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

If they like misterys, perhaps Mariah Stewart, Allison Brennan, Suzanne Brockmann… something like that.

Driven by Eve Kenin---a little bit romance, a little bit Road Warrior.

I always like me some Jenny Crusie.  Maybe Agnes and the Hitman is mysterious enough for them.

The first two that came to mind were Allison Brennan and Driven by Eve Kenin, both of which I see have already been mentioned.

Naked in Death would be another choice, since it combines romance and mystery with some touches of the future.

Lisa Gardner would be a good choice. My book, Coiled Revenge, is very James Patterson’ish with a twist of romance.

Can’t go wrong with Diana Gabaldon.

Well if they like sci-fi they might like Rowena Cherry. I’d suggest they start with FORCED MATE and INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL. There is also THE JAGUAR LEGACY by Maureen Fisher for the suspenseful/mystery readers. I really enjoyed that paranormal romantic suspense.

However my favorites are HIGHLAND WARRIOR by Hannah Howell (who can resist a heroine who carries 11 knives on her for protection) and IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS by Wendy Markham.

I would recommend Cruisie’s Welcome to Temptation.  A really good intro book to the field.  It is funny, sexy, has a great mystery.  Two other good choices would be Robb’s Naked in Death and Brigg’s Moon Called.  In fact, these three together would be a good newbie kit.

Techies might also like the Victorian era white boy ninja component of The Shadow And The Star. Put a post-it on it describing it like that.

I second Naked in Death.

Also, Bujold - Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls.

I think techies will like SF/Fantasy elements, just to stereotype a bit (I’m a techie, so there you go).

For people who are looking into a series for the first time it would be Robb/Robert’s LOYALTY IN DEATH, lots of action.. and romance of course.

Linda Howard’s MR. PERFECT, which is funny, sexy and makes fun of--- and has fun with--- looking for the perfect man… and has a murder mystery.

For Sci-fi fans it would be any of the Guardian series by Meljean Brook, because they have lots of everything--- history, wars, evil villains--- romance, of couse---- and you can start any where in the series.

submit word: short56.... that is such a puzzle.

Gotta agree on Naked In Death.  Excellent romance, sci-fi and crime.

You could always send the traditional hostess soaps along with.  Creepy baby hand soap.  (wg)

http://vitamindesignshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30_31&products_id=242

My image word is deep69.  heh

I’d recommend Linnea Sinclair’s Down Home Zombie Blues to a Sci/Fi fan. Also the Patricia Briggs books.
If they do the ebook thing (and are a little adventuresome—wink, wink) I think Morgan Hawke’s books on LooseId are great.
I agree with everyone, can’t go wrong with Crusie. When friends say, “come on, what about historicals?” I recommend Julia Quinn, Loretta Chase, or Lisa Kleypas, depending on the person.

I’d go with Revenge Gifts by Cindy Cruciger. Why? It’s a great read, it’s a romance, and the JavaScript at the beginning of each chapter is correct.

Also, some of the methods of revenge may appeal to your tech staff’s sense of absurd.

Now that I think about it…

You may also want to consider:
Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti
Agnes and the Hitman: Jennifer Cruise & Bob Mayer
Linnea Sinclair (Any of her stuff)
Lilith Saintclair’s Dante Valentine series.

I’d recommend

Naked in Death by JD Robb

or Allison Brennan - start with the No Evil trilogy.

Though it might be OOP by now (I doubt it), KATHERINE by Anya Seton’s my first choice. Good romance, great male lead (mwahh). And Bujold is a good choice.  If there’s a single female techie, anything by Catherine Anderson.

Well ick. Rinda that takes creepy to a whole new level… but I have a few people in mind that may be getting just that exact gift… thanks.

http://vitamindesignshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30_31&products_id=242

submit word: arms95.... okay, I can roll with that.

Since I’m just finishing up Shallow Grave, (as in, I picked it up from B&N;Wednesday, read an hour Weds night, and finished it last night in a frenzy) how about Blood Ties? Not a traditional romance but strong romantic elements along with a great storyline. And Martinez? (pant, pant) Armstrong does a great job of making a hero sexy without having super-explicit sex scenes.

