Smart Bitches Trashy Books | All of the romance, none of the bullshit.

this list is awesome.  yay!  and crap!, must now go on a buying binge.

What a lovely description of romance! I need to have that printed on a laminated card so I can hand it to people who say, “You read that stuff?”

That looks like a great list. I could think of some I might add or change, as can we all, I’m sure. But generally, I am pleased. Well done, RUSA!

In the contemporary category, I’d recommend the Chesapeake Bay books over the Born In books, but either are good choices. I don’t know that I could choose only one of the Chesapeake Bay books over any of the others, because each addresses such a different set of issues. oh, heck, get ‘em all.

I have several thoughts about other things I’d rather see listed, but I’m in a “world enough and time” kind of situation at the moment so can’t get to listing them just now.  Plus, I always feel somewhat sketchy recommending alternate books when I haven’t read everything in the initial recommendation. 

BUT…

No Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, or Mary Balogh?  What gives with that?

In the historical category, I’d add Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mr. Bridgerton and Laura Lee Guhrke’s And Then He Kissed Me.

Great list.  I would have put Windflower and Flowers from the Storm and Lord of Scoundrels on the historical list, but I know they have limited options.

On the Regencies, I’d put Balogh’s The Temporary Wife.  I noticed Heyer wasn’t there--they must consider her “old school” and not part of the genre.

Way to go, librarians!

The only book I’ve read of those is “Born in Fire”, which was fabulous. So, yeah, gotta run out and buy me some more books.

I would add something by Lisa Kleypas to the historical list, maybe “Dreaming of You”. I also really like Susan Enoch’s “By Love Undone” for Regencies. For paranormal I’d choose Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander”. (It’s the book I push on all my non-romance reading friends to try to get them hooked.)

I always love your book recommendations!

*sigh*

Would I be pouting overmuch if I asked “So where are the YA romances?”

And insomuch as the authors themselves don’t consider them romances, I hesitate to suggest this, but I very firmly believe in them as epic love stories so for historical I’d like to add

The Thorn Birds- Colleen McCullough
Outlander- Diana Gabaldon

As a librarian who buys fiction, I heartily agree with the awesomeness of us! :)

I agree that Schone is considered, generally, erotica.  But, I’m glad she’s on the list, wherever they decide to put her.  LOVE her. 

I can’t imagine paranormal romances without Kelley Armstrong.  Of course, I’m an unapologetic Armstrong pusher, and I’ll give her books to (almost) anyone who asks my opinion!  And, maybe she’s considered more mystery or SF or whatever, but *I* happen to think she’s romance.

God only knows how one narrows down the Nora Roberts collection to pick just one.  For some reason, though, I always think first about Chesapeake Blue when people ask me about her books.  That isn’t even the one I like the most!  Who can say how the mind works, huh?

I love seeing things like this if only to remind me that not all librarians call romances “bodice rippers.”

This isn’t an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination, but given that I am an adult fiction buyer for my library system, I thought I’d rattle off some authors I consider to be “core collection.”

Contemporary: Nora Roberts, Jennifer Crusie, SEP, Linda Howard, Suzanne Brockmann, Elizabeth Lowell, JAK

Historical: Amanda Quick, Lisa Kleypas, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Laura Kinsale, Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Judith Ivory, Stephanie Laurens

I’d throw J.D. Robb in there, but I consider them a bit more suspense than romance.

And these are just the names off the top of my head.  I’m sure I’ve missed somebody....

Whoo-damn, I love this idea!

I’d have to agree with whomever said Nora’s Chesapeake Bay series is her best. I’d go with Sea Swept as the book I’d list, because man, if that book doesn’t draw you in and make you want to read the rest, what the hell will?

For Romantic Suspense, I’d go with something by Linda Howard. I happen to love Dying to Please, which I know a lot of people didn’t like. Or Dream Man. Either works.

For Historical Romance, well, if I can go with anything, it would have to be The Windflower by Tom and Sharon Curtis. But if I can’t have that, I’d go with Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh.

