Overall, I enjoyed this book. The storyline was intriguing and gripping, but fairly predictable. I liked that it had romance, drama, mystery and suspense- all in the same book. It did lose my interest in the middle because the pacing was so slow and it felt like a DIY manual for renovating a house.

Hidden Nature is the latest romantic suspense from Nora Roberts. It is about a cop who is recovering from a serious injury, when she comes across a missing person case that grabs her attention. The missing person case turns into something much bigger and she ends up getting close to solving it when the people responsible turn their sights on to her.
This was an interesting romantic suspense story that takes place in a small town. I really liked Sloan and Nash and their family and loved ones very much. They were very relatable. It just caught me a little off guard with the gruesome dialogue between the suspects. I really liked how close Sloan was with her family and her hometown. I really liked how strong, independent, and smart Sloan was and that Nash didn’t mind.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I always look forward to a Nora Roberts book every summer and I did enjoy this book, except for a couple quibbles I had with it.

The romantic suspense that I love in a Nora Roberts book was there. The family- loved them!

But, there was 2 characters who absolutely grated my nerves with their rinse and repeat dialogue.

What I liked:

The cover! Loved it!

Sloan. I loved her grit and determination. I loved how she fought like hell against some of the cards that had been stacked against her.

I loved the small town feel of the book. Nora takes so much time setting up so many details and making stuff where you can see it it in your mind.

Bottom line: While this was not my absolute fave Nora Roberts book, I really enjoyed most of it. Already looking forward to her next book!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

I spent every spare moment I had reading Hidden Nature by. Nora Roberts. It has everything that makes a "best book" for me - suspense, crime, romance, and family in one great story.

I really enjoyed this one and it was a solid 4 star read!

As usual in NR books, the characters and settings are impeccably drawn. Roberts’ descriptions bring me right into the story, and I can perfectly imagine the people and places. The book is 3rd person, centering around 3 main POVs, and it takes place in a cute Maryland town that caters to outdoor enthusiasts.

There are a lot of side characters in this story. We mostly get surface level detail for them, with a few exceptions for the family members that play a larger role. I almost think a few of the side characters could have been dropped, but I understand their purpose in rounding out the story.

This book follows the somewhat normal pattern of Roberts’ standalone novels. There’s a badass female main character, a swoony love interest, a chilling mystery to solve, killers on the loose, and two types of families - one loving, one not so much.

While her books might seem formulaic to some, it’s exactly this fact that makes her books such go-tos for me. I know she can write a damn good book and I’ll always enjoy it. Her genre crossovers have been my favorites in recent years.

If you’ve been around my account for a while, you already know I highly recommend every Nora Roberts book and this one is no different!

Nora Roberts knows the recipe for holding her reader's attention. She applies the perfect combination of romance, suspense and heartwarming characters. Sloan Cooper is a member of the Natural Resources Police. When she returns to her hometown to recover following a life threatening injury, she decides to stay permanently. She is surrounded by her loving parents and wonderful sister. When two single and successful brothers move into the neighborhood everything seems too good to be true. Roberts adds two serial killers to the mix and the plot is perfectly stirred up. Roberts serves up another salivating story.

Nora Roberts once again proves why she’s a master of suspense in Hidden Nature, blending mystery, danger, and heart with effortless skill. Set in the charming hometown of Heron’s Rest, this story introduces us to Sloan Cooper, a determined Natural Resources police officer recovering from a gunshot wound. Struggling to slow down, Sloan is pulled into the eerie disappearance of a local woman—and soon, a much larger mystery unravels.

Roberts crafts wonderful characters with depth and warmth. Sloan is strong, smart, and relatable, and her growing friendship with Noah, a newcomer fixing up a house nearby and starting his own handyman business, adds a comforting and hopeful touch to the tension. Their connection is natural and heartening, even as the stakes rise and the danger grows closer.

Hidden Nature is suspenseful and emotional. With gripping twists and a heroine you’ll root for, this book is hard to put down. Roberts fans and new readers alike will find themselves hooked until the very last page.

Nora Roberts is a legend for good reason. Hidden Nature was exactly what one expects from her. Great characters, tons of suspense, a touch of romance and a story to keep the reader guessing until the end. This book has everything I love when reading.

Sloan Cooper is an excellent law enforcement officer. She's strong, determined and dedicated in her work with Maryland's Natural Resources department. She's also a loving daughter and sister. She and her Natural Resources partner have a relationship that is not only based in respect and trust but is also a strong friendship. Having just arrested three violent men she ironically randomly finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. She's shot when she inadvertently interrupts a convenience store robbery. She is mortally wounded and has an out of body experience during surgery. This experience will become an integral part of an investigation she pulls herself into.

