I recently read a couple books by Carolyn Brown, they were silly, and adorable, quick reads, kind of stereotypical, but written well, and the outlandish almost cartoon-ish characters literally become real.

I was wondering if there were any other authors like her?   With the charm and humor (which is a must), but Carolyn Brown's books lacked heat. The stories were cute, but not hot....I'd like to keep the story and add more spice, little less G-rated cartoon, little more Cinemax, lol

I like the country setting, down home stuff, doesn't have to be "western", but country and in the contemporary genre.

I read a lot of contemporaries on a reg.basis so I'm familiar alot of authors, But Brown is my first try with this kind of country/middle class (for lack of better word) settings.

Redneck Cinderella by Luann McLane was a good one.

If you really want to jack up the spice, Lorelei Jame's Rough Riders series is good.

Venus in Blue Jeans by Meg Benjamin was cute.

Susan Mallery's Lone Star Sisters series was good too.

You might try Sandra Hill's Cajun Series. I'm not a particular fan but I think it sort of meets your criteria. Jennifer Crusie is imo about the funniest out there although she doesn't write 'country' or western settings as far as I can recall. Check out her early series books. Funny, sexy, well written contemporaries. Love them!

For funny, I highly recommend Vicki Lewis Thompson's Nerd books.  There are a bunch of them.  Funny as heck!  Not westerns though.

Also funny is Karen Hawkins' contemporaries.  Talk of the Town and Lois Lane Tells All.

Victoria Dahl's Tumblecreek series.

All make me laugh out loud while I was reading them.  Some steam in them but not on the erotica scale.

I also love Susan Elizabeth Phillips and she makes me laugh out loud.  Try First Lady or some of the Chicago Stars series, expecially the first one, Pheobe's story.  I have an ARC of Ain't She Sweet available.

Jill Shavis has some funny ones, too but I haven't read that many of her's. 

Jennifer Cruise's Welcome to Temptation and Fast Women are pretty hilarious, IMO.

Thank you!

I feel like I have read just about everything, lol.  Susan Mallery, SEP, Jennifer Cruisie, Victoria Dahl and Jill Shalvis are my favorites! I Love them, and  have pretty much exhausted my choices from them til something new comes along. so I trust the other rec's because you obviously get what I'm looking for!

I'm going to check out the others asap! Thanks again :)

Also, Sarah, what exactly draws the line between spicy romance and erotica? I've never actually looked for a book considered erotica..but I've read a couple that are too hot to hold, lol

Erotica is a lot more explicit than your typical romance novel.  Usually more sex described in more graphic detail than you'd see in a romance novel.

Toni Blake, Jill Shalvis, Susan Donvoan, and Julie James are authors I would recommend for contemporary authors.

A couple of authors I follow are Toni Blake and Mira Lyn Kelly. Kelly is a new author with her third book coming out. Toni's got a nice backlist. Her stories tend to sizzle a bit. She also writes erotica but under another name.

I would try Christie Craig & Erin McCarthy.

Both are funny contemporary authors. They're also spicier than Carolyn Brown.