For Paranormal, I’d go with Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh. Or I suppose Dark Lover by JR Ward, although I’ve kind of soured on her lately. But Singh consistently delivers. I also really love Colleen Gleason’s Gardella Chronicles.

Regencies in print:

Anne Gracie, THE PERFECT RAKE

Loretta Chase, MISS WONDERFUL or MR. IMPOSSIBLE

Carla Kelly, BEAU CRUSOE

Mary Balogh, THE SECRET PEARL

Janet Mullany, THE RULES OF GENTILITY [trade paper]

My list depends on how you identify “Regencies” versus “historicals set in the Regency period"--I think BEAU CRUSOE was the only one of these published as a Regency in the strictest sense, though THE SECRET PEARL was originally published as a “super Regency.”

one quick correction: neal wyatt is female. and she is a pretty awesome readers’ advisory librarian.

For historical romances, I have to give a shout out to Johanna Lindsay’s Mallory series - the first four books.

I also think we need to see a little viking love in this list.  The Heather Graham viking series is very enjoyable.

Re: paranormal romance - I know many readers (me included!) are feeling inundated, but when it comes to “core collection” for the library it’s still all shaking out for me.  That said, J.R. Ward is now officially “core” given her massive popularity.  Ditto Sherrilyn Kenyon.  Nalini Singh has circ’ed well but she’s not generating “waiting lists” yet like Kenyon and Ward do.  I also purchase my fare share of urban fantasy, but tend to view this as a separate genre more so than labeling it as romance.  Kelley Armstrong has gained serious momentum in circulation recently as has Kim Harrison....

Given the awesome definition of romance provided here (Romance novels are built around the relationship between hero and heroine and the conflicts within that relationship. They are ultimately positive and optimistic novels that involve the reader on an emotional level. Fans of this genre love the snappy dialogue, well-crafted scenes, connection between the characters, and details of the character’s lifestyles.) I’ll chime in with the following:

Sea Swept by Nora Roberts (contemporary)
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (historical)
Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts (contemporary)
The Rake by Mary Jo Putney (historical; Regency)
The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh (historical)
Heart of Fire by Linda Howard (contemporary; adventure)
Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard (contemporary; suspense)
Mackenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard (contemporary)
Vice by Jane Feather (historical)

But...but...where’s the Georgette Heyer?

(I think some of hers have even been reprinted this year.)

My core paranormal recs:

Mary Stewart, TOUCH NOT THE CAT [classic!  now reprinted in mass market!]

Marjorie Liu, SHADOW TOUCH

Nalini Singh, VISIONS OF HEAT

Eileen Wilks, TEMPTING DANGER

Emma Holly, HUNTING MIDNIGHT

J.R. Ward, LOVER ETERNAL

Oh, of course Georgette Heyer!  Also Mary Stewart and Victorian Holt/Jean Plaidy.  That would be like having a mystery collection without Agatha Christie!

For Nora, I would have nominated Birthright, which had me completely, book-gulpingly enthralled.

I don’t think of myself as a romance newbie anymore, but there’s obviously still a few points of confusion in my addled head. Can anyone explain to me why The Duke and I isn’t considered a Regency, rather than a historical? Since it is set during the Regency and all? (Obviously, most of the later Bridgerton novels aren’t set during the Regency, but that one and, I believe, The Viscount Who Loved Me are.

Must show my love for Loretta Chase and vote for Lord of Scoundrels for historical, and The Devil’s Delilah for Regency.

Snarkhunter, there’s an explanation of the difference between trad Regencies and Regency-set historicals in the Romance Fiction 101 article (page 121).

For those suggesting Heyer, she’s mentioned on the same page, so she’s not been left out.

Has anyone mentioned Connie Brockway? I just discovered her classics--I drove to a different state to find As You Desire--I think a few of her historicals are being reissued.

Also, I ♥ Lauren Willig--she’s a lovely cross between Regency-set historical and contemporary/chick-lit, without the unfortunate ickiness of time travel.

