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Nightwork
Greed. Desire. Obsession. Revenge . . . It’s all in a night’s work.
Harry Booth started stealing at nine to keep a roof over his ailing mother’s head, slipping into luxurious, empty homes at night to find items he could trade for precious cash. When his mother finally succumbed to cancer, he left Chicago—but kept up his nightwork, developing into a master thief with a code of honor and an expertise in not attracting attention?or getting attached.
Until he meets Miranda Emerson, and the powerful bond between them upends all his rules. But along the way, Booth has made some dangerous associations, including the ruthless Carter LaPorte, who sees Booth as a tool he controls for his own profit. Knowing LaPorte will leverage any personal connection, Booth abandons Miranda for her own safety—cruelly, with no explanation—and disappears.
But the bond between Miranda and Booth is too strong, pulling them inexorably back together. Now Booth must face LaPorte, to truly free himself and Miranda once and for all.
Harry Booth started stealing at nine to keep a roof over his ailing mother’s head, slipping into luxurious, empty homes at night to find items he could trade for precious cash. When his mother finally succumbed to cancer, he left Chicago—but kept up his nightwork, developing into a master thief with a code of honor and an expertise in not attracting attention?or getting attached.
Until he meets Miranda Emerson, and the powerful bond between them upends all his rules. But along the way, Booth has made some dangerous associations, including the ruthless Carter LaPorte, who sees Booth as a tool he controls for his own profit. Knowing LaPorte will leverage any personal connection, Booth abandons Miranda for her own safety—cruelly, with no explanation—and disappears.
But the bond between Miranda and Booth is too strong, pulling them inexorably back together. Now Booth must face LaPorte, to truly free himself and Miranda once and for all.
437 pages, Hardcover
First published May 24, 2022
4839 people are currently reading
30835 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,209 books59.6k followersNora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,929 reviews
September 30, 2022
A terrific con artist romantic suspense.
Wow, what a great character! At the age of nine, Harry Booth's mother has cancer. She owns a cleaning service with her sister, Mags. When she was too ill to work, Harry goes with his aunt, but it wasn't enough for her medical bills, he was worried about foreclosure. Without her knowing, Harry starts going into homes and taking small things. He never takes more than what he needs and he never "breaks" into a home. From the get-go, Harry has a code of conduct.
I just adore Harry! He makes me think of Frank Abagnale from Catch Me If You Can. Although he doesn't hurt or kill people, his moral codes make me think of Orphan X. The boy now a man has skills, he stays under the radar, a bit of a loner but eventually falls for a girl. He's brilliant at math, tech, languages (5?), and literature. He cooks gourmet foods and even bakes his own bread!
Along the way, Harry met a good thief that became a family and a bad thief who keeps tracking him down from one state to the next for a bigger job.
Overall, Nightwork was entertaining and I enjoy all the characters. There's a bit of suspense but to me, things were a bit too easy and I never felt he was in any danger. I also wish it was a few hours shorter (16 hrs and 22 mins). Will Damron's a fantastic narrator. I really like this audiobook.
Wow, what a great character! At the age of nine, Harry Booth's mother has cancer. She owns a cleaning service with her sister, Mags. When she was too ill to work, Harry goes with his aunt, but it wasn't enough for her medical bills, he was worried about foreclosure. Without her knowing, Harry starts going into homes and taking small things. He never takes more than what he needs and he never "breaks" into a home. From the get-go, Harry has a code of conduct.
I just adore Harry! He makes me think of Frank Abagnale from Catch Me If You Can. Although he doesn't hurt or kill people, his moral codes make me think of Orphan X. The boy now a man has skills, he stays under the radar, a bit of a loner but eventually falls for a girl. He's brilliant at math, tech, languages (5?), and literature. He cooks gourmet foods and even bakes his own bread!
Along the way, Harry met a good thief that became a family and a bad thief who keeps tracking him down from one state to the next for a bigger job.
Overall, Nightwork was entertaining and I enjoy all the characters. There's a bit of suspense but to me, things were a bit too easy and I never felt he was in any danger. I also wish it was a few hours shorter (16 hrs and 22 mins). Will Damron's a fantastic narrator. I really like this audiobook.
May 29, 2022
Rating ⭐.5
This one just wasn't for me :(. I want to feel conflicted about rooting for a morally grey character but I just didn't feel anything for Booth. So of you do like him, then this could be a winner for you!
~ Quick Summary ~
We follow the life of Harry Booth, whose mother was diagnosed with cancer and became a thief to help make ends meet. After she passed away Booth continued his nightwork and never stayed in one location for too long, fearing that his enemy will catch up to him.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
👨 A morally grey character: A kind thief who care about his family
😯 Side of mystery and romance
🐢 Slow pace
👪 Likeable characters
🕐 Skipping forward in time and switching locations
~ What I Enjoyed ~
The theme of family and Booth’s relationships.
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
This was incredibly slow paced, I just couldn’t get into it. I didn't feel connected or invested in Booth so his experiences and travels were boring to me. I love morally grey characters but I’d simply describe Booth as a nice guy and a good person.
I felt no tension or suspense whatsoever throughout the book, not even from the heists.
What really didn’t work for me was how events were glossed over and we would skip forward in time so when I feel like I’d start to immerse we'd jump somewhere else. I feel I’m being told, not shown most of the time.
La Porte didn’t feel like the dangerous villain of the story that he was meant to be. Their first meeting and conflict wasn’t intense enough for me to feel like Booth needed to fear La Porte and live his life in hiding. I just didn’t feel the danger or urgency. When Booth was forced to do a job I thought there would be more time spent on the heist and having to leave his life behind but it was breezed through.
At the 57% mark it got slightly better because we stayed in one location for a longer period of time, but by that time I just wanted to finish this. However, the plot took an unexpected turn, it was something I’d expect in a rom com.
Thanks to Negalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC
This one just wasn't for me :(. I want to feel conflicted about rooting for a morally grey character but I just didn't feel anything for Booth. So of you do like him, then this could be a winner for you!
~ Quick Summary ~
We follow the life of Harry Booth, whose mother was diagnosed with cancer and became a thief to help make ends meet. After she passed away Booth continued his nightwork and never stayed in one location for too long, fearing that his enemy will catch up to him.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
👨 A morally grey character: A kind thief who care about his family
😯 Side of mystery and romance
🐢 Slow pace
👪 Likeable characters
🕐 Skipping forward in time and switching locations
~ What I Enjoyed ~
The theme of family and Booth’s relationships.
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
This was incredibly slow paced, I just couldn’t get into it. I didn't feel connected or invested in Booth so his experiences and travels were boring to me. I love morally grey characters but I’d simply describe Booth as a nice guy and a good person.
I felt no tension or suspense whatsoever throughout the book, not even from the heists.
What really didn’t work for me was how events were glossed over and we would skip forward in time so when I feel like I’d start to immerse we'd jump somewhere else. I feel I’m being told, not shown most of the time.
La Porte didn’t feel like the dangerous villain of the story that he was meant to be. Their first meeting and conflict wasn’t intense enough for me to feel like Booth needed to fear La Porte and live his life in hiding. I just didn’t feel the danger or urgency. When Booth was forced to do a job I thought there would be more time spent on the heist and having to leave his life behind but it was breezed through.
