The Best of the Best: Where to Start With Nora Roberts Books

Discover the wonders of Nora Robert’s Irish Hearts trilogy. Included in this bundle are Irish Thoroughbred, Irish Rose and Irish Rebel. 

Robert’s debut novel that started her prolific career, Irish Thoroughbred, introduces readers to Adelia Cunnane, who. isleft directionless after her aunt passes and her family farm has been sold. Adelia decides to travel to America from her home in Ireland, where her uncle has promised great opportunity awaits. Her new job at the Maryland horse farm is everything she had hoped for, but her budding feelings for her boss, Travis Grant, may compromise everything she has worked hard to achieve. 

In Irish Rose, Erin McKinnon accepts a bookkeeping position in America after charismatic Burke Logan convinces her to leave her small town of Skibbereen, Ireland, to work for him. Although both feel undeniable chemistry, Burke isn’t quite ready to tear down his walls—instead, he must protect Erin from a past secret that can hinder their love.

Irish Rebel follows Keeley Grant, who works on her family-owned farm, The Royal Meadows. There, she teaches children about the joy of riding and caring for horses. But the new horse trainer, Brian Donnelly, believes her to be a spoiled princess until he realizes that their hearts might be drawing closer together the longer they are around each other.   

A stellar collection of two romantic suspense novels, The Right Path follows Morgan James on her relaxing vacation in Greece, when suddenly, after a moonlit swim, her tranquil getaway is spoiled by a man wielding a knife and awaiting her on the shore. The next day, the man visits the home of her hosts and claims to be on a secret mission that requires Morgan’s trust. But can she ever be truly safe with this mysterious man? 

Partners is set in the captivating city of New Orleans, where investigative reporters Laurel Armand and Matthew Bates compete to cover the most compelling crime stories. But when the two are assigned to work on a murder case together, their professional partnership grows into a romantic relationship. With a dangerous criminal on the loose, they must keep their developing feelings from distracting them from the task at hand and potentially endangering their lives.   

This two-in-one volume contains two enchanting love stories featuring ballerinas. Reflections is about a passionate ballet teacher who adores her craft but hasn’t found a loving partner to share her life with. That is, until one of her student’s fathers, Seth Bannion, enters her life and allows her to dream of a future that contains both dance and romance.  

Dance of Dreams focuses on Ruth Bannion, a ballerina who worked tirelessly to gain attention from the audience, and Russian choreographer Nikolai Davidov, whose dance company she joined five years ago. Her dedication has paid off: she will be starring in a sensual ballet that is sure to garner attention from Nikolai—and not solely for her remarkable dancing technique.     

A Force of Nature contains two novels about unlikely couples who find love. Boundary Lines features the Barons and the Murdocks, two families who share a property line and want nothing to do with each other. Jillian Baron, the new inheritor of her grandfather’s ranch, is ready to squash the feud, but Aaron Murdock is not quite ready to let old resentments go. Will the two find that passionate hatred can just as easily become electrifying chemistry? 

Left to take over his late father’s circus family business, strait-laced lawyer Keane Prescott is not looking forward to working with clowns. However, after meeting Jovilette Wilder—an impressive lion tamer—he welcomes his adventurous side and opens his heart to an unpredictable romance in Untamed. 

Nora Robert’s two-story collection of Christmas romances will warm you up on cold winter nights. In A Will and a Way, Pandora McVie must spend six months living with her co-beneficiary of her late uncle’s Catskill mansion. She finds Michael Donohue insufferable but also strangely alluring. It appears that her beloved uncle has not only gifted her a generous fortune but might have introduced her to the love of her life. 

In Robert’s touching novel Home for Christmas, Jason Law, a successful, well-traveled journalist, feels he made a mistake spending a decade focusing on other people’s lives rather than cultivating a love of his own. But now it’s Christmas, and he has found his way back to his hometown of Quiet Valley, New Hampshire, where he plans on regaining his past love’s trust and affection.

Set in the hectic world of wedding planning, these four books follow a group of friends who are experts at creating the perfect wedding for others but are less adept at dealing with their own love lives. 

Vision in White is an especially good place to start because it features one of Roberts' most adorable romantic heroes: The socially awkward but ever-so-sweet nerdy teacher Carter! Everything you could want from a contemporary romance series is here.

Roberts can do paranormal romance like the best of them, but her most recent foray into dystopian fiction has provided a much-needed injection of freshness into a flagging genre. Imagine Stephen King’s The Stand with greater focus on magic and you’re halfway there. 

Year One, the first in the trilogy, follows the immediate fallout of a devastating virus that wipes out billion of lives and revives a new age of witches, monsters, and demons in its wake. The series breathes new life into dystopian sci-fi and isn’t afraid to marry a plethora of genres. 

Romantic suspense is Roberts's bread and butter, and there are plenty of gripping titles to choose from in her extensive back-catalogue, but for our money, Whiskey Beach is a great starting point. After being accused but never arrested for the murder of his ex-wife, lawyer Eli Landon is looking for an escape. 

He finds a new home at Bluff House, situated above the eponymous Whiskey Beach, and finds a tricky companionship with Abra, a local woman of many talents. But there’s still a murderer on the loose, and the killer is determined to deal with Eli once and for all. Roberts crafts tension no one else, and Whiskey Beach is full of twists to keep you on your toes. 

Want to experience Nora Roberts in pure power-move territory? Roberts, a Maryland native, bought a derelict building in the town of Boonsboro, renovated it into a celebrated inn (with each room themed after an iconic romantic couple in literature), then wrote a trilogy of novels about a family of handsome brothers renovating an inn in Boonsboro! 

But these are no mere promotional stories. The Inn Boonsboro trilogy has all the great markers of a Roberts romance: Tough but tender men who work with their hands (phrasing), feisty heroines, and a few unexpected twists! The loving attention to setting makes this trilogy a must read. 

Four brothers, all adopted from the most horrifying childhood situations by the kindly Professor Quinn and his wife, find love amid the sea-swept shores of Chesapeake Bay. This saga of four novels takes on tough topics with Roberts's trademark skill, and offers a more hero-focused take on the genre. Prepare to cry a lot when reading this saga. 

For centuries, the ghost of the Harper Bride has haunted the halls of Harper House, singing lullabies at night to the family who have inhabited the mansion for generations. 

Now, a new trio of women are trying to unravel the identity of this specter. This paranormal-tinged romance has everything: Love, heartbreak, spirits, and gardening. 

Over the course of nine books and many novellas, the lives and loves of the MacGregor clan, stretching across generations, became one of the quintessential romance dynasties, up there with the Bridgertons! 

This is a loud, loving, and very entertaining family, so if you’re a fan of extended family sagas in romance, this is pure catnip. 

One of her newer releases, The Witness sees Roberts firing on all cylinders. This romantic suspense has everything: A swoon-worthy hero, a compelling heroine, dealings with the Russian mafia, a plan for revenge, propulsive pacing, murder, sex, and surprises. 

It's kind of the perfect Nora Roberts book, so if you don't want to commit to a whole series of books or just need a stand-alone read, this one is ideal.

One cannot recommend Nora Roberts without including her long-running and wildly successful crime series, written under the pseudonym J.D. Robb. New York Police and Security Department detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas is one of the city's finest officers, working in the Homicide Division in the mid-21st century. 

Having dealt with a brutal childhood, Dallas is determined to protect the victims of our near-future. Throw in some sci-fi elements, an unflinching gritty tone, and one hell of a romantic hero in the form of Roarke, and there's much to enjoy here, be you a lover of romance, crime fiction, or both. And there are 48 books to choose from!