Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Berkley (2016), Edition: 1st ptg., 480 pages
Description
Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions...The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs. The man she loved wasn't just dead. He never really existed. Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows--and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning.
User reviews
LibraryThing member FictionZeal
Shelby Foxworth had fallen out of love with her husband a few years before. Their marriage of five years had taken a path she didn’t want. He became a man she didn’t know. In fact, after his death, she found hidden passports and drivers licenses for three different names – all displayed his
Shelby sells everything and anything of value in the home; then she lists the home. She moves from this ugly mammoth of a house in Villanova in the Philadelphia suburbs back to her home in the mountains of Tennessee. But, trouble has followed her. What had Richard been doing? What’s it going to take to get her life back to normal?
Initially, the story held intrigue and as a reader, I was very curious. However, once Shelby moved back to Tennessee, the story went more into depth about the town; the people; and the gossip. I loved her family. They were warm and welcomed her back with open arms. I also loved Griffin (Griff) Lott. You could tell right away he was very down to earth and honest. So, there’s the romance part of the story. I didn’t feel the pace picked back up again until nearly half way in the novel which was a bit disappointing. This is the same author who under her pen name J.D. Robb continues to run fresh, exciting, and suspenseful material through 40+ books of the In Death series. Each character in The Liar maintained a separate and clear identity and a wonderful vitality although Shelby confused me a bit. It had been made clear that Richard had not abused her and I was not sure why she was so cowed by him. Perhaps there was some type of subtle abuse. Rating 3 out of 5.
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picture. With the passports, she finds a key that looks as if it’s for a bank deposit box. She also thought they were rich, living the dream. Now that he’s dead, she finds she is deep, deep, deep in debt. The only wonderful thing she has from this marriage is her three year old daughter, Callie. Richard Foxworth refused to have anything to do with his daughter.Shelby sells everything and anything of value in the home; then she lists the home. She moves from this ugly mammoth of a house in Villanova in the Philadelphia suburbs back to her home in the mountains of Tennessee. But, trouble has followed her. What had Richard been doing? What’s it going to take to get her life back to normal?
Initially, the story held intrigue and as a reader, I was very curious. However, once Shelby moved back to Tennessee, the story went more into depth about the town; the people; and the gossip. I loved her family. They were warm and welcomed her back with open arms. I also loved Griffin (Griff) Lott. You could tell right away he was very down to earth and honest. So, there’s the romance part of the story. I didn’t feel the pace picked back up again until nearly half way in the novel which was a bit disappointing. This is the same author who under her pen name J.D. Robb continues to run fresh, exciting, and suspenseful material through 40+ books of the In Death series. Each character in The Liar maintained a separate and clear identity and a wonderful vitality although Shelby confused me a bit. It had been made clear that Richard had not abused her and I was not sure why she was so cowed by him. Perhaps there was some type of subtle abuse. Rating 3 out of 5.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
Nora Roberts has another hit. Shelby finds herself widowed with a three-year-old and massively in debt. While going through her husband's stuff she discovers unexplained cash and a few different sets of IDs. The man she thought she married, and was no longer in love with, wasn't at all who she
I loved the close relationships that Shelby has within her family. Her mother and grandmother are strong women who are very competent. Her father, grandfather, and brothers are find examples of men who understand responsibility and relationships. Shelby does have some fences to mend with her best friend because her husband had kept her from her friends and family. He was the type to constantly belittle her and, while he gave her access to credit cards, wouldn't let her have any cash. He also kept the family moving from place to place to make it impossible for Shelby to find any friends in the new places they went.
When Shelby gets home, she has to rediscover her strengths and rebuild her confidence. She meets a new man too. Griff Lott is a transplant from up North who has a successful contracting business with his partner who is engaged to Shelby's best friend. Griff falls for her and for her daughter Callie. He is just the sort of strong, loving, reliable man that Shelby and Callie needs but Shelby is afraid to trust herself again.
Shelby is also dealing with the problem that her husband was probably responsible for a multimillion dollar theft of jewelry and stamps and his former partners and a private eye are convinced that Shelby knows where he stashed his loot. All of them follow her back to her home in Tennessee and cause problems for her. When both one of the partners and the private eye are killed, Shelby, Griff and her family band together to protect Callie and Shelby herself. Then there is the jealous local woman who is more than willing to cause trouble for Shelby.
