Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
St. Martin's Press (2019), Edition: First Edition, 448 pages
Description
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author, a novel about the power of family to harm--and to heal. Within the walls of a tasteful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, young Zane Bigelow feels like a prisoner of war. Strangers--and even Zane's own aunt across the lake--see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children's ballet recitals and baseball games. Zane and his sister know the truth: There is something terribly wrong. As his father's violent, controlling rages--and his mother's complicity--become more and more oppressive, Zane counts the years, months, days until he can escape. He looks out for little Britt, warning her: Be smart; Be careful. In fear for his very life, he plays along with the insidious lie that everything is fine, while scribbling his real thoughts in a secret journal he must carefully hide away. When one brutal, shattering night finally reveals cracks in the façade, Zane begins to understand that some people are willing to face the truth, even when it hurts. As he grows into manhood and builds a new kind of family, he will find that while the darkness of his past may always shadow him, it will also show him what is necessary for good to triumph--and give him strength to draw on when he once again must stand up and defend himself and the ones he loves..."--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member grumpydan
Is this a suspense or a thriller? No, it is a novel of abuse, not one but three different cases. It begins with teenage Zane who is physically abused by his father, a prominent surgeon with friends in all the right places. But once Zane decides to fight back, the truth is revealed and his parents
It is like two books in one. The first one about the abusive dad and Zane fighting back was intense and compelling. The second part when Zane is an adult was predictable (although not a mystery it wasn’t hard to figure out what was happening), but still have some good moments. That’s why I give it three stars.
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spend time in jail. Fast forward a number of years and Zane is now an attorney who comes back home to open up an office. In the meantime, his father is released from prison, Zane notices that a potential client’s wife is showing signs of abuse and Zane’s new girlfriend had also ended her marriage to an abusive husband. What are the odds?It is like two books in one. The first one about the abusive dad and Zane fighting back was intense and compelling. The second part when Zane is an adult was predictable (although not a mystery it wasn’t hard to figure out what was happening), but still have some good moments. That’s why I give it three stars.
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LibraryThing member plunkinberry
This was a good story, albeit a bit predictable and easily figured... good character development and, as always, Nora gets the reader emotionally invested in the characters very quickly.
LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
I had a great time with this book. I read quite a few books written by Nora Roberts years ago but had not picked up any in recent years. I am now questioning my decision-making skills because I have clearly been missing out. This was a book that started with a bang and was nearly impossible to put
The book opens in Zane's childhood. He is a teenager that shows a lot of promise in baseball. He hopes to use his skill in the sport to escape his home life. Things are not as perfect at home as they might appear to be to others in their little town. His mother has served as the school's PTA president and his father is the chief surgeon at the area hospital. Zane, his sister, Britt, and their parents live in the largest home in town and have a very large lifestyle. Unfortunately, the reality of their family includes child abuse and domestic violence.
I was completely captivated by this book at the start. The descriptions of everything Zane and Britt had to endure in their home were so vivid that they felt real to me. I felt the pain right along with this group of characters and prayed that things would work out for them. The book then jumps in time and it was nice to see Zane and Britt as adults. Well adjusted adults with new problems to face.
Darby is ready for a new start. She is a skilled gardener and landscaper and wants to start up a new business in town. Her first client happens to be Zane's aunt. Darby forms bonds with the people in town very quickly and is soon an important member of the community. When she starts working on Zane's house, things heat up quickly.
I really liked the characters in this book. Zane and Darby have both overcome terrible events from their past. They seem to fit together almost perfectly and have great chemistry. I liked how honest these two were with each other and how they seemed to know when to give the other some space. Zane is part of a huge family and I really enjoyed seeing those characters both in the early scenes during his teen years and the section that took place in his adulthood.
This book was exciting. Maybe a bit too much in a way. I really did enjoy the story but I felt like some of the things that happened were just too unlikely. I guess everything in the book could be possible but it felt like more was going on than was necessary. It is a work of fiction so I just ran with it but I couldn't help but think about how remarkable it would be to have all of these things happen in such a short time frame.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This book does deal with both domestic violence and child abuse so it might be a difficult story for some readers. I thought that the situations in the book were vividly told and handled very well. I definitely plan to read more from Nora Roberts!
I received a review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press.
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down. I honestly enjoyed the experience of reading this book.The book opens in Zane's childhood. He is a teenager that shows a lot of promise in baseball. He hopes to use his skill in the sport to escape his home life. Things are not as perfect at home as they might appear to be to others in their little town. His mother has served as the school's PTA president and his father is the chief surgeon at the area hospital. Zane, his sister, Britt, and their parents live in the largest home in town and have a very large lifestyle. Unfortunately, the reality of their family includes child abuse and domestic violence.
I was completely captivated by this book at the start. The descriptions of everything Zane and Britt had to endure in their home were so vivid that they felt real to me. I felt the pain right along with this group of characters and prayed that things would work out for them. The book then jumps in time and it was nice to see Zane and Britt as adults. Well adjusted adults with new problems to face.
Darby is ready for a new start. She is a skilled gardener and landscaper and wants to start up a new business in town. Her first client happens to be Zane's aunt. Darby forms bonds with the people in town very quickly and is soon an important member of the community. When she starts working on Zane's house, things heat up quickly.
I really liked the characters in this book. Zane and Darby have both overcome terrible events from their past. They seem to fit together almost perfectly and have great chemistry. I liked how honest these two were with each other and how they seemed to know when to give the other some space. Zane is part of a huge family and I really enjoyed seeing those characters both in the early scenes during his teen years and the section that took place in his adulthood.
This book was exciting. Maybe a bit too much in a way. I really did enjoy the story but I felt like some of the things that happened were just too unlikely. I guess everything in the book could be possible but it felt like more was going on than was necessary. It is a work of fiction so I just ran with it but I couldn't help but think about how remarkable it would be to have all of these things happen in such a short time frame.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This book does deal with both domestic violence and child abuse so it might be a difficult story for some readers. I thought that the situations in the book were vividly told and handled very well. I definitely plan to read more from Nora Roberts!
I received a review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press.
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LibraryThing member moekane
Not a nuanced story of domestic violence and child abuse, and certainly no plot surprises. A satisfying read nonetheless, a fine entertainment.
LibraryThing member susan0316
Summer is officially here because we have a new stand alone by Nora Roberts. As with many of her past books this one is about family and love and forgiveness. Parts of this book were painful to read but the overall feeling of the book was love.
The novel is divided into three sections.
Section 1 is
The next two sections are about Zane returning to town to open up a law practice. He wants to re-connect with his friends and his hometown despite his bad memories. When he returns, he meets Darby, a talented landscaper who has just moved into town and has secrets of her own. Will Zane and Darby be able to forget their difficult memories and move ahead with love or will their pasts continue to haunt them?
This is a character driven book about Zane and Darby. They are both very well written and it was easy to be worried for them and hope for the best outcome for their lives. As normal with Nora Roberts, this was a real page turner of a book and kept me enthralled until the end. It's an enduring story of love and family and the ability to get beyond bad things in the past and look toward a brighter future.
The novel is divided into three sections.
Section 1 is
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The Cruelty of Lies and is about Zane and his sister Britt and their parents. From the outside, they had a fantastic life - Graham, the dad, was the head of surgery at a local hospital and mom spent her time on committees. Both kids were fantastic students - Zane played baseball and Britt was talented on the piano. The only problem is that this was the view from the outside. Inside the home, Graham was a controlling and abusive person. He regularly beat his wife and on this day, he beat his son for coming to his mom's defense. It's difficult to read parts of this section and to see such cruelty.The next two sections are about Zane returning to town to open up a law practice. He wants to re-connect with his friends and his hometown despite his bad memories. When he returns, he meets Darby, a talented landscaper who has just moved into town and has secrets of her own. Will Zane and Darby be able to forget their difficult memories and move ahead with love or will their pasts continue to haunt them?
This is a character driven book about Zane and Darby. They are both very well written and it was easy to be worried for them and hope for the best outcome for their lives. As normal with Nora Roberts, this was a real page turner of a book and kept me enthralled until the end. It's an enduring story of love and family and the ability to get beyond bad things in the past and look toward a brighter future.
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LibraryThing member BettyTaylor56
Nora Roberts is amazing! If you loved SHELTER IN PLACE (and I did) you will love UNDER CURRENTS. Like SHELTER IN PLACE this one opens with a shockingly violent event. Then the bad guys are dead or go to prison. The survivors move on with their lives, seemingly happily ever after, but bad guys are
Roberts is equally masterful with narrative and dialogue. The entire story flowed so well considering the different directions it sometimes went. It is definitely a page-turner. She had complete control at all times of this complex storyline. And the characters! I loved these awesome characters and found myself holding my breath and thinking “please don’t kill this character off”. Zane and Darby were just absolutely perfect for each other – sexy, sassy, and spontaneous. But there were dark undercurrents trying to destroy that relationship. Roberts developed her characters so well I felt like part of the Lakeview community.
Be forewarned – domestic abuse is a central topic in this book. Often absolutely heart breaking, it is still inspirational.
I hope Ms. Roberts continues to write books like UNDER CURRENTS and SHELTER IN PLACE. I have read several of her more romantic books, her dystopian YEAR ONE, and her JD Robb series, but these two books are my favorites.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions are my own.
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back. This book touched upon so many emotions I felt a bit wrung out when I finished it. Roberts is equally masterful with narrative and dialogue. The entire story flowed so well considering the different directions it sometimes went. It is definitely a page-turner. She had complete control at all times of this complex storyline. And the characters! I loved these awesome characters and found myself holding my breath and thinking “please don’t kill this character off”. Zane and Darby were just absolutely perfect for each other – sexy, sassy, and spontaneous. But there were dark undercurrents trying to destroy that relationship. Roberts developed her characters so well I felt like part of the Lakeview community.
Be forewarned – domestic abuse is a central topic in this book. Often absolutely heart breaking, it is still inspirational.
I hope Ms. Roberts continues to write books like UNDER CURRENTS and SHELTER IN PLACE. I have read several of her more romantic books, her dystopian YEAR ONE, and her JD Robb series, but these two books are my favorites.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions are my own.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
While reading this I kinda felt like I had read it before, the storyline felt familiar.
Lets frontload this review by stating that the storyline features abusive relationships, both to children and adults from the start. I found some of the scenes a bit hard to read.
The story starts with Zane
Then the story moves to him as an adult, a qualified lawyer, but his father will be getting out of jail soon. He encounters Darby, a landscaper, who is moving to the town too, her ex-husband was abusive but she is determined to forge a new life. They find themselves attracted and intertwined but someone appears to be determined to ruin their happiness. To add to the mix a local abused wife looks for help.
I have to agree with another reviewer, there's too much plot here. It's less a romance than several romances thrown together and made into a story. It is possible that it was intended to be several stories in a series that were then shortened into one. It is realistic and it kept me reading but it was quite messy. I did guess the identities of the villains from fairly early on but overall I just felt like I had been caught in a whirlwind of story.
Not to bad but she's capable of better.
Lets frontload this review by stating that the storyline features abusive relationships, both to children and adults from the start. I found some of the scenes a bit hard to read.
The story starts with Zane
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Bigelow and his teenage life. Outside it's all perfection but inside the house there's abuse, starting with spousal abuse and when Zane decided to step in, he too was abused until one day he decided enough was enough and his father accuses him of being the abuser and tries to have him jailed, because he was trying to stop his father from abusing his sister, Britt. This is life-changing as everything comes out into the open and he finds himself being brought up by his aunt, a decent human being.Then the story moves to him as an adult, a qualified lawyer, but his father will be getting out of jail soon. He encounters Darby, a landscaper, who is moving to the town too, her ex-husband was abusive but she is determined to forge a new life. They find themselves attracted and intertwined but someone appears to be determined to ruin their happiness. To add to the mix a local abused wife looks for help.
I have to agree with another reviewer, there's too much plot here. It's less a romance than several romances thrown together and made into a story. It is possible that it was intended to be several stories in a series that were then shortened into one. It is realistic and it kept me reading but it was quite messy. I did guess the identities of the villains from fairly early on but overall I just felt like I had been caught in a whirlwind of story.
Not to bad but she's capable of better.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Queen Nora is back with a new novel about family and past trauma and the strength both can give you as an adult. She always delights with her cat-and-mouse tales of suspense and romance, but I feel Under Currents emphasizes her empathetic nature in her storytelling. As a result, her latest novel is
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more than just a suspenseful, sexy thriller but one that has heart. Never one to shy away from the dark and gruesome, Ms. Roberts takes it to the next level with the violence done to and performed by her characters, but she does so respectfully when warranted. This is not a voyeuristic dive into the seedy side of family relationships but rather a stark reminder that polish and shine can hide a multitude of hurts, and that it behooves us to pay attention and listen when approached. I am already a Nora Roberts superfan, having read almost everything she has ever written under her name, but Under Currents truly impressed me with the care she took telling this particular story. Show Less
LibraryThing member CLDunn
This was a interesting story. About abuse that so many people live with every day, about strong people who got out of that abuse & became good & caring people helping others. There is fear, love, success, moving on, making a family with friends, being able to walk away from those that are damaged,
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mean. Show Less
LibraryThing member nicolewbrown
This book is about physical, emotional, and mental abuse and for those who are triggered by that I recommend skipping this book. The book opens in 1998 with the oh, so perfect Bigelow family. Graham, the father is a surgeon, the mother, Elias, has been president of the PTA and is on many boards and
A year later Graham hits Brit and Zane loses it and goes after him. His mom is siding with his dad and Brit calls the cops. His parents say that Zane lost it when he came home late from the dance and that he must be on drugs. In the struggle, Zane's arms got really damaged. Since Dave is an EMT he showed up at the house and Zane begged him to stay with him. The cops cuffed Zane to the stretcher. Graham had dosed Brit with something to knock her out. Dave calls Emily and she shows up at the hospital to try to help. Brit wakes up and escapes the room she's in and calls Emily's cellphone. Emily comes to get Brit. Zane tells Dave of the notebooks he's kept writing in since the Christmas incident and where they are and for him to go and get them. Emily calls the Asheville cops and has them to look into this. Pretty soon Graham and Eliza, who secretly enjoyed the pain caused by her husband, both went to jail, though Eliza for less time as she gave evidence against her husband. He got fifteen to twenty years but got out in eighteen years.
Now there's a new face in Lakeview, North Carolina up in the mountains and her name is Darby McCray. She is staying in one of the bungalows that Emily's parents own and share a profit with their children. Emily takes care of the bungalows. Darby is a landscaper from Maryland whose mother has just died and that was whom she ran her business with and now she is looking to start over. She makes Emily a deal that she will do over a bungalow using her own money and if she doesn't like it she'll fix it but if she does they can make a deal on doing the other bungalows. Darby finds help with Emily's son Gabe and with a local man who flits from one job to the next named Roy, who seems to now have found his calling. She also hires a woman named Hallie and they all get to work. She also convinces Emily to do her house and the reception area.
Brit married a cop and has a toddler girl. Zane moved to Raleigh and became a prosecutor. Now he's ready to come back home. Partly because his dad's getting out of prison and partly because it's just time. He and Darby have something in common. Darby had an abusive ex-husband. They weren't married for very long and he didn't hit her too many times before she left him and pressed charges sending him to jail. The two begin a casual relationship because she doesn't want anything serious. She's still a little gun shy. But soon they will all be in trouble when Graham gets out of prison and seeks revenge on all who put him there.
There are more people in this book that have been abused by others. They are minor characters, but it goes toward the major theme of the book. Can they be saved? It's always up to the person who's being abused to make the step to leave the situation. You can only offer help. You can't force them to leave. And it's a very hard decision to make to leave. These abusers threaten the people they love. They work hard to lower the person's self-esteem so they feel worthless and they make them feel as though there is no way out. Darby is an amazing character who has really turned her life around and Zane is too. Doesn't everyone want a mom like Emily? Or a dad like Lee, the cop, or Dave, the EMT? This book is one of Robert's best books and I give it a five out of five stars.
Quotes
Cruelty and fear shake hands together.
-Honore de Balzac
Child abuse can shadow the length of a lifetime.
-Herbert Ward
Home is where one starts from.
-T.S. Eliot
You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go.
-Yogi Bera
Kind hearts are the gardens,
Kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the flowers,
Kind deeds are the fruits.
-Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
The earth remains jagged and broken only to him or her who remains jagged and broken.
-Walt Whitman
Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.
-Hippocrates
Darby considered frozen pizza and microwave popcorn staples of life.
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 154)
“They wallpapered over wallpaper. Who knew?” He studied the walls. “The paint color might be worse.” “I know it. I know it. I may have to get a priest, a shaman, a white witch, whatever, to come in here and exorcise the spirits of evil decorating.”
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 222)
“If you don’t play for the Lakeview team next season, it’s a crime against humanity.” “Crime against humanity is a little extreme.” “Baseball is humanity.”
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 341)
Payback’s a religion to some people.
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 375)
“Mmm. Gonna sting,” she warned when she picked up the antiseptic. “Whey is the cure nearly as painfully as the cause?” “Maybe to remind us to stay out of fights.”
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 410)
You’ve never been stupid, except the times you thought you were.
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 432)
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social clubs, while the oldest son Zane dreams of playing professional baseball while his parents insist on his going to get his medical degree, his younger sister Brit plays piano and does ballet. One day right before Christmas they come home from school and find their dad beating up on their mom yet again. But Brit can't stop screaming and Zane is worried that their dad is going to hurt her so he steps in to protect both his mom and his sister and gets the crap beat out of him. His nose is broken and his eyes are blackened. Eliza's sister Emily was supposed to come over along with their parents but now that will all have to be moved over to Emily's house and an excuse will need to be made for Zane. They are going on a skiing trip the next day and it will be said that he fell off his bike and won't be skiing. When he gets home it will be said that he fell skiing and that's how his face got busted up. When he gets back, he asks his best friend Marcus's dad Dave to help him work out and get stronger "for baseball".A year later Graham hits Brit and Zane loses it and goes after him. His mom is siding with his dad and Brit calls the cops. His parents say that Zane lost it when he came home late from the dance and that he must be on drugs. In the struggle, Zane's arms got really damaged. Since Dave is an EMT he showed up at the house and Zane begged him to stay with him. The cops cuffed Zane to the stretcher. Graham had dosed Brit with something to knock her out. Dave calls Emily and she shows up at the hospital to try to help. Brit wakes up and escapes the room she's in and calls Emily's cellphone. Emily comes to get Brit. Zane tells Dave of the notebooks he's kept writing in since the Christmas incident and where they are and for him to go and get them. Emily calls the Asheville cops and has them to look into this. Pretty soon Graham and Eliza, who secretly enjoyed the pain caused by her husband, both went to jail, though Eliza for less time as she gave evidence against her husband. He got fifteen to twenty years but got out in eighteen years.
Now there's a new face in Lakeview, North Carolina up in the mountains and her name is Darby McCray. She is staying in one of the bungalows that Emily's parents own and share a profit with their children. Emily takes care of the bungalows. Darby is a landscaper from Maryland whose mother has just died and that was whom she ran her business with and now she is looking to start over. She makes Emily a deal that she will do over a bungalow using her own money and if she doesn't like it she'll fix it but if she does they can make a deal on doing the other bungalows. Darby finds help with Emily's son Gabe and with a local man who flits from one job to the next named Roy, who seems to now have found his calling. She also hires a woman named Hallie and they all get to work. She also convinces Emily to do her house and the reception area.
Brit married a cop and has a toddler girl. Zane moved to Raleigh and became a prosecutor. Now he's ready to come back home. Partly because his dad's getting out of prison and partly because it's just time. He and Darby have something in common. Darby had an abusive ex-husband. They weren't married for very long and he didn't hit her too many times before she left him and pressed charges sending him to jail. The two begin a casual relationship because she doesn't want anything serious. She's still a little gun shy. But soon they will all be in trouble when Graham gets out of prison and seeks revenge on all who put him there.
There are more people in this book that have been abused by others. They are minor characters, but it goes toward the major theme of the book. Can they be saved? It's always up to the person who's being abused to make the step to leave the situation. You can only offer help. You can't force them to leave. And it's a very hard decision to make to leave. These abusers threaten the people they love. They work hard to lower the person's self-esteem so they feel worthless and they make them feel as though there is no way out. Darby is an amazing character who has really turned her life around and Zane is too. Doesn't everyone want a mom like Emily? Or a dad like Lee, the cop, or Dave, the EMT? This book is one of Robert's best books and I give it a five out of five stars.
Quotes
Cruelty and fear shake hands together.
-Honore de Balzac
Child abuse can shadow the length of a lifetime.
-Herbert Ward
Home is where one starts from.
-T.S. Eliot
You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go.
-Yogi Bera
Kind hearts are the gardens,
Kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the flowers,
Kind deeds are the fruits.
-Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
The earth remains jagged and broken only to him or her who remains jagged and broken.
-Walt Whitman
Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.
-Hippocrates
Darby considered frozen pizza and microwave popcorn staples of life.
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 154)
“They wallpapered over wallpaper. Who knew?” He studied the walls. “The paint color might be worse.” “I know it. I know it. I may have to get a priest, a shaman, a white witch, whatever, to come in here and exorcise the spirits of evil decorating.”
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 222)
“If you don’t play for the Lakeview team next season, it’s a crime against humanity.” “Crime against humanity is a little extreme.” “Baseball is humanity.”
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 341)
Payback’s a religion to some people.
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 375)
“Mmm. Gonna sting,” she warned when she picked up the antiseptic. “Whey is the cure nearly as painfully as the cause?” “Maybe to remind us to stay out of fights.”
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 410)
You’ve never been stupid, except the times you thought you were.
-Nora Roberts (Undercurrents p 432)
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LibraryThing member jfe16
Despite appearances to the contrary, Zane and Britt Bigelow live in a house filled with terror. One night, the façade of their perfect family collapses and everything changes for the brother and sister. But as they reach adulthood, will they fall victim to their dark pasts? And what will happen
With a plot that weaves through both past and present, the author fills the story with characters readers are certain to care about, characters that speak to the both the best and the worst of human nature. The strong sense of place, highlighted by Darby McCray’s delightful landscaping forays, pulls the reader into the telling of the tale. Parts of the story are gritty but honest and sometimes brutal and extremely difficult to read. But the struggles faced by the characters as the story unfolds are certain to keep the pages turning as readers celebrate the triumph of the human spirit.
Highly recommended.
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when circumstances force them to defend themselves and the ones they love once again?With a plot that weaves through both past and present, the author fills the story with characters readers are certain to care about, characters that speak to the both the best and the worst of human nature. The strong sense of place, highlighted by Darby McCray’s delightful landscaping forays, pulls the reader into the telling of the tale. Parts of the story are gritty but honest and sometimes brutal and extremely difficult to read. But the struggles faced by the characters as the story unfolds are certain to keep the pages turning as readers celebrate the triumph of the human spirit.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member readinggeek451
Solid romantic suspense from Roberts. The backstory at the beginning is heart-wrenching, and it's not the only part that is. But watching two strong people fall in love and overcome great obstacles is well worth the tears.
Content warning for several kinds of domestic abuse.
Content warning for several kinds of domestic abuse.
LibraryThing member treehousereader
REVIEW: Rather disturbing child abuse, spousal abuse story
DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: For both Zane and Darby, their small town roots hold a terrible secret. Now, decades later, they've come together to build a new life. But will the past set them free or pull them under?
Zane Bigelow grew up in a
Years later, Zane returns to his hometown determined to reconnect with the place and people that mean so much to him, despite the painful memories. As he resumes life in the colorful town, he meets a gifted landscape artist named Darby, who is on the run from ghosts of her own.
Together they will have to teach each other what it means to face the past, and stand up for the ones they love.
DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: For both Zane and Darby, their small town roots hold a terrible secret. Now, decades later, they've come together to build a new life. But will the past set them free or pull them under?
Zane Bigelow grew up in a
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beautiful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Strangers and even Zane’s own aunt across the lake see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children’s ballet recitals and baseball games. Only Zane and his sister know the truth, until one brutal night finally reveals cracks in the facade, and Zane escapes for college without a thought of looking back...Years later, Zane returns to his hometown determined to reconnect with the place and people that mean so much to him, despite the painful memories. As he resumes life in the colorful town, he meets a gifted landscape artist named Darby, who is on the run from ghosts of her own.
Together they will have to teach each other what it means to face the past, and stand up for the ones they love.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
This is one Nora Roberts book that I was hesitant to read. I don't like stories about child abuse. I should have known that Nora Roberts could take a difficult subject and write a compelling story of love and survival.
Zane Bigelow and his sister Britta lived what looked like a perfect life. Their
Zane wants very badly to get out but knows that his father has all the power, a pristine outer appearance, and powerful friends. He also has a complicit wife who likes the abuse she receives at her husband's hands and doesn't care about her children at all.
When Zane comes home from a school dance to see his father hitting his mother, he intervenes. His father pushes him down the stairs and breaks his arm and sprains his ankle. But worse of all he blames Zane for hitting him, hitting his wife, and hitting his little sister. He demands that Zane be arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center where he spends a horrible night until he is rescued by the actions of his little sister, his aunt, and a police detective who believes that it was his father who was to blame.
With his father and mother arrested, tried, and imprisoned, Zane and Britta have a chance at a new, better life with their aunt and loving grandparents.
Then the story jumps to the present day where Zane is a lawyer who is returning home and his father is finally getting ready to be paroled after eighteen years in prison. His mother had waited loyally for him after her own release from prison.
Then a new person comes to town. Darby McCray has her own history with violence. She managed to escape from her abusive husband who was convicted and imprisoned. She and her mother ran a successful landscaping business until her mother died in a hit-and-run accident. Darby sold up and needed to choose a new place to restart her life. She chooses the same town where Zane and his family live to begin her new business.
But both Zane and Darby are still of strong interest to their abusers and danger follows both of them home. I liked that both Darby and Zane were survivors who hadn't lost the ability to fall in love and trust. I also liked that neither of them was looking for a new relationship when they met.
As is common in Nora Roberts' books, there are a bunch of supporting characters who form a web of friendships and who are there for our hero and heroine. I loved Darby's personality. She's optimistic and seems to have a real gift for making friends. I liked Zane's resilience. I liked that the information about child abuse and domestic abuse were woven into the story but didn't dominate.
Fans of Nora Roberts won't want to miss this story with its memorable characters and suspense.
Zane Bigelow and his sister Britta lived what looked like a perfect life. Their
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father was a successful surgeon; their mother on all the right committees. They lived in a beautiful house in a posh part of town. But their house hid many secrets. Their father had been beating his wife and son for years. Zane began keeping a diary of this abuse when he was a young teenager and his father's abuse broke his nose and caused a concussion that his father explained away as a bike accident or a ski accident depending on who he was telling the story too. Zane wants very badly to get out but knows that his father has all the power, a pristine outer appearance, and powerful friends. He also has a complicit wife who likes the abuse she receives at her husband's hands and doesn't care about her children at all.
When Zane comes home from a school dance to see his father hitting his mother, he intervenes. His father pushes him down the stairs and breaks his arm and sprains his ankle. But worse of all he blames Zane for hitting him, hitting his wife, and hitting his little sister. He demands that Zane be arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center where he spends a horrible night until he is rescued by the actions of his little sister, his aunt, and a police detective who believes that it was his father who was to blame.
With his father and mother arrested, tried, and imprisoned, Zane and Britta have a chance at a new, better life with their aunt and loving grandparents.
Then the story jumps to the present day where Zane is a lawyer who is returning home and his father is finally getting ready to be paroled after eighteen years in prison. His mother had waited loyally for him after her own release from prison.
Then a new person comes to town. Darby McCray has her own history with violence. She managed to escape from her abusive husband who was convicted and imprisoned. She and her mother ran a successful landscaping business until her mother died in a hit-and-run accident. Darby sold up and needed to choose a new place to restart her life. She chooses the same town where Zane and his family live to begin her new business.
But both Zane and Darby are still of strong interest to their abusers and danger follows both of them home. I liked that both Darby and Zane were survivors who hadn't lost the ability to fall in love and trust. I also liked that neither of them was looking for a new relationship when they met.
As is common in Nora Roberts' books, there are a bunch of supporting characters who form a web of friendships and who are there for our hero and heroine. I loved Darby's personality. She's optimistic and seems to have a real gift for making friends. I liked Zane's resilience. I liked that the information about child abuse and domestic abuse were woven into the story but didn't dominate.
Fans of Nora Roberts won't want to miss this story with its memorable characters and suspense.
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LibraryThing member discobiscuit
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher*
I usually read Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb and haven't read many of the books published under her own name but I loved this book! The characters and the story kept me hooked from beginning to end.
I usually read Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb and haven't read many of the books published under her own name but I loved this book! The characters and the story kept me hooked from beginning to end.
LibraryThing member phyllis2779
Excellent suspense. Very well written. I may be reading too many Nora Roberts books too close together because some times I feel like there are similarities in dialog and/or story from one book to another,. Nevertheless this was a book I couldn't put down.
LibraryThing member ladypembroke
CW: Child abuse, spousal abuse, rape, assault
If any of the above give you nightmares or flashbacks or anything like PTSD, avoid this book. The hero's parents are abusive. The heroine's ex was abusive. There is a side plotline with an abused wife. Everyone is looking for peace unless they're looking
That being said... as always, Nora writes good fiction. I rooted for the two main characters and all their assorted family and friends. I adored the strength and badassery people attained. I enjoyed that communication was always open and honest and no one was running around on plot misconceptions.
The small town felt a little over the top. The villains were irredeemable and didn't feel completely human to me. I'm glad everyone that deserves it gets their HEA. I wish they had not had to go through all that crap to get there.
If any of the above give you nightmares or flashbacks or anything like PTSD, avoid this book. The hero's parents are abusive. The heroine's ex was abusive. There is a side plotline with an abused wife. Everyone is looking for peace unless they're looking
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for revenge.That being said... as always, Nora writes good fiction. I rooted for the two main characters and all their assorted family and friends. I adored the strength and badassery people attained. I enjoyed that communication was always open and honest and no one was running around on plot misconceptions.
