I don’t know about you, but I’ve been reading Nora Roberts’ books for years now. I remember glomming her MacGregor series years ago, and re-reading them to death!!
In fact, up until last year, I used to read her stuff constantly. Since then though, I’ve found myself taking longer and longer to finish her books.
In fact there was a particular Nora book that I started reading, and never got round to finishing.
In terms of her best work, I still have many of her stuff from 1985, and I have to say, in my opinion that year saw her produce some of her best books (this may just be nostalgia talking). Books like, One Man’s Art, All the Possibilities, Tempting Fate, Nightmoves etc, were amongst my best ever reads (they were then anyway) but I find that her more recent work almost has a lazy feel to them. Does that make sense? I honestly don’t believe that she has the same passion for writing as she used to.
I re-read ‘For The Love of Lilah’ about a month ago, and I still enjoyed it as much as I had the first time I’d ever read it, the same cannot be said for her more recent offerings.
I can’t really put my finger on it, but there is definitely something missing for me personally.
I wonder if she has been hit by the McDonald’s syndrome. Millions of people still eat Big Macs, but how many people really enjoy them? Personally my reasons for going to a McDonald’s rather than any other burger restaurant is because I know exactly what to expect, the food is bland, but it fills a hole, and I know that there wont be any nasty surprises waiting for me. I can’t help but make the comparisons with a Nora Roberts book.
So, what’s your opinion on Nora? Is she at the top of her game, or just living off her name?
somethingsicantsay
May 9
5:29 pm
pretty damn interesting blog
Jenn
May 9
7:10 pm
I use to love Nora Roberts but now her books are predictable. I prefer and still enjoy her JD Robb stories very much.
The lastest trilogy she has out under Nora Roberts I have not read and cannot work up any ethusiam to do so.
Kristie (J)
May 10
1:59 am
I gave up on her midway through the first book of the witches trilogy. I realized that all her trilogies were repeating themselves over and over again. There’s the trampy heroine, then there’s the workaholic heroine and finally we have the earthmother heroine. I still think she’s a terrific writer and anyone just starting in romance I would recommend they read her without question, but I’d read almost every single book up till that one and I reached my saturation point. I still read and love the JD Robb books though – 20 books later.
Tammy
May 10
1:18 pm
Good analogy, I haven’t read her books in years, I do agree with everyone though about her JD Robb books.
Karen Scott
May 10
3:59 pm
Thanks somethingsicantsay *g*
I agree Jenn, definitely predictable, I must try her JD Robb stuff!
Kristie, that formula seems to be one that an awful lot of authors use quite a lot, I recognise, grumpy, slutty, and Earthy in lots of other trilogies too!
Tammy, the consensus so far seems to be that her JD Robb books are great, so I’ll have to have try one!
Ella
May 15
8:49 pm
In other words her books are crap now! You could have saved yourself lots of time and effort by just saying that, lol
Karen Scott
May 15
10:40 pm
Then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of hearing my own voice rabbit on then would I? (g)