Before I start my review I feel like I need to post some disclaimers about this review. First, Nora Roberts is one of my top 10 favorite authors. Second, Nora Roberts is also one of my auto-buy authors (see first point). Third, when I was given the opportunity to receive an ARC of The Obsession I’m pretty sure I screamed so loudly my husband thought something was wrong (hehe). But seriously, I love Nora Roberts’ books and The Obsession was no exception.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars!
Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father’s crimes and made him infamous.
Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, thousands of miles away from everything she’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton.
Naomi can feel her defenses failing, and knows that the connection her new life offers is something she’s always secretly craved. But as she’s learned time and again, her past is never more than a nightmare away.
My honest review:
My favorite type of novel that Nora Roberts writes are her thrillers. There is always an element of romance to them, but it is in no way overwhelming nor the main point of the novel. That remains true for The Obsession.
The first few chapters are extremely intense and involve a very sensitive subject matter. Naomi is only a preteen when she uncovers that her father is a serial killer and rapist. Her childhood is spent moving around trying to protect her and her brother from the horrible things their father did. By the time Naomi is an adult she is a successful yet reclusive photographer trying to hide her family’s past.
Naomi stumbles onto the town of Sunrise Cove, WA and immediately falls in love with a run down, secluded manor house. Despite the odds against her she slowly starts to fall in love with Xander, the town mechanic, part bar owner, rock band leader, and all around great guy. Xander slowly breaks down Naomi’s defenses even as something sinister seems to be happening in the tiny town of Sunrise Cove.
One thing I love about Nora Roberts’ novels is that she never makes the male love interest also be the bad guy. I like knowing I can trust at least one person throughout the novel. From the first introduction you know Xander is great for Naomi. He is a grounding force who loves hard and protects harder. When women start turning up tortured, raped, and murdered Xander rallies his friends and family to help keep an eye on Naomi. I loved Xander’s character. He is a macho man without being a chauvinistic pig. He main concern is to keep Naomi safe from the psycho who is terrorizing the town.
I had a feeling I knew who the murderer was fairly early on in the novel. This did nothing to spoil the novel for me. I loved the intensity and suspense throughout the novel. I was constantly on the edge of my seat. The ending was PERFECT! I didn’t want the book to end any other way. This will be my newest highly recommended Nora Roberts book. Now I’m hoping that they turn it into a Lifetime movie 😉
Jenn Blogs Books 