The Witness by Nora Roberts

SYNOPSIS

Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever. 

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems -- and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms.

​She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. 

Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something -- and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

With a quirky, unforgettable heroine and a pulse-pounding plotline, Nora Roberts presents a riveting new read that cements her place as today's most reliably entertaining thriller -- and will leave people hungering for more. 

Synopsis from Goodreads

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PERSONAL REVIEW

I haven't reviewed many Nora Roberts books because I assume that everyone knows who she is and the books that she writes; I mean, there's a reason that she's such a successful Romance author, right? But I think it would surprise a lot of people to know that I'm pretty such I have almost every book she's ever written. I'm a huge fan of her books, but there are some that stand out from the pack and I end up rereading them again and again. The Witness is one of those books. I reread it for the millionth time last week and decided to finally give it a full review! 

Strong Character Growth
I loved seeing Abigail grow in this book, both in age (the book starts when she's 16) and emotionally. She's such a brilliant character because of how she handles the trauma of her past and still builds a successful career for herself. Watching her stumble her way through a relationship with Brooks honestly warmed my heart; she's socially awkward in the best way and I just wanted to be her friend! I also really appreciated that all of the characters seemed so real. They make mistakes, fight, and have many different relationships. Roberts is brilliant at building a community for her characters to thrive in, and we really see that in this book as we meet so many people that have dimension, not just background roles in the Brooks and Abigail love story.  

Love the Romance 
There's a reason that Roberts deserves the "Queen of Romance" title; she knows how to write an honest love story. There is no "love at first" sight here -- if anything, Abigail actively tries to ignore and push Brooks away for most of their first few interactions. But it's Brooks' tenacity that makes him such a great romance hero! He sees through Abigail's fears and gets her to open up to him. And I totally bought it! This is someone that's been on the run most of her life, and all I wanted was for her to find some kind of peace and a happy ending. Brooks is everything she needs, and she is that for him. I keep coming back to this book because I constantly fall in love with reading about them falling in love!

Excellent Storytelling 
I really enjoyed where this story took us. From a club in the city, to the Ozarks, and back to a face to face meeting between Abigail and Ilya, Roberts has crafted a really great story. Although the relationship between Abigail and Brooks is often a main focus, it doesn't take away from the fact that Abigail is the Russian mob's highest target. And while it sounds ridiculous when I say it, Roberts did a brilliant job crafting this story so that it unfolds organically and in an incredibly believable way. The Witness moves between moments of fear and chaos to moments of peace, and ultimately gives us the story of a woman fighting to survive. 

I've often been made fun of for the number of Nora Roberts books I own, especially when I was 16 and reading her romances, but I love her books because I always know I'm going to get a strong story with a happy ending. The Witness is the perfect testament to that. This books came out years ago, but if you haven't read it, I would definitely suggest doing so! 

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FINAL RATING: 5/5