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Sorry for just posting out of the blue Most of you probably don't know me. I'm a long-time member, but I rarely post. I read the forums often though.

Anywho, I hardly ever have time to read these days but when I do I just can't get enough of romance novels! I mean the kind that you have to hide or rip off the cover if you wanna read it in public. Mostly historical romance- medieval times or like 19th century (1800s) stuff.

Just wondering if anyone else is into these types of novels? I'm desperate for some new authors. I've exhausted Garwood and Lindsey- my absolute favorites of the genre.

Any suggestions? Nothing that will make my brain hurt though. Remember "mind candy"

Lisa Kleypas. Seriously, you will want to read everything she's done.

Since you're talking Garwood and Lindsey you perhaps do not have issues with ancient books, so Jude Devereaux's Montgomery books - which started publication in maybe 1980 or so - were the Malory's before Lindsey wrote the Malory's.

Also for oldies, Judith McNaught. Try to get a newer copy of Whitney, My Love, because there is a bit of unfortunate rapey-ness in the original that was excised in re-issues from the late 90s forward, and she's apologized for it. In the 1970s and 1980s, editors would actually suggest authors add some rape if there wasn't any.

The single best historical romance I have ever read, however, is Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels. Yes, title issues, I know. It's brilliant, though. It's a Regency, of course.

My favorite romance author is Jennifer Crusie, though. But she's modern.

[This message edited by ladyvorkosigan at 12:59 PM, March 11th (Thursday)]

Cool! I'm writing this down... Lisa Kleypas. I see like a million of her books on the shelves in the bookstore, but for some reason I've never picked one up. If I like her, I could have yummy mind candy for months on end! Loretta Chase sounds familiar- if it's older I'll probably have to order that one on amazon or something.

Of course then I might have some trouble going to work, getting the kids ready for school, etc...

The Kleypas I liked the most was Dreaming of You. She has one or two that are set in like New Orleans during the 19th century, and I cannot read Civil War stuff, but everything else is 19th century England. She has an unusual sort of hero in that most of them have *jobs*. She does a lot of self made men industrialist types, or otherwise bootstrap kind of guys even if their business is rather unsavory, and lots of bluestocking women. =) She also understands that we like our romance heroes best if we met them in a previous book, and we like lots of little seeds of future heroes scattered around books. Very gratifying in that regard.

Never be embarrassed by your romance novels. If it weren't for romance novels, there would be no book publishing industry. Romance bankrolls the whole damn thing. 60% of the paperback market, people. Higher, when you consider the number of YA romance that adults read as romance.

[This message edited by ladyvorkosigan at 1:28 PM, March 11th (Thursday)]

omg - I confess I'm hooked on these again! I've been reading through the Rakehell Romance Series on Kindle (author: Sorcha MacMurrough). There are 12 books in the series that I've found thus far, and I LOVE them! All the same family(ies) of characters so it's just nice to read.

I forgot all about Whitney, My Love, but I have an original copy of that somewhere!! yay!! I may just pull it back up on Kindle or something.

Thanks for the reminder of some of my (old) faves.

Sorcha MacMurrough- haven't heard of her. What's her focus? Does she write about Highlanders?

Her name reminds me of Monica McCarty- she writes Scottish historical romance. I like her a lot- but she's so new that she doesn't have enough out to keep me busy.

If you do regency, you might want to try Julia Quinn and Stephanie Laurens. I also like Mary Balogh. They all have books series about families. Of the three, Julia Quinn has a light touch and a witty sense of humor - makes it go by quickly. Have fun!

I've read one or two from Quinn and Laurens. Haven't tried Balogh, although she also has a million books on the shelves right now, lol.

I'm definitely looking for light and witty, so these all sound like good picks.

I love a good bodice ripper!

The previous posters already named the authors that immediately come to mind.

This isnt a 'true' bodice ripper, but if you like a bit of a twist, the Outlander series byDianna Giabaldon (sp) is good too!

Gotta love those dreamy highlanders!

[This message edited by GabyBaby at 3:46 PM, March 11th (Thursday)]

I love the term "bodice ripper"

What makes the Outlander series different?

And yes, highlanders do make the stuff of great dreams...

Yeah, I'm going to go home and read Lord of Scoundrels again.

The psychology of the hero is just awesome. It's a funny, sexy book, but he's a very very specific person, and she shows an understanding of a particular type of guy in creating him that I rarely see. Sure, he's a fantasy figure in a *way*, but the core of him is...well, he's just very well done.

