Northern Lights

Wonderful characters throughout. Your attention was grasped and held for the entire read. You're not able to pick it up for a complete read with your first sitting so you make time to return to it until you're finished, then immediately review some of your favorite pages.

This book has mystery, romance, suspense and an adventurous story line.
I have always liked Nora Roberts books and this is one of her best. The
characters are interesting and believable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading
Northern Lights.

Sherry Lawson

IF YOU LIKE NORA ROBERTS YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. AS USUAL A GREAT STORY MIXTURE OF ROMANCE AND MYSTERY. IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ NORA BEFORE YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK AND WANT MORE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED WITH A NORA ROBERTS BOOK!

IF YOU LIKE NORA ROBERTS YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. AS USUAL A GREAT STORY MIXTURE OF ROMANCE AND MYSTERY. IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ NORA BEFORE YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK AND WANT MORE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED WITH A NORA ROBERTS BOOK!

The setting had potential but the plot fell way short and the ending just plain dumb. I would never recommend this one! It started boring and just never got better. I only stuck it out till the end because I was told the author was a excellent writer so I expected it to get better or at least have a spectacular ending. Sorry this one doesn't do a thing for me. Waste of time and money...DON'T BUY IT!!!! This was the first book I read by Nora Roberts....I don't think I'll waist my time or money on another of her books. Sorry Nora but this one stops me from buying any of your other books.

Interests: Suspense Romance, Small Towns, Alaskan Wilderness, Police Officers

Quick Summary
After losing his partner in the line of duty, Baltimore cop Nate Burke is looking for a change to kick him out of his depression. But accepting a job in Lunacy, Alaska may have been more than he bargained for. But as Nate settles into this small and hearty town and survives his first winter, he begins to realize it was exactly where he was meant to be. Bush pilot Meg Galloway doesn’t do serious relationships but in Nate she finds a surprising attraction that continues to linger. But everything changes when the body of a man is found up on the mountain...a man that everyone thought just walked away 16 years ago.

What I Liked
I first read this book when I was in high school about a decade ago and I remember not really liking it. But re-reading it now, I enjoyed it a lot more. I’ve never been to Alaska but I feel like Nora Roberts describes Lunacy and the surrounding area so well that I can practically feel the frostbite setting in. Lunacy has your typical small town quirks but with it’s own twist since living in such an isolated place under such dangerous conditions isn’t for everyone. I really liked Nate in this book; he was still emotionally wounded over his partner’s death when he first comes to Lunacy and it was great to read about his change as he embraces life again. Some of that comes from doing police work again and some of it comes from meeting his love interest Meg. But a large part of his recovery comes from the natural beauty around him and the very life altering experience that nature can provide.

Though Meg wasn’t really a character I could relate to (she’s a bit too grumpy and independent to the point of stubborn) I do really appreciate that Roberts is never afraid to explore a different character type. Often times we expect our romance heroines to be feminine, to fall in love first in the relationship, to want something serious and to always be pleasant. That is not the case with Meg and though it means I can’t relate to her I’d rather have an authentic character. Meg might be a little too tough sometimes but she can certainly bend when the occasion calls for it and watching her fall in love with Nate is great because she so uncomfortable while doing it. I also like that both Nate and Meg are fine calling the other one out for being stubborn or for acting ridiculous. They truly understand each other.

What Needed Work
There wasn’t really anything I didn’t like, though I couldn’t really relate to Meg. This one is very long and though it has it’s trademark Nora Roberts town development it maybe could have been a little shorter. But overall I enjoyed the book.

This was the first book written by Nora Roberts that I read, more than a few years ago. And I've gone on to enjoy a lot of her books. I still like most of her big, fat, free-standing novels, though I find a lot of repetition in the plotting and even the phrasing of her recent series books. The other day, I picked up a copy of Northern Lights at the library and, found it really engrossing. And very different from her other books. For one thing, the main character is male -- the new sheriff of a small town in the Alaskan wilderness. All of the characters here are well-drawn -- not just sketches. The book is densely plotted and throughout is the presence of this remote part of our world and the unusual conditions in which people live there. I highly recommend the book.

Another respected friend from a different website told me that NORTHERN LIGHTS had some similarities to THE WITNESS, (my favorite NR’s romantic suspense), so I was intrigued. While I was sweltering in our humid 90+ degree weather and waiting for autumn to arrive, I decided to visit Lunacy, Alaska. Population: 506. And before you ask, yes, the townspeople refer to themselves as Lunatics. And, no, I never saw the movie and don't wish to.

