What are you reading October 12?

[Okie]

Currently reading Carter by Jennifer Ashley, Riding and Regrets by Bailey Bradford, and Chasing Mr. Wright by Amiee Nicole Walker.

[Manda]

Finished Tall, Dark and Wicked over the weekend. Really enjoyed it and can't wait for Lance's book!

Now I'm reading The House by Christina Lauren. Not my usual fare at all, but a paranormal YA with a seemingly sentient house. But definite romance, too. Not finished yet, but I'll let y'all know if it's a thumbs up or thumbs down at the finish.

[Erin]

I'm going to be startingA Lady by Midnight, I'm on a Tessa Dare kick since I finished A Week to Be Wicked last week!

[Stacey]

I'm currently reading which had me giggling from the beginning. I plan to read this week too :-)

[Janga]

I'm reading Holly Jacob's These Three Words and hoping to find time to read an ARC of Kristan Higgins's Anything for You. Since I'm on deadline this week, I have less reading time than I like.

[Stacey]

I forgot to mention that I just finished an Australian historical romance set on an outback sheep station. I really enjoyed and it should be coming out today - October 13.

[Irisheyes]

Almost to the end of TALK, DARK & WICKED by Madeline Hunter. I enjoyed this one more than the first just because of Lance. I think he's hilarious. I can't wait for his story.

Then it's back to Pennyroyal Green for me! LOL

[Dls]

I have been reading the Ivy Series by sarina Bowen--very good especially the first two.

[Charlene]

I dipped into the Time Travel genre for .

It is a bit different from many since it is a male advertising executive (instead of a female) who finds himself in 1706 Edinburgh. I think this is the first book I've seen by this author. It was a 3 or 3.5 star read for me.

[Manda]

Stacy, that historical sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

Irish, Madeline Hunter writes great (in this case literal) bromance. Sounds like we all loved Lance!

Deb, I loved those two, too. There's a novella about the hero of the second book's neighbor in the dorm that's cute too.

[Leigh-Ayn]

I'm reading Tall Dark and wicked and then back to Pennyroyal Green (up to book 3 now... I'm coming Lyon!!!) and The Seducers (up to book 4!!)

[Janga]

I'm delighted to see all this Madeline Hunter love too. I too am eager for Lance's story. I've read the first book in the Bowen series. It sounds like I need to catch up. Her books have come up on the Word Wenches recs too.

[Jennifer]

Reading Falling Into Bed with a Duke and The Shattered Court.

I'm also listening to The Martian in preparation for seeing the movie in the next few weeks.

[Irisheyes]

Leigh-Ayn wrote: "I'm reading Tall Dark and wicked and then back to Pennyroyal Green (up to book 3 now... I'm coming Lyon!!!) and The Seducers (up to book 4!!)"

Wow, Leigh-Ayn, are you keeping all the series straight in your head! LOL

[Manda]

Okay, I finished The House. It was not as scary as I thought it would be, but the romance was sweet. And it was a nice change of pace.

[Leigh-Ayn]

Haha Irisheyes ... Sometimes it's hard lol

In other news I preferred the first Wicked Book more than the second one...
But oh goodness! I can't wait for Lance!!! He is such an awesome character!

[Sharlene]

Just finished Named of the Dragon bu Susanna Kearsley and starting Duke of Scandal by Gaelen Foley.

[Manda]

Jennifer, you can't go wrong with Lorraine Heath, IMO. :)

Hey Sharlene, thanks for stopping by!

[Ginni]

Reading "Flowers from the Storm" by Laura Kinsale. A totally new author I found on Scribd. It's quite different from other novels, at least the premise of the story.

[Charlene]

I read the newly-published version of Mary Balogh's book, first out in the 1990s. .

I enjoyed reading it this time, too. Balogh is an auto-read author for me when I'm in the mood for a historical romance; this time, it's the second volume in a Georgian series.

[Leigh-Ayn]

I went looking for the "slightly" series by Balogh's but they are not available on kindle :(

[Manda]

What a bummer Leigh-Ayn. I wonder why. I'd think Australia would be a prime market for her. Could you maybe find them in a library? Slightly Married (the first) os one of my favorites.

[Leigh-Ayn]

Not sure but will go look in the library and book stores! I'm very keen to read them!

[Susan]

I'm reading Eva Leigh's Forever Your Earl. Totally un-historical but it's so much fun that I don't care.

[Dls]

Try Barnes and Noble e books too--you can download a free Nook reader on your phone or iPad or computer.

[Leigh-Ayn]

Manda wrote: "What a bummer Leigh-Ayn. I wonder why. I'd think Australia would be a prime market for her. Could you maybe find them in a library? Slightly Married (the first) os one of my favorites."

I stand corrected! some of her books are on kindle but not the slightly series! will look at Barnes and Noble and get the Nook app! Thanks DLS!