I had a pretty good idea what the plot twist would be by the time I was halfway through the book and was pleased that I had guess correctly. But I don't read Roberts for the mystery. I read her books because of the characters and the relationships. This book overflowed with wonderful characters and had so many wonderful relationships.
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thought he was. After trying to get a handle on all the various lies that he told her, she decides to go back home to her family in Tennessee. That's when the story really takes off for me. I loved the close relationships that Shelby has within her family. Her mother and grandmother are strong women who are very competent. Her father, grandfather, and brothers are find examples of men who understand responsibility and relationships. Shelby does have some fences to mend with her best friend because her husband had kept her from her friends and family. He was the type to constantly belittle her and, while he gave her access to credit cards, wouldn't let her have any cash. He also kept the family moving from place to place to make it impossible for Shelby to find any friends in the new places they went.
When Shelby gets home, she has to rediscover her strengths and rebuild her confidence. She meets a new man too. Griff Lott is a transplant from up North who has a successful contracting business with his partner who is engaged to Shelby's best friend. Griff falls for her and for her daughter Callie. He is just the sort of strong, loving, reliable man that Shelby and Callie needs but Shelby is afraid to trust herself again.
Shelby is also dealing with the problem that her husband was probably responsible for a multimillion dollar theft of jewelry and stamps and his former partners and a private eye are convinced that Shelby knows where he stashed his loot. All of them follow her back to her home in Tennessee and cause problems for her. When both one of the partners and the private eye are killed, Shelby, Griff and her family band together to protect Callie and Shelby herself. Then there is the jealous local woman who is more than willing to cause trouble for Shelby.
I had a pretty good idea what the plot twist would be by the time I was halfway through the book and was pleased that I had guess correctly. But I don't read Roberts for the mystery. I read her books because of the characters and the relationships. This book overflowed with wonderful characters and had so many wonderful relationships.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
I did get some of the twists and turns of the plot quite early on but this was more about the romance between Shelby and her home town of Rendezvous Ridge in Tennessee and the romance between carpenter Griffin Lott, her relationship with her family and a past that won't let her go.
It was bad enough
I enjoyed it.
It was bad enough
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for Shelby that her husband had died but then she discovered that he had left her nothing but debts, she leaves the house she has to sell and moves home to her family and finds that maybe love isn't gone. Then it appears that his debts weren't the only thing Richard hid.I enjoyed it.
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LibraryThing member shelleyraec
The Liar is Nora Roberts latest novel of romantic suspense.
When her husband is declared missing at sea, Shelby Pomeroy Foxworth is stunned to discover that she has been living a lie. Richard was not the successful businessman she believed him to be but instead a thief and a swindler who has left
With any other author, I would likely be unforgiving of the weaknesses in the plot of this novel. The storyline is predictable, the facts are unrealistic (for example Richard would not have been declared dead after a few months), and the suspense is weak until the last few pages. The thing is while I’m in the midst of reading I just don’t care, because I find Roberts to be such a convincing storyteller.
Part of that is the way in which Roberts sucks me in is by developing characters I quickly learn to care about. Shelby, newly widowed and rocked by Richard’s betrayal, is immediately sympathetic and her strength in dealing with the aftermath is admirable. Callie, Shelby’s daughter, is delightful and I found the dynamics of Shelby’s close knit southern family particularly appealing. Griffin is an attractive romantic lead – kind, sure and strong.
Despite being over 500 pages in length, The Liar is a quick read and regardless of its flaws, largely satisfying.
When her husband is declared missing at sea, Shelby Pomeroy Foxworth is stunned to discover that she has been living a lie. Richard was not the successful businessman she believed him to be but instead a thief and a swindler who has left
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her millions of dollars in debt. With a young daughter to provide for, Shelby seeks the comfort of her family in Tennessee, determined to rebuild a future on her own terms. But escaping Richard’s legacy of lies will not be so simple.With any other author, I would likely be unforgiving of the weaknesses in the plot of this novel. The storyline is predictable, the facts are unrealistic (for example Richard would not have been declared dead after a few months), and the suspense is weak until the last few pages. The thing is while I’m in the midst of reading I just don’t care, because I find Roberts to be such a convincing storyteller.
