Read-Alike Monday: Nora Roberts

Among the most popular writers of today, Nora Roberts writes satisfying genre-crossing romantic stories, featuring passionate, resourceful heroines and strong, empathetic heroes. Each story emphasizes relationships with family and friends while providing details of careers or adventure. Some recent titles include a paranormal element but a resolved, happy ending remains crucial to all of her tales. Her books may appeal to readers who do not usually read romance. 

READ-ALIKES:

Catherine Coulter: 
Catherine Coulter began her career writing historical romances, but currently writes contemporary romantic suspense. Her historical novels feature dashing heroes, strong heroines, and a sense of humor. Her suspense novels also feature strong female protagonists, and her latest series has an FBI theme.

Barbara Delinsky:
Barbara Delinsky began by writing contemporary Romances, but now writes fiction focused on contemporary women and their lives and relationships. Delinsky's skillfully developed characters are central to her stories, as they struggle to resolve difficulties in their lives. Plots reflect universal themes, such as compromise and reconciliation, and there is a romantic tone throughout. Delinsky's novels unfold at a leisurely pace, in part because they are set in small towns, as readers are pulled into these sensitive stories.

Jayne Ann Krentz:
As one of the top names in Romance, Jayne Ann Krentz writes Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense under her own name, and Historical and Futuristic Romances under her pseudonyms. Readers love her quirky characters, lively sense of humor, and dialog-driven scenes. Despite contemporary settings, these books emphasize traditional values such as trust, honor and commitment. Krentz usually uses a dual point of view, to allow the reader to experience the innermost feelings of both the male and female protagonists, as they grow in their relationship.

Linda Howard:
Linda Howard is known for her edgy and sensual Romances with sexy, tough heroes and women who know themselves and what they want. Although she has written other types of Romance, Howard writes mainly Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense. The romantic relationship is the most important element of these stories. Attraction between the main characters is immediate, with respect following soon after and trust taking a while longer. Howard's stories are fast-paced and she uses dialogue and multiple points of view to move the stories forward.

Elizabeth Adler:
Elizabeth Adler's enduring popularity can be attributed to her dedication to telling compelling stories about like-able characters who have interesting careers and live in exotic locales. The element of suspense adds a bit of urgency to the challenges the characters face, though readers still feel as if they are lounging on the sun-drenched patio of an Italian villa or strolling among the ripening fruit of a French vineyard, as they follow engaging stories that involve large casts filled with recognizable characters.