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Any good romance novels? Suggestions?

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capaxinfiniti
capaxinfiniti Posts: 367 Member
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I love all genres! Fiction and nonfiction. Historical, sci-fi, you name it!

The problem is I haven't been able to find a romance novel that I can stick with. While I know some are just sappy and cheap, I have never been able to find one that captivates me. I don't even bother to read some anymore. The last one I read the characters were in bed before page 50 and truthfully it was kinda snore material (not that I'm demanding something hot and steamy XD, just the last book I read the author used so many metaphors that I thought I was reading a gardening manual, not a romance novel). And I don't care much for the sex either, so books without it work just as well :) I prefer reading about the growing affection characters get for each other, you know sappy stuff like that :wink:

So does anyone have any suggestions? I'm no picky reader, I just want something that will keep me entertained like the other books I read. Or if anyone recommends a specific author then I would love to know them! I love reading historical fiction the most so if there are any novels set around that then it would be great!

Thank you very much! :flowerforyou:

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  • Hambone23
    Hambone23 Posts: 486 Member
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    I really liked Nora Roberts Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy. If you like contemporary Irish these are real nice with a hint of magic in them. Most of her trilogies are good to be honest. A lot of character development.

    Katie MacAlister's books -- any of them -- are rather hilarious. She's got quite the sense of humor. Her series books tend to be fantasy and revolve around dragons. Yeah, yeah, sounds weird.

    Sherilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series is popular. Lot of kick butt action, some Greek gods, and some soul-sucking baddies.

    Mary Balough is wonderful if you like Regency romances. Her The Huxtable Quintet is lovely. Jane Austen-esque time period. Regency romances tend to be far less steamy as that was a more discreet time. They can be quite sweet. Also, if you really love Jane Austen, definitely try Georgette Heyer.

    DD Barant's the Bloodhound Files is about a kickass criminal psychological profiler who gets warped into a world of vampires, golems, and lycanthropes. The author really develops the character and world well though. There are romantic interests, but they ease into them, and they're spread across books.

    Illona Andrews' Kate Daniels books are another set of urban fantasy books with a kickass female lead. There is a main romance, but it's built up over the course of the books. The world building in this series is really well done too.
  • TerraGirl17
    TerraGirl17 Posts: 275 Member
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    Anything Nora Roberts is great!! Her triology's are excellent!!
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
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    If you like historical fiction, try Celeste Bradley - she writes fantastic Regency-period romances with kick-butt action and intrigue. She has a few series out there (one is The Liars Club, and I can't remember the other).

    For contemporary, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of my favorites - well developed characters, and the relationship takes precedence over sex for the sake of sex scenes. Another to try is Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series - not a traditional romance, but it blends comedy/mystery with some very steamy romantic attractions that build over several books.
  • fj211
    fj211 Posts: 95
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    I 'm not much into romances but I just finished a book called "To Be Sung Underwater". It was a romance ,but also sad. You can find a description on Amazon.
  • fj211
    fj211 Posts: 95
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    Also Gabaldon's Outlander series.....
  • psiren28
    psiren28 Posts: 530 Member
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    I'm not really into romance novels but I loved 'The Time Travellers Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger. It's a love story which could also fall into the sci fi genre... sort of. For a romance it's very well written.
  • LisaRN9
    LisaRN9 Posts: 75 Member
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    Check out good reads. They have lots of lists and reader reviews. I reccomend "thoughtless" by S.C. Stephens and its sequel "Effortless". They were anything but boring.
  • siriusgirl
    siriusgirl Posts: 44 Member
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    I enjoyed the Trilogy that begins with The Innocent by Posie Graeme-Evans.

