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Sanctuary
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a seductive and suspenseful novel of dangerous liaisons and family betrayals…
Photographer Jo Ellen Hathaway thought she'd escaped the house called Sanctuary long ago. She'd spent her loneliest years there, after the sudden, unexplained disappearance of her mother. Yet the sprawling inn on an island off the Georgia coast continues to haunt her dreams. And now, even more haunting are the pictures someone is sending her: strange close-ups and candids, culminating in the most shocking portrait of all—a photo of her mother—naked, beautiful, and dead.
Now Jo must return to the island, and to her bitterly estranged family. With the help of Nathan Delaney—who was on the island the summer her mother disappeared—Jo hopes to learn the truth about the tragic past. But Sanctuary may be the most dangerous place of all.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Photographer Jo Ellen Hathaway thought she'd escaped the house called Sanctuary long ago. She'd spent her loneliest years there, after the sudden, unexplained disappearance of her mother. Yet the sprawling inn on an island off the Georgia coast continues to haunt her dreams. And now, even more haunting are the pictures someone is sending her: strange close-ups and candids, culminating in the most shocking portrait of all—a photo of her mother—naked, beautiful, and dead.
Now Jo must return to the island, and to her bitterly estranged family. With the help of Nathan Delaney—who was on the island the summer her mother disappeared—Jo hopes to learn the truth about the tragic past. But Sanctuary may be the most dangerous place of all.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
506 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 17, 1997
1953 people are currently reading
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About the author
Nora Roberts
1,209 books59.6k followersNora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
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September 20, 2017
First things first: I'm sorry, Cyndi!!
Cyndi is my friend who loves Nora Roberts. Actually, I might have 1-starred this baby if not for my guilt over not liking this book.
Okay, now that that's done, let's dish about why I hated it!
First, we have Jo. She's a professional photographer who has a stalker, and goes back to her childhood home after the stalker drives her crazy in a literal sense. Here are some of our descriptions of what Jo looks like:
Tall & thin
Short, red, curly hair
Blue eyes
Pale skin
Long feet (they made a point of this)
Also, she smokes and wears baggy clothes.
So, here's what I have in my head:
Seriously, could we not make her sound even remotely attractive?
Jo goes home to an island where her family runs a bed and breakfast inn. They are all screwed up because the mother ran off when they were young and they never heard from her again. The brother is an ass, the sister is a slut that talks like the slutty woman in the Golden Girls, the father lives in his own world, and their cousin is the care-taker of everyone who has a major martyr thing going on. (Although the cousin was the most bearable character in the book.)
Hey, they already have the clown position covered!
Now, it just so happens that every single sibling is single and has a love-interest right there when we start the book. So, we have three love-stories going on simultaneously along with our stalker/murderer person after Jo-Jo the Clown. (Yes, I named her. It seemed like the right thing to do.) The problem is that none of these characters are all that likable except for the guy who loves the slutty sister. He's nice. An idiot, but a nice idiot.
Only the patsy takes that piece.
Jojo's love interest is Nathan. He kisses the slutty sister, and considers sleeping with her, but he'd rather have Jojo because she's "interesting".
Nathan to Jojo:
“Hmm. You’ve got very attractive feet. Long, narrow, an elegantly high instep."
Okay, he just confirmed my theory. Who the hell says something like this to a woman they are trying to woo? Also, are her feet really that long? They are apparently long enough to have the book mention it in her description, and then again have the love-interest point it out. Those must be some long-ass feet!
I see this in their future...
Now, Nathan seems a likable guy (at first), but he is on the island to tell Jo and her family about something horrifying that will change everything. And yet, he keeps putting it off and acting like they are old friends at a high school reunion. I don't want to spoil it, but it is the equivalent of a doctor who just realized you have terminal cancer and instead of telling you, he decides to spend the weekend with you water-skiing. He's eating your food, making jokes and having a jolly time, and flirting with your sister who will be devastated when she learns about your diagnosis. He acts like everything is perfectly fine and doesn't want to ruin his own fun by talking about that nasty cancer-thing. That would ruin the party! He might not get lucky if he does that! In other words, he's a selfish douche.
So, when you find out why Nathan is on the island in the first place, and then you remember how he has been acting the whole time, you have to wonder about this guy.
As for the stalker/killer? Well, it's kind of weird, but I had an idea go through my head very early in the book that ended up being true. I thought my idea was a little too soap-opera-ish, but I guess not.
Aside from all of that, I got bored a lot in the story. The whole book started with a dream sequence, which is basically a trigger for me. Don't tell me your fucking dream!! And, then it got into descriptiveness that was just too long. Followed by family angst that basically boiled down to a bunch of jerks being jerky to each other, and romances that were terrible for various reasons. It just didn't do it for me. I will still read Nora Roberts, but this one wasn't my cuppa.
Cyndi is my friend who loves Nora Roberts. Actually, I might have 1-starred this baby if not for my guilt over not liking this book.
Okay, now that that's done, let's dish about why I hated it!
First, we have Jo. She's a professional photographer who has a stalker, and goes back to her childhood home after the stalker drives her crazy in a literal sense. Here are some of our descriptions of what Jo looks like:
Tall & thin
Short, red, curly hair
Blue eyes
Pale skin
Long feet (they made a point of this)
Also, she smokes and wears baggy clothes.
So, here's what I have in my head:
Seriously, could we not make her sound even remotely attractive?
Jo goes home to an island where her family runs a bed and breakfast inn. They are all screwed up because the mother ran off when they were young and they never heard from her again. The brother is an ass, the sister is a slut that talks like the slutty woman in the Golden Girls, the father lives in his own world, and their cousin is the care-taker of everyone who has a major martyr thing going on. (Although the cousin was the most bearable character in the book.)
Hey, they already have the clown position covered!
Now, it just so happens that every single sibling is single and has a love-interest right there when we start the book. So, we have three love-stories going on simultaneously along with our stalker/murderer person after Jo-Jo the Clown. (Yes, I named her. It seemed like the right thing to do.) The problem is that none of these characters are all that likable except for the guy who loves the slutty sister. He's nice. An idiot, but a nice idiot.
Only the patsy takes that piece.
Jojo's love interest is Nathan. He kisses the slutty sister, and considers sleeping with her, but he'd rather have Jojo because she's "interesting".
Nathan to Jojo:
“Hmm. You’ve got very attractive feet. Long, narrow, an elegantly high instep."
Okay, he just confirmed my theory. Who the hell says something like this to a woman they are trying to woo? Also, are her feet really that long? They are apparently long enough to have the book mention it in her description, and then again have the love-interest point it out. Those must be some long-ass feet!
I see this in their future...
Now, Nathan seems a likable guy (at first), but he is on the island to tell Jo and her family about something horrifying that will change everything. And yet, he keeps putting it off and acting like they are old friends at a high school reunion. I don't want to spoil it, but it is the equivalent of a doctor who just realized you have terminal cancer and instead of telling you, he decides to spend the weekend with you water-skiing. He's eating your food, making jokes and having a jolly time, and flirting with your sister who will be devastated when she learns about your diagnosis. He acts like everything is perfectly fine and doesn't want to ruin his own fun by talking about that nasty cancer-thing. That would ruin the party! He might not get lucky if he does that! In other words, he's a selfish douche.
So, when you find out why Nathan is on the island in the first place, and then you remember how he has been acting the whole time, you have to wonder about this guy.
