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In Death #1
Naked in Death
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780425148297
Here is the novel that started it all- the first book in J.D. Robb's number-one New York Times-bestselling In Death series, featuring New York homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Roarke.
It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing: passion.
When a senator's daughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she'd been leading is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the rarefied circles of Washington politics and society. Further complicating matters is Eve's growing attraction to Roarke, who is one of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly handsome... and the leading suspect in the investigation.
Here is the novel that started it all- the first book in J.D. Robb's number-one New York Times-bestselling In Death series, featuring New York homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Roarke.
It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing: passion.
When a senator's daughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she'd been leading is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the rarefied circles of Washington politics and society. Further complicating matters is Eve's growing attraction to Roarke, who is one of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly handsome... and the leading suspect in the investigation.
306 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1995
7,573 people are currently reading
129k people want to read
About the author
J.D. Robb
231听books34.6k听followersJ.D. Robb is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series and the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. The futuristic suspense series stars Eve Dallas, a New York City police lieutenant with a dark past. Initially conceived as a trilogy, readers clamored for more of Eve and the mysterious Roarke. Forgotten in Death (St. Martin's Press, September 2021) is the 53rd entry in the series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,144 reviews
August 22, 2011
... and I was enjoying it up until too swift of a turn into Romancelandia.
The popularity of is completely understandable to me. The attraction here is the same as in the most of urban fantasy IMO. Mystery-solving, some world-building (in this case, futuristic instead of paranormal) - it all is only background noise. What you are actually anticipating is the heroine's hookup with some handsome hunk. (That's what I read urban fantasy for anyway.) And the hunk here is something special - (1) he is drowning in money; (2) super hot; (3) has morals; (4) buys the heroine stuff; (5) feeds her; (6) he adores everything about the heroine from the get-go; (7), (8), (9) and (10) HE SPEAKS WITH AN IRISH ACCENT. What's not to like, right?
Unfortunately, Roarke never managed to work his magic on me. I thought he was controlling, patronizing, stalkerish even, always forcing Eve out of her comfort zone and himself on her (in that signature way - I am going to make you have the most intense orgasm you've ever had, no matter if you want it or not, because I know what you need better than you ).
Plus, as I've noted above, the switch from mystery to romance was too early in the book. Quarter in, second meeting, and already "her small, firm breast weighed gloriously in his palm" and "he wanted to forget the patience and control he'd taught himself to live by, and just ravage." This bodice-ripperish language totally killed my mood. At that point, I already knew how it would unfold, with "throbbing," "wetness," "I want you but I can't" and so on.
Sorry ladies, but romance is not quite my thing.
The popularity of is completely understandable to me. The attraction here is the same as in the most of urban fantasy IMO. Mystery-solving, some world-building (in this case, futuristic instead of paranormal) - it all is only background noise. What you are actually anticipating is the heroine's hookup with some handsome hunk. (That's what I read urban fantasy for anyway.) And the hunk here is something special - (1) he is drowning in money; (2) super hot; (3) has morals; (4) buys the heroine stuff; (5) feeds her; (6) he adores everything about the heroine from the get-go; (7), (8), (9) and (10) HE SPEAKS WITH AN IRISH ACCENT. What's not to like, right?
Unfortunately, Roarke never managed to work his magic on me. I thought he was controlling, patronizing, stalkerish even, always forcing Eve out of her comfort zone and himself on her (in that signature way - I am going to make you have the most intense orgasm you've ever had, no matter if you want it or not, because I know what you need better than you ).
Plus, as I've noted above, the switch from mystery to romance was too early in the book. Quarter in, second meeting, and already "her small, firm breast weighed gloriously in his palm" and "he wanted to forget the patience and control he'd taught himself to live by, and just ravage." This bodice-ripperish language totally killed my mood. At that point, I already knew how it would unfold, with "throbbing," "wetness," "I want you but I can't" and so on.
Sorry ladies, but romance is not quite my thing.
September 6, 2020
I am a DEVOTED fan of this series, and completely not objective about it in any way. Take this as a five star review of the entire series! (And yup, I've read all 50+ entries - if that sounds like a lot, dive in and you'll soon find yourself reaching the end and desperate for another entry in the series).
May 11, 2017
4 Stars
This was solid.
Fast paced.
Sexy.
Fun.
And old.
Seriously though, there are, what, only 40 thousand books in the series after this one? Lol
Regardless, I see why - I have not a damn thing to add to the multitude of reviews on this - and I look forward to the next one.
This was solid.
Fast paced.
Sexy.
Fun.
And old.
Seriously though, there are, what, only 40 thousand books in the series after this one? Lol
Regardless, I see why - I have not a damn thing to add to the multitude of reviews on this - and I look forward to the next one.
January 13, 2020
4th read :11th January,2020
3rd read : 29th June,2019
2nd read : 31th December,2018
1st read : 4th May,2015
Even the re-reads are so great. 馃檪馃檪馃檪 I just love Eve & Roarke sooooo much. 鉂も潳鉂�
He took her hand, lifted it to his lips. Nothing could have pleased him more than the quick suspicion on her face. "You won't forget me, Eve. You'll think of me, perhaps not fondly, but you'll think of me."
"I'm in the middle of a murder investigation. You're part of it. Sure, I'll think of you."
"Darling," he began, and watched with amusement as his use of the endearment knitted her brow. "You'll be thinking of what I can do to you."
----------------
1st read : 4th May,2015
My original review: 馃槉
ROARKE!!! OMG I'm melting in here... Ladies, don't you ever forget this name!!! He's hot, he's smart, he's funny but the most important thing is he's so freaking HOT! I Loved him a lot. :D You have to meet with him ASAP! :D
And Eve Dallas... Damn, what a strong lady. I loved her too... :)
I will definitely continue to read their story...:)
Whenever I read Roarke's words... This is exactly me. :D
------------------
My favorites quotes! And yesss,I have a lot of them... 馃槏馃槏馃槏
鈥淚 can't tell you how aroused it makes me when you quote codes, lieutenant.鈥�
"I don't like the idea of you shivering unless I cause it. Stay warm."
鈥淚 like your style, Lieutenant Dallas," he said when they'd fought their way to the car. "I like it a lot. And by the way, I don't think I'm in love with you anymore. I know I am."-Roarke鈥�
鈥淚 want to see you again." He stopped, took her face in his hands. "I need to see you again."
Her pulse jumped, as if it had nothing to do with the rest of her. "Roarke, what's going on here?"
"Lieutenant." He leaned forward, touched his lips to hers. "indications are we're having a romance.鈥�
鈥淵ou--Roarke." Eyes watering, she reached for more tissue. "Jesus, Eve. Jesus Christ, you never sleep with anybody. And you're telling me you slept with Roarke?"
"That's not precisely accurate. We didn't sleep.鈥�
鈥淵ou sleep here?鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 intend to sleep tonight.鈥� He interrupted her gawking by pulling her up the two stairs to the platform and tumbling her onto the bed.
鈥淚 have to check in by oh seven hundred.鈥�
鈥淪hut up, lieutenant.鈥�
鈥淥kay.鈥� With a half laugh, she rolled on top of him and fastened her mouth to his. Wild, reckless energy was bursting inside her. She couldn鈥檛 move quickly enough, her hands weren鈥檛 fast enough to satisfy the craving.鈥�
鈥淩oarke, you've got to know I've got some bad stuff inside. It's like a virus that sneaks around the system, pops out when your resistance is low. I'm not a good bet." - Eve Dallas
"I like long odds." He lifted her hand, kissed it. "Why don't we see it through? Find out if we can both win." - Roarke鈥�
鈥淚'm not afraid of you, Roarke."
"Aren't you?" He moved closer, curling his hands on the lapels of her shirt. "What do you think will happen if you step over the line?"
"Too much," she murmured.鈥�
鈥淎ssaulting an officer will earn you one to five, Roarke. That's in a cage, not cushy home detention."
"You're not wearing your badge. Or anything else, for that matter." He gave her a friendly nip on the chin. "Be sure to put that in your report.鈥�
鈥淗e took her hand, lifted it to his lips. Nothing could have pleased him more than the quick suspicion on her face. "You won't forget me, Eve. You'll think of me, perhaps not fondly, but you'll think of me."
"I'm in the middle of a murder investigation. You're part of it. Sure, I'll think of you."
"Darling," he began, and watched with amusement as his use of the endearment knitted her brow. "You'll be thinking of what I can do to you. "
"What are you doing?"
"Washing your hair," he murmured and proceeded to stroke and massage the shampoo into her short, sopping cap of hair. "I'm going to enjoy smelling my soap on you." His lips curved. "You're a fascinating woman, Eve. Here we are, wet, naked, both of us half dead from a very memorable night, and still you watch me with very cool, very suspicious eyes."
"You're a suspicious character, Roarke."
"I think that's a compliment."
Gold winked at his wrist as he pressed his choice for two coffees on the AutoChef built into the side panel. "Cream?"
"Black."
"A woman after my own heart." Moments later, he opened the protective door and offered her a china cup in a delicate saucer. "We have more of a selection on the plane," he said, then settled back with his coffee.
"I bet." The steam rising from her cup smelled like heaven. Eve took a tentative sip -- and nearly moaned.
It was real. No simulation made from vegetable concentrate so usual since the depletion of the rain forests in the late twentieth. This was the real thing, ground from rich Columbian beans, singing with caffeine.
She sipped again, and could have wept.
"Problem?" He enjoyed her reaction immensely, the flutter of the lashes, the faint flush, the darkening of the eyes -- a similar response, he noted, to a woman purring under a man's hands.
"Do you know how long it's been since I had real coffee?"
He smiled. "No."
"Neither do I." Unashamed, she closed her eyes as she lifted the cup again. "You'll have to excuse me, this is a private moment. We'll talk on the plane.鈥�
3rd read : 29th June,2019
2nd read : 31th December,2018
1st read : 4th May,2015
Even the re-reads are so great. 馃檪馃檪馃檪 I just love Eve & Roarke sooooo much. 鉂も潳鉂�
He took her hand, lifted it to his lips. Nothing could have pleased him more than the quick suspicion on her face. "You won't forget me, Eve. You'll think of me, perhaps not fondly, but you'll think of me."
"I'm in the middle of a murder investigation. You're part of it. Sure, I'll think of you."
"Darling," he began, and watched with amusement as his use of the endearment knitted her brow. "You'll be thinking of what I can do to you."
----------------
1st read : 4th May,2015
My original review: 馃槉
ROARKE!!! OMG I'm melting in here... Ladies, don't you ever forget this name!!! He's hot, he's smart, he's funny but the most important thing is he's so freaking HOT! I Loved him a lot. :D You have to meet with him ASAP! :D
And Eve Dallas... Damn, what a strong lady. I loved her too... :)
I will definitely continue to read their story...:)
Whenever I read Roarke's words... This is exactly me. :D
------------------
My favorites quotes! And yesss,I have a lot of them... 馃槏馃槏馃槏
鈥淚 can't tell you how aroused it makes me when you quote codes, lieutenant.鈥�
"I don't like the idea of you shivering unless I cause it. Stay warm."
鈥淚 like your style, Lieutenant Dallas," he said when they'd fought their way to the car. "I like it a lot. And by the way, I don't think I'm in love with you anymore. I know I am."-Roarke鈥�
鈥淚 want to see you again." He stopped, took her face in his hands. "I need to see you again."
