125Pages

I have not read a Nora Roberts book in about four years and I generally only read her supernatural trilogies, as I thought her others were more contemporary romances. So I was not sure what to expect going into The Obsession as it was not a supernatural based story, but the synopsis did not sound like a romance. What I found was a gripping story about the children of a serial killer and the psychological toll parents can inflect on their children. Add in a bit of romance, some unexplained deaths and a loveable dog and The Obsession was a well rounded book.

The plot was interesting and engaging. I did figure out the twist about 3/4 in, but that did not ruin the reading. There is a reason Nora Roberts is such a well known writer. She combines the average and the outlandish in a way that makes sense in the scope of the tale. The pacing had a few issues as there was too much build up at times, but in general it worked. The world built was very vivid. The locations were described with a nice attention to detail, but were not weighed down by flowery language. The emotions ran high in The Obsession. At times they were a little overwrought, but that is expected in this type of book. I did like the majority of the characters. The uncles were fantastic and I wanted much more of Mason, the brother. Naomi as a main was at times frustrating, as she pushed everyone away and at times pushed the reader away as well.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Obsession. It was a great mix of thriller, romance and contemporary women’s fiction. I am happy I took a chance on it as it changed my opinion of Nora Robert’s writing. She is more diverse than I gave her credit for. And while The Obsession was not a perfect read, it contained enough exciting elements to keep me intrigued and entertained.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.