first group post

[Rhapsody]

At the time of writing this, there's only one other member, but I'm hoping that'll change. I'm a graduate student in computer science/biology. I've been reading romance for a few years now and it's pretty much taken over my reading. I'm a huge fan of Catherine Anderson and am always struggling to find high-quality romance novels that have the themes she so often uses--physical abuse, trauma, mental illness, etc. I hate the usual feisty, spitfire heroine who to me often seems reckless and stupid. There are so many romance novels out there though that it's hard finding the right ones. Maybe this group will make finding them a little easier.

My favorite authors are:
Catherine Anderson
Lisa Marie Rice
Nalini Singh

[Pamela(AllHoney)]

Hi I'm a stay at home mom and I love to read Romance. I love heroines of all kinds but I do tend to prefer the quiet heroines who have that inner stength that allows them to overcome and makes them stronger. Thats not to say they won't have a struggle to get there, though.
I love Catherine Anderson and her heroines.

[Julianna]

I'm a big Catherine Anderson fan too. I like to mix things up with different types of heroes and heroines, but I tend to like the ones who have been through a lot and manage to grow and change throughout the story with the help of a wonderful partner's love.

The thing I find interesting though is how many romance readers really dislike the abused/fragile heroines and think they are weaklings. This really frustrates me, because in my opinion, if they are well-written, these are some of the best heroines. As Pamela said, they show a quiet inner strength that sees them through difficult times. It takes a lot of courage to survive abuse or major roadblocks that life throws in one's path, so I find these heroines (and heroes) to be very admirable and their stories inspiring. I've actually been keeping a list of books that have what I call "tortured heroines."

[Rhapsody]

Welcome to the group, Julie. I agree with everything you said above and would LOVE it if you would post your "tortured heroines" list. We can swap if you like! Although I have already put all my favorites of this genre in the group booklist. I just finished a book of Gena Showalter's. It really did nothing for me and I'm not sure what to pick up next.

[Julianna]

Rhapsody,
I'm happy to share my list. I wish I had time to be more organized about it, but since we're leaving for a two week vacation tomorrow morning, I'm a little short on time. So, here's my list:

Annie's Song by Catherine Anderson
Baby Love by Catherine Anderson
Keegan's Lady by Catherine Anderson
Phantom Waltz by Catherine Anderson
Sweet Nothings by Catherine Anderson
Impulse by Candace Camp
My Forever Love by Marsha Canham
Night Fire by Catherine Coulter
The Duke by Gaelen Foley
First Comes Baby (Harlequin SuperRomance #1405) by Janice Kay Johnson
Blue Moon by Jill Marie Landis
Lover Eternal by J. R. Ward
Lover Unbound by J. R. Ward

I know that there is some crossover between my list and yours. If you haven't read The Duke or First Comes Baby, I would recommend those. Also, I thought Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon was excellent. Sometimes I have a hard time deciding whether a character should be on my "tortured" list, and she was one of them. She definitely had some very unfortunate things happen in her life, but the book had a little lighter tone than most that deal with darker subject matter. I posted reviews for all three here at GR. If I run across anymore, I'll let you know. In the meantime, feel free to organize/post my list anyway you like. I'll try to check in while I'm gone if I can get a decent internet connection.

[Brit]

Hey, I'm brit. I haven't read any Catherine Anderson but I have read Lynn KUrland and a few others. I love abused/Fragile Heroine novels. I will have to check out the books you guys are mentioning