I've just joined this group and have enjoyed reading your best of lists. I didn't specifically keep track of books read last year, so I can't post a list. I will tell you that A Rose in Winter is one of my favorite romances EVER. Hee.

Barbara wrote: "dsswsw"

Does that go along with **((&^$$? :-)

I think the movie portrayed Scarlett as far more selfish than she really was. In the book she was the one who took care of everybody, Aunt PittyPat and that family, Melly, the people at Tara. They all looked to her to provide for them, and except for Melonie, sat back and critizied her for it. And when she fought the Yankee to save the sword, so Beau would have his Daddy's sword, I thought it showed how unselfish she was. She was a strong woman, who was forced to put her feelings aside in order to survive. I don't know if I ever would have been best friends with her, but she had a strength of character I respect and like to see bits of in the heroines I read about.

Dyanne wrote: "Pam, I remember the first time I read GWTW was after I saw the movie on it's first TV airing ( showing my age) and I was amazed at how they totally edited the 2 other children she has, among many o..."

Yes, there was a lot they didn't include but I guess it was a long enough movie and had to cut something. I remember crying after I read the book and my mom didn't know what to do with me. An emotional teenager OMG!!!

Pam, I remember the first time I read GWTW was after I saw the movie on it's first TV airing ( showing my age) and I was amazed at how they totally edited the 2 other children she has, among many other scenes. My Husband just read it as part of his "100 modern library" quest and was also amazed.
I was trying to think of what my all time favorite romance is and I think that A Knight in Shining Armor has to take the top slot for me. I also re-read this book every few years.

Dyanne wrote: "Kathleen Woodiwiss will always hold a space in my Romance Reading heart.
Flame and the Flower was the first romance book I read back in about 1976. Woodiwiss (god rest her soul) is old school hist..."

Same here. I started on category romances and TFATF was my first full length "real" romance novel. I too reread it ever so often. I also read Gone With The Wind a few years after that but I have no desire to reread it :)

Kathleen Woodiwiss will always hold a space in my Romance Reading heart.
Flame and the Flower was the first romance book I read back in about 1976. Woodiwiss (god rest her soul) is old school historical romance, but she paved the way for the genre and enabled romance authors to make their way beyond the HR 200 page fluffy book to full fledge 500 + publications. (no slam on HR)
Looking back over the years, Flame & the Flower may not hold up as my all time favorite, but I do re-read it about every 2 years or so.
Now: Ashes in the Wind by Woodiwiss: top 10 for me: the Gone with the Wind of the late 20th century!!

I'm with you, NU. <sob>

Not A Rose in Winter. *tear*

The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux
The Eight by Katherine Neville (I know I'm 20 years late)
Sovereign by Matthew Shardlake

If I didn't like a book, I got rid of it so I haven't any to list. There were some that I gave 3 stars to because they were slow and boring in parts.

Oh, WOW!!! This could take me awhile to come up with only 5 LOL.

I just read a book that may have jumped to my all time favorite. Although at the time I called the book every name I could imagine, and it wasn't your average evrythings rosie romance. But I never once got bored or thought to not finish it. The Bartered Bride by: Mary Jo Putney was definetly the best book I read in the last year.
Other good books:
1. Tempting Fate by:Alissa Johnson (this was laugh out loud funny, and the characters were adorable)
2. Whirlwind Baby By:Debra Cowan (a sweet, quick read- western)
3. Never Marry a Cowboy by: Lorraine Heath (this book had me laughing, crying, and pretty riveted throughout the entire thing)

Worst books: At least from the last year:
1. Wicked Fantasy: A Novel by: Nicole Jordan
2. A Rose in Winter by: Kathleen Woodiwiss
3. Mastering the Marquess by:Vanessa Kelly
4. Nightrose by: Dorothy Garlock

I know! People suggested that I read it, because they thought that Cathy Maxwell was a great author. I was soooo disappointed!

I certainly agree with you Joy about A Seduction at Christmas --that was bad (!)

