From the first chapter, this book captivated me with its gripping and intense plot. I listened to the audiobook in a day. The main character, Sloan, is instantly relatable: strong, independent, and easy to root for as she works through the challenges of a serious injury. The supporting characters were also likable (aside from the villains), and the story didn’t waste time on unnecessary fluff. The book delivers fast pacing, clever twists, and a compelling narrative.

I was thoroughly impressed with the audiobook as the narrator brought the story to life and made every character transition feel seamless. I especially appreciated the deeper look into the antagonists’ perspectives, which added an interesting layer to the plot. Sloan’s mental and physical journey was portrayed with depth, and her resilience stood out. This book exceeded my expectations and is a perfect binge-worthy escape.

This latest standalone romantic suspense had all the Nora Roberts signature trademarks: dog-loving protagonists, a badass FMC (in this case Sloan, a Natural Resources police officer), home renos and great side characters. Lots of personal growth for Sloan, the FMC who is recovering from being shot at a convenience store robbery and finds herself in the crosshairs of a (legit) crazy married serial killer couple who are tracking and murdering people who have been brought back to life after near death experiences. Entertaining but nothing super standout for me. Longtime Nora fans will definitely enjoy this one that was good on audio narrated by January LaVoy. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

(4.5 stars)
Nobody does romantic suspense like Nora Roberts does. She has a knack for creating lovable characters, terrific relationships, AND believable villains. It’s a potent combination.

In Hidden Nature, we have a female police officer with the Maryland Natural Resources Police (a real organization, BTW, so I learned something), Sloan Cooper. When she gets shot on the job, she returns home to rural western Maryland to recuperate, with her family’s help. We also have two brothers from New York City, who decide to move there and start a contracting business, giving up their parent-influenced previous careers, which they never really liked. So you have the setup for romance there. There was a lot of home renovation talk but it didn’t overwhelm the plot. And there are adorable dogs too. The descriptions of the landscape made me yearn to visit the area.

The villains are appropriately creepy and it was terrific to get parts of the book told from their perspective. I don’t want to say more about them.

I mainly listened to the audiobook version since January LaVoy is one of my favorite narrators, and it did not disappoint. I was amazed at all the different voices she did throughout the book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Amazing storyline, and one that I’d never be able to dream up in a million years! And this is why I love Nora Roberts!!

Sloan is a cop. Her and her partner, Joel, just brought in a couple of thugs and stopped to get gas and a bite. When Sloan walked in, she found a robbery in progress. She was shot on site, brought to the ER, the OR, and died on the table. BUT, they were able to bring her back.

Funny thing though, she was able to see what was going on around her… like an out of body experience… when she coded….

She remained in the hospital for a while, and then recuperated for a long time under her parent’s roof. Getting just a little stronger every day.

But, while she was out, she heard about a young woman abducted, and never seen or heard from again. Being as she had plenty of time, she looked for similar cases…and was surprised to find a bunch…

Meanwhile, her work circumstances changed, and basically so did her whole life!

And, she and her sister met these two brothers who were helping to fix up their parent’s hotel type place… a little bit at a time.

This one will definitely keep you on your toes, and may actually give YOU some nightmares….
Sadly there is a nurse in this one, one like I’ve never met… and never want to… 😕

The good news is there are DOGS! And dogs make everything better! ❤️🐾

Lots of twists and turns, and some truly terrible people in here…

5 big, scary ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#HiddenNature by #NoraRoberts and narrated phenomenally by the one and only #JanuaryLaVoy! (Although you might think it’s a full cast of narrators!!)

**** Look 👀 for this one next week, as the RELEASE DATE is coming up on May 27!! ****

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

I listened to the audiobook for Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts. The audio was produced by macmillan audio and it was narrated by January LaVoy. Sloan Cooper is a natural resource officer who gets injured on the job and flat lines and is medically brought back. She works on a case that she isn't even assigned to that she is actually a target by two crazed murders who are targeting people who had the same medical intervention as Sloan, that saved her life.
This book is a page turner. And for being a single narrator, it's still very interesting and captivating.
This was actually my first Nora Roberts book and I am definitely looking forward to more!

Nora Roberts' upcoming novel, Hidden Nature, is a beautiful mix of mystery, crime, and romance in the Maryland mountains. We follow a Natural Resources police officer, Sloan, who survives a near-fatal shooting. Recovering in her hometown, she stumbles upon a series of unexplained disappearances across multiple states, and Sloan is determined to uncover the truth—an investigation that will test her endurance and courage along the way.

As always, Roberts masterfully weaves suspense with emotional depth, creating a protagonist who is both resilient and relatable. The novel’s steady pacing kept me engaged. The added romance brought warmth to the story, complementing the darker themes of crime and mystery.

A must-read for Roberts fans, Hidden Nature delivers an intricate plot and gripping mystery—making it a book worth adding to your reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nora Roberts, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book.