At the 57% mark it got slightly better because we stayed in one location for a longer period of time, but by that time I just wanted to finish this. However, the plot took an unexpected turn, it was something I’d expect in a rom com.
Thanks to Negalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC
August 21, 2022
the setup…
When Harry Booth was nine years old, his mother had her first bout of cancer and he became skilled as a pickpocket in order to help keep their home and the lights on. After the cancer returned when he was twelve, Harry advanced to more lucrative thefts, again saving the family financially. Along with his becoming exceptional at his “nightwork,” Harry also adopted a personal code, establishing limits to what he would and wouldn’t do, who he would or would not target. After he turned eighteen, he traveled the country, changing identities at will and obtaining an education in his own unique style. But his heart always drifted back to North Carolina and the university at Chapel Hill, something about it feeling comfortable to his soul. After deciding to settle there for school full time, his heart was also forever waylaid by another student, Miranda Emerson. Before Harry can start to lay down permanent roots, a dark force from his past interferes, the only person he ever stole an object for other than himself. That threat forced Harry to return to his life of anonymity and solitude.
the heart of the story…
It was so sneaky how Harry got under my skin and had me admiring his resourcefulness, skills and personal thief code. I challenge anyone who reads this story to not be swept up and taken in by the boy, the teen and the man. All along the way I got to see how his young mind formed, the pressures that had him continue his nightwork and his absolute devotion to his mother and aunt who was her caregiver. He quietly captured my heart and I worried with each risky venture, both hoping he’d succeed and give up this lifestyle. When he met Miranda for the first time, Harry’s encounter was so life changing even I could recognize that it was an important moment in his life. His decision to sacrifice his own desire in order to protect her and his aunt was painful and heartbreaking. I felt everything.
the narration…
Will Damron was just about perfect in his storytelling and characterizations. I particularly liked how his female voices sounded normal, not affected like some male narrators tend to go. It’s a long story and his voice tone made the time fly by. He’s got serious skills.
the bottom line…
I enjoyed this story, quite a bit, as it meandered through Harry’s life from childhood through his adult maturation. His travels took me from coast to coast in the US, to Europe and other continents. I was never bored because he was interesting and, if I’m honest, I’m a die-hard fan of Roberts’ storytelling style. While this is categorized as romantic suspense, it reads more like contemporary fiction with romantic and suspense elements. It’s my only criticism, though I’m happy regardless of the label. 4.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
When Harry Booth was nine years old, his mother had her first bout of cancer and he became skilled as a pickpocket in order to help keep their home and the lights on. After the cancer returned when he was twelve, Harry advanced to more lucrative thefts, again saving the family financially. Along with his becoming exceptional at his “nightwork,” Harry also adopted a personal code, establishing limits to what he would and wouldn’t do, who he would or would not target. After he turned eighteen, he traveled the country, changing identities at will and obtaining an education in his own unique style. But his heart always drifted back to North Carolina and the university at Chapel Hill, something about it feeling comfortable to his soul. After deciding to settle there for school full time, his heart was also forever waylaid by another student, Miranda Emerson. Before Harry can start to lay down permanent roots, a dark force from his past interferes, the only person he ever stole an object for other than himself. That threat forced Harry to return to his life of anonymity and solitude.
the heart of the story…
It was so sneaky how Harry got under my skin and had me admiring his resourcefulness, skills and personal thief code. I challenge anyone who reads this story to not be swept up and taken in by the boy, the teen and the man. All along the way I got to see how his young mind formed, the pressures that had him continue his nightwork and his absolute devotion to his mother and aunt who was her caregiver. He quietly captured my heart and I worried with each risky venture, both hoping he’d succeed and give up this lifestyle. When he met Miranda for the first time, Harry’s encounter was so life changing even I could recognize that it was an important moment in his life. His decision to sacrifice his own desire in order to protect her and his aunt was painful and heartbreaking. I felt everything.
the narration…
Will Damron was just about perfect in his storytelling and characterizations. I particularly liked how his female voices sounded normal, not affected like some male narrators tend to go. It’s a long story and his voice tone made the time fly by. He’s got serious skills.
the bottom line…
I enjoyed this story, quite a bit, as it meandered through Harry’s life from childhood through his adult maturation. His travels took me from coast to coast in the US, to Europe and other continents. I was never bored because he was interesting and, if I’m honest, I’m a die-hard fan of Roberts’ storytelling style. While this is categorized as romantic suspense, it reads more like contemporary fiction with romantic and suspense elements. It’s my only criticism, though I’m happy regardless of the label. 4.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
December 28, 2022
Next to her In Death novels, her standalone books are my most FAVORITE!!!!!! Can't wait :D
4.5 to 5 stars!! It's a keeper and definitely a re-read contender!!
I finally had the time to read this book. And I ended up reading it in one sitting!!!!! It was SO GOOD!!!!!
Nightwork is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves romance. It has everything that makes for a great novel. Loved it!!!
Beyond everything else, I loved the plot so much. I'm a BIG fan of heist movies, and I never expected anything like this book from Nora Roberts. The plot was so entertaining from beginning to end.
Also, Booth and Miranda's banter was just so well done!! They played off each other, the back and forth was GOLD, and their chemistry, genuine love and interest between them authentic and real. And the supporting cast, all the people Booth considered family were charming, endearing and entertaining. They had this unbreakable and enduring bond. I got jealous at times - lol.
Overall Nightwork was a surprisingly feel good novel (at least to me), with great suspense and a fantastic backstory thanks to amazing research from the author.
If you haven't read a NR yet, this is a great one to start ♡
4.5 to 5 stars!! It's a keeper and definitely a re-read contender!!
I finally had the time to read this book. And I ended up reading it in one sitting!!!!! It was SO GOOD!!!!!
Nightwork is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves romance. It has everything that makes for a great novel. Loved it!!!
Beyond everything else, I loved the plot so much. I'm a BIG fan of heist movies, and I never expected anything like this book from Nora Roberts. The plot was so entertaining from beginning to end.
Also, Booth and Miranda's banter was just so well done!! They played off each other, the back and forth was GOLD, and their chemistry, genuine love and interest between them authentic and real. And the supporting cast, all the people Booth considered family were charming, endearing and entertaining. They had this unbreakable and enduring bond. I got jealous at times - lol.
Overall Nightwork was a surprisingly feel good novel (at least to me), with great suspense and a fantastic backstory thanks to amazing research from the author.
If you haven't read a NR yet, this is a great one to start ♡
February 26, 2022
Sometimes I'm a book snob. A stupid book snob, it turns out. I've never read Nora Roberts before. Never. I guess I assumed any author who wrote so fast and was so popular would be shallow and formulaic. Nightwork blew that stupid assumption away. Now I know Nora Roberts is popular because she's an excellent writer!
The first sentence drew me in. When he was nine, and his mother had her first deadly dance with cancer, he became a thief.
Not as sad as it sounds, because the love between the boy, his mother and her sister, turns the story of his early years into an uplifting story of family coping with bad times with humor, determination, and work. That's what being a thief is to Harry. Work. His real life is carefully separated from his night work. I can't say much more without spoilers. Bottom line, a captivating romantic suspense and so much fun to read.