There are six romance books that I gave 5 stars to (in no particular order).
1.His Every Kiss by Laura Lee Guhrke
2.Fallen by Celeste Bradley
3.Duchess by Night by Eloisa James
4.Mine til' Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
5.Duke Most Wanted by Celeste Bradley
6.At the Bride Hunt's Ball by Olive Parker

There are seven books that are the worst!
1. Border Wedding by Amanda Scott
2. To Catch an Heiress by Julia Quinn
3. Desperately Seeking a Duke by Celeste Bradley
4. Wild By Margo Maguire
5. Love Letter's From a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle
6. Mad Jack by Catherine Coulter
7. A Seduction at Christmas by Cathy Maxwell

bests

SOMETHING WONDERFUL by Judith Mcnaught
PERFECT by Judith Mcnaught (i think this book doesn't belong here)
A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR by Jude Deveraux
DREAMING OF YOU by Lisa Kleypas (my latest BEST)
KISS AN ANGEL by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (oops, i think this book doesn't belong here too)
worst..

REMEMBER WHEN by McNaught
LEGEND by Deveraux
TEMPTATION by Deveraux
that's all for now

Hm, I was pretty disappointed with His Captive Lady after seeing it on top lists. :( Not badly written or anything, but kind of brief and mild for me. Not much happened. The events in the book would comprise only half the pages of the average Regency I usually read. And the blurb and title's totally misleading, there were no captives at all, LOL. In sum, a snack.

I just posted a comment in the "looking for" section about more authors like Kathleen Woodiwiss... because I agree with what people are saying about her writing style being more old fashioned - ie, PG13. I have trouble reading some of the newer stuff that's too graphic! (Ie, just tried reading G.A. Aiken... that was a mistake!!!)

Here's my top 5:

Kiss of the Highlander by Karen Marie-Moning
A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
The Velvet series by Jude Deveraux
Ransom by Julie Garwood

Bottom 5:
Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken (too embarrassingly graphic to even finish, although I liked the plot premise)

Barbara what does that mean exactly (lol!)?

dsswsw

My Top Five has 7 books, but like Jaime and Julie, I couldn't leave one off the list:

The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Ann Long
His Captive Lady by Anne Gracie
My Seduction by Connie Brockway
My Pleasure by Connie Brockway
Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
If His Kiss is Wicked by Jo Goodman
Promise Me Forever by Lorraine Heath

There were quite a few So-So Books, but my Worst List has only one:

Scandalous Lord, Rebellious Miss by Deb Marlowe

Looking at all your lists, I notice quite a few that I already have in my TBR stacks, and some that are suddenly just crying for a reread, like 'Devil's Cub'

Hmmm. Only five? Really? I can't. Here are the seven 5 star romances I read in Nov-Dec (there were six more I awarded 4 stars):

Loyalty's Web by Joyce DiPastena (medieval)
Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer (regency)
The Viscount Who Loved Me By Julia Quinn (regency)
Reese by Lori Handeland (western)
Sullivan by Linda Devlin (western)
Rico by Lori Handeland (western)
Jed by Linda Devlin (western)
Nate by Lori Handeland (western)

I also read Cash by Linda Devlin (#6 of the Rock Creek Six series), which I rated 5 stars, too, but it was technically in Jan09. I have read Chase's Lord of Scoundrels in the past and loved it.

I don't have any "worst" books for 08. I had actually stopped reading altogether for a while so the beginning of the year is pretty blank. My all-time least favs, however, are:

Born to Love by Leigh Greenwood
Flowers Under Ice by Jean Ross Ewing

Both of these books had their good points, but I really didn't enjoy them at all. My opinion.

The 5 best historicals I read in 2008:

1.The Rustler-Linda Lael Miller
2.The Mckettrick series- Linda Lael Miller
3.Seduce Me at Sunrise- Lisa Kleypas
4.Charm School- Susan Wiggs
5.Springwater Series- Linda Lael Miller

Ashes in the Wind was cute too. :)

I have SHanna in my piles somewhere

Eastofoz wrote: "Never heard of or read "Shanna" 8)

Do the two you mentioned Kathrynn have steam or is it all glossed over? If it is glossed over it's not for me---hate the build up only to be gypped (!)"

