It is all about

Blurb:

Naomi Carson is a survivor.  As a child, her family was torn apart by a shocking crime.  It could have destroyed her, but Naomi has grown up strong, with a passion for photography that has taken her all around the world.

Now, at last, she has decided to put down roots.  The beautiful old house on Point Bluff needs work, but Naomi had new friends in town who are willing to help, including Xander Keaton - gorgeous, infuriating and determined to win her heart. 

But as Naomi plans for the future, her past is catching up with her.  Someone in town knows her terrifying secret - and won't let her forget it.  As her new home is rocked by violence, Naomi must discover her persecutor's identity, before it's too late.

Book Club Review:

Reading a Nora Roberts novel is like speaking to a friend you have not seen for years and it being like you saw them yesterday.  Such is with this novel.  I went through a spate of reading Nora Roberts books and then took a break.  I picked this one up as it my book club’s choice for the month and it was just like that; meeting an old friend or snuggling up with a cup of tea in front of a fire on a winter’s day.

As one would expect from one of Nora’s books the plot was engaging, well-paced and beautifully executed.  The characters were well-rounded, beautifully written, and complex with their lives entwined as is the case for those who grew up and live in a small town.  Nora pays as much attention to her secondary characters as she does to her primary characters making her readers all in love with everyone; and the town within which they reside.

This book was listed as romance/suspense, yet the first few chapters are hard hitting and unsettling to say the least.  The tone is hopeful although the happenings are scary and sinister.  The novel does not concentrate on the doer but rather the aftermath and how it affects the family.  And instantly one wants the best for Naomi and her brother, Mason.

The book then jumps forward to a teenager Naomi and then again to an adult Naomi.  Which suits the story really well and through it all you get to know these complex intriguing characters at different points in their life (some more so than others – I personally would have loved to have more of Mason (perhaps he will get his own book?)).

The romance part is well done and features reader’s eye candy.  Someone figures out Naomi’s past but waits until she is ready to reveal it to him.  He (the eye candy) even gets her to adopt a dog!  How great is he?!  All in all the romance and the thriller parts were well balanced.

I did figure out who the antagonist was but this was towards the end of the book as her brother was tracing Naomi’s moments.  And as it turned out I was correct.  I don’t usually guess ‘Who did it’, but the excellent writing and clues did help this time.

Sometimes authors who have written as many books as Nora Roberts get to write to a formula and their books start to feel the same.  This is not the case with Nora.  She usually writes trilogies but this is a one off – well I do hope Mason gets his own book (but that is my psychological mystery bent coming out!).

My only complaint was that the book finished too quickly.  I would have loved to have seen more interaction with Mason and the killer and (as I have said before) it is my fervent hope that a further book (or two) will be written about Mason.

If you love Nora Roberts and some suspense with your romance you will love this book.

We read this for my Book club and I rate it 4 stars.