May 22, 2022
Harry Booth was nine years old when his mother first contracted cancer. She and her sister Mags ran a cleaning service and when she was too sick, Harry helped out – and heard a lot that interested him. Stealing became a way to help his mother with paying bills and literally surviving. After the third bout of cancer when she finally succumbed, a devastated Harry, eighteen years old by now, left his home in Chicago and he and his aunt parted ways, vowing to get together once a year around the 1st April.
As Harry moved through his life, many times changing his name and his persona, he continued with his nightwork, honing his abilities, researching, getting it all down to a fine art. And he was good. His manner was aloof, never drawing attention to himself. But when he met Miranda Emerson, with her father as his professor, he felt his edges crack and fray and he grew close to her. But it couldn’t last as his past caught up with him in a horrifying way. Cutting ties, he was on the run again, needing to get away from one who wanted him as a possession. But Harry wouldn’t be owned. Would he ever have a life he could call his own? He needed a plan – but could he pull it off?
What an exceptional read!! Nightwork by Nora Roberts is a standalone novel with an excellent range of characters – just as Ms Roberts always writes. Mags was wonderful, and the love she had for her nephew stood out. The people we meet on the way through Harry’s journey play a great part, some good, some not so good – just as they’re meant to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this stunning romantic suspense novel – such a pleasurable read - and have no hesitation in recommending it highly.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
As Harry moved through his life, many times changing his name and his persona, he continued with his nightwork, honing his abilities, researching, getting it all down to a fine art. And he was good. His manner was aloof, never drawing attention to himself. But when he met Miranda Emerson, with her father as his professor, he felt his edges crack and fray and he grew close to her. But it couldn’t last as his past caught up with him in a horrifying way. Cutting ties, he was on the run again, needing to get away from one who wanted him as a possession. But Harry wouldn’t be owned. Would he ever have a life he could call his own? He needed a plan – but could he pull it off?
What an exceptional read!! Nightwork by Nora Roberts is a standalone novel with an excellent range of characters – just as Ms Roberts always writes. Mags was wonderful, and the love she had for her nephew stood out. The people we meet on the way through Harry’s journey play a great part, some good, some not so good – just as they’re meant to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this stunning romantic suspense novel – such a pleasurable read - and have no hesitation in recommending it highly.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2022
Longer than necessary to the point the end gets far away. Less would have resulted in a higher rating. 6 of 10 stars
May 1, 2022
Awesome story. Different flavor than what we are used to from Roberts but addictive!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For me, the sign of an awesome author is one who changes the tide of the story with such subtlety that you do not even realize it is happening.
This story starts out with an unusual main character for a Roberts story. A guy. A kid really and we are with him as he tells his story and grows. He educates himself in ways we cannot believe. He loves hard and works hard. He protects what and who he loves always. He continues to learn and grow.
With precise steps, the suspense begins to build and the story changes subtly. You begin to realize who the master craftsman really is. Once again you are captured by a story that begs you to finish as quickly as you can while not missing a single sentence.
Roberts develops her characters beautifully and the story really is in the intricate details. While it seems to start slowly, the build-up and the ending make it worth the wait! Awesome twist.
* copy received for review consideration
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/nightwork-by...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For me, the sign of an awesome author is one who changes the tide of the story with such subtlety that you do not even realize it is happening.
This story starts out with an unusual main character for a Roberts story. A guy. A kid really and we are with him as he tells his story and grows. He educates himself in ways we cannot believe. He loves hard and works hard. He protects what and who he loves always. He continues to learn and grow.
With precise steps, the suspense begins to build and the story changes subtly. You begin to realize who the master craftsman really is. Once again you are captured by a story that begs you to finish as quickly as you can while not missing a single sentence.
Roberts develops her characters beautifully and the story really is in the intricate details. While it seems to start slowly, the build-up and the ending make it worth the wait! Awesome twist.
* copy received for review consideration
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/nightwork-by...
May 28, 2022
Did NR even write this book? I made it to chapter 8 and just gave up. I have been reading NR for30 years and I will admit I have liked some more than others but this is just plain bad. The main character has been picking pockets and robbing homes since he was 9 and hasn’t been caught yet? Really? Not even once? He gets picked up by rich socialite debutante and brought in to a million dollar Christmas party? He just knows where to hock jewels worth hundreds of thousands of dollars all over the US and he’s only 18? And he’s never been picked up? No one is that lucky. And I am only on chapter 8!
May 25, 2022
With 250 pages of slow, excruciating background and build up, I felt like a kid in the back of the family car on a long road trip, "Are we there yet???" It really felt like wandering along the backroads in the Great Smoky Mountains. You know the road leads somewhere, but it's taking an awful long time getting there. I enjoyed the ride but got a little bored along the way. I do enjoy a richly detailed characterization and Booth is a character with "squishy" morals but with a firm set of rules on how he conducts his Nightwork. I loved the suspense and the setup for the big sting. The romance, well it was typical of the last six Nora's books, there, but barely, slightly more than cozy.
We start the story with Harry Booth, age 9, who has become a thief in order to pay the bills because his mother has cancer and that costs a lot, physically, emotionally and financially for the sufferer and the family. Harry discovers he has a talent and doesn't much question the morals, he just wants to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table for his mother, Aunt Megs and himself in Chicago, Illinois. After her death, Harry, at 19, takes a long road trip that leads him to New Orleans, and an eclectic group of friends and a mentor, Sebastian. He also comes to the notice of a real nasty baddie, wealthy Carter LaPorte, who is determined to acquire and possesses beautiful things and people too. Harry decides that he isn't going to be any man's possession and flees.
Booth Harrison lands at UNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with a thrust for knowledge, a fake ID and lucrative nightwork. He falls in love with the beautiful Miranda Emerson, a fellow student and daughter of his English professor. But Booth's past is not far behind and LaPorte threatens everyone he loves unless Booth acquires a beautiful bronze statue for him. Booth steals the object, delivers it and disappears only to spot LaPorte 10 years later in Paris. This time when Booth disappears, he lands in Westbend, Virginia, a place he feels, in his gut, is home. Fate is a fickle thing and Miranda reappears in his life and not far behind her, LaPorte. Booth is older and wiser this time around and he is done running from this man, but to put an end to it once and for all will require something Booth had never done before - working with a partner.
My thanks to St. Martins Press, Publisher, and Nora Roberts, author, for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
We start the story with Harry Booth, age 9, who has become a thief in order to pay the bills because his mother has cancer and that costs a lot, physically, emotionally and financially for the sufferer and the family. Harry discovers he has a talent and doesn't much question the morals, he just wants to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table for his mother, Aunt Megs and himself in Chicago, Illinois. After her death, Harry, at 19, takes a long road trip that leads him to New Orleans, and an eclectic group of friends and a mentor, Sebastian. He also comes to the notice of a real nasty baddie, wealthy Carter LaPorte, who is determined to acquire and possesses beautiful things and people too. Harry decides that he isn't going to be any man's possession and flees.
Booth Harrison lands at UNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with a thrust for knowledge, a fake ID and lucrative nightwork. He falls in love with the beautiful Miranda Emerson, a fellow student and daughter of his English professor. But Booth's past is not far behind and LaPorte threatens everyone he loves unless Booth acquires a beautiful bronze statue for him. Booth steals the object, delivers it and disappears only to spot LaPorte 10 years later in Paris. This time when Booth disappears, he lands in Westbend, Virginia, a place he feels, in his gut, is home. Fate is a fickle thing and Miranda reappears in his life and not far behind her, LaPorte. Booth is older and wiser this time around and he is done running from this man, but to put an end to it once and for all will require something Booth had never done before - working with a partner.
