Originally posted here: http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...I’ve heard a few decent things about this series. I knew it had a bit of a following. After all, there wouldn’t be 31 books out in this series if it weren’t doing okay. But I had no idea exactly how many people loved JD Robb’s (a.k.a. Nora Roberts) In Death books. As I was reading and leaving status updates on Goodreads and Twitter, I was getting fangirl *squee* from some and “OMG I love these books!” from others. I actually made some new GR and Twitter friends just by reading this book! They are crazy about these books…and now I know why.Naked In Death is amazing! There really is no other word for it. The story is set in 2058, but the futuristic world that that JD has created isn’t too far out of reach or too farfetched. It was easy to read because I could still place the story and the plot lines today. There is no build up to this world. Everything is described and talked about matter of factly. As though we should all be familiar with an AutoChef or the laser guns. I thought writing the world this way was quite ingenious. Then you don’t have a choice but to get sucked right into the story and not get lost in pages upon pages of descriptive passages.What makes this book incredible is the story, the world and of course the writing. But what does it most of all are the characters. They are unforgettable and top notch.Eve Dallas is a detective who is very confident in what she does. Even though she has had horrific things happen to her in her past, and is therefore affected by some of the more sensitive cases she is called to, she never lets it get in the way of her job and doing what is right. But away from the job, she is still strong yet very vulnerable. She is not used to relying on anyone, or counting on anyone.Roarke (no last name) is a very Alpha man. He’s used to getting his way without having to explain himself. When he becomes the prime suspect in the case Eve is working on, he finds himself really wanting her to believe in his innocence. This actually surprises him. He is a lot like Eve in how he is not used to relying on anyone personally. He wants Eve to know Roarke the person and to see that he could be good for her. He could be someone she can rely on. And this is something very foreign to him. If it were the 1990’s, I’m sure he would have said “wtf yo?!” To watch him soften, and to watch Eve relax to him was a pleasure to witness. Here you have two hardcore people finding each other, who just happen to be what the other really needs, even if the other is a little reluctant. It’s a sweet love story, and Eve and Roarke are adorable together. I liked the awkwardness and the uncertainly. It made their relationship that much more appealing.You didn’t find out a whole lot about Roarke and Eve’s past…or even given much insight as to where their relationship was going exactly. You were teased about it though. Not enough to really tick you off, but just enough to have you want to keep reading the series in the hopes of finding out every last detail about these two. And already Eve and Roarke are dangerously close to ending up on my favorite character list…Yup, already. Usually, it takes me a few books before deciding on that.The mystery thriller part of this book was great. I had no real idea who was responsible for these crimes, and then the clues that were shown but then rebutted then not…very clever. It kept you on your toes.Naked In Death is not a light and fluffy romance. So if that’s what you’re looking for just keep on moving. It’s a real romantic suspense/futuristic mystery thriller book. Which means it’s gritty and raw – and not just the story but the emotions too. The murder case is gruesome. But the writing is impeccable and the characters truly are unforgettable. I’m still thinking about them. And I’m starting to see why people refer to this series as being addictive. There are many crazy fans of this series, and their madness is completely justifiable. I’ve only read one book and I’m already there. Now, if I can fit in one book per month, and taking into account that JD Robb writes 2 books per year, I should be caught up with this series in about…*sigh* 2014. But you know what, totally worth it.
