Tag Archives: Romance

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The Romance Garden!


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Since February is The Month With Valentine’s Day In It, we here is the Romance Garden decided to kick-off the month just a bit early with some romantic selections from our shelves.  And considering the fact that I saw Valentine’s Day candies in the store the day after Christmas, I think that starting our Valentine’s Day thinking 24 hours early is the height of restraint…..

The motto of the Romance Garden is that “every mind needs a little dirt in which to grow”, and I think this may be more true in the winter months than at any other time.  Though this winter has been oddly merciful (thus far), we must still contend with the icy winds, the fast-falling darkness, and the weight these things can add to our thoughts and moods.  Now, more than ever, our brains need as much care and attention as our chilly feet and chapped hands–and, as the good Lady Pole pointed out, reading is one of the best kinds of care for your brain.  An added benefit of the romance genre?  You are guaranteed a happy ending.  It is a basic tenant of the genre–the way might not be easy, but the destination is always in plain sight.  And, personally, I find that assurance enormously comforting, especially when the going does get tough.

So, without any further ado, here are our selections for this month:

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Bridget:

3157912A Lady Awakened by Cecelia Grant 

Up until I read this book, I would have argued that inheritance law was definitely a topic that simply wasn’t sexy enough to be in a romance novel.  But then Cecelia Grant came along, with her Blackshear Family romances, and proved me wrong.

The recently widowed Martha Russell knows that, unless she can prove she is carrying her late husband’s heir, his home, including the servants and tenants, will be passed on to her brother-in-law, a notoriously violent, odious man.  So she does the unthinkable, and approaches Theophilus Mirkwood (the greatest name for a hero in the history of forever), a London gentleman with a rather colorful reputation, and offers him a considerable fee for his, ahem, attentions, for a month.  Theo knows he should be scandalized, but he can’t help but be intrigued by Martha’s business acumen–particularly in this unique situation.  But the more he gets to know her, the more Theo realizes that Martha thinks of their agreement as nothing but business.  And suddenly, he is determined to do everything in his power to teach her how much fun it can be to be bad…

The premise of this story is certainly not your run-of-the-mill trope, which in itself was refreshing, but the relationship that develops between Theo and Martha was so completely, refreshingly different that I couldn’t stop reading.  I loved that this wasn’t a “hero teaches heroine how great he is”–instead, Theo teaches Martha how to stand up for herself, and enjoy herself.  I also loved that this wasn’t a “heroine accepts hero’s flaws”–instead, Martha encouraged Theo to grow up.  Their relationship is all about taking risks and being uncomfortable and making mistakes–and then doing better.  Most of all, I loved that they were friends as much as they were lovers.  Theo’s devotion to Martha, even after believing he has lost her for good, is still one of my favorites from any romance novel I can remember.

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Kelley:

3515210When the Duke was Wicked by Lorraine Heath

In the first book of Lorraine Heath’s Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series, Grace Mabry is determined to marry for love, but the task of finding a husband who loves her in return proves more challenging than she might have imagined. First, her dowry is so large that every unmarried man in London bends over backwards to charm her, and they do it so well it’s difficult to tell their true feelings. Second, Grace is on a deadline as her father’s vision is failing and she wants to marry in time for him to be able to dance with her at the wedding. And third, she has been in love with longtime family friend the widowed Duke of Lovingdon for as long as she can remember, but he is certain he can never love again after the pain of losing his first wife and child just two years ago. Despite Lovingdon’s unavailability as a potential suitor, Grace is in luck. Since the death of his wife, once proper and gentlemanly Lovingdon has become a pleasure seeking rake skilled in the areas of charm and seduction… which makes him the perfect person to help Grace determine which of her suitors is sincere and which ones are charming her for her money!

Readers won’t be surprised where Lovingdon’s lessons in seduction lead. However, they very well might be surprised by the depth of this story. Grace is one of the most likeable heroines I’ve encountered in my romance reading. She is smart, rebellious, caring and strong, with loving family and friends who support her through good and bad. As the story develops, we learn that Grace has a deep pain of her own, which enhances the depth of her character and results in at least one or two scenes that might have caused me to tear up a bit. If you’re looking for a romance that offers both a good cry and a happy ending, this is the book for you. When the Duke was Wicked is a book about scars, emotional and physical, and the love it takes to heal the pain.