My thanks to St. Martins Press, Publisher, and Nora Roberts, author, for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
July 8, 2022
I think it's time for Roberts to just write a straight up mystery and forget about the romance side of things. You can feel her itching to do it. This is supposedly romantic suspense, but it's so light on that it feels like a misnomer to categorize it as such. It doesn't help that we follow a character (Harry Booth) that is so morally grey you have to wonder why Roberts has him as our "hero."
"Nightwork" follows Harry Booth who at age 9 starts stealing to support his mother who is undergoing chemotherapy treatments. When his mother eventually dies, Harry still keeps stealing and breaking into homes hence the title of this book. Harry eventually meets a woman called Miranda and starts to think about a different future, but is threatened by someone who wants to use his skills.
FYI, I almost DNFed this thing four times. It was painful to get through. The flow was so bad. I did start to skim towards the halfway point because I found myself not caring a whit about what was going on.
The characters are not developed at all. We also have insta-love which I don't recall Roberts doing for ages in her stand-alones.
Also as others have pointed out this book skips forward in time a lot and changes locations. It honestly reminds me somewhat or some of her older books like "Risky Business". I know she's done the time jump thing before, but think that only "Under Currents" has done it to great effect in her latest books. I think that's because we stayed with the hero for a time period before moving to the present day. And we didn't stay long in the "past" either before shifting things forward in the story. Eventually the book does stop flip flopping around which helped with my reading.
Harry is also just kind of blah. I also wasn't in the mood to root for a thief. I feel like a little bit this was a little of her trying to do another "Roarke" type character for her readers. We all know that Roarke started off stealing as a kid and of course got involved with criminal gangs in Ireland and then New York. Most of the dialogue and circumstances about him I think were supposed to read as thief with heart of gold, but I just kept rolling my eyes. Also Harry does have "relations" with other women in this book so when you get to the whole "heroine" in this one you wonder why it even matters. I will add that I think that most of the books where Nora just follows a "hero" it does not work as well for me, see my review of "Shelter in Place."
Miranda was just not developed at all.
The bad guy in this story read like a cartoon villain which was a shame. I think Roberts does bad guys so well in most of her romantic suspense books. But this just felt very unfinished.
I do think that at this point the standlones either work or they don't. But the magick books have not worked for me for some time so I just steer clear of them. I do still read the "In Death" books, but stopped auto buying them eons ago because there are some issues with them as well. Ah well. Onto the next book.
"Nightwork" follows Harry Booth who at age 9 starts stealing to support his mother who is undergoing chemotherapy treatments. When his mother eventually dies, Harry still keeps stealing and breaking into homes hence the title of this book. Harry eventually meets a woman called Miranda and starts to think about a different future, but is threatened by someone who wants to use his skills.
FYI, I almost DNFed this thing four times. It was painful to get through. The flow was so bad. I did start to skim towards the halfway point because I found myself not caring a whit about what was going on.
The characters are not developed at all. We also have insta-love which I don't recall Roberts doing for ages in her stand-alones.
Also as others have pointed out this book skips forward in time a lot and changes locations. It honestly reminds me somewhat or some of her older books like "Risky Business". I know she's done the time jump thing before, but think that only "Under Currents" has done it to great effect in her latest books. I think that's because we stayed with the hero for a time period before moving to the present day. And we didn't stay long in the "past" either before shifting things forward in the story. Eventually the book does stop flip flopping around which helped with my reading.
Harry is also just kind of blah. I also wasn't in the mood to root for a thief. I feel like a little bit this was a little of her trying to do another "Roarke" type character for her readers. We all know that Roarke started off stealing as a kid and of course got involved with criminal gangs in Ireland and then New York. Most of the dialogue and circumstances about him I think were supposed to read as thief with heart of gold, but I just kept rolling my eyes. Also Harry does have "relations" with other women in this book so when you get to the whole "heroine" in this one you wonder why it even matters. I will add that I think that most of the books where Nora just follows a "hero" it does not work as well for me, see my review of "Shelter in Place."
Miranda was just not developed at all.
The bad guy in this story read like a cartoon villain which was a shame. I think Roberts does bad guys so well in most of her romantic suspense books. But this just felt very unfinished.
I do think that at this point the standlones either work or they don't. But the magick books have not worked for me for some time so I just steer clear of them. I do still read the "In Death" books, but stopped auto buying them eons ago because there are some issues with them as well. Ah well. Onto the next book.
January 3, 2024
"People matter a whole lot more than things."
Nora Roberts. Period.
This book hit me right in the heart for so many different reasons. Starting with losing a loved one to cancer, switching to having a teacher that means everything to you, and ending with the idea that life will always work out the way that it's meant to.
I want to start by saying that I tried to keep my walls up about our main character. He has so many names, but Booth is the most important. I tried so hard not to love him and failed completely. He was just a kid when he stole to keep his mother's bills paid while she fought the demon that is cancer. He was barely out of high school when he lost her. He traveled and changed who he was and existed in a world that never gave him a chance.
He fell in love with the ocean, the hills, New Orleans, North Carolina, and a beautiful girl named Miranda. He read, and educated himself and did everything he could to follow the rules he set when he was only 12 and doing the only thing he knew could work. When that all caught up to him, and he had to leave it all behind, he didn't think he'd fall in love with anything again. But isn't that just human nature? So he fell in love with a house. With his students. And with the same girl. And he would not be ran off from it again.
This was such a powerful story about self reflection and what it truly means to be bad. The difference between a choice and a necessity. Honesty. Life. I loved every second I got to spend with Booth in these 400 pages. I loved that I could relate to someone so fully on what loss by cancer does to a person. I loved that he helped a child work through his parents divorce by writing a letter, because that's exactly what I did when my parents put me in the middle of their fighting. I loved that he got his happy ending, because by the end of this book, I don't think there's a single person I was rooting for more than I was rooting for him.
I loved every relationship he made along the way. I loved Aunt Mags and Sebestian. I love that there was so much happy inside so much sad.
I love Nora Roberts.
Nora Roberts. Period.
This book hit me right in the heart for so many different reasons. Starting with losing a loved one to cancer, switching to having a teacher that means everything to you, and ending with the idea that life will always work out the way that it's meant to.
I want to start by saying that I tried to keep my walls up about our main character. He has so many names, but Booth is the most important. I tried so hard not to love him and failed completely. He was just a kid when he stole to keep his mother's bills paid while she fought the demon that is cancer. He was barely out of high school when he lost her. He traveled and changed who he was and existed in a world that never gave him a chance.
He fell in love with the ocean, the hills, New Orleans, North Carolina, and a beautiful girl named Miranda. He read, and educated himself and did everything he could to follow the rules he set when he was only 12 and doing the only thing he knew could work. When that all caught up to him, and he had to leave it all behind, he didn't think he'd fall in love with anything again. But isn't that just human nature? So he fell in love with a house. With his students. And with the same girl. And he would not be ran off from it again.
