Αυτόπτης μάρτυρας

by Nora Roberts, Ιφιγένεια Αναστασίου (Translator)

Η εφηβική επανάσταση της Ελίζαμπεθ Φιτς ξεκίνησε με ένα άρωμα, ένα ψαλίδι κι ένα πλαστό δίπλωμα οδήγησης. Και έληξε με αίμα...

Αντιδρώντας στην καταπίεση και την αυταρχική συμπεριφορά της μητέρας της, η Ελίζαμπεθ ξέσπασε στο ποτό κατά τη διάρκεια μιας βραδινής εξόδου και ενέδωσε στη γοητεία ενός μυστηριώδους άντρα. Ήταν μια νύχτα που άλλαξε τη ζωή της για πάντα...
Δώδεκα χρόνια αργότερα, η Ελίζαμπεθ έχει υιοθετήσει μια νέα ταυτότητα και ζει στα περίχωρα μιας μικρής κωμόπολης. Σε πλήρη απομόνωση από την κοινωνία, εργάζεται από το σπίτι ως προγραμματίστρια με ειδίκευση στα συστήματα ασφαλείας. Η απόλυτη έλλειψη κοινωνικοποίησης της Ελίζαμπεθ προκαλεί το ενδιαφέρον του αστυνομικού Μπρουκς Γκλίσον, που φτάνει στο συμπέρασμα ότι η κοπέλα με το τετράγωνο μυαλό και την παγερή αδιαφορία για κάθε λογής συναίσθημα κρύβει ένα μυστικό που ίσως απειλεί ακόμη και την ίδια της τη ζωή.
Σύντομα η Ελίζαμπεθ θα ανακαλύψει ότι, παρά τις θυσίες της, δεν μπορεί να κρυφτεί από τα φαντάσματα του παρελθόντος...

Η κορυφαία συγγραφέας Nora Roberts επιστρέφει με ένα συγκλονιστικό μυθιστόρημα, που ενθουσίασε κοινό και κριτικούς και κατέκτησε τις σημαντικότερες λίστες bestsellers παγκοσμίως.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

530 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 17, 2012

About the author

Nora 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.

Reviews

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nora Roberts is BACK!! OK, I know many of you didn’t realize she left, but over the last few years her newer books have not cut it for me.  I found several of her latest stories full of filler and irrelevant content, and the core stories suffered as a result.  But in The Witness the story was  tight, the characters interesting, the romance swoon worthy, and the suspense totally believable.  Everything tied together, just like a great story should!

I never thought romance suspense was Ms Roberts best genre, but she nails it in The Witness.   The story is told in two parts.  At first as we learn about the events that lead Elizabeth Fitch into a witness protection system at age 16, and then it fast forwards twelve years later.  Elizabeth is now living as Abigail Lowery and trying her best to stay unnoticed.  But Brook Gleason, the new sheriff in town, becomes very curious about this mysterious lady and proceeds to turn her world upside down.

The heroine Elizabeth Fitch/Abigail Lowery is such an unusual heroine type.  A genius daughter of a neurosurgeon, her entire life was mapped out for her.  In a fit of rebellion at age 16, she becomes a witness to a gruesome murder by a Russian mofia organization in Chicago.   Believing she can trust the system to protect her, she nearly loses everything.

Brooks was also a smart cookie, and recognized signs that made him suspect Abigail is running from something.  When his charming but tenacious drive for information is combined with a meddling hippie free-loving mother,  Abigail slowly begins to trust him. 

There were so many facets to this story that stood out, it is hard to summarize them all.   Watching Abigail learn to trust, and therefore truly live her life for the first time was wonderful to read.  Brooks devotion to her was heartwarming, and their time together full of passion and heat.   

The suspense was brilliantly done, and never felt over the top.  The book never suffers from bad-guy overload either, we get just enough to know they are there and what they are capable of doing, but the main focus is on Brook and Abigail staying safe. 

The ending was pitch perfect! Like I said, I didn’t think romance suspense was Ms Roberts best genre, but I am now eating my words. This was really well done.   I would have looooooooved a longer epilogue (about the size of this book, to be honest, but I know that is totally unrealistic.) I didn’t want to let these characters go.   I would have liked if it had one particular twist in the end, but in truth it would have made the ending less spectacular, so Ms Roberts ended everything perfectly. Warning – Spoiler about the ending! I really wanted her mother to finally grow a heart and re-enter Abigail’s life.  When Abigail is in the hospital near the end of the book, I hoped her mother would come in wearing a scrub outfit and they’d reconnect.  All the way to the end I was hoping the mother had an explanation for her actions, but alas the woman had no maternal instincts in her. So the book ended perfectly, and my farcical hope of a mother-daughter reunion was not to be had.
 
I had the great pleasure of listening to this story on audio.  The reader (Julia Whelan) is simply fantastic. One of the best narrated books I’ve listened to in a long time.  

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I tell people that I read romance, they often ask, "Like Nora Roberts?" I'll confess, I used to scoff at those people. I viewed myself as way hipper or cooler than Nora Roberts... but now that I've actually TRIED her stuff, I'll admit that I was dead wrong.

Nora Roberts can write her ass off.

This book is for fans of quirky, independent women. It is for us geeks and smarties, for fans of sex-positive female characters. It is for lovers of romantic suspense that isn't overly dramatic.

Frankly, it was flat-out awesome.

I'm going to touch on the narrator for a moment. Julia Whelan is a prolific and well known narrator for a reason; she is simply amazing at her craft. Her range of voices, her ability to do a realistic male voice, her performance skills- they were all perfection. It made the 16+ hours fly by, and I listened to the whole thing in just a couple of days. The narration made an already stellar story come to life.

If you like Nora Roberts or you like romantic suspense, you must try this book. But if you are like me and are not well acquainted with either, you STILL MUST TRY THIS BOOK! This is a must read for romance-lovers, especially audiobook lovers.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

What a pleasant surprise!



I’m new to Nora Roberts and, to tell you the truth, I didn’t expect too much. I mean, my neighbor was reading her books while I was crying over Bambi’s mom.

Well I was wrong. Everything was kick ass good, though the heroine outshone everybody and everything. She’s one badass chick and I want to be her best friend. One of my most favorite heroines ever.

