Hidden Nature delivers exactly what I expect from Nora Roberts—a compelling mix of mystery, romance, and vivid atmosphere. The characters were well-drawn, especially the strong, capable lead, and the setting added a lush, almost haunting backdrop to the story. The pacing kept me hooked, and the slow burn romance felt authentic. I’m giving it 4 stars because a few plot points felt a little predictable, but overall, it was an immersive and satisfying read. A solid pick for fans of romantic suspense!

i tired so hard to listen to this but just couldn't push myself to suffer through this.

thankful i got the audio arc

I got an advanced audio copy of this book thanks to the publisher, NetGalley, and Macmillan audio, and this review is my own, honest review.

Sloan Cooper, the main character, was immediately likable as an honest, strong, leading woman. It was refreshing to read about healthy family dynamics, and the whole story had a lovely small town vibe. It had been years and years since I read a Nora Roberts book, and I’m almost disappointed in myself for not falling in love with the story! I think the main characters have huge potential to continue on in a sequel, and I would definitely give them another shot!

My main issue with the storyline is that the bad guys and the good guys never really intersected until the very tail end of the book. There were no surprise twists for the reader, and I felt like a casual observer of a storyline, waiting for a non-suspenseful climax to fall into place. I prefer to feel more invested in the outcome of the book and experience strong emotions when following along.

The narrator of this book was the highlight! She expertly voiced all the characters, and it was such a smooth transition among them that I checked the listing more than once to confirm it was just one narrator for the whole book!

I loved this book. I loved Sloan as the main character. All characters were well developed. Told from multiple points of view, even the bad guys. It all comes together at the end. You have some mystery and thriller, a bit of romance thrown in and a lovely setting.
Really great book that kept my interest and I couldn’t stop listening.

First, the bad: At times, this audiobook felt like a home improvement show because of all the details about the renovations to multiple properties! I had to skip ahead sometimes because it was so tedious to hear about the tiles and the plans for the new furniture.

Otherwise, this book was a decent mystery, and the environment of Heron's Rest and Sloan's family were interesting. I come from the region where the book is set, and it often felt quite realistic, which was a plus. The villains felt a little cartoonish, though I'm not sure if that was more because of the writing or because of the narration -- the voice of the female villain was so chirpy that it was creepy and a little annoying. I didn't feel like the love story of Sloan and Nash was very well developed, but I didn't mind that. The serial killer aspect was the more intriguing part of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to review this ALC and provide an honest review!

As a huge Nora Roberts fan, I always look forward to her next release with high expectations—and Hidden Nature absolutely delivered. What I love most about Nora’s writing is how she balances the strong emotions of a good suspense, and Hidden Nature is no exception. The romance felt authentic and well-paced, and the underlying mystery kept me turning pages long into the night.
If you a long fan of Nora, you'll love this story. If you are new to Nora Roberts this is a great one to try.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this audio ARC. #Macmillian #Netgalley #Noraroberts #Hiddennature

Another gem by my very favorite author, Nora Roberts!
Hidden Nature is the story of Sloan Cooper, a Natural Resources police officer (an agency that was new to me). Sloan is severely injured and returns home to Heron’s Rest to recover. While recovering, Sloan starts investigating a series of seemingly unrelated missing persons cases in the area, and it becomes a race of the clock to find and stop the serial killers!
Nora does a masterful job, as always, in her character and plot development- we get to know and love Sloane’s family and her romantic interest, Nash Littlefield, and his brother Theo. My one hesitation was that I felt the serial killers in this one were a little belabored and unlikable (more than usual)- but I really enjoyed the small town setting, home remodels, and delightful dogs in the mix! Highly recommend! I will continue to auto buy anything Nora writes - she’s the best!!
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.

just finished the audio version of Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts and really enjoyed it. As a longtime fan, I thought this one was solid—Sloane stood out as a character. I liked her drive and sharp instincts as a natural resource officer, and the moments with her family added a nice emotional balance.
The mystery moved along well and kept my interest, and the setting added to the overall mood. I also have to say, January LaVoy did a great job with the narration—she’s one of my favorites, and she really brought the characters to life.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

I don't think I have ever been disappointed with a Nora Roberts romantic suspense, especially in audiobook form. The narrator was fantastic. Her character voicing was exceptionally done and at no point did the audio production ever pull me from the story.