This was such a powerful story about self reflection and what it truly means to be bad. The difference between a choice and a necessity. Honesty. Life. I loved every second I got to spend with Booth in these 400 pages. I loved that I could relate to someone so fully on what loss by cancer does to a person. I loved that he helped a child work through his parents divorce by writing a letter, because that's exactly what I did when my parents put me in the middle of their fighting. I loved that he got his happy ending, because by the end of this book, I don't think there's a single person I was rooting for more than I was rooting for him.
I loved every relationship he made along the way. I loved Aunt Mags and Sebestian. I love that there was so much happy inside so much sad.
I love Nora Roberts.
June 1, 2024
Oh, the journey this book and I went on. I loved Booth/Harry! His moral code reminded me of early Dexter... but with less death ;)
I also loved the Red Goddess of the story. Megs, Dauphine, Sebastian... I loved the theatre kids both in college and at the high school.
I loved the New Orleans vibe. It was the best-described setting in the entire book. I was a bit sad that there was somewhat less description and feel for the rest of the book's locations. I wanted more about the houses, security system, and overall operating procedures.
LaPorte was easy to hate, but in later portions of the book, he was less dimensional as a character, as where his henchmen.
I have THREE major issues with this novel.
The first: The card reading by Dauphine was kept close at hand for me whenever events would unfurl but the book seemed to have forgotten or completely ignored many of the predictions by the end. Such as the "big job" advice and the romantic stances that ended up negative. This also irked me when Booth was back in the Bayou and Dauphine does not even bring it up. This was a huge missed opportunity to me.
The second is that
The third issue I had was with Harry/Booth's name changes. He is hiding out from someone, but he picks new names that he has used variations of before, as well as names of associates known to LaPorte. This seemed ridiculous, and there's no way that he wouldn't have been easily found with available resources that would have been tracking names.
Overall, I really don't know what to rate this book. There were a few major issues for me, but I spent so long with it and had it seep into my life. I loved Booth. I guess I can't completely overlook those issues, so I will go with a 4-4.5 star rating. In the end, I enjoyed it enough that it will stay with me, so I will round it up to a 5.
I also loved the Red Goddess of the story. Megs, Dauphine, Sebastian... I loved the theatre kids both in college and at the high school.
I loved the New Orleans vibe. It was the best-described setting in the entire book. I was a bit sad that there was somewhat less description and feel for the rest of the book's locations. I wanted more about the houses, security system, and overall operating procedures.
LaPorte was easy to hate, but in later portions of the book, he was less dimensional as a character, as where his henchmen.
I have THREE major issues with this novel.
The first: The card reading by Dauphine was kept close at hand for me whenever events would unfurl but the book seemed to have forgotten or completely ignored many of the predictions by the end. Such as the "big job" advice and the romantic stances that ended up negative. This also irked me when Booth was back in the Bayou and Dauphine does not even bring it up. This was a huge missed opportunity to me.
The second is that
The third issue I had was with Harry/Booth's name changes. He is hiding out from someone, but he picks new names that he has used variations of before, as well as names of associates known to LaPorte. This seemed ridiculous, and there's no way that he wouldn't have been easily found with available resources that would have been tracking names.
Overall, I really don't know what to rate this book. There were a few major issues for me, but I spent so long with it and had it seep into my life. I loved Booth. I guess I can't completely overlook those issues, so I will go with a 4-4.5 star rating. In the end, I enjoyed it enough that it will stay with me, so I will round it up to a 5.
June 4, 2022
I’m really surprised at the 4 and 5 stars people are giving this book. There was no spark and honestly the hero of the story, the thief, was one of the most boring characters ever. I think I have to quit buying NR’s books which I’ve been reading since she started writing. The odd thing is that her JD Robb books keep getting better and better.
I kept waiting for an exciting climax and when it finally came it was nothing. Slow moving and written with no passion.
I kept waiting for an exciting climax and when it finally came it was nothing. Slow moving and written with no passion.
June 5, 2022
This book was way too long and tedious. The main character is a thief, but all his thefts go perfectly with zero excitment. Really? No suspense whatsoever.
October 4, 2025
4.5 stars
A new favorite Nora! This was so fun and had me hooked immediately from the beginning. The hero is a professional thief who had to start young because his mom was dying of cancer and he had to support them the only way he knew how. We follow him growing up as a thief, to him turning into this international sensation that one knew the true identify was. This is definitely more of a character driven book, but on audio, it never felt slow. The romance was a second chance romance and actually really angsty for Nora!? And I loved it so much. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up loving this one!
A new favorite Nora! This was so fun and had me hooked immediately from the beginning. The hero is a professional thief who had to start young because his mom was dying of cancer and he had to support them the only way he knew how. We follow him growing up as a thief, to him turning into this international sensation that one knew the true identify was. This is definitely more of a character driven book, but on audio, it never felt slow. The romance was a second chance romance and actually really angsty for Nora!? And I loved it so much. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up loving this one!
June 15, 2022
An all important point before all else: I make it a point to not judge characters for things they do for love, but had I been rating this taking into account how I felt about Harry's nightwork - this would be a -5 stars, no doubt. This nightwork begins with having to pay for his mother's cancer treatment - and I can see that. I can see why that made him desperate, how right and wrong did not matter - if that nightwork money meant his mother got her treatment and could continue living in their house. But everything that Harry did after his mother died was a conscious choice, and I will never understand that and neither do I want to. I feel like the point of this book was to show how a man could be a thief (an actual, stealing for personal profit thief) but still have 'morals'. There was a whole lot of justification for his work, how his 'why' (of which there was none, in my opinion, after his mother was gone) made him a 'good' person, and how he was 'different' from the rest, how his work had 'rules' and 'principles' which somehow made him better than people who killed like brutes, but I completely fail to understand or empathize with him. Most importantly, I refuse to.
Now, my problem with too expansive stories - a huge range of time, too many events, too many places, too many people but not enough character building. Or at least not enough of it words, which is what counts here. I could guess a lot of this guy's character building was there - under the surface - because he had to repress all his feelings to get his 'nightwork' done in tne beginning, and this repression ended up being a survival technique. But having to guess something like this feels like being shortchanged.
Or maybe this is my problem with NR books. She paints a vivid picture, which comes at the cost of detailed descriptions of many things which eats up many pages. Which is nice when the story is tight, and completely pointless when the story is expansive and requires deep dives into the character and not the setting.
0 pissed-off points for the romance, which took the lazy way out by being a 'love at first sight' - because that somehow explains how easy all of it seemed. Even for the parts when it wasn't easy - for example, when Miranda struggles to reorient her own principles to accomodate how strongly she feels for Harry - there's barely any justification. Easy answer: she's in love, so she accepts everything.
The bad guy LaPorte was an absolute idiot. NR can and has built extremely twisted villains, but sometimes, like The Witness with Russian mafia, these villains seem straight out of PatheticVille. If I have to hear about how scary and mean and cold a person is, I need to see my main character overcome problems and challenges on the way to best the bad guy. But there is absolutely none of that, which is ridiculous.
The only part in this book that I genuinely loved was the one which had Harry's mother. That's really the only point where I empathized with Harry, which is also why I felt entirely too much and cried like a baby.
I kept going because the first part got my hopes up, but the rest of it was a continuous downhill from that point on.