QUICK REVIEW:

Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 5/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 5/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/steam: 2.5/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 2/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 2.5/5
Depth of the book: 4/5
POV: multiple, third person
Triggers: heroine witnesses several murders

[Sal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong. This book is great. But it could have been so much more.

Though I haven't read any other books by Nora Roberts, I know she's a romance writer, not crime, or thriller, but I couldn't help wishing this book was a crime/thriller. The set-up to the main plot was really really good, fascinating, but then the rest of the book never reaches that level again.

To be honest, I'm a bit mean giving this two stars, but on a comparative level to the books I would give three stars, it falls a little bit flat.

I was reading, reading, reading and when I finished, all I thought was, that's it? So many characters that weren't developed yet (the bad guys) and she didn't extend the plot any further, instead she just concentrated on the romance part. Which is understandable, because that's the genre she writes, but it left me feeling empty. This had the potential to be the new 'Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'! The main character has a photographic memory, she has a ridiculous IQ, she's socially inept, say hello to interesting character who is crying out for a more character development and a more intense plot! Now USE her! Actually to be honest, her character was a little unrealistic when she was young, and I found it a little hard to warm to her. When she grew up, her talents and a little of her personality struck a resemblance to Lisbeth Salander (not as hardcore, of course), but I'm not complaining, because that's one of my favourite heroines ever.

I'm going on and on and making this book appear to be a bad book, but it isn't. Honestly, it's good. But I feel frustrated at the potential this book has, and this potential was never reached. Instead, it was like this: Terrific set up, intriguing characters, romance, romance, romance, everything solved within ten pages, the end, boom.

Sigh.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumble upon this wonderful story by luck. I'm participating in a reading challenge and needed a book for Arkansas state. The first two books I tried weren't for me so The Witness was my third choice and turns out to be a terrific read! 💕

What I enjoyed most about The Witness is the wonderful cast of characters. Elizabeth/Abigail is a brilliant heroine. She's somewhat quirky, very smart, and has a photographic memory. She's socially awkward because she was raised by a controlling and heartless mother. She's been on the run and hiding for twelve years after witnessing a horrific crime.

A charming Bickford Chief of Police, Brooks Gleason has been curious about this mysterious woman who lives a reclusive life with her fierce large dog with no family or friends. Nobody in their small town knows who she is. I love how he tries to get to know her. There's a good amount of humor and her uneasiness when questioned by him makes me chuckle. Their chemistry and banter were fun to read.

The Witness is 500 pages/16 hours long. For me that's looong, but it went by quick with characters you can root for and good suspense. Julia Whelan did a marvelous job narrating this book.

Read for Book Across America BINGO - Snag A Read For Free Group

[Karen Bonilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

WARNING*** Contains Spoilers. I'm a big fan of Nora Roberts but I'm not sure why people gave this book such rave reviews. This book started out with a bang. Elizabeth is a 16 year old genius rebelling against her cold,controlling mother. She meets up with a Russian mafia don and witnesses the brutal murder of a mafia henchman and her teenaged female friend. She ends up on the run for her life. Twelve years later, she moves to a small town and meets and falls in love with the local sheriff, Brooks. Elizabeth's character comes across as the stereotypical genius who would never, in a million years, be able to blend in in any gathering that didn't involve Mensa members. Her speech is stilted and stiff. She is a recluse who somehow thought that her antisocial ways would not be noticed in a small, rural community. Her love interest, Brooks, comes across as a paragon of virtues. He's too good to be true and as boring as can be. There's no edge there, no feeling of passion or drive. After they meet, the majority of the book revolves around their relationship and Elizabeth's caution and security interests; the alarms that alert her when intruders(or visitors) come on her property, her possession of numerous handguns, the loyal and well trained guard dog. In addition, pages cover her hacking into FBI and mafia computers and using those tools to damage the mafia. To make it even duller, they deal with towns people and their issues. I kept expecting something to happen. I kept waiting for the mafia to discover where she was and come in with guns blazing. That never happened. Instead, the bad guys were taken down without any kind of fight and then the book was over. To me, this book just fizzled. It was boring and bland. There was no suspense, no drama, no passion. The characters were stereotypical and as flat as the storyline.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nora Roberts has always been THAT author for me. The author that you know no matter what mood you were in, her books would be just right. But for some unexplainable reason, I have not read one of her books in such a long time. So when I received The Witness as a gift from my wonderful friend, I dove right in. And, as sure as the sun rises in the East, the book was perfect in every way.

First, I want to introduce you to Elizabeth Fitch. She is the sixteen year old daughter of Dr. Susan L. Fitch. Elizabeth was conceived through IVF, the donor carefully chosen for the ultimate intellect, looks and health. This fact was clearly stated to Elizabeth, time and time again. Her mother is emotionless and controlling. She guides every aspect of Elizabeth’s life, her education, clothes, nutrition, daily activities. Elizabeth is technically a genius with a photographic memory. At sixteen, she is in Harvard and her mother has her set to begin medical school. This is not what Elizabeth wants, though. But she has never disobeyed her mother, until THAT night.

Elizabeth and her mother have argued for the first time. After Dr. Fitch leaves for a medical convention, Elizabeth goes to a mall for the first time, shops, and runs into a girl she once knew in school. They come up with a plan for a crazy night out, using false ID’s, going to a club and hoping to meet cute guys. But, this night does not turn out the way it was supposed to. Elizabeth is a witness to a horrible crime. She is taken into protective custody but through another equally horrible set of circumstances, she is forced to run on her own.



Fast forward twelve years. Elizabeth has become Abigail Lowery. She is living in a small town in the Ozarks. She has found a place she loves. A place she would like to call home. But she knows she can’t stay. Still, though, she has put down roots here. She has planted a butterfly garden and vegetable garden. She keeps to herself. She’s known as a loner. But there is one person that would like to break through that protective shell and see who is underneath.