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At the Movies: Creed

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Ok, ok, I realize this film came out in November, but one of the joys of Hermitage Week (or Hermitage Month…or Hermitage Season!) is getting to catch up on the films you still haven’t had time to enjoy, as well as the books, and this film had been on my “To See” List about a year before its actual release date.

Creed is more than a rooting-for-the-underdog story–it’s a tribute to the Rocky franchise, particularly the first installment (which is my favorite, so I was thrilled).  Adonis Creed is the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa’s first true opponent and brother in the ring.  But though he’s grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth, he’s never had the chance to make a name for himself, apart from his deceased father’s legacy.  So he packs up, quits his lucrative job, and moves across the country to Philadelphia, in the hopes of convincing his father’s best friend, Rocky, to train him.

The result is a phenomenal coming-of-age story, as Creed figures out what he truly wants from the world, what he needs to do to get it, how he has to negotiate a life that isn’t easy or simple or safe anymore, and how to be in love with a strong, smart, independent woman.  Its a really interesting social commentary; the film-makers don’t ignore the racial issues that underlie Creed’s life, but they do it so elegantly that it becomes part of the story, rather than a counterpoint to it.  It’s also a touchingly quirky buddy movie; there is an instant camaraderie between Balboa and Creed that grows into something life-changing for both of them, which may be the best, and most unforgettable part of the film.  And yes, the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art make a cameo, in perhaps my favorite scene in the whole film.

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It’s also a movie about boxing, obviously.  But, like Rocky, boxing isn’t just boxing.  Boxing is a parable for life and love and self-worth, and this film capture the art of the sport, and the dedication of its practitioners, beautifully.  And, if you listen really closely, you can hear “Eye of the Tiger” woven subtlety (if that is even possible) into the film’s final montages.

So, if you’re casting about for a film, Creed comes highly recommended from the Free-For-All.  And if you’ve already enjoyed it, here are some other ideas from the Library to supplement the story:

2249304Rocky: This one should be obvious.  Not only is it a terrific, honest story that has withstood the test of time pretty darn well, Creed is packed with references and allusions, big and small, to this classic film.  This quintessential Cinderella story features a very young Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, a skilled fighter who is wasting his talent working for a loan shark, until he gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot at the heavyweight title.  In the process, he also manages to win the girl of his dreams–Adrian Pennino, who is a fantastic heroine, about whom I could say a great deal (perhaps in a later post?).  The other films in this series are good, but this one is by far the best.

3623456The Professor in the Cage : Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch: When a mixed martial arts gym opened across the street from his officer, unhappy adjunct English professor Jonathan Gottschall decided to join, and explore the lure of violence, the thrill of the fight, and the fascination that we, as a species, have always seem to have with combat.  This book is a mish-mash of Gottschall’s personal experiences of training and fighting, a history of fighting, and a consideration on the violence of the human individual that is all highly readable, and helps to explain how and why films and stories about fighters continue to draw us, even though the sight of blood or bruises make us cringe.

3641966Below the Belt: Jeannette Murray’s new romance series featuring the men of the Marine Corp Boxing Team is pretty interesting for a few reasons.  First, her books are really fun, easy, steamy reads, secondly, her heroes aren’t your stereotypical warrior, alpha-male, gun-toting dominants.  Which leads me to my favorite part of these books.  Her characters, and the situations in which they find themselves are remarkably realistic.  In the series’ opener, Brad Costa will do anything at all to make it to the Marine Boxing Team, but he is plagued with doubt that he is too old, and too beat-up to keep up with the new recruits.  He thinks he’s covering things well–until the new trainer, Marianne Cook, sees right through his charade.  This is very much a story about two people with dreams and goals, much like Creed and his Bianca, who strengthen each other, and that kind of dynamic makes for a sensational story, whether you’re a devoted fan of fighter-romances or not.