Nate Burke arrived in his new job as police chief with some emotional baggage. Ms. Roberts portrayed an honest look at depression. I found it refreshing that she chose Nate to suffer from this disease and that she told the story from his POV.

The townspeople were a contrary sort but Nate eventually formed an odd type of fondness for most of them. Especially the bush pilot, Meg Galloway. And before long, there was a mystery with a fair amount of suspense.

Ms. Roberts was in no rush developing the characters, then introducing a romance and, finally, bringing about the suspense. At over 600 pages, the story was a gradual climb but I had no problem with this. The mystery itself was actually pretty good; the author managed to stump me. I thought I had the killer pegged but I was wrong. I still favor THE WITNESS but I enjoyed Nate's adventures, too.

I just finished this book by "reading it" on Audible. A small town in Alaska, a new chief of police, a bunch of looney town people (but endearing) and a 16-year-old murder mystery had me easing into the story such that I growled when interrupted. Add in a bit of romance and I had a delightful, perfectly satisfying read. Ms Roberts has mastered the light contemporary romance with strong characters and vibrant settings and plots I can be happy reading. I may have to visit Alaska again.

3.5stars actually. Reflection & Redemption

The story starts off slowly as introductions are made all around and we become familiar with the breathtaking beauty and the eccentricities of Lunacy, Alaska just as former Baltimore detective Nate Burke takes up his duties as the new sheriff. Nate is still struggling to deal with a severe case of survivor's guilt and job burnout when he realizes he still has some living to do and a number of reasons not to give up. One of those reasons comes in the form of bush pilot Meg Galloway who also has a matching set of crazy luggage and stirs Nate as he hasn't been stirred in a while. In a refreshing change of pace (for me) this journey is more Nate's (re)awakening than Meg's. Nate settled into the community, earning respect as he went. The new friendships and romance that were built helped him come to grips with his past, live within his present and work toward his future. So for him Lunacy is a place for redemption and reflection.

I felt the broad strokes of relationships and representations of the township were initially caricatures of normal life in an insular remote township. They became clearer (or more acceptable) to me as they did to Nate since to me he represented the reader discovering life in "The Last Frontier". (The official state motto is also apropos for Nate.) The idiosyncrasies of the people from the blowsy, aging former beauty who still thinks she can and should have every man to catch her eye to the non-traditionally feminine women who know that life here is only a few steps from the wilderness read perfectly. The quirks of the battling brothers to the fishermen that drink according to their body clocks as opposed to the physical clocks and watches give the town a realistic feel. I think the character most easily overlooked or taken for granted here is the backdrop of Alaska itself, as this is no less a love-letter to the sometimes cruel unforgiving beauty of the land. The relationship between our star couple didn't seem balanced and I liked Nate a lot more than I liked Meg. I never connected with her or found her a sympathetic character (too brash for my taste). Also to me the sex felt more a meeting of the bodies than a meeting of desire, though that could be because of my non-feelings for Meg. The strongly written and gently woven mystery is a part of the story before you realize it and added the perfect amount of tension - but went on overlong for me. While I did like the final reveal, I thought the arrest was overly dramatic.

I've had this so long, I'd forgotten about it but a Nora Roberts novel is good no matter when you read it. And despite my grumblings, I did enjoy my visit to Lunacy.

I've read and enjoyed many Nora Roberts books over the years. She is absolutely brilliant in developing her characters. Brilliant, as well, with her dialog between them. This book, though, felt like she'd developed the basic plot and let someone else fill it all in. I felt like the character development was, sadly, very lacking. The dialog was average, not her usual fantastic.
If you're looking for brilliant everything, read "The Witness ". Great trilogies that you never want to end? Read either of her Irish ones. I love Nora Roberts but honestly feel that Northern Lights was a big waste of time and money.

I seriously loved everything about this book. First of all, it was mostly about Nate, which was AWESOME! NR NEVER writes books about the hero! And it was soooo refreshing. On top of that, I ADORED Nate. He is seriously everything I want my future husband to be. How Nate sat with the little boy for breakfast every day was sooo cute. It made me want to kiss him. I loved spending time with him as he adapted to life in Lunacy.

Okay. I loved the setting of Alaska, because I pretty much knew nothing about it beforehand, and found it very interesting. Plus, who doesn't love a town called "Lunacy" whose residents are called "Lunatics?" Really. All of the characters were fully developed, including the secondary ones, which I liked, because it didn't take away from the development of Nate and Meg and their relationship.

