Hidden Nature is a novel that Nora Roberts does so well .. romance, family and little bit of a mystery/thriller thrown in to keep you guessing.

Police officer Sloan Cooper after being shocked back to life from a near fatal gunshot wound is recovering at home with her family. She decided that returning to her old job is not what she would like to do but remain in Heron’s Rest as the new Natural Resource police officer. She has come across a case, although out of her judication, that has caught her interest – people keep going missing.

Nash Littlefield and his brother Theo have given up their suits and New York City life to move to this quaint little town and start their own business, "The Fix It Brothers." It did not take long for their business to take off – between renovating their house, doing repair work around the Cooper rentals they also landed a renovation job on Sloan little fixer upper.

I was hooked when Roberts introduces Clara and Sam, these two were the cagey and mysterious killers. Both thinking they were doing the Lord’s work by kidnapping people killing people that were resurrected from death. Adding this little twist to this novel kept me turning pages to see when Sloan would become their target.

Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable novel, maybe a little creepy at time. It was well written with slow-built tension, some action a little mystery and intertwined with romance. This was a rather length novel and I did feel the ending was fast, furious and anticlimactic. 4.5 stars.

January LaVoy did an amazing job with the narration.

Thank you, Nora Roberts, MacMillian Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am not a romance book reader, but I LOVE the elements of romance that are put into the books that Nora Roberts writes. This is my second one in the last few months, and I really enjoyed this one a lot. There always are great romantic and suspenseful elements, and this one is no different. This one had religious elements, and a great instance of "crazy" involved, so this hooked me in immediately. I loved the characters, and I love that everything always ends pretty happily.

Thank you to the author, narrator and publisher for and advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Natural Resources police officer Sloan Cooper, injured on her way home from work, spent months at her family's home recuperating. During her downtime, she became aware of several missing persons that, for some reason, piqued her interest. Thinking it to be a good distraction to her slow healing, she started making calls and connections that no one else seemed to see. Moving to a small town away from his parents, Nash Littlefield wanted peace, quiet, and a new life. After seeing Sloan struggle with recovery, he felt even better about the decision that brought him there.

I love most Nora Roberts books, this one I liked a lot. I have to admit that I have never heard of a Natural Resources police officer. It felt like across between state or federal police with the focus of Game Warden. The story was slow to start, but the setup for the murder mystery part was easy to follow. The story and plot lines were a bit predictable, and it was almost too easy of a conclusion. The only other thing that bugged me, the writing made it sound like she learned to crochet in one day and made her first scarf in no time. As a crocheter, it's not that easy.

I am grateful to have received this from NetGalley as an early reviewer.

Sloan Cooper is given a new lease on life. She was brought back to life, after being shot while walking in on a robbery. Now, she is working to recuperate, and determined to get back to work.
While convalescing, she becomes interested in a case that is happening close to her hometown. When she links other cases, she believes that there is a connection, with a serial killer.

Now she is diving into the case, and trying to keep herself busy while working to recover. However, this case could lead to her death. Regardless, she pushes on, determined to figure out what is going on, and what the connection with the victims is.

I truly loved this read! It was a really fun book, and I could not put it down. I read it in one sitting. If you want a good mystery with a side of spice - check this book out.

.4.5 stars for me! Hidden Nature has a little something for everyone — mystery, thriller vibes, romance, and even a bit of home renovation (which I personally loved). The book kicks off with a bang — literally — when the main character, a police officer, gets shot right away. That pulled me in immediately.
Without giving too much away, the story includes a couple of truly chilling villains, but what really stood out to me was Sloan’s family and the two brothers who move into the area — I absolutely adored them. Nora Roberts has this amazing ability to write a suspenseful, gripping story while also pulling you deep into the relationships, both romantic and familial. She really nails the emotional layers.
This was definitely a page-turner for me. One part that stood out was the element of extreme, cult-like religious beliefs. I found that angle super intriguing — it’s wild (and scary) how certain ideologies can twist people's thinking. I don’t want to spoil anything, but let’s just say that part of the story made the villains even more unsettling in a believable way.
Overall, I just really enjoyed this book. The pacing was great — there weren’t any slow parts — and the ending delivered just as much as the beginning. Nora Roberts never misses for me, and Hidden Nature was no exception. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this book!com/review/show/7615318390

While Nora Roberts had a good mix of atmosphere, romance, and suspense in Hidden Nature, it just didn't quite click for me. This was my first by her, but will not be my last.

