A-
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Romance
My name is Elyse, and I’m a Nora Roberts virgin. Well, I was; I punched that v-card reading The Liar. I have to say losing my Nora virginity was more enjoyable and less awkward than losing my actual virginity.
Also, like every old skool historical heroine, I feel like only Nora can give me what I want again. Witness my credit card bill, full of Nora one-click buys.
The thing I loved about The Liar was that it’s the perfect blend of suspense and romance for me. The mystery was there but enhanced rather than overshadowed the romance. Also the suspense hinged more on OMG WTF just happened versus OMG entrails on the kitchen floor (Mr. Clean isn’t taking care of that, you know).
Shelby Foxworth got pregnant–and married–young to a man she thought was a successful businessman. After her husband died in a boating accident, she discovered Richard wasn’t who he seemed. Shelby is left three million dollars in debt and with a young daughter, Callie, to care for. It turns out her husband was a conman and philanderer, and the life Shelby thought she was living was a lie. All of this would be enough to give me…how shall we say this…diarrhea for the rest of my life, but Shelby takes a deep breath and muscles through.
Shelby moves back home to Rendezvous Ridge, Tennessee, to start over again and be near her family. Small town romances are not my thing, but I liked the Ridge. I liked Shelby’s enormous, loving, over protective family. I loved her grandma, Vi, and her mother, Ada Mae, both of whom rush forward to care for their girl.
Things aren’t 100% peachy though. Shelby lost contact with her friends and family when she married Richard, and there are hurt feelings. Part of what I thought was so beautifully done and so important in this book was a discussion of quiet abuse. So often domestic abuse is portrayed as physical or very obvious verbal abuse. In this book, Roberts writes financial and psychological abuse that’s just as insidious if not apparent. Richard distances Shelby from her friends and family until she has no support system in place. Shelby doesn’t have a job outside the home, and Richard controls the finances–she can use credit cards (allowing him to track her purchases) but is not allowed cash, which means she has no money if she chooses to leave. It’s a slow, subtle sort of abuse that keeps Shelby under his control.
Shelby doesn’t realize the extent of this abuse until after Richard’s death. I’ve read that victims of financial abuse often don’t realize they are victims. I was happy to see Roberts address the issue and untangle it in a way that the reader, and Shelby, are prompted to say “Ah ha!”
Shelby also meets sexy contractor, Griff, and allows herself the space to move on with him. Initially she feels guilt, but as the extent of Richard’s deception becomes clear, she realizes she married a lie. Roberts could easily have made Griff a cop, which would have been an obvious choice with the suspense plot, but I liked that he was a “normal” guy.
Griff and Shelby’s happiness is threatened when Richard’s past (and past associates) show up to menace them. The violence in this book happens mostly off screen, and I thought it was more small-town romance than romantic suspense, so if you squick easily this book might still work. I bought for my mother-in-law who does not do scary.
There is also so much house porn in this book. My version of interior decorating is to paint the walls and install some bookshelves (my mom recently asked when I was going to start decorating my bathroom–I was finished) and DIY and HGTV hold zero interest for me. However, if listening to a hero discuss installing granite countertops, a steam shower or custom cabinetry makes your panties drop, buy this book.
I was basically agog at all the things Roberts did in The Liar–discussions of abuse, of building a life, small town romance, suspense–my gogs can’t even right now. I thought the end was predictable and the scenes with Callie a little saccharine sweet, which is what knocked this down to an A- but I enjoyed all 411 pages immensely.
I’m now on to Dance Upon the Air and a full on Nora addiction–and I’m not going back.
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Hey Elyse – I recently read The Liar too, and I love your review. It’s so on point. Of course, confession I’m a Nora pro (or whatever the opposite of virgin would be, since I am not a fan of the word slut). I’m re-reading the Bride Quartet right now, I’d love to know what the Bitchery thinks of these books. One of my most favorite things about Nora is how she rights her families. I always feel interested and affectionate and I always want to read the next book because all her characters, both main and ancillary, are so wonderfully fleshed out. So, since you are planning to go on a Nora addiction, maybe you could give her anthologies a try. 🙂
I started reading my first Nora Roberts book this week (The Next Always – part of the Inn at Boonsboro series). My first thought was why did one sit me down and MAKE me read Nora Roberts before??
It’s different to the slightly more cynical Brit romances that I normally read, but I’m really enjoying it. I will be reading the rest of the books in the series.
