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    Black Hills
    Black Hills
    Black Hills
    Audiobook16 hours

    Black Hills

    Written by Nora Roberts

    Narrated by Nick Podehl

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Nora Roberts takes readers deep into the rugged Black Hills of South Dakota, where the shadows keep secrets, hunters stalk the land, and a childhood friendship matures into an adult passion.

    Cooper Sullivan spent the summers of his youth on his grandparents’ South Dakota ranch, sharing innocent games and stolen kisses with the neighbor girl, Lil Chance. Now, twelve years after they last walked together hand in hand, fate has brought them back to the Black Hills.

    Coop has left his fast-paced life as an investigator in New York to take care of his aging grandparents and the ranch he has come to call home. Though the memory of his touch still haunts her, Lil has let nothing stop her dream of opening the Chance Wildlife Refuge, but something...or someone...has been keeping a close watch. When small pranks and acts of destruction escalate into a heartless attack on Lil’s beloved cougar, memories of an unsolved murder in these very hills have Coop springing to action to keep Lil safe.

    Lil and Coop know the natural dangers that lurk in the wild landscape of the Black Hills. But a killer of twisted and unnatural instincts has singled them out as prey...

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJul 7, 2009
    ISBN9781423383420
    Black Hills
    Author

    Nora Roberts

    Nora Roberts is the bestselling author of more than two hundred romance novels. She was the first author to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Since her first bestseller in 1991, Nora's books have spent more than two hundred weeks in the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list. There are more than five hundred million copies of her books in print, published in over thirty-four countries.

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    Reviews for Black Hills

    4/5

    738 ratings44 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be a mix of positive and negative. They love the excellent story, characters, and narration. The storyline keeps readers engaged and wanting more. However, some find the Tansy and Farley relationship unnecessary and feel that the romantic relationships are too similar to other books by the author. Overall, readers enjoy the book and would recommend it.

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 1/5
      Unable to listen to it audio warbly and kept breaking down

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Such a great book. I'm from the black hills so I know the areas they talked about. A big change w the writing from romantic love story to an adventurous one. A great listening book.
    • 5/5
      Another brilliant one by Ms Roberts. Excellent story and characters, really good
    • 4/5
      I always think that once I’ve read a Nora Roberts book I’d not find another to keep my interest but how wrong I am when the next one is just as appealing as the last! Good narration and wonderful story.
    • 5/5
      I Loved it ! Book was sweeti woy recommend it
    • 5/5
      I loved the storyline it always kept me wanting to listen more.
    • 5/5
      Loved this book!!! It was just spectacular.
      I’ve always enjoyed her books
    • 3/5
      Drawn out too far. The Tansy and Farley relationship was unnecessary
    • 4/5
      It looks like 2009 is the year Nora Roberts's writing started to go wrong for me. It's like the spark has gone out of her writing, as if her heart is not entirely in it anymore. Also too much research went into the books from here on and not enough thought into the relationships. Luckily, the protagonists in this book still have some problems to solve between them, so I did enjoy this. But some of the background information was presented awkwardly IMO, the writing seemed forced, especially at the start of the book.
      Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.
    • 2/5
      Not thrilled with this one. Roberts last few "summer hardcovers" - the romance/thrillers feel very formulaic; I felt like I could insert the characters from "High Noon" (or even the Blood Brothers trilogy, perhaps even the Chesapeake series) into this one and you'd have the same basic book. Tough, independent yet wounded female heroine, tough yet tender male hero, everyone's got baggage, you're supposed to feel bad for the female and just want her to Give In and Be Saved but I'm just not feeling it after fifteen years of reading Roberts. (The Bridal Quartet, on the other hand, is fabulous.)
    • 5/5
      Great story teller. I must admit I expected Farley first time with the live of his life would have been more like romantic than a mere mention… similar to all the other romantic relationships described in all of Nora’s books.
    • 4/5
      Lil Chance and Cooper Sullivan met as children when Coop came from New York City to spend every summer at his grandparents ranch in South Dakota. Each year, with Coop’s annual summer visit, their friendship went from innocent games to stolen kisses. But one experience would always haunt them: the grim discovery of a hiker’s body.

