Hi all, this is not my normal genre at all--I'm a scifi fan almost 100% but I'll occasionally branch out.  The only romance novel I've read all the way through was Shamara by Catherine Spangler--it had espionage, genocide, and space battles!  But when it came down to the "romantic" part of the plot, the heroes were unrealistic and juvenile IMO. I can't wait to read others in the series, though.

The Harlequins, Regencies etc. just don't grab me at all.  (All those romances on my shelf were given to me specifically for PBS trading ;D )  So I'm wondering if any other members wander into this L&R board, not considering yourself a big romance reader, but with a title or author you really enjoyed?

I'm a romance fan but there used to be athread on here somewhere about romance for non-romance readers.

Suzanne  Brockmann has the troubleshooters series about Navy Seals.they're definitely romance in places but really involved stories about terrorists, etc. some characters span several books so start in order. I think unsung hero is the first then defiant hero. some I like more than others. these are thicker books though she does have a harlequin series that's very good (tall dark and dangerous) but they're not the same. there's a 'suzanne brockmann' thread either on page 1 or 2 that discusses some of her stuff. not all are in these series though.

I also like tara janzen's 'crazy' series(and it has to be read in order to keep the characters straight) think it starts with crazy hot then crazy cool, crazy wild, crazy kisses, crazy love, crazy sweet. they have some 'hot 'scenes but I like the humor and action(though it's not necessarily realistic!)

I have cindy gerard's bodyguard and gennita low's series I haven't read but have heard they're good with action/suspense.

not familiar with any sci-fi romance but there's a forum for paranormal that has paranormal romance suggestions. I have some but haven't gotten to them yet.

Gena Showalter.  She usually has aliens, shape shifters and such.  Also try Jaid Black, Lora Leigh, Michelle Pillow, and Angela Knight.Some of those authors can be a bit racy though.  Sherilyn Kennyon might be up your alley but I've never read her.

Hmm, there's a Silhouette Nocturne trilogy about the Raintree clan:

• Raintree: Inferno by Linda Howard
• Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones
• Raintree: Sanctuary" by Beverly Barton

Sarah explained it better over here: Link

I, too, don't get into the Harlequin type romances.  Since you like Sci-Fi, have you tried Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series? http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780440212560-Outlander

There's time travel, an intelligent female heroine, loads of history, a good looking but self-sufficient hero and a bit of intelligent sex here and there.  I would be so bold as to venture that many of the readers in this forums have already read, and loved, this series. 

This is the favorite book in our household, both hubby and I, hands down, and he's not into series/Harlequin romances either (not that there's anything wrong with them, for those who do enjoy them).

Cheers,

Catt

Just want to second the Diana Gabaldon Outlander Series.

Or what about the Dara Joy novels?  She wrote a futuristic series Knight of a Trillian Stars, Rejar, and I can't remember the rest.  You might enjoy those.  Space travel, shape shifters, etc.

Have you tried Elizabeth Vaughan. I'm about half-way through Warprize and I'm really enjoying it so far.  And there's been really no romance.  It's not sci-fi though.  It takes place, I think, in a made-up pre-christian european type kingdom.  Lara is the half-sister to the King of Xy.  She is a trained healer.  Xy is conquered by the Firelanders.  Kier the Firelander takes Lara as his Warprize.  It's mostly about her adapting to a new and very different culture and very little about romance so far although there is the aspect of her slowly devoloping feelings for Kier.  But this is the 1st of 3 books about the same couple so there might be more romance in later books. 

Linnea Sinclair has written some futuristic space adventure/romance novels.  Critics have liked them for what that's worth.  I thought they were really good.  Games Of Command was my favorite.  Finders Keepers, Gabriel's Ghost  and Accidental Goddess were also good.  She has a new one coming out in a month or two, Down Home Zombie Blues.

Susan Grant also writes space adventure/romance novels but with more emphasis on the romance.  I thought Contact was the best but her latest was good too, How To Lose An Extraterrestrial In 10 Days.

Games Of Command and How To Lose An Extraterrestrial are both sort of noteworthy in that they feature virgin heroes. 

The "Warprize" trilogy is great, although I think the second book is a little weaker than the other two.  I was foaming at the mouth with impatience for each of those to come out!

I can also second Dara Joy, up to her last book, which is apparently a stinker that she had to self publish.  Here's the http://www.officialdarajoy.com/ to the very bad cover art that she apparently designed herself.  From the reviews I read, it accurately reflects what's between the covers.  A shame, since the rest of hers are on my keeper shelf.

You may also enjoy the Robin Owens books, set on the world of Celta.

ETA - if you like sci fi, C.J. Barry has several you may be interested in.  I think there are a few left on my shelf that I bought new and read once.

Lealee - that cover for that Dara Joy book looks AWFUL!  And you're right - her earlier stuff was quite good.

Susan

Susan, someone else posted about the Dara Joy book, but I certainly agree with her statement.  I actually bought that book, being a fan of Dara Joy's earlier books.  It was so BAD I couldn't read all of it, just skim the rest of it to see if it could really be that terrible all the way through.  It's like a completely different person wrote it.

Oh, I should say that I pre ordered the D. Joy book BEFORE the cover was available.  Seeing that would have given me second (and fifth) thoughts.