Blurb via Amazon.com
The #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a new novel of a mother and a daughter, of ambition and romance, and of a traumatic past reawakened by a terrifying threatโฆ
Adrian Rizzo was seven when she met her father for the first time. That was the day he nearly killed herโbefore her mother, Lina, stepped in.
Soon after, Adrian was dropped off at her grandparentsโ house in Maryland, where she spent a long summer drinking lemonade, playing with dogs, making a new best friendโand developing the stirrings of a crush on her friendโs ten-year-old brother. Lina, meanwhile, traveled the country promoting her fitness brand and turning it into a billion-dollar business. There was no point in dwelling on the past.
A decade later, Adrian has created her own line of yoga and workout videos, following in Linaโs footsteps but intent on maintaining creative control. And sheโs just as cool-headed and ambitious as her mother. They arenโt close, but theyโre cordialโas long as neither crosses the other.
But while Lina dismisses the death threats that Adrian starts getting as a routine part of her daughterโs growing celebrity, Adrian canโt help but find the vicious rhymes unsettling. Year after year, they keep arrivingโthe postmarks changing, but the menacing tone the same. They continue after she returns to Maryland and becomes reacquainted with Raylan, her childhood crush, all grown up and as gorgeously green-eyed as ever. Sometimes it even seems like the terrifying messages are indeed routine, like nothing will come of them. Until the murders start, and the escalation beginsโฆ
Biography
Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Shelter in Place, Year One, Come Sundown, and many more. She is also the author of the bestselling In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than five hundred million copies of her books in print.
My Review
The past haunts a family’s future…
A traumatic encounter with young Adrian’s father sends the family into protection mode.
Seven-year-old Adrian can barely comprehend the horror of her father’s attack, and though she’s surrounded by her loving grandparents, resentment for the mother who’s never there, builds. She decides to become an independent person; one who can never be hurt.
After years of hard work, Adrian is finally on the road to success, but fears from the past sneak up when a stalker endangers everything she’s worked so hard to build.
Though the story is promoted as a suspense-thriller, other than the opening chapters, I felt this area fell flat. What I did enjoy was the family dynamics. Adrian didn’t have the love and support of her mother when she needed it the most, but there is a time of healing which redeems the book in my eyes.
I love a good family saga and can recommend this as winner on that front.
โI voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.โ
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I love family saga! Too bad the thriller did not exactly deliver.
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I guess I’m used to her more exciting mystery series written as J. D. Robb. This is still a good read, though!
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I’m also a big fan of family sagas. I’ve had my eye on this book. Thanks for the review, Jacquie.
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Well worth the read, Jill ๐
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It’s sounds pretty good, Jacquie. I like family sagas. A great review!
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She’s an amazing writer. I wonder when she sleeps? lol
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LOL!. She’s Nora ๐
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I’m a fan of family drama. Always. That’s the part that would suck me in. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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There’s definitely drama with this family! lol
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JR Ward has a whiskey-related family drama saga, but I can’t remember the name of it. If I remember correctly, you like her BDB series, so I think you’d like that series, too. (It’s not nearly that long, though. Just a few books.)
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Yes, I remember reading the first two and then I let it slip- Bourbon something, I think?
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Sounds right. Gee, if only we had a searching-type device at our fingertips to look it up.
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I have the eARC of this as well Jacquie. Thatโs disappointing about the lack of suspense, but I love the characters Roberts comes up with so Iโm still looking forward to this.
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I enjoyed it, just not as much as her J. D. Robb books. I guess I’m spoiled, lol
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I LOVE her Eve & Roarke series!
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Me, too!!!
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Iโve got the eARC for the upcoming one, Forgotten In Death!
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I’m jealous! Is that through Netgalley?
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It is. I actually emailed St. Martinโs with my request and they sent me a widget via NG.
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Nice!
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Does Nora Roberts ever write anything that isn’t great?
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She’s one of a kind, for sure!
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I’ve always enjoyed a good family saga, Jacquie. Good review:)
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Some families have serious issues! lol
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Thanks for sharing your critical review Jacquie, I too like family sagas.
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I enjoy her J.D. Robb mystery series more, but this was a good read.
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Interesting thoughts on this mainstream’s author’s book, Jacquie. Thank you for sharing.
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Sheโs a talented writer!
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An interesting review of this book, Jacquie. I have read Nora Robert’s books before and found her to be a good writer.
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She is good- one of the best!
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