In honor of Valentine's Day week I'm thinking about my favorite romances! I must admit I came a bit late to romance and before that I was one of those readers who looked down on romances. Not because it wasn't a genre I enjoyed but more because of preconceptions I already had in my head. However, once I finally tried one I don't think I read anything else for at least a year! After awhile I went back to mysteries and nonfiction but romance is still a staple of my reading life. Here are 10 of my favorite romance reads right now. I'm keeping to books that I've read in the last couple of years which gave me a list of romances I need to reread and see if they'll be on this list next year!
1. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas - This is one of my all time favorite historical romances. Not only is this one of the few villain redemption books I enjoy but I just love the couple. This is definitely a case of each bringing out the best in each other.
2. Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis - I love Shalvis but this more women's fiction/romance book really worked for me. Not only did it get me out of a slump for which I was grateful but it was sweet and humorous all at once.
3. The Christmas Wishing Tree by Emily March - I love Emily March's books and her Christmas books are my favorite and this one which had a nice dash of suspense was probably my favorite of the series so far.
4. Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper - This was funny and quirky and sweet and had a main character who is trying to find herself and reconnect with a family she didn't even know she had which is one of my favorite things!
5. Three Fates by Nora Roberts - I love Roberts' suspense novels and this one has a fun history twist. As well it has three couples, a character coming into her own, and a quest. I do love a good quest.
6. The House on Blackberry Hill by Donna Alward - This one had ghosts, an old house that needs restoring, and a historical mystery which is essentially the bookish version of the song "A Few of My Favorite Things".
7. Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts - I had kind of gotten bored with Roberts' books but on a whim I picked this one up at the library and remembered just why I enjoy her books so much. I reread this a few weeks ago and enjoyed it just as much.
8. Snow Angel Cove by RaeAnne Thayne - This was one of my first true Christmas romances and my very first Thayne book. I love everything about this one and am feeling like I need a reread!
9. Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas - This is a contemporary Kleypas and one of my favorites. While it isn't flawless (there's a weird element at the end) it's one of my favorite rereads.
10. And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke - This is on my reread list for this year and is one of my favorite historicals. It's a little different from the typical historical with neither character being aristocracy and there's not a ball or a house party to be seen.
What are some of your favorite romances?
What are some of your favorite romances?
Loved Lost and Found Sisters!!
ReplyDeleteI used to read more romance books in the past, though I still like a good romance now. The only one I've read from your list is THE THREE FATES - read it some years back. Very good as I recall.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big romance reader (I don't mind romance in a book -- I just prefer it as a subplot instead of a main one), so I haven't read any of these. I'm glad you found some you enjoyed, though!
ReplyDeleteI had a similar view of romances years ago. As I've become a more eclectic reader, I've come to enjoy them in moderation, and have a few authors who have won me over.
ReplyDeleteFantastic list, about 70% of them I have read and enjoyed. The no.10 one sounds good and as you say a different kind of historical.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a romance fan-at least after I stopped reading Sweet Valley High!-but I've never looked down on it as a genre. As long as we all read what we love and enjoy, that's great!
ReplyDeleteThe first one I've read some time ago; it was good because how the story of the couple went was unexpected for me. Sometimes I read a book summary and get skeptical about how good the book may be which could possibly turn me off of one.
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