    "The year is 1450, a dangerous time in medieval Britain. Civil unrest is at its peak and the legitimacy of the royal family is suspect. Meanwhile, deep in the forests of western England, a baby is born. Powerful forces plot to kill both mother and child, but somehow the newborn girl survives. Her name is Anne. Fifteen years later, England emerges into a fragile but hopeful new age, with the charismatic young King Edward IV on the throne. Anne, now a young peasant girl, joins the household of a wealthy London merchant. Her unusual beauty provokes jealousy, lust, and intrigue, but Anne has a special quality that saves her: a vast knowledge of healing herbs. News of her extraordinary gift spreads, and she is called upon to save the ailing queen. Soon after, Anne is moved into the palace, where she finds her destiny with the man who will become the greatest love of her life -- the king himself."
  • siriusgirl
    siriusgirl Posts: 44 Member
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    I'm not really into romance novels but I loved 'The Time Travellers Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger. It's a love story which could also fall into the sci fi genre... sort of. For a romance it's very well written.


    Agreed! Very good - the movie too.....keep a tissue with you!
  • siriusgirl
    siriusgirl Posts: 44 Member
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    Oh! And Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier was really good too! (also has a movie)

    I swap books and find out info on good boods to read at paperbackswap.com
  • psiren28
    psiren28 Posts: 530 Member
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    I'm not really into romance novels but I loved 'The Time Travellers Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger. It's a love story which could also fall into the sci fi genre... sort of. For a romance it's very well written.


    Agreed! Very good - the movie too.....keep a tissue with you!

    I wasn't so keen on the movie, I thought it focused too much on the time travelling thing and not so much on the relationship, as a result the characters seemed a little thin. Just my opinion. I guess it's a hard book to adapt to a couple of hours of film. I loved how the characters were written in the book.
  • oceanchristy
    oceanchristy Posts: 120
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    Anything by
    Nicholas Sparks - My favorite is the notebook , which has a good movie interpertation as well.
    I also love a - walk to remember and nights in rodanthe
  • rosemiller11
    rosemiller11 Posts: 224 Member
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    If you don't mind christian romance, I've discovered that Lori Wick has quite a few historical romance that I like... She has several different era's. For instance, Jane Austen type era, The old, old england, and some western romance as well. Another one i like that does a ton of historical romance is Gilbert Morris. He has one series that covers from the mayflower to the 1940's something. :)
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    These are probably more "chick lit" than "romance" but the "In Death" series by J.D. Robb and the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich are both great. Of course Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb is a pen name of hers) and Janet E are great romance writers as well.
  • rblair_22
    rblair_22 Posts: 202 Member
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    You can't go wrong with Nora Roberts, I've yet to read one of her books that I didn't like. If you like paranormal romance another author would be J.R. Ward. She has a series called The Black Dagger Brotherhood that is really good (the newest book comes out at the end of this month!).

    Jennifer Cruisie is really good because her novels also have a lot of humor, and Julie Garwood is really good too.
  • lucy0326
    lucy0326 Posts: 54 Member
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    One of my all time favorites is Lisa Kleypas her "Wallflower" series and her "Hathaways" series are great. I love how the characters grow and become friends. There is a few sex scenes but it usually well within the book. I would especially recommend "Seduce Me at Sunrise" its the second book in the Hathaway series.
  • fadell
    fadell Posts: 2
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    Hello!

    Well, I probably have over 200 romance novels but I'll just give you the names of those I read more than once: Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt, The Enchantment by Betina Krahn, all The Nightwalkers Series by Jacquelyn Frank and if you like Nora Roberts (everybody seem to like her) then get Boundary Lines, which is my favorite.

    Hope it helps!
  • takingnameskickingbutt
    takingnameskickingbutt Posts: 232 Member
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    One of my all time favorites is Lisa Kleypas her "Wallflower" series and her "Hathaways" series are great. I love how the characters grow and become friends. There is a few sex scenes but it usually well within the book. I would especially recommend "Seduce Me at Sunrise" its the second book in the Hathaway series.

    Lisa Klepas is AMAZING! I love "Suddenly you" and I like Evie' book in the Wallflowers!

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