I’m reading The Duke & I right now, thanks to recs here at teh Bitchery!

As a librarian and a reader, I’m thrilled to see this come out.  While I now work in an academic library, I used to purchase all the fiction for a large public library.  And frankly, there are just some authors that are “core” authors, regardless of genre.  Nora is one of those.  As is Jenny Crusie.  And pretty much Jayne Anne Krentz/Amanda Quick.  And Heyer is pretty much considered classic these days!

Now, I must go and read the article because it was much more important to comment first.  :)

Hah!  Since I’m not “logged in” on this computer, I got a spamblocker:  reacher44, which is just *oh* so perfect!

Quick drive-by as I don’t have time to give due consideration to what I’d add to this list, besides seconding Mary Balogh and Georgette Heyer as additions.

For Carla Kelly, I’d choose MISS CHARTLEY’S GUIDED TOUR. However, the thing that really inspired me to comment was the choice of NATURAL BORN CHARMER for Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I’m a huge fan of SEP but I found this book a real disappointment. There are several better choices: HOT SHOT, FIRST LADY, MATCH ME IF YOU CAN, or DREAM A LITTLE DREAM—or really nearly any other book (except possibly HONEY MOON or JUST IMAGINE).

i require more Loretta Chase and Laura Kinsale on MY library shelves, thats for damn sure.

Alexandra- thank you SO much for bringing up Lauren Willig. I’ve been trying to figure out where to post about her here, and until you mentioned her, have been at a loss.

Seriously, SB and Candy, srsly, check out Lauren Willig. Also, Ja(y)nes (Dear Author), you too. My mom just sent me the first three books (The Pink Carnation, The Deception of the Emerald Ring, and The Masque of the Black Tulip. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (book 4) comes out at the end of the month.

The prose is beautiful, the dialogue witty, smart, and historically accurate; the HEA is so satisfying, I ate all three books is a day and a half. I was surprised (and disappointed) that neither the Smart Bitches or Dear Author had reviewed this series. Hop to it ladies! You will NOT be disappointed. (OK, maybe you will, but I would super duper surprised if you were). And anyone else out there that hasn’t heard or read Lauren Willig, she’s a fantastic writer!

Snarkhunter, I too would’ve gone for Birthright (or Three Fates) as a really representative Nora title, but that’s partially because Born In Fire is my very least favorite Nora that I’ve read.

But this is a great list. Too bad I have to write a thesis over the next three months and can’t just hunker down with everything.

Oh my god, Cinderman.  I read that back in school!  I still remember it, which is kind of crazy.  Actually, what I remember most about it is the heroine suddenly waking up with perfect vision.  I was terribly jealous.

Heyer and Mary Stewart (romantic suspense) are absolutely essential.  How can anyone even understand the conventions of Regency without reading Heyer? 

Nora Roberts’ Birthright?  With all possible respect to Ms. Roberts, this was NOT one of her best, nor anywhere near.

:D

JaniceG, I totally agree with you about the SEP choice. She’s one of my top 3 favorite authors, but I, too, was slightly disappointed by Natural Born Charmer. This Heart of Mine, Nobody’s Baby But Mine, It Had to be You, Ain’t She Sweet, Breathing Room...all of those are excellent SEP’s, IMO.

As for other contemporaries, Nora’s Birthright and Carolina Moon are right up there on the list for me, as is the entire Chesapeake series.

Whenever anyone asks what romance I read/what’s good I tend to automatically say “Julia Quinn! Bridgerton books! I heart Colin Bridgerton!”

Everyone else (sites that is) all agree on Lord of Scoundrels, and having just finished it a few days ago… it very much lives up to the hype.
Jessica Trent is one of the BEST heroines I’ve read in a long time. (My fave is Penelope Featherington, because I really identify with her and think she’s just absolutely great)

Now, in the category of say, historical/mystery or what not, I do highly recommend Carole Nelson Douglas’ Irene Adler series, eps. Irene At Large/A Soul of Steel (is the revised edition title) when Foreign Office spy Quentin Stanhope appears and becomes a potential love interest throughout the series for Irene’s biographer/partner in crimesolving/her own Dr. Watson Penelope “Nell” Huxleigh.