An author I like a lot but is definitely an acquired taste is Laura Kinsale. She's for when you need a seriously seriously tortured hero, though. Those guys are messes. What I like about her is that her heroes will have something seriously wrong with them. She's got one where the guy has a stroke 7 pages in (of course he's a ~~~ rakehell ~~~ which is such a great word) and can't speak except in gibberish so people think he's gone mad and have him committed. He's a mathematical genius, so post-stroke in the asylum he can still communicate in mathematics, still work out problems, but they won't give him anything to write with so he can't communicate that way either. I can't remember how she ends up there (her dad or uncle is a mathematics professor exchanging correspondence with the hero on theories) but she recognizes that he actually *is* still in there, and is making sense. Another bluestocking, of course. Quaker IIRC. She's got another who used to be quite notoriously heroic and warriorlike and got injured or something and got terribly out of shape, so he has to come back from that. Another that was super depressing was one who was in a brothel, as a child, so he's a mess too. What else. Some other abuse victims, one guy with terrible PTSD. Various things like that. I like my heroes either *seriously* fucked up and dark like that or super clever banter-y Regency cads. One or the other. No in betweens.

In high school I liked disfigured heroes. I'll overshare and tell y'all why. =) One day in Wiregrass Commons Mall in Dothan Alabama in about 1984 I saw the most gorgeous guy, in profile. Flawless, Irish poet kind of looks, black hair, blue eyes. Then he turned and I saw that the other side of his face had this huge scar. Must've been a burn, though it was odd looking for a burn, somewhere between a burn and a port wine stain. It was fucking *artistic*, though. KWIM? Anyway, he stared back at me and we kind of had a moment, though I'm not sure if he understood how hot I thought he was or if he thought I was a jerk. He was probably 22 or so, so way too old for me. That stuck with me.

I think this must be why I like Prince Zuko on Avatar: The Last Airbender. =)

[This message edited by ladyvorkosigan at 4:13 PM, March 11th (Thursday)]

I like imperfect characters as well. Although, I tend to get impatient with novels that have two very imperfect characters who constantly clash, thus complicating their chance at true love throughout the entire novel!

I mean, yeah at the end you know that they're going to get together, but they spend more time fighting their love than actually being in love. That's just too much like real life sometimes

I do realize though that if the story has no conflict, it isn't really a good story. I just want a little more "hot and heavy" and less bickering and misunderstanding.

If you want to go funny and touching, Catherine Coulter has some excellent historical romance novels. Her heroes are blunt horndogs, and the heroines feisty and clever. Also on the funny, quirky side is Teresa Medeiros. If you like your heroes to have dangerous checkered pasts, your heroines to be smart, practical and brave, and love the evil villain who will try to take them down, go for Iris Johansen.

What makes the Outlander series different?

The Outlander series actually starts off in 'modern' times during the WWII, but our heroine Claire gets transported back in time into the middle of a skirmish between some highlanders and The English.

Its got a lot of adventure and quasi-historical moments mixed in with the great romance of Claire and Jamie.

The laundry list of Jamie's vitrues can get a bit ummm...long sometimes, but overall, the books are a great read.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, ladies. I've made a list and I know I'm gonna blow at least 50 bucks in the bookstore tomorrow

I wholly agree with Lady V. I've gotten rid of many romance novels that didn't last upon multiple readings or when I'd get into another genre, but the books I'll never get rid of are the Laura Kinsale novels. I think my favorite is The Prince of Midnight (?) - Fabio-inspired cover, which was why I picked it up originally, but what a great novel, what a strong heroine, and I love the flawed men who are all the more compelling and loveable for being complicated and mildly broken.

I also love Bertrice Small and Kathleen Woodiwiss. I'll also admit to loving LaVyrle Spencer's novels.

There's something about the sex scenes in My Sweet Folly that makes it my favorite among the Kinsales. Plus they initially fall in love over what is basically the internet except 100 years too early. =)

There's also one called Seize the Fire that is fairly obscure, but she's kind of chubby and there are penguins and the Falkland Islands involved, so of course I love it.

Loving the suggestions. Thanks!!!!

.. women are from VENUS, men are from MARS...

..could this be compared to why 'some' women love these novels to why 'some' men love to watch porn?

its like 'mind candy'...women justify reading this type of book as a harmless escape, but still has the power to excite sexually.

men may use the images seen in porn to fantasize in a similar way.. but also see it as a harmless escape.

..not trying to poke a hornets nest here but i see a comparison in both.

..do some women hope their H's, SO's would behave like their romance novel heroes in some ways???

.. and do some men hope their W's, SO's would give them some of the kind of stuff seen in porn situations??

..i know many women who find porn to be totally unacceptable for their H to watch.. yet i wonder how many husbands fight with their wives over time spent reading

those 'mind candy' novels..

..not meant to thread-jack but im curious about the comparison..

smy

Hi smy- Maybe some women would like for their SO/H to be like the men in these novels. Maybe some men would like for their SO/W to be more like porn stars.

However, living in the real world long enough inevitably rains down on any of those fantasy parades. I don’t have any issues with porn. Having said that, I am not a porn star and I will not try to perform like one. As long as I’m not expected to contort my body in any way that I deem uncomfortable and/or unnecessary- you can watch whatever you like. In return, I will not expect to be rescued from an evil highland warrior and then carried home to be ravished throughout the night.