Another series that has good romantic elements but is more of a mystery is the Dana Stabenow Liam Campbell or Kate Sugak books.

For more traditional romance mixed with mystery I second the nomination of Linda Howard’s Mr. Perfect or the first In Death book by Robb/Roberts.

Finally, for more hard-core Sci-Fi with romantic elements, Karen Traviss’ City of Pearl.

My submit word? still67. Quit adding 20 years!

As a science fiction/fantasy reader and a friend to many tech geeks I’d recommend the Mercy series by Patricia Briggs.  however, this is not a traditional romance in that the heroine and hero end up together in the first book.  I like that it’s a slow romance. 

Also possibly Catherine Asaro.  She’s a sci/fi romance author who is also a physicist.  The first book in the Skolian Empire series is Primary Inversion which is a very good book.

For mystery fans, I definitely 23rd the In Death series. It’s got romance, but enough of a mystery plot that the romance isn’t the only thing holding the book together.

If they are into mystery stuff and SF, I’d say the IN DEATH books.  If they like urban fantasy, maybe the DARKYN books by Lynn Viehl.

Oh yeah, Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro blew me away!  Hard sci-fi and romance--gotta love it. 

Joanne, I share the creepy soaps every chance I get.  They crack me up.

Ooh, Deb! Katherine is SUCH a great book! And it’s not OOP! It and lots of other Seton books can still be found in B&N;, all with shiny new covers.

As for reccs, I have to go with a lot of other people and suggest Naked in Death. Or maybe The Reef, also by La Nora. That’s one of my faves, and I never think it gets enough love!

How about Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels series? My husband loved those and he is a Network Engineer and uber-geek.

really. trust me.

I am just a lowly programmer and I will never achieve his geek-ness!

Come to think of it, some of his D&D;buddies liked the series as well.

The Asaro recommendations are good--solid sf with strong romance.  I’d also second the Linnea Sinclair recommendations.  For a techie blast from the past, consider “Hot Shots” by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  Sure it reads like a historical now, but this wonderful story of the birth of the PC movement has laughs, romance and tech heroes.

Another nerd hero/tech/mystery combo is Jayne Ann Krentz’s Trust Me.  Sam Stark understands fractals, but not women.  As another of his wedding days goes south, he meets Desdemona Wainwright and her theatrical family and suddenly chaos theory takes on a whole new meaning.  There are laughs too, and I especially adored the babysitter, Macbeth.

Finally, if you’re talking SF romance, Lois McMaster Bujold should be on the short list. Shards of Honor is solid SF with a strong romance at the core.  Bujold and Asaro are both Hugo and Nebula award winners, so that boosts their cred with the non-romance SF readers.

For a mix of fun, mystery, and romance, you should send What the Lady Wants[/i} by Jennifer Crusie or Hidden Star by Nora Roberts. Both are great detective stories with a sizzling couple and the best characteristics of each writer’s abilities.

just to fix the italics

ps. Did Paul ever read Northern Lights, and if so, what did he think? He should come back to let us know…

I recommend giving a set of the first three In Death books by JDRobb/Nora Roberts.

Agnes and the Hitman by Crusie/Mayer would also be a good choice.

Unbroken Hearts, by Anna Murray

It’s an action western/romance, fast-paced, and enough plot drive to satisfy a man, and the sweet woman wins her man.

Any book by Jodi Thomas or Linda Lael Miller . . . whatever you pick—avoid the clutch cover if this is a read for a man.

Unbroken Hearts, by Anna Murray (Amazon Kindle)

A Jodi Thomas book— the Texas series.  Avoid clutch covers if this is a book for a man.

Definitely Bujold—the only living writer with four “Best Novel” Hugos—but I’m a little surprised no one’s mentioned the Komarr / A Civil Campaign duology. Bujold designed Komarr as a later-point access to the Vorkosigan saga.

Historicals: Anne Gracie and Julie Anne Long. Also Lady Fortune by Anne Stuart… why am I pimping all of these Annes?
They are all good, and it just happened that way, I swear!

J.D. Robb and L.M Bujold are definitely good bets.

