I've read and enjoyed both Magic Lost, Trouble Found and Armed & Magical. I'm looking forward to The Trouble with Demons in a couple of weeks and apparently there's going to be a fourth Raine Benares adventure in 2010 called Bewitched and Betrayed.

Can anyone recommend books that are similar to this series? I think what I like about them is the strong female heroine, sense of humor and just a touch of romance. Also that they are fantasy rather than paranormal with elves, goblins and mages (not just the usual fare of vampires, werewolves etc).

This is my first foray into fantasy. My husband's a long time fan but most of the series he likes are centred around a male hero. Not that I'm sexist but I like Raine's character!

Any recommendations would be very welcome. Thanks for looking!

How about Moira Moore?  Her hero series is fluffy in a similar way. 

And Doris Egan.  Her Ivory series has slightly more SF to it. 

I liked Sarah A Hoyt's were series.  She has a historical fantasy series.  Having not yet read them, I cannot promise humor.   But I liked her voice/tone.

Her books are nothing like Lisa's, but I really have to mention her.  Nina Kiriki Hoffman.  A Fistful of Sky is great. 

Thanks for the suggestions Emily.

Will do some research on the writers you've mentioned :-)

Tinker by Wen Spencer.

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Moon Called & the rest of them by patricia briggs and

Magic Bites -I think is the first in series by ilona andrews

tanya huff summon the keeper

The following don't have butt-kicking heroines but do have strong female characters-

some of Charles De Lint's  books

and for really light fast reads -they are YA books Patricia Wredes Searching for Dragons are cute (once again can't remember first in series)

I too am a fan of Lisa Shearin.  I like that they aren't terribly heavy, but neither are they complete fluff. 

I second the recommendation for Tinker and Moira Moore.  They were both pretty good. 

Another author who I thought was fairly similar in tone was Dawn Cook.  She has two series, the first of each are:

First Truth (Book 1 of Truth Series)

The Decoy Princess (Book 1 of Princess Series)

These could be considered YA, but I enjoyed them.

Also good, thought a bit darker in tone, is Michelle Sagara West.  2 series:

Cast In Shadow (Chronicles of Elantra, Bk 1)

Into the Dark Lands (Sundered, Bk 1)

The Sundered Series WL on here moves very, very, excruciatingly slow, so I would recommend doing an Interlibrary Loan on those.  Not sure how fast the Elantra Series moves. 

And finally, I really enjoyed Poison Study by Maria Snyder.  It's the first in a series of 3 (so far), I believe. 

I think it is ironic that both Lisa Shearin and Moira Moore both have such old fashioned fantasy covers on their books. 

And here is an oldie - Godstalk by P C Hodgell.  No romance.   More of a road trip adventure.

A College of Magics and A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer.

Thanks Ann, Theresa and again, Emily.

Getting some good suggestions, your help is much appreciated.