Saturday, August 12, 2017

"Naked in Death (In Death #1)" by J.D. Robb

I don't know about you, but I tend to have little trust in the writing skills of popular authors. The more books a certain writer has written and sold well, the more I suspicious I feel about them- I guess that is why I seldom pick up any books by James Patterson or Dan Brown (also, I tend to dislike thrillers). So when I saw this in my invisible-pile with the name Nora Roberts on it, my eyes went very narrow- why would I pick up a romance book with thriller in the title, even if it has sci-fi, if it's written by such a popular *narrows eyes even more* writer?

Let me tell you- I was wrong. This book is a gem of sci-fi romance that even I (the notoriously picky about romance reader) can enjoy, even with my thriller-aversion. It's always interesting to read a book set in a future time when a lot of time has passed since its publication, but somehow this one doesn't seem at all far fetched (this was published in 1995, 22 years ago). There are some elements that are a more than a tad off track (they say because prostitution is legalized, rape is very uncommon. I doubt that X1000), but in 1995, I was three years old and considered dirt a delicacy. Needless to say, things have changed.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'In a world of danger and deception, she walks the line--between seductive passion and scandalous murder... Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over ten years on the force, she's seen it all--and knows her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire--and a suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about--except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.'

J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts manages to portray Eve Dallas in a beautifully complex manner. She is a survivor of childhood sex abuse who has made her job into her life when in steps Roarke. I wasn't too sure the author would be able to make me like him at first- he's overbearing and a billionaire (I don't find wealth that attractive, thanks very much), but the way he cares for Eve won me over. This is written in the third-person omniscient perspective, which means there are jumps in point of view during the same scene from character to character. It's hard to believe, but it actually works in this book's favor- if I never saw the book from Roarke's end of things in certain moments, I would've never liked him.

Although this book is set in a sci-fi future, it is a romance, the steam of which may not suit all readers. With most books with this level of steam, I can usually label it mainly a romance, but without the murder mystery and sci-fi elements this book probably wouldn't work- Eve's job is essential to her character, and the sadistic sexual aspects of the murders seem to break down her barriers. You should definitely skip this one if you find those types of things in books distasteful because although it isn't as bad as many other books I've read, it's still on the gruesome side.

Naked in Death is a futuristic romantic thriller with a heroine who can cry and still kick your ass ten seconds (or less) later. I was more than thrilled to find that this one breached the four star barrier, something that has been difficult for many other books I've read in the past few months to do. If you like the lighter side of sci-fi with romance, murder, and a heroine to cheer for, you should pick up Naked in Death for your next read.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for an excellent sci-fi romance that kept me guessing!


Age Advisory: Ages 18+ for violence during sexual situations, murder, and sexual assault.


Page Count: 316 pages

4 comments:

  1. Isn't it funny how we are skeptical of popular authors, despite so many others loving their work? I can think of a few times I've hated popular books, but definitely not all of them. Sometimes popular books and authors are popular because they are good. And yet, I find myself having the same doubts you do when it comes to popular authors and their books just about every time . . .

    I am glad you liked this one! I didn't the first time I read it. I think I was going through an anti-romance phase (still in burn out mode) or something. Or maybe it's just a book that didn't work well for me in print. When I listened to the audio version, I liked it more. And I've since listened to the second book and liked that one as well.

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    1. Yes! It's really bad, because I do think most people have good taste, but as soon as I see a successful author with lots of books out, I grow very suspicious. Some popular definitely don't appeal to me as much as others, but I think most of them are still worth reading.

      I also went through an anti-romance phase during my teenage years, but it didn't last too long. I could understand disliking it just based on some of the content- it came on a bit strong, and some elements felt dated. I'm glad you liked the audio edition better!
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Wendy!
      ~Litha Nelle

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  2. Allergic to romance here, but it is great to see this surprised you as a SciFi. Thanks for sharing your review. :)

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    1. Yes- there's this thing called an AutoChef that whips up food for you and I want one! Some days I get tired of cooking.
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, La La! Hope you didn't get a rash!
      ~Litha Nelle

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