Her pulse jumped, as if it had nothing to do with the rest of her. "Roarke, what's going on here?"
"Lieutenant." He leaned forward, touched his lips to hers. "indications are we're having a romance.鈥�
鈥淵ou--Roarke." Eyes watering, she reached for more tissue. "Jesus, Eve. Jesus Christ, you never sleep with anybody. And you're telling me you slept with Roarke?"
"That's not precisely accurate. We didn't sleep.鈥�
鈥淵ou sleep here?鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 intend to sleep tonight.鈥� He interrupted her gawking by pulling her up the two stairs to the platform and tumbling her onto the bed.
鈥淚 have to check in by oh seven hundred.鈥�
鈥淪hut up, lieutenant.鈥�
鈥淥kay.鈥� With a half laugh, she rolled on top of him and fastened her mouth to his. Wild, reckless energy was bursting inside her. She couldn鈥檛 move quickly enough, her hands weren鈥檛 fast enough to satisfy the craving.鈥�
鈥淩oarke, you've got to know I've got some bad stuff inside. It's like a virus that sneaks around the system, pops out when your resistance is low. I'm not a good bet." - Eve Dallas
"I like long odds." He lifted her hand, kissed it. "Why don't we see it through? Find out if we can both win." - Roarke鈥�
鈥淚'm not afraid of you, Roarke."
"Aren't you?" He moved closer, curling his hands on the lapels of her shirt. "What do you think will happen if you step over the line?"
"Too much," she murmured.鈥�
鈥淎ssaulting an officer will earn you one to five, Roarke. That's in a cage, not cushy home detention."
"You're not wearing your badge. Or anything else, for that matter." He gave her a friendly nip on the chin. "Be sure to put that in your report.鈥�
鈥淗e took her hand, lifted it to his lips. Nothing could have pleased him more than the quick suspicion on her face. "You won't forget me, Eve. You'll think of me, perhaps not fondly, but you'll think of me."
"I'm in the middle of a murder investigation. You're part of it. Sure, I'll think of you."
"Darling," he began, and watched with amusement as his use of the endearment knitted her brow. "You'll be thinking of what I can do to you. "
"What are you doing?"
"Washing your hair," he murmured and proceeded to stroke and massage the shampoo into her short, sopping cap of hair. "I'm going to enjoy smelling my soap on you." His lips curved. "You're a fascinating woman, Eve. Here we are, wet, naked, both of us half dead from a very memorable night, and still you watch me with very cool, very suspicious eyes."
"You're a suspicious character, Roarke."
"I think that's a compliment."
Gold winked at his wrist as he pressed his choice for two coffees on the AutoChef built into the side panel. "Cream?"
"Black."
"A woman after my own heart." Moments later, he opened the protective door and offered her a china cup in a delicate saucer. "We have more of a selection on the plane," he said, then settled back with his coffee.
"I bet." The steam rising from her cup smelled like heaven. Eve took a tentative sip -- and nearly moaned.
It was real. No simulation made from vegetable concentrate so usual since the depletion of the rain forests in the late twentieth. This was the real thing, ground from rich Columbian beans, singing with caffeine.
She sipped again, and could have wept.
"Problem?" He enjoyed her reaction immensely, the flutter of the lashes, the faint flush, the darkening of the eyes -- a similar response, he noted, to a woman purring under a man's hands.
"Do you know how long it's been since I had real coffee?"
He smiled. "No."
"Neither do I." Unashamed, she closed her eyes as she lifted the cup again. "You'll have to excuse me, this is a private moment. We'll talk on the plane.鈥�
August 2, 2020
3.5 Stars
I鈥檇 been postponing reading this series for a long time and I鈥檓 so glad I finally caved because it was right up my alley.
The thing is, I love murder mysteries and crime-solving books with a touch of romance but the futuristic aspect? Sorry, not my jam.
I don鈥檛 like anything futuristic/sci-fi/fantasy related. I never connect to such stories. I don鈥檛 know why. Maybe I鈥檓 unimaginative and dull. Maybe they scare me.
It鈥檚 stupid, I know, but look at it this way. How much older am I than Roarke? Let鈥檚 see. If the story is set in 2058 and he was born in 2023, then I鈥檓鈥�
Right.
The good news is, I didn鈥檛 need to worry. It wasn鈥檛 so bad. The futuristic aspect, I mean. There were a few mentions of badass vehicles and gadgets, strange laws (sin tax, seriously?) and funny global issues but that was pretty much it.
The bad news is, I had a problem with some of the events. For instance, there are mentions of some major global events that happened in 2016 (the book was written in 1995) which obviously did not happen. Because of that, the story seemed a bit implausible.
Honestly, I鈥檓 worried about mankind and our children鈥檚 children. The future world sounds so artificial, cold and impersonal. The only good thing are gadgets and tools like domestic droids that clean your house for you. Now that...
You鈥檝e heard of Roarke, right? Yes, his reputation is well deserved. He鈥檚 really that hot. And Eve鈥� I loved her. She's a badass chick. Strong, smart, independent.
Now I need to read 45 books to catch up on this series. I just hope I won鈥檛 binge read the whole series for half of 2018 and then fall into a reading slump of epic proportions.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 3.5/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 4/5
Hero: 3/5
Heroine: 5/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/steam: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst: 2/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 1/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
POV: multiple (mostly heroine鈥檚), third person
Triggers:
I鈥檇 been postponing reading this series for a long time and I鈥檓 so glad I finally caved because it was right up my alley.
The thing is, I love murder mysteries and crime-solving books with a touch of romance but the futuristic aspect? Sorry, not my jam.
I don鈥檛 like anything futuristic/sci-fi/fantasy related. I never connect to such stories. I don鈥檛 know why. Maybe I鈥檓 unimaginative and dull. Maybe they scare me.
It鈥檚 stupid, I know, but look at it this way. How much older am I than Roarke? Let鈥檚 see. If the story is set in 2058 and he was born in 2023, then I鈥檓鈥�
Right.
The good news is, I didn鈥檛 need to worry. It wasn鈥檛 so bad. The futuristic aspect, I mean. There were a few mentions of badass vehicles and gadgets, strange laws (sin tax, seriously?) and funny global issues but that was pretty much it.
The bad news is, I had a problem with some of the events. For instance, there are mentions of some major global events that happened in 2016 (the book was written in 1995) which obviously did not happen. Because of that, the story seemed a bit implausible.
Honestly, I鈥檓 worried about mankind and our children鈥檚 children. The future world sounds so artificial, cold and impersonal. The only good thing are gadgets and tools like domestic droids that clean your house for you. Now that...
You鈥檝e heard of Roarke, right? Yes, his reputation is well deserved. He鈥檚 really that hot. And Eve鈥� I loved her. She's a badass chick. Strong, smart, independent.
Now I need to read 45 books to catch up on this series. I just hope I won鈥檛 binge read the whole series for half of 2018 and then fall into a reading slump of epic proportions.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 3.5/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 4/5
Hero: 3/5
Heroine: 5/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/steam: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst: 2/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 1/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
POV: multiple (mostly heroine鈥檚), third person
Triggers:
April 20, 2017
I started this series with a bit of trepidation back in 2015. I knew that JD Robb also wrote as Nora Roberts and I had read another book by Ms Roberts and hated it ... so I was a bit wary about starting the In Death books. But I had heard great things about Roarke. Another reason that put me off reading this series is because he is Irish and, being Irish, if it is not done right, it drives me nuts. But she pulled it off. He is perfection.
I am already up to book 19 but decided to head back to book 1 and do a quick recap of how they met and their initial reactions to each other. OMG. I loved it.
We meet Mavis, Feeney, Whitney ... Summerset. Yes, I can see now how they started off on the wrong foot. Bit of a poker up his arse alright, Eve. But you take no shit from him.
I highly recommend this series.
MY ORIGINAL REVIEW - DECEMBER 2105 ...
Well, they say "practice makes perfect" - would love to know who THEY are. Read Nora Roberts years ago and thought it was the greatest load of shite I had ever read - an Irish themed book - I am Irish so a bit sensitive. So totally avoided her forever. Read some forums on Amazon and GRs about Roarke and Eve and thought who are they - In Death - J. D Robb aka Nora Roberts - NO THANK YOU. But then again I saw that a lot of my GR friends are fans of JD so decided to bite the bullet and jump on the bandwagon.... OKAAAAAY - - freaking loved it. Was this the same woman who wrote about and Irish girl who trained a horse for the Kentucky Derby - cannot even remember the storyline now cos it totally pissed me off. Irish people are not like Darby O'Gill and the Little People or like Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Far and Away or whatever it was ... OK, we see our kids progress through school and improve over the years and definitely Ms Roberts did this. Will I go back and read a Nora Roberts book after this/ Not sure, maybe, probably as I can see a definite improvement in her writing style.... so do not understand how many of you gave such high ratings - us Irish coleens are not as dimwitted or innocent as she was ,,,, Deliver us lord from every evil!!! Now I am totally depressed cos I realise that if I have to read the whole IN DEATH series it is going to cost me a feckin' fortune. Goodnight. 23.20 here in Belgium so time for bed! ..... and if I had known it was set in the future I definitely would not have read it but it totally blends in and you do not notice it.
I am already up to book 19 but decided to head back to book 1 and do a quick recap of how they met and their initial reactions to each other. OMG. I loved it.
... he turned his head, looked five pews back across the aisle and directly into Eve's eyes. It was surprise that had her fighting not to jolt at that sudden and unexpected punch of power. It was will that kept her from blinking or shifting her gaze. For one humming minute they stared at each other ...
"You fascinate me, Lieutenant Dallas."
We meet Mavis, Feeney, Whitney ... Summerset. Yes, I can see now how they started off on the wrong foot. Bit of a poker up his arse alright, Eve. But you take no shit from him.
Galahad, she thought. Her white knight.
I highly recommend this series.
MY ORIGINAL REVIEW - DECEMBER 2105 ...
Well, they say "practice makes perfect" - would love to know who THEY are. Read Nora Roberts years ago and thought it was the greatest load of shite I had ever read - an Irish themed book - I am Irish so a bit sensitive. So totally avoided her forever. Read some forums on Amazon and GRs about Roarke and Eve and thought who are they - In Death - J. D Robb aka Nora Roberts - NO THANK YOU. But then again I saw that a lot of my GR friends are fans of JD so decided to bite the bullet and jump on the bandwagon.... OKAAAAAY - - freaking loved it. Was this the same woman who wrote about and Irish girl who trained a horse for the Kentucky Derby - cannot even remember the storyline now cos it totally pissed me off. Irish people are not like Darby O'Gill and the Little People or like Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Far and Away or whatever it was ... OK, we see our kids progress through school and improve over the years and definitely Ms Roberts did this. Will I go back and read a Nora Roberts book after this/ Not sure, maybe, probably as I can see a definite improvement in her writing style.... so do not understand how many of you gave such high ratings - us Irish coleens are not as dimwitted or innocent as she was ,,,, Deliver us lord from every evil!!! Now I am totally depressed cos I realise that if I have to read the whole IN DEATH series it is going to cost me a feckin' fortune. Goodnight. 23.20 here in Belgium so time for bed! ..... and if I had known it was set in the future I definitely would not have read it but it totally blends in and you do not notice it.
