Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion
2011 Challenge Archive
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May - Pick It For Me Challenge
Heather BI hope you find something that interests you.
I had a hard time narrowing the categories down.
Historical: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley or Hummingbird by LaVyrle Spencer
Loved them both!
Contemporary: Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas or Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
Loved them both!
Urban Fantasy: I don't read any UF. However, I've heard a lot of great things about this one which was on your TBR: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Paranormal Romance (Vampire): You've read all of the vampire books that I have. So, I'm going to recommend one that I've wanted to read myself and heard good things about. The Passage by Justin Cronin
Paranormal Romance (non-Vamp): Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning (the only book that I've read that was somewhat para and non-vamp).
Sci-Fi: Naked in Death by J.D Robb. Very good! Loved Roarke!
Romantic Suspense: Black Ice by Anne Stuart
I noticed this book on your TBR. I really loved the hero in this book. I was suprised by how much I really enjoyed this book given the fact that its more suspense and less romance. Definitely worth the read!
Erotic Romance: Addicted by Charlotte Featherstone
This was very good. A storyline isn't necessarily important to me when it comes to erotica. However, this one has a storyline.
Buddy Read
Well, I suck at buddy reads. I've been in a reading funk lately so, its taken me much longer than usual to read a book. So, if you pick this one I will definitely finish it, but probably after you do. LOL Don't let that stop you though. I just wanted to warn you. I compared our books and we both have Wicked Ties by Shayla Black listed on our TBR's. I definitely want to read this one.
Happy reading!
Hello Sarah! So nice to meet a fellow English major.Here are my recs for you:
Historical
My go-to HR author is Lisa Kleypas. I would suggest Secrets of a Summer Night, the first book in the Wallflower series. I also enjoyed The Secret by Julie Garwood, as well as Love Is Blind by Lynsey Sands.
Contemporary
I absolutely loved One Day by David Nicholls (and I'm looking forward to the movie in July!). Since you liked Garden Spells, I would recommend The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen. You may also enjoy Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, which was recommended to me in this challenge.
Urban Fantasy
I really like Richelle Mead's writing, so I would recommend Succubus Blues or Vampire Academy for this category.
PNR - Vampires
If there's a better PNR series about vampires than the Black Dagger Brotherhood, I have yet to read it. Since you liked the first book, try moving on to Lover Eternal. In my opinion, the series gets better and better. I didn't love the way A Hunger Like No Other started out, but by the end I enjoyed it and will eventually read the next in the series. Sherrilyn Kenyon's Night Pleasures was also a good read. Her heroes are truly tortured!
Vampire-Free PNR
I haven't read To Tame a Highland Warrior, but I thought the first one was pretty good and I plan to read it eventually. The Mating by Nicky Charles is a free e-book about a werewolf pack that was surprisingly enjoyable. You may also like The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter.
Sci-Fi/Futuristic
It's time to read Catching Fire and see what happens to Katniss, Peeta and the gang. You could also start on J.D. Robb's mammoth In Death series by reading Naked in Death.
Romantic Suspense
There is no Nora Roberts on your shelves. I didn't read my first one until last year. It was Midnight Bayou, a ghost story with a romantic element. You may also like Sandra Brown's Unspeakable about a deaf woman, her young son and a mysterious ranch hand named Jack Sawyer.
Erotic
Not my forte I'm afraid, but I did enjoy Sun Stroked by Cathryn Fox and Cowgirl Up and Ride by Lorelei James (part of a series but I don't think it's necessary to read the previous books before this one).
Buddy Reads
I went a little crazy here...there are many books on your TBR that I also want to read (not necessarily romance).
Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
The Gathering by Anne Enright
Hope you see something you like!
Melanie,I’m going to have to start off with a huge apology. I’ve only started reading romance novels in February. So, I have a minuscule three months worth of books to work from and you’ve read EVERY book ever written. You’ve pretty much read all the books I would recommend. So, I tried to come up with at least one or two that you haven’t read.
Historical: If You Dare is the only historical romance I’ve read. I read it last night. I have a mad fan-girl crush on Kresley Cole and will read anything she writes.
Contemporary:I know you’ve already read Agnes and the Hitman. But, it’s cute enough that I would read it again.
Urban Fantasy:Moon Called because you’ve already read Moning’s fever series.
PNR Vampire: I’ve thrown American Vampire in because it’s not on your shelves. I liked it because the hero really isn’t much of a hero at all and it’s pretty dark.
PNR Other:Covet is good if you can handle more of Ward’s obnoxious “shitkickers.” :-)
Sci-Fi/ Futuristic: Ok, so, steampunk doesn’t technically fit the category. But, since Ritu did it earlier, I’m going for it. I really liked The Iron Duke.
Romantic Suspense:Open Season is the only book I could come up with in this sub-genre…and of course you’ve already read it. :-)
Erotic Romance:Kidnapped for Christmas is the only erotic romance I’ve read.
Buddy Read: The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann is on both of our TBR shelves.
~Megan~ I'll have picks up for you this afternoon.And I'm pretty excited about having Dee pick for me. I think I'm up to having my horizons broadened. I think.
Photojim wrote: "And I'm pretty excited about having Dee pick for me. I think I'm up to having my horizons broadened. I think."I'm sure Dee will give you good historical options for you to try. These category may never be your cup of tea but there are some good ones out there you know!
That's a difficult one, Lacy.It's a mix of Time Travel, Historical Fiction/Romance and Fantasy.
Photojim wrote: "~Megan~ I'll have picks up for you this afternoon.And I'm pretty excited about having Dee pick for me. I think I'm up to having my horizons broadened. I think."