Now, my problem with too expansive stories - a huge range of time, too many events, too many places, too many people but not enough character building. Or at least not enough of it words, which is what counts here. I could guess a lot of this guy's character building was there - under the surface - because he had to repress all his feelings to get his 'nightwork' done in tne beginning, and this repression ended up being a survival technique. But having to guess something like this feels like being shortchanged.
Or maybe this is my problem with NR books. She paints a vivid picture, which comes at the cost of detailed descriptions of many things which eats up many pages. Which is nice when the story is tight, and completely pointless when the story is expansive and requires deep dives into the character and not the setting.
0 pissed-off points for the romance, which took the lazy way out by being a 'love at first sight' - because that somehow explains how easy all of it seemed. Even for the parts when it wasn't easy - for example, when Miranda struggles to reorient her own principles to accomodate how strongly she feels for Harry - there's barely any justification. Easy answer: she's in love, so she accepts everything.
The bad guy LaPorte was an absolute idiot. NR can and has built extremely twisted villains, but sometimes, like The Witness with Russian mafia, these villains seem straight out of PatheticVille. If I have to hear about how scary and mean and cold a person is, I need to see my main character overcome problems and challenges on the way to best the bad guy. But there is absolutely none of that, which is ridiculous.
The only part in this book that I genuinely loved was the one which had Harry's mother. That's really the only point where I empathized with Harry, which is also why I felt entirely too much and cried like a baby.
I kept going because the first part got my hopes up, but the rest of it was a continuous downhill from that point on.
June 5, 2022
The fact that the lead male commits crimes might be difficult for some readers to accept easily. But Harry Booth is not your usual down and dirty thief. I know – I know -- you’re thinking that a crime is a crime and should not go unpunished. But it’s fiction! And it’s Nora Roberts!! And the writing is marvelous!!! And the story equally so!!!!
As a young boy of nine, Harry Booth is trying to take care of a very sick mother by keeping a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs, along with paying medical bills that are burying them alive. A highly intelligent young man who dreams of an education and falls for his professor’s daughter. A scheming and horrible man who wants Harry for his own purposes forcing Harry to run and leave all the goodness he’s found behind him. Twelve years later and more than enough to keep readers breathlessly awaiting the next turn of the page, he’s once again standing in front of Miranda Emerson. And that’s where I stop before spilling any spoilers. I'll leave the rest for you to experience on your own.
A little slow on the upstart and I can see where some readers may feel frustrated and want to give up. There are lots of details to absorb but interesting and important to the ongoing storyline. And if you’ll give it a chance, it all comes together superbly and does a great job in the set-up, introduction of a wonderful cast of characters who are extremely entertaining, along with pages filled with the excitement, intrigue and romance that follows. Well-worth the wait because all the rest is pure gold!
Some reviewers have suggested that NR’s latest romantic suspense has similar plot themes as several of her earlier books. Even though she’s written others with jewel heists and thieves (and I’ve read them all), I promise you’ll find this one quite different in its unique approach, delivery and overall scheme. The tone, quality and feel are all much more vibrant, mature and developed. An intoxicating read full of love, lust, and second chances, it stands on its own merits and is charmingly appealing to read from start to finish. Once again, Nora Roberts proves to be a masterful storyteller.
March 1, 2024
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2024/...
1.5 ⭐Aburrido, lento y soso: romántico=0; suspense=0
está bien escrito, nunca diré que no lo está de una novela de esta mujer, de la que no he leído tanto como debiera. Pero ni es romántico ni es de suspense. Es una novela que explica la vida de un ladrón/cocinero/manitas/superdotado (porque tooooodo lo hace bien) con pelos y señales. Todo, lo explica todo, medio libro hasta que conoce a la chica (en una novela romántica me parece excesivo), descripción de recetas: paso a paso, y de sus actividades nocturnas, también.
Descripción de paisajes mientras atraviesa medio país... etc.
Se nota que la autora se ha documentado, pero no ha sabido dónde parar, al menos, para mí
Suspense se traduce en una parte de acción al final de la novela.
Nora Roberts no es de mis autoras imprescindibles, pero de tanto en tanto me gusta leer alguna de sus novelas/thrillers y esta no ha cumplido expectativas. Creo que con la mitad de páginas podría haber quedado la misma historia.
Del romance mejor no hablar.... un salto de fe
Lo único interesante es que el protagonista es un ladrón, pero lo ha hecho tan perfecto como personaje que se lo ha terminado cargando
1.5 ⭐Aburrido, lento y soso: romántico=0; suspense=0
está bien escrito, nunca diré que no lo está de una novela de esta mujer, de la que no he leído tanto como debiera. Pero ni es romántico ni es de suspense. Es una novela que explica la vida de un ladrón/cocinero/manitas/superdotado (porque tooooodo lo hace bien) con pelos y señales. Todo, lo explica todo, medio libro hasta que conoce a la chica (en una novela romántica me parece excesivo), descripción de recetas: paso a paso, y de sus actividades nocturnas, también.
Descripción de paisajes mientras atraviesa medio país... etc.
Se nota que la autora se ha documentado, pero no ha sabido dónde parar, al menos, para mí
Suspense se traduce en una parte de acción al final de la novela.
Nora Roberts no es de mis autoras imprescindibles, pero de tanto en tanto me gusta leer alguna de sus novelas/thrillers y esta no ha cumplido expectativas. Creo que con la mitad de páginas podría haber quedado la misma historia.
Del romance mejor no hablar.... un salto de fe
Lo único interesante es que el protagonista es un ladrón, pero lo ha hecho tan perfecto como personaje que se lo ha terminado cargando
May 27, 2022
Very very average read and just not like a Nora Roberts at all. Infact just wondering if it has been ghost written...am that disappointed in the book.
October 15, 2025
I read this for a challenge but did not expect to love it as much as I did. I was expecting a cheesy romance chick lit book, but the depth of the characters and the exquisite winding of the story was incredible. The intricate ending was completely enthralling. This was my first Nora Roberts book but I am looking forward to more!
May 24, 2022
Nightwork is a stand-alone novel by best-selling American author, Nora Roberts. By the time his mother dies after a third bout of cancer, eighteen-year-old Harrison Silas Booth has already been a thief for nine years. Even though his aunt Mags has been rock-solid in her support, past due notices fill the mailbox, adding stress when Dana Booth least needed it.
Harry is essentially self-taught, advancing from pick-pocketing to what he terms “nightwork”: burglaries of luxury goods from rich homes. He contributes, surreptitiously, to the bills with his aunt’s tacit approval. And, nightwork gives him a thrill. When Dana dies, Mags and Harry quit Chicago and go their separate ways, vowing to keep in touch.
Harry winds his leisurely way, as Silas Booth, to New Orleans, learning, always learning, discovering new things, making good friends and continuing to pay his way with a little nightwork. When a fence put him in touch with an accomplished thief, he ends up stealing a Turner sunset. The client insists on meeting him, but Silas is wary of the offer this privileged but greedy man makes.
He spends some time furthering his education in Texas before enrolling at a college that took his eye in North Carolina, at UNC, as Booth Harrison. His usual trick of staying under the radar comes apart when he falls in love with his professor’s beautiful daughter, Miranda. Could he actually have a normal life?