Colleen Gleason’s Gardella series is a great suggestion. I also haven’t met anyone, male or female, who doesn’t like Marta Acosta’s books. I think they should also read an Elizabeth Hoyt, too, just to show how a really sexy book can be a fabulous read. My favorite Crusie is still “Welcome to Temptation.” Of course, you probably don’t have bunches of those lying around, since it’s pretty old.

I wound up with 60 author copies of Bound to Love Her. It’s fantasy, not sci-fi, but it is action-packed and light on introspection, which gives it some crossover appeal. I’m happy to send one.

I’m going to have to try a bunch of these, especially “Agent for Change.”

My guy loves Tara Janzen and quite likes Shannon McKenna (although her most recent was a little too brutal even for him, a die hard Deadwood fan!)and Alison Kent. Pamela Clare’s Unlawful Contact could be a good choice too.

Another vote for Naked in Death.
Faking It by Crusie
Katie MacAlister’s Aisling series would be good too-it has Jim the talking demon dog.

Linnea Sinclair, absolutely.

I enjoyed all the Nora Roberts titles mentioned, but I’d push Angels Fall.  Or was it Angel Falls?  The book’s upstairs, and I’m too lazy to check.

What about Lisa Gardner’s The Perfect Husband, Eileen Dreyer’s A Man to Die For, Suzanne Brockmann’s The Unsung Hero?  (I’m picking older titles that bridge romance and mystery/suspense.)

Virginia

I send the first 3 In Death books by J.D Robb as gifts for Christmas or birthdays a lot.
So I think In Deaths would be good. I send the first 3 because then they are hooked and start reading them all.
Appeals to men as much as to women. I’ve seen both get totally hooked.

Absolutely Naked in Death and the whole In Death series.  Also, Nora Roberts’ Carnal Innocence, Carolina Moon and Divine Evil, to name just a few.  I also loved the Night novels,

Fast Women by Jenny Crusie is one of my favorites.  Agnes and the Hitman was fun too.

And Suzanne Brockmann’s Navy Seals novels are favorites of mine.  Both the Troubleshooters and Tall, Dark and Dangerous series. 

And maybe suggest some mysteries that have a romance subplot.  I love Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters and pretty much all the Amelia Peabody mysteries.  Also the Vicki Bliss series.

The Stephanie Plum series, another mystery capper with romance thrown in to spice things up. 

And how about the vampire series from Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris.  The first books in these series are great reading and might be authors that are unknown to these techie gods. 

For a gift set, I’d totally do Nora and Jenny and I would probably throw in an Emma Holly novel too.

Restoree and The Ship who Sang by Anne McAffrey.

So wide the Sky by Elizabeth Grayson. This is a western. The heroine had been captured by native americans. After one escape attempt, they brand her face. Years later, she is rescued. One of the rescuers is her first love, an army captain. However, he can’t cope with her years as a captive. This is a romantic story, but men really can get into the story. It also tells the story from a male point of view.

I would recommend Tami Hoag, Dust to Dust. My dad has given me grief all my life for reading romance. But he loves Tami Hoag. He read her earlier novels after reading her mysteries. There is a romance in this story. Actually, there is a very good romance.

LaNora’s/Robb In Death series! Yes. Wonderful introduction and guys like them, too. *Roarke - swoon* I LOVE Lori Armstrong’s Julie Collins series (Blood Ties, Hallowed Ground, Shallow Grave), new one coming this fall can’t wait! *bounce* *fans self at thought of Martinez* *nodnods to Robinjn* He is HAWT!

Wow...there’s so many out there to chose from. Katie McAlister’s Aisling Gray, Guardian series was funny. Jim the demon Newfoundland is hysterical if you’ve ever been owned by a Newfie. The Rowena Cherry books were interesting, as are the Anne Bishops. For men, though, as an introduction...I think I’d stick with Naked in Death and Blood Ties.

Do NOT include any Cassie Edwards, unless you want to show them what not to read. (Sorry. plagiarism issues aside, I find her stories an affront.)

*busily scribbles down titles to add to her TBR list*

young28 - OMG, I wish!

