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Topic: Please help me get started with some good romance

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megt avatar
Subject: Please help me get started with some good romance
Date Posted: 5/20/2010 11:27 AM ET
Member Since: 2/2/2010
Posts: 1,208
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Okay- I am a little burned out lately on all the Oprah book club books (good but depressing) and such that I have been reading.  I just finished Three Cups of Tea (quit it to be honest) and  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and  The Help - those were great but I am up for some steamy romance - tell me what some of you favorites are please so I can start ordering!!!!!  Thanks!

labgirl36 avatar
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Date Posted: 5/20/2010 11:53 AM ET
Member Since: 8/11/2007
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If you want historical, my pick would be AFTER THE KISS BY Karen Ranney to get you started. This is a very romantic book.  For more current times you might like THE VIRGIN RIVER series by Robyn Carr. You didn't say what level of steam  so some others here may have steamier suggestions. I also just read Guernsey and The Help. Thought The Help was great.

Linda Lael Miller and Linda Howard both do steamy romance.



Last Edited on: 5/20/10 11:55 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
mkmbooks avatar
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Date Posted: 5/20/2010 11:56 AM ET
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My recomendations are Julia Ross's The Wicked Lover (historical romance), Ava Gray's Skin Game,(Romantic suspense w/touch of paranormal) Allyson James's Stormwalker (romantic urban fantasy) and Heather Webber's Truly, Madly (cozy format, romantic suspense w/touch of paranormal). I could go on for hours, but I will stop here.

riahekans avatar
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Date Posted: 5/20/2010 12:15 PM ET
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I have another Karen Ranney to recommend Till Next We Meet, that book is simply amazing.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/20/2010 12:46 PM ET
Member Since: 6/19/2008
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I second Linda lael Miller.

Are you looking for contemp  or historical  ?

mamadoodle avatar
Date Posted: 5/20/2010 4:03 PM ET
Member Since: 2/24/2006
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Welcome to the forum and trashy romance  Meg!  LOL

My recommendations are:

Virgin River (Robyn Carr) contemporary romance

Getting Rid of  Bradley (Jennifer Crusie) humorous romance

The Secret/Ransom (Julie Garwood)  historical romance

Moon Called (Patricia Briggs)  paranormal romance

msdamgoode avatar
Date Posted: 5/20/2010 4:04 PM ET
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Do you like historical or contemporary? Lighthearted or angsty? What is your ideal heat level? There is no one author/book that does it for everyone, but with a bit more info, I am sure that we can suggest a wonderful book for you to enjoy. A few of my personal fav authors: Jennifer Crusie, Loretta Chase, Julie Anne Long, Laura Kinsale, and Victoria Dahl's contemporaries.
tjrj1988 avatar
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Date Posted: 5/20/2010 4:35 PM ET
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Contemporary: Mr. Perfect-Linda Howard; It Had to Be You-Susan Elizabeth Philips. Series or trilogies-Nora Roberts-starting with the Quinns-Inner Harbour, Rising Tides...and, guys, what was Cam's book?....the first one? Historical-way too many to mention and I don't know what periods you like. Favorite authors are: Mary Balogh, Mary Jo Putney, Carla Kelly, Joanna Bourne, Jo Beverley, Patricia Veryan, Cheryl Reavis
susyclemens avatar
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Date Posted: 5/20/2010 5:27 PM ET
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If you want an erotic romance that will take you away - I recommend TEA AND SPICES by Nina Roy.   Set in British India during the 1920's.  One of the few really erotic love stories I've ever read that didn't skimp on character & plot for the sake of the erotic stuff.

I'd recommend THE BRONZE HORSEMAN by Paullina Simons - very involving story - but it's not a "happy" romance novel.  

Nan Ryan's YOU BELONG TO MY HEART is a good Civil War-era romance between two childhood friends who get separated and reunited.

For a quick & yet involving read - and one with a very nice, even sweet end - Sara Craven's THE COUNT'S BLACKMAIL BARGAIN is a very good story.   Surprisingly good, for a Harlequin Presents.

BEYOND INNOCENCE by Emma Holly is a good historical, very steamy too. 

     

       

terboz avatar
Date Posted: 5/20/2010 5:47 PM ET
Member Since: 9/20/2009
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wow so many wonderful books and authors to chose from!! If your looking for Regency-

Anything by Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, Jo Beverly, Mary Balough, Stephanie Laurens, Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries......

I liked Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard also, She has several more contemporary mystery type romance. Verrry Nice!!