Part of that is the way in which Roberts sucks me in is by developing characters I quickly learn to care about. Shelby, newly widowed and rocked by Richard’s betrayal, is immediately sympathetic and her strength in dealing with the aftermath is admirable. Callie, Shelby’s daughter, is delightful and I found the dynamics of Shelby’s close knit southern family particularly appealing. Griffin is an attractive romantic lead – kind, sure and strong.
Despite being over 500 pages in length, The Liar is a quick read and regardless of its flaws, largely satisfying.
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LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
The Liar is a romantic suspense thriller featuring Shelby Pomeroy, who moves back to her parents' house with her young daughter Callie when her husband Richard dies. Richard's death revealed that he was a liar and a cheat, whose fortune was built on a stack of debts that Shelby has now taken on. As
The main characters are too cute to be believable but some of the cuteness is countered by the darkness of the novel, which we get a hint of from the first section of the book. When Richard's true colors are fully revealed, trouble comes to Shelby and her hometown, turning the community into a target for some very bad people. The author weaves together a series of mysterious happenings and shifty characters, and although I suspected I knew what was going on, there was no way for me to guess how Roberts was going to bring it all together..
I read this book in a day because I thought it was a impossible not to keep turning the page. Like “the most interesting man in the world” might paraphrase: I don't often read romantic suspense but when I do I prefer Nora Roberts. Unfortunately, the premise of the story and most of the plot has been done many times. Wife discovering that her husband wasn't who she thought he was, that he was a cheat, a liar and left her with tons of debts, etc. I will say that Nora Roberts took the premise one step further, but it was still pretty predictable. Just because it was predictable doesn't mean you can't enjoy humorous characters and a happy ending though!
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she works out how to support herself and her daughter, Shelby meets the handsome carpenter Griffin Lott, but also has to face up to the fact that Richard's death doesn't mean she is free of him.The main characters are too cute to be believable but some of the cuteness is countered by the darkness of the novel, which we get a hint of from the first section of the book. When Richard's true colors are fully revealed, trouble comes to Shelby and her hometown, turning the community into a target for some very bad people. The author weaves together a series of mysterious happenings and shifty characters, and although I suspected I knew what was going on, there was no way for me to guess how Roberts was going to bring it all together..
I read this book in a day because I thought it was a impossible not to keep turning the page. Like “the most interesting man in the world” might paraphrase: I don't often read romantic suspense but when I do I prefer Nora Roberts. Unfortunately, the premise of the story and most of the plot has been done many times. Wife discovering that her husband wasn't who she thought he was, that he was a cheat, a liar and left her with tons of debts, etc. I will say that Nora Roberts took the premise one step further, but it was still pretty predictable. Just because it was predictable doesn't mean you can't enjoy humorous characters and a happy ending though!
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LibraryThing member jbarr5
The liar by Nora Roberts
Starts out with Shelby going through her late husbands records, health records and bills. Things start to click the light bulb on. Now she knows his past, some of it.
She has nothing to raise her 3 year old daughter on as she owes taxes, overdue bills and has no house or cars
She arrives back home to TN and others are after her about money her husband owed them as another name. She found money and other things in his safe deposit at the bank.
Like hands on your nose, the trails, familiar surroundings and the hometown feel she is welcomed once returning home. Don't like that's there more pain for her to endure and more struggles. Griff is a handyman who likes her and her daughter and they do hit it off.
Love the words of the day! Hot steamy sex scenes and more identities to go with who she thought was her husband.
Fast paced action, mysteries and romance.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Starts out with Shelby going through her late husbands records, health records and bills. Things start to click the light bulb on. Now she knows his past, some of it.
She has nothing to raise her 3 year old daughter on as she owes taxes, overdue bills and has no house or cars
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or anything. She's able to consign clothes and sell jewelry which wasn't what he told her they were worth, arts and books.She arrives back home to TN and others are after her about money her husband owed them as another name. She found money and other things in his safe deposit at the bank.
Like hands on your nose, the trails, familiar surroundings and the hometown feel she is welcomed once returning home. Don't like that's there more pain for her to endure and more struggles. Griff is a handyman who likes her and her daughter and they do hit it off.
Love the words of the day! Hot steamy sex scenes and more identities to go with who she thought was her husband.