Northern Lights. Definitely.

Another vote for Bujold here. And for the mystery side, Elizabeth Peters with the early entries in the Amelia Peabody series. (I like the later ones, but the first couple have a very strong romance element.)

Along with so many others Naked in Death sounds like the perfect choice.  I also agree with Driven by Eve Kenin.

The Patricia Briggs Mercy series is a good bet, I think.  Also Crusie’s AGNES AND THE HITMAN.

Mystery-wise, I really loved Tracy Grant’s DAUGHTER OF THE GAME.  It’s exemplary.

If they’re sf fans, it’s likely they’ve already read Bujold.

I still recommend The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger to all my friends, male or female, romance enthusiast or not.  I’ve never had one person say they didn’t like it--it has a bit of everything.

Tossing in my two cents to the nominations:

Welcome to Temptation by Jenny Crusie
Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

I don’t think Gabriel’s Ghost was specifically in the recommendations, but it’s the one she won the RITA for, and it’s my current favorite. (I haven’t read Games of Command yet considering my 60+ TBR pile, but I’m hearing excellent, excellent things.

I would first recommend Meljean Brook’s Demon Angel and the rest of the series, especially for a male reader who is into SF. 

And whenever I go to the car dealer for car maintenance, I tend to see men reading the In Death series, as well.  But I don’t know how that series will play for steadfast SF readers.  In any case, I’d go for the first few books in the series. 

Also, Bujold’s Sharing Knife and Sharon Shinn’s Archangel, but neither of those is specifically Romance, so I’d put those later on the list.

How about Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen? Its got spies fighting or The Hunt -Susan Siezmore or Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn, Dead Witch Walking- Kim Harrison or something by Catherine Mann- she writes military themed romance.

Bujold is a good choice, so is the Linden Universe....

How about some Mercedes Lackey? It’s fantasy that morphs into romance...Besides who can resist a Snarky Unicorn?

The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy
The Outstretched Shadow: Volume One
To Light a Candle: Volume Two
The Fall of Darkness: Volume Three

As a primary SF&F;reader who occasionally dabs into romance, I would be careful recommending supernatural/SF-y romances to hardcore SF&F;readers. Frankly the worldbuilding in most of those I have read suck big time.

Writers who write SF&F;with romance elements (Bujold, YES!, Briggs, early Hamilton, maybe even Lackey, although I am currently re-reading old favorites and the constant teenage whining is actually getting on my 35 year old nerves and actually spoiling my memories of those books) might be a better bet.

Bujold tried to merge the genres in her last series (The Sharing Knife books) and has some interesting comments on how difficult an exercise it was, and how the readers’ response varied based on expectations built through primary reading genre (SF fans vs. romance readers). For those who are interested scroll down to the… seventh paragraph in the interview after http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2008/04/sharing-knife-passage-by-lois-mcmaster.html[url=http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2008/04/sharing-knife-passage-by-lois-mcmaster.html]this review.

The two forms have different focal planes. In a romance in the modern genre sense [...] the focus is personal; nothing in the tale (such as the impending end of the world, ferex) can therefore be presented as more important.

[… In] most F&SF;plots [… p]olitical and only political activity (of which war/military is a huge sub-set) is regarded as “important” enough to make the protagonists interesting to the readers in these genres.

Uh, weird things happened with that link. Trying again.

I would recommend just about any Linna Sinclar book OVER the Zombie Blues books.  I found I had a hard time convincing myself to finish that book, and I had been SOOOO looking forward to it coming out. 

I would also recommend Shards of Honor over A Civil Ccampaign.  I love both books, but I think Shards has more of a hard edge to it that will make it appeal more to men who think of them selfs as sci-fi/ computer people (I was a total sci-fi person until a couple of years ago when a friend badgered me into reading some Stephanie Laurence-and I found I really liked having explicit sex in my books :grin:)

I would also recommend The Eight -I have never read anything else by her, but my mom picked that book up somewhere, and in my ever present search for new books(the library just did not get books in FAST enough, and i did not get enough money to by my own) I scammed it from her when it was new.  I have loved it ever since, never really thought of it as a romance, though of course it is.

