Blogger and avid reader, Rosario, shares her 12 favorite Nora Roberts books with TGTBTU’s readers.  Read on for some fond La Nora moments and remembrances. Share your own in the comments!
My 12 favourite Nora Roberts books (and I’m not even considering the In Deaths!)
1 – Born in Fire (1st in the Concannon Sisters trilogy) – A bit of a sentimental favourite, since this was my first NR, way back in the mid-90s. This is the quintessential ‘Nora’ for me. There’s beautifully done family dynamics, a truly strong heroine who’s not afraid of being a bit bitchy at times (and how I appreciated that, after years of reading heroines who were either doormats or feisty idiots, no middle ground!) and a dreamy hero.
2 – Midnight Bayou – Ahhh, Declan. I think I might like him even more than Roarke (just a tiny, little bit, ok?). And Lena’s none too shabby, either. There’s also a really creepy ghost story with a very surprising twist.
3 – Birthright – This one’s about a woman who discovers she was stolen from her parents when she was a baby. The romance is great, but what I loved best was the way the development of her relationship with her birth family was handled.
4 – Sea Swept (1st in the Chesapeake Bay trilogy) – Many people’s favourite, I believe. The whole trilogy’s fantastic, especially for the relationship between the four brothers.
5 – Hidden Riches – Dora and Jed are so *fun* together. Love how he tries to be sour around her but just can’t manage it.
6 – Black Rose (2nd in the In The Garden trilogy) – An older than usual couple and a relationship without great angst that Roberts still managed to make fascinating to read about. And a ghost. I love her ghosts!
7 – Heaven and Earth (2nd in the Three Sisters trilogy) – I love geeky heroes, and Mac also had this David Duchovny vibe going on. I loved seeing him capture grumpy Ripley’s heart.
8 – Blue Smoke – A big, juicy, almost saga-like story, featuring a tough, driven woman and an easygoing beta of a hero. And lots of lovely family dynamics. [Ed.: Click on the cover to get this as a new hardcover for under $2, that’s right, 200-pennies.]
9 – Holding the Dream (2nd in the Dream trilogy) – Another one that should be read both for the romance and for the family relationships. In this case, Roberts shows that she does friendship among women just as excellently as she does it among men.
10 – Dance of the Gods (2nd in the Circle trilogy) – I loved this trilogy, with it’s epic good vs. evil battle and its very scary horror elements, as well as the relationship and teamwork between the six protagonists. This second book was the one with my favourite romance.
11 – High Noon – This is for those who say Roberts keeps writing the same characters. Phoebe is NOT Eve Dallas, no matter how superficially similar they seem at first. She’s just as strong as Eve, though, but in a completely different way.
12 – Dance to the Piper (2nd in the The O’Hurleys trilogy) – I read this one quite recently, and it felt almost like a historical. A very recent historical (this is from the 80s, after all). Manhattan 20 years ago, Broadway musicals, etc. Fun! And I loved the cheerful, optimistic heroine who refuses to play the hero’s games. [Ed.: The cover links to a compilation of both O’Hurley books, “Born O’Hurley.”]
(Join Rosario at her Reading Journal.)