October 24, 2019
Re-read/listened to the audiobook version Jan'19
:
Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb is such a prolific author, and the In Death series is exceptional and incomparable and one of my all-time favorites. After reading all 47 books and eagerly awaiting the 48th book, , I decided to revisit the beginning. It's still a great crime/mystery/suspense read and Eve and Roarke will forever remain one of the absolute best romantic pairings there is.
Original read/review :
5+ stars 鈥� Crime/Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Futuristic/Thriller
Yes! I've finally read the first book in J.D. Robb's, aka Nora Roberts', vastly popular In Death series, and now I understand why there's 30 books and counting...'cause it's an awesome romantic suspense/futuristic mystery thriller and very addictive. In fact, it's a good thing that I brought the first three books with me on my trip since I wanted to immediately jump into the second book after finishing this. I loved it! And all the flattering Roarke talk is totally justified because he's such a mysteriously delicious, sexy alpha hero! I wasn't convinced that a series could stay interesting and fresh enough with the same characters for 30+ books, but I don't think there could ever be enough of Roarke...he's that yummy!
I'm not sure if I need to recommend this since it seems that just about everyone else has already read it, but if you like romantic suspense and/or mystery thrillers and haven't yet read Naked in Death, then I highly suggest it. But be prepared to get hooked on the series! Big 5 stars!
Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb is such a prolific author, and the In Death series is exceptional and incomparable and one of my all-time favorites. After reading all 47 books and eagerly awaiting the 48th book, , I decided to revisit the beginning. It's still a great crime/mystery/suspense read and Eve and Roarke will forever remain one of the absolute best romantic pairings there is.
Original read/review :
5+ stars 鈥� Crime/Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Futuristic/Thriller
Yes! I've finally read the first book in J.D. Robb's, aka Nora Roberts', vastly popular In Death series, and now I understand why there's 30 books and counting...'cause it's an awesome romantic suspense/futuristic mystery thriller and very addictive. In fact, it's a good thing that I brought the first three books with me on my trip since I wanted to immediately jump into the second book after finishing this. I loved it! And all the flattering Roarke talk is totally justified because he's such a mysteriously delicious, sexy alpha hero! I wasn't convinced that a series could stay interesting and fresh enough with the same characters for 30+ books, but I don't think there could ever be enough of Roarke...he's that yummy!
I'm not sure if I need to recommend this since it seems that just about everyone else has already read it, but if you like romantic suspense and/or mystery thrillers and haven't yet read Naked in Death, then I highly suggest it. But be prepared to get hooked on the series! Big 5 stars!
June 16, 2024
I really don鈥檛 know why I decided to start this series, especially right now. It might be that I鈥檓 in a small reading slump (I鈥檓 starting to get these a lot and they鈥檙e really frustrating), so I figured, Why not dedicate myself to a 58-book series? Why indeed.
As far as first installments go, this wasn鈥檛 the worst, but it wasn鈥檛 good either. I think the potential is there. It really sets up the idea of what the rest of the concept might be about, who our characters are and what they鈥檙e like, and of course, the relationship between Eve and Roarke.
As a romance reader, the relationship between Eve and Roarke developed way too fast. Immensely fast, even. The author had so, so much potential to make it slow burn, setting up more tension and really building it up from the ground. Instead, the two are already in I-love-you territory, and the potential for build up is practically non-existent. Some may say their relationship is still developing, which is true, as Eve still hasn鈥檛 let down all her walls and is still adjusting and learning to trust and love Roarke. That being said, even if Eve doesn鈥檛 100% trust Roarke, the two being in a full, monogamous relationship at full force with only book 1 in makes it seem a little superficial. I would have preferred to see them going from friends to lovers, and seeing a structured, perfectly constructed friendship that slowly builds up to something more. Eve and Roarke never really got to friendship territory. It makes me wonder how exactly they will build up their relationship, considering they barely know each other, yet are already admitting they love each other? It really makes no sense to me. Sadly, this is gonna be something we鈥檙e gonna need to accept and move on from or it鈥檒l bother me too much and ruin part of my future enjoyment. I鈥檓 just hoping there will be more to look forward to about them in all the next books to come. In a way, the romance did take over some of the enjoyment of the story. Not only with how I wish it had developed more slowly, but it felt like it took over some of the plot of the story.
The mystery itself wasn鈥檛 the best I鈥檝e read. It isn鈥檛 too obvious if you don鈥檛 know what or who to look for, but the signs are pointed slowly. It wasn鈥檛 too gruesome or gritty, but it also gives us an idea of what type of case Eve will work with. I found the author鈥檚 timeline and balance of the work and her personal life to be balanced well, never really causing much damage to either of them because of the other.
I really like Eve鈥檚 character. She鈥檚 cold, feisty, a little broken, quite detached, good-spirited, intelligent, strong, and attentive. Her cynical attitude is attributed to her job as a Lieutenant in the police force, adjusting her to a harsh reality in the year 2058. Eve鈥檚 determination to do her job well is evident in her actions. She鈥檚 a good cop, ruthless when she needs to be, but still kind-hearted. She鈥檚 assertive, full of integrity even when it goes against her beliefs. I鈥檓 really excited to see how she develops, and I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing her grow as a cop and as a person. Military, cop, or any other type of law enforcement isn鈥檛 my go-to reading genre, especially romances. And while this is a romance, it isn鈥檛 the main plot. Roarke is an enigma for the time being. There鈥檚 a lot more to learn about him, and I鈥檓 curious to see what small details will be presented throughout the series as he also lets his walls down. He鈥檚 patient, loving, and good-hearted, wishing the best for Eve but also not beating around the bush. I like his no nonsense attitude, even admitting he鈥檚 quite the sexy man. Irish, rich, patient, and straightforward? Yes, please!
To say I鈥檝e been wanting to start this series for a long time now would be an understatement. This series just reminds me of a couple Western television shows like Grey鈥檚 Anatomy, Chicago Fire, Shameless and Supernatural, just to name a few. I鈥檝e been hesitant for the reason of its length, but I鈥檓 gonna end up having to read it quicker than I鈥檓 expecting or I鈥檒l end up forgetting important bits and pieces. I鈥檓 not sure how long it鈥檒l take me but I am hoping I鈥檒l be caught up by the time the newest upcoming release is out.
As far as first installments go, this wasn鈥檛 the worst, but it wasn鈥檛 good either. I think the potential is there. It really sets up the idea of what the rest of the concept might be about, who our characters are and what they鈥檙e like, and of course, the relationship between Eve and Roarke.
As a romance reader, the relationship between Eve and Roarke developed way too fast. Immensely fast, even. The author had so, so much potential to make it slow burn, setting up more tension and really building it up from the ground. Instead, the two are already in I-love-you territory, and the potential for build up is practically non-existent. Some may say their relationship is still developing, which is true, as Eve still hasn鈥檛 let down all her walls and is still adjusting and learning to trust and love Roarke. That being said, even if Eve doesn鈥檛 100% trust Roarke, the two being in a full, monogamous relationship at full force with only book 1 in makes it seem a little superficial. I would have preferred to see them going from friends to lovers, and seeing a structured, perfectly constructed friendship that slowly builds up to something more. Eve and Roarke never really got to friendship territory. It makes me wonder how exactly they will build up their relationship, considering they barely know each other, yet are already admitting they love each other? It really makes no sense to me. Sadly, this is gonna be something we鈥檙e gonna need to accept and move on from or it鈥檒l bother me too much and ruin part of my future enjoyment. I鈥檓 just hoping there will be more to look forward to about them in all the next books to come. In a way, the romance did take over some of the enjoyment of the story. Not only with how I wish it had developed more slowly, but it felt like it took over some of the plot of the story.
The mystery itself wasn鈥檛 the best I鈥檝e read. It isn鈥檛 too obvious if you don鈥檛 know what or who to look for, but the signs are pointed slowly. It wasn鈥檛 too gruesome or gritty, but it also gives us an idea of what type of case Eve will work with. I found the author鈥檚 timeline and balance of the work and her personal life to be balanced well, never really causing much damage to either of them because of the other.
I really like Eve鈥檚 character. She鈥檚 cold, feisty, a little broken, quite detached, good-spirited, intelligent, strong, and attentive. Her cynical attitude is attributed to her job as a Lieutenant in the police force, adjusting her to a harsh reality in the year 2058. Eve鈥檚 determination to do her job well is evident in her actions. She鈥檚 a good cop, ruthless when she needs to be, but still kind-hearted. She鈥檚 assertive, full of integrity even when it goes against her beliefs. I鈥檓 really excited to see how she develops, and I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing her grow as a cop and as a person. Military, cop, or any other type of law enforcement isn鈥檛 my go-to reading genre, especially romances. And while this is a romance, it isn鈥檛 the main plot. Roarke is an enigma for the time being. There鈥檚 a lot more to learn about him, and I鈥檓 curious to see what small details will be presented throughout the series as he also lets his walls down. He鈥檚 patient, loving, and good-hearted, wishing the best for Eve but also not beating around the bush. I like his no nonsense attitude, even admitting he鈥檚 quite the sexy man. Irish, rich, patient, and straightforward? Yes, please!
To say I鈥檝e been wanting to start this series for a long time now would be an understatement. This series just reminds me of a couple Western television shows like Grey鈥檚 Anatomy, Chicago Fire, Shameless and Supernatural, just to name a few. I鈥檝e been hesitant for the reason of its length, but I鈥檓 gonna end up having to read it quicker than I鈥檓 expecting or I鈥檒l end up forgetting important bits and pieces. I鈥檓 not sure how long it鈥檒l take me but I am hoping I鈥檒l be caught up by the time the newest upcoming release is out.
September 9, 2017
Reviewed by:
3.5 stars
For those of you who don't already know, J.D. Robb is an alternate pen name for Nora Roberts. I only read my first Nora Roberts' book about a year ago, and was--to put it mildly--pleasantly surprised.
I'd always assumed that Roberts wrote cornball Walmart-paperback-romances for-your-grandmother, and when I saw a new book with "Witch" in the title, I figured she had jumped on the paranormal train, but was curious enough to check it out.
It was kind of amazing.
And with about 30 seconds of research I discovered that rather than "jumping on the paranormal train," it was more likely that Roberts could be held responsible for making books with paranormal elements marketable in the first place. (<------assumptions make you look stoopid. FYI.)
I really liked this book.
BUT.
The too forceful, borderline abusive love interest whose aggression is attributed to his sheer maleness that I was expecting in my first Roberts' book (b/c '70s - '90s bodice rippers you stole from your grandma's stash when you were a teenager) . . . Well, he was hiding out here all along.
Roarke Nolastname (*rolls eyes*) is a smoking hot Irish self-made bazillionaire. Say that three times fast. Go ahead. Do it.
He's also a textbook example of a male with abusive tendencies. I know this for FACT, b/c I volunteered at a battered women's shelter while I was in college, and before a place like that will turn you loose in the facility, they educate you.
Based on that education, Roarke is one giant Red Flag: he has zero respect for personal space, he makes unilateral decisions about things any rational person understands are not decisions to be made unilaterally, he has fits of temper that involve grabbing, shoving, and shaking . . . Red flags . . . Red flags everywhere . . .
And maybe that's the difference between a book written a couple of years ago and a book written a couple decades ago.
B/c NAKED IN DEATH was written nearly twenty years ago . . .