Photojim - I think you are looking at the wrong message (#3). Penney is picking for you and you are picking for Polina per the match-ups on #4.
True!The numbers were throwing me off but I just realized that the picks are alphabetical! Except for people whose names start with ~ who are at the top.
Penney's picking for me?! Before I was just a little worried. Now I'm downright scared.~Megan~ sorry for the confusion.
Polina, I'll have your picks up this afternoon.
![Macwolf01 [Elise] (macwolf01) | 1012 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1277511172p1/2680059.jpg)
Sorry I missed sign up but if you need to remix or can add me in I'd be interested otherwise I'll wait till next month. THX E
Noor Here is my list for you. I hope you like it!Historical: This one I had several ideas for, but you have already read most of them. I did come up with a some new ones though that I hope you will like!
~Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath is the first of a trilogy about three brothers in post Civil War Texas. It is followed by Texas Glory and Texas Splendor. I loved each of them. They are readily available as ebooks, but if you want paper it is more difficult. So...
~How about Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey. This series was one of them on my list, but you haven't read this one yet. You've read the rest of the series, you know you want to read this one too! This was actually the first of the Malory books I read!
Contemporary: This genre and RS are where I am finding some amazing books lately! Maybe you will like one of these:
~Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy. It is the first in the Fast Track series about race car drivers. I know a lot of people will disagree with me here, but it was my favorite. Even though I loved the others in the series too. There was something about the way the hero fell for the heroine in this one that just made me melt!
~Something About You by Julie James or really any book by Julie James. I adore her writing, it is smart and funny. Her characters are well rounded and intelligent - no TSTL moments here!
Urban Fantasy: I have recently discovered a new favorite in this genre - how can you go wrong with Cat and Bones?! Ah, Bones.... ~sigh~
~Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost is where it all begins! Be forewarned though, if you pick this one you will want to go straight into the second book, One Foot in the Grave, when you are finished!
Paranormal Romance (Vampires): Of course my first selection here would be the Black Dagger Brotherhood, especially since I just finished Lover Unleashed, but you have already read those. So I went with another series that I absolutely love!
~Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian is the first of her Midnight Breed series. This isn't the strongest book in the series, but it does lay down a good foundation and should be read before the others.
Paranormal Romance (No Fang Variety): Something new for you!
~Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione. I loved the entire Demonica series, but you have to start at the beginning!
Sci-Fi/Futuristic Romance: I haven't read too many books in this sub-genre, but I did read one recently that I really liked.
~Naked in Death by J.D. Robb. I'm sure you have heard about Roarke - yeah, he is everything he is cracked up to be!
Romantic Suspense: Two amazing picks for you here!
~The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks introduces you to the Kelly brothers - all of them drool worthy! This was an intense emotional read for me and I loved every second of it!
~Extreme Exposure by Pamela Clare. This is the first of her I-Team series about investigative reporters - I love these books! Have you seen the cover of the new one!?
Erotic Romance: Once again, you have read the series I was going to suggest, so I went back to my book list and came up with a few others.
~Midnight Man by Lisa Marie Rice. It is the first of her Midnight Trilogy. I loved all three of them, this may not be my favorite, but it would be really hard to pick a favorite! The other books are Midnight Run and Midnight Angel.
~On the spicier side, how about Surrender by Lora Leigh. It is the first of the Bound Hearts series.
Buddy Read: For this I picked something off your TBR that I would be interested in reading. (Because it helps me check the U off my A-Z author challenge!)
~Caught Running by Madeline Urban
I hope you find something you want to read off this list! I had fun coming up with suggestions for you!
lol...I was like hang on...i've already done my picks...what did I miss...haha!D.G. ~The Hydra~ wrote: "Photojim wrote: "And I'm pretty excited about having Dee pick for me. I think I'm up to having my horizons broadened. I think."
I'm sure Dee will give you good historical options for you to try...."
Amanda I tried really hard to come up with books I love that I think you would like based off of your reading past! I'm only now beginning to broaden my horizons past primarily reading contemporary romance, but I really hope I picked some good ones!Historical
I really haven't read much in historicl romance. All I have are Western Historicals for now, I'm working on it, but I really love the westerns. The One I just recently read was Annie's Song by Catherine Anderson and I couldn't put it down. I read the entire book in a day it was such a sweet and at times sad story.
Another western historical author that I have really enjoyed is Alexis Harrington. I loved her book Harper's Bride about a woman who is traded by her husband to pay his fines up in the Yukon. You can also try A Taste of Heaven by her which is about true cowboys.
Contemporary
This is the area where I could talk all day, but I'll limit it to a few :) Virgin River is from your to read list and I've been working through the entire series! They are great quick reads!
You can't talk romance without throwing Nora Roberts in somewhere so here she is with Vision in White. Finally, my favorite contemporary romance series currently is the Fool's Gold series starting with Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery.
Urban Fantasy
I'm new to this genre, so I really only have one book. You read the first, but I recommend giving her another try One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. Is really much more bad*** than the first was. I couldn't put it down.
PNR Vampire
You've been reading them so I'm going to recommend Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward. Great books! Another series that is more light-hearted is the Vegas Vampires by Erin McCarthy which starts out with High Stakes
PNR Other
I'm starting with Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory. These books have everything, witches, werewolves, Fae, vampires, and more. This book focuses mainly on a witch and warlock.
Sci-Fi/Futuristic
I only have a couple books for this category The first is The Host by Stephenie Meyer. It's slow going to begin with, but it gets better and better. Now for a futuristic book. You have The Hunger Games on your to read list and it's time to read it. Once you start this series you won't want to put it down. They are amazing!