This book was so much more than I expected! It was an awesome thriller! It pulled me in and did not let go until I got to the end. Of course it was so well written. I have not read a lot of Nora Robert’s books, but the ones I have read have been excellent. I might pick this book for the library bookclub.
The audio was great! I love the narrator, she is one of my favorites. She made it easy to follow along with the story. Highly recommend.

Man, does Nora Roberts know how to weave a tale. Sloan is a Natural Resources police officer who is shot in the line of duty. She must overcome her injuries to get back to work. The first part of the book focuses on her drive to be cleared for duty. Sloan has some major decisions to make. While Sloan is recovering, she begins to research a series of missing persons. Sloan is able to link several of these and is able turn her findings over to the lead investigators, who agree to "read her in" on thier findings. Along the way, Sloan gets involved with her new neighbor that becomes just as enthralled with the case as Sloan. Can Sloan put together all the pieces before its too late? Excellent read, well paced, I was kept engaged.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

I will read/listen to anything written by this author and this one did not disappoint. I started this one in ebook and then was granted the audio and because I am a busy lady I started over with the audio and whoa did I enjoy that! Sloan is a Natural Resource officer and after a long day she and her partner stop at a convenience store and when she goes in she walks right into a robbery and before she can pull her weapon she is shot multiple times. She is shocked back to life and her recovery is going to be a long one which requires her to leave her apartment in Annapolis and move back to Heron's Rest, her parents resort, to recover. Not one to lounge, she takes her recovery serious and pushes herself. When an opportunity arises for her to change her location and go to work there in the area that comes with a promotion.

Nash and Theo move to the area and set up a fix-it business all while fixing up their new home. When Nash meets Sloan to help her with her new home there is chemistry but it is a slow burn but the flames are there.

Sloan is also intrigued when she finds a "cold case" about a missing woman. When she finds another and then another there is a pattern. When the pattern turns out to include her, all because of her resurrection when she was shot the pattern is a little too close.

Definitely recommend this one in both forms but the narrator is the BEST!

Thank you @macmillan.audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Nora Roberts is an auto-buy author for me and her writing truly never disappoints!

BRIEF SUMMARY: After being shot on duty and pronounced dead on the operating table, natural resources police officer Sloan Cooper is miraculously brought back to life. While recovering at her parents' home, she begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a local woman. (Be sure to read the publisher’s full. synopsis.)

This mystery has it all! With well-developed and 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 main characters, a 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 killer driven by a 𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿 motive 👀, an 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁, and an 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿 to add to the intrigue, I remained thoroughly engaged ! I highly recommend this captivating read to fans of romantic suspense who crave a story rich in tension, complemented by a slow-burning romance.

If you choose to listen to this one, January LaVoy narrates the story, and as always, does an outstanding job!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3.8 stars

Sloan Cooper is shot in a robbery and has an out of body experience while on the operating table. The book was great at relationship building and getting to know the characters and less than I expected regarding the abductions/murders. Overall I enjoyed listening to it.

January LaVoy is a wonderful narrator.

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. It was very slow. Way too much time spent leading into the actual mystery.

I’m not quite sure how to feel about this book. The concept was intriguing and the writing style was strong, but I found the story hard to believe at times. I didn’t really connect with the characters, and the pacing felt slow, the plot only really picked up around the halfway mark. While the narration was solid, the storyline felt repetitive in parts. Overall, it had potential, but it didn’t fully work for me.

Sloan Cooper is the kind of heroine I love—tough, smart, and totally unwilling to stay down, even after getting shot and dumped in the same week (yes, really). Her recovery arc is so well done, and I was fully rooting for her as she got back on her feet and dove headfirst into a super creepy missing persons case.

The mystery pulled me in fast—random disappearances across state lines, no clear connection, and Sloan piecing it all together like the badass she is. Add in a slow-burn romance with a guy who actually shows up for her (refreshing!), and I was all in.

This is Nora Roberts doing what she does best: blending suspense, emotion, and strong women who don't flinch when things get dark. Highly recommend if you like crime-solving with heart—and heroines who don't wait around to be rescued.

Sloan Cooper, a Natural Resources police officer in Western Maryland, is almost killed when she walks into a robbery in progress. Having died on the operating table before being resuscitated, she faces a long, grueling recovery. While Sloan is slowly regaining her strength and rebuilding her life, settling down near her family and starting a new job, she is drawn to the case of the abduction of a young woman and soon discovers an entire series of seemingly random disappearances in the area.

A highly capable investigator who makes smart choices and has a stable home and family life is a rare protagonist to find these days. It was impossible not to root for Sloan, who is mindful of her limitations while recovering from her injury, brilliant at her job, and emotionally stable. In fact, I enjoyed Sloan so much, I didn't even mind that the book felt a tad too long overall, with too much focus on her personal life, especially a potential romance - which was cute, but resulted in a very slow-moving thriller.

The (creepy) motivation behind the abductions Sloan is trying to solve becomes clear to the reader very quickly because we are made privy to the killers' identities and thoughts (which is ironic considering the book's title). However, in this case, that wasn't a good thing. Reading about the perpetrators' domestic life considerably lessened how threatening they seemed, and consequently made the book a lot less suspenseful overall. That one of them has a high-pitched, overly enthusiastic voice in the audio recording did not help.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and Sloan in particular, though it felt more like a cozy mystery than an actual thriller at times. I am crossing my fingers we will get to meet Sloan again in another one of Nora Roberts' books soon.