The setting is beautifully written (you can practically smell the salt air and wildflowers), and Fiona is a strong, well-developed lead. There’s a nice slow-burn romance and some emotional depth, especially around family history and healing.

But honestly... I found the pacing pretty slow, and at times I was just kind of bored. The mystery didn’t really grip me, and while the writing was lovely, it wasn’t enough to keep me fully invested the whole way through.

If you love slower, character-driven stories with a strong sense of place, you might really enjoy this. But if you're hoping for fast-moving suspense or major twists, this one might not be it.

Hidden Nature
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fantastic book again by Nora. I couldn't put it down. It was unique & kept you wanting more pages! You will cheer everyone on to succeed. The Audio was Amazing. Thank you NetGalley!!

Love the story! Nora Roberts writes the best small town family drama with a great mix of mystery, romance, and the supernatural. And January LaVoy’s narration is perfection!

Natural Resources police officer Sloan Cooper is recovering at her parents serene home in Herons Rest after being shot, dying and miraculously reviving on the operating table. Faced with a challenging recovery, she uses her at home time to investigate people that have randomly disappeared without a trace. Quickly she discovers similarities in the cases making her realize they are looking for a serial killer. And she could very well be the next victim.
The author always gives us captivating characters in her novels and in Hidden Nature there are evil antagonists and wonderful family and friends. This includes new neighbors the Fix-It Brothers. The sparks fly when Sloan meets one of the brothers and he is a great addition to the story.
Not only is this an intriguing page-turner but the narration is fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

As per usual this was a job well done and if I did not know this book was narrated by one person instead of several. There are pieces of this book that reminds of her other pen name jd Robb and that series has a host full of characters narrated by one person. The book starts off in a bad timing situation in which the main character gets shot . While on medical leave a bunch of people seem to go missing without being connected. The romance was the sub plot to the main story but both sisters find love in this story and it just so happens to be with a set of brothers. The. Liminal in this story believe their journey is god driven. I did not enjoy the insta love or how quick they got together . Though it wasn’t until halfway through but it seemed like it happened suddenly. Not an all time favorite but glad that I read

Each year Nora writes one standalone novel and the book for 2025 is Hidden Nature. Hidden Nature is about a Natural Resources Police Officer, Sloan, and her handyman neighbor, Nash. After being injured during a robbery, Sloan seeks peace and recovery at her parents' home in Heron's Nest where she meets Nash. However, when Sloan's peace is disturbed after a woman goes missing, Nash is more than willing to help her solve the mystery. This fast-paced romantic suspense is sure to keep readers saying, "Just one more page."

Sloan Cooper was just finishing up a successful arrest when she walked into a convenience store and interrupted an armed robbery. Sloan was shot trying to handle the situation. After being brought back to life on the operating table, Sloane returns back to her childhood home to rest and recuperate. When a local woman goes missing, Sloane gets pulled into the mystery and just may risk her life again in the process.

I can't really ding Nora Roberts on this one because I know exactly what I'm getting into when I pick up one of her books. This one felt a little too formulaic and I couldn't stand the villains. Obviously that's to be expected. They are villains after all and you're not supposed to "like" the bad guys, but these two were grating on my nerves and irritating. As in other books by Roberts, we are introduced to the antagonists early on. I wish that this time we, the readers, got to experience the mystery along with the characters instead of waiting for them to play catch up with what we already know - usually at the very end. Considering my dislike of the antagonists this one felt like it dragged a bit too much to get to the conclusion.

I do like the mundane, the day-to-day and the life of the characters. Sloan had something traumatic happen and I was interested in seeing how she rebuilt her life afterwards. I love seeing the human connection and the building of relationships. The added "bad guys" just didn't mesh.

I don't have much more to say about the book. If you've read Nora Roberts before, this book won't surprise or break any new ground for you. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a fact and the nature of an author who has 200+ titles to just their name (not counting, you know, that other famous penname).

The audiobook narration done by the iconic January Levoy was, as usual well done. I've listened to quite a few books narrated by her - many of them Nora Roberts books - and she always does a fantastic job. Really makes you fall into the story, and makes the listening easy to do which sometimes it takes a bit of acclimation in hearing the words and comprehending instead of seeing them on the page.

