I know, romantic subject eh? But I was wondering if there are any good romances out there dealing with either the hero or heroine having to deal with an illness and how that affects their relationship. I don't mean the ones where one is suddenly diagnosed with cancer and all of a sudden it's somehow fixed in the end (or the hero ends up weeping on a cliff for his lost love, who was just so brave at the end...)- but where a daily physical defect/illness comes into play realistically and is dealt with? Even on par with one of them having arthritis and that's just a piece of the whole puzzle of the relationship. I know there's a lot about injuries where one wounds themselves bravely and the other nurses them back to health, but I'm looking more along the lines of a chronic illness.

I really hope that made some sort of sense and I don't sound completely looney. Thanks!

The Wives of Bowie Stone by Maggie Osborne dealt with alcoholism and sexual abuse.  Love Beyond Words by Sherryl Woods dealt with a deaf heroine.

Sherri

Mouth to Mouth by Erin McCarthy has a deaf heroine. It's a really, really good book.

Argh. I read a historical a while back where the heroine had bad asthma and for the life of me I can't remember the title. 

Catherine Anderson's Phantom Waltz is about a woman paraplegic (due to a riding accident) who meets her true love. It shows how someone with these kind of limitations can lead a full joyful life. It's a beautiful love story and my absolute favorite in the whole Coulter/Kendrick series.

Pam

FLOWERS FROM THE STORM! The hero suffers from a stroke. This book is AMAZING! Mary Balogh's Silent Melody features a deaf heroine.

Sandra Canfield's Into The Night is a wonderful love story between an H who is a pro football player and an h who has rheumatoid arthritis.  The author understood it very well as she also had RA.

The best one I can think of is Flowers from the Storm (Kinsale).  Hero has a stroke and nearly dies.

I second the Phantom Waltz. If fact most of the books in the Kendrick/Coulter series by Catherine Anderson involve h with some form of chronic condition.  One has a chronic eye disease that left her blind for most of her life and she only have a limited period of sighted time due to corneal transplants.  Other has a h who suffered TBI (traumatic brain injury) due to a diving accident and now has aphasia (condition that affects processing of information and communication).  Others deal with physical abuse and various other typical romance issues, but all are well-written (IMO) even though some people think she can be a sappy writer at time--I like that about her LOL :)

ETA:  I read Into the Night by Canfield several years ago.  It's an older Harlequin Superromance (I think) but I found it to be a great book!  I kept wishing there had been more books (a series) to let to stories go longer and to find out more about some of the secondary characters in the book.  The other poster was absolutely correct about the authors depiction of RA.  It was very realistic and not glossed over at all.

I also just recently read A Man Like Mac (another Superromance) in which the H had is now in a wheelchair and the h is learning to deal with a traumatic injury that prevents her from continueing her career as a long-distance runner.  The book dealt very well with the realities of life in a wheelchair and also did not gloss over any of the "bad stuff"  The book is on my shelf if you want to take a look at the description.  Sorry, I don't remember the author's name.  HTH

I third Catherine Anderson with Phantom Waltz being my favorite by her.

edited to add that there is an old Loveswept by Jill Shalvis called Lean On Me.  It was a keeper for me.  The H is paraplegic but the h is the really wounded one.  She was abused both as a child and a wife and is getting her life together.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I already have Flowers from the Storm in my TBR and have been looking forward to it. I'll definitely check out the Catherine Anderson books, those sound just like the kind I've been looking for. :)

I searched for "Into the Night" and couldn't find it, I found the title is actually "Night Into Day". I tosunds EXACTLY what I've been looking for, thanks so much!

I loved Mouth to Mouth!  

I am thinking of a book called Veil of Night, a historical romance.   The hero had the illness in which he is allergic to sunlight, and can't go out during the day.   I recall liking it alot. 

I also liked very much, Castle of the Wolf.   The hero didn't have a chronic illness, but he'd been crippled in a war.

oops!  wrong thread.

There's a wonderful HSR by Margot Early called The Keeper.  The hero has a mental illness.  I thought it dealt with the subject in a very sensitive but realistic way.  It's one of my favorites.

