Time to compile the list of recommendations from everyone about which Nora Roberts should be among the first a new reader picks up. With Roberts, there’s a little of everything, too. There’s contemporary romance, romantic suspense, futuristic romantic mystery (in Death) and ParaNoras. There’s something for everyone… unless you like vikings. And I don’t think Roberts has written a post apocalypse YA with a heroine in a prom dress, either.
For some their favorite is the one they started with, and for others it’s the book they re-read most. This represents the books most-mentioned as favorites in our thread.
A word about the romantic suspense: I can’t read violence, especially violent sexual assault or entrail-laden descriptions, and when Nora writes realistic men, that includes assaulting creepy ass bad guys. So I stay away from the romantic suspense because, as wonderful as the main characters are, those are the scenes that get recorded into my memory to resurface when it’s dark and I’m trying to be sleepy.
There was a very considerate and enlightening conversation about triggers in the comments, too, starting with GhengisMom and qwerty, with trigger warnings on specific books from Melissa. Some of Roberts’ romantic suspense novels that involve violent crime should be cautiously approached.
We did a similar thread for Carrie Lofty back in 2006, and I wrote to see if she’d read a Roberts novel, and which one. She did!
Carrie Lofty: I think the first I wound up reading was Blue Smoke ( A ). Is that the right one, where the badguy is a pyro who burns people in their beds, and the heroine is an arson investigator? You mentioned that it kept you up late listening for bumps in the night, so I had to read that one first 🙂
I did. I usually don’t read romantic suspense so that aspect of it was rather new. Police procedurals aren’t generally my thing, unless it’s Matthew MacFadyen in an ascot on the hunt for Jack the Ripper (*swoons*). I think maybe because of the POV of the villain? It intrudes on my ultimate happy vs reality zone. Perhaps it’s why people find the unusual settings of my historicals either hit or miss. Hot sauce in the mac’n’cheese.
All that said, Nora: She writes men *very* well. They’re alpha in the best sense, and especially because the heroine in Blue Smoke was so determined about her career goals and personal motivations, Nora was able to make the man powerful and vital without being intrusive. The suspense was cringe-worthy, and I’m not used to secondary characters being killed off (again, part of the genre I wasn’t prepared for), but she did it in such a meaningful and emotional way, rather than simply whacking a guy for kicks.
I’ve since liked her contemporaries more (comfort zone?), especially how the couples argue. Just when I’d think a big mis opportunity was coming up, even in a secret baby category, the conversation didn’t turn toward the ridiculous even as someone kept a secret. The dialogue flows. It’s such a strength–one of those skills I’d like to look at more closely for the sake of craft, but I don’t. I like being swept up as a pure reader for a change.
Dialogue and heroes are strengths? Isn’t that the truth.
Now, which books were the most frequently recommended?
The Chesapeake Bay Trilogy – also known as The Quinn Series (1998/2002)
This was one of the most frequently mentioned in our comment thread. The Chesapeake Bay series began as a trilogy with Sea Swept ( A | K), continues with Rising Tides ( A | K ), and finished with Inner Harbor ( A | K | ). A few years later, the young boy that brings the Quinn brothers together got his own story in Chesapeake Blue ( A | K ).
They’re hero-focused, emotional stories with a very strong sense of place. They also have one of my favorite characters, who says at one point he’s going to live in a garret and change his name to Pierre. Every time I think of it, I laugh. Laura N says, “The Quinn series, hands down. Tortured souls healed by The Power of Luuuurve=swoon.” laj loves Sea Swept because “Cameron Quinn (and Rogan Sweeney from Born in Fire)” are her favorite NR heroes.
Tabs says, “I can’t pick a favorite Chesapeake Bay Saga book. I didn’t realize how invested I had become in that series until I picked up the last one, read the first page, and started full-on crying because I was so relieved and happy to see Seth show up all grown-up and healthy and safe. Gah. Those books.”
