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INSIDE OUT Contest Day Six!
Oct
31
2010

Today’s prize is a digital ARC of December’s BELIEVE! BELIEVE is a follow up to SECOND CHANCES so if you win this one, please be aware it contains spoilers for SECOND CHANCES!

In fact, I’m going to post the cover and the blurb here – I’m going to try to get spoiler text to work so you can only see the blurb if you highlight.

Text for blurb begins just below – Left Click and hold down to highlight

Their First Christmas, Bound Together…

All Jude wants for Christmas is Rori, all to himself. It’s their first holiday season as a couple, and staying home, seeing friends and family, means they’ll be surrounded by the memory of Rori’s late husband. It’s time for Jude and Rori to create their own traditions. Time for them to fully explore their most intimate desires to dominate and submit.

Rori is thrilled when Jude whisks her away to a luxury resort in the mountains. Spending Christmas away, just the two of them, is the perfect time to show him she’s ready to give herself to him completely…

I’ll talk more about BELIEVE later on this month, to give people a chance to read Second Chances and not be spoiled. But I loved writing it and I loved being able to revisit the couple again!

Today’s Question: What do you see as an absolute MUST in a romance novel?

I’ll choose a winner tomorrow morning!

41 comments to “INSIDE OUT Contest Day Six!”

  1. Mariska
    October 31st, 2010 at 3:16 am · Link

    A Happy Ending when it’s all about romance novel !!



  2. Tracey D
    October 31st, 2010 at 3:41 am · Link

    The willingness for the main characters to sacrifice themselves for their SO.



  3. ShellBell
    October 31st, 2010 at 4:08 am · Link

    Ultimately the happy ending is a must for me.
    Years ago I read Anne Weale’s Flora. I still love the story, but I was disappointed with the epilogue because you read that the hero had died around 20 years earlier and that the heroine had been missing and pining for him in all that time. It always made me so sad to think that she had been without him for all of that time. I would have preferred not to have read the epilogue and just left the story at the end of the last chapter knowing that everything had been resolved between the couple.



  4. Christine
    October 31st, 2010 at 5:25 am · Link

    Got have a happily ever. Everything has to lead to that. Without that the book really doesn’t work for me.



  5. Rebecca C
    October 31st, 2010 at 5:42 am · Link

    A romance has to have heros/heroines who are loving, protective, and passionate about each other. Also, like everyone else agrees, a happy ending! 😀



  6. Lillie
    October 31st, 2010 at 7:40 am · Link

    I have to agree with everyone else. The HEA is a must. I also need a strong heroine. I can’t stand books that feature a doormat.



  7. Jolene Allcock
    October 31st, 2010 at 7:57 am · Link

    I like to see some intense chemistry right off the bat. Even if they don’t get along and think maybe they hate eachother, they can’t deny that sexual feeling they have just being in the same room. I like the struggle to overcome that chemistry, the fight that I can’t give into this, than the, I have to give into this. In the end I want the, I can’t be without this person. I also want some intense bedroom scenes. I have read some good romance without the bedroom scenes, but when we as the readers are invited in to watch and see this relationship blossom it just makes us more invested in the outcome.



  8. Heather U
    October 31st, 2010 at 8:01 am · Link

    A HEA, or at least the potential for one. I don’t need an ending tied up with a neat little bow, but I want to end a novel with the expectation that the main couple will be working towards a bright future…together!



  9. Collette
    October 31st, 2010 at 8:13 am · Link

    HEA. A believable one. I stopped reading a series purportedly a romance that didn’t turn out to have what I consider a HEA. Drove me nuts.



  10. Connie
    October 31st, 2010 at 8:46 am · Link

    Like everyone else a HEA but it also has to have characters that have feelings for each other. I hate romances where the main characters are impossible to like.



  11. becky jean
    October 31st, 2010 at 8:47 am · Link

    I need to have compelling characters and a great overall story arc 🙂



  12. REGINA ROSS
    October 31st, 2010 at 8:53 am · Link

    HAPPY ENDING IS A MUST, the girl must get the guy or guys.



  13. Michelle V.
    October 31st, 2010 at 9:06 am · Link

    Definitely compelling characters. If there is a HEA then that is a bonus.



  14. Jessica
    October 31st, 2010 at 9:18 am · Link

    HEA’s are definitely a must but angst is also a must. I need ups & downs. I love HEAs more when I’m not sure if they’re going to happen. 😉



  15. Rory G
    October 31st, 2010 at 9:19 am · Link

    My romances need to have a sense of anticipation about them. You can have all the right words and compelling characters but if there is no sense of urgency or anticipation between the leads in the book then for me the story just fizzles out. I want convincing passion, hunger and deep desire in my romances.



  16. Sheri
    October 31st, 2010 at 9:40 am · Link

    Believablilty, that can happen in any genre, I just need to believe the characters. I don’t like the heroine that is a paragon or a martyr. Nor do I like ridiculously jaded hero, who thinks all women are vipers. I don’t believe that any millionaire tycoon’s are going to pay the woman who’s family stole his birthright a million dollars to be his mistress for a month. That isn’t believable to me.



  17. heather k
    October 31st, 2010 at 9:46 am · Link

    I think the Hero & heroine must become friends, either before or after their intimate relationship starts. I have a hard time when people just fall into lust with each other, but their characters never really become friends. I am all for love at first sight, I know that happens, but I just love it when the author follows up with meaningful dialogue and action scenes which ground their feelings for each other in genuine companionship and respect. I think Brody and Elise are my favorite for this reason, they were great friends and lovers (actually all the Brown series and Chase for that matter follow this!) Thanks LAuren for writing great books for me to read! I am anxiously awaiting Cope & Ella’s story!