BUT it takes place in the only slightly distant future (2058, I think). So there's this sometimes interesting/sometimes uncomfortable combination of modern/future ideals and innovations coupled with surprisingly old-fashioned tropes.
Like how our heroine Eve Dallas is as hard core and strong a female character as I'd expect to find in any recently published SFF or UF novel, who lives in a world with legalized prostitution (gov't regulated and taxed, naturally), but who also falls prey to Red Flag b/c hot DAMN.
No, seriously. Hot DAMN.
I fell prey too. Like . . . completely.
And part of the reason for that is b/c Roberts does such a good job of developing Eve and Roarke that you understand why he's a Red Flag, but know that he'd never actually cross that line (even though your brain and statistics tell you otherwise). They're both damaged, victims of horrific childhoods who were made stronger in the crucible rather than broken. They understand each other better than anyone else ever could.
For real. You can see it, feel it.
Eve is the one woman who can change Roarke's playboy emotional detachment, and the fact that she has no intention of doing so only makes it more plausible.
And that kind of masterful manipulation is what makes the other stuff easier to swallow.
B/c there is lots of other stuff. LOTS:
All of the secondaries are flat, stock characters. Instalust, which is believable, crosses the line into instalove, which is not. Eve's a cop; Roarke is a "reformed" criminal mastermind. I could put together a very strong argument that Roarke is the main inspiration for Christian Grey (I considered writing a nontraditional review on that vein, but didn't have the patience to follow through). And there's CORN. Cheesy '90s I'm-too-sexy-for-my-shirt corn:
Ugh.
Also, if you are particularly sensitive to sexual violation, especially the sexual violation of children, NAKED IN DEATH is not for you. I say particularly b/c pretty much everyone finds the notion upsetting, but as far as this kind of thing goes, it's not too bad. There is only one scene that I would label as graphic and it takes place in the context of an adult remembering past abuse, so if you aren't particularly sensitive, it's not any more unpleasant than any other mystery/thriller with psychos or whack jobs doing psycho/whack job things.
There are other things as well, but you get the idea. Not that it matters, b/c I LOVED it. If I was making a purely emotional decision about this book, I would be giving it at least four stars. Instead, I'm forcing myself to be rational (b/c the handful of times I've gone with my gut, it's come back to haunt me).
It's worth mentioning that I'm nearly finished with #6 after starting the series four and half days ago, and that speaks for itself, but I can also say that while IN DEATH remains a series with flaws, there are marked improvements, especially in the area of secondary characters.
SO. Definitely worth a shot in my humble opinion. If you're intimidated by sci-fi, this is just sci-fi enough to have interesting gadgets and speculative changes in federal laws (like the aforementioned legalized prostitution). ALSO, if you're into audiobooks, definitely, definitely worth a try, especially if you can pick them up from your library, and I'd imagine most would have them considering how popular and long-running this series is. I'm notoriously anti-audiobook (b/c ADD), but I started listening to NAKED IN DEATH while roadtripping, and it easily held my attention b/c just that good.
3.5 stars
For those of you who don't already know, J.D. Robb is an alternate pen name for Nora Roberts. I only read my first Nora Roberts' book about a year ago, and was--to put it mildly--pleasantly surprised.
I'd always assumed that Roberts wrote cornball Walmart-paperback-romances for-your-grandmother, and when I saw a new book with "Witch" in the title, I figured she had jumped on the paranormal train, but was curious enough to check it out.
It was kind of amazing.
And with about 30 seconds of research I discovered that rather than "jumping on the paranormal train," it was more likely that Roberts could be held responsible for making books with paranormal elements marketable in the first place. (<------assumptions make you look stoopid. FYI.)
I really liked this book.
BUT.
The too forceful, borderline abusive love interest whose aggression is attributed to his sheer maleness that I was expecting in my first Roberts' book (b/c '70s - '90s bodice rippers you stole from your grandma's stash when you were a teenager) . . . Well, he was hiding out here all along.
Roarke Nolastname (*rolls eyes*) is a smoking hot Irish self-made bazillionaire. Say that three times fast. Go ahead. Do it.
He's also a textbook example of a male with abusive tendencies. I know this for FACT, b/c I volunteered at a battered women's shelter while I was in college, and before a place like that will turn you loose in the facility, they educate you.
Based on that education, Roarke is one giant Red Flag: he has zero respect for personal space, he makes unilateral decisions about things any rational person understands are not decisions to be made unilaterally, he has fits of temper that involve grabbing, shoving, and shaking . . . Red flags . . . Red flags everywhere . . .
And maybe that's the difference between a book written a couple of years ago and a book written a couple decades ago.
B/c NAKED IN DEATH was written nearly twenty years ago . . .
BUT it takes place in the only slightly distant future (2058, I think). So there's this sometimes interesting/sometimes uncomfortable combination of modern/future ideals and innovations coupled with surprisingly old-fashioned tropes.
Like how our heroine Eve Dallas is as hard core and strong a female character as I'd expect to find in any recently published SFF or UF novel, who lives in a world with legalized prostitution (gov't regulated and taxed, naturally), but who also falls prey to Red Flag b/c hot DAMN.
No, seriously. Hot DAMN.
I fell prey too. Like . . . completely.
And part of the reason for that is b/c Roberts does such a good job of developing Eve and Roarke that you understand why he's a Red Flag, but know that he'd never actually cross that line (even though your brain and statistics tell you otherwise). They're both damaged, victims of horrific childhoods who were made stronger in the crucible rather than broken. They understand each other better than anyone else ever could.
For real. You can see it, feel it.
Eve is the one woman who can change Roarke's playboy emotional detachment, and the fact that she has no intention of doing so only makes it more plausible.
And that kind of masterful manipulation is what makes the other stuff easier to swallow.
B/c there is lots of other stuff. LOTS:
All of the secondaries are flat, stock characters. Instalust, which is believable, crosses the line into instalove, which is not. Eve's a cop; Roarke is a "reformed" criminal mastermind. I could put together a very strong argument that Roarke is the main inspiration for Christian Grey (I considered writing a nontraditional review on that vein, but didn't have the patience to follow through). And there's CORN. Cheesy '90s I'm-too-sexy-for-my-shirt corn:
鈥淚 thought this vintage would suit you. What it lacks in subtlety . . .鈥� He turned back, offering her a glass. 鈥淚t makes up for in sensuality.鈥�
Ugh.
Also, if you are particularly sensitive to sexual violation, especially the sexual violation of children, NAKED IN DEATH is not for you. I say particularly b/c pretty much everyone finds the notion upsetting, but as far as this kind of thing goes, it's not too bad. There is only one scene that I would label as graphic and it takes place in the context of an adult remembering past abuse, so if you aren't particularly sensitive, it's not any more unpleasant than any other mystery/thriller with psychos or whack jobs doing psycho/whack job things.
There are other things as well, but you get the idea. Not that it matters, b/c I LOVED it. If I was making a purely emotional decision about this book, I would be giving it at least four stars. Instead, I'm forcing myself to be rational (b/c the handful of times I've gone with my gut, it's come back to haunt me).
It's worth mentioning that I'm nearly finished with #6 after starting the series four and half days ago, and that speaks for itself, but I can also say that while IN DEATH remains a series with flaws, there are marked improvements, especially in the area of secondary characters.
SO. Definitely worth a shot in my humble opinion. If you're intimidated by sci-fi, this is just sci-fi enough to have interesting gadgets and speculative changes in federal laws (like the aforementioned legalized prostitution). ALSO, if you're into audiobooks, definitely, definitely worth a try, especially if you can pick them up from your library, and I'd imagine most would have them considering how popular and long-running this series is. I'm notoriously anti-audiobook (b/c ADD), but I started listening to NAKED IN DEATH while roadtripping, and it easily held my attention b/c just that good.
March 6, 2023
4 stars**
Re read March 2023
edit
56 an 12 novellas in this series and here I am, back Re reading my favorite ones cause it seems I can鈥檛 get enough of Eve/Roarke and all these awesome characters. This second time around I can honestly say I had more appreciation for eve/Roarke鈥檚 relationship. Seeing how much they鈥檝e both grown not just as a couple but as individuals. This truly is one of my most beloved series. September can鈥檛 get here soon enough for book #53!
So this is a 40 plus book series with the same couple! Yup! I think I lost my mind since I rarely even finish a trilogy! But I can鈥檛 help myself it seems since, it鈥檚 Nora Roberts we鈥檙e talking about.
Anyway as far as book one goes I loved it! In till I started reading this one I hadn鈥檛 realize that this is a futuristic series which for me made it even better.
We have detective Eve Dallas, who is investigating the death of the senator daughter鈥檚. During the investigation she meets the gorgeous billionaire and mysterious Roarke, too bad his also a suspect or is he?!
I really liked how the plot played out, the suspense, the romance as far as h goes I don鈥檛 have a favorite kind as long as she goes well with story I really don鈥檛 care much. But Eve, she was amazing tough, (considering her past) independent who took her detective job as the most important thing in her life. My man Rourke of course was the perfect match for Eve he definitely brought out her vulnerable side. I like that he pushed and she pulled it wasn鈥檛 anything frustrating or OTT I say it was just right for their personalities. Their relationship wasn鈥檛 rushed.
As for the suspense it definitely was a shocker and kinda of disturbing. Overall a solid read let鈥檚 see what book two brings. 铀ワ笍
Re read March 2023
edit
56 an 12 novellas in this series and here I am, back Re reading my favorite ones cause it seems I can鈥檛 get enough of Eve/Roarke and all these awesome characters. This second time around I can honestly say I had more appreciation for eve/Roarke鈥檚 relationship. Seeing how much they鈥檝e both grown not just as a couple but as individuals. This truly is one of my most beloved series. September can鈥檛 get here soon enough for book #53!
So this is a 40 plus book series with the same couple! Yup! I think I lost my mind since I rarely even finish a trilogy! But I can鈥檛 help myself it seems since, it鈥檚 Nora Roberts we鈥檙e talking about.
Anyway as far as book one goes I loved it! In till I started reading this one I hadn鈥檛 realize that this is a futuristic series which for me made it even better.
We have detective Eve Dallas, who is investigating the death of the senator daughter鈥檚. During the investigation she meets the gorgeous billionaire and mysterious Roarke, too bad his also a suspect or is he?!
I really liked how the plot played out, the suspense, the romance as far as h goes I don鈥檛 have a favorite kind as long as she goes well with story I really don鈥檛 care much. But Eve, she was amazing tough, (considering her past) independent who took her detective job as the most important thing in her life. My man Rourke of course was the perfect match for Eve he definitely brought out her vulnerable side. I like that he pushed and she pulled it wasn鈥檛 anything frustrating or OTT I say it was just right for their personalities. Their relationship wasn鈥檛 rushed.
As for the suspense it definitely was a shocker and kinda of disturbing. Overall a solid read let鈥檚 see what book two brings. 铀ワ笍
November 29, 2018
This is the first J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts book I have read. I have read glowing reviews about the series, but I was a bit hesitant to start a commitment to it. Then, I have come upon a verse from one of the books:
"Oh, but it is you, darling Eve. Just as that taste is you, the smell, the look, the sound. You've undone me."
- "Glory in Death"
I think it was devastatingly beautiful! The object of Eve's undoing piqued my interest, so I went on and borrowed the first 2 books.
