The Obsession

by Nora Roberts

The large print edition of the riveting new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Liar.
 
“She stood in the deep, dark woods, breath shallow and cold prickling over her skin despite the hot, heavy air. She took a step back, then two, as the urge to run fell over her.”
 
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. No matter how close she gets to happiness, she can’t outrun the sins of Thomas David Bowes.
 
Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, a rambling old house in need of repair, thousands of miles away from everything she’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the kindly 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 the sins of her father can become an obsession, and, as she’s learned time and again, her past is never more than a nightmare away.

• ISBN10: 1101988339
• ISBN13: 9781101988336
• Publish Date: 12 April 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 752
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781101988336

Reviews

[Pigpen.Reads]

First Nora Robert's Read.

I'm not entirely sure what I expected going into this, but from reading the synopsis I was intrigued.

I loved that Naomi was a strong independent woman. She wasn't a mess and cringey, even when she discovers her dad's awful secret.

As far as thrillers go, this one was really good. It had me sitting at the edge of my seat, flipping page after page.

While I did guess the person a bit too early, it was fantastic to see the way it unfolded.

[Leigha]

A serial killer's daughter learns settling down might be harder to do in this romance thriller novel.

It was an interesting concept. How would you live if you found out you were the child of a serial killer? The first one hundred pages of the book explored our narrator's struggle to live, but lost the initial momentum in the later half of the novel. It took too much time revealing the main threat to Naomi. On top of the meandering plot, I did not connect to the romance occurring between Naomi and Xander. I liked the two character separately, but not as a couple. I did enjoy the secondary characters, including the town residents and Naomi's family. Quite frankly, I think the novel would have been more appealing if focused on the side characters than on Naomi.

I can't end this review without talking about the money. Boy, did these people have a lot of money to throw around. Naomi came across as a hard working woman with a comfortable lifestyle, but I did raise my eyebrows about her financial ability to completely renovate an old house (mansion?). It didn't feel true to her background, even with the explanation of "family" money. It pulled me out of the story as I glanced around my own home wishing for such a disposable income.

tl;dr While an enjoyable book, the interesting plot was overtaken by lackluster main characters and a disappointing romance.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Five Caffeinated reasons to read The Obsession

• The Obsession was riveting from the very first pages as eleven-year-old Naomi Bowes follows her father into the woods and discovers a young woman trapped in a root cellar. Naomi unwittingly saves the young woman and reveals to the world one of the most notorious serial killers of our era. The story follows Naomi and her family as they grow up under the shadow of their now famous father. The first part of the book focuses on life growing up in the shadow of their father and Roberts really allows us to get to know Naomi, her brother Mason and her Uncles. I loved the depth Roberts put into the story and the characters making the story very surreal.


• Roberts gave us such a strong, talent and resilient heroine. Naomi is flawed and fears being discovered. This has caused her to wander and until now she has never called a place home or had a serious relationship. While taking photos in Sunrise Cove she stumbles across a rundown house overlooking the bay and surprises herself when she buys it. She does not really expected to stay and I loved watching her befriend townsfolk and unknowingly begin to grow roots.


• The romance is slow building and incredibly hot despite being closed-door.  Our hero Xander Keaton is sure to curl your toes. Xander is a sweetie, and not the outwardly romantic type. Which just makes it even sexier when he does something swoon-worthy. He does not have a clue how romantic he can be, and I found it refreshing. The man is yummy to look at and can fix your car too. I loved the chemistry and "tug and pull" of their relationship. Naomi is skittish and Xander determined creating a wonderful, genuine romance that felt like the forever kind.


• Since the first part of the book dealt with Naomi’s dad, I was not sure how the suspense angle was going to play out, but we soon have a threat in Sunrise Cove. Roberts skillfully created a tension-filled suspense and I loved that moment when the past threaded with the present. The plot felt very plausible, I enjoyed the way secondary characters, Naomi, and her past tied into this suspenseful murder-mystery.


• I feel in love with the characters in The Obsession and despite what happened I would love to visit Sunrise Cove and these characters again. Roberts made them all very real to me, even the secondary characters. I became emotionally connected and found myself laughing aloud, swooning, biting my nails and holding my breath. Well-paced with an ending that left me in my happy place, The Obsession is a book I will recommend to all.

Copy provided by publisher This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[thebookdisciple]

exactly what you expect from Nora Roberts. I will say I thought this one was a bit predictable. Maybe thats just me though. I still really enjoyed the characters. Nora Roberts writes great characters.