*Originally read 12/10/10 - 12/11/10*I've known about this series for quite a while, and I'm a big Nora Roberts fan, but I hadn't really wanted to pick this series up. There's about a billion books out in the series. What if I ended up loving it? Then I have to commit myself to buying those billion books just to catch up! But after hearing such glowing things about this series from most of my Goodreads friends--especially about Roarke--I had to finally bight the bullet and get the first book. Now that I've finished it I don't know whether to cheer or comfort my wallet. I think I'm going to have to run to the bookstore and swoop up a bunch of the next books in the series so I can get my glom on.I didn't connect with Roarke the way that most readers seem to, but I expect it comes with time. The relationship and attraction in this book develops pretty quickly--faster than I expected or wanted--but I can't say I expected any different seeing as this isn't actually a Romance series. Most of the focus was on the case with the romance as the side story. Luckily, I know there's plenty of time in this series for the author to develop their relationship. It's no hardship for me to watch their relationship develop over the course of the books since I know that they are together and the author didn't throw any retarded love triangles in there. So I'm willing to be patient and won't complain about the lack of a lot of depth to the relationship and characters yet.It was odd for me to read a book so similar, yet different, from Nora Roberts's usual style. The characterization, interactions, feel to the developing relationship, and writing felt the same, but the focus wasn't on the romance. I liked it. It's nice to find a new series by this author that I can glut myself on. I was a little nervous that her style would be completely different under the pseudonym, but it wasn't where it counted.The details about all the little futuristic gizmos weren't really explained in depth. Everything was mentioned matter-of-factly like talking to someone already familiar with the technology and world. I think some will dislike that, but I honestly preferred it. I don't mind if authors want to explain, but a detailed explanation about how the spray that seals in oils and fingerprints works is not something I personally need to know. The way it was all presented worked for me.The case (and Eve's background) really tugged at my heartstrings. I thought it was handled well by the author, but I still feel helplessly enraged to know stuff like that happens constantly.I really enjoyed seeing our timeframe discussed and researched for the case. It was fun to see the differences between that time and this one and it provided a nice opportunity for me to see where their culture differed without huge infodumps.Now to go get my hands on Glory in Death...
What do You think about Naked In Death (1995)?
I have to say when I started this book I thought to myself «why all the fuss?» in terms of romance when it reads more like a general murder/mystery. Well after you manage to patiently wade through the first 175 pages more or less you’ll understand the hype for this 28 (so far!) book series (!) It’s very good once the h/h get together and the romance gets going. I wavered between a 4 and a 4.5 star rating but settled on the 4 because those first 175 pages were tough without the romance ;)Roarke and Eve are excellent characters living in the far off future. Now don’t let that turn you off because I didn’t think that the futuristic setting drew away from the novel with excessively weird lingo and bizarro situations. You have real people here and a real story that could just as easily be transplanted to a contemporary romantic suspense novel.I now understand all that panting over Roarke –he is one VERY hot alpha with his Irish lilt and overall sexy persona. The steam isn’t all that frequent (hoping that picks up in the later books) but when it happens it’s quite good even if it’s not that long and detailed. Eve is a tough as nails heroine but her independence and I-don’t-want-to-be-emotionally-involved-with-anyone doesn’t grate on the nerves. She ranks as one of my favourite heroines and there aren’t many to begin with. Roarke is so good for her you’ll just be going **sigh, sigh, sigh** :D The plot is really twisted and “ew” but Roberts writes well so you keep turning the pages even if you think “is this book for me or not, well let’s read another page” and then it’s the end!. I liked the ending but I really wish I had book 2 on hand to just continue Eve and Roarke’s story --yes it's addictive! I’ve been putting off this series for a long time because there are so many books in it. MISTAKE! It really is good and there must be something that the author is doing right to have such a legion of romance book fans picking up her stuff and waiting on pins and needles for the next installment of Eve and Roarke. Looks like I’ve found myself a new series --and no shelf space to put the next, um, 27 books with 2 more coming out in 2009 (!!)
—Eastofoz
Eh, what can I say that hasn't already been said in over 800 reviews? My thoughts, I suppose. I give it 2.5 Stars - and I only rounded up because the sex scenes were hot.Roarke is too perfect; you can tell he's created by a romance author, but he is sexy, even though he should quit his nasty smoking habit. Gross. I can understand Eve's attraction to him, but not his attraction to her. I figured out who the villain was before Eve, and I don't even read that many mysteries. The futuristic setting already feels dated in some aspects, and ridiculous in others. I don't care about any of the supporting characters, and I find this happens a lot in mysteries since the author seems to make the journey to the "big reveal" more important than character development. Which, I suppose, is an inherent trait of the genre and can be expected to an extent. I also realize that this series is ridiculously long, so she has plenty of time to flesh out her characters, and since it's the first book she might not want to overload the reader with inconsequential info.As long as I can get them from the library, I'll continue with this series. I feel just about the same about this as I do about the Stephanie Plum series, save the fact that Eve isn't anywhere near as stupid and annoying.
—The Holy Terror
5 I Should Have Read This Sooner StarsSo, 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 daddy, which really is more of a recommendation than anything else *bats eyes innocently*, so...book you better be good!
—Jo ★The Book Sloth★