Brooks Gleason is the town Chief of Police. And he is intrigued by Abigail. He keeps showing up at her house unannounced and breaking down her defenses. Eventually Abigail does give in, knowing that this is something that can’t last. But she has never experienced romance, love. Never dated. She has so much trouble expressing herself but the things she says are just so completely endearing. Her awkwardness and naivety make her adorable. I loved Brooks and Abigail together. They were exactly what each other needed. But, Brooks knows Abigail is hiding something. He wants her to trust him enough to let him in. And can Abigail dare to dream of a future with Brooks, in this lovely town? Does she have the courage to finally face her past and put it to rest?

"I'm half in love with you and heading fast toward three-quarters."

I loved this book so much. No one can write suspense and romance together like Nora Roberts. You will fall in love with Elizabeth/Abigail and Brooks. And also with Brook’s family. This book will make you sigh, smile and also grip the arms of your chair a little tighter. It was simply a wonderful book. I hope you’ll give it a try.

"To be held like this on a cool spring night by someone who cared. It was like a miracle, even for someone who didn't believe in them."

[Jilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If I wanted friends, I’d join a book club.”

Yeah, I like this girl. She had an extremely shitty day when she was 16.


No, even shittier than this one.

She witnessed a double murder and became the key to taking down a powerful organized crime family. This led to witness-protection, and more murders, and then to a life on the run until we find her living as a hermit in the Ozarks.

All she ever wanted to do was fit in. But, it just wasn't meant to be.


Missed it by that much.

So, our heroine meets up with the small-town sheriff who also happens to be a hottie and he is intrigued by her.

"Am I going to find another gun when I get out dishes and such to set the table?”

“Yes.”

“You’re the most interesting woman of my acquaintance.”

She's armed better than most of your small militias, has a kick-ass guard dog who speaks several languages, and has state-of-the-art security that makes the White House look like this place:



She is totally not interested in starting a relationship with the cop. Which, coincidentally, makes her more attractive to him.

"I won’t have sex with you.”

“Now you hurt my feelings.”

“No, I haven’t.” Deciding to make her position clear, she started for the house. “I like sex.”

“See there, we just keep finding common ground. If this keeps up, we’ll be best friends inside a week.”

Men love a challenge.


Hard to get. It works every time.

I really liked both characters in this story. She was a socially-awkward genius, and he was a funny, laid-back cop. They were actually kind of perfect for each other. I also found the police part of things to be interesting. There was a lot about power and corruption in law, along with politics. Altogether, this made for an awesome story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks to my friend, Petit Pety for recommending this! :)

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars – Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

It’s hard to deny the talent and mass appeal of Nora Roberts considering The Witness is her 200th book. I mean...wow! That is quite an impressive achievement and a boon for romance readers. I consider myself a fan of hers, and I especially loved her Bride Quartet series and the few J.D. Robb In Death books that I’ve read. Some of her books tend to be a little bit too generic and plain vanilla for my taste, but I occasionally enjoy their comfort like good old vanilla ice cream, even if it doesn’t make them all that memorable.

The Witness is one of the better NR books that I’ve read. It’s a great contemporary suspense with satisfying romance between an extraordinary heroine and a protective cop hero. Often I find that my reading enjoyment tends to hinge on my feelings about the hero, but this time it was primarily the unique, unforgettable heroine who made me like the book so much.

I loved the heroine, Elizabeth/Liz, right from the start and my heart ached for her. It’s told in four parts/acts with the first involving her as a sixteen-year-old girl, and the ending of the first act (page 100 in the Hardcover edition) was intense, pulse-pounding, and emotionally distressing. I admired the strong, formidable, self-reliant woman she became. Abigail is a kick-ass survivor in hiding with so many interesting, veiled layers, and it’s impossible not to like her, especially when her social awkwardness and gruff loner persona make her unintentionally funny and glimpses of that vulnerable girl yearning for affection and normalcy are revealed. The part where she methodically researched proper etiquette and social customs of a barbecue on the Internet just to prepare for a casual gathering with Brooks’s family cracked me up. Yet it was also a bit heartbreaking when she became so easily discomfited by routine social graces and niceties.

Police Chief Brooks Gleason is a great hero, and he’s pushy and unyielding in his pursuit of Abigail yet remarkably patient and understanding of her as well. And I couldn’t possibly forget to mention Abigail’s loyal friend and guard dog, Bert, since their relationship adds so much to the story. Bert definitely deserves top dog honors for favorite animal companion.

My one complaint is that I wanted more from the epilogue, but otherwise I really enjoyed this. So kudos to Ms. Roberts for her notable 200th release! 5 stars!

[❤️ Dorsey aka Wrath Lover Reviews ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! My emotions were all over the place on this one from happy, sad, scared, anticipation and profound sarrow for the heroine.



I absolutely fell in love with the strong yet venerable girl/woman and I loved that she finally found someone that she can finally count on. Brooks and liz/Abby have become my all time FAVORITE Nora Roberts H&h...my only issue is that I wish we had more of an epilogue.

[Foxfire · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF for me. I loved the first 25% where the young Elizabeth breaks free from her controlling mother and witnesses a murder.

The next section shows her 12 years later, living a life in hiding. This is where the story fell apart for me.

1. After 2-3 brief conversations, Elizabeth, a recluse who avoids all human contact, and Brooks, a police chief on duty, engage in bold banter about whether to have sex or not. I felt this was totally out of character and unrealistic.

2. In the next scene, we get the clichéd Other Woman. The other woman is usually a beautiful blonde, and she is either a bitchy ex-wife, or a clinging ex-girlfriend who won't let go. In this case it's the clinging ex-girlfriend. I hate the beautiful blonde cliché. Being blond and beautiful does not make a woman evil.

3. In the next few scenes, we have the hero rejecting the advances of the clinging ex. Then he goes off to the heroine and gives her a detailed rundown of his sexual history with the ex, including a description of how he turned her down - because he'd rather sleep with the heroine. To me, this is blatant kiss-and-tell. An honourable man does not belittle and humiliate one woman in order to seduce another. The hero is behaving like a sleazebag.

4. The hero and heroine go to bed and have athletic sex. Here I'm totally lost about the heroine's character. She avoids all social contact, except a trip to a grocery store when necessary. She never lets anyone into her house, and she never goes out unarmed. And yet we are expected to believe that she likes to have sex and has done it with some frequency with strangers. Whoa? Would a woman afraid of any situation that makes her physically vulnerable just go off and have sex, a situation which makes a person more defenceless, less able to respond to a sudden attack, than almost any other circumstance?