Fast paced action, mysteries and romance.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
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LibraryThing member Kathy89
Very enjoyable book even though the ending was predictable. Woman discovers after her husband's death that he wasn't who she thought he was and left her millions of dollars in debt. She starts selling off all their belongings to pay down the debt and discovers a safety deposit box key. She finds a
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box with money and several identities. She and her 3 yr old daughter head back home to Tennessee and family to start over again but the old follows her. Show Less
LibraryThing member Writermala
Apr 28, 2016
I have never been a Nora Roberts fan and reading this book told me why. The plot is weak and the red herrings, I'm sure, will not fool anybody. If you have a day or two in which to read a light book and nothing else handy sure pick this one up otherwise move on.
I have never been a Nora Roberts fan and reading this book told me why. The plot is weak and the red herrings, I'm sure, will not fool anybody. If you have a day or two in which to read a light book and nothing else handy sure pick this one up otherwise move on.
LibraryThing member jldhuse
The book was pretty predictable, but was still a good story.
LibraryThing member Carol420
The Liar by Nora Roberts
4 stars
From The Book:
Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions…
The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she
Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows—and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning.
My Thoughts:
The first part of this was fascinating. Shelby discovering that her husband was never even close to who or what she thought he was and consequently the entire four and a half years of her life was one gigantic and dangerous lie. The only good thing that came from the marriage was three year old Callie Rose. How she went about getting herself out from under over three million dollars in debt while discovering more and more deception at every turn, would have by itself have made a excellent book. The story, for me at least, began to break down when she and Callie Rose returned to her family in Tennessee. Everyone was just too sweet to be believable or digestible for very long. I'm from the south and I know that family is everything but this felt way over the top. It was however a good story and picked up when the private detective tracked her down and became involved again. It earned the 4 stars.
4 stars
From The Book:
Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions…
The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she
Show More
finds multiple IDs. The man she loved wasn’t just dead. He never really existed.Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows—and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning.
My Thoughts:
The first part of this was fascinating. Shelby discovering that her husband was never even close to who or what she thought he was and consequently the entire four and a half years of her life was one gigantic and dangerous lie. The only good thing that came from the marriage was three year old Callie Rose. How she went about getting herself out from under over three million dollars in debt while discovering more and more deception at every turn, would have by itself have made a excellent book. The story, for me at least, began to break down when she and Callie Rose returned to her family in Tennessee. Everyone was just too sweet to be believable or digestible for very long. I'm from the south and I know that family is everything but this felt way over the top. It was however a good story and picked up when the private detective tracked her down and became involved again. It earned the 4 stars.
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LibraryThing member Mrslabraden
As always, Nora Roberts has come up with another winner. It was a good story with engaging characters. However, it seemed as though this was the first of one of her trilogies rather than a stand alone story. It was easy to see that the supporting characters could have had their own books. The
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romantic suspense was fairly limited, but still this was a good stand-alone story. Show Less
LibraryThing member marciablnc
Another great book from Nora Roberts. I figured out the husband was still alive. The heroine showed a lot of strength in her character.
LibraryThing member nicolewbrown
This book by Nora Roberts is my favorite non-trilogy book I've read by her. Maybe I am a little biased. The main character is named Shelby, as is my daughter. She has red curly hair. I have red hair and would kill to have her curls. She also lives in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, which I have
Shelby, her husband Richard, and their three-year-old daughter, Callie was supposed to go on a boating vacation, but when Callie gets sick, Shelby stays behind with her and her husband goes ahead and becomes lost at sea, presumed dead. Soon, Shelby's eyes are opened up to what, if not who, her husband really is. Nothing has been paid for: not the cars, the house, the ugly furniture, even the jewelry turns out to be fake. She is left in millions of dollars worth of debt and she cannot go home. At least, not until she has paid as much off as she can. Inside of one of his jackets that she's preparing to sell at a consignment shop, she finds a safety deposit key and when she uses it to open the box, there are three fake IDs for Richard and $250,000. She takes all of it and leaves. She uses some of the money to pay off one of the eleven credit cards and buys a cheap van.
Now, its time to go home and face the music. When Shelby met Richard at a club she was singing at, during her summer break from college, he sweeps her off her feet and off to Vegas where they marry without telling anyone. Over the years, she would try to make trips to see her family, but Richard would not allow her to go and he had control over everything, including her life. She missed weddings, births, and funerals. Now that he is dead, she is ashamed that she let him control herself like that.