It seems not. Carter LaPorte, that client from New Orleans is on his doorstep, insisting he take a statue from a museum in Baltimore. Refusal is not an option: this man is used to getting his own way, and Booth can’t risk the overt threat of injury, even death to those he loves. He breaks a heart, steals a statue, and vows to maintain his distance thereafter.
Thanks to his love of acting and theatre, Booth is by now expert at switching identities, and escapes the country to avoid LaPorte’s further demands: he will not be owned. But he doubts this man will ever tire of his pursuit, and begins to long for a more settled existence: a job as an English/drama teacher in a mid-size town would fit the bill. And does, until someone who knows him arrives…
Roberts really is an accomplished story-teller, making this very readable, with characters who endear themselves to the reader and repay the investment of time and emotion. And this story has everything a reader could want: food, theatre, theft, love and romance, and a clever sting to turn the tables on a ruthless collector. Enjoyable, entertaining and hard to put down.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK
Harry is essentially self-taught, advancing from pick-pocketing to what he terms “nightwork”: burglaries of luxury goods from rich homes. He contributes, surreptitiously, to the bills with his aunt’s tacit approval. And, nightwork gives him a thrill. When Dana dies, Mags and Harry quit Chicago and go their separate ways, vowing to keep in touch.
Harry winds his leisurely way, as Silas Booth, to New Orleans, learning, always learning, discovering new things, making good friends and continuing to pay his way with a little nightwork. When a fence put him in touch with an accomplished thief, he ends up stealing a Turner sunset. The client insists on meeting him, but Silas is wary of the offer this privileged but greedy man makes.
He spends some time furthering his education in Texas before enrolling at a college that took his eye in North Carolina, at UNC, as Booth Harrison. His usual trick of staying under the radar comes apart when he falls in love with his professor’s beautiful daughter, Miranda. Could he actually have a normal life?
It seems not. Carter LaPorte, that client from New Orleans is on his doorstep, insisting he take a statue from a museum in Baltimore. Refusal is not an option: this man is used to getting his own way, and Booth can’t risk the overt threat of injury, even death to those he loves. He breaks a heart, steals a statue, and vows to maintain his distance thereafter.
Thanks to his love of acting and theatre, Booth is by now expert at switching identities, and escapes the country to avoid LaPorte’s further demands: he will not be owned. But he doubts this man will ever tire of his pursuit, and begins to long for a more settled existence: a job as an English/drama teacher in a mid-size town would fit the bill. And does, until someone who knows him arrives…
Roberts really is an accomplished story-teller, making this very readable, with characters who endear themselves to the reader and repay the investment of time and emotion. And this story has everything a reader could want: food, theatre, theft, love and romance, and a clever sting to turn the tables on a ruthless collector. Enjoyable, entertaining and hard to put down.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK
July 11, 2022
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
NIGHTWORK by Nora Roberts is a unique romantic suspense with a young hero who grows up to becomes a gentleman thief with his own set of rules and moral code. This is a standalone that that is mainly told from the viewpoint of the hero.
Harry Booth never knew his father, but he always had the love of his mother and aunt, Mags. When Harry is 9 years old, his mother has her first fight with cancer. The sister’s cleaning company cannot keep up with the bills and Harry begins to pick pockets to help with money. By the age of 12, he was breaking into homes, only taking a few things of value and never with a weapon. When Harry graduated from high school, his mother died after two remissions, he set out on his own. He went south and his aunt went west.
This is the start of a tale that follows Harry, Silas, Booth, Sebastian (different identities) all over the U.S., Europe, South America and then back to the U.S. I loved the flamboyant family of thieves and cons he kept as a pseudo family in New Orleans even though that is where his trouble with the antagonist, LaPorte in this story meet. I also loved how he always stayed in touch with Mags no matter what. When he first meets Miranda Emerson, you just knew it wouldn’t last, especially if you remember his taro reading, but when they come back together as adults it works.
This is a very enjoyable book. Booth’s travels and escapades are interesting, Miranda is his perfect match, and all the other secondary characters are colorful and entertaining. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous and quick. There are ups and downs in the plot that keep you turning the pages.
I enjoyed Harry and his story very much.
NIGHTWORK by Nora Roberts is a unique romantic suspense with a young hero who grows up to becomes a gentleman thief with his own set of rules and moral code. This is a standalone that that is mainly told from the viewpoint of the hero.
Harry Booth never knew his father, but he always had the love of his mother and aunt, Mags. When Harry is 9 years old, his mother has her first fight with cancer. The sister’s cleaning company cannot keep up with the bills and Harry begins to pick pockets to help with money. By the age of 12, he was breaking into homes, only taking a few things of value and never with a weapon. When Harry graduated from high school, his mother died after two remissions, he set out on his own. He went south and his aunt went west.
This is the start of a tale that follows Harry, Silas, Booth, Sebastian (different identities) all over the U.S., Europe, South America and then back to the U.S. I loved the flamboyant family of thieves and cons he kept as a pseudo family in New Orleans even though that is where his trouble with the antagonist, LaPorte in this story meet. I also loved how he always stayed in touch with Mags no matter what. When he first meets Miranda Emerson, you just knew it wouldn’t last, especially if you remember his taro reading, but when they come back together as adults it works.
This is a very enjoyable book. Booth’s travels and escapades are interesting, Miranda is his perfect match, and all the other secondary characters are colorful and entertaining. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous and quick. There are ups and downs in the plot that keep you turning the pages.
I enjoyed Harry and his story very much.
October 19, 2023
He tenido algun problemilla con el libro, hay partes que se me han hecho lentas, y por otro lado, me parecía increíble que jamás hayan pillado a Booth después de más de 20 años robando.
Pero he disfrutado de la lectura y no se merece mala nota
Pero he disfrutado de la lectura y no se merece mala nota
June 1, 2022
This book is one of the most shameless self-ripoffs that I have ever read and I had a good time reading it! But it's very definitely Honest Illusions 30 years later, with a bizarrely chosen heroine's name thrown in for good measure (Miranda, also the heroine's name from Homeport ANOTHER book about thieves.) It also made me weep for the entire beginning of the book, like, I started crying on page one and did not stop until , so just be wary of that if you choose to go on this journey. But really. Just read Honest Illusions and Homeport. They're better.
May 30, 2023
In the beginning we meet Harry Booth who was only 9 years old when he became a thief. His mother had cancer and the bills were piling up, so the young boy saw it as his only option. I was amazed that a 9-year-old would even consider how to pay the bills... but, perhaps the situation "matured" him. As he aged he continued to break into houses...calling it his “nightwork". He is even proud to realize he actually has an unusual skill for it. He can pick any lock, slip into any house, and navigate the any security system. Needless to say, his "work" makes it nearly impossible for him to settle down. After his mother’s death, he begins to travel around the country, never staying in one place long enough to become suspicious. Then there's New Orleans. For the first time in his life, he makes a connection and finds a family-like bond with a fellow thief, Sebastien. He joins Sebastien on a job that involves a dangerous client, Carter LaPorte...and Harry’s life changes... forever. Harry tries to start a new more low-key life as a college student in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Things are moving along until he falls for a young writer... Miranda Emerson. To Harry's dismay he finds that his life in New Orleans is catching up with him... LaPorte isn’t ready to let him just walk away. He threatens Harry and two women that he cares for most... his aunt and Miranda. Harry protects the two women important to him in his life by abandoning them and spending years on the run. Then something happens that Harry thought never would... he finally gets a chance to take LaPorte down...and he has of all things...Miranda’s help. Nora Roberts took her time fleshing out Harry’s character and his motivations, making it easy for the reader to sympathize with Harry, the thief, who had a code of honor and a deep love for his family and Miranda. Since the first half of the book is mostly about Harry’s character, it causes the story to drag a little. Once Harry and Miranda’s story starts and when LaPorte reappears, the plot picks up considerably. The best parts of the story, however, is in following Harry when he's doing one of his remarkable break-ins and when he's displaying his "softer side" with his mother, his aunt, Sebastian and Miranda. Overall, the story is an in-depth exploration of a young boy and later Harry, the man's, motivations to take and continue this road in life and its resulting effects on him... laced with bit of romance and suspense.