35393572 a.m. at the Cat’s Pajamas:  For those of you who though Bianca’s music in Creed was pretty funky, for those of you who enjoyed the sights and sounds of Philadelphia that aren’t on the tourist ads, and for those of you just looking for something charmingly different to read, Marie-Helene Bertino’s book is here to satisfy all your interests.  Madeleine Altimari is a feisty, head-strong nine-year-old jazz singer who is determined to perform at a local jazz club that is slated for closure.  This is a laugh-a-minute, cry-a-minute books with a sensational sense of place, an a heroine that you can’t help but love.  I think Bianca and Madeleine would be terrific pals.

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The Romance Garden!

And with the beginning of a new month comes our next installment of The Romance Garden, in which the library’s genre devotees and self-proclaimed romance experts share with you some of our favorite reads.

Both of our recommendations this month come as the result of overcoming our previous expectations or assumptions, and realizing that beyond our prejudices lurked a story that captivated us.  Which is my terribly clumsy way to encourage you to try a new book, or a whole new genre–whether it’s for a Reading Resolution, or just because life is too short not to give something new a try.  Either way, we hope that these books give you a few suggestions where to start!

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Bridget:

3211332Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster

We all know that I love Dracula, perhaps a bit more than is healthy, but I’ve always had troublesome relationship with romance novels that feature vampires (or some creature that goes by a different name with similar traits).  Similarly, I am something of a steampunk geek, which makes me very picky about my steampunk authors.  So when I came across Bec McMaster’s London Steampunk Series, my hesitations were legion.  The premise sounded so good: an alternative London where steam power rules, and where vampires reign–there had to be a catch, right?

Allow me to state here and now: There is no catch.

McMaster puts a great deal of effort crafting her London, from its grimy, fog-shrouded streets to its decadent finery covering a thin veneer of decay and distrust.  And her characters are stunning–conflicted and troubled, and genuinely at the end of their rope, making each scene increasingly intense.

Everyone knows to stay out of Whitechapel.  Not only is it a notoriously dangerous place, but it is ruled by Blade, the master of a rookeries.  The man who faced down the entire ruling Echelon single-handedly, and proved himself ruthless and cunning enough to win.  But if Honoria Todd is going to save her family, Whitechapel, and Blade himself, might be her only hope.  When Honoria and Blade come face-to-face, they are both in for a surprise.  Honoria is far stronger and far more determined than Blade ever imagined, and Blade himself is losing his battle with the cravings that plague all those like him–but could Honoria hold the key to curing him?

The atmosphere and the tension in this book were superb, but at it’s heart, this book is about the relationships we make that save us.  Honoria and Blade’s story is one about trusting others, and learning to trust ourselves in the process, and the side plots, particularly the one involving Honoria’s younger brother, is simply touching, and adds to the quest that Honoria is undertaking enormously.  Better yet, this book is only the first in a growing series, and each installment is a smash-hit, too!

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Kelley:

3616322 (1)Mad, Bad, and Dangerous in Plaid by Suzanne Enoch

“To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten.” ~Thomas Chandler

The first thing I will say about this novel is don’t judge a book by its cover. The titles of most romance novels make me laugh out loud, and this one was no exception, but the thing that made my eyes roll and avoid taking it home to read was the “Scot rhymes with HOT…” tagline emblazoned on the cover’s upper left corner. Seriously?

So what changed, you may ask? It’s that time of year when all of the book review journals, blogs and websites post their “Best Books of the Year,” and Mad, Bad, and Dangerous in Plaid featured repeatedly on the romance lists. Being a sucker for a good Highland romance, all of those terrific reviews were too much for me to resist, so I finally decided to give Suzanne Enoch’s latest entry in the Scandalous Highlanders series a chance, and I’m pleased to say I’m glad that I did.

Rowena MacLawry grew up in the Scottish Highlands, and spent much of her time with her three older brothers, who raised her, and their friend, Lachlan MacTier. From the time she was a child, she adored Lachlan, but even as she came of age to marry, he still saw her as the little girl who drove him crazy with her theatrical bids for his attention. Fed up with the pursuit of an uninterested man, Rowena takes herself to London to shed her wild Highland ways, become a proper lady, and rid herself of her feelings for Lachlan MacTier.