Nell is so fabulously straight-laced and full of propiety in the beginning of the series and you see her slowly evolve and grow, which is nice since the series is mostly her narrative.
And I do love the subtle moments between her and Quentin.

I first read Georgette Heyer and Mary Stewart - all of them - as a teenager. I’m now 42, and they live in two boxes in the attic, and whenever I need a session of prolonged comfort reading, I get one of the boxes down. 25 years and more or enjoyment makes them pretty good authors, in my reckoning.
There are just so many authors out there now, they can’t all be likely to still be read in 25 years time; I wonder which of the newer authors will be? Nora Roberts is the only one that I’m personally trying to collect from second hand bookshops, as I did with Heyer and Stewart (sorry about the royalties, Nora, but I do buy some of them new ; ))

No Kinsale? No Linda Howard? No Ivory?

Heyer is mentioned in the article if you read through it, so they score on that!

And I must agree that the S. E. Phillips they chose is not a good example of her work.

I totally agree that there should be a few Georgette Heyer books on the list! For the historicals, I suggest Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham, The Devil to Pay by Liz Carlyle, The Suitor by Sandy Hingston and Beyond Sunrise by Candice Proctor. My favourite Suzanne Brockmann book would be Out of Control (love the hero). I also like Katherine Sutcliffe’s romantic suspenses very much, especially Bad Moon Rising. I abhor anything Christine Feehan (I tried to read Dark Guardian once, but the hero was a pompous ass, the heroine an insipid virgin and the book an instant wallbanger), so instead I would like to see something by Lynn Viehl (Darkyn series) on the list.

I’m joining the “didn’t love Natural Born Charmer” crowd. Of course, it’s IMHO, but Dean’s character changed so much from MMIFC to NBC that it ruined the book for me.

SEP’s “Fancy Pants” was the first romance novel I ever read. I was hooked. I believe that “Nobody’s Baby But Mine” and “Match Me If You Can” are her two best books. Period.

Other contemporaries—it isn’t a collection if “Bet Me” isn’t there. I also love “Anyone But You”.

I read “Lord of Scoundrels” two weeks ago. It more than lived up to its advance billing, and should be on the list as well.

I’m thrilled to share the “The Duke and I” love with Sarah and others who’ve mentioned it. What a great book. I also loved “The Viscount Who Loved Me”. Julia Quinn’s books are now “comfort reads” for me.

-S

Oh wow, this is hard. Guess I’ll comment on historicals as that’s what’s coming to mind. . .

--Johanna Lindsey’s Gentle Rogue
--Eloisa James’ Essex Sisters series
--Paula Quinn
--Suzanne Enoch’s “The Rake”, “England’s Perfect Scoundrel”, and “England’s Perfect Hero”

Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series doesn’t hold up after vol. 3. The Duke & I is her best book, IMHO.

About Nalini Singh’s “Slave to Sensation”. It might not be circ’ing as well as some others, but give her time, the books will. I think she’s got a fresh voice and original thing going.

Lauren Willig is great. (I zoomed through the first half of Tulip while my kiddo played at the bookstore.) But her books are shelved in adult trade (they are pub’d in trade paperback), so does it count as part of the romance collection?

Librarians, question for you: Does binding matter?  ‘Cause the “romance” section at my library is comprised of mass markets on spinner racks. The hardcovers and tps are shelved in Adult Fiction.

delurking to bring up Patricia Gaffney for historicals, especially Crooked Hearts and To Have and to Hold. Those were actually the books that got me into romance, and I think they’re great examples of taking the basic genre conventions and tweaking them a wee bit.

Librarians, question for you: Does binding matter?  ‘Cause the “romance” section at my library is comprised of mass markets on spinner racks. The hardcovers and tps are shelved in Adult Fiction.