August 2, 2022
My summer has been very busy with very little reading time. This one never really took off for me - could have been "just me" as I was only dipping into it on a very irregular basis. Actually, my reading this whole year, so far, is a disaster. A good enough read, but nothing 'outstanding' - wouldn't even term it a "romantic suspense" - not much of either in it ...
June 26, 2022
I was enjoying this pretty much right up until the ending.
This book is told from the POV of Harry Booth. A young man who becomes a thief through necessity and talent.
We grow up with Booth and watch his talents as a thief evolve until he actually gets a rep (a good one) amongst the underground and attracts the attention of a man, LaPorte, who begins to think of Booth as much of a possession as the art and baubles he hires Booth to steal. But Booth has no plans to be anyone's possession.
In the meantime Booth meets Miranda and they begin a relationship that comes in LaPorte's cross hairs. Eventually Booth decides he must take care of the LaPorte problem for good.
Like I said, I liked Booth. I loved going along with him on his adventures. And I felt some anxiety that he would be discovered. NR made him nicely clever and resourceful.
But when the book moved away from Booth's adventures and into the romance with Miranda, that is where I struggled. I found those parts a bit of chore to get through. The book was at its energetic best when Booth was working and as we get to Booth planning to get back at LaPorte. Maybe it was because Booth was really a vivid character and I felt that Miranda felt a little try hard? Whatever the case, the storytelling dragged a bit in those parts.
And then comes the ending which is where the book let me down. I think NR whiffed the ending. The last third of the book we are setting up a caper. We get a lot of plans and we know how it is supposed to go down. Just when I settle in to watch the final score go down,it is over. The whole thing is off page. What a letdown. I can't help but compare it to say Honest Illusionsor Three Fates where we get to the see the final heist and the villain(s) get their comeuppance in person and on page.
This book is told from the POV of Harry Booth. A young man who becomes a thief through necessity and talent.
We grow up with Booth and watch his talents as a thief evolve until he actually gets a rep (a good one) amongst the underground and attracts the attention of a man, LaPorte, who begins to think of Booth as much of a possession as the art and baubles he hires Booth to steal. But Booth has no plans to be anyone's possession.
In the meantime Booth meets Miranda and they begin a relationship that comes in LaPorte's cross hairs. Eventually Booth decides he must take care of the LaPorte problem for good.
Like I said, I liked Booth. I loved going along with him on his adventures. And I felt some anxiety that he would be discovered. NR made him nicely clever and resourceful.
But when the book moved away from Booth's adventures and into the romance with Miranda, that is where I struggled. I found those parts a bit of chore to get through. The book was at its energetic best when Booth was working and as we get to Booth planning to get back at LaPorte. Maybe it was because Booth was really a vivid character and I felt that Miranda felt a little try hard? Whatever the case, the storytelling dragged a bit in those parts.
And then comes the ending which is where the book let me down. I think NR whiffed the ending. The last third of the book we are setting up a caper. We get a lot of plans and we know how it is supposed to go down. Just when I settle in to watch the final score go down,it is over. The whole thing is off page. What a letdown. I can't help but compare it to say Honest Illusionsor Three Fates where we get to the see the final heist and the villain(s) get their comeuppance in person and on page.
August 6, 2022
I've already kind of given up on NR's trilogies (her brand of 'magick' is blergh). I don't want to have to give up on her single titles, but it's looking like I may have to. This was not great.
Part of my annoyance with this is that I don't find thief characters and heist plots at all interesting, whereas clearly NR does (just witness writer Miranda's reaction to the whole thing... she seems to find it fascinating!). But it was also what she describes as Harry's 'squishy morals'. I'm fine to read about a character whose morals I don't agree with, as long as the narrative is not trying to tell me that what I think is wrong is just fine. And here I felt NR was doing exactly that. She seems to think that because Harry is not violent and steals from rich people, his actions are just fine. I'm sorry, but as someone who's had her house broken into (many, many years ago), I just can't forget the sense of vulnerability and violation, even when there was no danger to me, even when there was no damage done other than some items being taken. I don't see how the owners of the houses being rich prevents that. Harry was harming people with his actions. I was fine with it when he was very young, as I can understand this being his only viable option, but as a grown-up, when he clearly had many other options to make a really good living? Sorry, but no.
There were other problems, too. Harry is just perfect, no flaws (as far as the narrative is concerned), he never makes a single mistake and is supernaturally good in all his activities, legal and illegal. Miranda is bland and her characterisation shallow. Their relationship starts with insta-love, and I didn't really buy that they were in love. And we have a cartoonish villain who's evil because he's evil.
I did like some of the secondary characters (Sebastian, Mags, Dauphine), and the book flowed fine and kept me reading, but there were more negatives than positives.
Part of my annoyance with this is that I don't find thief characters and heist plots at all interesting, whereas clearly NR does (just witness writer Miranda's reaction to the whole thing... she seems to find it fascinating!). But it was also what she describes as Harry's 'squishy morals'. I'm fine to read about a character whose morals I don't agree with, as long as the narrative is not trying to tell me that what I think is wrong is just fine. And here I felt NR was doing exactly that. She seems to think that because Harry is not violent and steals from rich people, his actions are just fine. I'm sorry, but as someone who's had her house broken into (many, many years ago), I just can't forget the sense of vulnerability and violation, even when there was no danger to me, even when there was no damage done other than some items being taken. I don't see how the owners of the houses being rich prevents that. Harry was harming people with his actions. I was fine with it when he was very young, as I can understand this being his only viable option, but as a grown-up, when he clearly had many other options to make a really good living? Sorry, but no.
There were other problems, too. Harry is just perfect, no flaws (as far as the narrative is concerned), he never makes a single mistake and is supernaturally good in all his activities, legal and illegal. Miranda is bland and her characterisation shallow. Their relationship starts with insta-love, and I didn't really buy that they were in love. And we have a cartoonish villain who's evil because he's evil.
I did like some of the secondary characters (Sebastian, Mags, Dauphine), and the book flowed fine and kept me reading, but there were more negatives than positives.
January 29, 2022
4+ stars! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the gift of this book I won in a Goodreads giveaway! I really enjoyed a full storyline that spanned many years. I found the main character of Harry/Booth/Sebastien to be so likable in all of his different personas. I loved reading about the food and culture in New Orleans. I’ve read a lot of Nora Roberts’ books, and this is one of my favorites!
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