Hidden Nature is a great love story with some mystery added in. The writer Nora Roberts knows how to weave a great love story. I is pretty predictable but still enduring. It isn't the most realistic but very sweet. I received the audio version of this book and narrated by January LaVoy. The narration on most parts was great but the most irritating part was that of the killers. I was hard to listen to the dialog of the perps. . I didn't fit the story I felt. A heartfelt love story that would be a great beach read with the mystery left out. The reader is privy to know who the perps were so it was just finding them. I liked all the other characters, Sloan Cooper and her sister and the new neighbor brothers are a great combination and it would be good to have more of them.
Over all Nora Roberts has proved to be an awesome author and the book is entertaining. I would prefer the book itself as the voice of the perps was not my favorite. I think of y0u like fairytale love stories this is a good book to read.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC for my honest review.

Sloan Cooper, a Natural Resources Officer, was shot on duty and barely survived. Having to take time off for recovery she stays with her parents back in her hometown of Heron’s Rest, Maryland where they run a vacation rental business on the picturesque lake.

As Sloan works toward recovery the disappearance of a young woman on Thanksgiving Day captures her attention and sticks with her. She does a little bit of armchair detecting, but it gets put on the back burner when nothing turns up. Then there’s another similar disappearance leading Sloan to look for a past pattern.

The villains had their POV which was more than a little disturbing and chilled me to the bone! I was on the edge knowing that Sloan fit their victim profile.

As this is happening, brothers, Nash and Theo Littlefield buy up a wreck of a house planning on starting their own construction business while renovating the place. Sloan and Nash end up running into each other over and over and the immediate attraction felt slowly turns into something.

As with most Nora Roberts’ stories, Hidden Nature was a combination of mystery, suspense, danger and romance happening in amongst an idyllic sort of life: family, friends, dinners, décor, renovations in a gorgeous setting. Heron’s Rest sounded beautiful! I was captivated by all of it.

I alternately read and listened to an audio copy of Hidden Nature and recommend either version. January LaVoy’s voice is rich and pleasing, and she brought all the characters to life, male and female, each distinct with appropriate emotion.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio as well as Ms. Roberts for these ARCs in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley @NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress @St. Martin’sPress #NoraRoberts #HiddenNature
#BookReview #Fiction #MacmillanAudio @MacAudio25 #MacAudio25 #JanuaryLaVoy @JanuaryLaVoy

Title: Hidden Nature
Author: Nora Roberts
Formats: eBook, audiobook
Narrator: January LaVoy
Publishers: St. Martin’s Press with Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: May 27, 2025
Themes: Police work, religion, life and death, human monster, family
Trigger Warnings: police officer injured in the line of work, religious discussions, some violence, assisted death, gun violence, stalking, kidnapping, big age difference, alcohol use

This is another great book by the queen herself. Nora Roberts is one of my favorites and I loved this book as much as I loved her previous works. The strong female protagonist that Nora Roberts does so well is Sloan Cooper. She’s a talented police officer who is grievously wounded by a gunshot on the job. She is shocked back to life on the operating table. She returns to her parents’ house to recuperate when she’s released from the hospital. While she recovers, she discovers her happiness lies near her family and she buys a home and begins a new life as a member of the Natural Resource Police. When she gets wind of a series of missing person cases, she can’t help but wonder if there’s more to them than meets the eye.

Roberts follows a very specific formula in her books. Strong female, new chapter in life, gets a dog, finds love in a strong and silent man, some kind of danger slowly inching closer to the woman until she’s forced to save herself with or without the man. No exception here. Obviously this isn’t a bad thing as I’ve read every one of them. This one spent less time on the love story part, which I liked. It was clear what happened but the reader is allowed to fill in the details. I also enjoyed the time and care this story took to unfurl itself. Roberts writes characters well and it was nice to spend some time with them. I often find myself missing them when the story ends. I found this to be more evident than normal with this story. I also loved ‘Tic the dog. One of the things I always look forward to in Roberts’ stories is the animal cast of characters. This particular book saw the man getting the dog but we mustn’t be sticklers.

A word about January LeVoy as the narrator; fabulous.