Diana Galbradon is just excelent writting, and LOTS of it!

Also, Agnes and the hitman had me falling down laughing and getting very funny looks from others on public transportation. 

Pippy

If they’re into sci-fi and urban fantasy, how about the Crimson City series? It’s actually by multiple authors (one book per, not multiple authors writing each book) and although they’re definitely romances, there’s a lot of action too.

Amazon search results

EmmyS just beat me to it - The Crimson City series by Liz Maverick, Marjorie Liu, Patti O’Shea, Carolyn Jewel and Jade Lee.  Great mix of romance, sci-fi and the worldbuilding is great.

Along the same lines, Liu’s Dirk & Steele series.

I’d second the Kushiel series.

And may I suggest that you pick a book that doesn’t look like a romance, but more closely resembles a sci fi or general fiction title?

Maybe Unmasked by CJ Barry?  And if they like it, they can move on the Unmasqued: An Erotic Novel of the Phantom of the Opera.  Or Unmasked: Erotic Tales of Gay Superheroes.

Another good one I just finished was La Vida Vampire by Nancy Haddock. Vampires, a hunter society, murder, a mysterious wizard, and a shapeshifting dolphin best friend who we never see (although apparently this is the first in a series so presumably he’ll show up then.)

This one has a lighter feel than some modern vampire stories - not laugh-out-loud funny, but not all dhark and dhreary, either…

It might be interesting to give him the first book in J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series - there’s more male POV in this series than most… I wonder if it would appeal to a man.

I can’t believe I forgot the Liaden books by Miller and Lee.  Definitely sci/fi romance.
I also can’t believe that I forgot Sharon Shinn with her Angelica series or her stand alone books like Jenna Starborne, Summers at Auburn Castle and others.

Rush of Wings by Natalie Pheonix (or is it Natasha?)

I agree with all of those that have said the IN DEATH books.  Romance with mystery and a little glimpse of what the future might be.

Isn’t Sharon Shinn great?  The Angel books were so incredibly lyric, rich, and unique!

I’m actually enjoying the 13th house, too.  Different, but really good.

Jacqulyn Carey is awesome, and so is Anne Bishop-- but I consider both fantasy with romance elements.  Melanie Rawn, too.

No More Lies by Susan Squires
Finders Keeper by Linnea Sinclair
Catch the Lightning by Catherine Asaro
Some good sci fi romance and my verification word is usually 69!

Birthright is one of my favorite Nora Roberts’ novels that isn’t only a romance.

Seems we all leap at the chance to foist our reading tastes upon others.  What’s up with that?  (No, I’m not going to mention . . . )

Carla Kelly’s, Beau Crusoe - Her Majesty’s Navy, shipwreck, lifeboat ethics ... I think you know where this is going.

Y’all have already mentioned a ton of the ones I immediately thought of, but there’s one I haven’t seen: Die for Me by Karen Rose.  It is an absolutely faboo romantic suspense with serial killers, a cop, and an archaeologist.  There’s a sequel, Scream for Me, coming out in May and I’ve got the ARC and have just started it.  Highly, highly recommended.

Oopsie. This is Regency. Give the fellows this one. They’ll love it. I didn’t want it to end!

I’m thinking of ones that my husband also reads, so I’d suggest some sf/f/horror with strong romantic themes and vice versa:

Undead and Unwed by Davidson
Dead until Dark, by Harris
Dead Witch Walking, by Harrison

Now I’m straying out on to less sure ground, because those are the main series I think of as having crossover elements that J. reads.  But others that I think have been mentioned and I would imagine would be fun -

Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, by Acosta
Kitty and the Midnight Hour, by Vaughn

What about the electricity angle in the Retrievers series, starting with
Staying Dead, by Gilman
(the magic constantly frying electronics element might by fun for tech types)

the Weather Warden books, because lots of geeky guys like to watch the Weather Channel for some reason I can’t figure out?
Thin Air, by Rachel Caine

umm, all of these are sorta paranormal, aren’t they?
for contemporary I’d probably go with one of the already mentioned trifecta of Crusie, Roberts, Holly.