  18. Carrie
    October 31st, 2010 at 9:55 am · Link

    A believable happy ending. I can’t wait to read BELIEVE – I love Jude and Rori.



  19. Jennifer D.
    October 31st, 2010 at 10:00 am · Link

    Hello,

    A Happy ending & an epilogue. I like closure from my stories and I like to find out what happening a little down the road – whether it be a couple of weeks or a year later. 😀



  20. Merlyssa
    October 31st, 2010 at 10:13 am · Link

    Believable characters that show through actions that they love each other.



  21. Barbara
    October 31st, 2010 at 10:27 am · Link

    Oh dang, an ARC to follow Rori and Jude?? Salivating, salivating, lol.

    Yep, a believable HEA is necessary, no quickie wrapup that leaves me wondering if the couple really did resolve their issues or if they just had hot monkey makeup sex. I want to really feel like the h/h GET each other, warts and all, and still feel the love before I want to let them go.

    I’m a little possessive when I get connected to my book peeps.



  22. Pam
    October 31st, 2010 at 10:42 am · Link

    For me a romance novel needs to have a strong, yummy hero and an equally interesting heroine. A HEA is absolutely essential and a good story to has to be the framework the romance evolves within. I want the story to be as good as the relationship.



  23. Tracy
    October 31st, 2010 at 10:44 am · Link

    Heroines that are strong, smart and can get out of their own messes (maybe with a little help) are important to me. I love heroines that can kick some serious a**. They also need to be likable, loving and kind.

    I despise wimpy, needy, helpless heroines who need to be “saved” by the hero.



  24. Kelly Thrash
    October 31st, 2010 at 10:51 am · Link

    There has to be conflict. The story doesn’t interest me much if there’s no conflcit. I love a HEA though. It doesn’t have to be the conventional HEA though. I know there can be many versions of an HEA. 🙂

    Kelly Thrash
    kittykelly28 @ hotmail.com



  25. kris
    October 31st, 2010 at 10:58 am · Link

    a believable storyline!



  26. Jessie
    October 31st, 2010 at 11:16 am · Link

    a HEA or the possibility of one would be a must for me.



  27. Kris
    October 31st, 2010 at 11:26 am · Link

    Happy ending and good character development



  28. elaing8
    October 31st, 2010 at 12:10 pm · Link

    I have to agree with the others a HEA is a must in a romance novel for me.



  29. Rachel Riddles
    October 31st, 2010 at 12:15 pm · Link

    Personally for myself, I like conflict. It may sound crazy, but I don’t want the HEA to be easy. As long as the conflict makes both people stronger I think it makes the story more emotional. I also like a story with a lot of sexual tension. The build up gets you psyched for when they finally come together.



  30. ilona
    October 31st, 2010 at 12:18 pm · Link

    Believable characters and a happy ending.



  31. sarah
    October 31st, 2010 at 12:41 pm · Link

    The HEA is a must in any romance for me. But I also need characters I can connect with.



  32. Caroline
    October 31st, 2010 at 1:07 pm · Link

    A strong heroine, and I love stories that show how the relationship progresses over time with all the ups and downs to it. A HEA is a must



  33. Jessica S.
    October 31st, 2010 at 1:18 pm · Link

    Gotta have the HEA. I also need a good storyline and believable characters.



  34. Jane
    October 31st, 2010 at 1:29 pm · Link

    I agree that there has to be a happy ending, but I also need there to be chemistry between the main characters.



  35. Diane Sadler
    October 31st, 2010 at 3:23 pm · Link

    A wonderful hero and great heroine mixed in with lots of love and humor and compromises and at the end togetherness.



  36. Amy Kathryn
    October 31st, 2010 at 3:38 pm · Link

    An HEA and no TSTL heroine! She needs to deserve her happy ending.



  37. Cathy C
    October 31st, 2010 at 5:16 pm · Link

    Like most there has to be a happy ending and chemistry …. Believability – I have to be able to think that maybe this could happen for me (sappy, yes); emotion – I have to root for these people to be together – whether there are 2 or 3 there has to be something compelling that makes you want them to wind up together. Compelling story and growth as characters …. all essential 🙂



  38. Nora W
    October 31st, 2010 at 6:22 pm · Link

    I think that when it comes to romance novels having complex and well written characters with great chemistry. I get the most engaged when I’m reading romance if the characters are relatable and written well, it’s almost like you get sucked into the story. Chemistry between the main characters is also important. I love reading a book when you can just feel the chemistry pouring off the page. Like everyone I do want the characters in a romance novel to have a HEA but sometimes I like it to be a bit unexpected or the journey to be a bit unconventional. I think just like in life you want to see that the characters have a real life experiences and emotions and that they under go a real journey. I think Lauren’s book Second Chances is a perfect example of of great well written relatable characters as well as depth and chemistry. I loved the character of Rori, i found so much in common with her and I loved reading her story (it about killed me at some points but i loved it). Overall when you incorporate those things in a romance novel i believe the reader will be engaged and want to devour the book.



  39. Chelsea B.
    October 31st, 2010 at 7:25 pm · Link

    A Happily Ever After!



  40. steph j
    October 31st, 2010 at 8:57 pm · Link

    A Happily ever after and characters that you like. Also, I hate to read a story when you think the hero or heroine don’t make a believable couple.



  41. Lindsey Ekland
    November 1st, 2010 at 2:06 am · Link

    Happily ever after is a must, why invest all that time if nothing is resolved.





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