Romantic Suspense
This first is a Christian book, but it's a really great book so I'll recommend it anyways The Negotiator by Dee Henderson. The entire series is good, but this one was my favorite.
I also really enjoyed On Thin Ice by Cherry Adair. It's about the Iditarod up in Alaska. I grew up in Anchorage, and always loved watching the race start off, so this book really meant something to me!
Erotic Romance
I don't read Erotic Romance like at all, but some more sexual books I have read are Houston, We Have A Problem by Erin McCarthy, I know I recommended her earlier too. I also really enjoyed The Kept Woman by Susan Donovan. These don't fit the category, but they are the best I can do.
Buddy Read
We both have Outlander on our to read lists and I've heard nothing but good words about this series, so if you'd like to read the first with me let me know!
ohhh, here's hoping oyou find something good! ;)Daffodil wrote: "Delicious Dee Challenge Addict
I'll post your list later today. I want to finalize my choices and maybe tweak it a little now that I know who's name I drew. The erotica suggestion is going to ..."
D.G. Thanks for the list. And extra recommendations are never a problem. My bookshelf may complain about the extra weight, but I'm okay with that. LOL.
I joined GR a little over a year ago and anything read prior to that point I just added to my shelf without a review or rating. So that's why some of those series are mixed with non-rated & rated. And of course, some I just haven't gotten around to reading the rest. So many books and if I quit my job to read full-time, I couldn't afford them. :D
A few years ago I used to read a lot of historicals, but somehow haven't read any of the ones you recommended. Lately though I've become addicted to UF & PNR, it definitely accounts for the majority of my book choices. I've actually read the first 3 or 4 BDB and loved them, but I stopped in the middle of Butch's book. I had trouble getting into it and never picked it back up again, though I always planned on it. This is the perfect opportunity, right.
For the buddy read: I've been planning on buying The Iron Duke on my next book buying run (postponed from the first week of April due to broken eyeglasses). If I get it in the next week or so, I'll let you know.
Yes! I gots me some Jim! This is gonna take a little while friend...
Hi Fran... here are your picks! Hope you find one you like! Happy Reading!Historical: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah Maclean. I liked this book a lot and it is the first in the series!
Contemporary: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. I LOVED this book, it was a fun quick read!
Urban Fantasy: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton. I don't really read UF, so I got this from the GR lists. It seems to go over well with other readers, it just came out on February.
PNR Vampire: Soulless by Gail Carriger. This book has vampires and werewolves...its a good mix! It is also the first in the series.
PNR Other: Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione. Again this is another genre I am not too familiar with...but this one looks GOOD!
Sci-Fi/Futuristic: Awaken Me Darkly by Gena Showalter. This book looks pretty good and it is set in Chicago(where I am from)!
Romantic Suspense: Black Ice by Anne Stuart. Another book that looks pretty good and is rated high!
Erotic Romance: Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning. This book was my second erotic romance book....it was so good!
Buddy Read: A Lot Like Love by Julie James. This is the only book we BOTH haven't read! Let me know!!
Daffodil wrote: "Thanks for the list. And extra recommendations are never a problem. My bookshelf may complain about the extra weight, but I'm okay with that. LOL."You're welcome, Daffodil! I'm glad that I didn't give you a heart attack with so many choices, LOL!
I'm also up to Butch's book - what a coincidence! - and I'm actually planning to read it in May.
If you are up to the buddy read, please let me know with some time in advance about when it would be a good place to start. I'm planning to listen to Outlander #5 (50+ hrs. in audiobook) and I fear it will take me half the month!
Hi SheSwitches,Here are your recommendations:
1. Historical - 2 of my favorite authors are Anne Stuart Ruthless and Pamela Clare Surrender.
2. Contemporary - My favorite category of all so I had a hard time narrowing it down. I loved Truly Madly Yours and All About Evie. Both are fun, light and funny.
3. Urban Fantasy - You cannot go wrong with Halfway to the Grave. Yum Bones! or Bloodfever. I read this series as they came out and had to suffer through the cliffhangers.
4. Paranormal Romance Vampire - I recently discovered both of these authors and am really enjoying both. Kiss of Crimson and Full Moon Rising.
5. Paranormal Romance Non Vampire - I love Angels' Blood. I haven't read her other stuff but this series is awesome. Also Covet.
6. Sci/Fi Futuristic - I don't read alot of these but I liked The Time Traveler's Wife and right now I'm almost done with The Host. Once this book took off for me I couldn't put it down!
7. Romantic Suspense - Another favorite of mine. Try Out Of Control or Crazy Wild. I have about eight more I could recommend. Let me know:)
8. Erotic Romance - Try Wicked Ties. A little BDSM. Or Forbidden Pleasure. Features a threesome. VERY HOT!
I hope you find something on this list you haven't read before and are interested in. Let me know!
Hi Rebecca!This is my first time giving book recommendations, so I hope you find something that interests you!
Historical
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (Tea Rose Trilogy #1) It is a long, epic novel but it is one of my all-time favorites along with the 2nd book in the series, The Winter Rose. (The 3rd, The Wild Rose, will be realeased this August).
If You Dare by Kresley Cole (MacCarrick Brothers #1)
Surrender by Pamela Clare (MacKinnon's Rangers #1)
Contemporary
Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas (Travises #1)
Vision in White by Nora Roberts (Bride Quartet #1)
Urban Fantasy
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris. I saw that you've read all of the Sookie Stackhouse series, but this one comes out @ the beginning of May. It was hard for me to come up with a rec for this area... you seem to have it covered :)
Paranormal Romance (Vampire)
First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress World #1)
Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunter #1)
Paranormal Romance (Something other than Vampires)
Covet by J.R. Ward (Fallen Angels #1) I didn't like it as much as her BDB series, but it's still a good fix while waiting for the next BDB release ;)
The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy (Accidental Friends #1). It seems like most people have a love it or hate it reaction to the book.... I am one who enjoyed it.
