Nora Roberts Net Worth

How much is Nora Roberts worth?

About Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts was born Eleanor Marie Robertson on October 10, 1950 and is an American author with an estimated net worth of $400 million. Nora Roberts is only daughter and youngest of five children, she learned to live amongst men early on. She married young and worked as a legal secretary before having children. She has two sons, Jason and Dan. Roberts met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build book shelves for her. They were married in July 1985.

Roberts started writing during a blizzard in 1979 when her two sons were home from school and she was on the verge of going stir crazy. She picked up a number two pencil and notepad and started writing story ideas.

Roberts published her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, in 1981. To date, she has published more than 160 books that have been translated into more than 25 different languages.

Roberts publishes some of her books under the pseudonym J.D. Robb because her publishers thought she was writing too many books each year to be published under one name. She chose the “J” and “D” from her sons’ first initials and took “Robb” from “Roberts.”

Angels Fall

Angels Fall by Nora Roberts is part romance novel, part thriller. This dual-genre style was good and bad. While the mystery aspect created suspense that kept Angels Fall moving, it also made me tense and anxious while reading, which isn’t necessarily what you want from a romance novel. On the other hand, the love story and sex slowed down the mystery so much that the pages didn’t turn as quickly as in a typical thriller. I would rate Angels Fall as average and wait until it is out in paperback.

Angels Fall starts with Reece Gilmore’s car breaking down in Angel’s Fist. Reece takes that as a sign and decides to stay in the town for a day, then a week, then a month. Through dreams and flashbacks we learn that Reece was the victim of a brutal crime back in Boston, and that after the crime she checked herself into a psychiatric hospital to recover. Not able to shake fully free of her past in Boston, Reece headed across the country in search of sanity.

Angels Fall revolves around Reece’s life in Angel’s Fist and how she copes with witnessing another murder. The novel has three main subplots–the murder mystery, Reece’s romance with a local in Angel’s Fist, and Reece’s climb back to sanity. The three subplots weave together well, lending some depth to the novel.

Overall, I thought Angels Fall was only an average read. Romance is not my favorite genre, which may be why I got a little impatient with some of the drawn out sex scenes. Still, I think part of the problem is that the mystery actually was compelling, so I wanted the novel to move faster than Roberts let it.

Morrigan’s Cross

Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts is the first book in her 2006 paranormal Circle Trilogy. The goddess Morrigan commissions a group of six to fight the demon Lilith and her army of vampires. This premise combined with the fact that Morrigan’s Cross was released straight to mass market paperback made me not expect much from the story. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. With a willing suspension of disbelief, I found Morrigan’s Cross very entertaining.

At mass market paperback price, Morrigan’s Cross is a deal. It is what a good paperback should be: quick, entertaining and not too heavy. If it requires a willing suspension of disbelief, that should not be a surprise. What is a surprise is how well the characters are developed and how much I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Morrigan’s Cross starts with a grandfather telling a story of a sorcerer. This seems almost incidental, and I actually forgot that the novel was a story within a story until the grandfather reappeared at the end.

The main action begins with a sorcerer, Hoyt, on cliffs in Ireland in 1128 fighting the demon queen who has just turned his brother into a vampire. Within a few chapters, the action moves to the present day. Hoyt travels through a portal to find the five people the goddess Morrigan has told him will fight Lilith with him.

If this all sounds sort of silly to you, I understand. The description of the book did not appeal to me either. Fortunately, Roberts writes in a way that draws the reader in. She also takes time to develop the characters, making the story more interesting than your average paperback novel.

There is, of course, romance. At times it was a little hard for me to get through the saccharine love scenes. Overall, however, I was pleased with Morrigan’s Cross. I recommend it for any Nora Roberts fans or others looking for easy beach reading.

Dance of the Gods

Dance of the Gods, the second book in Nora Roberts’ Circle Trilogy, continues the story of the circle of six commissioned by Morrigan in Morrigan’s Cross to fight an army of vampires led by Lilith. Dance of the Gods provides further character development, a new (and more interesting) romance, and a page turning plot. I enjoyed Dance of the Gods even more than Morrigan’s Cross, and wanted to start the third book, Valley of Silence, as soon as I put it down.

Dance of the Gods will not disappoint fans of Morrigan’s Cross. In fact, I was even more pleased by Dance of the Gods than I was by the first book in the Circle Trilogy, perhaps because I was already invested in the characters and story.

By the same token, those who did not enjoy Morrigan’s Cross will probably not like Dance of the Gods. Dance merely picks up where Morrigan’s Cross left off, but is the same story. Similarly, Dance of the Gods does not stand on its own as a novel. It should only be read as part of the Circle Trilogy.

In Dance of the Gods, we learn more about Larkin and Blair. Blair’s past is explained, and comes back to haunt her as she continues training for the battle against Lilith. A romance blossoms between Larkin and Blair. Because of Blair’s issues and the fact that the two are from different worlds, the romance is more complex than the one that developed between Hoyt and Glenna in the first novel. For that reason, I found it more interesting.

Dance of the Gods starts in Ireland and ends in Geall. Like Morrigan’s Cross, it does not have a true ending. It does, however, draw readers deeper into the battle between good and evil and foreshadow an even more intriguing romance in the third novel. Overall, I would recommend Dance of the Gods to anyone looking for a good book to escape into. Be warned, though, you will want to read the next novel as soon as you finish this one.

Valley of Silence

Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts is the last and best book in Roberts’ Circle Trilogy. All the development from Morrigan’s Cross and Dance of the Gods climaxes in Valley of Silence as the circle of six reaches the final showdown with Lilith and her army. Valley of Silence focuses on Moira and Cian, two of the most complex and interesting characters in the Trilogy. Their romantic struggle adds another element of suspense to the narrative. Fans of the previous books will not be disappointed.

If you have read Morrigan’s Cross and Dance of the Gods, you know what to expect from Nora Roberts’ Valley of Silence. It is a fast-moving paranormal thriller about a group of six commissioned by the goddess Morrigan to fight an army of vampires and save humankind. As cheesy as that premise may sound, these books are actually rather enjoyable. Roberts writes an engaging story that is great for anyone who wants to escape normal life and read the adult version of a fairy tale.

Valley of Silence is the strongest book in the Circle Trilogy, perhaps because it has more development (from the first two books) to back up the plot. I also enjoyed the romance in this novel more than in the previous two. Again, I think that has to do with Roberts taking advantage of character development from the first two books. Where Hoyt and Glenna’s romance in Morrigan’s Cross felt a little rushed and simplistic to me, Cian’s and Moira’s in Valley of Silence is built up better and contains more complexity.

Valley of Silence does not work on its own, so if you have not read the first two books in the trilogy, you need to check them out first. If you have, I’m sure you don’t need my recommendation to know that Valley of Silence is one you will not want to miss.

Roberts was a victim of plagiarism by Cristiane Serruya, in 2019. As of 2023, Nora Roberts’ net worth is estimated to be $400 million.