As for the stalker/killer? Well, it's kind of weird, but I had an idea go through my head very early in the book that ended up being true. I thought my idea was a little too soap-opera-ish, but I guess not.
Aside from all of that, I got bored a lot in the story. The whole book started with a dream sequence, which is basically a trigger for me. Don't tell me your fucking dream!! And, then it got into descriptiveness that was just too long. Followed by family angst that basically boiled down to a bunch of jerks being jerky to each other, and romances that were terrible for various reasons. It just didn't do it for me. I will still read Nora Roberts, but this one wasn't my cuppa.
September 13, 2017
With some books you have to take some time to digest it before you can talk about them, but with others the feelings come bursting out the second it's finished. That's how I feel about this book.
It is so amazing! There are strong characters, including the island, itself.
Sanctuary is an inn on a small island of the coast of the Carolinas. Twenty years ago a tragedy damaged the members of the Hathaway family in ways that have affected their whole lives.
Now the danger has returned. Will they survive?
The incomparable Nora has written an amazing stand alone novel! The sex scenes are ridiculously hot and the murders are written with the horror she gives the 'In Death' books. Excellent book!!
It is so amazing! There are strong characters, including the island, itself.
Sanctuary is an inn on a small island of the coast of the Carolinas. Twenty years ago a tragedy damaged the members of the Hathaway family in ways that have affected their whole lives.
Now the danger has returned. Will they survive?
The incomparable Nora has written an amazing stand alone novel! The sex scenes are ridiculously hot and the murders are written with the horror she gives the 'In Death' books. Excellent book!!
May 23, 2020
4.5 Start again stars!!
This is the story of the Hathaway family that live on a private island off the coast of the Carolinas. They run a holiday resort on the island that has been in the family for generations.
Twenty years ago something terrible happened to the Hathaway family and tore them apart, we get to go along with them as they try to come to terms with what happened to them and watch as the past comes back to haunt them.
There is more mystery and suspense in this one and I have to mention that the sex scenes are hotter than most of Nora’s books. I loved all the characters and how their bonds grew stronger as they dealt with their demons.
I enjoyed that this was about the whole family and we got little side stories for each member, although Jo was the ‘main’ character and I loved that she was a little wacky and flawed. I was a little disappointed in the ending, it seemed a little rushed or condensed. I would have liked to get more on what happened to the characters when all the drama was over.
A gripping tale of mystery, murder and suspense!
This is the story of the Hathaway family that live on a private island off the coast of the Carolinas. They run a holiday resort on the island that has been in the family for generations.
Twenty years ago something terrible happened to the Hathaway family and tore them apart, we get to go along with them as they try to come to terms with what happened to them and watch as the past comes back to haunt them.
There is more mystery and suspense in this one and I have to mention that the sex scenes are hotter than most of Nora’s books. I loved all the characters and how their bonds grew stronger as they dealt with their demons.
I enjoyed that this was about the whole family and we got little side stories for each member, although Jo was the ‘main’ character and I loved that she was a little wacky and flawed. I was a little disappointed in the ending, it seemed a little rushed or condensed. I would have liked to get more on what happened to the characters when all the drama was over.
A gripping tale of mystery, murder and suspense!
April 19, 2020
2.5 Stars (Rounded down)
I generally have a love/hate relationship with Nora Roberts. I either find her books absolutely wonderful, or I roll my eyes and inwardly cringe at how awful it is. This one, for once, was in the middle.
Jo is a famous photographer, haunted by the past when she used to live on an island on an estate called Sanctuary. 20 years ago her mother suddenly disappeared. No explanation. No word from her again. Everyone assumed she had run away. But Jo received some photographs of herself. Someone is stalking her. And among those photographs was the image of her mother, naked and most definitely dead. In an attempt to unravel the mystery, Jo returns to her childhood home and attempts to reconnect with the remainder of her estranged family.
I will cut this book some slack. It was written in 1997. Although the 90’s were amazingly awesome, they were filled with overt sexism and gender stereotypes. So before I chastise Ms. Roberts for betraying her own sex with the over-the-top damsel-in-distress roles where the woman gradually succumbs to the macho male hammering away at her reserves, I will remember that this was written in the ’90s.
I listened to the audio version and I must admit I enjoy a Southern drawl. And although the scenes where the character was thinking were extremely distracting because they turned into this echo sequence, it was still a lovely accent.
The writing was great, the romances were sweet, despite the sexism. But in the last quarter of the book I was just so over the stupid decisions the characters were making. I have complained about this in some of her other books, but the decisions are just cringe-worthy! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING THE HOUSE ALONE WHEN THERE IS A KILLER AFTER YOU?? Oh, that's right - because you are a mere female who thinks she must be overreacting. Sigh.
The ending was quite an anti-climax for me. It didn’t live up to the rest of the book. I figured out the “twist” right at the start, so there was no surprise in it for me. And some of the scenes just had violence and rape in it which seemed were there just for the hell of it. So, trigger warning!
Would I recommend this book?
It had some great moments, a little bit of humour, quite a lot of romance and some raunchy scenes. But overall it was a big MEH for me. If you are after a romantic suspense, you can do better!
I purchased Sanctuary at my own expense on audible.
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I generally have a love/hate relationship with Nora Roberts. I either find her books absolutely wonderful, or I roll my eyes and inwardly cringe at how awful it is. This one, for once, was in the middle.
Jo is a famous photographer, haunted by the past when she used to live on an island on an estate called Sanctuary. 20 years ago her mother suddenly disappeared. No explanation. No word from her again. Everyone assumed she had run away. But Jo received some photographs of herself. Someone is stalking her. And among those photographs was the image of her mother, naked and most definitely dead. In an attempt to unravel the mystery, Jo returns to her childhood home and attempts to reconnect with the remainder of her estranged family.
I will cut this book some slack. It was written in 1997. Although the 90’s were amazingly awesome, they were filled with overt sexism and gender stereotypes. So before I chastise Ms. Roberts for betraying her own sex with the over-the-top damsel-in-distress roles where the woman gradually succumbs to the macho male hammering away at her reserves, I will remember that this was written in the ’90s.
I listened to the audio version and I must admit I enjoy a Southern drawl. And although the scenes where the character was thinking were extremely distracting because they turned into this echo sequence, it was still a lovely accent.
The writing was great, the romances were sweet, despite the sexism. But in the last quarter of the book I was just so over the stupid decisions the characters were making. I have complained about this in some of her other books, but the decisions are just cringe-worthy! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING THE HOUSE ALONE WHEN THERE IS A KILLER AFTER YOU?? Oh, that's right - because you are a mere female who thinks she must be overreacting. Sigh.
The ending was quite an anti-climax for me. It didn’t live up to the rest of the book. I figured out the “twist” right at the start, so there was no surprise in it for me. And some of the scenes just had violence and rape in it which seemed were there just for the hell of it. So, trigger warning!
Would I recommend this book?
It had some great moments, a little bit of humour, quite a lot of romance and some raunchy scenes. But overall it was a big MEH for me. If you are after a romantic suspense, you can do better!
I purchased Sanctuary at my own expense on audible.