      Lil rehabilitates wild cats, including cougars, jaguars and tigers, She has spent her life trying to recreate as much of their natural environment as she can so they can live out their lives in a safe environment. Some of the best parts of the book are the stories of how each animal comes to be at the refuge.

      Predominately a romance novel, Lil and Coop’s on-and-off romance was a bit too drawn out. As usual, Nora is excellent at filling her book with both lead characters and secondary characters that are vivid and recognizable to her readers. I loved the big cat wildlife reserve setting, I thought it was a unique aspect of the book and it made the small annoyances disappear in a wave of kitty love.







      1395
    • 4/5
      Black Hills
      4 Stars

      Synopsis:
      While visiting his grandparents on a ranch in North Dakota, Cooper Sullivan meets Lily Chance and they begin a friendship that develops into romance years later. After circumstances drive them apart, Lil fulfills her childhood dream of establishing a refuge for large cats and Coop becomes a detective and then a PI. Now, Coop has returned and they rekindle their romance. However, their path is not without obstacles for they must get past Lil’s trust issues as well as the threat of a serial killer who has decided to make Lil his next victim.

      Review:
      The backstory regarding the animal refuge and the large cats is very enjoyable as are the descriptions of the scenery. While the book begins very well, I found that the middle dragged on a bit until the build-up of tension at the very end. While I did like the main characters and the development of their relationship, I felt that Lil’s trust issues were a bit unfounded and did not warrant her coldness toward Coop.
      Farley is definitely my favorite character in the book. His loyalty, honesty and ability to love despite the circumstances of his upbringing make him one of the best characters Nora has ever written.
      Recommendation: A enjoyable read overall and I recommend it to Nora fans without hesitation.
    • 4/5
      an interesting read, the supernatural elements all seeming very matter of fact and the story flowed. You got to find out about Paha Sapa from his childhood, through to his descendants, you got a sense of place, both in the Indian days and in the 30's America days. It all felt a bit dreamlike, I can't say that I really know why Paha Sapa set his goal to be the blowing up of the Rushmore heads or (spolier alert) why he failed to do so in the end, but the story was intersting nevertheless.
    • 4/5
      Good story line. The setting is great.
    • 5/5
      I tried reading a few months ago, but couldn't get into it. Reread it and really enjoyed it. Animal sanctuary owner? Nora, you're going to run out of careers for your protagonists.
    • 3/5
      This was a run of the mill Nora Roberts, with the same old kind of banter between hero and heroine, smooth, witty and not without the odd tantrum.
      That stated, the build up towards the climax was tense and had me hooked till the end.
    • 1/5
      I was lookin’ for gold in them thar hills — but all I found was pyrite. After a brisk start, Black Hills flounders without a story problem. Initially reminiscent of the coming-of-age genre, it morphs into a murder mystery, but lacks the quality of suspects that make a good whodunit. The motive is implausible: Who can really object to a refuge for discarded exotic pets? There’s no conflict between the leading characters — only a circular argument about their relationship. After they fall into bed the fight should be over, but they just keep banging on about it.
      Character development is weak. As juveniles, the protagonists are a precocious nine-year-old and a potty-mouthed eleven-year-old who, unbelievably, doesn’t want to go west and play with horses all summer. After everybody grows up, Roberts puts too much back story and job-related exposition into the mouths of her characters: If they’re all expert professionals, why do they have to explain everything to each other? Late in the story there’s a new viewpoint character — the villain — whose ruminations give away the suspense. And he’s inconsistently evil: He gleefully commits several gruesome murders and threatens another character with mutilation, but fails to make good on his threat. Moreover, the heredity of this delusional psychotic slanders a particular ethnic group.
      Roberts tries to flog the reader’s flagging interest with frequent graphic intimacy, and halfway through the book it’s obvious how the bad guy’s gonna get his comeuppance. Pack your mule and keep prospectin’, stranger — no mother lode here.
    • 3/5
      Nora Roberts books are like reality television, I know I'm not going to like most of it and wish I had done something more productive with my time and yet I read her anyway.
    • 3/5
      Having grown up in the Black Hills kind of ruined some of my enjoyment. Though I think NR handled certain aspects of it well, overall I was unimpressed with her knowledge. Mostly little things bothered me, things people unfamiliar with the area wouldn't understand.