When Rowena returns she is much changed, and in addition to a fancy wardrobe, Lachlan finds she’s abandoned her Highland upbringing, covering her brogue when she speaks, showing more interest in poetry than riding horses, and considering potential husbands from a pool of polished London dandies. It’s time for both Lachlan and Rowena to see each other as they really are, not as the young girl’s perfect image of a knight in shining armor, or an older gentleman’s irritated impressions of a young girl. Enoch develops their romance beautifully, and perhaps the loveliest part of all is that in the process of learning about each other, Lachlan also helps Rowena rediscover herself as she remembers her pride in her Highland heritage.

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The Romance Garden!

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It’s that time, once again, patrons, when our library’s genre devotees share with you their favorite romance selections for the month.  Especially with the days grow shorter and the skies bleaker, romances feel more and more like the perfect antidote to these increasingly stressful days.   So here are some of our favorites to brighten your days, and make your heart sing!

Bridget:

3706563Confucius Jane by Katie Lynch

This book crossed my path wholly by happenstance, but swiftly became one of those books that makes you want to tap the shoulder of random strangers and tell them they look grumpy and should read this book.  Katie Lynch has a real gift for creating atmosphere and capturing the utter inanities and oddities that make families real and whole, and tells this story with genuine empathy and insight that makes it as touching as it is quirky and fun.

Jane Morrow has taken an extended leave from college and is helping out at her uncle’s fortune cookie factory, writing out words of inspiration and hope for all the people who walk by her window–but she can’t seem to dream up any insight for her own dead-end life.  She’s surrounded by family, and supported by the close-knit community in her Chinatown home, but nevertheless, she knows something big is missing.

…That is, until she sets eyes on Sutton St. James, who hides out most days in the noodle shop across the street from Jane’s apartment.  Sutton is torn between her professional dreams of conducting stem cell research and her personal ties to her father–a former surgeon general who is dead-set against stem cell work of any kind.  Confused and feeling increasingly lost, Sutton finds a home-away-from-home in the noodle shop.  And when Jane and her incredibly precocious cousin come charging into her life, Sutton and Jane both begin to realize just what they have both needed–but will Sutton’s powerful connections threaten the family that Jane and Sutton dream of making together?

Though this is definitely a love story, there are lots of different kinds of love here–the romantic kind, the familial kind, the kind that holds you down and the kind that can set you free.  Jane’s journey with Sutton is definitely not like any I’ve read before, but that is a marvelous thing.  It’s past time that we had stories that feature such diverse characters and identities, but Katie Lynch’s work definitely goes a long way to making up for lost time.

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Kelley:

3653281When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

When painfully shy Madeline Gracechurch invents a conveniently absent Scottish beau in order to avoid the cutthroat marriage market of London society, she never expects that years later the man of her imaginings will turn up on the doorstep of her newly inherited castle.  The latest in Tessa Dare’s Castles Ever After series brings together a hero with a life overshadowed by abandonment, and a heroine so trapped in a web of self-protective lies that she will go to almost any length to avoid the revelation of the truth. But will she marry Captain Logan MacKenzie, a complete stranger, just to keep up appearances? And if she does will she find love?

With When a Scot Ties the Knot, Tessa Dare delivers a romance that is just as sweet as it is passionate. It’s easy to care about the story’s vulnerable main characters, and the ways in which they strengthen each other are equal parts charming, funny and heart-warming. This is a romance novel, so it’s almost a given to expect a happy ending, but the real treat of Tessa Dare’s latest is that it’s a feel-good story all-around. From cover to cover, When a Scot Ties the Knot is a delight to read, so grab a cup of tea, park yourself in your most comfortable chair, and don’t plan to get up until the last page is turned. I’ll just say, “You’re welcome” now because you’ll want to thank me for this enthusiastic recommendation later.

 

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The Romance Garden!


Welcome again to the Romance Garden, where some romance aficionados from the Library Staff bring you the books that made their hearts skip a beat…and offer your mind a little dirt in which to grow…

Gennaro Befanio (Italian artist, 1866-1911) A Read in the Garden

As the days grow shorter and chillier, it seems even nicer to have even a mental garden around which to wander, and we hope some of these selections will catch your eye and tempt your fancy!