That said, this book had two very distinct sections. The first 60% was very much a slice-of-life story of a woman's healing journey and finding her way after tragedy. I found Sloan to be one of my favourite FMCs I've read, having a very distinct character voice and motivations. There was dabbling of the suspense plot in the first 60% but it was by no means the primary focus. The first 60% also had the slow burn romance growing, though I don't think they even met until 30-40% (give or take). The 60% point onwards had a primary focus on the suspense plot and had a sense of urgency that wasn't found in the first 60%. If you jump into this hoping for a captivating romantic suspense, just know it will be a slow burn to get there.

There was also a high level of attention given to home renovations in this book. While it did lend to that slice-of-life feeling, it got quite heavy-handed. I kept wondering where these people were getting all this money to gut and redo entire homes on a single salary. Where I'm from, the renovations they were talking about would easily cost in the 6-figures and they were just doing them on a whim. Or there'd be a large project done as a surprise in a single day. It felt very unrealistic and it did hamper my enjoyment overall, which is unfortunate because every single home renovation discussed didn't lend itself to the plot in any way. It could have been removed entirely and I don't think the book would be altered in any meaningful way.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced listener copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm a sucker for a good Nora Roberts novel. The mystery/thriller element of this book was excellent, mostly because the unsubs were so so cringy. The romance element of the book was a little awkward at times but didn't take away from the read.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook, Sloan was such an interesting character to get to know and follow. She aids the local authorities in connecting the cases and discovering why the victims were taken. Without bodies there isn’t much for them to work with. The two killers were quite interesting and a bit creepy, which added so much to the story. The book was so well narrated by January LaVoy.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book prior to publication.

I have been reading Queen Nora Roberts for many years. Her standalones and trilogies are always incredible. This is easily my new favorite standalone. Five stars for this outstanding read!

Sloan Cooper is a Natural Resources police officer. She loves her family and her job. A stop at convenience store changes her life when she is shot and has to be brought back on the table.

Sloan returns home to recover with her family. She has a long road ahead of her, and a very supportive family. She decides to make some big changes in her life.

While she is recovering, she hears about a local woman who has disappeared without trace. Trying to keep her mind busy as she recovers, Sloan decides to do some digging.

I have so much to say about the perpetrators in this story. From the first read of them, I was so uneasy and creeped out by them. They might be the most frightening ones this author has written. I mean that as a compliment. They just made me so uneasy.

As always, the romance part of the story was incredible. I loved Nash and his brother Theo. The Coopers were amazing as well. This story had all of the hallmarks of a great Nora Roberts’s romantic suspense read.

Also, I always like how the author brings in dreams and visions to her story. That element adds so much to the story for me.

I love this author’s books on audio! January LaVoy does another incredible job of voicing all of the characters in the story, and her narration is incredible!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read/listen early. This one releases on May 27th - preorder it now. This one is fantastic!

Thank you to publisher and netgalley for review copy.

3.5 stars

Too much explaining the construction process of rebuild. Book could of been shorter, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Nora Robert’s is always a hit for me and this book did not disappoint. The narration was excellent. Sloan and her family worked their way into my heart and the mystery portion of the plot was different and kept me guessing. .

I'm a big fan of this kind of book setting. People hunting down local serial killers from sleuthing and making a solid romance on the side. However, we got an overabundance of mundane dialogue and not much action. I also wasn't a fan of hearing the killer's POV. Every time they came into the narrative, I just cringed. I wanted suspense, and this ended up being a super chatty recovery story with a bit of romance. I give this book 2.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early audiobook edition of “Hidden Nature” by Nora Roberts, narrated by January LaVoy for an honest review. January is an excellent narrator, to the point where I will research books she narrates to select new books. She did not disappoint during this narration; she did a phenomenal job.