Shanna is the first full-length romance novel I ever read, way back more years ago than I care to admit. :-) I loved it, and I still remember parts of it. I don't think I've read anything else by Woodiwiss (at least I don't remember reading any others), but this is making me want to re-read Shanna again and maybe pick up some of the other titles mentioned.

I liked The Wolf and the Dove very much! The other Woodiwiss I liked a lot was Ashes in the wind. I didn't care at all for A Rose in Winter; I couldn't understand why all the hype about it.
I will agree that Woodiwiss is too wordy and flowery anyway. Even though I liked The Wolf and The Dove, I was bored at some points and I won't consider going back for more of hers.

I agree with what you said new_user. I read The Wolf & the Dove many years ago, and although I don't really remember the story that well, I do recall that I didn't care for it that much. I read A Rose in Winter around the same time frame and then re-read it a couple of years ago. It is still among my all-time favorites. And yes, Christopher Seton most definitely is an irresistible hero. He's still in my top 10.;-)

Thanks for the info ladies :)

East, W&D had few complete sex scenes, if I remember correctly, and the majority of the novel was not in the least loving (I hate that type).

RiW is a completely different creature. If the writing style weren't the same, I would think it was another author. It is certainly hotter and much more pleasant than W&D, imo. (The carriage scene springs to mind.) Christopher Seton is irresistible. ;) I hope you give it a try. It is more similar -in content- to the novels nowadays, although nothing like an Emma Holly, of course, LOL. Not quite that steamy.

East, I think Ms Woodiwiss used a lot of "purple prose" during those scenes. I thought they were steamy but not graphic like much of today's is. :)

Ya I'd agree with you there Kathrynn. It was pretty violent and deserved an R.

Mercy, that PG13 rating the movie industry tags baffles me. Most of the time, I'm in agreement, but

Anyone see the movie "I am Legend" with Will Smith? Generally speaking, I think anything that involves mutated humans EATING other humans--while alive--should go right to R.

That movie was PG 13. We had a horrible experience with it at the theater as a family and I no longer trust the ratings and go in blind because of this very movie.

I'd give it a PG13 for the violence and a PG for the love story (lol!);)

I liked "The Wolf and the Dove." It was another favorite. ;-) Looking back, that would be a PG13 for sure.

So I guess the WOLF AND THE DOVE was just the odd one out because what you just mentioned I could read--and some historicals are like that and that's fine for me.

They were steamy--at the time--but by today's standards they would not be considered as steamy, IMO.

You've read a Janet Chapman book, it would be PG 13, IMO.

You've read a Connie Mason book, it would be HOT, IMO.

I think "Shanna" would be somewhere in between PG 13 and HOT, more toward HOT, but not like today's Kresley Cole's.

It was a different writing style back then. A few graphic details, but not for long, fairly frequent though. No "hardening" descriptions except to mention a "bulge." Certainly, no oral sex, that I can remember. The penetration and moaning, focus on feelings. Breast and genital fondling, but not oral sex--either way.

What do others think?

Never heard of or read "Shanna" 8)

Do the two you mentioned Kathrynn have steam or is it all glossed over? If it is glossed over it's not for me---hate the build up only to be gypped (!)

Loved "Shanna." Read it several times, but don't think I would enjoy it as much if I read it today, either. Some of her older books were her best, but they are dated, IMO.

East, not sure you'd like them today, either...Although "A Rose in Winter" was another of my favorites.

Oh, can't forget "Ashes in the Wind." Civil War romance. (so nice)

East, no "Shanna"? That was my favorite for the longest time, but I'm not sure how well it would hold up now...:)

New_user it was the first and only by her. There was endless flowery narration and zero sex. I know a lot of readers like her and the book I read came highly recommended by fans. Maybe I'll see about ROSE IN WINTER and give her another shot. Thanks for the rec :)

Was W&D your first from Woodiwiss, East? I didn't like that one much either. Rose in Winter was way better. :D I always recommend that one.