      The suspense was done well (as it usually is with her) and I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters. The choices the hero made when he was younger bothered me, but I was able to move past it (eventually) and enjoy the romance.

      Overall not a bad book, but not the best I've read.
    • 2/5
      I wasn't really expecting much from this book, and that's mostly what I got. I ventured outside my usual preferred genres because I am a Black Hills resident, and wondered what Roberts would do with my home. To her credit, she certainly did her research, and I can't find anything in her setting to pick on (except that locals really don't use the word "cougar" - they're mountain lions when we talk about them).

      The story was unexciting and could have been half as long. The following is a rough summary of the middle 15 chapters:

      Coop: Look, I came back for you.
      Lil: But you broke my heart and I don't want you back.
      Coop: But some crazy guy is trying to kill you and I must protect you.
      Lil: I don't need to be protected.
      Coop: You don't get a vote.
      Lil: Oh, okay.
      (Sex)

      It was just silly. And the bad guy was a rather unfortunate caricature. I'm afraid the book isn't left with much to recommend it.
    • 2/5
      I read everything Nora writes. This one really leaves a lot to be desired. I got it on Kindle the day it came out...and I just finished it today. That tells me more than anything else. The time elapsed was MONTHS. I usually finish in ONE DAY.

      Will I keep reading everything she writes? Heck yes. Did I like this one? Not really.

      I liked Coop as a character. Hated the names Lil and Farley, got sick of descriptions of Ethan's motivation for killing, and thought the ending was rather cliche.

    • 4/5
      As I think I've mentioned recently, I've been reading a lot of Nora Roberts lately and have definitely found that I like the full-length, standalone novels better than the straight and shorter romances. This falls in the latter category and is definitely one that made me come to that conclusion.

      Like some other Roberts novels, this one starts out with the two main characters (Lil and Cooper) as kids, 9 and 11 to be specific. She builds their story gradually and believably, and she does so while expertly laying a foundation of strong family connections on both parts. When we finally get to present-day, Lil and Cooper have of course become estranged, but are now back in each other's lives.

      In what I've read of her, Roberts seems to have certain patterns, and this falls under the one where they'd been deeply connected, the ties broke, then they reconnect and the male lead (Cooper, in this case) is adamant that they'll be partnering up again whereas the female lead (Lil) is resistant. Other reviewers have indicated that they found Cooper to be too assertive and not very appealing; I didn't find that to be the case at all. I liked him, and I thought that, though adamant, he was entirely respectful of where she was coming from. I enjoyed the way they came back together (also part of the pattern) and I thought it was true to the characters and the story.

      My only real issue with this book came towards the end. At a certain point, the whole suspense story arc stopped working for me. I just didn't buy it in the way I've bought into other Roberts story lines; it didn't feel quite as cohesive. (Thus the 3.5 rather than 4 stars.) Several of the chapters just made me think, "Huh??" But once I decided to just suspend my disbelief and go with the writing, I was a lot happier.

