From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes Under Currents, a novel about the power of family to harm–and to heal.Within the walls of a tasteful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, young Zane Bigelow feels like a prisoner of war. Strangers–and even Zane’s own aunt across the lake–see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making … successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children’s ballet recitals and baseball games. Zane and his sister know the truth: There is something terribly wrong.
As his father’s violent, controlling rages–and his mother’s complicity–become more and more oppressive, Zane counts the years, months, days until he can escape. He looks out for little Britt, warning her Be smart. Be careful. In fear for his very life, he plays along with the insidious lie that everything is fine, while scribbling his real thoughts in a secret journal he must carefully hide away.
When one brutal, shattering night finally reveals cracks in the fa ade, Zane begins to understand that some people are willing to face the truth, even when it hurts. As he grows into manhood and builds a new kind of family, he will find that while the darkness of his past may always shadow him, it will also show him what is necessary for good to triumph–and give him strength to draw on when he once again must stand up and defend himself and the ones he loves…
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Nora Roberts never disappoints!!!
Twisty, steamy, and suspenseful!
Under Currents is a propulsive, seductive tale that takes you to Lakeview, North Carolina where the strong, handsome Zane Bigelow has finally returned to his hometown to open a law practice after fleeing twenty years earlier after suffering years of abusive at the hands of his parents, and the hardworking, sweet Darby McCray, a young landscaper running from her own abusive past and looking for a new place to call home.
The writing is sharp and crisp. The characters are resilient, brave, and driven. And the plot is an ominous, passionate tale filled with twists, turns, familial drama, mayhem, abuse, secrets, danger, sizzling attraction, violence, romance, and murder.
Overall, Under Currents is a menacing, action-packed, alluring tale by Roberts that’s got all the elements we’ve come to know and love in her romantic suspense novels over the years, including endearing characters, tender moments, and a deliciously sinister storyline.
I have to ration myself with Nora Roberts books as I can’t get anything done once I start one. This was a feast of a story with a bit of everything. I didn’t even guess who the “bad guy” was until nearly the end. Loved the characters, the small-town detail, the background about landscaping drip-fed throughout. Was sorry when it ended. Highly recommended.
Firstly, I’d like to thank Tandem Collective UK, Nora Roberts and Little Book Cafe for gifting my a copy of this book for an honest review! I really enjoyed this read along.
I have to give a huge trigger warning for this book because it contains a huge amount of physical and emotional abuse. I do think the topic is dealt with respect and a wide number of different viewpoints. Abuse towards women, men, children etc.
With all that being said I really enjoyed this book. It is in its essence a thriller and does definitely ‘thrill’. There are four parts to this book and the first part left me shaking in shock because the writing was so well done that it was a very real and scary beginning. Reading other reviews some people didn’t like how it kind of switched between romance and thriller but this is what I loved about this book. Nora Roberts, being the amazing and successful author that she is, has taken two genres and put them in one book. We were lulled into a false sense of security with the lovely romance between Darby and Zane. The next second we are thrown right back into a thrilling part of the book and I feel that it worked really well.
I would say that there were so many characters introduced in the second part of the book that I had to keep stopping to remind myself of who everyone was. At first the multiply narration really confused me as there was no clear change, it just happened. Once I got into the book though I got used to it and enjoyed seeing the book from so many different characters viewpoints. I would have given this book 5 stars but there was a ‘joke’ made about suicide which is really not funny.
This is my third book by Nora Roberts and I can see why she is so huge! I will be reading more of her books in the future.
# 1 of my favorite authors
I eagerly await Nora’s romantic suspense releases each year, and this one is another one I can recommend highly. The way she effortlessly weaves a family’s tragic and confronting past together with a story of hope and romance is superb. As always, it keeps you turning the pages. Loved it!
I gave this book 4 stars, allow I just loved it and all the characters in it I just though that too much bad luck happens to them! But that said, this book grabs you from the start and keeps you until the very end. I do recommend this book to all who love suspense and a good love story in one book.
One of her best
I listened to the audio version of this book and it is the first Nora Roberts book I’ve ever read. I enjoyed the entire book! There is domestic violence in this book, so if you don’t want that in your book, don’t read this one, otherwise, I think you’ll like this!
Worth reading, but not as enjoyable as her other novels. The book kinda felt like it putted along and while I didn’t loose interest I never got as sucked in as I’m used to with the others. The villains and some of the other characters felt subpar and not well thought out. …
I’ve read quite a few Nora Roberts books and I’ve noticed in recent works she attempts to write strong heroines, but she never quite gets it right. Even her ‘strong’ women need to be saved or have a meltdown etc. In The Obsession this amazing woman who handles everything…needs the dude to make the nose punch (seriously? at least let the dog be the hero). In several others, the heroine is only strong enough to keep herself safe until the hero shows up. I find it frustrating! In Under Currents we finally have a woman who manages to save herself, and when the obligatory hero scene comes around, she actively helps out. Finally, now if we could just get the point of not needing that come to the rescue scene or the heroine rescues the hero (actually that somewhat happens in Angel’s Fall, but everyone things she’s crazy and the hero while supportive, acts condescending about it).
I only gave 3.5 stars because while the heroine doesn’t need any saving…the story wasn’t as strong as usual. I didn’t find myself nearly as invested, and honestly the beginning was almost like a ‘day in the life of two random people’, well the beginning of the present day section of the story. The hero’s back story was very interesting. It’s worth the read, but not a bookshelf keeper.
You can never go wrong with a Nora Roberts book. Listened to this book and the narrators were exceptional
Sad to see what some families hide in their homes.
It was heart reaching to know this really happens to people.
I have yet to find a Nora Roberts book that I did not enjoy. It took me away to another world and it was entirely enjoyable.
Another good Nora Roberts book. Very good story
As always, Nora Roberts always entertains with her story telling. This book was no exception. This particular novel was such a good read that I’ve read it twice within 5 months. Couldn’t put it down!
This book is a page-turner! The only thing that I found frustrating, was the transition between the background and the main story.
Great writing, as usual!
Great read!