Bridget:

3651393Last Chance Llama Ranch by Hilary Fields

I have come to realize, in the course of writing these monthly posts, that I tend towards darker romances, with angst and emotions that stick to everything, and challenges that the protagonists must overcome.  This book, however, has very little of any of those things, and that precisely one of the reasons that I so enjoyed it.

Hilary Fields’ debut isn’t a romance in the strictest sense of the genre–it’s more about the heroine, Merry, and her coming to terms with her life and what she wants from it.  Merry is over six feet tall, and was an Olympic ski champion…before a collision with a tree ended any dreams she had of athletic competition.  Now, she is a travel writer, which might sound like a nice job, until you consider that she is assigned a blog piece called “Don’t Do What I Did”.  Much to her bewilderment, Merry is sent to a llama ranch in a tiny town, stuck with a cantankerous owner who wants nothing to do with her, and no idea how to escape.  Slowly, though, Merry finds not only the llamas, but the whole of Last Chance Lllama Ranch growing on her…

Fields’ is one of those rare authors who can make even the most mundane of scenarios seem funny, so when she sticks her big, awkward, outspoken heroine in the middle of a pack of llama and alpaca, she is positively hysterical.  This doesn’t obscure, however, the real emotional power of Merry’s journey, thankfully.  This is, ultimately, a woman who has lost everything she once was, and has no where to belong.  Though this llama ranch is the last place she ever thought she’s discover herself, watching Merry find a home–and love–at Last Chance Llama Ranch was a genuinely delightful experience!

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Kelley:

3680942The Stolen Mackenzie Bride by Jennifer Ashley

When Malcolm Mackenzie, better known as Mal, makes a decision to do something, you can be sure that it will happen, so when Mal decides that Lady Mary Lennox is the only woman for him, he is willing to overcome any obstacle to make their dream of a future together a reality. And, in this case, the obstacles are quite significant. First, Lady Mary is English, and her father is fiercely loyal to the Crown. Second, Lady Mary is already betrothed to a powerful Englishman. And, third, this book takes place during the time of the Jacobite uprising and Mal is a Scottish warrior, so war is a constant threat to Mary and Mal’s plans to marry.

With Mal and Mary, Ashley brings together two complex and engaging characters, and the result is a tale that will please any fan of Scottish historical romance. Mal is charismatic and passionate, but driven to dangerous extremes when it comes to the protection of those he loves. Mary also places duty and the people she loves above herself, but as her character develops, she uncovers her bravery and a fire she didn’t know she had inside of her. The couple comes together more than once only to be separated, so the title of the book is apt as Mal does indeed need to steal his bride. More than once.

For those of you familiar with Scottish historicals, expect to see some familiar conventions. For instance, Jacobite uprising books love to cite two battles in particular: Prestonpans and Culloden. There are nods to both in this book, and the chapter where Mary searches for her husband’s body on the field in the aftermath of Culloden made me think of a very similar scene in The Blood of Roses by Marsha Canham. However, Ashley balances history and romance well, and offers a book that is light enough to satisfy those focused on romance and adventure, but dark enough to add weight and depth to the story for those looking for something more. A prequel to Ashley’s Mackenzies Series, The Stolen Mackenzie Bride works well as a stand-alone novel, but I’m certain it will make you want to read more about the clan in the previously published books.

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Bonus Pick!

3168533Firelight by Kristen Callihan

In honor of our gloriously ghoulish month of All Hallows Read, I also wanted to recommend one of my favorite paranormal romances of all time.  The opening of Kristen Callihan’s wonderfully clever and sumptuous Darkest London series is a lushly romantic, and genuinely creative tale full of terrific historic detail and two protagonists who are utterly irresistible.

Miranda Ellis was born with a mysterious power, but up ’til now, it has caused her and her family nothing but disaster.  When she attracts the attention of the reclusive Lord Benjamin Archer, Miranda finds a man who sees beyond her quirks.  But Archer himself is a man of many secrets, not the least of which is the mask that he wears over half his face…and the shadowy villains who begin to track their every moment, and threaten the fragile happiness they have discovered together.