For more reviews check out my:
Blog
September 3, 2022
Listened to this one via Audible. Narrator was good - the only thing that really annoyed me was the way she voiced "Cousin Kate" who was 50 years old... She gave her an "old lady" voice - you'd think the character was 80! That was ridiculous (and since I am 47, slightly offensive for goodness sake! lol).
Good plot; several romances happening at once along with the MCs; interesting mystery... the only thing about that is I figured all of it out by the time I got about 1/4 into it so it was very predictable. Good overall story though - I would recommend.
Plot --- 4/5
Narration --- 4/5
Main Characters --- 4/5
Supporting Cast --- 4/5
Steam Level* --- 3.5/5
Violence --- there is a murderer in the story, and one of the murders & rapes is described pretty graphically, so potential trigger(s) warning there
Language --- some
POV --- 3rd
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
Good plot; several romances happening at once along with the MCs; interesting mystery... the only thing about that is I figured all of it out by the time I got about 1/4 into it so it was very predictable. Good overall story though - I would recommend.
Plot --- 4/5
Narration --- 4/5
Main Characters --- 4/5
Supporting Cast --- 4/5
Steam Level* --- 3.5/5
Violence --- there is a murderer in the story, and one of the murders & rapes is described pretty graphically, so potential trigger(s) warning there
Language --- some
POV --- 3rd
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
June 21, 2013
Ok. Fair enough- you don't expect a romance novel to change your life but this was just...bad.
Your loving mother disappears in the night? Don't worry about her- hate her! She must have run off. True, she never showed any signs of unhappiness or unfaithfulness, but you know women...
Your best friend disappears from a bonfire? When you check her house, nothing is missing and it's clear she never came back from said party?
Pshaw! No worries! She's probably not dead- she must have met a man and run off with him. Just like your mean mother.
Oh! They were actually murdered and didn't desert you after all?!? Who would have ever thought it? Well. How could you have know?
I'm glad I don't have to rely on these people for my well being.
And don't get me started on the male "hero".
I cringed though this for god knows what reason but I wouldn't recommend any one else does.
Your loving mother disappears in the night? Don't worry about her- hate her! She must have run off. True, she never showed any signs of unhappiness or unfaithfulness, but you know women...
Your best friend disappears from a bonfire? When you check her house, nothing is missing and it's clear she never came back from said party?
Pshaw! No worries! She's probably not dead- she must have met a man and run off with him. Just like your mean mother.
Oh! They were actually murdered and didn't desert you after all?!? Who would have ever thought it? Well. How could you have know?
I'm glad I don't have to rely on these people for my well being.
And don't get me started on the male "hero".
I cringed though this for god knows what reason but I wouldn't recommend any one else does.
July 9, 2022
3'5 Estrellas. Me ha gustado bastante, pero me han faltado cosas. La trama está muy bien planteada, tiene su suspense que te mantiene en vilo durante toda la novela, pero ha faltado algo para que sea más redonda.
Compré éste libro hace unos meses en una librería de segunda mano, por darme un empujón con los libros independientes de suspense de Nora Roberts, sé que "El Santuario" no es de los mejores, pero tiene su enjundia.
La historia de trasfondo es bastante dura y cruel y lo que más yuyu me ha estado dando durante toda su lectura.
Jo Ellen Hathaway es una joven fotógrafa de éxito, pero marcada por la desaparición de su madre cuando era niña. Jo nació en una isla llamada Desire, frente a la costa de Georgia, un lugar idílico donde su familia regentó la posada o el hotel de la localidad, para el disfrute de los veraneantes.
Durante las últimas semanas, Jo está recibiendo una serie de inquietantes fotografías, que culminarán con una de su madre muerta; hecho que le provoca un ataque de nervios y que necesite tomarse unas vacaciones. Así es como Jo volverá a Sanctuary, el hotel de su familia en Desire. Una familia que quedó rota con la desaparición de la madre.
En Desire conoceremos a Brian, el hermano mayor y cocinero del hotel, a Lexy, la hermana menor, una actriz frustrada que mira con envidia el éxito de su hermana, a Sam, el padre y dueño del hotel, y a la tía Kate, la encargada del mismo. Cada personaje tendrá su protagonismo en la novela y su propia historia de amor.
El problema, es que Jo pensaba encontrar respuestas en Desire sobre lo que le ocurrió a su madre, sin sospechar que allí también le acechará la misma persona que le ha enviado las fotos, y no descansará hasta hacer suya a Jo.
El reparto lo completará Nathan Delaney, el protagonista, un arquitecto de Nueva York que recientemente ha perdido a su familia, con un oscuro pasado y que necesita refugiarse una temporada en Sanctuary, el lugar donde su familia solía veranear.
Nuestros protagonistas se conocieron en la infancia, y no volvieron a verse hasta que se hicieron adultos. Pero ésta vez, Nathan, como hombre, se ha fijado en Jo e insistirá e insistirá hasta conseguir una cita con ella y mucho más.
Aunque el romance ha estado correcto me ha faltado algo más. Si yo fuese una persona a la que alguien está acechando y aterrorizando, lo que menos desearía es quedarme con un hombre a solas. Por esa parte, no me ha resultado una trama muy verosímil. Además, Nora Roberts ha dedicado a cada personaje principal una subtrama romántica, por lo que no sólo tendremos desarrollado el romance de Jo y Nathan.
En cuanto a la trama de suspense, a mitad de libro ya descubres lo que está pasando y falta algo de sorpresa. Ha estado bien, pero para mi gusto demasiado truculenta.
Aún así el libro se deja leer y no me ha aburrido, pero sí me gustaría leer más libros independientes de Nora Roberts en el futuro.
Compré éste libro hace unos meses en una librería de segunda mano, por darme un empujón con los libros independientes de suspense de Nora Roberts, sé que "El Santuario" no es de los mejores, pero tiene su enjundia.
La historia de trasfondo es bastante dura y cruel y lo que más yuyu me ha estado dando durante toda su lectura.
Jo Ellen Hathaway es una joven fotógrafa de éxito, pero marcada por la desaparición de su madre cuando era niña. Jo nació en una isla llamada Desire, frente a la costa de Georgia, un lugar idílico donde su familia regentó la posada o el hotel de la localidad, para el disfrute de los veraneantes.
Durante las últimas semanas, Jo está recibiendo una serie de inquietantes fotografías, que culminarán con una de su madre muerta; hecho que le provoca un ataque de nervios y que necesite tomarse unas vacaciones. Así es como Jo volverá a Sanctuary, el hotel de su familia en Desire. Una familia que quedó rota con la desaparición de la madre.
En Desire conoceremos a Brian, el hermano mayor y cocinero del hotel, a Lexy, la hermana menor, una actriz frustrada que mira con envidia el éxito de su hermana, a Sam, el padre y dueño del hotel, y a la tía Kate, la encargada del mismo. Cada personaje tendrá su protagonismo en la novela y su propia historia de amor.
El problema, es que Jo pensaba encontrar respuestas en Desire sobre lo que le ocurrió a su madre, sin sospechar que allí también le acechará la misma persona que le ha enviado las fotos, y no descansará hasta hacer suya a Jo.
El reparto lo completará Nathan Delaney, el protagonista, un arquitecto de Nueva York que recientemente ha perdido a su familia, con un oscuro pasado y que necesita refugiarse una temporada en Sanctuary, el lugar donde su familia solía veranear.