Her large family takes her back and she makes amends with her old best friend Emma Kate who is living with her boyfriend, Matt, that she met while working as a nurse in Maryland. Matt's construction and home repair business partner, Grif, came along with him. Grif immediately falls for Shelby and while she thinks she may have feelings for him, she doesn't quite trust her judgment yet. Especially when a woman arrives in town saying that she is Richard's wife and that Shelby was just a cover for their scam operations with another guy who has just escaped from jail. They are looking for the three million dollars worth of diamonds and stamps they lifted from a woman five years ago. She does not believe that Shelby knows nothing about it. A PI is also sniffing around.
Shelby goes to work at her grandmother's beauty parlor part-time as a helper and sings on stage on Friday Nights, at the local bar that is owned by a friend she had in high school. With the exception of the death of the woman who was Richard's wife and the people who may be coming after her for the diamonds, she does not have, her life is really beginning to come together. The debt is slowly coming down, she's with her large family again, and she's falling in love with a really great guy who will treat her right.
There is a threat looming over the horizon that will put it all in jeopardy. Is there any doubt that Shelby and Grif will get together? No. They do not even doubt it; its just a matter of time. Will you figure out the ending? Maybe. But that does not matter. Its such a joy getting there and these characters are so much fun to be around you will not mind if you have an idea of what is to come. This is truly a great book and one of her finest yet.
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visited often when traveling to Kentucky to see my Dad's family. I can still picture the area in my mind. Its God's country.Shelby, her husband Richard, and their three-year-old daughter, Callie was supposed to go on a boating vacation, but when Callie gets sick, Shelby stays behind with her and her husband goes ahead and becomes lost at sea, presumed dead. Soon, Shelby's eyes are opened up to what, if not who, her husband really is. Nothing has been paid for: not the cars, the house, the ugly furniture, even the jewelry turns out to be fake. She is left in millions of dollars worth of debt and she cannot go home. At least, not until she has paid as much off as she can. Inside of one of his jackets that she's preparing to sell at a consignment shop, she finds a safety deposit key and when she uses it to open the box, there are three fake IDs for Richard and $250,000. She takes all of it and leaves. She uses some of the money to pay off one of the eleven credit cards and buys a cheap van.
Now, its time to go home and face the music. When Shelby met Richard at a club she was singing at, during her summer break from college, he sweeps her off her feet and off to Vegas where they marry without telling anyone. Over the years, she would try to make trips to see her family, but Richard would not allow her to go and he had control over everything, including her life. She missed weddings, births, and funerals. Now that he is dead, she is ashamed that she let him control herself like that.
Her large family takes her back and she makes amends with her old best friend Emma Kate who is living with her boyfriend, Matt, that she met while working as a nurse in Maryland. Matt's construction and home repair business partner, Grif, came along with him. Grif immediately falls for Shelby and while she thinks she may have feelings for him, she doesn't quite trust her judgment yet. Especially when a woman arrives in town saying that she is Richard's wife and that Shelby was just a cover for their scam operations with another guy who has just escaped from jail. They are looking for the three million dollars worth of diamonds and stamps they lifted from a woman five years ago. She does not believe that Shelby knows nothing about it. A PI is also sniffing around.
Shelby goes to work at her grandmother's beauty parlor part-time as a helper and sings on stage on Friday Nights, at the local bar that is owned by a friend she had in high school. With the exception of the death of the woman who was Richard's wife and the people who may be coming after her for the diamonds, she does not have, her life is really beginning to come together. The debt is slowly coming down, she's with her large family again, and she's falling in love with a really great guy who will treat her right.
There is a threat looming over the horizon that will put it all in jeopardy. Is there any doubt that Shelby and Grif will get together? No. They do not even doubt it; its just a matter of time. Will you figure out the ending? Maybe. But that does not matter. Its such a joy getting there and these characters are so much fun to be around you will not mind if you have an idea of what is to come. This is truly a great book and one of her finest yet.
