Hideaway by Nora Roberts #AudiobookReview #FamilyDrama #ContemporaryFiction #FridayReads

Author: Nora Roberts

Performed by January LaVoy

Released: May 2020 by Hatchette Audio UK

Category: Family Drama, Book Review

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A family ranch in Big Sur country and a legacy of Hollywood royalty set the stage for Nora Roberts’ emotional new suspense novel.

Caitlyn Sullivan, a daughter of Hollywood royalty, was already a star at ten, but still loved to play hide-and-seek with her cousins at the family home in Big Sur. It was during one of those games that she disappeared.

The story begins in 2001 with the death of Liam Sullivan, an iconic actor. He’d left Ireland when he was almost sixteen for New York and a job in the Meatpacking District. But he had wanted more. When he’d witnessed the magic of the silver screen he’d realised he’d found his more in the golden age of Hollywood. Meeting his wife, Rosemary, when they both starred in a musical, they had gone on to found a dynasty that spanned generations.

The Sullivan clan were at the Big Sur family estate for a celebration of Liam’s life. Liam and Rosemary’s ten year old great grand daughter, Caitlyn, was following in the family’s footsteps and had already made her movie debut. This get together proved a turning point in Cate’s life when she was abducted from the grounds while playing hide and seek with her cousins.

She heard a sound behind her and, though she knew it couldn’t be Boyd, not yet, her heart jumped.

She caught a glimpse of the man in a server’s uniform, with a blond beard and hair pulled back in a ponytail. He wore sunglasses that shot the light back at her.

She grinned, put a finger to her lips. “Hide-and-seek,” she told him.

He smiled back. “Want a boost?” He nodded, then moved forward as if to give her one.

She felt the sharp needle stick on the side of her neck, started to swat at it as she might a bug. The her eyes rolled back, and she felt nothing at all.

Cate was a very resourceful ten year old and managed to escape her abductors. Running through the woods, gathering cuts and bruises, she eventually came across a ranch house owned by the Cooper family, where she sought refuge. Cate is reunited with her family and the people responsible caught fairly quickly but the danger isn’t over. She has been betrayed in the worst possible way.

The story spans years, cities and countries, as we follow Cait growing up. In this way we are able to really get to know the relatable, well defined and developed characters as they are brought to life. Always in the background is the aftermath of the trauma that shaped lives, the emotional fallout and the threat of danger, of something unfinished.

Nora Roberts excels at creating families with strong and loving relationships and Hideaway is no exception. Unfolding at a steady pace, the suspense isn’t high nor is the romance. It’s more of a family drama, how people adapt to situations they have little or no control over and the ways they find to move forward. It’s also a story of betrayal, vengeance and strength of character.

Scenes are set succinctly without unnecessary padding as is the dialogue. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Cait’s preparations for her job as a narrator and voice over actor. I know what to expect with a Nora Roberts novel, it’s like a comfort blanket and January LaVoy’s narration is excellent. It didn’t matter that there were no big reveals, or that it wasn’t the most exciting of her books, it’s the writing and the character portrayals that always draw me in.

Book links ~ Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository | Hive Books 

About the Author

Nora Roberts is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 190 novels and there are 300 million copies of her books in print. Under the pen name J. D. Robb, she is author of the New York Times bestselling futuristic suspense series, which features Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Roarke.

You can keep up with Nora via her website and Facebook