Nuestros protagonistas se conocieron en la infancia, y no volvieron a verse hasta que se hicieron adultos. Pero ésta vez, Nathan, como hombre, se ha fijado en Jo e insistirá e insistirá hasta conseguir una cita con ella y mucho más.
Aunque el romance ha estado correcto me ha faltado algo más. Si yo fuese una persona a la que alguien está acechando y aterrorizando, lo que menos desearía es quedarme con un hombre a solas. Por esa parte, no me ha resultado una trama muy verosímil. Además, Nora Roberts ha dedicado a cada personaje principal una subtrama romántica, por lo que no sólo tendremos desarrollado el romance de Jo y Nathan.
En cuanto a la trama de suspense, a mitad de libro ya descubres lo que está pasando y falta algo de sorpresa. Ha estado bien, pero para mi gusto demasiado truculenta.
Aún así el libro se deja leer y no me ha aburrido, pero sí me gustaría leer más libros independientes de Nora Roberts en el futuro.
April 29, 2019
Well "Sanctuary" was not that interesting in the end. I think this is one of Robert's earlier works in romantic suspense. We have three siblings (of course) and most of the book is following the as they act brand new about love and relationships.
"Sanctuary" mostly hones in on one of the three siblings, Jo Ellen, though is a successful photographer who returns to her home after getting sent a bunch of threatening photos. One of the photos is of her mother who her family has assumed ran away from them decades ago. Jo's brother, Brian, and Alexa (Lexie) are there still running her family's I guess it's a bed and breakfast? I am still baffled about that. There father has been absent from taking care of them after their mother left. Their mother's cousin Kate moved in to take care of them all and one gets real quick why she stayed.
I can't say much here. I didn't feel grabbed by any of the siblings. I loathed Lexie's romantic partner cause anyone manhandling me would be getting kicked hard somewhere. Jo's partner was fine until we get a reveal about him that had me shuddering and saying nope a thousand times. Brian was just acting like a jerk. Cousin Kate was the only one I could tolerate for more than five minutes.
I take it back, I don't really think I liked Jo's love interest cause at one point he thinks about messing around with Lexie. I think I am more appalled now considering since I finished the book I know what his connection to this family was, he's messed up. He kisses both sisters and gets involved with one knowing what he does. Bah. That's all I got.
I think my main issue with most of Roberts stand alone romantic suspense books is that they don't do a good job of juggling both genres. Reading about romance and then seguing into a man kidnapping and raping a woman in graphic details just turns me off. And the premise behind this one didn't even freaking work. I maybe said seriously a few times.
The writing was so-so and the flow was terrible. Jumping around not only the siblings, but cousin Kate, the three love interests, the father, and then getting the victims POV and then the bad guy's. It was too much. At one point I was wondering if we would also get the POV of any of the animals running around.
The setting of the island off Georgia seemed made up as hell. And everyone talking about the land made me roll my eyes. Okay, you are truly salt of the Earth cause land. They weren't even doing anything with it! How is running a bed and breakfast equivalent to being a farmer? Whatever.
The ending was ludicrous. I maybe laughed at one point and went well that's going to be awkward for future family reunions. I can't talk without spoiling, but this book jumped into straight soap opera material, and not in a good way.
"Sanctuary" mostly hones in on one of the three siblings, Jo Ellen, though is a successful photographer who returns to her home after getting sent a bunch of threatening photos. One of the photos is of her mother who her family has assumed ran away from them decades ago. Jo's brother, Brian, and Alexa (Lexie) are there still running her family's I guess it's a bed and breakfast? I am still baffled about that. There father has been absent from taking care of them after their mother left. Their mother's cousin Kate moved in to take care of them all and one gets real quick why she stayed.
I can't say much here. I didn't feel grabbed by any of the siblings. I loathed Lexie's romantic partner cause anyone manhandling me would be getting kicked hard somewhere. Jo's partner was fine until we get a reveal about him that had me shuddering and saying nope a thousand times. Brian was just acting like a jerk. Cousin Kate was the only one I could tolerate for more than five minutes.
I take it back, I don't really think I liked Jo's love interest cause at one point he thinks about messing around with Lexie. I think I am more appalled now considering since I finished the book I know what his connection to this family was, he's messed up. He kisses both sisters and gets involved with one knowing what he does. Bah. That's all I got.
I think my main issue with most of Roberts stand alone romantic suspense books is that they don't do a good job of juggling both genres. Reading about romance and then seguing into a man kidnapping and raping a woman in graphic details just turns me off. And the premise behind this one didn't even freaking work. I maybe said seriously a few times.
The writing was so-so and the flow was terrible. Jumping around not only the siblings, but cousin Kate, the three love interests, the father, and then getting the victims POV and then the bad guy's. It was too much. At one point I was wondering if we would also get the POV of any of the animals running around.
The setting of the island off Georgia seemed made up as hell. And everyone talking about the land made me roll my eyes. Okay, you are truly salt of the Earth cause land. They weren't even doing anything with it! How is running a bed and breakfast equivalent to being a farmer? Whatever.
The ending was ludicrous. I maybe laughed at one point and went well that's going to be awkward for future family reunions. I can't talk without spoiling, but this book jumped into straight soap opera material, and not in a good way.
June 28, 2024
There were SO many things I hated about this book…
-The descriptions (especially in the beginning of the book) were SO long that I got annoyed right when I first started reading this book… there’s no reason for writing descriptions for idk how many pages long!! While reading it, it just makes the author seem like she didn’t know how to write THE STORY ITSELF so she chose to put as many descriptions as she could to fill the pages and make the book longer!
-Sex, sex, sex, sex and again sex… (even mixed with some disturbing rape scenes that I even needed to skip)
-The story takes wayyy to long to start and drags on
-There were 3!!! Romance stories going on at the same time in this book and throughout a chapter, the author switches between the characters suddenly and it just confuses you so much. The writing style is really off here
Overall I couldn’t care at all about this book
-The descriptions (especially in the beginning of the book) were SO long that I got annoyed right when I first started reading this book… there’s no reason for writing descriptions for idk how many pages long!! While reading it, it just makes the author seem like she didn’t know how to write THE STORY ITSELF so she chose to put as many descriptions as she could to fill the pages and make the book longer!
-Sex, sex, sex, sex and again sex… (even mixed with some disturbing rape scenes that I even needed to skip)
-The story takes wayyy to long to start and drags on
-There were 3!!! Romance stories going on at the same time in this book and throughout a chapter, the author switches between the characters suddenly and it just confuses you so much. The writing style is really off here
Overall I couldn’t care at all about this book
November 20, 2017
This was slow and boring in comparison to some other Nora Roberts' novels. I also didn't feel any "bond" with the characters, and I didn't like how the story switched between different storylines and characters. I also didn't quite understand why the Hathaway family could so easily believe that the dissapearance of a loving wife and mother of three didn't have anything to do with some crime. They believed that she just walked out on them and resented her memory. That really didn't play right for me.
I recommend Virtue Falls by Christina Dodd instead!
I recommend Virtue Falls by Christina Dodd instead!
May 2, 2013
Summary
Photographer Jo Ellen Hathaway thought she'd escaped the house called Sanctuary long ago. She'd spent her loneliest years there, after the sudden, unexplained disappearance of her mother. Yet the sprawling inn off the Georgia coast continues to haunt her dreams. And now, even more haunting are the pictures someone is sending her: strange close-ups and candids, culminating in the most shocking portrait of all—a photo of her mother—naked, beautiful, and dead.
