Carnal Innocence
Table of Contents
Carnal Innocence
Carnal Innocence is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. It is one I read when I was much younger. In my teens, I loved Nora Roberts books. I stopped reading them for whatever reason, and now I’ve decided to go back and read some of them again.
I’ve always found it fascinating how books read differently at different ages or stages of life. Which is one of the reasons I enjoy going back and reading books again. It can almost be like reading a totally different book, yet the text is exactly the same.
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Have you read Carnal Innocence? Come on in and let me tell you about it!
About Carnal Innocence
New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts provides a potent mix of small-town secrets, scandalous romance, and down-home Southern atmosphere as a young woman searching for some bayou R&R finds herself entangled in a serial killer’s wicked web.
Burned out and still reeling from a love affair gone bad, world-class violinist Caroline Waverly goes to her grandparents’ home in Innocence, Mississippi, for some much-needed rest and relaxation. Instead she finds herself overwhelmed all over again—first by Tucker Longstreet, a charming local with a sideline in no-strings-attached relationships, and then by a deadlier, more disturbing development.
For Innocence is being stalked by its very own serial killer, whose brutal knife blows have pierced the veil of tranquility in this sleepy Southern town and left a trail of mutilated female corpses in their wake. When a federal agent arrives to investigate, the town’s deepest secrets bubble to the surface and suspicion turns on Tucker as the most likely suspect. After Caroline finds the latest murder victim floating in the murky waters behind her house, she too is inexorably drawn into the path of a crazed killer who may be closer than she could have ever imagined.
Thoughts on Carnal Innocence
I enjoyed this book the second time around a lot more than I expected to. Given I could only rate other second-time-read Nora Roberts books at three stars, I was kind of impressed that this one sticks out and is more memorable.
My biggest complaint is the sheer volume of characters. There were a lot to keep track of, and that was sometimes difficult. Many of them were supporting characters, but did little to add to the story. But there were some supporting characters I absolutely loved. Cousin Lulu was my all time favorite. I always want to see more characters like her.
The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but it also fit at the same time, and made sense. It certainly didn’t turn out how I expected it to, and I think that is wonderful. Sometimes novels are predictable, and especially romance novels, but this one was good.
I think the main reason I enjoyed this one as much as I did was because it wasn’t the same standard stereotypical Nora Roberts romance novel, where she takes a basic outline and just plugs new characters into it and calls it a different book. This was more unique and that is what I appreciated about it.
My favorite aspect of this story was the roots. Roots are deep and can’t just be pulled up and ripped out. They sprout and take hold of us. Sometimes coming back to those roots is just what we need, despite not knowing it. It isn’t always about being alone or finding solitude. It is about finding roots, community, and a place to be a part of that we need.
I should note that there should be some trigger warnings here, if you are a person who needs them. There is religious mania, rape, deep racism, and murder. This novel was written in a time when trigger warnings didn’t exist, so I think they should be noted.
Final Thoughts on Carnal Innocence
I found this to be one of the better Nora Roberts books I’ve read. The interesting thing is, I distinctly remember the title and book cover from the first time I read it years ago, but I don’t remember enjoying it as much as I did this time.
I am giving Carnal Innocence four stars. Because it was one I actively enjoyed reading and it sucked me in and kept me reading. It isn’t a five star read because I’m not raving about it and buying it for everyone I know. But it is definitely above a three star, as it is memorable and kept me entertained and interested, so that is why I settled on four stars.
Discussion
Have you read Carnal Innocence or any other writing from bestselling author Nora Roberts? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
About the Author
Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Shelter in Place, Year One, Come Sundown, and many more. She is also the author of the bestselling In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than five hundred million copies of her books in print.
Purchasing Carnal Innocence
If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Carnal Innocence, click here.
For the hardcover version, click here.
If you prefer audiobooks, click here.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.
More from Nora Roberts
Did you enjoy my review of Carnal Innocence? Need another great Nora Roberts novel to read? Here are my favorites!
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