I also have to recommend the Law of the Lycans series by Nicky Charles: The Mating, The Keeping and The Finding - these books are all free e-books through Kindle or Smashwords that I found a few weeks ago. I'm always looking for new PNR books to read and you can't beat free!
Sci-Fi / Futuristic Romance
Awaken Me Darkly by Gena Showalter (Alien Huntress #1). I like some of the later books bettter, but this would be a great place to start.
Romantic Suspense
Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard. This is the first romantic suspense book that I ever read and will always hold a special place in my heart :)
Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire. (The Guardian Angelinos #1). She also has a free prequel to this story "Taken to the Edge" on her website that gives the back story on the charachters in this book.
Show No Mercy by Cindy Gerard (Black Ops Inc #1)
Erotic Romance
Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair (BDSM, Mountain Masters #1)
Colters' Woman by Maya Banks (Menage, Colters' Woman #1)
or, if you prefer historical:
Everything Forbidden by Jess Michaels (Albright Sisters #1)
Buddy Read
My Immortal by Erin McCarthy (Seven Deadly Sins #1) I saw this on your list and thought it looked interesting.
Hi Regina I hope you like the picks I have put a few options for each category to give you more choices.Historical
The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory, I love Philippa Gregorys books this was my favorite it is full of mystery and intrigue.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) by Pierre A.F. Choderlos de Laclos, It's written incredibly well, the way Laclos manages to create a different style of writing for each character is amazing, and I was absolutely devastated at the end-I won't tell you why you'll just have to read it to find out.
Contemporary
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, Some books make you think "oh thats funny" some books make you smile. This book will make you unable to read because the tears of laughter are blurring your vision!
The Host by Stephenie Meyer, This was an absolute joy to read!
Urban Fantasy
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost, The developing beautiful relationship between Cat and Bones was a delight to read.
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong, overall, I enjoyed this book. The plot was great, characters were great and I would reccomend this book to people who want a light fantasy read.
Paranormal Romance (Vampire)
Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore, You will not dislike one character in this book, each one is instantly fleshed out and only a monk could say they don't know a Tommy. Bottom line there are some stunning set peices esp the gay waiter and side splitting one liners.
Darkfever by by Karen Marie Moning, This book is full of mystery, revenge and tension. If you're looking for a fantastic supernatural tale that doesn't degenerate into an orgy, this might just be the one for you.
Paranormal Romance (Something other than Vampires)
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, I don't think there was a character in this book who I disliked. Well, ok, so I disliked the bad guys but only in the way we're supposed to, as well-written characters go even these guys were great.
A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton, It's a thriller, part fantasy, but grounded in the world as we know it. It is extremely well plotted, in fact it has so many sub-plots going on you occassionally have to turn back a page, to make sure you haven't missed something.
Futuristic Romance
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb, I found the character tough, crude and sharp on the edges..A topical story , with adult interactions, senators, and a shady boyfriend.
sorry Regina I dont have more recs for this genre
Romantic Suspense
To Die For by Linda Howard, It's a very taut book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning, I enjoyed the magic and found it believable. Time travel romances are not my favorite but with this it was interesting to see how the author gets the couple together, past the bonds of time. It was a page turner from the very first page!
Erotic Romance
Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh, I gave this 3 stars for the plot
Fanny Hill: Or, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland, I found this book an interesting read
Buddy Read
Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
Touch the Dark by Karen Chance
RACHEL, Thanks for the recommendations! I have chosen...Historical
If You Dare by Kresley Cole (MacCarrick Brothers #1)
Contemporary
Vision in White by Nora Roberts (Bride Quartet #1)
Urban Fantasy
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
Paranormal Romance (Vampire)
First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress World #1)
Paranormal Romance (Something other than Vampires)
Covet by J.R. Ward (Fallen Angels #1)
Sci-Fi / Futuristic Romance
Awaken Me Darkly by Gena Showalter (Alien Huntress #1).
Romantic Suspense
Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire. (The Guardian Angelinos #1).
Erotic Romance
Colters' Woman by Maya Banks (Menage, Colters' Woman #1)
Buddy Read
My Immortal by Erin McCarthy (Seven Deadly Sins #1)
Rebecca wrote: "RACHEL, Thanks for the recommendations! I have chosen...Historical
If You Dare by Kresley Cole (MacCarrick Brothers #1)
Contemporary
Vision in White by Nora Roberts (Bride Quartet #1)
..."
Good, glad you found some that will work! :) We could also do Dead Reckoning for a buddy read.. I have it on pre-order.
Hi Caroline! I enjoyed looking through your bookshelves. I found some interesting things I have never heard of before. It looks like we don’t have much overlap. We only had 23 books in common and most of those were the Harry Potter and Twilight books. :) I look at this as an opportunity to give you what I feel are the best of the best books I have ever read in the romance genre. Hopefully you will find something you like.
Historical: Mary Jo Putney’s Fallen Angel series which starts with Thunder and Roses. I find it difficult to pick my favorite out of this series, but it would probably be River of Fire. It is the sixth book but I don’t think anyone would have trouble picking this series up in the middle. I think that this author puts a lot of attention into the historical details and setting without sacrificing the main romance plot.
Contemporary: Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie or Trust Me by Jayne Ann Krentz. Both of these authors are favorites of mine because their style of writing is a source of entertainment in itself. It you like these books you will probably like anything by that author.