It depends on the library.  In a perfect world I like the hardcovers and trade paperbacks on the “regular shelves” and mass market paperbacks in their own area.  That said, I hate spinner racks with a seething passion.  It’s hard to keep the books in any kind of order and covers/pages get bent all the crud from people shoving books into the racks willy-nilly.

Before I hit administration, the library where I worked had slightly smaller traditional shelving with back support for the mmpbs.  These worked fantastic.  No worries about the books sliding off behind the shelving and since they were actual shelves, it was easy to keep the books in strict alphabetical order by author. 

Some libraries interfile their mmpbs with hard covers, and I personally don’t like this because it’s hard to keep the shelves looking nice.  Plus paperbacks are lighter in weight and easily fall behind the shelving to be buried forever with the dust bunnies.

So uh yeah - it depends.

Oh dear, now I have a whole list of books to look up next time I hit up the Borders nearby (our library, unfortunately, is sub-par).

One thing I must object to - Gabriel’s Ghost.  I liked Linnea Sinclair’s Finder’s Keepers a lot - Accidental Goddess was a little less good.  Despite the interesting setting it was very formulaic and I found myself skimming most of it. Gabriel’s Ghost I found almost impossible to get into and fairly confusing. Finder’s Keepers was much better, but if you’re going for sci-fi romance I would really recommend Cordelia’s Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold.

*frequent lurker :)

I’m hesitant to say this, because I know she occasionally reads this site, but...Lauren Willig’s Secret of the Pink Carnation was very nearly a wall-banger for me. The story is fine. It’s just that she would throw in these “period details,” and they would be WRONG. I found that extremely difficult to deal with. (Example--a character mentally comparing himself to Keats, who, when the book was set, was all of, like, 10.)

And thanks, Laura. (Laura Vivanco? I never know what to do with two-named people without seeming crazy formal or pretentious or rude.)

I see the difference. I think it’s a little bit artificial, but that’s just me.

Any list that includes the highly underrated Jennifer Greene has my vote.

But there are a number of books on that list ( Bet Me?—frankly, Jenny Crusie started going downhill when she quit writing category) that I don’t agree with, and a great many that are missing (most of which have been mentioned in the comments).

Still, the quote is absolutely the best thing I’ve read all week.  And anything that convinces my fellow librarians that Romance belongs in libraries is a Very Good Thing.

I’m a librarian/romance reader and I, too have a “core” I always want to have on hand.  I try to get as many of the others mentioned as well!

And, if anybody’s interested, RUSA (my favorite ALA division) has these kinds of definitions and stuff for other genre too!

[quote/]I totally agree that there should be a few Georgette Heyer books on the list! For the historicals, I suggest Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham, The Devil to Pay by Liz Carlyle, The Suitor by Sandy Hingston and Beyond Sunrise by Candice Proctor.

I totally agree that THE SUITOR by Sandy Hingston is a great book; definitely one of my favorites.  But here is my list of books that are missing from the list:

Historical:  ummm, yes, Lisa Kleypas definitely has to be on the list.

Contemporary:  one of my favorites of all time is DRIVE ME WILD by Julie Ortolon

Romantic Suspense:  I know she’s not shelved in the romance section, but Elizabeth Peters is really my all-time favorite.  Mary Stewart is a great, choice, though--I’ve read THE IVY TREE at least twenty-five times since I was eight.

Paranormal Romance:  Again, I know she’s a YA author, but L. J. Smith, L. J. Smith, a thousand times L. J. Smith!  And where is Sherrilyn Kenyon???  I do agree with DARK PRINCE, though; that book is classic.

We shelve all of our formats together: trade pb, hardcover and mass market.  Space is an issue in nearly every one of our branches. 

And I’m so very embarrassed that I didn’t remember Diana Gabaldon for historicals.

I LOVE Julia Quinn’s books, but you might also want to consider Judith McNaught, Brenda Joyce, Jude Devereaux or Catherine Coulter for historicals too.