Sloan is months recovering and eventually transfers to be near her childhood home in Western Maryland. There she meets Noah. A man born to wealth and incredibly successful in finance in New York, Noah is following his passion and starting a handyman and building remodeling company in the same small town. His brother, a fairly new but accomplished attorney, follows him into the business. Noah and Sloan start dating and he's perfect for her. He's completely supportive and even helps in her investigation. He's also one to look after her and take care of her personally as well as remodeling her home.

I really enjoyed Sloan, Noah, their family members, her work partner basically everyone in Sloan's life. What a great group of people. The story was steeped in great characters, intensely intriguing with lots of suspense and a clever, unique serial murder case. Roberts adds just the right amount of all the best elements to make the story enjoyable, intense and hopeful. I recommend this book to all readers.

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts didn’t quite meet expectations. While the premise had the potential for intrigue and romance, the story felt lackluster and failed to pull me in. The pacing was slow, and I struggled to connect with the characters or the plot. Ultimately, it just didn’t hold my attention, and I couldn’t get into it the way I’d hoped.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader's copy of this book. Hidden Nature is the latest standalone novel from Nora Roberts.
I had never heard of National Resource Police Officers and had to google to see if they really exist. The book starts off pretty good, meeting main character NRPO Sloan Cooper and her partner. And to be honest, that was the most exciting part of the book.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like the book, because it kept me interested enough, but I just didn’t connect to the characters. I found the killers pretty creepy and was happy they got caught but I didn’t really understand their motivation.
I always enjoy Nora’s books, and I will continue to read them, but this one was not a favorite for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

This is my first non fantasy mysteries by Nora Roberts and it won't be my last. I found it to be tense, chaotic, and fast paced.

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts is primarily a romance, with a little crime thrown in. The crime came with romance, too, although it was grisly. A couple snatched people who had been brought back to life after dying briefly during some trauma. These people thought their victims had been robbed of the death that was due them and they sought to rectify it. Sloane was the protagonist, if there was one, and the primary investigator. She was at her parents home recuperating from two gunshot wounds she had gotten, not on the job, but while she was trying to buy drinks for herself and her partner, Joel. They were both Natural Resources Police, who had just finished arresting some guys who thought the park was theirs and were accosting all “trespassers.” Joel saved her life that day although the EMT guys and the hospital staff contributed a lot, too. And yes, she had died on the table. She was rehabbing, but it was not going as quickly as she wanted it to. Then, she read about a local woman who just disappeared poof, into thin air. It caught her interest and she started looking into it, between walking and sleeping.

An enjoyable read about a loving family and two brothers who had grown up in an opposite situations. The men, now neighbors, Theo and Nash, had walked away from lucrative careers in the city and moved to this small town to rehab a wreck of a house and start a handyman business. Sloane’s parents, Elsie and Dean, owned all manner of real estate, mostly vacation rentals. Her sister, Drea, worked for them as well. Sloane had walked away to join the police. It was not long before Drea, and one of the brothers, Theo, were an item. All the while Sloane was investigating. When she and Nash became friends, one of the things that solidified that friendship was the fact she could run her ideas past him and he responded intelligently. She had had that with Joel, but she couldn’t keep bothering him. This was an enticing story, full of interesting characters, both good and bad. The plot was mostly simple and predictable, but the crime was challenging and difficult. All in all, it was a terrific read, exactly what one would expect from Nora Roberts.

I was invited to read Hidden Nature by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #NoraRoberts #HiddenNature

Nora Roberts is great at writing suspense, a little bit of supernatural intrigue and sassiness in her main female characters. Sloan Cooper is no different in Hidden Nature. She's a police officer who is shot and nearly dies. While she recovers back home with her parents, she finds herself trying to solve a missing person's case that seems to blow up into multiples connected cases across different states. She's tough, of course, to continue working while she is supposed to be recovering...but that's what Nora Roberts does. She makes badass female heroines.

This is a thrilling mystery that will keep you engaged and cheering for good to prevail. Roberts is great at weaving romance into her mysteries without it being overtly icky sweet. In this particular saga, we find out who the villain is and get their perspective. She has written others with this same plotline, but none are never the same. They each have their own level of evilness that entices the reader to loathe the character so much, they prop the heroine up on the pedestal she deserves.

Hidden Nature fulfils all the qualities you are looking for in a Nora Roberts tale. Looking forward for more!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Nora Roberts has a way of writing books that pull the reader right in and never lets them go. Hidden Nature is one of those books. I started the book just looking for something to entertain me and keep my attention (I’ve had a book drought lately) and Hidden Nature did that and so much more. I started the book and could not stop reading. I was invested in Sloan’s story and her finding out what was happening to the people disappearing.

Hidden Nature has a few storylines that intertwine. I enjoyed that the story was not a straightforward, one storyline book. The multiple storylines gave a deeper look into the characters and their lives. The storylines are all intertwined, making each storyline important to the others. I was invested in all the characters and their stories.

