Book ~ "The Witness" (2012) Nora Roberts

From Goodreads ~ Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems - and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something - and that her elaborate defences hide a story that must be revealed.

In 2000, Elizabeth was on the verge of turning 17. She was the daughter of a single mother who controlled everything she did. She was also extremely intelligent and excelled in school, about to enter medical school. After an argument with her mother, Elizabeth rebels ... she heads to the mall and runs into a former schoolmate. They go shopping and make plans to go to a night club the next night with the fake IDs Elizabeth makes. At the club, they meet a couple of older guys, who turn out to be in the Russian mafia, and the night ends up with with murders. Elizabeth sees it all happen and ends up in witness protection, which doesn't end up being so safe after all.

Twelve years later, Elizabeth is now Abigail and working as a freelance securities systems developer. She lives outside a small town in the Ozarks with her big guard dog, Bert, and many guns. She keeps to herself which attracts the interest of the town and especially the local police chief, Brooks. Brooks starts approaching her and becomes attracted to and intrigued by her. He eventually breaks down her defences and against her better judgment, they begin dating and fall in love .... but she is always ready to disappear again if she has to.

I found the first part of the book (the Elizabeth part) interesting. When she became Abigail, it was unrealistic and less interesting and draggy. When I was reading the things she was saying and thinking, she seemed like a female Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory ... brilliant but lacking social skills and real world knowledge. Plus I wasn't buying that at 17, she went on the run with $15,000 and managed to buy cars and stay in motels/hotels by paying cash, changed her identity many times but is a master hacker so is able to create her new identities, and is now a very rich woman. She was resistant when Brooks started basically stalking her but it didn't take much for her to accept him into her world and they are in love within a couple of months.

It's a long book that could have been so much shorter. There were side stories that included local townsfolk that had nothing to do with Abigail ... these could have been chopped out and put into another book or two where they would have worked better since they could have been the focal point rather than filler in this book.

It's written in third personal perspective from Elizabeth/Abigail and Brooks' point of view. As a head's up, there is swearing, violence and adult activity.

Book ~ "The Liar" (2015) Nora Roberts

From Goodreads ~ Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions …

The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs. The man she loved wasn’t just dead. He never really existed. 

Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows - and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning.

Shelby is a young widow with a three-year-old daughter named Callie.  Her husband had presumably drowned a couple months ago, though his body had never been found.  They had led a wealthy lifestyle and Shelby is stunned to learn that it had all been a lie.  In addition to Richard leaving her millions of dollars in debt, she finds stacks of money, fake IDs and a gun in a safe deposit box at the bank.  She starts selling everything they own to pay off the debt.  Once it's manageable, she heads home to her family in Tennessee.

Richard had kept her isolated from her family and friends so she starts to rebuild these relationships.  She moves in with her parents, finds employment and meets Griff, who makes no secret that he is interested in her.  Dangerous things start happening ... Griff is run off the road, a woman is found shot in a parking lot, etc. ... and Shelby can't help but think they have something to do with her.

I thought this was an interesting premise for a story and for the most part I liked it.  It's is written in third person perspective.  As a head's up, there is violence, adult activity and swearing (lots of F-bombs).

It's a long book (500+ pages) and could have been shorter and tighter if some of the rambling pointless gossipy conversations had been cut out.  I imagine the author was trying to give us the flavour of hanging out in a beauty salon in Tennessee but I really didn't care that someone's second cousin had run off with someone else's fourth cousin once removed as it had no bearing on the story.

The Melody/Shelby rivalry storyline was pointless and had nothing to do with the main storyline and could have been deleted.  Again, I think the author was trying to give us the flavour of the area.

When Shelby returns home to Tennessee, it's obvious she comes from a closed knit family.  Yet when she met Richard, she let him isolate her from them.  Everyone keeps asking her why she had let it happen and I had wondered the same (I thought her explanations were lame).  She obviously wasn't happy with Richard yet she allowed herself to be under his will.  Her brother is a cop ... all she had to do is call him and say she needed help.

At one point, Shelby wasn't able to openly text so she texted while her phone was in her pocket and the texts made sense ... is that even possible?