Further, it just does not make sense how Elizabeth keeps saying she wants to be normal. Yes, she has genius IQ and was brought up by a controlling mother, and she experienced a trauma and perceives herself under threat, but since seventeen she has been in charge of her life and if she really wanted to, she could live much more normally.

Since seventeen, she has watched popular TV and movies. She went to college, which means she's had plenty of exposure to young people. She surfs the web, can visit chat rooms, learn how people talk. She is highly intelligent. She has the skills to blend in, to appear ordinary - which she claims to be her main objective - and yet she talks like a science textbook and lives in a way which is guaranteed to draw attention to her. Moreover, the minute she starts talking to someone, she tells them how extraordinary she is. It just does not make sense.

That's what killed the book for me. The character of heroine is not credible at all. Which is a real shame, because it was a great story idea.

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written July 17, 2015

4 1/2 Stars - Fantastic listening and a good well told thrilling plot. I'm to be honest surprised, but this NR romance impressed me...much

I bought this Nora Roberts as an 16:18 hrs audiobook (narrated by Julia Whelan) already back in March. I honestly thought I was finished and done with NB-books several years ago, but never say never.

The Witness (from 2012) has got so many happy reviews, and was much appreciated by both Kathleen and Heather as an audiobook. Convinced by friends, I wanted to give The Wittness and a NB novel a "second" chance. It's was time.



Wow! Sixteen highly entertaining listening hours
The Wittness was from the very first chapter nerve-tingling and breathlessly exciting. I was at once on my edge. This pretty clever storyplot —mainly about fear, revenge, cruelty... but also about to fit in, be a "normal" girl, be loved and to sincerely trust someone once again— really got me.

An EXTRA STAR for a fantastic audiobook narration. I'm not sure this should had been such a winner for me just reading by myself.

**********************************************

Chicago some years ago...

Elizabeth Fitch is a sixteen years old super intelligent girl with a very controlling mother who let loose one (..ONE single) night. A night that change her life for ever. Two cruel murders, one of her new friend. Guilty men, Russian ancestors that all belongs to the mob in Chicago. From that night is Elizabeth a hunted victim.... she is the witness.

“Love doesn’t turn on and off like a light switch.”

In a small Arkansas town...

Years later is there a police chief, Brooks Gleason who is intrigued by Abigail Lowery, the mysterious woman living outside town since a while. He just feel and strongly suspects that this "armed" woman, with a huge scary dog, needs protection from something. Our hero Brooks is a man who likes to protect. He takes good care of his citizens and he like to solve tricky puzzles. Especially when there is an beautiful woman to get to know.

**********************************************

Learning to live a "real" life...
This poor teen girl. Yes, it was a traumatic start. I just wished her a better life. Elizabeth's mom was a egocentric bitch (in the right word and meaning) without any ability to feel feelings for, or want to take tender care of, of her own young daughter.

The first part with teenage Elizabeth isn't that long and the main storyline starts the day Abigail meets Brooks.

What a funny heroine we get here. This very intelligent and kind of geeky woman was just so adorable charming when she discovered feelings, the "love-play" and relationships stuff... ~ Chuckling fun. I allways enjoy to read about a bit cheesy (nerd) characters. A female character who almost talks like a living encyclopedia (must be some combination of "letters"..). Like this heroine. So likeable and charming.

“Studies show adolescent males often make decisions based on sex. Many fail to grow out of it.”



“After weighing the pros and cons, I’ve decided sex with you would be mutually satisfying. You’re attractive and pleasant. And clean. You kiss very well, and while I’ve found that’s not always a reliable gauge for skill in bed, it often follows. If you’re agreeable, we can finish dinner, I’ll show you the greenhouse, then we can go in and have sex. I’m on birth control, but I would require you wear a condom.”

...and this wonderful M.A.N. !!
This gorgeous man. ~ A dream hero with an upbringing in a big warm caring hippie family. A friendly, but righteous policeman who moved back to his small hometown when his father was getting older and a bit sick, and when his mother —and (married) sisters— needed him for nearer support. The kind of man most women wish for. You know the kind: big & strong, wise, tender, funny, charming, loyal and faithful, and cozy kissable sexy. Drool-worthy!

I also mostly like novels or romances set in small nice places or towns. Stories including tales about local people, about sweet old ladies, nice old friends, a odd secretary, a lovely mom, some adorable cute dogs (like Big Bert and Sunny's new puppy - a gift from her thoughtful son), etc etc.

I like suspense stories with a lot of romance feeling there...and some steamy hot moments. ~ I actually got it all here. (Some small dance moves..)

‘She was happy, she realized, as she marked off her plot with string and stakes. Really happy. With spring, with work, with her home. With Brooks. Had she been really happy before? Surely there had been moments...’

Did our heroine get her revenge, was there a pretty clever solution? ~ Read or listen and discover.

**********************************************

Julia Whelan (narrator) does it so amazing well.
She just swept me away with a nail biting thrilling suspense romance (..a genre perfect for me this summer vacation week). Quite long book but well worth the time.

Recommended to you who also "left" Ms. Roberts to other readers (those with lesser "good" taste in their book choices, haha) years ago. ~ I crawl to the cross, it may be more NR soon.

I LIKE - surprising good (audio) stories extremely well narrated


****
I gifted the translated (yes there really are some romances in Swedish sometimes) paperback to my older (71) mom last xmas. She enjoyed it (and she lent it to my picky sister). A good sign, my mom is this genre (S / R - steamy but not erotica) fan.