Now Jo must return to the island, and to her bitterly estranged family—and, with the help of one man, learn the truth about the tragic past. But Sanctuary may be the most dangerous place of all.
My thoughts
The disappearance of Annabelle Hathaway 20 years ago had a profound effect on her family. Her husband withdrew from the world and his children, who have never got over what they feel as being abandoned by their mother. The family is torn apart and has become strangers to each other.
I liked the three stories of the Hathaway siblings and how they finally discover the truth about their mother’s disappearance and each find their own HEA. Each story well developed and characters believable which had me rooting for the family.
The mystery and the sense of menace and evil could be felt throughout the story. I wasn’t exactly sure who the baddie was but not exactly surprised when revealed….and am I the only one who thought there was something puzzling or missing or explained about Jo Ellen’s assistant?????
My fav couple??? Griff & Alexa (Lexie) definitely. I found them so adorable and lovable and the bright light in this enjoyable story. They were so much fun to have around and so sweet..yes loved them totally. [image error]
Lexi & Griff on the beach...........
Photographer Jo Ellen Hathaway thought she'd escaped the house called Sanctuary long ago. She'd spent her loneliest years there, after the sudden, unexplained disappearance of her mother. Yet the sprawling inn off the Georgia coast continues to haunt her dreams. And now, even more haunting are the pictures someone is sending her: strange close-ups and candids, culminating in the most shocking portrait of all—a photo of her mother—naked, beautiful, and dead.
Now Jo must return to the island, and to her bitterly estranged family—and, with the help of one man, learn the truth about the tragic past. But Sanctuary may be the most dangerous place of all.
My thoughts
The disappearance of Annabelle Hathaway 20 years ago had a profound effect on her family. Her husband withdrew from the world and his children, who have never got over what they feel as being abandoned by their mother. The family is torn apart and has become strangers to each other.
I liked the three stories of the Hathaway siblings and how they finally discover the truth about their mother’s disappearance and each find their own HEA. Each story well developed and characters believable which had me rooting for the family.
The mystery and the sense of menace and evil could be felt throughout the story. I wasn’t exactly sure who the baddie was but not exactly surprised when revealed….and am I the only one who thought there was something puzzling or missing or explained about Jo Ellen’s assistant?????
My fav couple??? Griff & Alexa (Lexie) definitely. I found them so adorable and lovable and the bright light in this enjoyable story. They were so much fun to have around and so sweet..yes loved them totally. [image error]
Lexi & Griff on the beach...........
September 20, 2017
- Your mother suddenly disappears and you just assume that she has abandoned your family? You never report it or look more closely into it, for real?
- Your friend suddenly disappears and you find it strange but do not do anything about it, seriously?
- Why Nora Roberts LOVES putting a character of a slutty sister in almost every book? I can name dozens of her books with such a character. This one (Leslie) was slutty and annoying just like any other.
- Nathan almost fucks Jo's sister (Leslie), but manages to stop in time, and that makes it okay? Would you like to be with a man who gets a boner around your younger sister? I wouldn't think so.
- Brian seemed like a nice guy until I realized he is just one of those assholes who like to annoy women and push them off until they make them cry and suffer only because they are insecure and when they succeed in that, only then they are able to announce their "huge" love. Bitch please.
- When it comes to the mystery/crime part, I must admit that it was kinda.... creepy and interesting, even though it left a pretty bad taste in my mouth.
- Your friend suddenly disappears and you find it strange but do not do anything about it, seriously?
- Why Nora Roberts LOVES putting a character of a slutty sister in almost every book? I can name dozens of her books with such a character. This one (Leslie) was slutty and annoying just like any other.
- Nathan almost fucks Jo's sister (Leslie), but manages to stop in time, and that makes it okay? Would you like to be with a man who gets a boner around your younger sister? I wouldn't think so.
- Brian seemed like a nice guy until I realized he is just one of those assholes who like to annoy women and push them off until they make them cry and suffer only because they are insecure and when they succeed in that, only then they are able to announce their "huge" love. Bitch please.
- When it comes to the mystery/crime part, I must admit that it was kinda.... creepy and interesting, even though it left a pretty bad taste in my mouth.
July 6, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ “ La soledad es un misterio que ofrece numerosas posibilidades.”
Por esta autora fue que conocí el género romance hace muchos años y cómo tenía tiempo sin leer nada de ella, quise leer a ver qué tal.
Jo Ellen es una fotógrafa profesional que trata de luchar en la vida escapando del pasado. Un día recibe fotos de un desconocido en la que reconoce a su madre, quien desapareció hace más de 20 años.
Perturbada, Jo Ellen decide regresar a su hogar de infancia en busca de tranquilidad. Sin embargo, cosas extrañas pasan preocupándola a ella y a su familia.
El libro me gustó mucho al principio y también el misterio que envuelve a Jo y la desaparición de su madre. También me agradó como Jo Ellen, su padre y sus hermanos de tener una relación nula vuelven a unirse con la llegada de la joven a la isla.
El romance de la pareja protagonista estuvo bien, lo que no me gustó fue como todas las demás parejas se amaron de un día para otro.
“ Dar las gracias a alguien por lo que has llegado a ser en la vida es lo mismo que culpar a alguien por lo que no has conseguido. Todos somos responsables de nuestro destino.”
Por esta autora fue que conocí el género romance hace muchos años y cómo tenía tiempo sin leer nada de ella, quise leer a ver qué tal.
Jo Ellen es una fotógrafa profesional que trata de luchar en la vida escapando del pasado. Un día recibe fotos de un desconocido en la que reconoce a su madre, quien desapareció hace más de 20 años.
Perturbada, Jo Ellen decide regresar a su hogar de infancia en busca de tranquilidad. Sin embargo, cosas extrañas pasan preocupándola a ella y a su familia.
El libro me gustó mucho al principio y también el misterio que envuelve a Jo y la desaparición de su madre. También me agradó como Jo Ellen, su padre y sus hermanos de tener una relación nula vuelven a unirse con la llegada de la joven a la isla.
El romance de la pareja protagonista estuvo bien, lo que no me gustó fue como todas las demás parejas se amaron de un día para otro.
“ Dar las gracias a alguien por lo que has llegado a ser en la vida es lo mismo que culpar a alguien por lo que no has conseguido. Todos somos responsables de nuestro destino.”
February 2, 2022
* 5 Stars *
MF-Romance, Suspense, Med-Angst, Low-Med Heat, 1997 Nora Roberts
Ah, How I love Nora Roberts's earlier work, seriously good. I still remember sneaking them out from my mother's romance stash under her bed and staying up all night devouring every single one of her books when I was way too young to be reading such things.
Nobody writers like her, seriously, in Sancturary she had four romances going on simultaneously! Who can do that and still make you feel connected to the main character? Also, the mystery/suspense aspect was this perfect ominous cloud for most of the story until the shocking unveiling—a fabulous, nostalgic read.
MF-Romance, Suspense, Med-Angst, Low-Med Heat, 1997 Nora Roberts
Ah, How I love Nora Roberts's earlier work, seriously good. I still remember sneaking them out from my mother's romance stash under her bed and staying up all night devouring every single one of her books when I was way too young to be reading such things.
