Review | The Liar by Nora Roberts *7/10 Stars*
12:30 AM
The Liar
by Nora Roberts
Published: April 16th, 2015
Publisher: Piatkus
Source: I received a hardcover copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thanks!)
My Rating: 7/10 Stars
Summary
Betrayed by the man she loved. Can she ever trust again?
The brand-new novel of love, drama and hope from legendary Nora Roberts.
When her husband Richard dies in a freak accident, Shelby Pomeroy is devastated.
But his death reveals a horrible truth - Richard was a liar and a cheat. Now Shelby is left with the consequences - huge, terrifying debts and mounting proof that her late husband betrayed her in every conceivable way.
Heart-broken but unbowed, Shelby is determined to fix her problems - if only for the sake of her gorgeous little daughter Callie. Returning home to Tennessee and the family she thought she'd lost for ever, she discovers a new sense of strength and freedom. And hope, too, in the handsome form of carpenter Griffin Lott - a straight-dealing man who couldn't lie to her if he tried.
But not everyone is thrilled to see Shelby Pomeroy back in town. And when a shocking act of violence is traced back to Richard's shady business, it becomes clear that she is not safe from him, even in death. With her life in danger, Shelby must face the lies of the past - or lose everything.
The brand-new novel of love, drama and hope from legendary Nora Roberts.
When her husband Richard dies in a freak accident, Shelby Pomeroy is devastated.
But his death reveals a horrible truth - Richard was a liar and a cheat. Now Shelby is left with the consequences - huge, terrifying debts and mounting proof that her late husband betrayed her in every conceivable way.
Heart-broken but unbowed, Shelby is determined to fix her problems - if only for the sake of her gorgeous little daughter Callie. Returning home to Tennessee and the family she thought she'd lost for ever, she discovers a new sense of strength and freedom. And hope, too, in the handsome form of carpenter Griffin Lott - a straight-dealing man who couldn't lie to her if he tried.
But not everyone is thrilled to see Shelby Pomeroy back in town. And when a shocking act of violence is traced back to Richard's shady business, it becomes clear that she is not safe from him, even in death. With her life in danger, Shelby must face the lies of the past - or lose everything.
The verdict
The Liar was an absorbing read. I was left awestruck at the way Shelby's character grows and develops throughout the book. The characters and their overall development was by far my favorite thing in this book. Second was the story and the plot itself. The flow was so smooth and the pacing almost perfect, that I just couldn't bring myself to put it down.
The hardcover edition is such a beautiful beautiful thing, I just couldn't stop grinning my Cheshire grin, the first time I held the book.
There was just one thing that bugged me the entire time though. The dialogues.
I liked everything about the book except for the dialogues. They kept dragging on and on like these people won't ever shut up. Don't get me wrong, all the characters were very real and whole and very well written. But there was just too much unnecessary dialogue in there. I almost felt like skimming over some parts.
The issue with the dialogues doesn't just end here. All the characters, being so well developed and defined as individuals with their unique personalities... they all had the same mental voice - the voice I hear in my mind when they talk. Every dialogue in this book sounds like it's being said by the same person. In reality everyone talks differently, don't they? In almost all of the good books I've read, irrespective of the genre or age group, even in Nora Roberts' previous titles, the characters have their own 'voice'. After a few chapters into the book you don't really need to focus too much on 'Abc said, ...' or 'Xyz thought, ...' You just read the dialogues and you know who's talking. This simple yet crucial detail actually bugged me enough to have me knock off three stars.
The rest, as I said, was awesome. I'm diving into one of Nora Roberts' other books as soon as I finish writing this review. Maybe one of the 'In Death' titles? Which ones have you read? Let me know in the comments down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Happy reading!
The hardcover edition is such a beautiful beautiful thing, I just couldn't stop grinning my Cheshire grin, the first time I held the book.
There was just one thing that bugged me the entire time though. The dialogues.
I liked everything about the book except for the dialogues. They kept dragging on and on like these people won't ever shut up. Don't get me wrong, all the characters were very real and whole and very well written. But there was just too much unnecessary dialogue in there. I almost felt like skimming over some parts.
The issue with the dialogues doesn't just end here. All the characters, being so well developed and defined as individuals with their unique personalities... they all had the same mental voice - the voice I hear in my mind when they talk. Every dialogue in this book sounds like it's being said by the same person. In reality everyone talks differently, don't they? In almost all of the good books I've read, irrespective of the genre or age group, even in Nora Roberts' previous titles, the characters have their own 'voice'. After a few chapters into the book you don't really need to focus too much on 'Abc said, ...' or 'Xyz thought, ...' You just read the dialogues and you know who's talking. This simple yet crucial detail actually bugged me enough to have me knock off three stars.
The rest, as I said, was awesome. I'm diving into one of Nora Roberts' other books as soon as I finish writing this review. Maybe one of the 'In Death' titles? Which ones have you read? Let me know in the comments down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Happy reading!
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