[MelissaB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read featuring one of the best heroines I have seen in a long time. She was so smart and capable, it was fun to see her try to understand how to deal with the friendly people in her new hometown. The hero was such a great personality, he was funny and easy going but had endless patience to get through all of Abigail/Liz's barriers (which she had very good reasons for having). I enjoyed all of this book, parts were very suspenseful and other parts were funny and engaging. Nora Roberts shines with her characterizations, she really brings the whole town to life and gives the leads and side characters distinctive personalities. Obviously I recommend this book if you enjoy contemporary romance or romantic suspense.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator does a great job showing the heroine's personality in the reading and she even did the male parts well.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Witness
4 ½ Stars!
Very enjoyable read by Nora Roberts. Being a huge fan of her In Death series, which she writes under the pseudonym of J D Robb, I wanted to give her other books a try. I found myself totally absorbed in this compelling and intriguing novel. From the exciting beginning, when Liz becomes a witness to a brutal crime, to her transformation into Abigail, loner and security expert, I was drawn to her character and circumstances. The town where she settles is full of interesting characters that added depth and emotion to the story. She is pursued by the easygoing, relentless police chief Brooks Gleason. He annoys her, but at the same time he unearths feelings in her that she never thought possible. Theirs is a relationship that forms slowly, as Brooks gains Abigail’s trust, then worms and finagles his way into her life. These interactions made for some very humorous moments, as Abigail is almost robotic in personality and Brooks is smooth and charming. The dialogue between the two of them is fantastic and plentiful. The romance that develops is sweet, and at times heated. I found it to be the perfect balance. There is also a secondary storyline that briefly involves Abigail, but Brooks and some of the townspeople are the main focus. The two plots intertwined quite nicely. In my mind I had predicted how the story would end, but the author surprised me with an unexpected twist. It was fitting.

There was one other character who played a major role in the book and I feel is worth a mention, Abigail’s dog Bert. He was as much a part of the story as Brooks and Abigail, and I found myself looking forward to the parts of the book where he was present.

My only issue came in the way of the epilogue. When I read an epilogue, I expect and look forward to an update of the characters and what has become of them and their lives. This epilogue served as just another chapter in the book, updated only hours from the exciting ending. With the turmoil that plagued Abigail’s life, I had hoped to see what the future held for her and Brooks, and I was somewhat disappointed. However I highly recommend this book, not only for fans of Nora Roberts, but for lovers of romantic suspense.

Narration-5 Stars!
I’ve just recently discovered the wonderful world of audio books, but from the few I’ve listened too, I find that some are books are best to be read from the written word, while others can be just as enjoyable, or even more so, when someone reads them to you. The Witness is one of those books. Julia Whelan’s smooth steady narration had me mesmerized, and fully captured my attention. She is a narrator that I will be looking for in my future audio reads.

[Lizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Witness is a great entertainment. There is a controlling mother, murder and a teenager-witness, corruption, betrayal, hiding under an alias and building a new life, constant fear of discovery and romance (it’s a Nora Roberts book, after all). If you are looking for some angst and thrilling moments, it might be just the pick for you.

[Corina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when I get into a funk, I need a re-read, most often than not it's one of a handful of Nora Roberts favourites. They never get old, always deliver, and check all my romance boxes.

This time it's about a hacker heroine, a trusty canine companion, and a small town sheriff who is just the right amount of pushy. So good!!!

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.35 -- well this was a solid read. The character building is top notch and while it was mostly meant to be a drama/thriller, I sure did giggle a few times.

The story was really immersive and I liked the double layer of bad guys, both near and far.

I loved the idea of an intelligent, bad ass, independent woman learning that the worst thing you can say in life is "I've always done it this way". Crossing over the threshold of fear to find her way in the world.

I've got to be honest though, I expected more action, more build up to the final scenes, maybe another twist or two? I cant exactly put my finger on it but it was missing a little something which is why I can't give it a perfect score.

[Pepa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relectura y le voy a subir una estrella
He disfrutado más de la lectura, sabía lo que me iba a encontrar y la frialdad de Abigail me ha convencido mucho, personaje complejo que Nora Roberts acierta con cada frase. Sí, ella me ha gustado mucho, independiente, fuerte, decidida y ese pasado que la condiciona y que evoluciona tanto al conocer al protagonista.
Brooks me ha gustado mucho, un señor, un hombre tan tan tan paciente que es justo lo que Abigail necesita.
No es casualidad que sea policía, pero creo que la autora construye unas circunstancias que aunque sean demasiado previsibles, al final convencen.
Admito que pese a que el suspense me ha gustado, he conseguido disfrutar mucho más de la relación entre ambos y sus diálogos que la primera vez que la leí.

Ahora que espero menos del romance de los libros de esta mujer, la disfruto más. Porque el romance n me ha gustado. Sí, ambos te conquistan, aunque hay facetas suyas que no me terminan de convencer, pero lo que seguro que no hace es convencerme de ese amor tan grande en tan poco tiempo, sobre todo, con la situación que plantea. en ese sentido me deja un poco fría
Por lo demás, el suspense está bien, engancha y aunque me hubiera gustado que fuera un poco menos predecible, la he disfrutado y me ha enganchado.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 Stars for the story and writing.

3 Stars for narration. The narrator sounded very young and that was fine when Elizabeth was sixteen, and just okay when she was twenty-eight. Her male voices were okay. The narrator's Russian accent was very good.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

After thinking about it for a bit, I realized that it has been quite a while since I have read a new standalone book by Nora Roberts. It was a nice change. I have no problem reading about a group of friends or relatives in a trilogy, but it was nice to know that everyone I met in the book existed solely to enrich this book.

One thing I love about this author is the way she sets up the backstory. If you’re familiar with her work then you probably already know that she likes to cut her books into sections (or Acts) to show the progression of the characters’ journey, but if not…well, now you know. :) The first section (the first 100 pages or so) of The Witness showed the heroine’s past. I got so much more involved in the events than if I had just been told about what happened to her back then. I loved seeing all the details for myself and found that getting to know the heroine in the past made it easier for me to get over some of the issues I had with her character later. I know that sometimes too much focus on the past can detract from the present, but I have always loved this habit of NR’s and have never found that to be the case.

I found the whole storyline to be unique and different. The heroine witnessed a crime when she was a teenager and was forced to change her identity because of it. Can you imagine having to change everything about yourself? Her family (no big loss honestly), her future plans, they were all wiped out like they were nothing. I really liked getting to see how she coped with the past and lived her life as an adult. It also added an interesting layer to the romance. Your whole life is a lie. How close do you get to someone when you factor that in? Do you tell your love interest the truth and risk exposing yourself? I liked that what kept them apart felt real. It wasn’t just some simple, manufactured reason, blown up to epic proportion to provide drama.