Urban Fantasy: Moon Called by Patrica Briggs is my favorite series but I absolutely must recommend The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger which starts with Soulless. I was torn about which genre this fits into since it is a historical/paranormal/steam punk/mystery/suspense/romance plot but because it follows the same main characters I think Urban fantasy is the best fit.
Paranormal Vampire: Kresley Cole’s Immortals after Dark Series. It starts with A Hunger Like No Other which features a Vampire/Werewolf couple. I really feel the author makes interesting and consistent characters which is difficult to do with a paranormal series.
Paranormal non vampire - The Shadowdweller’s Series by Jacquelyn Frank. The first and best is Ecstasy. I found the idea of a race that lives completely in the dark very unique in the romance genre, and the author executes it well. The Psy-Changling series by Nalini Singh is also a hallmark of the paranormal genre. It starts with Slave to Sensation.
Sci-Fi: Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair I don’t read much sci-fi romance, but this book was recommended to me recently and I really enjoyed it.
Romantic Suspense: To Die For by Linda Howard. I really like all of Linda Howard’s books but Blair is one of those charmingly quirky characters that stand out in your memory long after the book is over.
Erotic Romance- Lora Leigh’s Breed Series which starts with Tempting the Beast.
Buddy Read: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. We both have this on our TBR pile and I know I have been meaning to read it for a while now.
PICK-IT-FOR-ME: MAY EDITION For Leah *Silk Desire*:
#1.Historical :
*Option 1: Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught - This is an amazing book ,I loved it and I am very picky about historicals
*Option 2: The Wedding(Lairds' Fiancées #2) by Julie Garwood - So very funny :)
*Option 3: Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart (Love by Numbers,#3) by Sarah MacLean - I loved the heroine
#2.Contemporary :
*Option 1: Homeport by Nora Roberts - The story is very nice and the hero is a major yummy ,oh and he`s a thief too
*Option 2: Sea Swept(Chesapeake Bay Saga, #1) by Nora Roberts - This is one of those books that will grab you.
#3.Urban Fantasy :
*Option 1: Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) by Ilona Andrews - I love Kate and you`ll love her too that is if you like cynical ,sarcastic and kick -ass heroines
*Option 2: Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin #1) by Jennifer Estep-This series was a huge surprise for me because I didn`t expect it to be so good
#4.Paranormal Romance (Vampire) :
*Option 1 : Dark Prince: Author's Cut Special Edition (Carpathians #1) by Christine Feehan- This is the beginning of a series that is very good ,but with so many books already there are ups and downs .
*Option 2 : Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires #1) by Chloe Neill- Another surprise series for me
#5.Paranormal Romance (Something other than Vampires):
*Option 1: Go Fetch! (Magnus Pack #2) by Shelly Laurenston- I love this book ,it's just so hilarious
*Option 2: Angels' Blood(Guild Hunter #1) by Nalini Singh- I see that you`ve read her Psy-Changeling series ,do you really think Nalini writes something that isn`t amazing? Give it a try ,this is a must read :)
#6.Sci-Fi / Futuristic Romance :
*Option 1 : Elizabeth's Wolf(Breeds #3) by Lora Leigh-Lora`s books are usually a miss or a hit :P
*Option 2: Warrior's Woman (Ly-San-Ter Family #1) by Johanna Lindsey-This woman lands on a freaking planet ,just with alpha warriors ,imagine that :D
#7.Romantic Suspense :
*Option 1 : Skin Game (Skin #1) by Ava Gray - Again I loved the heroine ,she's evil :)
*Option 2 : Shadow Game (Ghostwalkers #1) by Christine Feehan
#8.Erotic Romance :
*Option 1 : Stay With Me by Maya Banks - I really enjoyed this one,sometimes love is not enough :)
*Option 2 : Undercover Heat (Heat #6) by Judy Mays
#9.Buddy Read :
I would like to read with you one of these,they seemed interesting:
*Option 1 : The Duke And I (Bridgertons #1 ) by Julia Quinn
*Option 2 : Dragon Bound (Elder Races #1) by Thea Harrison
Happy reading!
Rachel wrote: "Good, glad you found some that will work! :) We could also do Dead Reckoning for a buddy read.. I have it on pre-order"Definitely, Im a big fan of the southern vampire mysteries. I like the TV show to but after the first half of series1 it was NOTHING at all like the books.
MelindaI had so many picks for you that I have more than expected! I tried to pick a couple from your TBR:-) If you want me to narrow it down, let me know! Lol, I hope you'll find something that you'll enjoy!
Historical Romance
One of my favorite genres **rubs hands gleefully**
Warrior, first in the Blades of the Rose series: I saw you liked PNR, and this is on your TBR.. It's a very fun historical romance with a dash of paranormal dipped in.. I loved this one, and hope you will too!
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase is a hilarious book. If you need a diverting and funny read, this is it!
Comanche Moon by Catherine Anderson (first in the Comanche series) is very different from what you have on your shelves, I know.. But this is an epic (with a great narrative) romance between what should be two enemies. A truly beautiful story!
Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas - I just have to sneak this one in! Lisa Kleypas is a legend in the HR circles, lol.. First in the Wallflowers series.
Contemporary romance
Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis. A beautiful and sweet love story that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy:-) (1st in the Lucky Harbor series)
Trial by Fire by Jo Davis (#1 Firefighters of Station 5). More CR than RS, but a healthy dose of angst and mystery, and a gorgeous hunky tortured hero make this one of my fave CRs (I've read it 6 or 7 times in less than a year, lol)!
UF
Hmmm.. You seem to have read most of my choices, so... I'm going to go with..