The Liar sounds great too. This is going to get expensive. sigh.
Nora is a comfort read. I can pick up the book and get exactly the hero/heroine/setting/storyline that I am seeking. She is very go-to for me. She was one of the first authors I read in romance and I keep going back. I’m glad to see another convert.
I am also a latecomer to Nora’s works. I have discovered them largely in audio form, many of which I highly recommend. The Witness has to be one of my absolute favourites — narrator is great, the story is also great, and it is very atmospheric. Also, Northern Lights, the trilogy with flowers in the name (includes Black Dahlia but can’t remember the other titles), Chasing Fire and the MacKade brothers’ books.
I resisted reading la Nora for like FOREVER because of the gitungous backlist of doom and not knowing where to even start. I finally took a chance on the Chesapeake Bay books and WOW — they are now some of my favorites and I have re-read them a few times already.
I may just have to read “The Liar” next since I’ve been contemplating a little more Nora Roberts reading the last few days…
I’m a huge Nora Roberts fan, have been for years. I have nearly all of her books (need a checklist to be sure) and I’ve read them all multiple times. I’ve been a bit disappointed in some of her recent NR books, they were decent but not … as engaging as usual for me. I’ve been liking the In Death books more. But I just finished The Liar and really enjoyed it.
(You will find house porn in more than one NR novel!)
The nice thing about Nora is she writes in so many subgenres that there are books for every taste. So even if you read one or more you don’t like there will probably be others that you love.
I liked The Liar, but it’s not one of my favorites. My favorite parts were the texts between the h/h about all the unsafe things he was supposedly allowing her daughter to do.
Oh, I’m so excited for you! I think my current favorites are The Witness, Birthright, and Tribute. Though if you ask me tomorrow I might give you three different ones.
Please, please read The Witness. I think the plot is much more original than The Liar. As soon as I read how Richard died, I knew what was coming.
Also highly recommend the Chesapeake bay series; there are four books in that series.
Welcome to the Nora Club. 🙂
Elyse, I am a HUGE Nora fan, having read her books over a span of 12 years now (where did the time go?). I’ve yet to read The Liar as I wasn’t a fan of her last 2 books. Her older stuff is like crack to me and I re-read several of her books a year. My favorite is Three Fates, which I think you’ll really enjoy. It has so much going for it that it is hard to fully describe how awesome it is.
I do love the Three Sisters Island Trilogy–my favorite is Heaven & Earth (the 2nd book), but Dance Upon the Ari is really good too.
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Oh, Elyse. Now you’ve done it. Once you’ve taken that first Nora drag, you’re hooked for life. Did your mother not warn you of the evil vice? Alas, it is too late. You are forever damned to a life of re-readerdom. I must agree with more than one of the above comments, that her more recent works leave something to be desired. But when you write a quadrillion books, how many times can you really rework a plot? And therein lies La Nora’s evil way. She makes you buy these books, fall in love with them, and very soon realize that few writers will ever truly fill your heart the way she can. My personal favourites are the Irish Born trilogy and the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy, but really, they’re all just fecking crack. I’d wish you many happy hours of reading, Elyse, but that would only be enabling you. Ah, well. Happy reading anyway.
If Sarah still has the pic of it (I cannot find that post to save my life), I have the Nora Shelf – although it’s actually into a second bookshelf now – which is an entire 5-shelf bookcase full of nothing but La Nora in both her guises. If you want the suspense-y ones, I strongly recommend Tribute, as well as The Witness and Northern Lights. I’m also a big fan of Carolina Moon and the Born In… Trilogy. Have fun!
@Elise Logan
See, see, just what I was saying. Northern Lights, absolutely. How did that not come right to the top of my head? I don’t know, but it is now back at the top of my re-reads. But then it makes you think of The Search, Chasing Fire, Black Hills, Blue Smoke, High Noon, Carnal Innocence, and Montana Sky.
Nora Roberts is absolutely addictive.
Great on point review! And you didn’t even mention the puppy. I must say, that while I’ve liked all Nora Robert’s books (I still have all those old Silhouettes from when she started)and have loved many, I haven’t loved one as much as The Liar since Northern Lights. I love the way Nora writes friends and families. None of her characters exist in a romance vacuum where they interact with no one else and have jobs, but that has nothing to do with the story.
Also, isn’t it nice that unlike that other virginity, this is great the first time and you’re always left satisfied.
