I love romance novels. As long as there is a happily ever after, I want to read it. These days there are so many romance genres and authors to choose from. Admittedly the romance sections in bookstores are overwhelming.
Having read countless romance novels, be they vampires, angels, werewolves, shapeshifters, wizards and witches, enhanced humans or ordinary people who don’t possess the ability to see ghosts or turn you into a toad, I believe I am more than equipped to educate you on the authors you should be reading.
Lately we have been bombarded with the likes of 50 Shades of Grey, sexy love scenes, unnaturally gorgeous men and woman, and deplorable writing. But can one find a book full of angst, passion and beautiful people, without compromising on good writing and an even better storyline? And my answer is yes, yes, yes you can.
Nora Roberts is the queen of romance. She has been around since the eighties and thankfully she writes at least three novels a year. She has a dedicated following and she is an author that all romance lovers should read. The Next Always and The Last Boyfriend are available in bookstores now, but you can look forward to the third and final instalment in the Inn Boonsboro trilogy this December.
If you enjoy erotic romance novels then I would recommend Sylvia Day’s Bared to You, which launched in August. Its sexy book jacket hints at naughty things to come within the covers of the book. There are no whips, ropes, or oh my's. Instead the characters, Eva and Gideon - although delectably delicious, are both scarred and skittish. They desperately try to navigate the sensitivities of each other, without following past patterns and ending things before they have really begun. Day explores the difficulties that people who were abused as children face when entering adult relationships. I read this book well into the night; my eyes glued to its pages. It was with great reluctance that I closed the book and gave into sleep each evening.
But there is more. If you are fascinated with the idea of a dominant/submissive relationship, I would suggest that you read Sophie Morgan’s The Diary of a Submissive. Terrifyingly frank and at times toe-curling, this book spares no details as to what really goes on in the world of BDSM. It is not for the faint of heart.
If you, like me, live and breathe paranormal romances then authors such as Christine Feehan, JR Ward, Nalini Singh and Sherrilyn Kenyon are perfect to sink you teeth into. The romantic relationships in these books aren’t sugar-coated. They are raw, dark and dangerous, with storylines that are action-packed and wonderfully imaginative. Ladies, these are books about manly men, not little boys with crushes who sparkle when entering sunlight. They will leave you breathless and hot under the collar.
And lastly, do you enjoy sweet novels that return to the days of corsets and horse-drawn carriages? I love modern-day period novels. You are guaranteed eloquence and wit, and the authors who are able to aptly portray such a time and in such a fashion are Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Chadwick and Eloisa James to name a few.
Although I am sure that I wouldn’t have made a very good eighteenth century lady, I do fancy a man who can pick a wife, woo her and marry her in under a month. That just doesn’t happen these days. One book that I read recently, which encompasses all of this is The Lady Most Likely. Twenty-eight-year-old bachelor Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, has recently had a rather unfortunate encounter with one of the horses that he loves so dearly. And this accident has brought to the forefront of his mind his own mortality. As he possesses no desire to join the ton and actively woo an eligible wife, he turns to his younger sister for help. She is to compile a list of the very best and unwed young ladies whom they might invite to his house for a week-long party. They also invite a few dashing bachelors. But it soon becomes clear that Hugh’s ineptitude could find him wifeless, as slowly but surely his closest friends bag one lady after the next.
I found myself bent over with tears in my eyes and sore cheek bones from laughing so hard. The Lady Most Likely is a brilliant novel, and one which you can happily leave lying around for your teenage daughter to find and secretly read under her duvet at night.
I hope that I have enlightened you about the type of romance genre’s one can read, and which authors to look out for. I promise that none of the abovementioned titles will disappoint.