A review by amhren
Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts

3.5

I took my time with this one but I'm finally done with it. It's my second Nora Roberts book (the only other one I've read by her is Naked in Death), and I liked it significantly more. I did have issues with the pacing, though. I enjoyed the first half of part 1 and then part 3. The second half of part 1 lost me with all the time jumps and part 2 was so much Reed-focused while I was expecting for us to follow more of Simone, that I had hard time adjusting to it. I was rooting for Reed and Simone to get together but I wanted them to have a bit more chemistry at the start. I rooted for them in part 3, they felt more fleshed out and complimentary. I couldn't care less about Patricia. So little of her was shown to us and I didn't really feel any animosity or hate or anxiety over her actions and how they'd reflect on the main characters. I guess I was missing more suspense; part 3 did give us that but the culmination was so short and abrupt, that there was no payout for me. 

I adored CiCi and Essie. Definitely the two strongest characters in the story, imo. Roberts writes good interpersonal relationships and all the Simone/CiCi, Reed/CiCi, Simone/Mi interactions carried the story for me. Loved the ending! And the poetic justice of Patricia dying on the 22nd, an end to a karmic circle.