Reviews - Northern Lights | The StoryGraph

221 reviews for:

I didn’t guess the bad guy’s identity, so that was a surprising plot twist. Most of the characters weren’t very likable at first, but by the end, they were tolerable. I liked that the MMC had depression—we got to see him struggle and actively try to get better, which made for an interesting arc.

I didn’t like Meg at first. She was too much like her mother, Charlene. The first time she and the MMC had sex, it felt purely transactional, which didn’t help. By the end, I liked her fine, but the chemistry between the main characters wasn’t strong enough for me.

Charlene, though—she was the worst. Desperate and shameless, constantly throwing herself at the MMC and any other man nearby. And the MMC couldn’t even stand up to her properly—he’d just start blabbering instead of telling her “no” once and for all. It was pitiful.

The book was okay, but I probably won’t remember much of it tomorrow. It didn’t need to be this long.

smfernandes's review against another edition

3.0

Bit old fashioned in political sensitivities area but still an engaging read with exceptional descriptions of life in rural Alaska. Readers of Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series will enjoy.

jmossreads's review against another edition

2.0

I’m going to open by saying it took me a long time to read this book. There was a good plot and a sweet subtle romance; the story just didn’t jump up off of the page at me.

Chief Ignatious (Nate) Burke’s story will break your heart and make you want him to have a happily ever after. His wife leaves him after telling him she was having an affair, he gets shot, his partner gets killed. It he had a dog it would have been run over by a truck. In the throes of depression, he decides to take a job at the end of the world in Lunacy, Alaska.

Meg Galloway is a bush pilot in Lunacy who catches Nate’s attention right from the start. She is about a prickly as a porcupine which actually appeals to Nate. Nate starts off his career with a few minor things like drunken disorderly, traffic violations, until a search and rescue for some teenage boys turns up a body that has been hidden in an ice cave on a mountain for sixteen years. Turns out the body belongs to Meg’s father. The appearance of this body rattles the town to its very core. The only sleepy Alaskan town is suddenly riddled with murder and mayhem.

The story moves at a very slow pace and contains a lot of extraneous subplot. On a positive note, you are not left with a lot of questions at the end of the story. Nora Roberts definitely appears to have done her homework on what enduring Alaska weather would be like for a newcomer. This book would appeal to someone who loves a book with a plethora of detail and multiple storylines to follow.

jen_is_booked's review against another edition

4.0

I was at dinner with some friends and of course the conversation turned to books. There was an audible *gasp* when they found out I'd never read a Nora Roberts novel. So... the next time we got together, one of these lovely ladies brought me this one knowing that I typically like mysteries and thrillers. I admit I was very skeptical; I thought most of hers were purely romance and that isn't a genre I enjoy (no shade, just not my jam). It started a little slow for me and I'll admit I was a little confused, not sure who was talking or what was going on, a lot of jumping around which wasn't clear if it was a different time or happening simultaneously etc... I quickly got myself sorted and was able to start enjoying the book. It was a little slow, I knew there was going to be a mystery element but it took its time getting there. One thing I absolutely loved about this is the setting...Northern Exposure (I'm showing my age LOL) was one of my favorite shows and this town was almost exactly like the setting of that show, including some of the characters, so I was very charmed by that. The mystery itself wasn't as big a deal as I was hoping it was, but it was still a mystery, there was quite a bit of murder actually, and I was wrong about who the killer was so that was interesting. I will caution there is violence against animals in this, so if that's a trigger for you, I would skip it. All in all I really enjoyed this, the spicy scenes weren't that much so it was tolerable LOL. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice, easy, smooth read that ends satisfactorily and has a bit of everything. I might even read more from this author.