the family they always dreamed of.

I was hesitant when I started the ARC and saw part 1, having read a number of Nora’s books with this format that jumped in time with each part, feeling a bit disjointed. That is not the case with this book, while it has 3 parts, each part chapter simply flows to the next.

Not a fast passed story, but it has warm moments, a little suspense and was a nice light easy read, even with the twisted criminals.

This book is everything that you have come to expect in a Nora Roberts' stand alone book. It has murder, suspense, mystery and romance all in one package. Some of the topics in this book are disturbing but it shows that there are all kinds of people in this world. It was a quick read and I thoroughly enjoyed it, which is what happens when I read almost all of Nora Roberts books.

I always read a Nora Roberts book. She writes great characters and the setting always seems as if you are there. This book started a tad slow but quickly picked up. I really enjoyed it. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Nora Roberts is one of my always-buy authors. Her thrillers hold my interest from beginning to end. In Hidden Nature there’s just enough romance to distract me for a while, then the evil plot of twisted people interrupts and invades the otherwise normal story. Glad I read it! Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.