I think that the heroine, Abigail (originally Elizabeth), was a great character, but she occasionally veered toward the cold end of things. I think she was supposed to be similar to Miranda from Homeport (Anyone read it? Great book!), given that they both processed things scientifically and logically and they were both rather socially awkward, but Miranda had a vulnerability to her that Abigail lacked. That lack of softness occasionally made it hard to connect with her. We knew she was scared due to the way she lived and her refusal to let people into her life, but I never really felt it from her.

That’s one of the reasons that having that section of backstory really helped for me. I did feel the emotion and fear in the beginning, so I had that to draw on. I just think that in addition to the emotionless way she was raised, being on the run for so long removed her from the world so effectively that it was hard for even the reader to get close to her. I’m not sure if she was cast this way by design, but it kept me from fully sinking into her character and the relationship. That said, it didn’t keep me from enjoying the rest of the book.

Brooks, the hero, is not delved into as deeply as Abigail was, but he was much easier to love. He’s amusing and charming and he does a wonderful job of loosening Abigail up. I thought it was cute that we first met him when he was sitting in the town’s café, positioned specifically to be able to see Abigail on the off chance that she would come to town to shop that day. He was interested in her, both as a cop and as a man, and he finally decided to take a chance and go chat her up, despite her ‘Leave me alone’ vibe. He was shot down, and he was shot down hard, but I’ve got to give him props for determination. He just kept bugging her, trying to charm her, until he eventually grew on her. Like mold. :P

The small town was charming, but kept away from the hokey, cheesy characterization that always drives me nuts. Brooks had a lot more ties to the community than Abigail did, so we were given a better picture of the inhabitants when we were in his point of view. His family was fun to read about, especially his mom, and it was nice to see a lot of his job instead of just focusing on the suspense plot surrounding the heroine.

One thing that I found odd about the story, but that I liked more and more upon further reflection, was the suspense plot. Truthfully, it wasn’t very suspenseful. The heroine had her life turned upside down by a murder, yes, but there was no menacing presence breathing down her neck like you usually see in an RS. She changed her identity and was very prepared for possible discovery, but that was all a background feature. When the end resolution came, we were told about it more than it was shown. At first that bothered me because I wanted a seat at the front lines, you know? But the more I thought about it the more I realized that the book wasn’t set up to play out like the usual Suspense story. She played her part and she moved on. She didn’t need be a witness for it to be over for her. If you’re looking for an RS that’s heavy on the suspense, this isn’t that book. Just an FYI for you.

Favorite Quote:

So far the only strike against me is curiosity?”

“There are others. Proximity, for one, which would make it awkward and problematic when I no longer want to have sex with you.”

“What makes you think you’re going to want to stop having sex with me?”

She got out two glasses, two small plates, two forks. “The law of averages.”

“Oh, that. I defy averages.”

“A lot of people believe they do. They don’t.”

*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen*

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story. I love the characters.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank Shawna for recommending this book to me. In all honesty, I am not a huge fan of Nora Roberts' romance novels, although I do like her JD Robb In Death series. While this book didn't change my opinion of her on convert her to a must-read author for me, I enjoyed this book, and I can see she is a very good writer. Having said that, I don't find her romance style very moving personally. As far as suspense, she definitely works better for me.

This novel feels like an odyssey. It starts with a very young, innocent teenage girl whose rigidly structured, emotionally vacant life is completely destroyed by one bad decision she makes out of rebellion. Nora Roberts invests us in the emotional and intellectual journey of this young woman, and I completely felt for and loved young Elizabeth. This was highly crucial to go back to when things went pear-shaped so that we could relate to the older version of this character, who is now living as Abigail Lowery.

What didn't work quite as well as the diversion that the storyline takes with the Blake family and their out-of-control son. While this was more germane to Brooks Gleason's (Abigail's love interest) narrative, I don't think it really tied very well into the main plot of Abigail, what and who she was running from, and I'm not sure it was that important to Brooks' characterization. Even at the end, I wasn't convinced that it was necessary to the story. More than anything, it was just added local color.

The romance part mostly worked for me, but it didn't set the page on fire. Roberts idea of romance just isn't dramatic enough for me. Even the sensual scenes didn't have much spark for me. I could see the love between Abigail and Brooks, and I really liked how Brooks was willing to be there for her and to be whatever she needed him to be. Although at the same time, Brooks could be quite obstinate and set in his ways kind of guy and forceful (in an aww-shucks, disarming but I'm a brickwall manner) about getting his way in situations. He was like a immovable mountain about some things, and Abigail had to be the one who changed her viewpoint in those areas. It was funny and kind of cute how he pushed Abigail out of her unemotional/controlled, Fortress of Solitude mien and left her completely discombobulated. I can see their marriage being very interesting, considering the way their personalities are so different. Where Abigail is the analytical, rule-oriented person, Brooks is very instinctive, and emotional. At the same time, he's a very steady guy who you know you can trust. That's highly appealing. I do feel like they were able to meet each other halfway and didn't steamroll each other, which was good. So I could believe they were a perfect match.

Ultimately, what I loved most of all is how Brooks was perfectly fine with earning his way in Abigail's insular life by letting his actions show he was trustworthy and that deserved her love. He also didn't try to take away Abigail's need to make decisions and autonomy in her life, because he knew how important that was. Sometimes, I imagine it was hard for him not to take it personally, but he looked past his own feelings to the whys and was willing to give her that and support her on things she really needed.

As for Abigail, I think loving Brooks helped her to grow in crucial ways. For her to know it was okay not to understand the rules for everything, and to just go with the flow emotionally in relationships that were based on mutual trust. I think the O'Hara/Gleason clan will be good for Abigail, but I think I would find them overwhelming at times. They are quite pushy! I can't imagine Abigail not feeling that way based on her previous familial frame of reference.

The Volkov storyline was very intriguing, but I was left feeling a little disappointed at the conclusion. The resolution made sense, but I was hoping for a more face to face confrontation. I guess that's the action/drama hound in me. I guess that was the best way to handle it, but man I would have loved some buttkicking and a show off. Abigail was kind of a bad@$$, but she never got to show it. Oh well.

