IDENTITY is a new Nora Roberts book that walks the Romantic Suspense line but still has the hallmark NR romance staples. I read this arc in a day. The first chapter felt a little 'tell'-y but it sets us up for what is a very very good novel about Morgan Nash Albright, a bartender (Nora loves a specialty trade) who runs afoul of an opportunistic serial killer who steals identities and money from the people he kills. When her roommate gets dead instead of her, Morgan has to deal with the fallout of his intrusion in her life and move back home with her mother and grandmother. This book muses on what it means to put down roots, and what it means to find your identity in a place, in people.

Nora Roberts books have a lot of things but there are several trademarks: the hero or heroine has a special job and you are going to learn all about it (in this case, bartending), the small towns are big into the arts (the DREAM let me move to this town), Ms Nora loves a craftsman and hard worker in a man (same), and the characters who are new to the scene get quickly drawn into the community that cares for them and appreciates them as people. I teared up SEVERAL times during the book and maybe that's because I'm getting a cold but I think it speaks to the fact that Ms Nora knows what she's doing. I've read other romantic suspense books of hers and I liked this one very much because it didn't leave me super stressed. The tension is there and it's a good tension but it doesn't keep you from enjoying Morgan's romance with Miles and appreciating her rebuilding her life. I liked the message the book sends--even when horrible things happen, you will make it to the other side, and you will grow, and you will thrive.

I would give this book an enthusiastic 4.5 stars.
Heat level: 3 for on page scenes but not what I'd consider particularly explicit.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the review copy. This is my freely given honest review.