I highly recommend Nora Roberts Garden Trilogy or Born In Trilogy.

How much time do we have?

tomboymom avatar
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Date Posted: 5/20/2010 11:16 PM ET
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Diane Whiteside's Devil series (hot historicalswink) e.g. River Devil, Irish Devil, Southern Devil etc. Some of these are in the system too!cheeky

megt avatar
Date Posted: 5/20/2010 11:41 PM ET
Member Since: 2/2/2010
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Thanks for all the ideas, I placed a few orders and put some others on my wishlist. 

I think I will start with some fairly "trashy" ones, just for fun wink.  The Paranormal stuff doesn't do much for me, I guess I will stick with contemp and historical.

Thanks again, and if anyone has other ideas let me know!

JuneRose29 avatar
Date Posted: 5/21/2010 7:24 AM ET
Member Since: 10/19/2007
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If you were into Oprah's books, you're going to want something a little more meaty than your average romance novel.  Look into these on Amazon for more detailed reviews than you get on pbs.

Heart of the West (Hardcover)

Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) (Hardcover)

The Bronze Horseman (Paperback)

The Outsider

Years



Last Edited on: 5/21/10 7:26 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
susyclemens avatar
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Date Posted: 5/21/2010 10:50 AM ET
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Here is one more you might like:

FOREVER, MY LOVE by Rebecca Brandewyne is a 1980's Romeo/Juliet-love story romance set in medieval Scotland.   The author writes kind of purple prose at times, but it's an involving story.    Warning:  heroine does get raped --  typical of 1980's romances - there's quite a bit of violence.   But has one of the best reconcilation scenes between a hero & heroine I've ever read.     (He thinks she betrayed him & she thinks he's killed her brother.)

2lilmonkees avatar
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Date Posted: 5/21/2010 9:59 PM ET
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shoot Lora Leigh!!!

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/22/2010 9:13 AM ET
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I started with paranormals then contemporaries and got hooked. Jennifer Crusie - Bet Me and Susan Elizabeth Phillips (anything she writes!) are a great place to start.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/22/2010 11:15 AM ET
Member Since: 5/15/2005
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Here's my suggestions

Historical - Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase; Not Quite a Husband, Sherry Thomas; The Raven Prince, Elizabeth Hoyt; Winter Garden, Adele Ashworth

Contemporary - Slow Heat in Heaven, Sandra Brown; Paradise, Judith McNaught, Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Series (contemporary) - Duncan's Bride, Linda Howard (a little dated but I still read this one once a year), Brenda Jackson's Westmoreland series (they're all basically the same story but I like them for a quick light read)

Futuristic - Naked in Death (and most of the others in the series), J D Robb

Vampire - Dark Lover (and most of the others in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series) J R Ward

Suspense - any from Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series



Last Edited on: 5/22/10 11:17 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
sfields avatar
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Date Posted: 5/22/2010 12:32 PM ET
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Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase was really good. It was one of the first I read when I first started reading romances and I really loved it.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/23/2010 3:02 PM ET
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I second the Troubleshooters series. I really like those. They are contemporary, but also have some interesting military/war history elements.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/23/2010 4:23 PM ET
Member Since: 1/23/2009
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I also agree Brockmann's Troubleshooters are great. Historical authors I recommend, Judith Ivory, Laura Kinsale, Pamela Morsi (Americana), Maggie Osborne (Americana), Lisa Kleypas (I think my first historical may have been Devil In Winter and I now prefer historicals), Mary Balogh.... Gosh so many good authors!

missyh avatar
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Date Posted: 5/23/2010 5:27 PM ET
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OOOH. I got a few ideas from you guys too! I also started with Paranormal and then started reading Comtempararys. Anyway, how about Lone Rider, and Slow Hands both by Lauren Bach? These were a couple of the first ones I read other than PNR and I loved them! Lone Rider was my favorite!

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/23/2010 10:30 PM ET
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I didn't see anyone mention Jill Shalvis. My all-time (currently! lol) favorite. She's contemporary.

I love historicals: Eloisa James, Cathy Maxwell, Karen Hawkins, Lisa Kleypas, Christina Dodd and Connie Brockway. 

There are so many good authors to choose from! 

My all-time favorite historical romance is The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley. Something just hit a wonderful chord with this book. It's not often you get historical romances that wind a story around someone on the autism spectrum (asperger's I'm sure but it doesn't ever specify). And it was so well done!!! 



Last Edited on: 5/23/10 10:34 PM ET - Total times edited: 2