Book Description:

When Keely Wilson turns to Mac McCandless for help, an intense but unacknowledged attraction between them is rekindled. First, though, Keely has to accept a devastating change in Mac's life and face the loss of the career she mistakenly believes defines her as a person. A Man Like Mac is a powerful story of courage, acceptance, and the ability of love to heal the wounded heart.

I am glad some of you are so wonderful at remembering titles and authors.  My firsdt thought was "Night Into Day", but I would never have remebered the title, just the plotline, lol.

There is another that comes to mind, it was either a Harlequin or a Silhouette, probably about 20 years old (give or take a few years) and the H has cancer (or leukemia?).  I read it a long time ago, but it made an impact, as it did not have a miracle HEA.  I think the H was a magician or something similar.  Anybody out there remember what it was?

Gayle Wilson had a historical set in regency times where the hero had a club foot, and was very disturbed by it, since he wanted to go to war, but was stuck in a desk job - albeit one where he directed spies...

I know that's not a good description, but it's a book that's full of heart.

The Portrait by Megan Chance

Hummingbird by LaVyrle Spencer

The Gamble by LaVyrle Spencer

I think Teresa Medeiros has one too..I ordered it from someone on here and seems like the hero is ill..not sure though :-( yours until dawn maybe?

All or Nothing :: Claire Cross involves a cancer survivor.

This is one of two favorite categories of mine (the other being military romances); here are a few more suggestions:

Annie's Song by Catherine Anderson - heroine is deaf and was raped by hero's brother

Miss Emmaline and the Archangel by Rachel Lee - hero has chronic back pain; personally this one was hard to believe because I've had chronic back pain and sometimes the last thing I want to think about is s_x but the hero seemed to never have a problem in that respect.  Maybe it's a man thing.

A Rose for Maggie - the heroine's daughter has down syndrome and it is truly a touching book on the issues involved. 

Now for some that I have recycled, meaning I didn't like, but they fit in to the request:

Barefoot in the Grass by Judith Arnold - heroine had breast cancer and (I think) a mascectomy.

Through Jenna's Eyes by Kristi Gold

Justine Davis had a series called the Holts which I believe had hero's who were paraplegic ... oops, no they were amputees.  Stevie's Chase is the first one, I think.

Sweet Annie by Cheryl St. John - maybe fits, I don't remember if heroine completely got over her problem (paralysis complicated by suffocating mother who wouldn't let who try anything)

Hmmm, there's another one but I can't think of the name - heroine is in wheelchair; hero is a friend/collegue or something and things go 'to far' one night and she gets pregnant.  I didn't get the 'realness' of life living in a wheelchair from this book, but it is a somewhat recent book, Silhoutte Special Edition IIRC. 

Hmm, the only one I can remember reading is A Wish And A Kiss (Harlequin American Romance, No 501) by Margaret St. George.  It's a little old and slightly paranormal (the H is a genie), but the h has a problem with her leg and she limps.  It's really quite sweet and definitely a keeper, so I'd recommend it!

If you can find copies, I HIGHLY reccommend  three of Theresa Weir's ----One Fine Day(stroke), Forever(brain damage), or Last Summer(diabetes).

She writes incredibly interesting and emotional stories, and I always try to turn people on to her.

The heroine is in a wheelchair and lives in a cottage?/garage at her sister's. They meet during a wedding the hero thinks she's a snob because she can't get up but she got hurt in a car accident and lost a baby. It's mostly about the hero convincing her he loves her -- Some really sweet scenes in there -- at a cottage that he really owns -- I can't remember who rwrote it -- actually think it was a Harlequin but with all the swapping I can't remember the name. Think it took place in England? perhaps the one where he inherits a greeting card company but I may be mixing up a couple titles. She paints cute character for the cards and it helps the company.

Patricia,

I think the book you are describing is The Marriage Miracle by Liz Fielding (a Harlequin Romance).  I kept that one.

Bronwyn,

You're right. I just had a question from someone about what the title was and just finished searching for it. For anyone who wants to read an excerpt at www.lizfielding.com/marriagemiracle.html

The story stuck with me for some reason - was sentimental and sweet I thought but of course now I already traded it and can't read it again.