All in all, this is another solid novel by Nora Roberts. It’s familiar, comforting, and dependable as a good read. I recommend it for any fan of the author as well as fans of feel-good fiction.

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts
Romantic suspense mixed with police procedural.
Nash Littlefield moves to Maryland to start a rehab business. He’s not interested in following the path his parents tried to push him down. His younger brother soon joins him and they start Fix-It Brothers for home remodeling and household repairs. Both men soon meet the Cooper sisters and fall hard.
Sloan Cooper is recovering from getting shot during her job as a Natural Resources police officer in Heron’s Rest, Maryland. She can’t leave the investigative habit behind even while on medical leave. When a local woman goes missing, leaving behind her car, Sloan starts asking questions and doing research. She finds several similar cases and knows there is a killer near by. Nash helps Sloan with her house remodel, while also listening and helping her work through the mystery and connections of the missing.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook narrated by January LaVoy who does a fantastic job of keeping the reader on the edge of the seat. The performance is wonderfully rich with Sloan’s exhaustion, her determination and her puzzle-solving mind, all clearly felt as the story progresses. There are distinct voices for the main characters, including the killer. It was chilling to hear the killer and Sloan talking together when they first met!
I did listen at and above 1.5 to more closely match my reading and conversational speed.

Thrilling and suspenseful. The audiobook bumped this from 4 to 4.5.
4.5
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

Hidden Nature is an immersive and beautifully told story that pulled me in right from the start. Nora Roberts does an incredible job blending emotional depth, small-town charm, and gripping suspense. As someone who lives near a lake in the mountains, I really appreciated how authentic the setting felt—it was easy to picture and deeply relatable. The renovation storyline added another layer of connection for me, though I couldn’t help but laugh at how smoothly and quickly it all came together (a little too good to be true—but that’s the beauty of creative license). The theme of rebuilding runs through every thread of this story—whether it’s starting over after a major life disruption or trying to piece together a future in the aftermath of personal upheaval.
The chemistry between Sloane and Nash was palpable and compelling, especially in contrast to the dynamics with their siblings. The mystery kept me hooked. I appreciated how the tension built steadily without ever feeling over the top. January LaVoy’s narration made the listening experience even better—her pacing was just right, and she gave each character a unique voice that made it easy to stay immersed. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy—Hidden Nature was a fantastic listen and a definite five-star experience.

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.

After Sloan is shot. She goes through a myriad of emotions. And no one does this better than Nora Roberts. She creates some of the best emotional characters. And Sloan definitely has her share of drama. And this also leads her to be a target for a set of serial killers.

However, I was not a fan of the “evil people” in this novel…yes I know I am not supposed to be. But, they just seemed a bit elementary. And their banter is just terrible.

I usually get Nora Roberts’ books on audio because I absolutely love this narrator. January LaVoy is excellent!

Even though this is not my favorite Nora book, it is still a good story full of great characters!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Interest in Near Death Experiences has been intense for decades, and most probably longer. In Hidden Nature, Nora Roberts seizes upon that interest and turns it upside down. Her villains aren't obsessed with the phenomena due to the glimpse it gives us into possibilities of existence beyond our earthly understanding. Nope. They're there to judge, condemn, and punish. How dare medical professionals intercede and bring people back to life when it should be perfectly clear to all that those people were meant to die? Sloan Cooper, a police officer, is one of those people, but it takes her and other investigators searching for clues to mysterious disappearances in a wide geographic area to put the seemingly unrelated pieces together. Fortunately, Sloan's a fairly typical Nora Roberts heroine: she works hard, pays attention to detail, and cares deeply for her loved ones and the world around her. (And the climatic end of the story makes a good plug for keeping an orderly house!) This beloved author never denies us a romance, so Sloan, of course, meets a good man with an equally strong commitment to high ideals and a cute puppy to boot. Ms. Roberts nurtures the suspense and the passion at a well-measured pace that nevertheless had me turning the pages as quickly as possible. Another first-rate novel from the incomparable Nora Roberts.

Another wonderful stand alone title from Nora. Sloan works hard and when life gives her a curve ball, she rolls with it. As she recovers from her gunshot wound, she gets a chance to come home and rebuild her life in a different way. In the process she falls in love and solves a crime.