Nora Roberts is not merely the romance novel genre's best-loved author — she is a publishing phenomenon. Roberts has over 200 works in print, from novellas written during her category romance days (beginning with Irish Thoroughbred in the 1980s) to mainstream mystery/romance novels (High Noon, Blue Smoke, Black Hills) to lighthearted pure romance (the Brides quartet) to a 20 Minutes into the Future straight-up mystery series (... In Death, writing as J.D. Robb).
Her name has become synonymous with romance at its finest, and most women have at least heard about her. The Romance Writers of America named their lifetime achievement award after her.
Famously has plagiarism of her works as a Berserk Button. Led the group that sent a sword
to Claire Ryan for her efforts against CopyPasteCris's plagiarism.
Series and Trilogies
- Dream Trilogy
- Born In Trilogy
- Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy
- Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy
- In the Garden Trilogy
- The Guardians Trilogy
- In Death Series
- Inn Boonsboro Trilogy
- Key Trilogy
- Macgregors Series
- Sign of Seven Trilogy
- The Bride Quartet
- The Circle Trilogy
- Three Sisters Island Trilogy
- Cordina Series
- Davidov Series
- Donovans Series
- Great Chefs Series
- Irish Hearts Trilogy
- Loving Jack Trilogy
- Night Tales Series
- O'Hurleys Series
- SS/BV Series
- Stars of Mithra Series
- The Calhouns Series
- The Mackade Brothers Series
- The Stanislaskis Series
- The Chesapeake Bay Saga
Stand Alones
- A Little Fate
- A Little Magic
- Angels Fall
- Birthright
- Black Hills
- Blue Smoke
- Carnal Innocence
- Carolina Moon
- Chasing Fire
- The Collector
- Divine Evil
- First Impressions
- Gabriel's Angel
- Genuine Lies
- Hidden Riches
- High Noon
- Homeport
- Honest Illusions
- Hot Ice
- The Liar
- Midnight Bayou
- Montana Sky
- Night Tales
- Northern Lights
- Private Scandals
- Public Secrets
- Rebellion
- The Reef
- Remember When
- River's End
- Sanctuary
- The Search
- Spellbound
- Sullivan's Woman
- Sweet Revenge
- Three Fates
- Tribute
- True Betrayals
- The Villa
- Whiskey Beach
- The Witness
Tropes commonly found in her works:
- Author Appeal:
- Scottish and Irish people or even people with that sort of ancestry frequently appear in her novels.
- There also tends to be a large, friendly, and hyperactive dog belonging to one of the main characters.
- Black Dude Dies First: Done rather blatantly in Morrigan's Cross, the first part of “The Circle” Trilogy, where the African-American King, the human assistant and best friend of Cian the vampire, is vampirized and killed. It's pretty obvious what's going to happen because (a) he is the only black guy in the story, and (b) there's 4 guys and 2 girls and it's a romance novel, so you have to get another girl in the mix somehow.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Her main characters will frequently have past traumas that they need to come to terms with as part of their story, often past abusive relationships or abusive relatives, dark family secrets, survivor guilt after tragic incidents, and the like.
- Freudian Trio: The heroines of her trilogies frequently form one in the persons of a sweet, motherly woman as Ego, a tough and tomboyish woman as Superego, and a fiery, glamorous woman as Id. Examples include former model Margo (Id), CPA Kate (Superego), and mother of two Laura (Ego) in the Dream trilogy, and Nell (Ego), Ripley (Superego), and Mia (Id) in the Three Sisters Island trilogy, among others. The trope is sometimes combined with Blonde, Brunette, Redhead as well.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Between 1987 and 1995 Roberts released a string of novels (unconnected except by genre) with titles like Sacred Sins, Honest Illusions, and Public Secrets.
- Likes Older Women: beta couples in Black Hills and The Villa
- Mrs. Robinson: Charlene Hidel , single widowed mother of main character's Love Interest, in Northern Lights.
- Romance Novel: She's written both the more stereotypical category type and the less obvious single title type. In recent years, her single titles have shifted into the Romantic Suspense/Romantic Thriller subgenre while her trilogies are either pure romance or have some paranormal elements in them.
- Even the In Death series which is an Urban Fantasy style series has romantic elements in the relationship between Eve and Roarke.
- Rule of Three: Her books are usually in trilogy, though justified since she likes to read about Wicca.
