Carnal Innocence: A Novel

I love Nora Roberts and each novel of hers I've ever read. But this one has always stuck with me. I bought it on a whim in an airport giftshop as a teenager, and when I lost that copy, I bought another. When I had to sell off all of my books to pay bills as a single mother, I lost my second copy. Now, in my 30s, I finally have replaced it again. I also made sure to get the Audible and Kindle versions, just in case.The tale of Tucker Longstreet, the town of Innocence, and Yankee visitor Caroline Waverly is a realistic romance. The two main characters don't just fall in love or into bed right away. They fight, yell, and war with each other and themselves until the end. The gripping story of murder in a small town intertwined with their love story is complicated, messy, and leaves you guessing until the final, completely unexpected reveal.

If you have never read a book by Nora Roberts, you are in for a real treat. She's one of the best authors of her time. I can't tell you how many books of hers that I have read. So do yourself a favor and make sure you don't miss this lady. Also read her books about Eve Dallas you won't be disappointed, I love this series tooEnjoyJudy S

I read this book when it was first published but wanted to buy an ebook copy. I love how Nora's words paint such a compelling picture of the characters and the South. No other author living can write characters that portray so vividly their complexity, beauty, vulnerability, flaws, darkness and light. I've been reading Nora Roberts since her first book was published in 1981. For almost 40 years now, I've been one of her most enduring and admiring readers, and this book is one of my favorites!

I find Ms. Roberts' work somewhat unreliable. There are a few gems, a few losers and many take it or leave it efforts. This is one of the gems.I absolutely loved Caroline and Tucker. They are among Roberts' best drawn characters in my wide experience reading her work. I thought the scene totally precious where Caroline called out Tucker after discovering him hard at work on his computer, managing the family businesses: "You're a fraud. All that lazy southern wastrel routine - I'd rather sleep than sit. It's just a front!" Another scene that had me laughing was where Caroline was arguing over the phone with her domineering, socially pretentious mother, and she told the old hag to not worry about her anymore because, "The man who attacked me is dead. I killed him myself, so I should know."I thought Matthew was a well-drawn player too. A moderately pompous ass, without being overdone, we've all met people like Matthew. Certainly ironic was his affair with Josie, at the same time his real interest was in Caroline. I felt him to be especially deserving of his comeuppance where Caroline appeared in a robe, intimately rumpled and obviously fresh out of bed, while he was speaking with Tucker - his discovery that she could appear the "trollop" in spite of her beauty and talent.My only disappointment was in who turned out to be the culprit. I liked that person very much - a character who, some other attributes notwithstanding, seemed to have a heart of gold. I felt it detracted from the credibility of the story - almost like Roberts went too far in trying to fool even the best guessers.Go for it.

Having read nearly all of Nora's books, I find this one to be the best. It combines many aspects that NR readers will instantly recognize. Rascally hero with a heart of gold, rich and successful heroine on a journey of self-discovery after realizing her life is not what she thought it was, a few murders and a whole lot of witty banter.In this book, though, these clichéd elements work beautifully, and blend to make a story that is memorable and riveting. Tucker Longstreet is easily NR's best hero, and I'm glad that this book seems to have been skipped over when it came time to make cheesy NR Lifetime movies, because very few men could play Tucker and make the character work. Cary Grant or Clark Gable (although I always picture Gabe in  True Betrayals  as Gable) in their respective primes comes to mind, or George Clooney back in his "ER" days. He's that level of charming and irresistible. It would be heartbreaking to see some half-assed television actor try to bring this unforgettable hero to life. Plus television movies seem to try to be as PC as possible, and I can't imagine they would let Tucker smoke cigarettes, even though it's so very much a part of who the man is, and his constant battle of trying to quit them reveals a lot about his personality.Caroline is not especially the best NR heroine. I find NR's heroines in general to be not particularly rootable or interesting, since they are really all the same female, with some notable exceptions. She works here because this is Tucker's story. And even though it seems strange that a laid back guy like Tucker would fall for a stuck-up tight ass like Caroline, the chemistry between them sizzles and you fall right along with them.And also along for the ride are some expertly drawn and fascinating supporting characters. Josie the sister whose restlessness comes off her in waves, Cy the young teenager who proves that biology isn't everything when it comes to defining character, Austin the abusive religious zealot, Darleen the cheating housewife, I could go on and on!Most definitely would, and have, recommend this book to ANYONE who enjoys modern romance novels, especially those with murder mysteries.

Fast, thrilling read that has it all: Music. Exhaustion. Going home. Bad blood. Feuds and fists. The good looking guy who drives too fast. And murder. Lots of red herrings to sift through, heart pounding excitement, this book was hard to put down when life interfered (sleep, work, eating...). Fantastic!

This book keeps you interested from the first page. I loved the personality of the characters in the book and all the details.

It kept my interest all the way to the end. Didn't know who dun it till the very end and was very surprised

Like some other reviewers, I bought this mistakenly thinking it was a new release (going by the 2016 publication date in the Amazon listing), but was a bit disappointed to find it's actually a re-release of a 1992 book. I probably wouldn't have bought it if I'd known that (not at this price, anyway).Having said that, it's an entertaining read, as always with Nora Roberts, although maybe lacking some of the polish of her later work. The book is a little dated - everyone smokes and thinks nothing of casually drink-driving, and there are some rather stereotyped descriptions of the black and poor characters in particular that might make the modern-day reader cringe a bit. However, these things will probably be less jarring if you start reading it knowing that it's nearly 25 years old (and you will also not be puzzling over why no one has a mobile phone or internet).It's a perfectly good romantic suspense though, with the blending of suspenseful mystery and emotional depth that Roberts always does so well. Just be aware of what you're buying to avoid disappointment.

I really enjoyed this story of murder and romance with a good twist in the end. My daughter has now begun reading Nora Roberts mystery/romance. I look forward to the next one.

I thought I had read all of nora roberts books,but this was one I missed. I,m very pleased that I found it and read it. As usual I loved it. It has every thing . Romance and loads of suspense, . Just how I like a book to be

This is a typical Nora Roberts book, with a little bit of everything and a happy ending g for the H&h.

This book was a complete departure from the usual books I’ve read. Down home Southern charm with such honesty in the narration. Such a startling twist at the end you just wouldn’t have guessed. Amazing. Really good read