2.5 stars

Seriously...2020 can suck it.

As if Covid-19 wasn't enough of a reason, now I'm hate-reading books from authors I've LOVED in the past. What in the heck is happening?

I've read the majority of Nora Roberts novels, and usually enjoy them. Even going back and reading some of her series from the late 90's-early 2000's, they are fun and sexy, even if there are moments that some may construe as being problematic.

But first with The Witness, and then with Under Currents, which I DNF'd, I was really disappointed with this book.

First and foremost, I didn't like either of the protagonists. Ash was a sexist jerk, and Lila was a doormat masquerading as a strong, independent woman. There are so many moments I can point to where Ash does or says something controlling and even if Lila calls him out on it, it's just sort of pushed to the side. One example (page 217) comes before they've even been intimate with one another (not that it's ever okay to invade someone's personal space, regardless of the level of your personal interactions). She's changing her clothes (I believe it's when he's about to paint her) and he just waltzes in. He knows she's changing, but doesn't give it a second thought. She tells him, "You should knock." He responds with, "Why?" And then the scene continues as if he didn't just completely invade her privacy. At another point (page 337) things are starting to look more dangerous for them and he senses that she might want to take a step back from their personal relationship. He tells her, "If you want to backtrack you can tell me to sleep in the other bedroom. I won't, I'll seduce you, but you can tell me." Ew. That is a common thread in their interactions. She's not comfortable with something he says or does, he tells her that it doesn't matter because he's going to get his own way in the end so she just needs to deal with it. It's just WAY too pushy and I didn't like it at all.
To be fair, Lila is as dumb as Ash is pushy. Maybe dumb isn't the right word, but she lacks the common sense of a head of broccoli. I would imagine any protective and loving partner would feel the urge to keep their loved one safe. But his controlling nature extends to every aspect of their relationship.

I far preferred the side characters and their relationship. I wanted that story, but we barely got anything about their romance, which was far more interesting to me.

Also, there is NO REASON FOR THIS BOOK TO BE AS LONG AS IT IS. It's over 500 pages, and there just isn't 500 pages of compelling story here. I felt the same way about The Witness. Both books needed some editing, and I'm not sure why they didn't get it.

I could keep going, but mostly I'm just bummed that I didn't love this.