"Naked in Death" is about a tough and emotionally closed-off cop called Eve Dallas, and an enigmatic billionaire called Roarke (just like "Madonna"!). In the year 2053, Eve seeks a murderer who kills prostitutes with vintage hand guns. The only lead is the last person to see the first victim alive: the aforementioned Roarke, who also owns the building she lived in, and who also has a collection of antique guns. Whom Eve shared an instant and unexplainable attraction with the moment they met. Roarke, who crumpled my expectations into a ball, and hurled it at my face! Now you'll have a sense of where I'm going with this...
I really wanted to like him, since his dialogue is the reason I've picked up the series in the first place. Unfortunately, all this book did was make me hate him with a burning passion. He鈥檚 over-privileged, controlling and manipulative. He constantly undermines Eve鈥檚 decisions under the guise of 鈥渨anting what鈥檚 best for her鈥�. He breaks into her apartment and invades her personal space just because he can. He throws a giant hissy fit when Eve brings him in for questioning because he鈥檚 pissed that she doesn鈥檛 trust him (even though they鈥檝e known each other for less than a month and have only interacted a handful of times). But we鈥檙e supposed to be ok with all of his actions because he鈥檚 rich and sexy and will do anything for Eve. It鈥檚 flattering to imagine an Adonis, who can take away all your troubles, being so enamored with you. However, this doesn鈥檛 justify his actions or make him a particularly interesting character in his own right. If Eve wasn't attracted to him, she would have slapped him with a restraining order for being a creep!
Consequently, I found Roarke so difficult and so overpowering, I didn鈥檛 really get much of a sense of Eve as a character. I appreciate that this is a series, so it takes a bit more time with character development, but I just couldn鈥檛 get a handle on her. I understood that she was sort of into order and justice pretty much on principle, and that she was totally hot for Roarke, but I didn鈥檛 get much sense of her beyond that. Even more of a problem for me was that I also didn鈥檛 get much of a sense of her being good at her job. I鈥檓 just about willing to give her a pass on having sex with the guy who is basically her only suspect (although I think it's grossly unprofessional!), but what I鈥檓 less able to reconcile is the fact that she basically doesn鈥檛 actually solve the murders at all.
I apologize for the lengthy character analyses. Let me make up for them with these curt plot criticisms (I'm tired!): As a thriller, it's kinda lackluster. As a romance, it's kinda underdeveloped. As smut, it's blazingly hot!
As is so often the case, I do wonder how much of my trouble here is to do with this being the first book in a series. There鈥檚 clearly a lot to establish and despite my issues, I plan to continue reading these books to see how the characters develop and to enjoy the gritty futuristic world Robb has built.
"Oh, but it is you, darling Eve. Just as that taste is you, the smell, the look, the sound. You've undone me."
- "Glory in Death"
I think it was devastatingly beautiful! The object of Eve's undoing piqued my interest, so I went on and borrowed the first 2 books.
"Naked in Death" is about a tough and emotionally closed-off cop called Eve Dallas, and an enigmatic billionaire called Roarke (just like "Madonna"!). In the year 2053, Eve seeks a murderer who kills prostitutes with vintage hand guns. The only lead is the last person to see the first victim alive: the aforementioned Roarke, who also owns the building she lived in, and who also has a collection of antique guns. Whom Eve shared an instant and unexplainable attraction with the moment they met. Roarke, who crumpled my expectations into a ball, and hurled it at my face! Now you'll have a sense of where I'm going with this...
I really wanted to like him, since his dialogue is the reason I've picked up the series in the first place. Unfortunately, all this book did was make me hate him with a burning passion. He鈥檚 over-privileged, controlling and manipulative. He constantly undermines Eve鈥檚 decisions under the guise of 鈥渨anting what鈥檚 best for her鈥�. He breaks into her apartment and invades her personal space just because he can. He throws a giant hissy fit when Eve brings him in for questioning because he鈥檚 pissed that she doesn鈥檛 trust him (even though they鈥檝e known each other for less than a month and have only interacted a handful of times). But we鈥檙e supposed to be ok with all of his actions because he鈥檚 rich and sexy and will do anything for Eve. It鈥檚 flattering to imagine an Adonis, who can take away all your troubles, being so enamored with you. However, this doesn鈥檛 justify his actions or make him a particularly interesting character in his own right. If Eve wasn't attracted to him, she would have slapped him with a restraining order for being a creep!
Consequently, I found Roarke so difficult and so overpowering, I didn鈥檛 really get much of a sense of Eve as a character. I appreciate that this is a series, so it takes a bit more time with character development, but I just couldn鈥檛 get a handle on her. I understood that she was sort of into order and justice pretty much on principle, and that she was totally hot for Roarke, but I didn鈥檛 get much sense of her beyond that. Even more of a problem for me was that I also didn鈥檛 get much of a sense of her being good at her job. I鈥檓 just about willing to give her a pass on having sex with the guy who is basically her only suspect (although I think it's grossly unprofessional!), but what I鈥檓 less able to reconcile is the fact that she basically doesn鈥檛 actually solve the murders at all.
I apologize for the lengthy character analyses. Let me make up for them with these curt plot criticisms (I'm tired!): As a thriller, it's kinda lackluster. As a romance, it's kinda underdeveloped. As smut, it's blazingly hot!
As is so often the case, I do wonder how much of my trouble here is to do with this being the first book in a series. There鈥檚 clearly a lot to establish and despite my issues, I plan to continue reading these books to see how the characters develop and to enjoy the gritty futuristic world Robb has built.
July 26, 2016
4 Stars - Also reviewed at:
Okay, here鈥檚 the quick and dirty... well, sort of. Naked In Death is the first book in the daunting (almost 40 books!!... and still growing) 鈥淚n Death鈥� series by Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb. I kept putting off reading it, for that very reason.
Though, after recent reviews by 欧宝娱乐 friends who have joined the growing legion of 鈥淩oarke Groupies鈥�, I was most curious to read this book to find out for myself what the fuss is over Roarke. While I do not feel I have reached full 鈥淕roupie鈥� status, I think perhaps a badge of 鈥淩ookie Groupie鈥� is in order. ^_^
What is it about Roarke? Well, it鈥檚 not just that he is a mysterious, tall, dark and stunningly handsome 鈥渂ad-boy鈥�, or that he owns like鈥HOA! 鈥� 20-something % of the world in 2058. It is his intelligence, confidence, drive and determination in getting what he wants - and he wants Eve. And who could resist his oh-so-sweet moments, like with the button and the coffee? *sighs* I won鈥檛 say anymore so as not to spoil it for those who have not yet read this book, but fans of the series will know what I鈥檓 talking about. ^_~
I seem to recall, prior to reading this book, people expressing that they didn鈥檛 really like Eve. Lt. Eve Dallas reminded me of the character of Charlotte King in the TV series, Private Practice. She is prickly, with a hard shell, and I just knew this had to have been developed as a defence mechanism against some trauma she had suffered previously. What Eve needs is the right touch, 脿 la Roarke. I actually really liked Eve, the tough chick.
I really liked Eve鈥檚 friend, Mavis. She was funny and provided the comic relief in the story, like for example, in the scenes below where Mavis and Eve are discussing Roarke:
鈥�"Is he good? Stupid question," she said quickly. "You wouldn't have stayed otherwise. Wow, Eve, what got into you? Besides his incredibly energetic c**k?"鈥�
鈥�"Okay, but can you tell me if he looks as good in person as he does in pictures."
"Better," Eve muttered.
"Jesus, really?" Mavis moaned and let herself fall onto the sofa. "I think I just had an orgasm."鈥�
Yes, that is the kind of effect that Roarke has. ^_^
One of the issues I did have with the book was with the futuristic elements. For the most part, I did not actually feel immersed in the 鈥渇uture鈥�, but rather, I very much felt like was reading a contemporary novel with bits of unexpanded and unexplained futuristic things dropped in, eg. references to 鈥淎utoChef鈥�, 鈥淕lida-Grill鈥� etc. without a bit more of a description of it. I mean, you can guess that this 鈥淎utoChef鈥� prepares the food in the future, but do we buy the ingredients and put it in there and then a cooked Spaghetti Bolognese comes out? The 鈥淕lida-Grill鈥� I assume is a futuristic New York hot dog stand that glides from place to place rather than being set up on a particular corner? While I didn't want an "info dump", I do wish the author hadn鈥檛 just dropped names like that, as it took me out of the story, at times.
Very briefly, ...speaking of "briefs", if you keep reading you will be rewarded further on... ahem... Right, as I was saying, very briefly, the plot involves Lt. Eve Dallas investigating a series of murders committed in the 鈥渙ld way鈥� using 鈥渁ntique鈥� guns. These are the guns of today, ie. revolvers, magnums, etc. Roarke is one of her suspects and this is how they meet. "Up against the wall, Roarke, spread 'em!" Well, it actually didn't happen like that... LOL
Overall, I really enjoyed my first 鈥淚n Death鈥� book and will certainly be reading more - Hey, I want to upgrade to full "Roarke Groupie" status! ^_^ - though I will most definitely be pacing myself.
My Eve (Morena Baccarin):
My Roarke (David Gandy) 鈥� Even though Roarke is supposed to have longer hair, I think David Gandy is certainly gorgeous enough and has that teasing 鈥渞ich bad-boy鈥� look about him to suit Roarke鈥檚 personality. Special thanks to Quinn for mentioning him! David was a delicious image to have whilst reading. ^_^
And since this is NAKED in Death, the following images of Roarke are...*coughs*...well, a must, obviously. LOL Images kindly supplied by Rane. Special thank you, Rane! ^_^
**WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR WORK!**
The Reward, as promised....
This is Roarke, on his travels, and he can't stop thinking about Eve. He might own a lot of the world ... but what he really wants is ... Eve. OMG, Eve, you lucky, lucky woman!
Video footage:
Of course, one of the richest men in the world would only wear Dolce and Gabbana briefs.
(Special thanks to my friend, Dina, for the above YUMMYLICIOUS video today!)
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun. If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so.
Okay, here鈥檚 the quick and dirty... well, sort of. Naked In Death is the first book in the daunting (almost 40 books!!... and still growing) 鈥淚n Death鈥� series by Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb. I kept putting off reading it, for that very reason.
Though, after recent reviews by 欧宝娱乐 friends who have joined the growing legion of 鈥淩oarke Groupies鈥�, I was most curious to read this book to find out for myself what the fuss is over Roarke. While I do not feel I have reached full 鈥淕roupie鈥� status, I think perhaps a badge of 鈥淩ookie Groupie鈥� is in order. ^_^
What is it about Roarke? Well, it鈥檚 not just that he is a mysterious, tall, dark and stunningly handsome 鈥渂ad-boy鈥�, or that he owns like鈥HOA! 鈥� 20-something % of the world in 2058. It is his intelligence, confidence, drive and determination in getting what he wants - and he wants Eve. And who could resist his oh-so-sweet moments, like with the button and the coffee? *sighs* I won鈥檛 say anymore so as not to spoil it for those who have not yet read this book, but fans of the series will know what I鈥檓 talking about. ^_~
I seem to recall, prior to reading this book, people expressing that they didn鈥檛 really like Eve. Lt. Eve Dallas reminded me of the character of Charlotte King in the TV series, Private Practice. She is prickly, with a hard shell, and I just knew this had to have been developed as a defence mechanism against some trauma she had suffered previously. What Eve needs is the right touch, 脿 la Roarke. I actually really liked Eve, the tough chick.