The fact that this story is a direct homage to The Phantom of the Opera endeared it to me almost immediately, but Callihan makes the truth of Archer’s past (and face) so much more twisted and so much more interesting.  In addition, she is a master at building tension between her characters along with an enormous amount of respect, ensuring that her characters are equal partners in nearly every step of their journey together.

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The Romance Garden!

e92eb432815dc5ca41c6e80280b8df30After a long hiatus (mostly due to the fact that September was nearly gone before I realized it was here), we once again bring you the Romance Garden, where some of the Library’s genre devotees provide your mind with a little dirt, and plenty of love, in which to grow….

Bridget: The Captive Prince, by C.S. Pacat

3622688I’ll be honest with you, when I hear that a self-published e-serial has been released in paperback form, I usually find somewhere to hide.  Pacat’s sensational books, however, has not only made me a little embarrassed to admit my former prejudices, but is the exception to almost every rule out there.

Part fantasy, part mystery, part love story, the first novel in the Captive Prince trilogy sees Prince Damen of Akielos betrayed, kidnapped, and sold as a slave to his mortal enemy, the vicious and heartless Prince Laurent of Vere.  Though desperate and determined to escape, Damen quickly begins to realize that the court of Vere is a dangerous place, not only for foreigners, but for its Prince, as well.  But can Damen keep Laurent safe without betraying his own identity?

Pacat is the Queen of Subtlety, so the relationship between Damen and Laurent is a slow-simmering, tenuous thing that grows only by baby steps…but when they come, those moments are so delicious and revelatory and meaningful that they are simply unforgettable. Laurent himself has swiftly become one of my favorite heroes in romance–he’s tricky and nasty and petty, but scratching the surface shows plenty of hidden depths that are impossible not to love, even just a little.  Having already devoured the second book in this trilogy, I can only tell you that things get better from here, but we’ll all have to wait for Book Three together!

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Kelley:

51UT8PkYRAL._SX307_BO1,204,203,200_Pleasure for Pleasure by Eloisa James

The fourth and final book in James’ Essex Sisters series is sweet, witty, and peppered with plenty of Shakespeare. Eloisa James is a Shakespeare professor as well as a writer, so it’s no surprise that in addition to the main characters’ love of poetry and literature, the title of the book is a reference to Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure.

Josie Essex is smart, funny, outspoken and beautiful, but after the ton’s resident bully dubs her the “Scottish Sausage,” not only does her debut season get off to a more than rocky start, but she becomes entirely uncomfortable in her own skin. Determined to repair her battered reputation and recover her self-esteem, she seeks out the help of a family friend.

The Earl of Mayne is a reformed rake and, in Josie’s mind, the perfect person to help her learn what to do to make men take notice of her. Early on, the interactions between Mayne and Josie are an appealing mixture of comic and caring, with Mayne viewing himself as an admiring protector and Josie seeing him as something of a big brother figure. Soon the two discover that there is much more to their relationship, but not before Mayne tries to attach himself to a French prima donna who is all wrong for him and Josie casts herself into a situation of potentially scandalous proportions.

A fun romance that will make you laugh out loud, Pleasure for Pleasure is guaranteed to make you want to read more Eloisa James.

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Melissa:

3643283The Photograph by Beverly Lewis
Eva Esch’s family has suffered a lot of loss.  Both of their parents recently died and now their youngest sister has run away from their Amish community in Eden Valley, Pennsylvania.  Jed Stutzman, a buggy maker from Ohio, is working through is own grief after losing his finance in an accident.  When Jed takes a train to Eden Valley to learn some new buggy making techniques, he stumbles across a copy of Little Women that is full of margin notes and a forbidden photograph of a young Amish woman.  Jed is captivated by both the wisdom of the writer who left her thoughts in that novel and by the looks of the woman in the photo.  When he meets Eva on his trip, he thinks he has found this intriguing stranger.  More importantly, he finds himself connecting with a woman for the first time since he lost his finance.  Eva is similarly smitten, but is also somewhat distracted by her missing sister, another young man who wants to be more than just friends and her older brother’s declaration that he and his wife and children will be taking over the family homestead and there isn’t room for everyone else anymore.
After being disappointed by the last Lewis novel I tried, The Photograph has restored my faith in one of my favorite writers of bonnet fiction.  Her trademark well written story with likable characters is present without the heavy-handed proselytizing that can creep into Amish romances.  The plot may rely a bit too much on coincidences, but it is still a highly enjoyable tale that weaves in nice tidbits about Amish culture. 

