PNR experts!

[Jennefer]

For those of you that read PNR.... just wondering if there are any really good PNR books you would recommend to a BR lover? Looking to get a good long list of PNR's that have some BR qualities.

Alpha hero is a must! It is also a plus if the book is epic in scale (a nice long meaty read with lots of travel, large cast of characters etc), cheating and forced seduction or rape are ok, and WTF moments please!

Any rec's for other modern (post 1995 or so) BR's are also welcome!

[SmittenKitten]

I read a lot of PNR, but I have yet to come across a PNR book that has any BR qualities beyond an alpha-hole hero.

Both of these have solid alpha males with alpha-hole tendencies and light forced-seduction:
A Hunger Like No Other
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
*A lot of funny moments in these too, but no real WTF/OMG elements

Also, a contemporary that might work here:
Ritual Sins
*I'm not sure the best way to describe this book other than it is "a different kind of romance" - dark, manipulating/con artist/bad-guy hero (he is the leader of a cult), a heroine with some psychological issues, and (if I remember correctly) quid pro quo seduction.

[Jennefer]

Have you read any other of Anne Stuarts books (beside Ritual Sins) Smitten Kitten? I have not tried her yet, but I get the impression that a lot of her work is like that, different and kinda dark.

I have read some PNR but none that I can think of that are really BR-ish. I recently read Kushiel's Dart which I think a lot of BR readers would like. It is about a courtesan who specializes in BDSM I guess you could say, she is a masochist and enjoys pain. But she is really more like a priest or something for her religion, it's not viewed as trashy but a spiritual type of service. It takes place in an alternate earth and is kinda like a fantasy but it also has some romantic elements. The hero is not an alpha tho, but it is a nice epic that keeps you interested the whole way through and it does deliver in the WTF moments a bit with some details about her meetings with her patrons. There is some kidnapping and rape, attempted rape, some cool battle scenes, I think BR lovers would like it!

[SmittenKitten]

I don't normally read contemporary, but I gave Ritual Sins a shot because of the very high reviews. I did not think I would like the book... but wow, it was really unique and memorable... plus, I loved that it was dark.

The only other Anne Stuart book I've read is To Love a Dark Lord (a historical), which was excellent.

*I think Ritual Sins and To Love a Dark Lord are two of her highest rated books.

The next ones by her on my TBR list are: Shadows At Sunset, Catspaw, and Shadow Lover.

[Lorraine]

Yep, SmittenKitten is correct, there are not many modern PNR with BR tendencies. Cheating is absolutely not allowed, for any reason. In fact, a hero could possibly go centuries without touching a woman, until he meets he mate. Plus, most books these days aren't over 350 pages, so a long meaty read is out.

But there is still a lot of great PNR out there.