I really liked Eve鈥檚 friend, Mavis. She was funny and provided the comic relief in the story, like for example, in the scenes below where Mavis and Eve are discussing Roarke:
鈥�"Is he good? Stupid question," she said quickly. "You wouldn't have stayed otherwise. Wow, Eve, what got into you? Besides his incredibly energetic c**k?"鈥�
鈥�"Okay, but can you tell me if he looks as good in person as he does in pictures."
"Better," Eve muttered.
"Jesus, really?" Mavis moaned and let herself fall onto the sofa. "I think I just had an orgasm."鈥�
Yes, that is the kind of effect that Roarke has. ^_^
One of the issues I did have with the book was with the futuristic elements. For the most part, I did not actually feel immersed in the 鈥渇uture鈥�, but rather, I very much felt like was reading a contemporary novel with bits of unexpanded and unexplained futuristic things dropped in, eg. references to 鈥淎utoChef鈥�, 鈥淕lida-Grill鈥� etc. without a bit more of a description of it. I mean, you can guess that this 鈥淎utoChef鈥� prepares the food in the future, but do we buy the ingredients and put it in there and then a cooked Spaghetti Bolognese comes out? The 鈥淕lida-Grill鈥� I assume is a futuristic New York hot dog stand that glides from place to place rather than being set up on a particular corner? While I didn't want an "info dump", I do wish the author hadn鈥檛 just dropped names like that, as it took me out of the story, at times.
Very briefly, ...speaking of "briefs", if you keep reading you will be rewarded further on... ahem... Right, as I was saying, very briefly, the plot involves Lt. Eve Dallas investigating a series of murders committed in the 鈥渙ld way鈥� using 鈥渁ntique鈥� guns. These are the guns of today, ie. revolvers, magnums, etc. Roarke is one of her suspects and this is how they meet. "Up against the wall, Roarke, spread 'em!" Well, it actually didn't happen like that... LOL
Overall, I really enjoyed my first 鈥淚n Death鈥� book and will certainly be reading more - Hey, I want to upgrade to full "Roarke Groupie" status! ^_^ - though I will most definitely be pacing myself.
My Eve (Morena Baccarin):
My Roarke (David Gandy) 鈥� Even though Roarke is supposed to have longer hair, I think David Gandy is certainly gorgeous enough and has that teasing 鈥渞ich bad-boy鈥� look about him to suit Roarke鈥檚 personality. Special thanks to Quinn for mentioning him! David was a delicious image to have whilst reading. ^_^
And since this is NAKED in Death, the following images of Roarke are...*coughs*...well, a must, obviously. LOL Images kindly supplied by Rane. Special thank you, Rane! ^_^
**WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR WORK!**
The Reward, as promised....
This is Roarke, on his travels, and he can't stop thinking about Eve. He might own a lot of the world ... but what he really wants is ... Eve. OMG, Eve, you lucky, lucky woman!
Video footage:
Of course, one of the richest men in the world would only wear Dolce and Gabbana briefs.
(Special thanks to my friend, Dina, for the above YUMMYLICIOUS video today!)
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun. If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so.
June 7, 2019
This book has been on my shelf for years. Then I decided to unhaul it. But before I got rid of the books, I looked through the stacks again and this book called out to me. (Marie Kondo was right!) So I listened and saved this book. And I鈥檓 so glad I did because I鈥檓 about to marathon the shit out of the 40+ books that are in this series.
The main female character, Eve, was badass. The male character is super alpha, but Eve stands her ground! Solid, incredibly intelligent, bad-ass cop who fights for justice, because of the shit she鈥檚 faced in her past. The plot was thrilling and I loved how it all ended but left me wanting more, hence the binge-read of this series that will be happening.
Once my book-buying ban is lifted that is.
[OWLs Readathon, Book Two.
Taking my Divination exam, which is to read a book set in the future.]
The main female character, Eve, was badass. The male character is super alpha, but Eve stands her ground! Solid, incredibly intelligent, bad-ass cop who fights for justice, because of the shit she鈥檚 faced in her past. The plot was thrilling and I loved how it all ended but left me wanting more, hence the binge-read of this series that will be happening.
Once my book-buying ban is lifted that is.
[OWLs Readathon, Book Two.
Taking my Divination exam, which is to read a book set in the future.]
June 26, 2016
This is a book that was written over 20 years ago, but is set in the future. And, you can tell. I don't know why, but it just feels like it was written a while back.
great prediction, Jetsons. It's called a "roomba" and doesn't wear an apron..
But, I still liked all of the futuristic stuff in the story - it was fun! There was the "AutoChef" that made you food, a floating mattress - I'm thinking that would be soft and comfy, flying cars - I've been waiting forever for one of these!, tubes of Pepsi - I don't know why tube-form is better but I want one, and "people movers" like elevators that move horizontally -appealing to my lazy side. Just tons of fun gadgets.
gimme, gimme, gimme!
The story itself is about a female cop named Eve who is trying to find a serial killer. Most of the mystery is pretty good, even though I thought the bad-guy was obvious. I think it's all of the futuristic stuff that makes it more interesting. Eve was a pretty good character, but a little on the boring side. Which brings me to the romance.
Why? Why would a gorgeous billionaire fall for Eve? It happens all of the time in books. We have a dowdy, boring female who is suddenly thought to be the most desirable female on Earth to a guy who would never look at someone like her twice. Is it that authors assume us bookworms must be dowdy and boring ourselves so we are all aflutter with the idea that we could get a man like that? Cuz, dowdy and boring doesn't describe me or any of my friends here. We are are exciting and hot-stuff that a billionaire model would be LUCKY to meet!
But, our amazingly alpha hot guy falls so fast for Eve that it's mind-boggling. He finds her lack of a sense of humor charming and the fact that she only thinks about her job adorable.
When she asks him for a favor by hacking into someone's bank account so that she can solve the crime, it rubs her rule-abiding self the wrong way:
"A nonregistered system is in violation of Code four fifty-three-B, section thirty five."
"I can't tell you how aroused it makes me when you quote codes, lieutenant."
"It's not funny. And, what I'm going to ask you to do is illegal..."
"You could arrest both of us afterward."
"This is serious, Roarke..."
See? Isn't she delightful? He makes jokes and she keeps telling him it's not funny. As a person who makes jokes, married to the king of jokers, and with kids who are constantly joking, I can safely say that we just love people with no sense of humor that tell us we aren't funny when we are messing around. Yeah, they're great...
But, other than the fact that I found the romance hard to believe, I still enjoyed this book. I like a good stabby-murder book, and I like future stuff - like my friends who live in Australia, so it was a win.
great prediction, Jetsons. It's called a "roomba" and doesn't wear an apron..
But, I still liked all of the futuristic stuff in the story - it was fun! There was the "AutoChef" that made you food, a floating mattress - I'm thinking that would be soft and comfy, flying cars - I've been waiting forever for one of these!, tubes of Pepsi - I don't know why tube-form is better but I want one, and "people movers" like elevators that move horizontally -appealing to my lazy side. Just tons of fun gadgets.
gimme, gimme, gimme!
The story itself is about a female cop named Eve who is trying to find a serial killer. Most of the mystery is pretty good, even though I thought the bad-guy was obvious. I think it's all of the futuristic stuff that makes it more interesting. Eve was a pretty good character, but a little on the boring side. Which brings me to the romance.
Why? Why would a gorgeous billionaire fall for Eve? It happens all of the time in books. We have a dowdy, boring female who is suddenly thought to be the most desirable female on Earth to a guy who would never look at someone like her twice. Is it that authors assume us bookworms must be dowdy and boring ourselves so we are all aflutter with the idea that we could get a man like that? Cuz, dowdy and boring doesn't describe me or any of my friends here. We are are exciting and hot-stuff that a billionaire model would be LUCKY to meet!
But, our amazingly alpha hot guy falls so fast for Eve that it's mind-boggling. He finds her lack of a sense of humor charming and the fact that she only thinks about her job adorable.
When she asks him for a favor by hacking into someone's bank account so that she can solve the crime, it rubs her rule-abiding self the wrong way:
"A nonregistered system is in violation of Code four fifty-three-B, section thirty five."
"I can't tell you how aroused it makes me when you quote codes, lieutenant."
"It's not funny. And, what I'm going to ask you to do is illegal..."
"You could arrest both of us afterward."
"This is serious, Roarke..."
See? Isn't she delightful? He makes jokes and she keeps telling him it's not funny. As a person who makes jokes, married to the king of jokers, and with kids who are constantly joking, I can safely say that we just love people with no sense of humor that tell us we aren't funny when we are messing around. Yeah, they're great...
But, other than the fact that I found the romance hard to believe, I still enjoyed this book. I like a good stabby-murder book, and I like future stuff - like my friends who live in Australia, so it was a win.
October 7, 2013
Spectacular!!!
5 stars!
No, wait! 5+++++ Amazing, Thrilling, Provocative Stars!
The Story -
Naked in Death is the first book in J.D. Robb鈥檚 insanely popular In Death series. It鈥檚 a fantastic mystery thriller and once I started, I couldn't put it down...errr...turn it off!
It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing-passion.I鈥檓 not usually a fan of the Mystery/Thriller genre, but my daughter has been raving about these books for years. While at the public library perusing their audio book collection I came across Naked in Death, and with 4.12 stars after 57,000 ratings, I decided to give it a try. WOW! I am so, so very glad I did!
When a senator's daughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she'd been leading is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the rarefied circles of Washington politics and society. Further complicating matters is Eve's growing attraction to Roarke, who is one of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly handsome... and the leading suspect in the investigation.
The world Ms. Robb has created is just futuristic enough to be compelling and believable, but not so complex as to intimidate or turn off those amongst us who are not fans of SciFi. The cast of characters, especially - be still my heart - Roarke, and Eve, are so well developed, so fully fleshed out, that I felt as if I knew them. As if they were people who were somehow part of my life. I wasn't just listening to a story, I was there as the story unfolded!
The Audio -
I鈥檒l admit that I鈥檓 fairly new to audio books, but I know what I like and what I don鈥檛. I didn鈥檛 like this - I. Loved. It!!! Susan Ericksen does a phenomenal job of bringing the cast to life. She鈥檚 an incredible talent and gives each player a distinctive voice and personality. Honestly, only one word describes her narrative skills. BRILLIANT!
I need to mention, though, that while there is some romance and relationship building between the mysterious, sexy, drool-worthy Roarke, and Eve, this is first and foremost a murder mystery.
Updated here: I've changed my mind! This is an amazing romance! Maybe it was because I'm not used to reading stories with so much genuinely plausible violence, that essence of the story stood out more than the romance. But now that I'm doing a re-listen while waiting for book 2, and focusing more on Roarke and Eve, there's no way there is just "some romance and relationship building." It's off the charts!
The Bottom Line -
If you鈥檙e a fan of whodunits, you need to get this book. If you enjoy stories that have a futuristic element without space wars with little green men, you need to get this book. If you鈥檙e looking for something different from your usual reads, something to get you out of a reading slump, you need to get this book! You know what? Just get this book. Whether you're going to read or listen, JUST. GET. THIS. BOOK!!!