 

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Isn’t It Romantic?

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If you haven’t heard, there are a number of devoted fans of the Romance genre here at the library.   And for those of you looking for a good romance novel to get acquainted with the genre, or a new book to enjoy, or just want to see what happens when NPR asks readers for their favorite romance novels, here is a list of 100 crowd-sourced “Swoon-Worthy Romances”.

Personally, I was genuinely surprised to see how many historical romances were on the list.  On the one hand, I adore historic romances, for a number of reasons, so I was quite excited.  On another hand, having worked in publishing for several years and being told, over and over and over again that “historic romances are dead” and that no one wants to read them anymore, this was a marvelous vindication.  On a mysterious third hand, there are a world of contemporary romances that are super-sensational, so I was surprised they didn’t get recognized.  However, there is always time for more lists, I suppose…In fact, perhaps we at the library can start our own?…..Hmmmm….

In any case, for those interested in how this list was put together, and by whom, you can check out this article here, written by NPR’s panelists, explaining why some books didn’t make the list, including a very interesting explanation of why Kathleen Woodiwiss’ books, which were the first to be considered ‘modern romances’ were left out, which really shows how far the genre has come in a relatively short amount of time.

And for those looking for some titles at the library, here are a few from NPR’s list in our collection:

NOTE: The Library's cover is an updated one, but this one is too gorgeous not to post ;)
NOTE: The Library’s cover is an updated one, but this one is too gorgeous not to post 😉

Lord of Scoundrels: Loretta Chase’s classic is probably the best example of the historic romance genre, and one of the most surprising, fun romance novels you will read, featuring a headstrong, determined young woman who agrees to marry an ugly, selfish, arrogant Lord in order to save her brother from his mounting debts.  The banter between these protagonists is gloriously clever, but their love story is one that will change both them, and readers, in the end.

 

2698785The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie: This is a book that challenges any number of assumptions that tend to be made about the romance genre; the heroine is a widow who was very happy with her husband, and carries very fond memories of him; the hero would today most likely be considered autistic, but that makes him no less heroic, and no less worthy of love.  In fact, it makes him even better.  Watching these two come together is an intense and emotional journey that won’t soon be forgotten.  Best of all, Jennifer Ashely has penned a whole series around the Mackenzie family, and each book is definitely worth a read.

3157912A Lady Awakened: Cecelia Grant’s book is a revelation–and a bit of a revolution, in terms of the genre.  Desperate to keep her tenants nad estate safe from the clutches of her misogynist brother-in-law, widow Martha Russell buys the services of a local gentleman in order to get pregnant (a pregnant widow could not be cast off her property, because she might be carrying the heir to the estate).  Theophilus Mirkwood (best name ever!) isn’t scarred or damaged, he isn’t arrogant or alpha-male-ish at all.  He’s sweet, easy-going, and generally well-adjusted.  Martha’s chilly reserve and general cynicism over love give him a reason to keep coming back–and their ensuing relationship is simply unforgettable.

3245453The Chocolate Kiss: This book should come with a warning label.  Have a ready supply of snacks nearby whilst reading, or suffer the consequences.  This story of two rival chocolatiers, one of whom becomes a cat-burglar…or, more to the point, as cat-chocolate-maker, is all kinds of steamy and spicy and delightful, but the descriptions of the Paris setting, and the sensual descriptions of the chocolate will lingers long, long after the final pages have turned.

The best part of this list is that there is also a category for classics, like Jane Eyre (yay!), North and South (loud cheers!) and The Far Pavilions, all of which very rightly deserve spots on this list as well.

So there you are, beloved patrons.  We hope there is something on this list for you, but feel free to let us know your favorites, as well!  Happy reading!