Previous posters have done a great job explaining just what it is about La Nora’s books that make them reader crack, to say nothing of huge bestsellers, so I won’t repeat what they’ve said. There are a few things I’d like to add–first, what impresses me most about her writing is that she does her research so well. It doesn’t matter what subject she picks, whether it’s building a house or starting a business or hunting down a serial killer or writing a comic book series–she just flat out knows what she’s talking about. I have this little fantasy in my head that if my car ever breaks down at the end of her driveway she’ll come out with her personalized Gucci toolbox, ask me a few questions and then proceed to rebuild my carburetor right there on the side of the road! Also, Nora writes the best families ever, and there have been times in my life when I’ve had to set one of her books aside because my family consists of myself, my adult son, and a few aunts, uncles and cousins scattered around the country who I mostly have lost touch with. So sometimes it’s hard for me when the heroine has 4 big brothers who take on all her problems and help her rise above them. And finally, Nora’s writing has a certain rhythm and pace that is very recognizable after you’ve read a few of her books, so I don’t recommend that anyone attempt to glom her entire backlist in a short period of time. (Like that’s even possible!?) I think she’s best taken (and savored) a few books at a time.
I have my favorite Nora novels, too. The “Born In” trilogy is one of the best. The series delves into the relationships between three sisters, and how their parents influenced them, as well as giving each sister her well deserved HEA.
I’m still a Nora virgin. I had a coworker who was a huge fan but she couldn’t seem to tell me which book to start with, so I haven’t. Maybe one day…
@Kelly S: Tell us something about the kind of books you like best and I bet we can help. (‘We’ being all the smart bitches who love Nora’s books.)
One of my all time favorites of hers is Hidden Riches. Funny dialogue and reluctant hero- I even bought the audio version for a trip with my husband.
I am a huge Nora fan. She is a consistent read and re-read for me. I would have to say that The Witness is my favorite of her recent books but I love several of her older series as well.
All that being said, this one induced my first serious “You have got to be kidding me” book rant.
If you haven’t read it, don’t read the next part!
I don’t want to be too spoilery, but just as a little test, put your touch screen phone in your pocket and THEN text detailed directions to a specific person.
I have been reading Nora Roberts since high school. I love most of her books – especially late 90s and most of the 00s. Lately, though, I haven’t really liked her trilogies or stand alones BUT I really liked The Liar. First of all, I am from Maryville, TN, and enjoyed reading a book set in the Smokies that seemed like there was some research there, instead of an author talking about a thirty minute drive to Nashville. There is so, SO much to enjoy about NR. I liked the Brides books, the flowers set in Memphis, etc., and I think that Montana Sky is my all time favorite novel of hers. She does tend to get repetitive with the characters – young, pregnant girl/ type A/ free spirited or cop/carpenter/blue-collar/rich but she definitely tries to bring something new to the table each time, whether that is setting or backstory – like the Bridal Quartet or the flower garden store.
I recently read my first Nora novel too. Not sure why I thought I was too good for it before! I started with Whiskey Beach and am a sucker for the sense of place in her books.
Also, I agree with DianeN… The research and detail that goes into her work is really well done and contributes a lot to the aforementioned sense of place that I can’t get enough of.
Nora used to be one of my favorite authors – I loved the first several books of the In Death series, the Three Sisters trilogy, the Chesapeake Bay series, and liked the Born in Series well enough. Also, I loved The Witness and really loved Blue Smoke. Some of her older-school category romances were fabulous, too – loved the MacGregor books and Lessons Learned, among others.
Lately, though, I’ve felt really quite “meh” about her work. I HATED The Collector with the passion of ten thousand suns, and thought the Bride Quartet was stereotypical and kind of creepy.
“The Liar” was fine – I loved the strong relationships between the women in the story, and Griff was a nice hero. But I saw the plot twist coming from ten miles away.
I still read her books, but I haven’t bought one since “The Witness.”
For the most part, I enjoyed it.
Elyse – I would love to see more of your thoughts as you comb through the enormous Roberts catalog!
Loved the review! I too am or was a Nora Roberts virgin. Popped my cherry with The Liar as well. I had always been hesitant to read Nora Roberts books because for some reason she never seemed quite “trashy” enough for me but after reading The Liar, even though it wasn’t that trashy, I can honestly say I am super excited to get in another Nora Roberts read. After I finally read Jackie Collins, The Santangelos. Ooh, I’m excited! Lol!
I did cry a lot but this book is amazing, I read a lot of Nora Roberts but this one is just awesome.