      The only other complaint I had was that, after brilliantly building the suspense for a couple hundred pages, the final scene(s) between Lil, Cooper, and Lil's stalker were a bit of a let-down. I would have liked a little bit more of a one-on-one(-on-one?) chase to fully play out the tease. All in all, however, this is one that I'll probably come back to when I'm in the mood for a good, solid, romance with a cowboy thrown in.
    • 5/5
      Coop and Lil were childhood sweethearts, but their paths diverged. Coop became a cop, then private investigator, and Lil realized her dream of founding a wildlife refuge on her parents land. When Coop's grandfather takes a fall and breaks his leg, Coop comes back to help out. He and Lil have a lot to work out, which is complicated by the fact that a psycho serial killer is stalking her.
      I don't know why, but I was really emotionally connected to the characters in this book. Every time any of them went off by themselves, I was so scared for them, thinking something was going to happen to them. It's a testament to the skill of Nora Roberts that she can not only write romance with crackling chemistry, but also an extremely suspenseful mystery/thriller all at the same time. It's difficult to do both; usually one or the other suffers, but, again, Roberts is a champion at both. It makes me sad that this genre gets a bad rap, because writing this beautiful deserves to be more lauded.
    • 2/5
      I couldn't finish this.

      I was reading along, thinking, "How the HELL can she be writing a book about South Dakota and the Black Hills and not have Lakota in here?" I didn't have long to wait: the noble white people, out to save the wildlife of the planet, are being murdered by a Native American with excellent tracking and hunting skills. Yep. But that's okay, because he's crazy.

      DISGUSTED. Just disgusted. There's a black female character in the book who's dating a white guy. I didn't finish, but I bet at least one of that pair gets killed off.

      Really? Really?
    • 4/5
      The begining of the story was so unexpected that it took me a few chapters to gather my bearings. Not my favorite NR's novel, but still recommended for a rainy day.
    • 4/5
      That first year Cooper Sullivan didn’t want to visit his grandparents in South Dakota. After an encounter with a big cat in the field, he started to enjoy his times there, year after year. Life had gotten in the way and he hadn’t been back for several years, so showing up surprised himself and his Black Hills best friend, Lil Chance. The hadn’t seen each other in so long but the feelings Lil had for him came rushing back as soon as she had seen him. Their lives had changed so much, she had finally started doing exactly what she had always wanted to do, working and owning a wildlife persevere in the Black Hills. He had been a cop, a private detective and now had returned to live with his grandparents and try his hand as a rancher. To be able to pick up where they left off was an impossible dream that neither of them were willing to hope for.

      A cross between a contemporary romance and a romantic suspense, simply put, another touching and action packed Nora Roberts novel. The chemistry between these two are felt a mile away from their first meeting but letting them travel their separate road before coming back to each other helped build the suspense. Not that it needed more of that. Really enjoyed the wildlife refuge and all it’s connected people, places and parts. The description of the country is almost like another character in this story, fabulous - makes me want to go see it for myself.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this story - a "Mills&Boon" on steroids as most of Robert's books are. A wonderful setting, richly described, interesting relationships between well drawn characters, an issue or two to think about, good supense and entertaining. Can't askk for much more from a light and easy read.
    • 4/5
      Not great but not bad either. Probably perfect as a weekend/beach read. Characters and storyline are believable while reading but completely forgettable once finished.
    • 5/5
      Let me just start this review by saying that Nora Roberts amazes me time and time again. No matter how many of her books I read, and I've read most of them, each and every story is unique, well written, and majorly entertaining. I don't know how she does it!
      Now on to the review....
      I just finished reading "Black Hills" by Nora Roberts. I have read the book twice but this is the first time I have reviewed it. "Black Hills" follows Lillian Chance and Cooper Sullivan from early adolescents into adulthood. This book concentrates on the development and then loss of young love. "Black Hill" is richly peppered with love, both romantic and a love of wildlife.
      As Lil and Coop are reunited after years apart, a madman targets Lil and her wildlife preserve to wreak his havoc. While Lil is pushing Coop away, Coop is trying to keep her safe. Each and every plot twist in this story will keep you hooked. You will be sucked in and enjoy every last minute of it!