[Leigh-Ayn]

Susan wrote: "I'm reading Eva Leigh's Forever Your Earl. Totally un-historical but it's so much fun that I don't care."

ooh ! that looks like a good fun read!!!

[Janga]

Ginni wrote: "Reading "Flowers from the Storm" by Laura Kinsale. A totally new author I found on Scribd. It's quite different from other novels, at least the premise of the story."

Ginni, I love Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm! It is a classic. Like Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels, it shows up on almost every list of all-time top romances. Kinsale's other books are worth reading as well, and she is one of those writers whose books are very different from one another.

[Dls]

I agree with Janga on Flowers from the Storm.
There are three other authors who have stopped writing whose work is also highly individual and worth checking pit--Jean Ross, Patricia Gaffney and Judith Ivory

[Ginni]

I really enjoyed Laura Kinsale's book and am very glad I gave her book a shot. It truly was a pleasure. Am looking forward to reading her other titles.

Thanks for giving me names of other authors to try out. It's a good break from the generally similar romance novel plots out there. Really looking forward to reading their books as well.

[Manda]

Yep, way back when I took a course called How to Write a Romance Novel (in the mid-90s) the teacher recommended Flowers from the Storm as the best of the genre. And it still stands. And I agree with DLS about Judith Ivory, Julia Ross and Patricia Gaffney.

[Janga]

Yes to Ivory, Ross, and Gaffney. I'd also add Maggie Osborne, LaVyrle Spencer, and Patricia Veryan to authors who are no longer writing who are still favorites. And for contemporaries, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, although I think she is writing a new book.

[Charlene]

I'm reading Carla Neggers' newest holiday book: .

The heroine is a mother and librarian; hero is ER doctor from the big city who comes back to settle his grandmother in assisted living at holidays.

The Prologue is a very interesting chapter about Christmas, 1945, when some men came back from WW II and some did not return.

I'm enjoying this easy reading book so far :)
As it happens, we got more than a flurry in NE Ohio this morning....

[Janga]

Charlene wrote: "I'm reading Carla Neggers' newest holiday book: .

The heroine is a mother and librarian; hero is ER doctor from the big city who comes back to settle..."

Charlene, I thought the Christmas past romance was the best part of the Neggers book.

[Charlene]

Agreed, Janga.

I found myself thinking of family stories that could be lost from my parents' generation [they were teens during that war].

Maybe a good holiday plan this year would be for younger generations to ask their older relatives to tell a family holiday story.... and to write it down!

[Leigh-Ayn]

Omg horror of horrors! I've just realised I have only read ONE yes ONE EJ book!!!!!!!!!!!!! Recommendations please ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS yes I love the exclamation mark! It suits my level of enthusiasm;)

[Dls]

I love her Desperate Duchesses series. Warnings --you really need to read it in order since one romance runs through them all--or maybe 1.5. Also A lot of people don't like An Affair Before Christmas but I actually think it's one of her best.

[Janga]

My favorite EJ series is her Essex Sisters: Much Ado About You, Kiss Me, Annabel, The Taming of the Duke, and Pleasure for Pleasure. But I love her five Fairy Tales, especially the first two (A Kiss at Midnight and When Beauty Tames the Beast) and they have the advantage of not being a connected series, so you can read them as standalones. The Desperate Duchess series is wonderful, and the last two books are recent. However, with the extension into the second generation, the DD series includes eight books with another coming soon. And I agree with Deb that they should be read in order.

[Susan]

Dls wrote: "I love her Desperate Duchesses series. Warnings --you really need to read it in order since one romance runs through them all--or maybe 1.5. Also A lot of people don't like An Affair Before Christm..."

Yes, a marriage-in-peril story, exacerbated by the Manipulative Mother-in-Law! Much too funny, and probably the most historically accurate in the series. (I also liked the Desperate Duchesses Series best.)

[Susan]

Call me behind on my reading. I just finished Theresa Romain's It Takes Two to Tangle. Very witty descriptions helped overcome the "hero's" basic creepiness. At last he outgrew that in the end of the book!

Now I'm after the sequel, To Charm a Naughty Countess. She was such a hoot in Tangle!

[Nicole]

I have been reading Mary Balogh's Survivors' Club series. I had not read any of her books until these; I only discovered her since Only a Kiss is the October read for Eloisa James's With This Kiss Book Club on facebook. My library has the entire series as ebooks...unfortunately Only a Kiss is going to be on hold a while. In the meantime I am really enjoying the humor interlaced in these romance stories of our heroes overcoming their war wounds. Since last week I've read: The Suitor, The Escape, currently reading: The Arrangement.

[Manda]

Wow, Nicole, you've got some great reading ahead of you with Balogh. So many great books in her backlist.

And so do you, Leigh-Ayn, with EJ. (I second Janga's love for the Essex Sisters. Much Ado About You is one of my all time favorites.)