Finally jumping in after listening to all four blogs in a row.
I like rakes…and I really like laughing. So I’ll admit that for a while I was on a Georgette Heyer kick. The romance in them is not very hot (they are old books) but the rakes! And hilarious to boot although I don’t think she was going for that angle. Just how it turns out reading them in today’s era.
I like small towns as well and how everyone is in everyone’s business. There’s the part of it that is so mean and nasty and ‘arghhhhh, just leave me alone’ and yet when push comes to shove there is so much bonding and energy in the togetherness that there’s something endearing about the over possessiveness of the unit.
I love to laugh, so a hero and heroine that can make each other laugh is great. Alpha males who do nothing but stand around looking broody and handsome make me want to put inching power in their jocks.
Can I give you any other names to read? I don’t know if anyone has mentioned Christine Feeham. I’m not as much into her ‘Dark’ series but the ‘Game’ series and the Drake sisters have nice Alpha’s who really NEED their women, women who are powerful in their own right, some small town aspects and lots of supernatural twists that I really enjoy.
Oh, and I know you mentioned Susan Brockman, but I have to say I just finished reading ‘Into the Storm’ and parts of it had me howling with laughter so hard my daughter was running into the room to make sure I was ok. That contrasting with the shivers during the suspenseful parts…
I love a kick ass heroine. You get them more and more these days thankfully. I really wasn’t keen on those women who had to stand around waiting for the guy to save them. i love a heorine who can save herself and then go and save her hero to boot.
Well, I have Elizabeth Lowell’s early books too, those Silhouette titles were some seriously tortured heroes. Plus I have some of her Ann Maxwell titles still on my keeper shelf that I still love to re-read.
Love smart and sexy dialogue, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of my early favorites. Have Jenny Cruise and Lori Foster on my shelf too, but haven’t read any of Lydia’s yet, so thanks for the heads up.
Recently read Kathleen Dante’s, Dreamwalker, which had an interesting paranormal theme, and a spy hero and thief heroine that really worked for me.
I really have a thing for the tortured alpha males. But more than that I like those books that have intense emotions, like those early Elizabeth Lowell books. I don’t read a lot of serial romance books anymore, but I’ll read anything Lynne Graham writes. She writes for Harelquin Presents and those books are all about rich guys. I’m still looking for a number of her earlier books which are her best. It is always fun to see how the author balances all the power which the men are not shy about using to their advantage, while still keeping the men honorable and loveable to not just the heroine but the readers as well.
Cheryl McInnis
August 18th, 2008 at 7:27 pm · Link
Rachel Gibson writes wonderful small town stories that are big on humor and romance,
True Confessions is one that comes to mind right away… and Alpha heros….wow, I love them all…
Navy SEALS, Rangers, cops, firemen, werewolves…give me an Alpha guy any day of the week… Christine Warren’s Other series has amazing Alphas, very sexy and protective of their ladies, Yum!!!!
Okay, yeah, I’ll say it, I’ll own it….secret babies. Yep, I’m the one. I love me some secret babies. I’ll just eat ’em up. (Not the babies, unless they have cute chubby cheeks then it’s all over.)
Good example of one I can read over and over again is Shiloh Walker’s Her Best Friend’s Lover. It’s not even that the baby is secret, it’s that he doesn’t know it’s his. Oh man.
Maureen Child has a few contemp series and they are set in small towns, and usually the family related books. I get caught up emotionally with her books. The one I”m thinking of, of a few that she has, is the Marconi Sisters.
Have you read N. J. Walters’s Jamesville series with the O’Rourkes’s? First book is DISCOVERING DANI. I just love how meeting each and they all getting their stories! Very moving series.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:06 am · Link
Finally jumping in after listening to all four blogs in a row.
I like rakes…and I really like laughing. So I’ll admit that for a while I was on a Georgette Heyer kick. The romance in them is not very hot (they are old books) but the rakes! And hilarious to boot although I don’t think she was going for that angle. Just how it turns out reading them in today’s era.
I like small towns as well and how everyone is in everyone’s business. There’s the part of it that is so mean and nasty and ‘arghhhhh, just leave me alone’ and yet when push comes to shove there is so much bonding and energy in the togetherness that there’s something endearing about the over possessiveness of the unit.
I love to laugh, so a hero and heroine that can make each other laugh is great. Alpha males who do nothing but stand around looking broody and handsome make me want to put inching power in their jocks.