Bibliophile suggests her two favorites: “I’d say Sea Swept (which will inevitably lead you to read the rest of that series, although, in my opinion you can skip book 4, which isn’t that good) and Northern Lights, although I could mention several more. Both books have strong characters and good, solid stories, and the first is a great example of one of her really strong points, which is the ability to write realistic non-romantic interpersonal relationships where unrelated people have come together to form a family.”
Montana Sky (1996)
Montana Sky ( A | K) is a trilogy in one – three heroines, three stories, one book: Jack Mercy’s three daughters are strangers to each other. Now they must learn to live as a family-in order to gain an inheritance worth 20 million dollars….
Jennifer O. says it best: “Years ago my best friend and I were tasked with recommending one romance novel to give to a friend who had never read them – one book to represent the entire genre. After much debate we chose Montana Sky.”
Several other readers recommended this book as a wonderful introduction to Roberts’ characters. GinniB said, “Three Fates and Montana Sky. I have worn out several copies and even checked them out of the library.”
Three Fates (2002)
Three Fates ( A | K ) is another ensemble romance instead of a trilogy, where three main characters do things and hook up with other characters. The summary: When the Lusitania sank, one survivor became a changed man, giving up his life as a petty thief—but keeping the small silver statue he lifted, a family heirloom to future generations. Now, nearly a century later, that priceless heirloom, one of a long-separated set of three, has been stolen. And Malachi, Gideon, and Rebecca Sullivan are determined to recover their great-great-grandfather’s treasure, reunite the Three Fates, and make their fortune.
Annette W says, “It’s got all the usual trilogy elements in one novel” and Laura Reeth, Roberts’ publicist, thinks this is one of her best – and I think she’s probably well acquainted with all 65,745,377×10 of Roberts’ books! LibrarianLizy agrees and recommends both “Montana Sky and Three Fates. It’s like 6 stories in 2 books and a perfect intro into NR’s head hopping.”
The Witness (2012)
The Witness ( A | K ) came out last year, and many readers named it as one of their new favorites of the Roberts library.
The summary: Daughter of a cold, controlling mother and an anonymous donor, studious, obedient Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking too much at a nightclub and allowing a strange man’s seductive Russian accent to lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.
Twelve years later, the woman now known as Abigail Lowery lives alone on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she works at home designing sophisticated security systems. Her own security is supplemented by a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. Unfortunately, that seems to be the quickest way to get attention in a tiny southern town. The mystery of Abigail Lowery intrigues local police chief Brooks Gleason, on both a personal and a professional level. Her sharp, logical mind, her secretive nature, her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something, even if he doesn’t know what – and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.
Meka says it has everything: “[it] has evil mafia family, super awesome and geeky yet socially-awkward heroine, and Brooks! Oh Brooks!” Carrie Gwaltney says of The Witness audiobook: “Great narrator (Julia Whelan) gets the main character just right.” She also recommends the print version. Lobo Tmia says she “would recommend The Witness which reads like a vintage quintessential Nora Roberts novel.” Tabs says, “The Witness is an excellent stand-alone with a truly unique heroine.”
Carnal Innocence (1991)
Carnal Innocence ( A | K ) is a romantic suspense with Tucker Longstreet, another awesome hero. The summary: World-famous concert violinist Caroline Waverly knows nothing of the murders when she arrives in Innocence, Mississippi. Burned out from a childhood lost to endless rehearsals and an all-too-public breakup with the conductor who was her lover, Caroline is looking for a little peace and some time to think. She hopes that a stay at her late grandmother’s house–the one with a covered porch just made for soft summer nights–will provide the tranquillity she needs. But Innocence has something else to offer Caroline: a man named Tucker Longstreet.
Faellie says, “I forgot Carnal Innocence. How could I have forgotten Carnal Innocence? Tucker Longstreet and all that southern heat.” Ms bookjunkie added, “After giving this many days of thought (and checking Delicious Library), I’m going with CARNAL INNOCENCE (because Tucker) and the Quinn Brothers series (because Cam, Ethan, Philip and Seth). Also, they’re the NR books I reread the most. (At least they were at one time. Now they’re packed away in storage. *sob*)”
The Born In Trilogy – also known as the Concannon Sisters Trilogy, or the Irish Born Trilogy(1994)
Born in Fire ( A | K ), Born in Ice ( A | K ), and Born in Shame ( A | K ) were some of the first Roberts novels I ever read. You can see a sort of Roarke-prototype in the hero of Born in Fire, but my favorite is Born in Ice. I love that the hero is a grumpy mystery writer, I love the setting, but most of all I love that the heroine, Brianna, wants to create a welcoming home for herself and for other people. I love her the best out of all the heroines, I think. She’s my favorite.
So many readers agree, as this trilogy was named several times in the comment thread. Sharon says her favorite is Born in Ice, especially if you like audiobooks. The narrator (Fiacre Douglas) is fantastic.”
Northern Lights (2004)
Northern Lights ( A | K) is a hero-focused romance set in Alaska. The heroine is a bush pilot and the hero is a former Baltimore cop who is emotionally destroyed by the death of his partner, so he takes a job in Lunacy, Alaska, as the chief of police. This is a romantic suspense, so there’s murder, plus it’s Alaska, so there’s bears.
Many readers love this book. Faellie said one of her favorites is, “Northern Lights. It’s not as obviously romance-formula as some, because it follows a male protagonist (a cop with the requisite ansty background) and has a less than usual setting (rural Alaska, done with a real sense of presence). Then add in a strong heroine (bush pilot) and a decent mystery in the plot. It is and always will be my favourite Nora Roberts.” Pale_goddess said, “I loved a lot of her books. But the only one that ever got me so worked up that I HAD TO WRITE HER!!! and say ‘thank you!!!’ was Northern Lights.”
Katie Dunneback agrees: “It’s the one I keep coming back to year after year, and I do it in audiobook, partially because they got a man (Gary Littman) to do the narration.”
The Irish Jewels Trilogy – also known as the Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy (1999)
Jewels of the Sun, ( A | BN | K | S | iB ) Tears of the Moon ( A | BN | K | S | iB ), and Heart of the Sea ( A | BN | K | S | iB ) are set in Ardmore, Ireland, and focus on the Gallagher family, with their stories set against a local legend and ghost story.
Elyssa Papa says, “I’m going with the book that hooked me on Nora when I was in college: JEWELS OF THE SUN. I mainly had picked this up because I was in the market and the cover looked pretty and it was SET IN IRELAND, and I was all, I NEED THIS BOOK because I was eighteen or nineteen and I had this fantasy that I’d travel to Ireland, meet a really hot Irish guy, etc., etc., etc. So I bought it, read, and then spent that whole summer reading everything she wrote. She’s such a gobbleglom author. Also, I think if there was one author who made me want to write contemporary romances, it was Nora Roberts. Oh, and the other one I’d rec? Sea Swept, the start of the awesome Quinn Brothers quartet.”
Ejaygirl recommends, “Want a magical experience? Start with Jewels of the Sun, first book in the Gallaghers of Ardmore series, set in Ireland. After you finish the series, read Sea Swept, the first book in the Chesapeake Saga. You’ll then be so in love with NR stories it won’t matter what comes next.”
And Bethy1017, who also recommends this trilogy, has this bit of !!! to add: “Also, I work in publishing and have read an advanced copy of her new standalone, WHISKEY BEACH. It’s phenomenal, so when that comes out, I’d add that one to the list.”
Other books that were recommended by readers: Reflections & Dreams, two of the Stanislaski books, Reflections and Dance Of Dreams. Rachelbug and Nifty both named this duo as one of their favorites.
Blue Dahlia ( A | K ) was recommended by Stephanie Burgis and Annette. This is the first book in the In the Garden trilogy.
Honest Illusions ( A | K ) was recommended by many readers. Shiloh Walker said, “Honest Illusions…. led me to my love affair with Nora Roberts… and Sea Swept (pretty sure that’s the first Chesapeake book) because after you read the first, you’ll want to read the other two.”
So which is your favorite? Do you agree with this collection, or are you thinking, ‘What about….??’ We’ll be doing this again in another month or two, since there’s a new Roberts novel every 36 hours, or thereabouts (kidding. It’s more like a week).
Great post. I love Nora, though I love her trilogies the best. You cannot go wrong with most of her trilogies. Your choices are excellent, and Chesapeake Bay is another one of my favorites. My favorite Nora trilogy is Three Sisters Island, though a bit of paranormal, it does have some of the hottest heroes in Zach and Mac.
The more recent Bride Quartet is fun, with lots of romance, and I really did enjoy her most recent Boonsboro Trilogy. But again, she has so many more older ones that are awesome.
Wait. Wait, wait, wait. How can we even talk about Nora Roberts without mentioning ANY of the MacGregor books? They are one of the quintessential romance families, right up there with the Bridgertons and the Cynsters, I think. As much as I don’t like all-knowing grandparents fixing up their kids, patriarch Daniel MacGregor sure does engineer some great matches for his kids and their progeny.
PLAYING THE ODDS, THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR, and the one with Genny and Grant (can’t remember the name right now) are my favorite
Almost all of the ones listed are not ones I’ve read. I remember starting with one of Roberts’ romantic suspense novels, HATING it, and avoiding her for the longest time. Then I read The MacGregor Grooms, fell in love, and glommed most of her “large, loud family” romances. The MacGregors are still my favorites, although I couldn’t say if that’s because of nostalgia or because they’re actually better than her other family romances.
I feel like such a slacker, I haven’t read any of these.
@LG: “large, loud family” is the perfect way to describe my favorites of her book list. She does wonderful dialogue between families. And yes, I think you’re right: shades of NR families can be seen in the various families in romance, especially the Kowalskis. I get a familiar “you’re driving me insane but I still love you” family dynamic from those books, too.
The Chesapeake Bay trilogy is superb. My other fave is Midnight Bayou—that’s where my love affair with Nora began.
I love Nora Robert’s Search. I am reading it now and I cant
put it done. Reading thru lunch its that good. Exciting, good
story and keeps you guessing. I love Nora’s books she is
definately a favorite of mine. Search is a mystery, the main
Fiona and her canine do search and rescue, solve crimes
good companions. Great book!
Oh La Nora. Before I started reading romance, I was all “Oh, Nora Roberts. *eye roll* She writes a new book every week. Such dreck.” Because there must be an inverse relationship between quality and quantity, right? Only no. Not at all. Sure, there are a few books by her that I’ve read that I didn’t enjoy, but overall, she writes great characters and she really shows relationships developing, which I love. I’m not such a fan of the “You’re so hot.” “You’re also so hot. Let’s fuck.” kind of relationship development that I see so often. Yeah, her heroes and heroines are definitely hot for each other, but her relationships aren’t just built on raging hormones. Then there are the other relationships! I just have to join the chorus praising her families. The friendships are good too.
Also, I don’t know where the spell check function comes from in Firefox, but it is unaware that dreck is a word. Really? Ignorant clods.
captcha: come73. When you read La Nora, you’ll . . . Well, you know. The joke just writes itself. Or maybe: La Nora writes the kind of heroes that can come 73 times. In one night! Only, I can’t remember if she does that whole hero=sex machine thing. It usually annoys me, so I feel like I’d remember. But it’s possible that I get all swept away with her awesomeness and just don’t notice.
Though I agree with everything listed, I have a couple of comfort re-reads I didn’t see mentioned.
Stanislaksi’s—Mikhail’s story in particular (Luring a Lady)
Cordina Family!—Bennet’s book (The Playboy Prince)
Dance of Dreams—old school Nora (with Russian ballet dancer Nikolai)
These are all old (short) romances that I find myself picking up a lot since you can read them again so quickly!
What Jessie said: where are the MacGregors?!?!?! “The MacGregor Grooms” were the first Nora Roberts novels I’ve ever read. I bought the book back in November 2000 as an exchange student in Galway (= very windy & rainy + many used bookstores = PERFECT for indulging in one’s reading addiction). 🙂
Does anyone have an opinion on her Sign of Seven trilogy? (Blood Brothers, The Hollow, The Pagan Stone)
I won them as part of a group of books, but I’m wondering whether I should move them up in my tbr pile, or go for something listed here as my “first” Nora Roberts instead. (I’ve read most of the In Death series)
This seems like a better place to ask, than the recommendations post did.
I want to read some of these. I really do. Except I spent all day yesterday reading the new JR Ward book, (I KNOW they’re bad for me but I LOVE them…), and now I can’t see anything closer than my computer screen. I think I broke my eyeballs. Making a Nora list though and will get busy in a day or two.
Lostshadows @ #11: I’ve read the Sign of Seven trilogy and liked it _mostly_. I say mostly, on the grounds that to me, normally an SF/F reader, it read like Nora was trying to do an urban fantasy series—and so my worldbuilding expectations had been adjusted to “SF/F” and they kinda shouldn’t have been. There are some deliciously creepy sequences in it. But I felt like at the end, all the buildup of creepy didn’t pay off as well as it should have done.
I do like all the characters, and I particularly liked the relationship in Book 3, but there was an aspect of the resolution of everybody’s relationships that I didn’t care for that I can’t mention because spoilers.
I’d call it a B effort. I tend to like Nora way better when she’s not going paranormal, just because of the aforementioned worldbuilding expectations adjustments I have to do. 😉
P.S. to all: I didn’t get a chance before to mention one of my Nora favorites, Tribute! I ADORE her hero in that one, Ford, who is a graphic novelist and one of my geeky, geeky tribe. Who has BOTH versions of Battlestar Galactica on DVD. And who, when the heroine asserts that love is her kryptonite, actually knows about about the Superman mythos to half-seriously ask her which kind. ;D
And I’m behind on current Noras! I gotta get Witness and Whiskey Beach when the latter drops!
Thanks for this post! I’ve somehow managed to never read a Nora, but I’ve been wanting to and didn’t know where to start. Plus, recently I bought a few “grab bag” boxes of 80s and 90s romances from the used bookstore (40 books per box for 15 dollars – how could I not give those a home?) and there are a bunch of Nora books in there, including some of these. So yay, now I know where to being. 🙂
This is an awesome post. But why are NR’s backlist books SO expensive on the Kindle? I looked at The Witness at it is listed at $18 CDN! Almost all of the others are over $10 Cdn. I am going to bookmark this post to come back to when I’m feeling richer…
I am a HUGE Nora fan. I own all of her books, except for “Promise Me Tomorrow”, of course, and the Chesapeake series. I am one of the few who do not love the Chesapeake series. I don’t know, they just never grabbed me. If I had to pick a favorite trilogy, I’d pick the “Dream” books, hands down. I love stories about friendships that last through the years, and Nora can do that like no one else. As for the stand alone’s, I’d probably pick “Tribute”. That book is my comfort food.
I went on a Nora Roberts kick for a few years, but haven’t read any in the last… 7 or 8 years? (Wow, a lot longer than I realized.) I personally like the stand alones better than the triologies, but that holds for me for most authors, and I like romantic suspense, which she does extremely well, and which those tend to be. Montana Sky is definitely a favorite, (although I’d say suspense elements, not full suspense).
And I definitely second the MacGregors as a classic romance family.
I would like to give honorable mention to the Stanislanskis. There is something about that close knit family that gets my attention.
Also, I feel it worth mentioning that several of the books on the master list have been made into tv movies (some of them quite good). Montana Sky being the best, Carnal Innocence, Angels Fall (with Heather Locklear, lol), and Tribute (with Brittany Murphy). These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. They’re all pretty entertaining.
Almost forgot! Midnight Bayou is a movie too. Or I could just link you to the IMDB NR page. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0731465/?ref_=tt_ov_wr
I love Nora Roberts and in extension, JD Robb. I am working my way through her older books.
I love her suspense/romance because, well, I love crime books. Add a little romance and I am so for it! I loved The Witness, The Search, Chasing Fire, Northern Lights, and Birthright, and Midnight Bayou and especially love her trilogies. My favorite is the Three Sisters trilogy and the In The Garden trilogy is great as well. But, I do like them all. There are too many to name here.
The only ones I have not been able to get into are the Circle Trilogy.
Has anyone seen any of the Lifetime Movies based on some of her books? They did Northern Lights, Montana Sky, Midnight Bayou, High Noon (another good book) and possibly one or two more.
She is an author I always come back to and I reread her books constantly.
I have read most of these, but it looks like there are a few I haven’t yet read. I agree with the one reader’s thoughts about Brianna from the Born In series. I loved her when I read that series. My grandmother ran a bed and breakfast in Washington, Louisiana, and I have a great aunt who still runs one there. I loved their homes, their cooking, and the way they make everyone comfortable. Maybe someday I’ll buy a house that’s too big for me and my husband and make other people comfortable too.
@Angela Korra’ti #13
Thanks! Sounds like I should probably start elsewhere and circle back to these.
Blue Smoke is actually one of my favourites and a really great story.
When it comes to the movies, they are a rather mixed bag, going from truly, truly awful (Carnal Innocence IS TERRIBLE), to bad casting decisions (Angel’s Fall, because HEATHER LOCKLEAR? REALLY?), to sort of awkward (Tribute, Midnight Bayou), to really successfully done (Montana Sky, Carolina Moon). I’d say they’re about 85% well done, though.
It seems we can’t stop talking about the love for La Nora!
After the last thread I also thought about the MacGregors. I love, love the Alan/Grant book. Alan the handsome suave urbanite and Grant the cranky hermit cartoonist. Some good stuff for sure. The MacGregor Brides, especially the story with “Twelve Days of Christmas” gifts is priceless..
And the Donovans too. I love the first story about the witch with the shop in downtown Carmel and the Horror movie writer. It’s very funny with a good magic vibe.
So what I think is……start with The MacGregors or The Donovans then go on to Chesapeake Bay Saga (I sob my heart out when reading the fourth book) then read The Irish Books. I like the Born In trilogy. My mom who started reading NR from the get-go loves The Gallaghers of Ardmore and says Jude Murray is the best of heroines. It’s all so subjective, right?
I am looking forward to Whiskey Beach. I really liked The Witness, it was different from her past RS books. I’m with you Sarah about the evil lurking in my brain after dark, which is why I haven’t read some of her RS books and the supernaturals , but I gotta say I love the In Death series. Eve Dallas is the best!
I want to say thank you for the heads up on the romantic suspense. I will avoid those as I prefer my romance stories to cause a giggle or laugh not a sleepless night. I have scenes from three books I can immediately recall because of the trama they caused me by being very well written & brutal scenes (a rape, a stoning of a dog, and a murder scene).
I have never read one of Nora’s books so I also thank you for this list. Some sound quite delightful.
@15: that’s what libraries are for! Many libraries now have downloadable ebooks too. I would have been pissed if I’d paid money for the one and only Nora Roberts book I’ve read 🙂 (That said, the writing wasn’t bad, just the story and male lead, so maybe I’ll check out some of these recommendations.)
Side note to people who complained about threaded comments… not having them guarantees less comment-comment interaction, because it’s so hard to follow. Why did you complain and make Sarah disappear them?
@Charon:http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/blog/new-commenting
@JacquiC: The Witness comes out in MMPB in April, so the e-book price might come down.
Chesapeake Bay Series for sure! And be grateful that Chesapeake Blue is already available so you don’t have to spend years wondering if she’d do a “Seth” book! My second faves are Jewels of the Sun series and The Born in…series. Both set in Ireland, one of my favorite places in the world! I go back to them time and again for a mini vacation whenever the wanderlust sets in. I am surprised no one mentioned the MacGregor clan. They are certainly a guilty pleasure and so much fun because you can read like 20 at once! I am a big fan of the extended families and although this one is very glitzy, they are also very lovable and entertaining. All that being said, I have read most of her backlist and I have to say I really enjoy almost anything she’s written. The paranormals are sometimes a bit much for me. The creepy little boy in the Circle series definitely lingered in my nightmares for awhile. And her suspense/crime based books have just enough well developed romance to see me through the gritty sad parts.
RANT FOLLOWS BE WARNED:
OK, I’ve been a fan of La Nora for a LONG time and have most of these books in paper, a few in hardcover and a number in audio. I thought I’d buy one of the Chesapeake Bay books and maybe a few more which I don’t seem to own for my Kindle. $7.99!!! Are they kidding?
I’ll pick a paperback up at a used bookstore for maybe a buck. OR, I could order a used one for $3.99 from Amazon. ALL these books seem to cost $7.99 for eformat. I am absolutely not willing to pay that price for a 1998 copyright book readily available in paper for half that price.
OR, there are these entities called LIBRARIES where I can read these books when I want. They’ll borrow a copy through interlibrary loan for me if their copy has worn out. What a lost opportunity for the publisher! Readers, even fans, aren’t stupid.
I am a huge fan of J.D. Robb’s (aka Nora) In Death series. Those are not romances, but suspense murder, etc. However, this series has to me one of the best couples in the literary world, in Eve & Roarke. So in this case, romance does play a big part.
I really liked the Chesapeake Bay series too. That, and several of her other series have lots of old house fixer-upper pr0n. If you want to see some men hammering, sawing, stripping, sanding, and shellacking, Nora’s your gal. I like her blue collar heroes better than her billionaires.
However, I definitely recommend that everyone read the first two of the ‘in Death’ books, “Naked in Death” and “Glory in Death”, even if you don’t like crime procedurals. They’re keepers for me. In the first one, Roarke and Dallas first meet. She loses a button off her suit jacket and he carries it around in his pocket throughout the book, and maybe even into the second book, where their relationship is still being established. The heroine, Dallas, is not really interested in a committed relationship, but Roarke gets on her good side by bribing her with coffee. It’s apparently really hard to get a decent cup of coffee in futuristic New York, which makes me glad I don’t live there. I dropped out of the series after around 8 or 9 books, because the violence got too extreme, and was not good bedtime reading.
@Karin: I’m reading the seventh book in the In Death series right now and Roarke’s still got the button!
MacKade brothers all the way!!! Shane is my fav.
I am also very fond of the MacGreggors; the one with Gennie and Grant is One Man’s Art, by the way.
I’ve read all the in death series and Roarke still has the button.
Best thing that ever happened to broaden my reading horizons was a co-worker years ago with whom I would exchange a “Bag O’Books” every month or so. She gave me a bag that had a buttload of Nora books in it, and I was less than enthusiastic. I was leery of someone who had a bazillion books out…how could they possibly not all be the same thing? Heidi said “Tough shit, read ‘em.” I have been completely hooked ever since then. I couldn’t even tell you what my first one was, just that I love most all of them. The Gallaghers are my favorite, followed by the Key trilogy.
Hi, I’m just now catching up on the blog and saw this. I worked at the library book sale and met a lady who had just discovered Nora. The only one we had was the Night Series in a TSPB issue for 50c. I hope she likes it. I did when I read it years ago. I still go back to her oldies, Tril: BORN IN, CHESAPEAKE, IRISH, KEY, DREAM. Not so crazy about the new ones, they’re OK for a 1 time deal.
I thought THE WITNESS was the best in years; since like CI, 3F, MS. No ONe mentioned BLACK HILLS.
I listen to most all of them. Thank god, she gets good readers to narate. Funnily MONTANA SKY was originally read by the late, great Anna Fields. Then it moved to a new publisher and was re- read by someont no nearly as good. If you are in to Audios, keep a lookout for the first, best Anna Fields.
I thought the movies were AWFUL.
Can’t wait for WHISKEY BEACH. Amazon doesn’t do early reviews anymore. Rats!
ps. I won lots of her books. Everything except the Very first.
You may also have a job and other obligations that require your immediate attention. So what are you going to do if there are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done? Well, we at best-term-paper.org have the answer that you’ve been looking for! Make the decision to buy college papers from us and have time for everything else!
paper writers
@ SBSarah
@ Dhiman Sarkar
W T F ???