There are not enough words to describe how outstanding and entertaining this book is. Intriguing, exciting, captivating, sexy鈥� absolutely incredible!
December 26, 2008
I am addicted to this series, I absolutely love it, and it gets better as it goes along (I'm on book 5 now).
It's romance/mystery, so if you like a splash of sex with your serial killers, this is the series for you!!
It's romance/mystery, so if you like a splash of sex with your serial killers, this is the series for you!!
February 15, 2021
Huh. I guess I *might* have been able to get behind the instalove and other corny quotes if the love interest's MO hadn't been following some kind of Abuser 101 Guide : indeed Roarke repeatedly uses both physical force and psychological harassment to manipulate the heroine into thinking that what they share is a love story. Oh hell no dude, red flags everywhere. I have no patience for Christian Grey's duplicates (or, rather : inspiration?? was published years before and the similarities in behavior AND characterization are quite upsetting) and.... Well, that's just it : I have no patience for this shit.
Not to mention the lack of any 'wow factor', given how lousy and predictable the murder investigation was. As much as I'd have wanted to ignore the ridiculous amount of clues pointing to the truth, I'd have hurt my eyes squinting to avoid seeing them. Bleh.
It was a quick read, I'll give it that. As are annoying chain emails, though, and I don't see anyone listing them in the pantheon of greatest reads ever.
Considering that's the first of a 40+ books series, I'd say I dodged quite a bullet here. Pun intended.
TW for graphic violence, child abuse, rape, pedophilia
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February 21, 2015
5 I Should Have Read This Sooner Stars
So, I started this book 4 days ago and now I'm already reading book 4 so you can guess that I loved this, the book and the series so far.
The first book was great. It had everything, a kick-ass heroine with a bad past, a powerful, slightly shady and richer than Midas hero, a great mystery and a serial killer, all that set in a futuristic world which was surprisingly well thought and realistic for a book written 20 years ago when even cell phones were a rarity. Also, despite the Sci-fi setting JD Robb does not make the mistake of overwhelming the reader with too much information about the discoveries and changes over the years. The world-building is smooth, with just enough details for the reader to coprehend what everything that's mentioned is but not enough to get fed up with info.
The mystery aspect of the novel was quite good. I had a new suspect every few pages, and still managed to be surprised when I found out who it was. I also loved how the author managed to write a book who was basically full of investigative work and not make it boring. To be honest, I've gotten used to UF where you have plenty of fights and magic to make the book more interesting so I wasn't sure if a good old suspense would do the trick. No fear there anymore.
My one tiny objection was on the romance side. Although I do love Roarke and Eve together, I thought the romance progressed way too fast. The series already has 40 books and no end in sight, so it could afford to prolong the "falling in love" a little. A little more tension and reluctance would have made it more believable and less mushy. Still, that wasn't enough to make me reduce the rating.
****
This book comes highly recommended from plenty of friends and my only GR friend who didn't like it was , which really is more of a recommendation than anything else *bats eyes innocently*, so...book you better be good!
So, I started this book 4 days ago and now I'm already reading book 4 so you can guess that I loved this, the book and the series so far.
The first book was great. It had everything, a kick-ass heroine with a bad past, a powerful, slightly shady and richer than Midas hero, a great mystery and a serial killer, all that set in a futuristic world which was surprisingly well thought and realistic for a book written 20 years ago when even cell phones were a rarity. Also, despite the Sci-fi setting JD Robb does not make the mistake of overwhelming the reader with too much information about the discoveries and changes over the years. The world-building is smooth, with just enough details for the reader to coprehend what everything that's mentioned is but not enough to get fed up with info.
The mystery aspect of the novel was quite good. I had a new suspect every few pages, and still managed to be surprised when I found out who it was. I also loved how the author managed to write a book who was basically full of investigative work and not make it boring. To be honest, I've gotten used to UF where you have plenty of fights and magic to make the book more interesting so I wasn't sure if a good old suspense would do the trick. No fear there anymore.
My one tiny objection was on the romance side. Although I do love Roarke and Eve together, I thought the romance progressed way too fast. The series already has 40 books and no end in sight, so it could afford to prolong the "falling in love" a little. A little more tension and reluctance would have made it more believable and less mushy. Still, that wasn't enough to make me reduce the rating.
****
This book comes highly recommended from plenty of friends and my only GR friend who didn't like it was , which really is more of a recommendation than anything else *bats eyes innocently*, so...book you better be good!
February 12, 2011
I liked this as a mystery just as much as I liked it as a romance. Love a good mystery that keeps me guessing. I had my ideas about who the culprit was, and I was more or less right, although I had that kernel of doubt. I liked how this was a very well-plotted mystery. I think that it helped that the underlying aspects were so dark that I didn't think the story would go there.
Eve is a great protagonist. She's tough, intelligent, but vulnerable in some ways. She's a very good cop, and she goes after justice, and she's refreshingly down-to-earth. I can identify with the fact that she lets work take over her life, and I'm glad that Rourke is there to make that harder for her to do that.
Speaking of Rourke....He was nice...real nice. Of course, I'm understating the case. I like that he didn't let Eve's issues stand in the way of their relationship, but he wasn't out to change her or remake her into a more manageable woman for his life. What attracted him to her was what he continued to admire about her. I love a guy who isn't afraid of a strong woman. I like how he's very supportive and caring for her, and he can get tough with her emotionally when it's necessary. If he wasn't able to, he never would have made it past the titanium barriers she keeps up. He gave up off a good future husband vibe loud and clear. It cracked me up that every time they would look up information on a company, Rourke owned it. I think his net worth should be more than 3.8 billion, since he owns pretty much everything. He's like a Harlequin Presents hero, the billionaire businessman who is too hot to resist. Rourke's larger than life personality and his developing relationship with Eve made an appreciated counterbalance to the mystery involving horrible misogyny and violence against women. Even in the future, things didn't change that much. The same forces at work in the present world are involved, hiding their ugliness behind a squeaky clean facade.
I liked the futuristic elements. They were well-written and believable, but they weren't distracting to the mystery elements. Used very well to give me a good visual of the setting. And since I love noir mixed with most genres, the future noir in this book went over great for me.
I can't say I'm a big Nora Roberts fan, but I definitely like this series, and I want to read more of them. I won't commit to almost forty books/stories, just yet, but I think I can agree to the next several. :)
Eve is a great protagonist. She's tough, intelligent, but vulnerable in some ways. She's a very good cop, and she goes after justice, and she's refreshingly down-to-earth. I can identify with the fact that she lets work take over her life, and I'm glad that Rourke is there to make that harder for her to do that.
Speaking of Rourke....He was nice...real nice. Of course, I'm understating the case. I like that he didn't let Eve's issues stand in the way of their relationship, but he wasn't out to change her or remake her into a more manageable woman for his life. What attracted him to her was what he continued to admire about her. I love a guy who isn't afraid of a strong woman. I like how he's very supportive and caring for her, and he can get tough with her emotionally when it's necessary. If he wasn't able to, he never would have made it past the titanium barriers she keeps up. He gave up off a good future husband vibe loud and clear. It cracked me up that every time they would look up information on a company, Rourke owned it. I think his net worth should be more than 3.8 billion, since he owns pretty much everything. He's like a Harlequin Presents hero, the billionaire businessman who is too hot to resist. Rourke's larger than life personality and his developing relationship with Eve made an appreciated counterbalance to the mystery involving horrible misogyny and violence against women. Even in the future, things didn't change that much. The same forces at work in the present world are involved, hiding their ugliness behind a squeaky clean facade.
I liked the futuristic elements. They were well-written and believable, but they weren't distracting to the mystery elements. Used very well to give me a good visual of the setting. And since I love noir mixed with most genres, the future noir in this book went over great for me.
I can't say I'm a big Nora Roberts fan, but I definitely like this series, and I want to read more of them. I won't commit to almost forty books/stories, just yet, but I think I can agree to the next several. :)
January 5, 2016
This is a reread for me but the last time I read it was probably 1998 or thereabouts. It was such a delight to read it again. When wrote this first book in what was then going to be just a trilogy I wonder if she had any idea of what she had created. 40 or so books later we all feel we own a little bit of Eve and Roarke and their amazing world and we are always waiting for more!
I love . It introduces us to our two most important characters, begins their delightful relationship and sets the scene in a fascinating futuristic world. Some of the side characters also appear in this first book and we begin to discover the awful past which is Eve's driving force. I know the story well but still reached for the tissues when Eve disclosed some of her history to Roarke. Must not forget the fact that this is a crime novel and as well as romance there is a great story line and a mystery to be solved. I loved every minute of it the first time round and I loved it again this time.
I love . It introduces us to our two most important characters, begins their delightful relationship and sets the scene in a fascinating futuristic world. Some of the side characters also appear in this first book and we begin to discover the awful past which is Eve's driving force. I know the story well but still reached for the tissues when Eve disclosed some of her history to Roarke. Must not forget the fact that this is a crime novel and as well as romance there is a great story line and a mystery to be solved. I loved every minute of it the first time round and I loved it again this time.
January 29, 2020
I have been intending to start this series for such a long time and finally I did and boy what a start it was. I can now fully understand why this has been such a popular series.
Naked in Death had all the mystery, suspense, crime and intrigue that you would want with twist and turns that kept me turning the pages rather quickly. I can鈥檛 wait to read the next book in the series. Highly recommended.
Naked in Death had all the mystery, suspense, crime and intrigue that you would want with twist and turns that kept me turning the pages rather quickly. I can鈥檛 wait to read the next book in the series. Highly recommended.
May 10, 2018
Even better the second time around! LOVED LOVED LOVED it. 鉂わ笍
鉂わ笍鉂わ笍I鈥檝e been missing these two. Going back to the beginning of a series that I LOVE. 鉂わ笍鉂わ笍
**
I loved Naked in Death which is book #1 in the In Death Series by J.D. Robb. As I write this I can say I loved book #2 as well (I鈥檒l be writing a short review soon). And I am on to book #3 and loving it already. A lot of love going on here but rightfully so. I sure hope it continues through the 40 or so books within this series. YES I said 40!! I am anxious to see how J.D. Robb will pull off keeping her readers engaged.
I will say the writing is fantastic. The characters are intriguing and fascinating. The plot had depth and she kept me guessing almost to the end. I found that I enjoyed the fact that it is set in the future. Very clever. I鈥檓 also interested in the side characters as well. A butler of sorts, a friend and a co-worker are all subtle threads adding in peculiarities of their own. In a lengthy series like this I think it is so important the surround he H & h with such characters.
I instantly fell in love with Lieutenant Eve Dallas our heroine. She is a woman of many layers. Eve is very tough on the exterior and maybe even a little tougher on the interior. But there are the moments where we see the slightest crack in her armor and get a glimpse at someone a little softer and with a sense of humor. Eve very rarely lets anything or anyone come between her and the case she is working on. It would be a first for her when she finds herself succumbing to a man.
This man I mention is Roarke. When he becomes a suspect in the murder case she is working on we find Eve in a bit of a predicament. Being a wealthy, sexy and handsome man doesn鈥檛 make her job easy. She would never do anything to compromise the job she has to do but the attraction she feels for him becomes almost too much to fight.
The murders are a bit gruesome and a tad creepy. I was completely enthralled with everything that was going on. From the suspects to the weapon to what was driving this person to kill. It was crazy!
