Book Review: The Obsession by Nora Roberts

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In The Obsession by Nora Roberts, Naomi Bowes the daughter of a local church deacon with a loving and submissive mother and a younger brother, Mason experiences it all. 
Anticipating her twelvth year birthday coming up in matter of days, she is drawn out of sleep and into the dark woods where she discovers her father's darkest secret. An abandoned house with a naked girl brutally assaulted tied up inside. Shocked to the bones but still brave enough, Naomi rescues Ashley McLean and tries not to think of the photos of other women around the room in similar situations or even worse, the set of knives and ropes or the empty bottle of liquor that is totally forbidden in their house. 
She testified against her own father. The one person she looked up to as guiltless, judging from all the moral rules he set out in the family for her and her brother not excluding thier mum. Not to talk of the number of prayers and religious standards they were raised to live up to. This, her mother blinded by love, condemned her for. That incident opened a new chapter in Naomi's life. She changed her name and moved to live with her uncle and his husband in another city yet her past kept reaching out.
The fact that Roberts was able to take what could have naturally been a really dark and tragic story and added a bit of romance to spice it up is quite commendable. The whole growth around Naomi, from the fallout of her family to how she moves on seventeen years later and when an unexpected love comes around with the local mechanic, Xander. Unfortunately, just when she decides to give relationship another try, her worse fear kicks in and this time threatens her life. Though it wasn't what I expected, the whole story turned out more than captivating. 
There is almost nothing that I dislike about The Obsession. The characters both round and flat, were artistically built. But the part where Naomi looses her mother still keeps me wondering. I would have actually loved to know more about her encounters with thier father during her visit to the prison and what exactly he told her because personally I feel like there was more to her suicide.
Out of 5 Stars, I give this book a 5 Star anytime, any day, anywhere cause it really deserves it and as intriguing as it may be I would not recommend this book for anybody fighting abuse, physically or mentally. 

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