City of Glass.. You've read the first two in the Mortal Instruments series, why not keep going to the grand finale (well, what most of us thought was the finale, lol!)? I loved this "conclusion" to the series!
PNR Vampire
Once again, what you've read has depleted a lot of my choices, so:
This Side of the Grave, although I haven't read it yet! I'm sure it'll be up to par though:-D
or The Laughing Corpse: I did notice you weren't a huge fan of the first book, but IMO the series picks up with the second and then started sputtering out with the 8th or 9th.. Gotta say.. I did love Jean-Claude:-)
PNR non vamp
Queen of Song and Souls by CL Wilson (book 4 in the Tairen Soul series). How? How could you start the series and not be dying to learn what happened to Ellie and Rain? This is probably my favorite series ever! **sigh** time for a reread:-)
Desire Untamed by Pamela Palmer (#1 in the Feral Warriors series). A great new series about a warrior brotherhood (what else, lol) of shapeshifters. Lyon and Kara were wonderful together, and the angst factor was good!
Tempt Me with Darkness by Shayla Black. First in her Doomsday Brethren series. I wasn't sure what to expect (she'd only written erotica till this point) but it was surprisingly good! I really enjoyed this book!
Sci-Fi/Futuristic
Not my fave genre, but the ones I did love, you already read.
Awaken Me Darkly by Gena Showalter. Read this one a couple years ago, and remember liking it... I've also heard good things about it, so might be worth a try:-)
Glory in Death by JD Robb. Second in the In Death series - I liked the first, loved the second, and after the third fell in love with the whole series, and in major lust with Roarke **sigh**. Definitely a series worth continuing, IMO!
Romantic Suspense
Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare - The I-team is definitely a series worth continuing, especially if you enjoyed the first!
Die For Me (book #7) or Don't Tell by Karen Rose. KR is one of my fave RS authors, and writes books that are loosely connected (through the characters). You can either read the first book (Don't Tell) she wrote, which is great, or the first in her "trilogy" which can be read separately: Die For Me is one of my fave RS reads, the romance between the MCs good (the suspense is pretty present though) and the villain is SO evil!
Erotic Romance
Since I'm not sure what you'd feel comfortable reading, I'll recommend:
Passion by Lisa Valdez. Historical erotic romance.. no, seriously! I was expecting a trashy book, but it was amazing! the romance is beautiful and heartwrenching, and the sex scenes? Wow! Although I feel almost sorry for Passion, lol!
Midnight Man by Lisa Marie Rice (first in the Midnight trilogy), if you want more of a RS book with some erotic scenes, or Wicked Ties (#1 in the Wicked Lovers) by Shayla Black if a little bondage and ménage.
Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James gives you a cowboys point of view on ménage:-) First in her Rough Riders series, and a great start!
Finally, for a Buddy read:
Big Bad Beast by Shelly Laurenston - Totally looking forwards to Dee-Ann and Ric's story! Let me know if you feel like it! I've got it coming in the mail any day!
Polina, I have some trouble with a couple of these categories as I really just don't read them much. But I think you'll find something you like on the list. I don't know what the European availability of these books is as I'm not familiar with what gets printed where. If you want/need a replacement for any of these, just let me know and I'll see what I can do.1.Historical - My worst category to be sure. I've heard good things about The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. But again, that is strictly heresay.
2.Contemporary - You've read a couple Susan Elizabeth Phillips books and really liked them. I think she's great. You have listed Call Me Irresistible but I don't think you should read that until after you've read a few of her other books that create the characters in Call Me Irresistible. I would go with the Chicago Stars series. It starts with It Had to Be You and all are excellent. If you aren't a stickler for reading in order, I'd say go with Natural Born Charmer.
3.Urban Fantasy - I see UF defined so differently by different people. I tend to classify UF as just another part of PNR. But that's just me. I will suggest both the Dresden Files series and the Demonica series. Dresden files is the story of a wizard in a world that doesn't believe in magic (much like ours). Cool stories and an interesting take. Starts with Storm Front. The Demonica series is told from the POV of the demons. Gritty like the BDB but without all the crappy hip-hop music references. Starts with Pleasure Unbound.
4.Paranormal Romance (Vampire) - This Side of the Grave - yeah, I know that you have it on your to-read shelf. I see that you read the two Night Huntress World books so there will be no spoilers by picking up book #5. If you want something light and fun, I suggest the Christopher Moore Love Story trilogy which starts with Bloodsucking Fiends. I gave all three of them four stars.
5.Paranormal Romance (Something other than Vampires) - I have two I'll give you for now. Covet and First Grave on the Right. You've read and liked the BDB books. I suggest you read Covet. Same author. Same world. A cameo or two of characters you know. And a great story. As for First Grave, I read a review that I really liked. I'm thinking about giving this a shot myself. So if you're up for it, let me know and maybe we can do a buddy read.
6.Sci-Fi / Futuristic Romance - you can't mention future romance without having someone mention J.D. Robb's In Death series. Eve Dallas kicks serious ass. A little over a year ago I read the first one and thought it was decent. Then I read the second and liked it more. 32 books into the series I can't wait for the next to be published. I love this. Starts with Naked in Death. If you want space faring weird stuff with cheesy alien sex go with Slave. Not great reading, but great fun.
7.Romantic Suspense - I keep suggesting people read Cry No More. Invariably people really like this book. Yes, it will be added to your 'Made Me Cry' shelf. But you'll be happy you read it. If you want a lighthearted pseudo romantic suspense, read Agnes and the Hitman (well at least 14 people have tagged it romantic suspense).