For paranormal, Lori Handeland, Yasmin Galenorn and Cheyenne McCray.

For contemporary, loved Bet Me and the whole Born In series, but would add Suzanne Brockman and Cherry Adair (of course those are both more action/adventure/romantic suspense, but still fabulous reads!)

Great to know so many well-informed librarians are doing this advisory. Libraries are a huge market and once they start actually cataloguing romance, they she how big the circulation is.

I LOVE Julia Quinn’s books, but you might also want to consider Judith McNaught, Brenda Joyce, Jude Devereaux or Catherine Coulter for historicals too.

For paranormal, Lori Handeland, Yasmin Galenorn and Cheyenne McCray.

For contemporary, loved Bet Me and the whole Born In series, but would add Suzanne Brockman and Cherry Adair (of course those are both more action/adventure/romantic suspense, but still fabulous reads!)

As many of the best-selling authors are on standing order at the library where I work, authors such as Nora are a given that we’ll have the titles.

The ones I leave the person who does the ordering are the authors some may not have readily heard of (usually gleaned from this very site). I make sure we get the newest titles for the following:

Lisa Kleypas
Nalini Singh
JR Ward
Karen Marie Moning
Shana Abe
Julia Quinn

that’s just a few. If I find an author I love, I see the library gets her books if they are in print.

As for YA romances? Stephenie Meyer. ‘Nuff said.

What about Mary Janice Davidson? Lynsay Sands also for paranormal romance. Have to add to the list Lisa Kleypas for historical romance. Birthright, not my fave of NR, would recommend Blue Smoke instead. Also jumping on the SEP ship with NBC, and instead suggest MMIYC. Also would add Suzanne Enoch’s Sam Jellico series for contemporary romance.

In my day life, I’m a librarian and have been lucky enough to get to know both Neal and Joyce (though I’m pretty darn sure they don’t know about *this* persona of mine).  A lot of people have already mentioned authors I’d add to the existing lists, but here are a few more for me:

Historical:
Jo Goodman - I *loved* her Compass Club series.

Paranormal:
Lynn Kurland - I lurve me some sexy, sexy books (otherwise I wouldn’t write what I write), but Lynn imposed as strict PG-13 rating on her writing after her first few books.  I honestly do not notice that she closes the door!  She so sweeps me into the story that I just enjoy the ride she takes me on. Head’s up to you librarians looking for a non-inspirational, “sweet” and meaty story author!

There are a few more, but I need to get to bed ;)

You really do have to read Cinderman!  It’s hysterically contrived and yet you really do believe in the h/H and that they have fallen in love, superpowers and all.  You start out all WTF?!?  And end up really rooting for them.  I read it as part of the ebundle of her out-of-print series novels that also included a WAY creepy version of Beauty &TB.

I would definitely add all Amanda Quick novels to Historical, and Kathless Woodiwiss’s Shanna as well. It’s the first romance book I remember reading, and one of the few at the time that didn’t have the standard “Hero rapes the heroine to show her how much he lurves her!” scene, for which I was profoundly grateful. (::cough, cough::Rosemary Rogers::cough, cough.::)

For Paranormal, Maggie Shayne’s vampire series, starting with the ones in Silhouette Shadows, P.C. Cast’s Goddess series, and her Partholon books. I don’t necessarily consider Lilith Saintcrow’s Dante Valentine series to be romance, rather dystopian futuristic fantasy, but some people consider it a romance. I also like Catherine Asaro’s Misted Cliffs/Lost continent series. I’d second the comment about Lynn Viehl. And Angela Knight. And Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series. (can you tell I do a lot of reading in Paranormal Romance?)

But I would never consider Mary Janice Davidson ever again. It just seems that all her heroines have an unhealthy obsession with shoes and fashion worthy of the love child of Carrie from Sex and the City crossed with Imelda Marcos. It makes them seem much, much too alike to me. The only heroine of hers I don’t remember fitting into this mold is the heroine of a short story fit into the Queen Betsy world whose title I no longer even remember!