I really liked DEVIL IN WINTER too.

I was so disappointed with THE SEA KING though my biggest historical disappointment was OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon. It's not that it was bad but I didn't really get why it was so great either.

Historicals that I really enjoyed:

It Happened One Autumn - Lisa Kleypas
Devil in Winter - Lisa Kleypas
Caine's Reckoning - Sara McCarty

Not so good:
The Sea King Jolie Mathis
And One Rode West Heather Graham
When a Lady Misbehaves Michelle Marcos

Fanip: I didn't like LAIRD OF THE MIST either :(

Some of my favourite historicals this past year were:

THE LADY'S TUTOR Robin Schone
LORD OF SCOUNDRELS Loretta Chase
THE RAKE Suzanne Enoch
A MATTER OF SCANDAL Suzanne Enoch
LONDON'S PERFECT SCOUNDREL Suzanne Enoch
SIN AND SENSIBILITY Suzanne Enoch
AN OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN Julia Quinn
IT HAPPENED ONE AUTUMN Lisa Kleypas
THEN CAME YOU Lisa Kleypas
WHITNEY MY LOVE (reissue) Judith McNaught
KINGDOM OF DREAMS Judith McNaught
AGAIN THE MAGIC Lisa Kleypas
RANSOM Julie Garwood

Duds:
ALYX Lola Burford
A SEDUCTION AT CHRISTMAS Cathy Maxwell
LILY Patricia Gaffney
TO LOVE A DARK LORD Anne Stuart
THE DRAGON LORDConnie Mason
THE WOLF AND THE DOVE Kathleen Woodiwiss
AND ONE RODE WEST Heather Graham
PASSIONLisa Valdez
THE SEA KINGJolie Mathis
HIGHLANDER UNTAMEDMonica McCarty

My favorite historicals for this year were:
-The secret pearl by Mary Balogh
-Devil in winter by Lisa Kleypas
-Just wicked enough by Lorraine Heath
-Angel by Johanna Lindsay
-The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
-Lord of Ice by Gaelen Foley
-Beyond Innocence by Emma Holly

I couldn't finish:
-The kiss by Sophie Nash
-Kiss of fate by Mary Jo Putney (paranormal/historical)

I didn't enjoy and had trouble finishing:
-Laird of the mist by Paula Quinn

My favorite was ...

Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas.

I have read and reread it at least 5 times now and I still get a little weepy towards the end. Kev stole my heart!

My least favorite was ...

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn.

I normally love Julia Quinn, but I thought this book was terrible! I love the idea of retelling a story from a different perspective, but this was boring and poorly done. A poor follow-up to The Lost Duke of Wyndham.

Historical books I loved in 2008:

1. Surrender by Pamela Clare (I can't remember if I read this first in 08 but I know I reread it in 08 and still loved it)

2. Comanche Moon by Catherine Anderson - Just awesome

3. Untamed by Pamela Clare - Another great one from PC

4. Cheyenne Song by Georgina Gentry

5. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

6. Prairie Embrace by Rosanne Bittner

Historicals that I didn't really like:

1. Touch of Texas by Tracey Garrett - kind of boring

2. Highlander Unchained by Monica McCarty - slowwwww

3. Warrior's Honor by Georgina Gentry - horrible heroine

4. Midnight Eyes by Sara Brophy - boring

The Book Connection did a list of top books for 2008 (she had read almost 100 book), and Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia
(historical romance) was chosen as the FAVORITE BOOK across all genres.

Her list can be found at http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com...

From the historical books I read in 2008

I really loved:
The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Ann Long
Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros
Once and Always by Judith McNaught
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julie Quinn
Untamed by Pamela Clare
Flowers From The Storm by Laura Kinsale

I really didn't care for:
Mistress of Pleasure by Delilah Marvelle
The Kiss by Sophia Nash