Romance Author Reading Time Calculator
Calculate Your Reading Time
Nora Roberts
Over 220 books since 1981 (4+ books/year)
Top Competitors
There’s no official crown for the #1 romance author. No academy hands out a medal. No sales chart declares a winner once and for all. But if you walk into any bookstore, scroll through Amazon’s romance bestsellers, or listen to book clubs across the U.S., the U.K., Australia, or Canada - one name keeps showing up more than any other: Nora Roberts.
Why Nora Roberts Keeps Winning
Nora Roberts didn’t just write romance novels. She turned them into cultural events. Since her first book came out in 1981, she’s published over 220 novels. That’s more than four books a year, every year, for over 40 years. And they don’t just sell - they dominate. In 2024 alone, she had seven titles in Amazon’s top 100 romance books. Three of them cracked the top 10.What makes her different? It’s not just the numbers. It’s the consistency. Her stories aren’t just about love. They’re about people rebuilding their lives after loss, finding strength in silence, healing through connection. Her characters aren’t perfect. They’re messy, stubborn, funny, and real. A woman who runs a bakery while grieving her husband. A firefighter who can’t say ‘I love you’ but shows it by showing up. A billionaire who learns to cook for someone he cares about.
She doesn’t chase trends. She sets them. When paranormal romance took off in the 2000s, she wrote Born in Ice and Dark Witch. When readers wanted small-town charm, she gave them the In Death series under her J.D. Robb pen name - which sold over 50 million copies. When emotional depth became the new standard, she doubled down on family dynamics, trauma recovery, and quiet courage.
She’s Not Just Popular - She’s a Business
Roberts doesn’t rely on luck. She built a machine. She writes six days a week. She starts at 7 a.m. and finishes by 3 p.m. She doesn’t wait for inspiration. She shows up. That discipline is why her books are always ready. Readers know: if it’s Tuesday, a new Nora Roberts book is dropping.Her publisher, Putnam, doesn’t just market her books - they plan around them. Bookstores set up dedicated Nora Roberts displays. Libraries schedule reading groups. Online book clubs wait for her release dates like they’re concert tickets. In 2023, her novel The Witness sold 180,000 copies in its first week. That’s more than most debut authors sell in their entire careers.
She also owns the rights to her work. That means she controls adaptations, audiobooks, translations, and merch. Her books are available in 35 languages. Audiobooks narrated by her longtime collaborator, January LaVoy, regularly top Audible’s romance charts. There’s even a Nora Roberts-themed cruise that sells out every year.
Who Else Is in the Running?
You can’t talk about the top romance authors without naming others. Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series exploded after the Netflix adaptation. Her books are charming, witty, and full of aristocratic drama - perfect for viewers who love costumes and banter. But her output is slower. She writes one book every 18 to 24 months.Emily Henry’s books - like Book Lovers and Bookish Boyfriends - are huge with Gen Z. Her tone is self-aware, funny, and full of meta humor. She’s the author people quote on TikTok. But her books are more niche. They appeal to readers who like clever dialogue and bookish settings. She’s not writing 50 books a decade. She’s writing three.
Then there’s Colleen Hoover. Her sales are insane. It Ends With Us sold over 10 million copies. She’s the queen of emotional gut-punches. But her books are polarizing. Some readers call her raw and powerful. Others say her stories are too dark, too repetitive. She doesn’t write series. She writes standalone heartbreaks. That’s not the same as building a long-running brand.
Nora Roberts? She writes them all. Cozy romances. Suspenseful thrillers with love stories. Historical epics. Contemporary dramas. She’s written about cowboys, billionaires, witches, detectives, and single moms raising kids in the mountains. She’s the only author who can be the top seller in every romance subgenre at the same time.
What Makes a Romance Author #1?
It’s not just about sales. It’s about reach. It’s about influence. It’s about who readers come back to - again and again.Think about it: when someone says, “I love romance novels,” what’s the first name they mention? For most, it’s Nora Roberts. Not because she’s the flashiest. Not because she’s the youngest. But because she’s the most reliable. She’s the one you pick when you need comfort. When you need escape. When you need to believe in love - not the fairy-tale kind, but the kind that grows in quiet moments, over coffee, after silence, after pain.
She’s the author who taught millions how to read romance as more than fantasy. Romance as resilience. Romance as choice. Romance as the quiet act of showing up, day after day, even when you’re afraid.
Her Legacy Isn’t Just Books - It’s a Movement
Roberts didn’t just write stories. She gave permission. To women who were told romance was “just fluff.” To readers who felt ashamed for liking love stories. To writers who thought they needed to be literary to be taken seriously.She proved that emotional truth matters more than clever prose. That a well-told love story can heal. That a woman’s journey - whether she’s a widow, a single mom, or a CEO - deserves to be the center of the narrative.
Today, you’ll find young writers citing her as their inspiration. Not because she’s perfect, but because she showed up. Every day. For 40 years. Without fanfare. Without stopping.
Is There a New #1 Coming?
Maybe. There are talented writers rising. Talia Hibbert writes diverse, joyful romances with Black heroines. Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue broke barriers for LGBTQ+ romance. But none have matched Roberts’ volume, consistency, or cross-genre dominance.And here’s the thing: romance readers don’t want one new star. They want a steady stream of stories they can trust. Roberts gives them that. She’s not the loudest. But she’s the most present.
If you want to know who the #1 romance author is - look at the shelves. Look at the sales. Look at the readers who keep coming back. The answer isn’t a mystery. It’s right there, in every bookstore, in every library, in every reader’s nightstand.
Is Nora Roberts the best romance author of all time?
There’s no official title for “best of all time,” but Nora Roberts has the highest lifetime sales, most consistent output, and broadest genre influence of any romance writer. She’s sold over 500 million copies worldwide. No other romance author comes close in both quantity and cultural impact.
What’s the difference between Nora Roberts and Colleen Hoover?
Nora Roberts writes across multiple subgenres - cozy, suspense, historical, paranormal - with strong character arcs and emotional depth. Colleen Hoover focuses on intense, often traumatic contemporary romances with high emotional stakes. Roberts builds long-running series and universes. Hoover writes standalone novels designed to break your heart. Both are popular, but they serve different reader needs.
Why do people call Nora Roberts the “queen of romance”?
She’s earned it through decades of consistent, high-quality output. She doesn’t chase trends - she defines them. Her books are translated into 35 languages, adapted into TV shows, and read by millions every year. She’s the only romance author with a dedicated fan cruise and a publishing schedule that rivals a production line.
Are Nora Roberts’ books only for women?
No. While her core audience is women, her books have strong male leads, gripping plots, and universal themes like resilience, loyalty, and healing. Many male readers enjoy her suspense novels under the J.D. Robb name. Book clubs with mixed gender groups often pick her books because they work for everyone.
Where should I start if I’ve never read Nora Roberts?
Try Three Sisters - it’s a family drama with three sisters, each getting their own love story. It’s emotional, warm, and shows her range. If you like suspense, start with Montana Sky. If you want something lighter, The Witness blends romance with mystery in a small-town setting. All are standalone novels, so you don’t need to read them in order.
Does Nora Roberts still write new books?
Yes. She published two novels in 2024 and has two more scheduled for 2025. She writes six days a week and shows no signs of slowing down. Her 2025 release, The Last Light, is already on pre-order lists and expected to hit #1 on Amazon’s romance chart within days of release.
What to Read Next
If you loved Nora Roberts, try these next:- Book Lovers by Emily Henry - for witty, bookish charm
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover - for raw, emotional intensity
- The Duke and I by Julia Quinn - for Regency-era sparkle
- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - for queer love with heart
- Dark Witch by Nora Roberts - if you want to go deeper into her paranormal world
There’s no single definition of the #1 romance author. But if you’re looking for the writer who’s shaped the genre, inspired millions, and never stopped showing up - the answer is clear.