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
Shelby Foxworth is a young widow with a three-year-old daughter, who has spent the months since her husband's death discovering the extent to which he lied to her. The lavish lifestyle she thought was paid for by the income from the business he never discussed has left her deeply in debt. He never
Shelby takes her daughter and goes home from Philadelphia to Rendezvous Ridge, Tennessee, and goes to work rebuilding her ties to family and friends, paying off her inherited debt, and regaining her own confidence in herself. She also meets Griffin Lott, a new arrival in Rendezvous Ridge, business partner of her friend Emma Kate's boyfriend Matt.
But Richard's past is stalking her even as she reconstructs her life, and dangerous life he led is about to come crashing down on her, along with more secrets she never suspected.
Shelby is a smart, strong woman, well able to take care of herself once she breaks out of the undermining web Richard had wrapped her in, and Roberts, as she generally does, gives her a real and worthy partner in Griffin. We get a very satisfyingly warm, supportive and only a little meddlesome family in the Pomeroys, a family most people would trade major body parts to be a part of.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
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made payments on the huge and expensively furnished house he moved her into a few months ago. The jewels he gave her are mostly fakes. Nice fakes, but fakes. And a key she finds in a pocket in one of his jackets is the key to a safe deposit box, in which she finds a good deal of cash, but also multiple other IDs for the man she knew as "Richard Foxworth."Shelby takes her daughter and goes home from Philadelphia to Rendezvous Ridge, Tennessee, and goes to work rebuilding her ties to family and friends, paying off her inherited debt, and regaining her own confidence in herself. She also meets Griffin Lott, a new arrival in Rendezvous Ridge, business partner of her friend Emma Kate's boyfriend Matt.
But Richard's past is stalking her even as she reconstructs her life, and dangerous life he led is about to come crashing down on her, along with more secrets she never suspected.
Shelby is a smart, strong woman, well able to take care of herself once she breaks out of the undermining web Richard had wrapped her in, and Roberts, as she generally does, gives her a real and worthy partner in Griffin. We get a very satisfyingly warm, supportive and only a little meddlesome family in the Pomeroys, a family most people would trade major body parts to be a part of.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member soosthemoose
Really enjoyed this book. Just enough suspense and romance.
LibraryThing member ladypembroke
Nora Roberts continues to impress me with her ability to make characters that seem real and engaging, even in the midst of mysteries that are intense and fantastical (not necessarily unreal, but the kind of things that happen to Other People). Sure, one of the big reveals at the end of this book
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was not really a surprise, but that didn't detract from the amazing people in the story the rest of the time. I do think some of the mystery ran on a little long, and I was glad when we got the HEA part, which was why I didn't give the book 5 stars. Other than that, another fine work from a consistently good author who never fails to make me laugh and cry along with her characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member phyllis2779
Very good romantic suspense. It always seems that Roberts knocks it out of park. The only thing that bothered me a little was that Shelby seemed a little like a Mary Sue but I liked that she didn't panic and saved herself from the villain, not just waiting to be rescued.
LibraryThing member kmartin802
Nora Roberts has another hit. Shelby finds herself widowed with a three-year-old and massively in debt. While going through her husband's stuff she discovers unexplained cash and a few different sets of IDs. The man she thought she married, and was no longer in love with, wasn't at all who she
I loved the close relationships that Shelby has within her family. Her mother and grandmother are strong women who are very competent. Her father, grandfather, and brothers are find examples of men who understand responsibility and relationships. Shelby does have some fences to mend with her best friend because her husband had kept her from her friends and family. He was the type to constantly belittle her and, while he gave her access to credit cards, wouldn't let her have any cash. He also kept the family moving from place to place to make it impossible for Shelby to find any friends in the new places they went.
When Shelby gets home, she has to rediscover her strengths and rebuild her confidence. She meets a new man too. Griff Lott is a transplant from up North who has a successful contracting business with his partner who is engaged to Shelby's best friend. Griff falls for her and for her daughter Callie. He is just the sort of strong, loving, reliable man that Shelby and Callie needs but Shelby is afraid to trust herself again.
Shelby is also dealing with the problem that her husband was probably responsible for a multimillion dollar theft of jewelry and stamps and his former partners and a private eye are convinced that Shelby knows where he stashed his loot. All of them follow her back to her home in Tennessee and cause problems for her. When both one of the partners and the private eye are killed, Shelby, Griff and her family band together to protect Callie and Shelby herself. Then there is the jealous local woman who is more than willing to cause trouble for Shelby.
