Books & Music Any Romance book readers here on tPF
- Thread starter Ladybug09
- Start date
Definitely worth it..ps I said trilogy but there are 4 books, one for each of the girls.
So after I get the last installment of the Fever series by Karen Moning in the mail this week (so excited!!!!) I will be without a favorite romance author (until she writes more) lol I've read all of her other books. I went to Barnes and Noble last night to pick up a new book and ladies I was lost. I don't know if this is just me, but does anyone else get addicted to a certain author's style? This seems to happen a lot with me more so with romance than fiction, I think bc I get used to certain author's formulas and ideas and picking a romance is soooo overwhelming especially bc there's so many different series, let alone single books and you have to check to make sure it's the first in a series etc. I ended up getting one by Katie MacAlister since I tend to like any books with a paranormal theme thrown in and I'm liking it so far but ugh. Still feel overwhelmed lol. How do you guys pick your new authors? One of my friends has this funny ability of picking out random books and me loving them but as she's not around right now I'm stuck lol
i dont but my SIL is a huge fan of them, esp judith mcnought and mills and boons. ive read a few of the mills and boons, and minus a little bit of erotica, theyre not too bad. but i felt like most of the plots were the same.. rich guy has a one night fling with a girl he despises, she ends up pregnant with his child and OH! btw the guy is a super wealthy prince or something. then he hunts her or she finds him to let him know she had his kid and somehow they fall in love and ok the end.
lol!!! well, thats what i felt anyway.
lol!!! well, thats what i felt anyway.
Reading the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole. Loving it so far =) Has witches, valkyries, feys, werewolves, demons, etc. so keeps it different and they're all at war with each other esp with the vamps so makes it interesting when they're crossing boundaries to be with each other =)
I still haven't found that one romance author whose work I can read and KNOW that it'll be good. Most of the romance books I've read tend to be a hit-or-miss.
Judith McNaught, I loved "Only You" but was lukewarm about everything else ("Whitney, My Love" was just one rape after another. Everytime the male lead got upset, he would rape the protagonist. Definitely NOT sexy.)
Jill Marie Landis, I absolutely love LOVE "Blue Moon" (one of my favorite romance novels of all time), but the other books I've read by her (I've read ~7) have been a bore, and I had to force myself to finish the books.
Judith McNaught, I loved "Only You" but was lukewarm about everything else ("Whitney, My Love" was just one rape after another. Everytime the male lead got upset, he would rape the protagonist. Definitely NOT sexy.)
Jill Marie Landis, I absolutely love LOVE "Blue Moon" (one of my favorite romance novels of all time), but the other books I've read by her (I've read ~7) have been a bore, and I had to force myself to finish the books.
Try Cathy Maxwell or Mary Jo Putney. I love all of their books. Some are not as good as others, but better than the others out there. Start with the earlier books of both of them.
Putney: ANYTHING by her and you really can't go wrong, but the best are:
http://www.maryjoputney.com/bookshelf.htm
Non Series Historicals
the Entire Fallen Angel Series
The Bride Series
also, the Lost Lords, which I think is a spinof of the Fallen Angel series.
Maxwell: If you have any questions about her or Putney books, ask me, I will let you know if I've read them.
All Thing Beautiful (I did not want to put it down).
Treasured Vows (was good, but not at good as the above).
Wedding Wager
Scandalout Marriage
Married in Haste (very good)
Because of You (great book)
Temptations of a Proper Governess (was good)
A Seduction at Christmas
The Earl Claims his Wife
http://www.cathymaxwell.com/books/
Also, to get myself to start reading outside of my usual authors, I started reading from All About Romance (website) Desert Isle Keepers and the Top 100 List. (Which they update/modify every year)
2010 List
http://www.likesbooks.com/top1002010results.htm
Laura Kinsale, Flowers From the Storm was very well written and NOT the usually romance formula
Here is a review:
http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=3870
Loretta Chase is great also. (Lord of Scoundrel's)
Just a few to get you started. Let me know what you think of any.
ETA: I cannot believe I forgot, but ANYTHING by Jo Beverly.
Company of Rogue series LOVED it. Also the Malloren Series is great.
Mary Balogh books are great too.
What book would you recommend that has a male lead who isn't a complete jerk? I don't want to read about guys who slap the woman because they're upset or force sex on them (most of the historical romance novels have been like this...why?? ^^; )
I don't really like the "reformed rake" storyline either (where the male lead goes from sleeping with countless women to just choosing that one female lead).
I think that that is going to be the formula of all romance novels, historical and contemporary. You will just have to read around some to find that author who writes books that speak to you.
Try Laura Kinsale's Flowers From the Storm. It's not the 'usual' type of book I read...but when I did, I loved it. I could read it again.
ETA: not all, not even a majority have rapes/forced sex in them. You have to find the right author. also, when readning romances, especially historicals, you have to remember the Time period these stories were written in. Women were Property....You did as your Father and then your Husband told you. It sounds like you may do best reading Contemporary novels.
Sandra Brown (Mirror Image) I read, thought was good.
Lavryle Spencer ( I loved Morning Glory and Separate Beds)
And many people love Nora Roberts, but I don't read her books.
I read mostly historicals, so this is the best I can do.
I recommend going to All About Romance and reading their reviews on books that you think might interest you. They give a grade, sensuality rating, and a brief description of the book. Sometimes I agree and disagree with these grades.