I listened to the audiobook version of "Hidden Nature". The production was flawless, and even though the voicing of one of the characters irked me, I really liked the narrator.

Many thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Hidden Nature" is slated to be released on May 27, 2025.

Hidden Nature is yet another knockout from Nora Roberts—a perfect blend of romance, suspense, and just the right touch of small-town mystery. I couldn’t put it down! The story draws you in from the very start, mixing the tension of a police procedural with a slow-burning romance and a twisty thriller that keeps you guessing. The stakes are high, and the danger feels personal from the get-go, especially as the killers are targeting people who match a specific, chilling profile. What makes it even more gripping is that the main character fits that profile too—though neither she nor anyone else realizes it right away.

As the story unfolds, she's driven to uncover the truth, even though she doesn’t fully understand her connection to it—only that it feels deeply personal and dangerously close to home. The fall and winter mountain setting adds such a cozy yet eerie backdrop to the action, making the whole thing feel cinematic. I loved the atmospheric details, the emotional stakes, and of course, the chemistry between the leads. If you love your thrillers with heart, a touch of romance, and a hint of danger creeping in with the cold, Hidden Nature absolutely delivers.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copy of HIDDEN NATURE by Nora Roberts.

HIDDEN NATURE follows Sloan Cooper, a natural resources police officer who walks into the middle of a robbery and is shot. The shot is very nearly fatal, and she is indeed dead on the operating table for a bit, but they manage to bring her back. She has a long road of recovery ahead, though.

Sloan goes home with her parents to recuperate and build back up her strength. While she recovers, she gets drawn into an intriguing case where people have gone missing, including someone very close by. She spots a pattern that law enforcement has missed and soon she's drawn even further in, looking for answers.

I really enjoyed Sloan as a character and her determination to make it back into fighting form. She's smart about things, following doctor's orders even as she continues to push herself. I think seeing the mental and physical toll this experience has put onto her shoulders was great to see on page.

As with most Nora Roberts books, this one brings a lot of good family moments and a healthy and supportive (though fairly quick) relationship. What I did find especially interesting in this one is that we also got the POV of those behind the abductions and their own not exactly as healthy relationship dynamics. The reader is in on a lot more information than Sloan and the law enforcement characters.

This was a really easy binge read and I had fun with it!

I have been a Nora Roberts fan for ages and this was a great book as it was different than her usual books.
The story started off with not 1 but 2 bangs and sped along from there. I enjoyed that Sloan went home to where she grew up( a resort that rents out cabins) after being shot so that we were able to see her great relationships with her parents and sister. The description of the area sounds absolutely beautiful and I was able to picture it. I enjoyed the relationship she and her sister had with the 2 guys that had a new construction business and were neighbors. Sloan's recovery sounded grueling but it was shown very nicely and how she was able to use what she learned later.
The thing that threw me off was the story about the 2 religious people that were abducting people. I quickly saw how that was going to play into the story but to me it made the rest of the story choppy. I couldn't put it down and was so happy to have both the book and audiobook so that I could listen when in the care.

If you enjoy Nora Roberts mysteries you will enjoy this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the book and audiobook arcs.

the setup…
Sloan Cooper is a highly skilled and respected Maryland Natural Resources Police officer. Her world is almost shattered when she walks into a convenience store and interrupts an armed robbery. She’s gunned down, almost dying before being resuscitated in the operating room. Sloan moves back home to Heron’s Rest from her apartment in Annapolis, allowing her family to help her recuperate at their All Rest mountain resort. While on leave, she’s inexplicably drawn to a case where a young woman was abducted from a grocery store parking lot. Sloan soon finds other like disappearances in three states and sees the pattern but just might be jeopardizing her own life in her pursuit.

the heart of the story…
I expected a story that would take its time to develop and was thankfully rewarded. I loved getting to know Sloan and her family, her friends and particularly her colleagues. I’d never heard of Natural Resource Police so that was a fascinating education. And, when the Littlefield brothers, Nash & Theo, move to the town, things get even more interesting. However, it was chilling getting the point of view of the person behind the abductions, especially the reasons why.

the narration…
January LaVoy is my favorite narrator and she excelled here in her ability to make you think there are multiple performers. She’s outstanding on every single level.

the bottom line…
I am always able to quickly immerse myself in a Roberts story, never wanting it to end or leave the characters and the community. The romance between Sloan and Nash evolved naturally and slowly, fitting their natures. But it’s the nature of the abductor that is frightening, gradually building toward the exciting climax but always in the background of everything. I got all I was hoping for in this story. 4.5 stars

This is an awesome murder mystery—it held my attention from the very start. The emotional depth and the struggles of healing will resonate with anyone who has faced hardship, pulling you even deeper into the story. Definitely a must-read. I also loved the narration!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy.