Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me, I tried a couple of times but just couldn't get into it.

Great story, thrilling plot that I could not put down. Well worth a read, and would recommend to others. Nora Roberts does it again!

What can I say that hasn't already been said. I haven't read many Robert's books but the one's I have I've really enjoyed. This is no exception. I really enjoyed this too.

I never find robert's too demanding. She writes with a passion that floods of the page. She is easy to read and follow. You get really engrossed in her writing.

Read it. You'll Love it.

Enjoy!

Such a beautiful mystery! I love this author so much! I loved everything! From start to finish. I highly recommend this one!!

Not at all my cup of tea, I'm afraid. I found the characters' names quite odd, and at the same time confusing - which is a first name, a surname? I'm English so it may be that something went over my head here .... anyhow, I also found the story hard to follow, and with all the odd names (is that someone's first name or not?) and jumping around I gave up.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

This is the first ever book I’ve read by Nora Roberts, which is quite surprising considering I’ve got more on my Kindle. I’ll happily read another after this one.

First impressions? I need to get myself to Montana.

There was something about this book that I really liked. While a little slow going in the first couple of chapters, I still really liked everything about it. I found that it rambled on a little in places but again, I liked it.

It took me a while to get my head around who was who but I figured it out eventually. There were a few too many characters for me. Some were only there for a couple of pages, and then to never be mentioned again when they’re supposed to be good friends. I guessed the ending quite early in, something just clicked instantly and I knew.

The Bodine family were loveable characters. My favourite would probably be Miss Fancy, she’s the sort of lady I’d be when I get to her age. I liked Bodine though, I liked how forward and outspoken she was. Unfortunately though, I didn’t feel her chemistry with Callen. Which is a shame as I liked Callen. He was a proper gentleman. His side of the flirting was spot on but I didn’t like Bodine’s attempts at it. In fact, I didn’t feel any chemistry between any of the supposed romances. The book wasn’t about the romance this time for, it was more of how gripping the story was and where it was going to end.

The flow of the book worked really well. I liked how we got Alice’s backstory, and how it started right at the beginning for her. I liked how we got glimpses into the life of very minor characters while we learn something else vital to the main story. The writing style of the story as a whole was a little different to what I normally read but I really liked it.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this. It’s a privilege for this access that I am coming to fully appreciate. Norah Roberts never fails for me. This book in particular had everything on the plate and every box ticked whilst on holiday. Mystery, intrigue, crime, romance, passion and family values all in one book! A master weaver of a well crafted tale.

I really enjoyed this book, it had excellent attention to detail and I could almost feel as though I was in the countryside when I was reading it the descriptions were so vivid. The story was great and I loved it - the characters were strong, held the plot together really well and their interaction was great. This was a definate page turner and highly recommended by me - a 5 star read.

Alice Bodine is heading home a little shamefacedly after leaving dramatically, perhaps, she wondered for a bit of attention as her sister is getting married.
She never makes it home after a sinister man picks her up on the roadside.

Her family run the Bodine ranch in Montana, popular and traditional, and the Bodine/Longbow family are pillars of the community.

Bodine Longbow herself, young and strong, runs the resort and is revered by staff and family alike, especially Callen, childhood crush.

As events run we see into the family and into Alice's hell and watch how strength and family are a force to be reckoned with.

I am a huge fan of Nora Roberts and thoroughly loved this offering. It is wonderful and addictive escapism and a real page turner.
Although I found it slightly slower to get into, once I did I was hooked.

A fabulous, well thought out plot and strong characters who you root for from the start.

A massive 5* from me and as always, I eagerly await Nora's next book!

Come Sundown - Nora Roberts

I was sent this by the publicist working on the book and I've FINALLY got around to picking it up. Sorry. I've had this sat in my inbox for far too long. Honestly, a book that begins with a girl relieving herself behind a tree has to be one met with intregue and from there it only got better, who doesn't love a murder mystery set on a ranch in the south of the USA?

Bodine Longbow loves to rise with the dawn. As the manager of her family's resort in Western Montana, there just aren't enough hours in the day - for life, for work, for loved ones. She certainly doesn't have time for love, not even in the gorgeous shape of her childhood crush Callen Skinner, all grown up and returned to the ranch. Then again, maybe Callen can change her mind, given time...
But when a young woman's body is discovered on resort land, everything changes. Callen falls under the suspicion of a deputy sheriff with a grudge. And for Bodine's family, the murder is a shocking reminder of an old loss. Twenty-five years ago, Bodine's Aunt Alice vanished, never to be heard of again. Could this new tragedy be connected to Alice's mysterious disappearance?
As events take a dramatic and deadly turn, Bodine and Callen must race to uncover the truth - before the sun sets on their future together.

I would say this was a mystery rather than a suspense novel and follows four generations of the same family, beginning in 91 with Alice Bodine and then going to her niece, Bodine, who has never met her thanks to a rather horrible thing that happens to her right before the book begins and features members of their extended family and community.

It reminded me a lot of American soap operas, kind of Dallas like but with elements of the The Room thrown in. It swung between being melodramatic and creepy, I was never really sure which was going to come next! So if that sounds like it might be up your street, give this a go, but do be warned, you know I like to give you trigger warnings, there is abduction, murder and sexual assault in this. Some of it is hinted at, mostly its not that subtle.
A great thing about this, if like me you're new to Nora Roberts, is that this is a stand alone. Why is that good news? Well, the woman has written over 200 books, many of which are in a series. So, if you wanted somewhere to start, this is the perfect book for that.

A wonderful read - could not put this book down! Loved the setting and descriptions and the characters were loveable. Touches on hard-to-read subjects in a well-written way.

Loved this book. It had romance, suspense and a funny horse. What more can you ask for?
In actual fact we have three romances in this novel. Sundown the horse was so funny with his tricks. A very intelligent horse. Nora Roberts writes enthralling novels, with vivid descriptions of Montana.
The Bodine Longbows family business is a ranch. A loving family who mourn the loss of a long lost daughter/ sister/aunt. They believe she is long dead, where as we the reader know the truth.
Bodine Longbow is in charge of running the ranch. With the help of the family, and Cal a childhood friend of her brothers. The story goes back and forth between the past and what happened to Alice, and the present day running of the ranch. I found myself getting so angry at the treatment of Alice. It's sad to think that people actually think like that. Poor Alice is raped and beaten over and over. Becoming a former shadow of herself. Back to the present day, while out riding Bodine and Cal come across a dead body. It's not too long before it happens again. Will Alice escape? Pick up a copy and find out.

Another wonderful Nora Roberts read! A suspenseful and intriguing saga involving twisted passions and based upon family ties.

Set in Montana on a ranch/resort owned by the Longbow/Bodine family this is the story of a family coming together to settle issues of the past and to protect their own when a madman is on the loose abducting women to become his wives.

I'm not sure I can put into words how much I love Nora Roberts. Her characters, especially the women all have grit and strength especially Bodine Longbow . Even the horse, Sundown makes you smile with his intelligence. These aren't straightforward books there's always some suspense and sometimes murder but what makes them so brilliant is the heart. Such an amazing storyteller.

I'm really sorry but I was unable to review this book, it just didn't work for me. Very surprising as i've enjoyed other books by Nora Roberts. Please accept my apologies.

I've only read one Nora Roberts book in the past, though it was years ago I remember enjoying it and so when the chance to read her latest standalone, Come Sundown, came along I jumped at the chance!

Come Sundown is set on the luxurious holiday ranch owned by the Bodine/Longbrow family and is the result of generations of work, by strong women - four generations of which still live and work at the ranch. I loved the strong bond and strength of all these women, and the sense of community instilled by them on the expansive land they own and the many employees they hire. I particularly liked Bodine, who we follow in the modern day chapters. The youngest of the females , she's taken over the reigns at the helm of the family dynasty and seems so genuine, down to earth and capable. When Callen Skinner, an old friend of her brother turns up, hot sparks begin flying between them and despite the snowy surroundings, this romance is scorching!

But despite the appearance of contentment and happiness at the Bodine Ranch, there's a darkness overshadowing them all. Bodine's gran still mourns the disappearance of her youngest daughter Alice, who left under a cloud many years ago and hasn't been seen since. In alternating chapters, Alice's past is revealed, and it's shocking and horrifically brutal. I don't want to give to much away, but Alice's sections are truly terrifying, sad as Nora Roberts explores how far the human spirit can be stretched under the most traumatizing cruelty. I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting, but it was far from this harrowing story. I thought these sections in particular were excellent.

Nora Roberts is a phenomenal story teller, and in Come Sundown the family saga is accomplished with almost perfection. With the dark, harrowing and thriller aspect running alongside, this is a book with broad appeal. While I mostly really liked this book, I did feel that sometimes the modern day chapters, particularly at the beginning became bogged down occasionally with irrelevant over detail meaning the speedy pace dropped for a while, however I was glad I stuck with it. If you're a fan of big family saga types books and psychologically charged thrillers, then Come Sundown offers the perfect combination, ticking all boxes.

It's taken me a while to read my first Nora Roberts but what a book to begin with. At first it seemed like there were two separate stories, the ranch and the abduction of Alice. It was difficult to really appreciate the Bodine/ Callan storyline as Nora Roberts kept giving us tantalising glimpses of Alice's story and to me that was by far the more interesting. add to that a parallel love story to Bodine, that of Jessica and Chase and at times the book felt overly long. With young women being murdered and no plausible suspects it was hard to see where this book was going. About half way through I found myself being caught up in all the stories and the ending brings everything together neatly. Be warned though that Alice's story is tragic and very upsetting and needs the HEA of the romances to offset it. Loved the multi-generational storyline and some fabulous characters.

Nora Roberts is brilliant at telling stories full of suspense, drama and a little romance and Come Sundown follows this tried and tested formula.