I had a pretty good idea what the plot twist would be by the time I was halfway through the book and was pleased that I had guess correctly. But I don't read Roberts for the mystery. I read her books because of the characters and the relationships. This book overflowed with wonderful characters and had so many wonderful relationships.
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thought he was. After trying to get a handle on all the various lies that he told her, she decides to go back home to her family in Tennessee. That's when the story really takes off for me. I loved the close relationships that Shelby has within her family. Her mother and grandmother are strong women who are very competent. Her father, grandfather, and brothers are find examples of men who understand responsibility and relationships. Shelby does have some fences to mend with her best friend because her husband had kept her from her friends and family. He was the type to constantly belittle her and, while he gave her access to credit cards, wouldn't let her have any cash. He also kept the family moving from place to place to make it impossible for Shelby to find any friends in the new places they went.
When Shelby gets home, she has to rediscover her strengths and rebuild her confidence. She meets a new man too. Griff Lott is a transplant from up North who has a successful contracting business with his partner who is engaged to Shelby's best friend. Griff falls for her and for her daughter Callie. He is just the sort of strong, loving, reliable man that Shelby and Callie needs but Shelby is afraid to trust herself again.
Shelby is also dealing with the problem that her husband was probably responsible for a multimillion dollar theft of jewelry and stamps and his former partners and a private eye are convinced that Shelby knows where he stashed his loot. All of them follow her back to her home in Tennessee and cause problems for her. When both one of the partners and the private eye are killed, Shelby, Griff and her family band together to protect Callie and Shelby herself. Then there is the jealous local woman who is more than willing to cause trouble for Shelby.
I had a pretty good idea what the plot twist would be by the time I was halfway through the book and was pleased that I had guess correctly. But I don't read Roberts for the mystery. I read her books because of the characters and the relationships. This book overflowed with wonderful characters and had so many wonderful relationships.
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LibraryThing member ftbooklover
As always, Nora Roberts has come up with another winner. It was a good story with engaging characters. However, it seemed as though this was the first of one of her trilogies rather than a stand alone story. It was easy to see that the supporting characters could have had their own books. The
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romantic suspense was fairly limited, but still this was a good stand-alone story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lauren2013
The Liar
3.5 Stars
Upon her husband's death, Shelby Foxworth learns that not only was he an adulterer and a liar, but he was also a thief and a conman. Stuck with a mountain of debt, Shelby returns home to her small town and loving family for a fresh start with her young daughter. But Shelby's found
Starts well, but drags a bit in the middle and the identity of the villain is completely obvious.
As always, Nora's characterization is amazing from the honest and hardworking Shelby to the gentle and caring Griff. Not to mention Shelby's adorable daughter and her charming down to earth family. Each and every resident of the small Tennessee town adds something special to the setting and the story.
That said, the book could have been 100 pages shorter with fewer descriptions of Griff's renovation projects and Shelby's singing at the local watering hole. It would have been better with more focus on the suspense plot and the action, which are underdeveloped.
Despite these issues, the book is entertaining overall and Nora will always be a go-to author for me.
3.5 Stars
Upon her husband's death, Shelby Foxworth learns that not only was he an adulterer and a liar, but he was also a thief and a conman. Stuck with a mountain of debt, Shelby returns home to her small town and loving family for a fresh start with her young daughter. But Shelby's found
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happiness with local contractor Griff Lott is soon jeopardized when her husband's past catches up with her. Starts well, but drags a bit in the middle and the identity of the villain is completely obvious.
As always, Nora's characterization is amazing from the honest and hardworking Shelby to the gentle and caring Griff. Not to mention Shelby's adorable daughter and her charming down to earth family. Each and every resident of the small Tennessee town adds something special to the setting and the story.
That said, the book could have been 100 pages shorter with fewer descriptions of Griff's renovation projects and Shelby's singing at the local watering hole. It would have been better with more focus on the suspense plot and the action, which are underdeveloped.
Despite these issues, the book is entertaining overall and Nora will always be a go-to author for me.
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LibraryThing member knersus
At times frustrating, predictable and forced, but in general an enjoyable, easy, summer read.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-04-14
Physical description
6.75 inches
ISBN
1101989750 / 9781101989753