Identity

This is my second (maybe third?) Nora Roberts book and honestly none of them have really sold me on her. I liked the premise of this novel and I think it could have been written much better. Morgan Albright spent her entire life being shuttled all over the country falling her father wherever he was stationed. When her parents divorced and she went off to college, she vowed to put down deep roots and make a home for herself. By her mid-twenties, Morgan has gone to college, gotten into bartending and bought her first house. It's a fixer upper but with the help of her roommate, Nina, it's slowly coming together. Her goals are on track and she couldn't be happier. That is until a smooth talking man waltzes into her life. After a few dates, she invites him over to her house for a homecooked dinner and to meet her roommate. Nothing will ever be the same again. Morgan's roommate is murdered, her identity stolen, her dreams are slashed, her life uprooted, and she'll have to move in to her grandmother's house with her tail between her legs. She starts the slow laborious process of starting her life over, but can she ever really trust anyone again? And will that smooth-talking man come back into her life to finish the job? The end was a bit of a let down. Also this book was so wordy and had so much unnecessary detail. Oh well, I guess. I didn't hate it. 

The Return of the Key

Imagine Legend and Labyrinth with a pinch civil rights and self acceptance. That's basically the heart of this book. Eliza, a teenager of mixed races, has had a hard go at life. Believed only to be accepted by her family, she flees her small island to seek refuge with her aunt and grandmother while racial tensions fill her home town. The new quiet town she finds herself in may be no safer than her last home, for people keep mysteriously disappearing. Armed with her new friend Gwen, the two discover a hidden realm whose entrance has been mysteriously opened. Together, along with two faeries, they must help save the realm from hidden enemies, return a stolen key, all in order to make it back home. Can Eliza have enough faith in herself to complete the journey?

Filled with lush detail, inventive creatures, scenarios, and schemes. This book is great for young fantasy readers.Themes of identity, self-confidence, and loyalty will resonate with readers. A great fantasy adventure novel for teens grades five and up.

I received this book for free from the author, in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.