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.

This beautifully written audiobook blends romance, mystery, and the healing power of nature in a way only Nora Roberts can. The narrator's performance enhances the emotional nuance and adds warmth to an already rich story. With layered characters, a haunting past, and a compelling love story at its core, this is a five-star experience that lingers long after the final chapter.

My First Nora Roberts Novel—and Absolutely Not My Last!

Talk about an unforgettable introduction. After single-handedly taking down three men targeting innocent hikers, Sloan McBride is riding high—until fate throws her into the eye of a storm. She strolls into a convenience store and, in a flash, is caught in a robbery. One heartbeat later, she’s on the floor—shot, her life teetering between worlds.

Revived in a hospital and faced with a grueling recovery, Sloan’s world crumbles. Not only is she physically incapacitated, but she's forced to return to her parents' home for support—just in time to be abandoned emotionally as well. Her boyfriend cruelly dumps her while she lies in a hospital bed fighting for her life.

Looking for purpose amid the wreckage, Sloan plunges into a chilling mystery. A woman has vanished without a trace, leaving only her car behind. That single thread unravels into a tapestry of disappearances across multiple states. The victims? No pattern. No predictability. Young, old, male, female—all gone.

Enter a new partnership and an unexpected spark. Sloan teams up with a man who shares her relentless drive to uncover the truth, and together they dive headlong into a case that defies logic and demands answers.

Now, let’s talk character depth—Roberts delivers it in spades. The emotional layers, the nuance, the authenticity? Absolutely gripping. This novel blends romance, suspense, and family drama with such finesse it leaves you breathless.

And the audiobook? Flawless. The narrator nails every mood swing, every eerie twist, sending chills down my spine in all the right places.

Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to experience this wild, unmissable ride.

3.75 ⭐️

i love that we got down right to the story. wish we had more at the end from the “buildup” of the story. the audio was a little hard to follow only because POV’s would change and if you weren’t paying attention you could be thrown off.

recommend? maybe.

The audiobook was a dnf for me but I do plan to physically read the book. I'm extremely interested in the storyline and characters I just had a hard time with the narrator. Will update based on story when I get to finish a physical read.

I enjoyed this audio a lot! January LaVoy is a fav narrator of mine and she did a great job per usual. The story itself is very interesting and I found myself not wanting to stop the audio because I wanted to know what was going to happen.

Natural Resources police officer Sloan Cooper is recovering from being shot in a convenience store on her way home from her last case. She dies on the operating table, but is revived and is now recovering. She has moved home to Heron's Rest and is living with her parents, bored to tears, but not able to return to work. When she hears about a missing woman, whose car was left behind she in intrigued. She decides to research the case and see if she can find others with a similar pattern. When she finds several other cases all with missing persons, leaving their vehicles behind spread over three states, she shares the information with her boss. It seems the victims have nothing in common, so how are they being selected? Is there a serial killer on the loose? Meanwhile, Nash Littlefield moves to Heron’s Rest from New York, leaving behind his career as a successful lawyer. He purchased an old house needing renovations and with his younger brother, Theo, became The Fix-It Brothers. Sloan's father is an established contractor in Heron's Rest, so the brothers begin working with him, and he does work on Sloan's place. With sparks flying between Sloan's sister Drea and Theo, it isn't long before Sloan and Nash become interested in one another. When Sloan shares the case she's investigating, he offers to lend her a hand with the investigation with the added benefit of spending more time with her. As the pair pursue a killer, Nash realizes that Sloan will do whatever she can to get justice. Can he keep her safe while they find the killer/killers?

Hidden Nature was exactly what I've come to expect from Nora Roberts. This was a perfect mix of mystery, thriller, crime, and romantic suspense. I enjoyed the small town setting, family involvement and great characters. Sloan is a great character. She is a dedicated officer, who will do whatever she can to solve a case. She relies on her intuition, wits, research skills and support from her family as she stalks a killer. I had never heard of a Natural Resources Police officer, but googled it and found that Maryland is one of only a few states that has this position. Nash is her perfect partner. Although not a detective, having been a lawyer, he also has investigative skills and excellent intuition. When Sloan figures out what the victims had in common, the suspense picks up as she might put herself in danger. We also get the POV of the killer, which is very creepy. As the reader, we find out the motives behind the abductions before Sloan sorts it out, which adding to the tension. Like many of Nora Roberts other books, there is a slow build up, allowing us to get to know Sloan and her family, as well as Nash and Theo who have issues of their own. Overall, this is a great story, and one I recommend to those who enjoy mysteries, romantic suspense and/or crime thrillers. I listened to the audiobook narrated by one of my favourites, January LaVoy. She was able to give the many characters individual voices and I would have thought there was more than one narrator. Her tone, expression and pacing were right on and I definitely enjoyed this story even more by listening to it. I recommend the audiobook to those who enjoy that format.

I'm a big fan of Nora Robert's romantic suspense novels, and Hidden Nature was no exception. I really enjoy how this novel like other NR books focuses on creating a good suspense mystery plot while also dedicating time for more domestic/romantic moments between the couple. I found myself listening to this one while lifting and running on the treadmill. I'd definitely recommend it if you're a Nora Roberts fan or if you just want a classic romantic suspense novel.