Overall, this was a good read.

Things I loved:

*Such a brilliant, analytical, heroine
*Brooks' laid back, but Bulldoggedly stubborn personality and his southern charm.
*The descriptions and imagery built by Roberts writing.
*Russian mafia storyline and how Abigail continually gets one over on them
*Crazy O'Hara/Gleason family dynamics--like watching reality tv
*Abigail's dog Bert
*Small town slice of life

Worth a 4.25/5.0 star rating. I'd recommend it.

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book took a loooong time to get set up, even the setup part was really good. Elizabeth rebels against her robot Mom (she's not really a robot, but the lady doesn't hug, wear color, or do anything without a schedule) when she's sixteen. That's what teenagers do, and even though Liz is a bit of a mini-robot, she's still a teenager girl who wants to live her own life, not the one her 'mother' picks for her.

This one decision leads to the witnessing of a horrible crime committed by a crime family with far-reaching influence. So Liz has to rely on her brilliant mind to hide herself from not only the bad guys, but the good guys as well.

Fast forward over a decade, and Abigail Lowry is a practical hermit, living in self imposed solitude in her cabin near a small town in the middle of nowhere. She just wants to be left alone with her genius self, hiding from the world behind her ridiculously modern security system and faithful guard dog, Bert. (It IS Nora Roberts, you know there has to be a dog) Not only is she still in hiding, but she's so socially inept that just her oddity gets tongues wagging whenever she goes to the supermarket. Small towns are not a good place to hide, Abigail!!

She quickly catches the eye of the local police chief, Brooks Gleason. Their relationship builds slowly, and what a sweet couple they turn out to be! Brooks is so patient with Abigail. He thinks her oddities are cute; in fact, I do believe her rigidity and need for order was a turn on for the sexy, laid back chief! Bert the dog was an endearing character in his own right, and just reiterates how the loyalty and love shown by our canine family members is one fabulous gift from God. Want unconditional love? Screw a boyfriend/husband. Get a dog!

The suspense is offset by the love story between Brooks and Abigail and I just loved it! The only thing that I didn't love is the abrupt ending frequently mentioned by other reviewers. The bad guy's comeuppance is alluded to, but after reading this very long book, I needed more of an eff you that what I got. These guys are organized crime, doing atrocious things....they needed at least a few more pages of detailed revenge taken out on them.

Again, we got another gem from the master who is Nora Roberts! I'm the biggest cliche in the reading world when I say she is one of my favorite authors, but the lady is flat out talented, and turns them out like none other. This was her 200th book, folks! Crazy.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pure awesome. That should be the end of my review, but since I'm an unashamed blowhard, I'll probably go on a bit more.

Elizabeth Fitch/Abigail Lowery is a unique heroine. Planned and scripted from birth, right down to the selection of donor father, Elizabeth has had zero input in her activities, friends, or scholarship. She put up with that for 16 years but when her mother cancelled vacation when Elizabeth returned from her first year at Harvard (some of the planning panned out and Elizabeth is incredibly smart), she had had enough. Making an instant friend at the mall, and a couple of bang-up fake IDs, Liz and Julie go to an infamous club and are picked up by really, really bad men.

Most of the above is in the cover copy, so I was a little surprised that it took as long as it did to relate the events in the book. I expected it to be quick because the real story takes place twelve years later when she shows up as Abigail Lowery in Brickford. The reason it took so long turns out to be that this book borrows elements of the thriller genre in its story and that includes action, suspense, death, and blood. This is a good thing, I think, and ended up working very well. In short, the book kind of rips your heart out and that becomes essential in understanding Abigail, her capabilities and her insecurities.

Which is why I started off with a mild hate for Brooks when we first meet him. His casual abuse of position in thrusting himself into Abby's sphere pissed me off, not least because it could end up putting her life in danger. It didn't help that there's a kind of unthinking anti-gun bias at some of the root of his ruminations, even while the story itself makes it abundantly clear exactly why liberal gun laws are so very important in a free society. Fortunately, he backs off once he assures himself she isn't dangerous and the rest of their relationship flows naturally from his gregarious good nature and her innate curiosity and courage.

I ended up liking Brooks quite a lot, actually. He was exactly the guy Abby needed, both in her legal troubles and in her personal growth. His unconditional acceptance of her was exactly what she needed to set down roots and learn what it means to be family. Roberts' deft touch with personal/familial relationships made this a stand-out sub-theme of the book.

Part of my great amusement with the book is that Abby is a fantastic mixture of smart and naïve. Her incredible intelligence has brought her this far, but her situation is so precarious that real social contact with others has been very limited (after being artificially constrained by her domineering mother). This makes her a lot like Anya from the Buffy series, only with even more charm (no knock on Emma Caulfield. I thought her Anya incredibly charming. I'm just saying that Abby met and exceeded the high benchmark she set). Recalling specific scenes or lines is still bringing me a chuckle. It wasn’t really played for laughs (it permeates the character in a realistic way), but humor was definitely an entertaining element of the story.

As important to the story, Nora Roberts writes Abby's intelligence and capabilities exactly right for the Romance reader. As a huge computer nerd, myself, I may quibble about some of the throw-away details (okay, I do quibble with two of them), but Roberts created an excellent balance between specificity/believability, and boring detail. Roberts did enough research to get the approach and theory right without bogging down with irrelevancies.

In the end, this turned out to be my favorite Nora Roberts book so far. I don't know if it'll keep that title, but it's in a strong position and will be hard to beat.

A note about narration: The narrator for this book on Audible, Julia Whelan, was exactly right for Abby's character. Abby would have been easy to either under- or over-play and Julia did neither. Fantastic job, and one easily overlooked. The other characters were equally well-played, so I'm not trying to imply weaknesses elsewhere. Getting Abby right was key, however, so it was good to see her get the voice actress she needed.

A note about Steamy: This is a Nora Roberts standard—a few explicit scenes and various romantic allusions. Since this book is so much longer than most of hers I've been reading lately (16 hours 18 minutes), that actually averages out much lower than normal. This is neither a good nor bad thing. Indeed, it fit the story very well, I thought.