This one was definitely a winner for me. As I said I have moved on and I am still enjoying this series. For all of you that enjoy RS get to this series soon.
June 14, 2015
2 stars
Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. It started out strong, but by the last 100 pages I no longer cared what happened to the characters. I've never been a huge Nora Robert's fan, I find her romance too cheesy/formulaic for my taste. But I wanted to give this series a chance.
I happen to be in a reading/reviewing slump, it's hard for me to review book that were just "meh" for me. So I'm going to break this down.
What didn't work:
-the plot: it was all over the place, half romance half murder mystery. It never really settled
-INSTALOVE
-poorly written sex scenes
-poorly written "romantic scenes"
-murder mystery pushed into subplot in 2nd half of book
AND (don't kill me ladies)
...I didn't like Roarke.
Maybe I just was anticipating too much from him? All he had going was he was rich, hot and into Eve. That was about it.
..........................................................................
What I liked about the book:
-Eve: a very complex, strong female character that is well written. I just wish she was in a better book. Maybe one day I'll pick up another one in this series as there are like 47 of them.
So this was just an okay read for me, but I'm glad I read it. I can totally see the appeal but it doesn't appeal to me.
Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. It started out strong, but by the last 100 pages I no longer cared what happened to the characters. I've never been a huge Nora Robert's fan, I find her romance too cheesy/formulaic for my taste. But I wanted to give this series a chance.
I happen to be in a reading/reviewing slump, it's hard for me to review book that were just "meh" for me. So I'm going to break this down.
What didn't work:
-the plot: it was all over the place, half romance half murder mystery. It never really settled
-INSTALOVE
-poorly written sex scenes
-poorly written "romantic scenes"
-murder mystery pushed into subplot in 2nd half of book
AND (don't kill me ladies)
...I didn't like Roarke.
Maybe I just was anticipating too much from him? All he had going was he was rich, hot and into Eve. That was about it.
..........................................................................
What I liked about the book:
-Eve: a very complex, strong female character that is well written. I just wish she was in a better book. Maybe one day I'll pick up another one in this series as there are like 47 of them.
So this was just an okay read for me, but I'm glad I read it. I can totally see the appeal but it doesn't appeal to me.
August 14, 2024
This book was absolutely addictive. Eve Dallas is assigned to investigate a brutal murder where an Irish billionaire is the suspect. The murder is super creepy and whoever did it is stalking her. Her prime suspect, Roarke, is also pursuing her in a different way. This had the feel of romantic suspense crossed with a standard police procedural. I really enjoyed it. It was a bit graphic in places, but easy to skip over those sections. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters (the heat and chemistry between them really made the novel) and Eve was great. I loved the way the novel picked up in intensity towards the end. Will definitely read more!
December 18, 2018
Suspense 鈥� 5 stars / Romance 鈥� 3 stars
What could I say about this book to sound fancy?
Nothing. You said it all.
Why did I wait so long to start this series? -> How original?..
I can鈥檛 believe this book was written more than 20 years ago! -> Never heard it before?
Blah blah blah
I liked it. Crime and suspense were written brilliantly.
I cracked the secret/suspense at approx.. 60% *pat myself on the back*
As to the romance part 鈥� I鈥檓 not sure.
I expected the heroine being bigger badass, and I imagined the hero to be different.
I didn鈥檛 like Roarke. Maybe because I got almost none deep information about his personality and his past. He was enigma, slightly annoying enigma.
I hope he鈥檒l come around.
Blah blah blah
Gotta go鈥� I have another 18745 books in this series鈥� Or was it more?
What could I say about this book to sound fancy?
Nothing. You said it all.
Why did I wait so long to start this series? -> How original?..
I can鈥檛 believe this book was written more than 20 years ago! -> Never heard it before?
Blah blah blah
I liked it. Crime and suspense were written brilliantly.
I cracked the secret/suspense at approx.. 60% *pat myself on the back*
As to the romance part 鈥� I鈥檓 not sure.
I expected the heroine being bigger badass, and I imagined the hero to be different.
I didn鈥檛 like Roarke. Maybe because I got almost none deep information about his personality and his past. He was enigma, slightly annoying enigma.
I hope he鈥檒l come around.
Blah blah blah
Gotta go鈥� I have another 18745 books in this series鈥� Or was it more?
November 16, 2016
鈽呪槄鈽呪槄鈽� 5 Suspense-Filled stars 鈽呪槄鈽呪槄鈽�
Its true in all my reading time,I've never really picked up a Nora Robert so far.Its true in this case I did judge the book by its cover.Every time I passed a book store to pick up my reads I always tended to shy away from the Pure Romance section,and chose Mystery-Romance Or Erotica-Romance or another combination over Chic-lite or Angst.
After all there was always next month.
And when I heard J.D Robb was an Alias of Nora Robert.I was quite excited to give this author a try. To see if I could grow comfortable with her writing style and connect to her characters.And boy didn't I ?
Naked in Death is an amazing book. With descriptive characters and a well thought out plot.To be honest I really didn't see the twist coming at the end.The writing and the descriptions were just so damn good !!
And the hero Roarke ? *Sign* Just no words <3 Its been so long since a hero charmed his way into my exclusive Swoon -Worthy hero shelf.Even though he hardly appears throughout in comparison to other characters.His charm...His words.They just make him impossible to forget.
Would I recommend it ?
A definite Yes ! Can't wait to dive into the rest of series soon !! Heard her 2016 release was the #43 ! Will be trying my best not to read the series in a stretch and give my self a book migraine. :D
Its true in all my reading time,I've never really picked up a Nora Robert so far.Its true in this case I did judge the book by its cover.Every time I passed a book store to pick up my reads I always tended to shy away from the Pure Romance section,and chose Mystery-Romance Or Erotica-Romance or another combination over Chic-lite or Angst.
After all there was always next month.
And when I heard J.D Robb was an Alias of Nora Robert.I was quite excited to give this author a try. To see if I could grow comfortable with her writing style and connect to her characters.And boy didn't I ?
Naked in Death is an amazing book. With descriptive characters and a well thought out plot.To be honest I really didn't see the twist coming at the end.The writing and the descriptions were just so damn good !!
And the hero Roarke ? *Sign* Just no words <3 Its been so long since a hero charmed his way into my exclusive Swoon -Worthy hero shelf.Even though he hardly appears throughout in comparison to other characters.His charm...His words.They just make him impossible to forget.
Would I recommend it ?
A definite Yes ! Can't wait to dive into the rest of series soon !! Heard her 2016 release was the #43 ! Will be trying my best not to read the series in a stretch and give my self a book migraine. :D
June 11, 2022
I've been nervous about starting this mega series of 39 books but I'm glad I finally bit the bullet. I enjoyed this romp through crime in the near future, 2058 with technology controlling our lives, but crimes of murder and revenge still prospering. Guns have been banned (if only!) and prostitutes are now legal 'licensed companions'. When the licensed companion daughter of a prominent wealthy senator is found shot to death, Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NY police is put in charge of the investigation and told to keep it hushed up as much as possible.
What follows is a fast paced, police procedural with further murders and red herrings to muddy the waters. Eve finds herself not only up against the power of politics and old money but also her own Chief Commissioner. She also finds herself deeply attracted to one of the suspects, the hunky wealthy business man Roarke and must try to fight off his attentions.
Definitely a fun introduction to a new series and a new detective.
What follows is a fast paced, police procedural with further murders and red herrings to muddy the waters. Eve finds herself not only up against the power of politics and old money but also her own Chief Commissioner. She also finds herself deeply attracted to one of the suspects, the hunky wealthy business man Roarke and must try to fight off his attentions.
Definitely a fun introduction to a new series and a new detective.
July 22, 2020
This book series is SO HYPED. So I had high expectations going in. Especially for the romance. Was it as good as the hype? No. But I still really enjoyed it!
From the start, the whole world this book was set in really took me by surprise. It's futuristic and reminded me so much of sci-fi 80s action movies that are set in the future. I liked the atmosphere and learning about this not-so-far-away reality.
With Eve's character, I really enjoyed her. She was so complex and strong and determined to solve the case of the murdered sex workers. The complexity of Eve's character grew throughout the book as she grappled with the altercation she had just before the book started and her inability and disinterest to remember the first eight years of her life. I liked Eve as a main character and following her try to understand the case she was on.
As for the romance, it was good but not amazing. I do think that it was a bit too insta-lovey on Roarke's part and I was surprised when he said the he was in love with Eve. Sure they had insane chemistry and liked to play with each other, but I didn't really feel that emotional pull to each other until the very end. Roarke is still such an enigma and I'd like to know a lot more about him.
Overall, this was a great romantic suspense/mystery and I'd love to continue on in the series!
From the start, the whole world this book was set in really took me by surprise. It's futuristic and reminded me so much of sci-fi 80s action movies that are set in the future. I liked the atmosphere and learning about this not-so-far-away reality.
With Eve's character, I really enjoyed her. She was so complex and strong and determined to solve the case of the murdered sex workers. The complexity of Eve's character grew throughout the book as she grappled with the altercation she had just before the book started and her inability and disinterest to remember the first eight years of her life. I liked Eve as a main character and following her try to understand the case she was on.
As for the romance, it was good but not amazing. I do think that it was a bit too insta-lovey on Roarke's part and I was surprised when he said the he was in love with Eve. Sure they had insane chemistry and liked to play with each other, but I didn't really feel that emotional pull to each other until the very end. Roarke is still such an enigma and I'd like to know a lot more about him.
Overall, this was a great romantic suspense/mystery and I'd love to continue on in the series!
May 21, 2017
Lieutenant Eve Dallas had been on the force for ten years and in that time had seen it all 鈥� or so she thought. But when she was called into a Code Five 鈥� highly sensitive, no media output 鈥� the disgust had her stomach clenching. But find the killer she would..
High on her list of suspects was a man she hadn鈥檛 come across before 鈥� Roarke, a handsome Irish billionaire 鈥� and she was drawn to him; him to her. But it went against everything Eve was to succumb to his charms; especially in the midst of a murder investigation.
Naked in Death is the very first in the In Death series by J.D. Robb and this is a re-read for me. I鈥檓 starting the series afresh and have absolutely loved the first book all over again. Intense and gritty, it鈥檚 filled with the usual angst Eve goes through but this is the beginning of her journey. I wonder if she realises what鈥檚 in store for her 鈥� 44 books and counting; later! Highly recommended.
High on her list of suspects was a man she hadn鈥檛 come across before 鈥� Roarke, a handsome Irish billionaire 鈥� and she was drawn to him; him to her. But it went against everything Eve was to succumb to his charms; especially in the midst of a murder investigation.
Naked in Death is the very first in the In Death series by J.D. Robb and this is a re-read for me. I鈥檓 starting the series afresh and have absolutely loved the first book all over again. Intense and gritty, it鈥檚 filled with the usual angst Eve goes through but this is the beginning of her journey. I wonder if she realises what鈥檚 in store for her 鈥� 44 books and counting; later! Highly recommended.
August 8, 2017
I feel slightly embarrassed to admit I absolutely loved this. A great combination of romance and crime. I really liked the fact that Roarke was completely into Eve from the first time he met her. I really enjoyed the slight sci fi elements too. So pleased to see there are many in the series as they are perfect as a light read. I just hope they don't become too formulaic.
Recommended.
Recommended.
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