Nobody writers like her, seriously, in Sancturary she had four romances going on simultaneously! Who can do that and still make you feel connected to the main character? Also, the mystery/suspense aspect was this perfect ominous cloud for most of the story until the shocking unveiling—a fabulous, nostalgic read.
June 18, 2018
4 stars - Dutch paperback - I have dyslexia -
I read this book while laying in hospital. I was having my first child, Yasmine, and because of high bloodpresure needed bedrest. This novel took me to another world without thinking of the problems every time. Beautiful family saga with some mystery by anonymous sent photos. 🍀🌷🦋🌹
I read this book while laying in hospital. I was having my first child, Yasmine, and because of high bloodpresure needed bedrest. This novel took me to another world without thinking of the problems every time. Beautiful family saga with some mystery by anonymous sent photos. 🍀🌷🦋🌹
July 2, 2017
**********SPOILERS**********************
Kind of disappointed. The storyline itself was interesting enough, although, like others have said, the "perpetrator" is not difficult to guess after a while. What made this book go all the way down to 2 stars for me:
1) So Nate KNOWS full well his dad raped and killed Jo's, Brian's and Lexi's mom and yet, the way he acts around them is so breezy and comfortable and he even starts (casually, at first) flirting with Jo. It's so unnatural and unrealistic!! He only gets heart palpitations whenever someone specifically mentions Annabelle. I mean...if I had discovered that my parent killed someone else's parent, I'd be eaten up with guilt ALL the time. I may force myself into making conversation with them because I'd gone there to eventually come clean, but I sure as hell wouldn't act all breezy and make myself at home in their home because I'd feel so guilty. And I would go out of my way to avoid any sort of romantic entanglement. Not only did Nate not avoid it, HE pursued and pushed it. And there was so many weird statements about how he wanted to "make the trouble in Jo disappear"....how much more traumatised would she be when she later got to know that the man she was involved with KNEW his dad killed her mom? I found Nate's behaviour just baffling....And as for Jo, no matter HOW MUCH I had fallen in love with a guy, after I got to know that his dad killed my mom, I couldn't be with him. It's not making the son pay for the father's sins or whatever, just that I couldn't live with that daily reminder. And I don't think I'm unusual in feeling that way.
2)Second was the fact that, except for Cousin Kate, I found it very hard to like ANY of the characters. It's not like I'm looking for purely bubbly and perky characters. But every single character of some importance in this was so surly and rude and just downright bad tempered. Kirby was ok in that aspect. Another thing which I found annoying (not to mention unbelievable) everyone was in love with someone or hitting on someone. And EVERY person was in love with or hitting on someone who had clearly and many times, expressed complete disinterest. Are all these people commitment phobes who become obsessed only with emotionally unavailable people? Do they have zero self respect and self esteem? Now I get it that because of the traumatic events that have occurred, that IS exactly what they are- an emotionally unhealthy bunch. My dislike is because this is portrayed, not as what it IS which is mentally unhealthy, but as "romantic" and "challenging". Sigh....
3) Nate takes pics of Jo just after having sex, naked. Not only does he do this without asking her first, he continues to do this after she has repeatedly told him to stop. And he does this KNOWING that she suffered a nervous breakdown as a result of someone stalking her and taking her pictures without her knowledge. Nate doesn't seem to really care about Jo at all. He just selfishly takes what he wants.
All in all, was a very dreary and colourless and VERY unrealistic book. Very different from Nora Roberts' usual warm books. Even with serial killers and rapists NR's books still have this warmth to them which I love, not this one I'm afraid.
May 30, 2012
Didn't care for this book all that much. I liked the plot and the main idea for the story. And I really like the mystery of it. But for one thing, it was a little too easy to figure out. A little too much Criminal Minds, I guess, but I picked up on who the stalker/murderer was pretty easily. Also, the characters were really annoying. They can't decide what they want, who they want. and they're constantly yelling or telling each other off. I understand that that is kind of what the story is about, but it got old after so much of their bad attitudes.
There was way too much language. I don't like hearing a curse word every other word in a movie, why would I want to read it in a book either? There's no reason for it, and I don't want to pointlessly have these words going into my brain every other line of the page. Also, WAY too much sex. Sorry, but you can totally tell a woman wrote this book. Yeah, when a male writer writes a love story, there is sex. But it is not explained in detail. In Nicholas Sparks' novels, I've yet to find much more than "and they made love". That's it. No further explanation, I think we get it. And I love that. Men don't go into detail. Apparently female writers do, and feel the need to because of some fantasy or whatever. I can handle maybe one detailed love scene in a book, but please, I'd rather not read it every other chapter.
I really liked the end of this book, which is probably the only plus I can really say about it. It was alright overall, but I'd only give it two stars. It just isn't my kind of story.
There was way too much language. I don't like hearing a curse word every other word in a movie, why would I want to read it in a book either? There's no reason for it, and I don't want to pointlessly have these words going into my brain every other line of the page. Also, WAY too much sex. Sorry, but you can totally tell a woman wrote this book. Yeah, when a male writer writes a love story, there is sex. But it is not explained in detail. In Nicholas Sparks' novels, I've yet to find much more than "and they made love". That's it. No further explanation, I think we get it. And I love that. Men don't go into detail. Apparently female writers do, and feel the need to because of some fantasy or whatever. I can handle maybe one detailed love scene in a book, but please, I'd rather not read it every other chapter.
I really liked the end of this book, which is probably the only plus I can really say about it. It was alright overall, but I'd only give it two stars. It just isn't my kind of story.
January 29, 2025
I would have given it a solid four stars if it wasn't so repeatable in the description of the island's trees and flowers. I'm sorry, but it was too much for me!
Nora Roberts does an exceptionally good work with the character development of the family who experienced a tragic loss that made them emotionally to close up.
For every one of them, there's a catalyst that makes them re-evaluate the choices and his way of life and the path they want for their future.
Even though it starts in quite an intriguing way, the pace slows down after Jo returns to her childhood home since the other characters must be introduced, and a description must be made of the setting.
After that, various incidents and the growing romance make the story easy to read!
Even though I felt sorry, and most of the time I liked Jo and her siblings sometimes, especially Lexy, frustrated me!
As a round up, it's a good romantic story with enough intrigue, especially in the last chapters with a hurricane hitting the island!
Nora Roberts does an exceptionally good work with the character development of the family who experienced a tragic loss that made them emotionally to close up.
For every one of them, there's a catalyst that makes them re-evaluate the choices and his way of life and the path they want for their future.
Even though it starts in quite an intriguing way, the pace slows down after Jo returns to her childhood home since the other characters must be introduced, and a description must be made of the setting.
After that, various incidents and the growing romance make the story easy to read!
Even though I felt sorry, and most of the time I liked Jo and her siblings sometimes, especially Lexy, frustrated me!
As a round up, it's a good romantic story with enough intrigue, especially in the last chapters with a hurricane hitting the island!
July 19, 2017
Jo Ellen Hathaway left her home on Desire Island, a private resort off the Georgia coast, two years ago. She's now living in Charlotte, North Carolina but travels the world as a successful photographer. Jo recently began receiving odd photographs of her, close-ups that point to someone having followed her to many locations. She becomes haunted by them and hits her wall when she receives one that appears to be of her mother Annabelle, dead, and who disappeared 20 years ago. Jo returns home to the house called Sanctuary, to restore herself and hopefully put her demons to rest.