8.Erotic Romance - Ok, so now I feel like a dirty old man as you are the same age as my son. I wouldn't necessarily recommend these to him (well, at least not in front of his mother) but your bookshelf is already fairly well populated with solid erotica titles so here goes. Voyeur by Lacey Alexander was one of the first 'erotica' titles I read (other than Literotica or Letters to Penthouse of course) and let me know there could be books with decent stories that were definitely not vanilla. I see you've read a few Megan Hart books. Good stories but usually more depressing than sexy. Opal Carew writes some pretty hot stuff, but the stories aren't as good. Swap I just read a few weeks ago and certainly qualifies. Hot all the way around and a story to boot. Sometime this month I'll be reading Babysitting the Baumgartners if you are interested in a buddy read. Be forewarned that none of the books listed in this category are exactly vanilla so read at your own risk.
Tania S: Hello Tania S.! I tried to pick books that were not on your Read shelf but if I missed a few, I apologize. Just let me know if you’ve read them and if you like, I’ll pick out another book for you! So here are my picks for you of my favorite books in the following genres:
Historical: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
I loved Outlander by Diana Gabaldon! I read it back in 2006 when the author had decided that A Breath of Snow was going to be the last book in the series. So I decided I wasn’t going to proceed in the series until ALL the books were written. However, I never got around to picking the 2nd one up, (it’s on my list of things to do this summer) and it looks like she lied! There’s a 7th plus a graphic novel that’s based on the 1st quarter of the Outlander story. I liked the graphic novel a lot, I wish it were longer and had covered the whole story. Oh well…
Contemporary: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Sarah Addison Allen was one of the books that I saw on the shelf and thought the title was pretty. However, when I started reading the novel I was hooked! I LOVE books with a passion, but I am very careful of who I mark down as my favorite authors. I’m always afraid that I’ll just marking everybody as my favorite and it would get too congested, so I don’t use the term favorite lightly. She is one of my favorites. If I could read all of her books everyday for the rest of my life, I would die a happy woman! She’s written 4 so far, the latest one is called The Peachkeeper. I haven’t started reading it immediately because her last book only took me 10 hours to read (I’m slow but I literally sat and read the book from beginning to end in one sitting because I loved it so much.) Gush gush gush, at any rate: It’s beautiful, whimsical, and they all have happy endings! I would recommend this book to everyone!
Urban Fantasy: Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield
I have not actual read this one, but I’m recommending to you anyway for two reasons. First, I read her previous book “Bad Day for Sorry.” I liked it a lot and I have faith that author can write a really good story, no matter the genre. Second, Aftertime is published by a group called Luna. Luna is owned by Harlequin and it specializes in Paranormal Fantasy books. Every Luna book I have ever read, I’ve loved. If the book has Luna on it, I will buy and know that I will love it because they have good taste (at least for me). Ok, there’s a third reason. Aftertime is a romance novel set in post-apocalypse with Zombies. When I read the back it reminded me of Zombieland with a Love Story. If haven’t watched the movie Zombieland, it’s awesome I highly recommend that too.
Paranormal Romance - Vampire: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
I’m about halfway through this series and I’m enjoying it so far. I started reading these novels after I saw True Blood (the TV Show) that’s based on these books. They’re similar but not identical, which is nice, so if you like one you’ll like the other!
Paranormal Romance: Non-Vampire: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
I read Moon Called because I was getting really sick of the Vampire genre. It was a nice contrast to all the romantic blood-sucking and the main character is a loner. It was refreshing to not read about a woman who was constantly pining for some Vamp, Were, Fairy, Pixie, etc. She was a very strong and independent woman. My kind of heroine.
Sci-Fi & Futuristic Romance: Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
J.D. Robb is actually Nora Roberts, so if you like Nora then you’ll like J.D. I saw that you had a Nora Roberts book on there, not sure if it was read or to be read. I enjoyed the series, I think my favorite one was Ceremony in Death (#5) because they’re investigating a cult for a murder. It’s murder mystery with romance swirled in, set in the not so distant future.
Romantic Suspense: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
I wouldn’t really call this suspenseful, but it was tagged as that and I liked it anyway. It was comical and the movie is coming out next year! Reminds me The Killers with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigal (who stars in One for the Money).
Erotic Romance: Anything by Laurell K. Hamilton
Laurell K. Hamilton writes 2 series: Anita Blake (Vampire Hunter) and Meredith Gentry (Fairy Princess). Anita Blake was really good until Obsideon Dreams, then it all went downhill. She turned into a sexual succubus and it turned from Horror to Erotica. Or if you don’t care for Erotica, Horror to Horrible. I don’t mind Erotica so much, but when the main character complains that she’s not a list but has sexual relations with at least 5 guys in the same book, that’s Erotica to me. I just didn’t care for the whining. If you’re gonna be a slut, be a slut, just accept it and move on. The other series, Meredith Gentry, is about a fairy princess set in modern times that is in line to accept the fairy throne. The only thing that’s standing in her way is that she has to get pregnant before her evil sadistic cousin knocks somebody up. So yeah, lots of action but NO complaining. She knows she’s got to hop from bed to bed in order to save her kingdom from her bat-crazy cousin and she’s not going to turn anybody down until she’s with child. So, I’ll let you choose which series sounds more interesting. I personally LIKED Anita Blake first but then I’ve switched to Meredith Gentry. Neither of these books are listed as Erotica, but trust me. They are!
So here you go, I hope you enjoy these as much I do and I look forward to seeing what you thought of them! Happy Reading!
Hey MountainKat!,I'm sorry, but I've been running in and out of the house today, so I don't have the time to sit down and snoop (sigh) and give you your recs right now, and I do feel horrible about it, since everyone is being so terribly prompt and making me look bad, but I promise you, natural disasters withstanding, I'll have your recs in by tonight! Bear with me, and I really am sorry!