Oh my god, I can’t believe other people love the Windflower!  That was the first ever romance I fell in love with, and I lent it to a friend and never managed to find a copy since.  Just, wow.

So happy now :) Good list, too.

As I was reading this, my first thought was “Where is Georgette Heyer in all this?!?!?”. I see that a number of you have already spoken. Yes, all her books have been reprinted (including her crime novels) - I bought them all whilst I was living in London in ‘06. It would be a tough choice to pick just one..

Would you believe that at this very moment I am reading ‘Romancing Mr Bridgerton’? I <3 Colin!!

I also agree with any Mary Stewart - they were a staple for me going through high school

NkB I completely second you on the LJ Smith. I thought the Nightworld series was really well written and I am STILL waiting for the release of Strange Fate.

I am a little surprised that no one has mentioned Midnight Bayou by Ms. Roberts as a staple in the Romantic Suspense section. I heart that book so much and Declan is teh mad sexy!

snarkhunter,

You know, I didn’t catch that at all. But I did read them rather quickly. With that said though, I was totally engrossed in the characters and storyline, which is why my post is really enthusiastic.

Due to your mentionable about historical inaccuracy, I should amend my prior post to note that they exist. ;)

snarkhunter & Randi,

Crap! I can’t believe I missed a glaring Keats error like that, especially since I knew he died at 25 in 1821...which means he was 7 when Pink Carnation begins. Oy.

Maybe he was a very precocious literary mind at 7? He totally could have started Endymion by then. Possibly.

I’m with Randi—I ran through these books quickly because they’re like crack :). She’s got snappy dialogue, a great storyline, a non-wallpapery historical setting (even if some of it is inaccurate), and O-M-G Colin Selwick, who brings to mind my other favorite Colin—Firth.

There were, as I recall, three such errors, and all three of them just drove me batty. The Keats one was not quite the worst--the worst was the Edmund Kean error, but there was also a Wordsworth thing, and I was really quite annoyed.

But it was a fun book. And I don’t want detract from that. I just hate it when otherwise very well researched novels get really easy details like that screwed up. (And I’m not even that much of a stickler for historical “accuracy.")

OK-that mostly explains why I didn’t catch the historical inaccuracy. They were all poets. Me, not a poetry fan (excepting Coleridge’s Kubla Khan deal-but see, even then I don’t even remember the name of the poem, and I couldn’t tell ya when he was born and when he died). Now, if Lauren had her ladies in hoop skirts during The Empire period, THEN I would have caught something. Or if Poe or HG Wells had been included. But poets-my brain is full of empty on that topic.

word: space79-that’s how much I don’t know about poets and poetry.

Well, Kean was an actor. She had some line about how some character should be acting with Kean in Covent Garden. But Kean didn’t go on stage in London until a decade after the book was set.

19C Brit poetry is my field, so these things leaped off the page at me. It’s not like I sat there trying to pick apart her research. :/

And thanks, Laura. (Laura Vivanco? I never know what to do with two-named people without seeming crazy formal or pretentious or rude.)

There’s more than one Laura who comments here, so it helps to avoid confusion if I post with my surname. If it’s any help, my name sometimes get shortened to Laura V (but elsewhere someone who likes roman numerals asked where the other four Lauras were, and I’m still not sure if his question was intended as a joke or not).

I know I’m being repetitious but the point bears repetition: the Regency list needs to include a Heyer.  I don’t think that there is any other writer of Regency novels whose books are so frequently re-read, handed from Mother to Daughter and endorsed by literary luminaries such as Margaret Drabble and Stephen Fry.

As mentioned further up the thread, Heyer has not been omitted by the librarians.

Before giving the list of 5 traditional regency romances there’s an introduction to this subgenre in which it is stated that:

It is impossible to define the traditional Regency with only five books; however, readers looking to familiarize themselves with this elegant subgenre should consider the historical (but not mystery or contemporary) works of Georgette Heyer, the standard-setting author of the modern Regency, as well as the following more recent authors and titles, as a starting place.