I liked the characters.  Shelby had a great support system.  I don't usually like kids in stories but I didn't find Callie annoying (and she plays a big part in this book).  Maybe it's because she was well-behaved and cute all the time?  Griff was probably my favourite character.  He was a nice guy with a great sense of humour.  For example, when he would take care of Callie, he would assure Shelby that all was well and that they were playing in traffic or running with scissors.  The conversations between Griff and Shelby's cop brother were funny ... they were good friends but her brother was still being big brotherly about her.

Book ~ "Public Secrets" (2009) Nora Roberts

From Amazon ~ Complex relationships among a believable ensemble of characters give Roberts's romantic thriller much of its appeal. Emma McAvoy, daughter of a British rock star, is only six years old when her infant half-brother Darren is murdered in a bungled kidnapping attempt. Emma, the only witness, remembers little of that night, and while investigators determine that someone close to the family was involved, the case is never solved. Nagged by fears for her safety, Emma's father has her trailed by a bodyguard whenever she is not closed away in a private school. But as she grows up, neither guards nor a loving father can protect her from the nightmares and feelings of guilt that torment her. Nor can they shield her from Darren's murderers. Although it concludes with a satisfyingly gripping finale, the mystery is more a recurring element than a driving force, as the story explores the members of McAvoy's rock group, Emma's devotion to her father (who bought custody of Emma from her abusive, alcoholic mother), her destructive marriage and the father-son detective team whose dedication to the McAvoys and this case lasts more than 20 years.

I liked this book ... there was a lot to it and a lot going on.

It starts out in the 1970s in the early years when the English rock band, Devastation, is just starting to become famous. Emma's father, Brian, is the lead singer and she's friends with the other three guys in the band. There's lots of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll along with the times a'changin'.

We follow Emma after her brother dies, until she's in her twenties, and everyone in her family and circle. I liked the characters we are supposed to like and disliked the nasty ones.

There is abuse in Emma's marriage that I thought was too detailed. I knew what was going on ... I didn't need to live through each punch and kick.

I figured out one of people who murdered Darrin right away and why. The other(s) was/were an interesting touch but I could buy it.

The ending when the murderer(s) is/are caught was silly and wrapped up rather quickly considering the 20+ years of keeping the identity(ies) a secret. That I didn't buy.

All in all, I'd recommend this book if you are looking for something you can sink your teeth in (it's not light reading).

Book ~ "The Search" (2010) Nora Roberts

From Penguin ~ To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life - a quaint house on an island off Seattle's coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescues. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare.

Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer, who shot and killed Fiona's cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He's the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon's house and he's at his wit's end.

To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can't handle. Simon, however, is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he's a rugged and in-tensely private artist, known for the exquisite furniture he creates from wood. Simon never wanted a puppy-and he most definitely doesn't want a woman. Besides, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to his hormones.

As Fiona embarks on training Jaws and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona's life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands.

I'm not into romance novels ... and Nora Roberts as a reputation as a romance writer.

But I must say that I really enjoyed this novel.

It did have the romance between Fiona and Simon ... they were both fighting it and the dialogue and interactions between them were feisty.

There was also a focus on the dogs and training them which I found interesting.

And I love reading mysteries ... and Roberts did a good job here. This plot was interesting and fairly believable. It was engaging and I wanted to keep reading it every chance I got.

It's definitely a book I would recommend.

Book ~ "Savor the Moment" (2010) Nora Roberts

From Penguin.ca ~ Wedding baker Laurel McBane is surrounded by romance working at Vows wedding planning company with her best friends Parker, Emma, and Mac. But she's too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that their clients seem to long for. What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker's older brother Delaney, on whom she's had a mega-crush since childhood.

But some infatuations last longer than others and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her-or so she thinks. When Laurel's quicksilver moods get the better of her-leading to an angry, hot, all-together mind-blowing kiss with Del-she'll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever ...

I like to read a variety of books and I haven't read a lot of fiction lately.

This is the third in a series of four which gives you a chance to get to know Laurel, Parker, Emma and Mac ... each book focuses on a friend finding love.

You'll enjoy this book if you are looking for a light modern love story.