[KatieMc · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stoooopid book, stoooopid character. I love books with strong female characters. I love female role models who are competent with technology. Unfortunately The Witness did not deliver at all. The main character was robot, and she played out like the old sitcom trope where the outer space alien, who only has book-knowledge of typical customs and behaviors, tries to pass as human. Couple that with the obvious fact that the author knows squat about computer science and information security, and you have a book that seriously ticks me off. This was my first Nora Roberts book ever, and an unfortunate introduction for me. I'd be willing to give the author a second chance if someone can make a good case. Nora Roberts fans, you are on notice!

[Ariannha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia simple, sosegada y sencilla. Sin embargo, está muy bien construida, los personajes muy bien desarrollados, me ha encantado cada uno, con sus diferencias y su evolución.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm staring to explore Nora Roberts' backlist, and this has by far been the most recommended to me. While I did love the heroine and her character, this was lacking in too many places for me. First, the suspense. While I loved the beginning set up, the rest of the book barely had any suspense until the end, where the heroine decided to put herself in a situation and resolved it rather quickly. Nowhere else in the book did I feel on edge or scared for the characters, and I really want that in my romantic suspense novels. Also, the romance was just okay. I didn't really love the hero and didn't think he was anything that special. I definitely wish I didn't listen to this as an audiobook because, since it's so long, the middle really dragged for me and I just wanted more plot to happen. I did love her dog and I loved her journey to falling in love and trusting people, but overall the book as a whole left me more bored than anything else.

[NMmomof4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Overall Opinion: This was enjoyable. I liked the characters and I liked how they worked so well together. I appreciated the balance between romance and suspense, which is usually one of my gripes with this genre when it isn’t that good balance. However, I would’ve liked more steam and I would’ve liked a lot more in the end. I felt like towards the end there was actually too much focus on the fluffy romance parts and enough focus on the results of her work against the bad guys she was up against or in giving us a concrete HEA! Overall, while I had similar complaints as when I read the only other book by this author, Obsession - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..., I did enjoy it more and might give Ms. Roberts another shot sometime.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Elizabeth/Abigail’s and Brooks’ story. Elizabeth has her one fit of rebellion when she is 16 and she ends up witnessing a double murder. Years later, and now Abigail, she meets the chief of police in the small town she now lives in. Brooks intrigued by the mysterious woman living all alone with her huge guard dog and carrying a gun, and he ends up pushing his way into her life. Abigail can’t seem to say no to pushy Brooks or his mother even though she knows that she needs to be cautious. There are some suspenseful scenes, some small town drama, some sweet moments, and a few sexy times…and they get a HFN ending.

Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing mainly on Elizabeth/Abigail and Brooks in 3rd person narrative with some sections focusing on other side characters.

Overall Pace of Story: Good for the most part. I would’ve liked more time spent at the end because it felt wrapped up too fast. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.

Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings (though it does move fast)

H (Hero) rating: 4.5 stars. Brooks. I really liked him. He was just what the h needed!

h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Elizabeth/Abigail. I liked her. She reminded me of my aspie with her literal ways. She was smart, sweet, and strong.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes The h pushes away and the H is the main pursuer of the relationship

Heat level: Mild. They have some mild tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Kind of. Not all that descriptive.

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Not really (see spoiler tag below)

Sex scene with OW or OM: No There is a scene (before the mcs get together) where the H’s ex gets naked in front of him to entice him to sleep with her but he refuses

Cheating: No

Separation: No

Possible Triggers: Yes Violence/murder/criminal activity/domestic abuse (side character)/assault/blackmail (on page)

Closure: This ends in a pretty good place but with not nearly enough closure for me. I would’ve really liked to see a farther glimpse into their future maybe with her being a loving mom like she said she wished to be. I would call this a HFN but others might be fine in calling it a HEA they’re engaged and it’s implied that the trial against the bad guys went well.

Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM (see above)
- Does have the h pushing the H away
- Does Not have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse by mcs
- Does Not have a HEA ending (see above)

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Witness by Nora Roberts


Nora Roberts Romantic Suspense has never failed to intrigue me, keep me interested, and entertain me. And this book was no different. Actually, I take that back---this book did so much more for me. The Witness kept me at the edge of my chair and biting my nails. It kept me rooting for the ‘good guy’ that was Abigail and praying, metaphorically, for the toppling of the bad guys. I kept wishing that the book was longer or I could read slower so it wouldn’t end.

Elizabeth Fitch has an eidetic memory, is a genius, is only 16, is unloved by her mother, and is ready to break out of the prison that is her life. And, break-out she does. Unfortunately, it ended up being the worst thing she could have ever done, and things will only get worse, so badly in fact, that she has to hide and assume a new identity.

Fast forward 12 years, and Elizabeth (now Abigail has moved to a small Southern town, is fairly happy with her life, and is about to be invaded by the Chief of Police. Abigail is somewhat emotionally stunted after dealing with the type of things she has had to and can’t quite figure out what to do with Brooks Gleason, the Police Chief.
Brooks just knows in his heart that Abigail is running from something and may need protection. He sets out to break down Abigail's barriers and eventually succeeds almost too well.

“The Witness” has vividly drawn and fleshed-out characters, wonderful descriptions, fantastic secondary characters, and a secondary plot that is as fascinating as the main story. I loved watching Abigail grow, but I appreciated the fact that Ms. Roberts did not change Abigail too much and turn her into someone she wasn’t meant to be.

I loved this book so much that I really hated to see it end…I hope you will too.

[alka · Rating 3 out of 5]

the bad:
👎 WHERE WAS THE ROMANCE?? no chemistry, no tension, no steam.
👎 no need for this book to be this chonky. i don't want to be a bitchy bitch bitcherson but 757 pages are QUITE the commitment for me.
👎 i liked the mystery element incorporated into the story but it still felt very mild to me. i need my mysteries to traumatize me.

the good:
👍 great character development. Abigail/Elizabeth (h) was a unique and interesting character. Love how she evolved. Brooks (H) was a sweet sweet man.
👍 roberts knows how to keep the story going.
👍 the small-town vibes were immaculate. very cozy :)
👍 julia wheelen's narration gets a 10/10 from me.

the best:
👍CUTE DOGGOS!!