Ilove to read Contemporary Romance it has humor and great plots. I love howmost writters use different forms in how they usethe charaters.i would recomment anythingby Jennifer Cruise, Gena Showalter ( not all her's are contemp.)  and Cathie Linz. check out my books too. :)

I think it will really depend on what you like to read....

If you like a little mystery (and contemporary), I personally like Linda Howard and Cristie Craig- I think she is fairly new... though I did find her stuff more on the humorous side (as well as a bit steamier :P).

For historicals, I lean towards Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas- they are more in the Regency era.  I like Liz Carlyle too, but I found she tends to be quite a bit heavier on details and back-story. 

It might help us if you gave a little more information about what you like- contemporary, historicals (what kind- regency, Civil War, Western, etc.), mystery, etc. etc.  Like you said, the genre is so huge that there are so many areas that you can find your niche.  Do you think you would want to read something more on the steamier side or not? For me, I am becoming more interested in contemporary romances (particularly ones that have alot of humor), but I typically like the regency historicals.  Sorry to throw a ton of questions at you, but I am just thinking it might help us Romance addicts help give you some good suggestions. :)

Robyn Carr's Virgin river series is good. also love Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me ..a lot of hers I've read and enjoyed. Susan Anderson. Susan Donovan has some good ones - he loves lucy is good. hmm...too many to list! lately I've really really enjoyed Marianne Stillings - midnight in the garden of good and evie is among my faves of hers..and 'satisfaction' as well. she's funny and all the tiles are plays on words/phrases.

See Jane Score -- True Confessions -- It Must Be Love -- by Rachel Gibson

Hummingbird -- The Gamble -- Family Blessings -- by LaVyrle Spencer

The Outsider -- The Passions of Emma -- by Penelope Williamson

The Bronze Horseman -- Paullina Simons

The Bride of Willow Creek -- by Maggie Osborne

The Last Arrow by Marsha Canham.  Fabulous swashbuckler based on Robin Hood legend.  Lots of twists and turns and lotsa steam!

I've only been reading romances for about 2yrs. I was a romance "snob" before that and though "how can anyone read those?".  But one day right after DH left for a 6month deployment, I was looking at books and I looked at  The Maid of Lorne by Terri Brisbin.  On the back it said "Wed or Dead by Nightfall" and I thought hmm.  I grabbed it and became hooked on romances.  The 2nd book I read was Saving Grace by Julie Garwood.  For a while I only read historicals.  I read a lot of mysteries so I grabbed a romantic suspense one day and loved it-basically it was a mystery with  romance added. Which a lot of regular mysteries have anyway-just not as much. 

Like others said: think about what genre's you're reading now and get a romance that compairs to that. If you read a lot of mysteries, try a romantic suspense. If you like historical fiction-try an historical romance from a similar time period. 

Personally I love Debbie Macomber books. Esp. her 'Navy' series.

I looked at your profile, and your bookshelf.

You've got one or 2 books on your shelf that are considered romance or borderline. (Emily Carmichael is one of them)

Anyway-- The Great Gatsby, you could try some of Dorothy Garlock's books set in the 30's time period (about the time of Gatsby).(Dolan Brothers, Jazz Age, Route 66 series)

Little Women (I never read the book, but vaguely remember the movie)-- You'd want a historical romance probably regency (I think)...so you could try a LOT of authors! Julia Quinn, Johanna Lindsey (Malory series, Reid Family, Sherring Cross), Julie Garwood (Crown's Spies, Rebellious Desire, plus a couple of other single titles), Candace Camp, Amanda Quick (this author helped get me addicted to romances) plus slews of other authors.

You could try Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. This is a time travel, very lengthy but well worth the read. The writer doesn't consider herself a romance writer, but time travel novelist...but most of us romance junkies love this book!

Chic-lit-ish- Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas, Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas, The Cinderella Rules by Donna Kauffman, Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie...

Romantic suspense Sandra Brown (her newer stuff, I love Envy), Karen Robards (she has some historicals, too), Marliss Melton (SEAL series is great!), Suzanne Brockmann (Troubleshooters series, start from the beginning)

I could go on with a lot of recommendations, but don't want to overwhelm you:)

Welcome to the world of romance- maybe if you love your first one:)

I personally started with Johanna Lindsey.  I would suggest you try out her older books like, Warrior Women... stuff from the early 90s, late 80s. 

You cant go wrong with Judith McNaught's older books, Paradise, Almost Heaven... everything is great.

Julie Garwood -- comfort reads.  Saving Grace is a personal favorite.  But she's one of those authors you can't read in a row because most of her books are... well, pretty much the same thing over and over. 

Jude Deveraux has some good ones. Remembrance, The Maiden.

Julia Quin -- When He Was Wicked

Susan Elizabeth Philips ... Heaven Texas, personal favorite.

Lisa Kleypas - Suddenly You ( you can't go wrong with this author... but dont start with Sugar Daddy or Blue Eyed Devil, as these two are unlike her other books.)

Jennifer Crusie - Bet Me, Getting Rid of Bradley

Robyn Carr - the Virgin River trilogy

Julie Garwood - The Wedding and Ransom (related)

Marliss Melton - her whole SEAL series

Lucy Monroe - Ready, Willing and Able (a trilogy)

and definitely!!! read the Outlander series. 

Sherri

Flowers From The Storm by Laura Kinsale seems to  be a universal romance fan generator:P  I hear more stories about how people got someone hooked on romance by loaning them this book than any other.  I have personal experience in that myself; I got my non-romance reading sister started on them with it as well.