The small town felt a little over the top. The villains were irredeemable and didn't feel completely human to me. I'm glad everyone that deserves it gets their HEA. I wish they had not had to go through all that crap to get there.
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LibraryThing member sanyamakadi
As with most of NR's new work, she recycles her characters...Zane had childhood trauma and now lives in a fancy house on the hill, recalling Naomi in Obsession. Kevin the contractor in Obsession also has a role in Under Currents, this time as Darby, the landscaping love interest. Nevertheless, they
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aren't so similar as to be annoying (ahem, Inn Boonsboro trilogy) and they star in an engaging story and a lovely depiction of North Carolina high country. Show Less
LibraryThing member soosthemoose
Good story about childhood abuse and escaping from it and building a successful life.
LibraryThing member lbswiener
Under Currents: A Novel, is a book that in the beginning stated its purpose; a story of terrible child and adult to adult physical abuse. At all thoughts, one would not want to read the book further. This is too difficult of a topic to want to read about. Under Currents, however, is a book about
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courage, family and powerful individual strength. It is a book that gives one hope. By all means this is a book that should be read. Under Currents has received five stars in this review. It is highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member ftbooklover
From the outside, Zane Bigelow, star high school baseball player, seems to have everything, but underneath it all, he and his sister are living a nightmare with abusive parents. One night changes everything when Zane tries to protect his sister from their father and takes a beating that almost
Nora Roberts' detailed description of Lakeview weaves a picture of a quaint town inhabited by friendly, colorful characters, making it a place where many people would like to live. The story is divided into four sections, with each containing separate but important plot points. The most intense section is the first, recounting Zane's early abuse and the havoc it caused in his life. The following three sections are not as good as the first, but do lead to a satisfying conclusion. Overall a good read.
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kills him. That's when Zane begins to keep the notebooks detailing his abuse. With the help of his aunt and his best friend's father, Zane's parents finally go to jail. Years later, Zane is now a lawyer and is returning to his hometown to start a law practice there. When he meets Darby McCray, who has survived an abusive marriage, his future looks bright until Zane's and Darby's pasts come back to haunt them both.Nora Roberts' detailed description of Lakeview weaves a picture of a quaint town inhabited by friendly, colorful characters, making it a place where many people would like to live. The story is divided into four sections, with each containing separate but important plot points. The most intense section is the first, recounting Zane's early abuse and the havoc it caused in his life. The following three sections are not as good as the first, but do lead to a satisfying conclusion. Overall a good read.
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LibraryThing member SimplyKelina
Make sure you check triggers before reading this one as it can be a very hard read in some places.
This is told in 3 parts. Part 1 focuses around domestic violence and abuse towards children. It was so good though and nothing that I was expecting. Part 2 slows down a lot though. You do get some more
This is told in 3 parts. Part 1 focuses around domestic violence and abuse towards children. It was so good though and nothing that I was expecting. Part 2 slows down a lot though. You do get some more
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around one character from part 1, but it was really short. Part 3 also brings a little bit around someones past but it also moved fast. Sadly, part 2 and 3 were just not for me and focused more on things that just lost that initial engagement for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member Okies
This gets an extra half mark because I was thrilled by the heroine's passion for and expertise in landscape gardening! But it lost a half mark because I couldn't finish it - went on and on too much. The story's heroes are both admirable and grounded despite the backgrounds they are given - that is
In my excursion into Romance I know I was bound to run into Nora Roberts. I can see why she is much loved if this novel is anything to go by. I look forward to reading another to see if they are in the same vein.
The suspense side of the story, if this was meant to be in the Romantic Suspense genre, with the return of the father to exact revenge, was relatively weak and could easily have been dropped.
Thanks everyone for sharing your reviews.
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inspiring. What's not to like about this 'holiday read'? In my excursion into Romance I know I was bound to run into Nora Roberts. I can see why she is much loved if this novel is anything to go by. I look forward to reading another to see if they are in the same vein.
The suspense side of the story, if this was meant to be in the Romantic Suspense genre, with the return of the father to exact revenge, was relatively weak and could easily have been dropped.
Thanks everyone for sharing your reviews.
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LibraryThing member Becky_From_Kansas
I was wishing this was part of a series before I was even halfway through this book! I absolutely fell in love with the characters and can I please be Darby? What an amazing character!
Awards
Mark Twain Readers Award (Nominee)
Original language
English
Physical description
9.47 inches
ISBN
1250207096 / 9781250207098