Can I give you any other names to read? I don’t know if anyone has mentioned Christine Feeham. I’m not as much into her ‘Dark’ series but the ‘Game’ series and the Drake sisters have nice Alpha’s who really NEED their women, women who are powerful in their own right, some small town aspects and lots of supernatural twists that I really enjoy.
Oh, and I know you mentioned Susan Brockman, but I have to say I just finished reading ‘Into the Storm’ and parts of it had me howling with laughter so hard my daughter was running into the room to make sure I was ok. That contrasting with the shivers during the suspenseful parts…
I like that in a book!
August 18th, 2008 at 10:42 am · Link
I love a kick ass heroine. You get them more and more these days thankfully. I really wasn’t keen on those women who had to stand around waiting for the guy to save them. i love a heorine who can save herself and then go and save her hero to boot.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:40 pm · Link
You’ve made me want to go back and reread my favorite books now, Lauren! 🙂
August 18th, 2008 at 4:19 pm · Link
Well, I have Elizabeth Lowell’s early books too, those Silhouette titles were some seriously tortured heroes. Plus I have some of her Ann Maxwell titles still on my keeper shelf that I still love to re-read.
Love smart and sexy dialogue, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of my early favorites. Have Jenny Cruise and Lori Foster on my shelf too, but haven’t read any of Lydia’s yet, so thanks for the heads up.
Recently read Kathleen Dante’s, Dreamwalker, which had an interesting paranormal theme, and a spy hero and thief heroine that really worked for me.
August 18th, 2008 at 5:37 pm · Link
I really have a thing for the tortured alpha males. But more than that I like those books that have intense emotions, like those early Elizabeth Lowell books. I don’t read a lot of serial romance books anymore, but I’ll read anything Lynne Graham writes. She writes for Harelquin Presents and those books are all about rich guys. I’m still looking for a number of her earlier books which are her best. It is always fun to see how the author balances all the power which the men are not shy about using to their advantage, while still keeping the men honorable and loveable to not just the heroine but the readers as well.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:27 pm · Link
Rachel Gibson writes wonderful small town stories that are big on humor and romance,
True Confessions is one that comes to mind right away… and Alpha heros….wow, I love them all…
Navy SEALS, Rangers, cops, firemen, werewolves…give me an Alpha guy any day of the week… Christine Warren’s Other series has amazing Alphas, very sexy and protective of their ladies, Yum!!!!
August 18th, 2008 at 8:11 pm · Link
Firefighters…. I’m reading Jill Shalvis’ has an older series and now a series of Harlequin Blazes with wonderful alpha hero firefighters.
Kathryn Shay writes wonderful firefighters. Sigh..
August 19th, 2008 at 10:29 pm · Link
Okay, yeah, I’ll say it, I’ll own it….secret babies. Yep, I’m the one. I love me some secret babies. I’ll just eat ’em up. (Not the babies, unless they have cute chubby cheeks then it’s all over.)
Good example of one I can read over and over again is Shiloh Walker’s Her Best Friend’s Lover. It’s not even that the baby is secret, it’s that he doesn’t know it’s his. Oh man.
Wow, I feel so cleansed, so free.
August 20th, 2008 at 6:02 pm · Link
Maureen Child has a few contemp series and they are set in small towns, and usually the family related books. I get caught up emotionally with her books. The one I”m thinking of, of a few that she has, is the Marconi Sisters.
Have you read N. J. Walters’s Jamesville series with the O’Rourkes’s? First book is DISCOVERING DANI. I just love how meeting each and they all getting their stories! Very moving series.
August 20th, 2008 at 7:54 pm · Link
@ Caffey – I love NJ Walters books across genres. I think she’s such a wonderful author!
@ Collette – LOL! I’d never have guessed but we all have our guilty pleasures and I love you anyway 😉
@ Ann – I’ll read anything Jill Shalvis writes so I’ll definitely check out those Blazes
@ Cheryl – I LOVE Rachel Gibson – great rec!
@ Sue – Love me some Elizabeth Lowell. Her early books have men so alpha that I’m sort of embarrassed by how much I love them, LOL!
@ Cathy M – Oh yes! Kathleen Dante is wonderful and I totally agree with the SEP recommendation!
@ Mad – I re-read Bet me this last week because I love Cal and Min so much.
@ AJ – definitely love the kick butt heroine!
@ Viv – I’m behind three books with Brockmann, I need to catch up!!
August 20th, 2008 at 10:45 pm · Link
Thank you for loving all the parts of me–even the dark parts!
I wrote down a bunch of your book suggestions and a couple of them are already winging their way to my branch library! So thanks!