When Jo's mother disappeared, her father shut down and left the care of her, her older brother Brian and younger sister Lexy, to her Aunt Kate. Calling this family dysfunctional is an understatement. When Nathan Delaney arrives at the island where he spent a memorable summer the year Annabelle disappeared, he is immediately drawn to Jo and is determined to tear down her emotional barriers and forge a relationship. It also becomes apparent that the person stalking Jo has followed her to the island.
I enjoyed this story but it took me about 100 pages to get interested. There was a bit too much descriptive detail about the setting of Sanctuary, bogging it down and detracting from the really interesting characters of the story. Maybe this was done because the main character was a photographer and it was important to create visual interest for her subjects but it bored me silly. Once I got past the initial staging, I fell for the characters...the distant brother, the dramatic younger sister, the lovely and well-meaning doctor, Kirby who is crushing on Brian and the childhood friend who has always had a crush on Lexy. There were three romances in play and that was a real treat. I guessed the answer to the mystery pretty early on, which took some of the zing out of the suspense but didn't lessen my enjoyment.
I'm rating the book 3.5 stars because the beginning was just too long and the impetus behind Annabelle's disappearance was a bit flawed in my opinion. Still, I enjoyed the book but would recommend some serious skimming of the beginning if you're not into reading about the topography of a southern resort.
When Jo's mother disappeared, her father shut down and left the care of her, her older brother Brian and younger sister Lexy, to her Aunt Kate. Calling this family dysfunctional is an understatement. When Nathan Delaney arrives at the island where he spent a memorable summer the year Annabelle disappeared, he is immediately drawn to Jo and is determined to tear down her emotional barriers and forge a relationship. It also becomes apparent that the person stalking Jo has followed her to the island.
I enjoyed this story but it took me about 100 pages to get interested. There was a bit too much descriptive detail about the setting of Sanctuary, bogging it down and detracting from the really interesting characters of the story. Maybe this was done because the main character was a photographer and it was important to create visual interest for her subjects but it bored me silly. Once I got past the initial staging, I fell for the characters...the distant brother, the dramatic younger sister, the lovely and well-meaning doctor, Kirby who is crushing on Brian and the childhood friend who has always had a crush on Lexy. There were three romances in play and that was a real treat. I guessed the answer to the mystery pretty early on, which took some of the zing out of the suspense but didn't lessen my enjoyment.
I'm rating the book 3.5 stars because the beginning was just too long and the impetus behind Annabelle's disappearance was a bit flawed in my opinion. Still, I enjoyed the book but would recommend some serious skimming of the beginning if you're not into reading about the topography of a southern resort.
April 16, 2018
There were parts of this book that were great, but overall, it just wasn't up to what you expect a Nora Roberts' book to be, even an older one. We have another of her threefers, three romances in one book. I really like this approach and the three romances in this book are just great. They are not the problem. The biggest problem is the dismal, lackluster, predictable plot. You could spot the baddie about 30% into the book.
Jo Ellen Hathaway is a world famous photographer who has had a complete melt down. Some bozo had been sending her weird pictures, basically, stalking her. When she pulls herself together she heads home to the family inn, Sanctuary, on the island of Desire off the Georgia coast. This place is definitely not a Sanctuary for any of the people living there. Jo's family was rocked by the disappearance of her mother 20 years ago and has never recovered. In addition to Jo there is older brother Brian, younger sister Lexie, father Sam and second cousin Kate, who has basically held the family together since the disappearance of Annabelle.
Also returned to the island is Nathan, who was a pal of Brian's the summer Annabelle went missing. He is back for some mysterious reason and is instantly taken with Jo, who couldn't care less. Jo has her own problems and the family is such that heartfelt sharing and caring, well, is just doesn't happen. Nathan chips away at Jo's stonewall defenses while stoic Brian falls for the island doctor, Kirby and wanna be actress sister Lexie gets busy with childhood friend, Giff. Ahhh, love. Until two women disappear and Nathan can no longer hold onto his secret.
Jo Ellen Hathaway is a world famous photographer who has had a complete melt down. Some bozo had been sending her weird pictures, basically, stalking her. When she pulls herself together she heads home to the family inn, Sanctuary, on the island of Desire off the Georgia coast. This place is definitely not a Sanctuary for any of the people living there. Jo's family was rocked by the disappearance of her mother 20 years ago and has never recovered. In addition to Jo there is older brother Brian, younger sister Lexie, father Sam and second cousin Kate, who has basically held the family together since the disappearance of Annabelle.
Also returned to the island is Nathan, who was a pal of Brian's the summer Annabelle went missing. He is back for some mysterious reason and is instantly taken with Jo, who couldn't care less. Jo has her own problems and the family is such that heartfelt sharing and caring, well, is just doesn't happen. Nathan chips away at Jo's stonewall defenses while stoic Brian falls for the island doctor, Kirby and wanna be actress sister Lexie gets busy with childhood friend, Giff. Ahhh, love. Until two women disappear and Nathan can no longer hold onto his secret.
February 6, 2021
I asked for Sanctuary for Christmas this year. My well intentioned hubby bought me this book rather than Sanctuary by V.V. James. I'm hit or miss with Nora Roberts but I do like the J.D. Robb In Death series. With some hesitation, I figured I'd go ahead and read this book. Oh, how I regret my decision. I really need to learn how to simply walk away from a book. I didn't. I read all 4oo plus pages of it, hoping it would get better. It just seemed to get worse and worse with each passing page.
Quick cut to the chase. Jo Ellen had her mother disappear without a trace when she was quite young. No one was ever sure what exactly happened to her but it was suspected that she found a man and simply took off. Now, many years later, Jo receives an envelope of pictures and one of them is of her dead mother. Jo breaks down and eventually makes her way back to Sanctuary, her home.
Well, that sounds like a pretty good plot. Lots of potential. Oh but no. Let's see. Tons of family drama. The 3 siblings can't get along and their father doesn't seem to say much of anything because apparently the only thing he loves is the island they live on. Then there's cousin Kate. She's always there to try to smooth things over but just ends up being annoying. Sister Lexi is an entitled, spoiled brat who uses sexuality to get what she wants. If that fails, she throws temper tantrums or pouts. Brother Brian is bossy and judgmental. So as far as characters go, these ones are pretty terrible.
Ok though, back to the plot. There's a murderer on the loose. No matter. The girls still walk alone in the woods and trust every man they come into contact with. Heck, Jo has a stalker and doesn't even tell anyone for most of the book. Even when she gets locked in a men's restroom, it's chalked up to kids playing pranks.
My favorite (read sarcasm here) parts:
Friend Ginny goes missing. What's the reaction? She's so selfish. She's probably at Disneyland laughing on the rides. Maybe she's hurt. Wait what? Pick a male and a female character to insert here. Ginny is missing. That's okay. Let's just have sex. We can worry about it later.
Another woman goes missing. She must have drowned. More sexual tension between characters occurs and distracts from the story once again. Quite honestly, they're not even good sex scenes. It's a lot of Twilight Edward and Bella nonsense. You know what I mean? Typical dialogue goes something like, I hate you. No, you don't. I never want to see you again. Just admit you have to have me. Oh I do. They have sex and then drone on and on about why they can't be a couple. Blah, blah, blah...
My most favorite by far however is (drum roll please) - when Brian gets mad at his sisters and threatens to put them over his knee!!!! Way too much yuck factor.