I heartily agree with everyone who suggested Nora Roberts’ Chesapeake Bay series, particularly Sea Swept (my one quibble with the series is that the teenage kid’s age changes somewhat randomly from one book to the next).  I really appreciate Roberts’ supporting characters, who are well-developed and with lives and agendas of their own - so many romance novels feature a hero and heroine against a backdrop of carboard cut-outs.

I’d recommend one of Elizabeth Peter’s Vicky Bliss books for romntic suspense, probably Trojan Gold, where John is finally tricked into revealing his love for Vicky.  Vicky, Schmidt, and John are all appealing quirky characters, and the museum/antiquities mystery plots are always fun.

I also agree with the several suggestions of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander for the historical category.  Her setting and historical detail are wonderfully detailed, and the entire thing reads like a sweeping epic, plus there’s the refreshing (for historicals) change of a more experienced heroine introducing a virginal man to sex, rather than the other way around.

Patricia Veryan’s Golden Chronicles are also a historical must-have.  Lovely, swashbuckling romantic adventure set just after Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion, around the same time as Outlander (though she’s not quite as good on historical details as Gabaldon, she makes up for it with lots of swordfighting and hairsbreadth escapes).

I have to confess I’m surprised to see Amanda Quick suggested so often, though.  Many of her books feel very “cookie-cutter” to me, and her depictions of Regency England often fail to convince me; they feel more like Hollywood window dressing, just there so that the hero and heroine can have historical costumes and ride in a carriage.

OH! Wow. Hmm. With traditional Regencies no longer being published, it’s hard to think of those that ought to go in the list.

For Historical Romance, I’d recommend something by Lisa Kleypas--Flowers from the Storm is still my favorite, but honestly, I think any of hers would do.

And Madeline Hunter--THE CHARMER is the one I was looking for--the heroine is an heiress to one of the most powerful duchies in England, and the hero is a lesser aristocrat who is sent to retrieve her from the debaucheries of Paris. It has political intrigue, complicated characters and true love winning out in the end. I LOVED this book.

Paranormal romance is tough. There’s a LOT of Romantic fantasy/paranormal stuff out there, but a lot of it really isn’t “true” romance. Robin Owens’ books are, of course--hers and Linnea Sinclair’s are some of the best.

ATLANTIS RISING by Alyssa Day is a good one.

But that’s enough for now…

verification word: feel63
Since I’m coming down with a cold, that’s pretty accurate…

G

While I agree that Christine Feehan’s books become formulaic after the initial few books, I am in love with her Drake Sisters novels.

Regarding the Willig books, they are THIS CLOSE to wallbangers for me, not so much because of the many anachronisms, but because the writing feels forced and unnatural and just doesn’t flow. Obviously, many people disagree with me about that. The contemporary storyline interests me enough to keep trying, but reading the historical parts (which account for about ninety percent of each book, probably more) is like doing penance. I spent the last hundred pages of the first book groaning out loud, no exaggeration. The last two were not so bad, but I’ve now given myself permission to skim. (No, I say to myself, skimming is not cheating. Now, hush.)

As for the list, I’d like to see YA romances included, maybe Beauty by Robin McKinley and The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery, to start.

Laurie,

Try Rabbit Heart by Colleen Hitchcock for stilted forced writing. I can read about a paragraph a day because the writing is, not terrible, but young. Like someone who knows the fundamentals of writing, but has very little experience actually doing it. The dialogue is excruciating and the flow is stop and go.

I won’t argue with you about Willig, as I already mentioned that I love the flow of her books. But it’s always interesting to get another’s viewpoint.

ps. I don’t mean to say try Rabbit Heart because it’s terrible and I want you to try to read something that is going to make your eyes cross (like smelling something terrible and passing it around the family), but rather as an example of what I think forced writing is.