What can I say about a new book by an author who has continually shown her ability to write captivating stories that keep the reader connected the entire time, page after page. Nora Roberts does this again. Such a great read! There were multiple plot lines that I knew would intersect eventually. It was exciting to see it all come together. A little bit mystery, a little bit romance, a lot thriller!

And add into all that the great talent of the narrator, January LaVoy. Five stars all on her own!

Thanks so much NetGalley for the opportunity!

I love this and very much enjoyed this book, the setting was beautiful, I enjoyed the slow build of the relationships, the balance of mystery and romance and the MFC as a natural resource officer was an interesting choice that made for a nice learning point

I found this story different from Nora Roberts' usual romance-thriller novels, especially the killers. However, what I loved the most would be the non-romantic relationships in this book - between Theo and Nash and Sloan and her sister. While not a bad read, it's not the best among Roberts' books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

tantalizing blend of mystery, suspense thriller and romance. Roberts once again delivers a heartfelt story with authentic, highly relatable characters, vivid settings and immersive plot lines. Once I settled in, I couldn't put this page turner down.

I really enjoyed this story so much so that I was sad to see it is a standalone and not a series. I would really love to go on more adventures with Sloan Cooper. This mystery is thrilling with a touch a romance.

Classic Roberts charm with a mix of romance and suspense. The chemistry between leads was enjoyable, though the plot followed a familiar formula. Reliable comfort reading. If you enjoy Nora’s works, this won’t be an exception. Thank you to NetGalley for the audio arc.

Starts off slow but then takes off at lightning speed. I loved the plot. It is definitely unique but so very realistic. I could absolutely see this happening. Once the story gets going it was really fun watching it unfold. Sloan is a great character. I love her stubbornness; it makes her very likable. This book is a great way to spend a few hours.

I’ve been reading Nora Roberts’ books since I was in high school, and she’s been writing a long time, so yes, some of them can get a bit predictable, but that’s one of the reasons I tend to enjoy them. I know that at the end of the book, there’s going to be a happy ending, regardless of what else happens in the story. I really enjoyed Hidden Nature, much more than some of her more recent books. This book was a perfect blend of mystery and romance without either being too overpowering. The antagonists are obvious, so the suspense comes more from the back and forth of perspectives as the characters become closer. The narrator did a great job on this audiobook…definitely one of the better narrators I’ve listened to.

Thank you #netgalley for an audio book. I was excited to "read" a Nora Roberts book after a long time. I then had to sit with my feelings for a while and did not get around to writing a review till now. Meet Sloan Cooper, a skilled and respected Maryland Natural Resources Police officer. I had to look that up, a cool game warden like job. She is introduced to us with a bang, as she walks into a convenience store and interrupts an armed robbery. She’s gunned down, almost dying before being resuscitated in the operating room. So she moves back home and allows her family to help her heal. But she is also drawn to a case about a young woman who was kidnapped from a grocery store parking lot, and sees a pattern and of course ultimately solves the case.

I could not understand why the "bad guys" were so, well bad. That is shared pretty early on. I also felt that the romance was forced. But what really got me was Sloan sharing her thoughts with her romance partner who seemed to be better suited to being in law enforcement. Lots of not following policies and procedures but it was all tied up with a pretty bow in the end. Unfortunately, this story dragged for me with a lot of other POV's thrown in.
Thank you again NetGalley #MacmillanAudio for the copy. I am so sorry it took me a while to write the review.

Nora Roberts delivers a gripping, emotionally charged story in Hidden Nature that showcases her talent for weaving intricate plots and layered characters. As expected from Roberts, the writing is strong—fluid, atmospheric, and deeply immersive. Her prose carries a sense of intimacy that makes it easy to fall into the world she’s created.

That said, Hidden Nature takes a markedly darker turn than many of her previous works. The themes explored are deeply disturbing at times, with psychological intensity and emotional trauma playing a central role in the narrative. It’s not a light or comforting read—this is Roberts digging into the shadows of human nature, and she doesn’t pull punches.

While the darkness adds a raw, real dimension to the story and raises the emotional stakes, it may be jarring for readers expecting her more typical blend of suspense and romance. Some scenes are unsettling, and the heaviness of the subject matter lingers.

In short, Hidden Nature is a compelling, well-crafted novel, but not for the faint of heart. If you’re looking for something intense and haunting, with the unmistakable depth of Nora Roberts’ storytelling, this one will resonate. Just be prepared to with it.

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.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the advance reader copy and to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Sloan is an officer in Natural Resources. When injured on the job, she returns home to recover near her family. And she starts putting together a series of seemingly unconnected missing person cases, finding the link and looking for a serial killer.

This was such an engrossing thriller. To be honest, I didn't even really need a romance plot. Indeed, my favorite romance was between Sloan's younger sister and a man who just moved to the area.

There were some aspects that were grotesque, so I flipped through those pages quickly. And I don't even quite know how to summarize the content warnings (but definitely look for them or DM me).

But most of all, I was left with the reminder of just what a fantastic writer Nora Roberts is. She can draw me into any story and make me love the main characters, no matter how flawed.

January LaVoy is a phenomenal audiobook narrator. She had me entranced here.

4.5 stars rounded up