Starting with the abduction of Alice, a young girl who is walking home in 1991 ..... we then move on to the present day and to the home where she should have arrived at is the Bodine Ranch in Montana, a huge sprawling working ranch and resort where we are introduced to all the young girl's family.

Bodine Longbow is the feisty manager, along with her two brothers and father, but there's no doubt she's in charge and she knows what she wants.

The total opposite is the abducted girl, Alice, who suffers an unimaginable time at the hands of her brutal abductor, which I found so uncomfortable to read.

Throw in a handsome cowboy in the shape of Callen Skinner, returning back to the ranch, sparks flying in all directions with Bodine, the murder of two young women, the Deputy Sheriff bearing an age old grudge against Callen and wanting to pin the murders on him, lively relationships, horses, beautiful Montana scenery, this all adds up to one compelling, dark and dramatic storyline.

4.5*
The story opens with a flashback to 1991. At twenty-one years old Alice Bodine was on her way back home after up and leaving suddenly three years earlier. She had not contacted her family apart from a few postcards when she first left. With not much farther to go before she reaches the ranch, a split second decision altered the course of her life and thrust her into a living nightmare.

Fast forward to the present and the Bodine/Longbow family ranch and resort, run by several generations, in a beautiful Montana setting, offering the ultimate in cowboy experiences. The two plot lines run concurrently, with flashbacks from Alice’s perspective and her dire situation, until the time they merge later in the story. This gives the book a darker, more sinister tone than the usual standalone, romantic suspense reads from Nora Roberts, exploring harsh emotional and physical torture and its effects.

Bodine Longbow’s aunt Alice left home before Bodine was born. She didn’t return. Bodine and her brothers assume she’s dead. For the older members of the family Alice is still a raw and distressing subject to talk about, but the thought of her is always there, in the background as they get on with their lives.

The first part of the book introduces the characters, quite a lot of them, and highlights the workings of the ranch/resort with details of everyday life. After that the pace and suspense pick up. Nora Roberts’ strength lies in her character portrayals and development, the build up and depth of family dynamics and loving, close knit relationships, which are always the central focus. I very much enjoy her turn of phrase, the realistic, snappy dialogue and banter.

The romance between Bo and Cal, and two other lesser romances, take a back seat although the characters themselves are very much to the fore. Cal, the boy Bo had a childish crush on, and her brother’s best friend, recently returned to the ranch after several years in Hollywood, making his name working with horses. Cal is an expert horseman and becomes part of the ranch family, with his own amazing horse, Sundown. When two shocking murders occur on resort land, one on the heels of the other, a sense of danger and dread is brought to the normally peaceful area.

There are various viewpoints throughout the narrative, giving an all round picture as the story progresses. The flashback chapters from Alice’s perspective are particularly well written and powerful – chilling, sad and graphic.

Spanning twenty five years, this is a story of heartbreak and survival, of family ties, pain and secrets, touching on the psychological. The plot is multi layered and peopled with well defined, likeable characters. I enjoyed the setting and loved Sundown and his tricks.

It’s been a while since I read one of Nora Roberts’ books (discounting the In Death series.) I’m so glad this one came my way, thanks to Clara Diaz from Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley.

I chose to read and review Come Sundown based on an advance reader copy supplied by the author/publisher.

Until this one the only books by this author that I’d read had been the ones written as J.D. Robb. Being mainly a crime fiction fan the books she writes as Nora Roberts hadn’t appealed to me until this came along and grabbed my attention and now I realise I’ve been missing out. I loved this book, from the gorgeous cover to the contents themselves. Straight from the first page I was hooked and intrigued, the story flows seamlessly and while I have little to no understanding of ranches, resorts or anything similar I understood exactly what was happening because it was written so clearly, not in a way that laid it all out, but in a way that explained it as part of the story so I could pick it up as I progressed through the book.

It felt like what I imagine being invisible or a fly on the wall would be like. Because this book is so well written I felt like I had dropped into the lives of real people, all fully developed and well-rounded with backstories and hopes and dreams for the future. It was so well done that they could have been real people and not just characters on a page. This is not a fast paced or complicated story, it’s an easy read and goes along at a steady pace but that is part of the appeal for me. The first few chapters set the scene, letting you learn about the resort and how it works, the problems they encounter and what family life is like. It’s realistic but unhurried and that gives you the opportunity to lose yourself in the story, let the rest of the world disappear and wish you really were in Montana in the snow, watching events unfold.

The disappearance of Alice is something that is ever present in the story. She is in it from the beginning with her disappearance told in flashbacks. The flashbacks are not an easy read as Alice’s experiences were not something anyone would wish for anyone but they are handled well and don’t bring the overall tone or feel of the story down. Alice’s story is also important, not least because her disappearance still impacts on the family 25 years later and is an event that has shaped the family over those 25 years.

This is an excellent book and one that makes me wish I’d read Nora Roberts earlier, particularly because there are so many of her books to catch up on now! If you’ve read her books before then I don’t think you’ll be hesitating to pick this one up but if you’re unfamiliar with her writing or, like me, only read the J.D. Robb novels I would definitely recommend giving this a try.