Another thing I loved was that it was the heroine who had a nick name for the hero. That never happens. Every time she called him "cutie," a smile would spread over my face. It was new and awesome to have people warning the hero that the heroine might break his heart. Loved that.

I even liked the characters that I didn't like, including Charlene. I really ended up feeling for her and her struggle with getting old and her love for the husband that left her. I didn't like Jacob either, but found him intriguing. The mayor was cool, too. Annoying, but likable. I also liked all of Nate's police team. They worked well together. It was so cute that Nate refused to shoot the moose. Could he be any more perfect? About Meg. I didn't LOVE her, but I have to say I liked her because she was so unique. She was a little cold and selfish, but she got over it in the end, so it was all right. I actually thought she and Nate worked well together. She really brought out the fire in him. :)

I thought the emotions of the characters were so true and real, like when one of the characters died. Very realistic reactions.

Following Nate as he adapted to life in Lunacy and dealt with the residents was soo fun. I wasn't bored for one second. Seeing him trying to work through the major blizzard was great, too.

As for the killer, I had no idea who it was. I never suspected this person. It was good, because there were so many characters and so many people it COULD have been.

Basically, I REALLY hope NR writes another book w/ the hero as the main character.

And Nate, will you marry me, please? Thank you.

If you're looking for another of Nora Roberts' typical (one might even say formulaic) books, you might be disappointed, as I read many reviewers claim. If you're looking for a good story set in the quirky Alaska town of Lunacy, with flawed characters who catch at your heart, then please read Northern Lights. It seemed a bit like a combo plate of Robert B. Parker and Dana Stabenow, but perhaps that's why I liked it; those are two amazing authors. I personally found nothing off-putting about Meg's more masculine outlook. After all, she's a single woman surviving-no, thriving-in rugged Alaska. If you like Eve Dallas, just flip her back a handful of decades, and there's Meg. As for Nate, I appreciate that he isn't the quinessential super hero guy. Makes him more believable, in my humble opinion. My one complaint would be the length: I eventually felt that it was taking too long to get to the ending. Overall, though, I say Northern Lights is worth the effort.

Nora outdoes herself again. Just when it seems she has reached her peak and her work is in danger of becoming too predictable, she manages to break new ground, even while wrapping us in the familiar comfort of her prose. This book is a little different, focusing almost exclusively on the thoughts and inner turmoils of hero, and barley scratching the surface of the heroine. Nora has made the hero the focal point of several previous novels, but her other heroines have shown more of themselves than this one, who is so private we barely get a glimpse of who she is.

What we know of Meg Galloway is that she's a tough, intensely private woman who flies bush planes for a living, lives five miles outside a tiny town in the Alaskan interior, alone with two dogs, and callously goes through men like Kleenex. Meg is rather more up front about sex than any other known woman, except perhaps for Sex and the City's Samantha. She's comfortable in that, which is okay, but we could have used more insight to explain why she is this way, since it is a trifle unusual. Similarly, Meg's volatile relationship with her mother is also not deeply explored.

Instead, we are plunged deep into the psyche of our hero, Nate Burke, recent arrival to Lunacy, Alaska, population 504. Nate arrives in Lunacy by way of the Baltimore PD, which he quit after his partner was killed in an alley. Nate is in a deep depression, written sympathetically, but without any obvious heartstring tugs. Instead of trying to make us cry over Nate's sadness, we are shown his efforts to fight it off and move on to better things.

After several weeks of busting up fights and corralling drunks, Nate suddenly has no time to brood on his past when, after having gone missing 16 years before, Meg's father's murdered body is discovered in an ice cave 10,000 feet up a mountain. Another murder occurs in town, fixed to look like a suicide, and Nate believes the same killer is responsible. While going through his daily small town cop routine, Nate singlemindedly pursues his murder investigation, tracking down clues and finding dead ends. Just when it seems the investigation has gone on long enough, a final damning clue lands in his hands and Nate figures it all out.

Although Nate's collar of the murderer is a shade too dramatic, an obvious showdown to give the reader one last page-turning thrill, it plays out okay. This is a good, entertaining rnead filled not only with twisting, turning suspense, it gives a very engaging picture of life in a small town at the foot of the mountains in the Alaska wild. The descriptions of everything from a blizzard to the spring thaw take the reader right there, making one long to take a vacation to the far north. This book definitely gets an A.