Definitely a Nora Roberts miss for me.
Quick cut to the chase. Jo Ellen had her mother disappear without a trace when she was quite young. No one was ever sure what exactly happened to her but it was suspected that she found a man and simply took off. Now, many years later, Jo receives an envelope of pictures and one of them is of her dead mother. Jo breaks down and eventually makes her way back to Sanctuary, her home.
Well, that sounds like a pretty good plot. Lots of potential. Oh but no. Let's see. Tons of family drama. The 3 siblings can't get along and their father doesn't seem to say much of anything because apparently the only thing he loves is the island they live on. Then there's cousin Kate. She's always there to try to smooth things over but just ends up being annoying. Sister Lexi is an entitled, spoiled brat who uses sexuality to get what she wants. If that fails, she throws temper tantrums or pouts. Brother Brian is bossy and judgmental. So as far as characters go, these ones are pretty terrible.
Ok though, back to the plot. There's a murderer on the loose. No matter. The girls still walk alone in the woods and trust every man they come into contact with. Heck, Jo has a stalker and doesn't even tell anyone for most of the book. Even when she gets locked in a men's restroom, it's chalked up to kids playing pranks.
My favorite (read sarcasm here) parts:
Friend Ginny goes missing. What's the reaction? She's so selfish. She's probably at Disneyland laughing on the rides. Maybe she's hurt. Wait what? Pick a male and a female character to insert here. Ginny is missing. That's okay. Let's just have sex. We can worry about it later.
Another woman goes missing. She must have drowned. More sexual tension between characters occurs and distracts from the story once again. Quite honestly, they're not even good sex scenes. It's a lot of Twilight Edward and Bella nonsense. You know what I mean? Typical dialogue goes something like, I hate you. No, you don't. I never want to see you again. Just admit you have to have me. Oh I do. They have sex and then drone on and on about why they can't be a couple. Blah, blah, blah...
My most favorite by far however is (drum roll please) - when Brian gets mad at his sisters and threatens to put them over his knee!!!! Way too much yuck factor.
Definitely a Nora Roberts miss for me.
October 17, 2024
Romantiek, familie, spanning en Nora Roberts. Genoten van dit verhaal.
November 20, 2019
This was my first book of Nora Roberts that I have read and it will definitely not be the last!
Sanctuary was gripping, suspenseful, entertaining and it had me interested all the way through.
This story follows a family that was torn apart by a tragedy that happened twenty yeas ago. Jo Ellen, who is a photographer, left her family home on the island called Sanctuary and moved to New York. However, she gets sent some pictures by an anonymous person and what those photos contain will turn her world upside down. This leads to her going back home to be with her family and to escape her nightmare. Little does she know though that this nightmare will follow her to Sanctuary and things are only going to get worse from there onwards...
Sanctuary had a lot of things that I love in a book.
Great relationships, flawed characters, a murder mystery, beautiful writing, strong female leads and of course, some good sex scenes.
Also, being a photographer myself, I absolutely loved how much photography was throughout this book.
I went into this with not many thoughts and expectations but it really did shock me with how much I loved it.
It was a great mix of thrill, romance, suspense, family drama, entertainment and well thought out characters.
Sanctuary was gripping, suspenseful, entertaining and it had me interested all the way through.
This story follows a family that was torn apart by a tragedy that happened twenty yeas ago. Jo Ellen, who is a photographer, left her family home on the island called Sanctuary and moved to New York. However, she gets sent some pictures by an anonymous person and what those photos contain will turn her world upside down. This leads to her going back home to be with her family and to escape her nightmare. Little does she know though that this nightmare will follow her to Sanctuary and things are only going to get worse from there onwards...
Sanctuary had a lot of things that I love in a book.
Great relationships, flawed characters, a murder mystery, beautiful writing, strong female leads and of course, some good sex scenes.
Also, being a photographer myself, I absolutely loved how much photography was throughout this book.
I went into this with not many thoughts and expectations but it really did shock me with how much I loved it.
It was a great mix of thrill, romance, suspense, family drama, entertainment and well thought out characters.
July 30, 2009
I was in the mood for a murder mystery when I bought this book a few weeks ago. I have read one Nora Roberts in the past (Midnight Bayou) which I really liked. Strangely enough, it was the ONLY one of her books I liked. The very first sentence in this book reminded me too much of DuMaurier's "Rebecca", for a start; a little unoriginal. Then I stumbled across the name of the fictional island in the story - "Lost Desire" - and I just knew this was going to be one heck of a cheesy ride. If you love over-the-top sex scenes (and let's face it, nobody in the real world would have sex like these people), an island full of beautiful people (talk about unrealistic) and something which doesn't require a lot of thinking to read then this is for you. By the time it got to the point where the killer was revealed, I'd past caring about "whodunnit". Perhaps that was due to the fact that this book was more than 400 pages long. TOO long. It's basically "Dallas" with sand, pretty little cottages and pine trees.
October 4, 2009
Here's another longer NR book that tries to develop three different romances in the same book, and again, I'd rather she stuck to one per book. I feel like she didn't do the main romance justice.
And there was just a little too much nastiness in this one, rapes and murders, and...
*spoiler here*
*stop reading if you don't want to know whodunit.*
... the really evil sociopaths were the father and brother of our hero. Didn't like that much.
And there was just a little too much nastiness in this one, rapes and murders, and...
*spoiler here*
*stop reading if you don't want to know whodunit.*
... the really evil sociopaths were the father and brother of our hero. Didn't like that much.
January 25, 2025
5 stars for realism. I love this book. I pick it up every few years and reread it. I now have it on audiobook which makes it even more fantastic. Until I read The Obsession this was my favorite Roberts novel, now they are tied!
September 6, 2021
Classic Nora Robert’s - hard to put down. Enjoyed it thoroughly although I do feel like I guessed the killer quite early on!
February 24, 2021
Recommended and loaned to me by a work colleague, I soon realised that this is not my kind of read! First, I hate chick lit with it’s convenient mutual attraction romances, & loath the typical sex scenes (I don’t need the sensationalising of sex, I can use my imagination!) . Second - I knew who the baddy was way before the reveal, and third, the story lacks any significant insight into the motivation for the much, much earlier death.
Dreadful book and I won’t be reading anything else by this writer.
Dreadful book and I won’t be reading anything else by this writer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2025
DNF
I made it to about 80% of this audio before I decided to stop because I wanted to read something else. I am just to a fan of Nora's southern settings, and the plot was just too slow for this one, which the romance moved so fast. I needed the suspense to have more pull throughout the whole book instead of waiting until the end for all of the interest twists and reveals. This would have been a 3 star read if I finished! I wanted so much more to the heroine's backstory and a more engagement plot.
I made it to about 80% of this audio before I decided to stop because I wanted to read something else. I am just to a fan of Nora's southern settings, and the plot was just too slow for this one, which the romance moved so fast. I needed the suspense to have more pull throughout the whole book instead of waiting until the end for all of the interest twists and reveals. This would have been a 3 star read if I finished! I wanted so much more to the heroine's backstory and a more engagement plot.
February 26, 2024
OK wow when I read a Nora book from 1997 and think about her more recent stuff...
whew
https://www.frowl.org/worstbestseller...
whew
https://www.frowl.org/worstbestseller...
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