I loved the romance and that it was not the focus of the story. Sloan’s family is amazing and she is so lucky to have so many people care about her. It was fun getting to see the personalities of her family come through while they were supporting her.

HIDDEN NATURE - NORA ROBERTS

3.5⭐

Sloan Cooper after being shot comes home to her family at Herons Rest to recover. She comes across a string of local disappearances in her spare time which catches her attention and she now needs to solve the cases before it's too late with her own life is in danger.
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Nora Roberts is an auto buy author, comfort read author for me having read almost all her books. Hidden Nature however fell short for me in a couple of areas.
Firstly the "bad guys" motive felt too far fetched esp considering their profession it was difficult to digest and secondly the book was LONG!! a lot of places I felt bored and wanted action!
That being said her character development of Sloan and Noah was fantastic..how she builds kickass female protagonist..noone does it better than her , this along with inter relationships with all characters was just amazing.
Inspite of this being an okayish read I will still forever read her books!

This book hooked me at the very first sentence. When I pick up a Nora Roberts book I know there will be a great mix of romance and suspense and this book did not disappoint!

Sloan Cooper is a Natural Resources police officer who walks into a robbery in progress and is suddenly fighting for her life. She codes in the operating room but is brought back and now has quite a bit of healing to do. Now back at her parent’s quiet house, she finds herself in the middle of a case…

I loved Sloan - she is smart and strong and willing to do whatever it takes to keep her community safe. I loved the small town setting and sense of community.

I really liked Sloan and Nash together. We get this great slow burn and their relationship felt very real and authentic to me. I have to say the mystery and suspense parts of this book really stood out to me! This felt more like a thriller with a sprinkle of romance to me.

Overall I really enjoyed the story, and go into this knowing the romance takes a back seat to the overall mystery.

I’m always up for a contemporary mystery. This was my favorite genre years ago.

Sloan is a police officer shot outside the line of duty and the beginning of the book gives readers the opportunity to really get to know her and see what makes her tick. It was an interesting choice to delay delving into Nash, Sloan’s love interest, and their meeting. I liked how their romance evolved slowly and naturally. I enjoyed how they were both fully developed characters before the meshed.

There’s a bonus side romance and a real feel of family between all of the characters. Due to the small town setting that adds richness to the story. There are two families at the center, but also the theme of finding family or your people. Sloan really connects with the characters around her. She also has her flaws almost worn as badges of honor that made her incredibly relatable.

I am usually a fan of getting chapters from the bad guy’s perspective, but I found that I was moving quickly through those sections and wanted more of Sloan and Nash. They just didn’t connect with me, but that gave me more of a reason to root for the good guys.

I’ve read more than my share of police procedurals and this one is a first. Sloan is a natural resources officer. It was fun getting to learn what that entails.

This was an immersive read for me and I was pleased that January LaVoy was the narrator. She is one of my favorite narrators as she always makes the listen great. She nailed bringing a voice to each of the characters. I never lost track of which characters were involved. You can’t go wrong listening to this one.

This should appeal to suspense, mystery and romance readers.

Hidden Nature is a gripping and emotional thriller. Sloan Cooper’s strength and determination shine as she tackles a chilling mystery close to home. Nora Roberts blends suspense, a strong heroine, and a touch of romance perfectly, making this a page-turner you won’t want to put down.

I really enjoyed Sloan and Nash’s story.

I like the relationship between Sloan and her partner. They are like family.

This has the perfect amount of suspense. I was waiting to see who the next victim would be and who the villain truly were.

I really felt terrible for what was done to the people. I really thought one of two people who had gone through the same experience would be the next one.

I like the connection between Nash and Sloan and how far back it goes. I like that there’s another romance is happening also.

I liked how Sloan taught Nash how to get his dog to respond to his commands.

I listened to and read this book. I really enjoyed the audio as well as reading along with it.

I highly recommend this book.

Hidden Nature:⁣
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Thank you @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio #MacAudio2025 for my gifted copies! ⁣
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“You’re only weak physically for now. Your will isn’t weak, and trust me because I’ve run up against it since you were born, it’s not easily broken.”⁣
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Nora Roberts, the queen she is. Does she really need my review? No, but I’ll give it to you anyways! 😂 Not my favorite, but still enjoyable read from her.⁣
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I loved the religious aspect of the book of the bad guys. Always an interesting take on playing God to meet God, and I really liked their story. I did feel like the mystery part overtook any of the romance and I liked that for this book. I was expecting more romance but I’ll take all the thrills, ya know? ⁣
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The middle dragged with the mundane for a bit that I just couldn’t get with. Usually I can be patient and wait for the development but I felt like it was just too long in the middle. ⁣
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January LaVoy is always amazing and definitely got me through the audio. One of my favorite readers, I’ll never skip a January audio.⁣
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Overall, solid audio, fun thriller, romance was rushed, bot my favorite, but middle of the road. Out today!⁣
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QOTD: What’s the one misconception you think people have of you?