80% of this book is the story of Sloan, a National Resources police officer, who at the beginning of the story gets in the middle of a gunman and his escape during a hold-up, her recovery from her gunshot wound, and her wonderful family that takes care of her. While staying with her parents, during her recovery, she meets the boy next door and falls in love. Her sister also meets the man of her dreams and is getting married. If you have read any of my reviews - you should be thinking - "OH BOY, she hated this book, but wait, she gave it a 4.”

I've said this before, some authors do a wonderful job of taking the ordinary life of people and spinning it into an entertaining story worth reading. William Kent Krueger is exceptional at this. Well after reading this (and knowing I am addicted to "The Lost Bride" series written by Nora Roberts), Nora Roberts does a phenomenal job at this as well. These authors spend practically no time explaining what the characters are thinking and rather letting the reader interpret what everyone is thinking by strong character development and situational awareness.

The author did weave in a little murder mystery, which added an element to the story, and gave it a little suspense, but honestly, this part of the story was the least engaging. I loved the “normal” story of a small U.S. town where people care about each other, buy locally, and look out for one another. In a world where the U.S. is at each other's throats from both sides of the political aisle, this was an enjoyable escape from the crazy that the U.S. is today. Well Done!

C'mon, it's Nora Roberts. She's a solid writer who can pen a story in several genres and has a way of creating a whole world in which to immerse yourself for the ride. What I absolutely loved about Hidden Nature was the location. She named places I go to as part of my normal life. I live in Appalachia, I grocery shop in Deep Creek, I attend events in Cumberland. It was great to feel like I was inside the story because I actually do live in my own vacation resort locale in West Virginia. This was a coming home story featuring a Natural Resources police officer, Sloan, her family and the camp they own and run, new loves, new jobs, a series of murders......

Here's my dirty little secret - I am the grown woman reader who prefers the bad guys (aka killers) to the blossoming romance of the main characters. When the chapters flipped, I really got into hearing the killers thoughts and not so much the kissy kissy. But that's just me.

Great novel. Highly recommend.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook of "Hidden Nature" by Nora Roberts from MacMillan Audio in exchange for my honest review. Narrated by January Lavoy, whose performance was excellent as always, the audiobook truly brought the story to life.

This standalone novel features the classic elements of a Nora Roberts story: a strong female lead, family dynamics, small-town romance, and a mystery, with a touch of police procedural. I enjoyed Sloan, the main character, as she returns to her family home to recover from a shooting. The portrayal of the close-knit family was well done, though the villains felt a bit exaggerated with their excessive affection for one another. While it may not be my favorite Roberts novel, it was still an enjoyable listen. I would rate it 3.5 stars.

Loved this book--and loved Sloan and her family. Even loved the house renovations. The concept behind "the bad guy" was a new one---loved Nora Roberts doing something completely unique. Excellent narration.

Generally speaking, I enjoy Nora Roberts' novels. However, she has a standard formula that she uses for her books and after a while, they feel repetitive. This is my 11th Nora Roberts novel and aside from her The Dragon Heart Legacy Trilogy, all the novels have followed this same formula, including this one. I listened to the audiobook version and it was very enjoyable. January LaVoy is a great narrator, I always love listening to books narrated by her.

~~What I liked~~
-The FMC was enjoyable. I liked how strong and focused she was written.
-The book was well written and easy to read. The pacing was good.
-The story is told in third person, which allows the reader to see multiple POVs.

~~What I didn't like~~
-The antagonist are written in such a way that it feels like we, as the reader, are supposed to like them and feel good about them. I'm all for a redemption, but I didn't care for how the antagonists are presented in this book.
-I really didn't see much of a romance in the book, or at least not enough of the book was written to show the romance between the MCs.
-Almost right away we are shown what is happening to the people who are disappearing. It removed all the mystery from the book and as soon as I knew why the people were disappearing, I wasn't as interested in the mystery being "solved".

Overall, I was not impressed with the book and would not recommend it.