Diane ~Firefly~Thanks so much for the great picks! I choose to read a couple of books! But I am going to add to my TBR!!
One is
...been meaning to start the series. The next one would be the buddy read
....if you are interested in reading it with me let me know. I still have to read
though!Thanks again!
Picks for Kate! You made this really fun for me, because while we don't have a ton of overlap on our shelves, most of the possibilities I'd come up with you had on your bookshelves already. The only trouble with that is it made it very hard to narrow it down to even just a few choices in each category, so here you go!Historical – I didn't see a lot of historicals on your bookshelves, and it's not a real strong category for me either, so I'll just recommend some that I have enjoyed. First of all, I've never read a book by Lisa Kleypas that I didn't like, but my favorites up to this point I think have been the Hathaways series, which starts with Mine Till Midnight. If you prefer American historicals, a couple of good choices are Simply Love by Catherine Anderson (or any other of her historicals, for that matter) and Only His, the first book in the “Only” series by Elizabeth Lowell.
Contemporary – You have several of my favorites already on your bookshelves, and it looks like you've enjoyed some of their stuff, so it's easy to recommend that you continue with Erin McCarthy's Fast Track series, Julie James' Something About You, or jump into It Had to Be You, the first book in the Chicago Stars series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. For something a little more intense and emotional that isn't on your bookshelves, Baby Love by Catherine Anderson is absolutely amazing.
Urban Fantasy – This is probably my weakest category, but I'm currently working my way through the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost, and loving every minute of it. The first book in the series is Halfway to the Grave. I'll pass on the warning that was given to me - it's a really good idea to be prepared to jump right into the next book in the series, One Foot in the Grave when you finish the first one.
Paranormal – Vampires – I see that you've read the first book in Lara Adrian's Midnight Breeds series. I can definitely recommend that you continue on to the next book, Kiss of Crimson. Once I finally started reading it, this series quickly became on of my favorites, not just in the paranormal category, but in all categories. For a slight change of pace, you might want to try Kathryn Smith's Be Mine Tonight – the first book in the Brotherhood of Blood series, a 5 book historical vampire series set in the late 19th/early 20th century.
Paranormal – Non-Vampire – Along with a whole lot of other people, I have to recommend Slave to Sensation – the first book in Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series. It's just amazing, there's not really any other way to describe it. A couple of other series that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed are the Demonica series by Larissa Ione, starting with Pleasure Unbound, and the Paladins series by Alexis Morgan, which starts with Dark Protector.
Sci-Fi/Futuristic – This is another weak category for me, but I have read and loved the entire “In Death” series by J. D. Robb, which begins with Naked in Death. The series is huge and a bit intimidating, but if you enjoy the first book, it's really nice knowing there's a long way to go before you have to wait impatiently for the next book to be released!
Romantic Suspense – This is probably my favorite category right now, and there are a ton of really good options out there. My first thought was Maya Banks' KGI series, but I see you've just recently read those, so...Running a VERY close second is Pamela Clare's I-team series – you've read and enjoyed the first book, definitely continue on to book 2 – Hard Evidence. If you want to get away from all the series, an excellent stand-alone choice would be Pursuit by Elizabeth Jennings (aka Lisa Marie Rice).
Erotica – I see from your bookshelves that you don't have a problem with erotica, which definitely makes this pick easier. My top choice right now would have to be Lorelei James' Rough Riders series, which starts with Long Hard Ride. I'm about halfway through the series, and it just keeps getting better and better. A couple of stand-alone titles that I also enjoyed are Passion by Lisa Valdez and Wild, Wicked, & Wanton by Jaci Burton
Buddy Read – My first choice for a buddy read that is on your bookshelves would be Lie with Me by Stephanie Tyler, because I have to read it for another discussion group. Unfortunately, I need to read it right away, since the other discussion is on the 5th, and I realize that might not work for you. If not, another possibility would be Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis. I've been hearing so much about this book, and would love to have an excuse to buy it! Also, I'm thinking about trying to start rereading both the Psy/Changeling series and the In Death series, so if you choose either of those and would like to make it a buddy read, I'd be happy to do that.
I hope you can find something in all that to interest you!
Thanks D.G.D.G. ~The Hydra~ wrote: "That's a difficult one, Lacy.
It's a mix of Time Travel, Historical Fiction/Romance and Fantasy."
Monica wrote: "Hey MountainKat!,I'm sorry, but I've been running in and out of the house today, so I don't have the time to sit down and snoop (sigh) and give you your recs right now, and I do feel horrible abo..."
Not a problem Monica! Stay safe. I will be patiently waiting - or maybe just waiting. ; )
Rebecca wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Good, glad you found some that will work! :) We could also do Dead Reckoning for a buddy read.. I have it on pre-order"Definitely, Im a big fan of the southern vampire myster..."
I am a huge fan of the show as well. I love that Lafayette didn't get killed off, but other than that... it's a little disappoionting! I find myself telling my husband about 20 times per episode "That didn't happen in the book!" And isn't it the 4th book in the series that starts with Eric running through the forest, naked and with no memory? I will be bummed if we don't get that in the tv series! :)
Also, let me know when you start Dead Reckoning and I'll read it with you.
Hey Rachel here are your picksHistorical
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - A must-read.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - another must-read
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Destiny by Kathleen Givens
Contemporary
Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie - I can't remember this very well because I read it so long ago but I know I liked it.
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella a fun easy read
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - I see you have read the rest of Twilight so thought I might as well put this one in.
Urban Fantasy
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Paranormal Romance (Vampires)
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Marked by P.C. Cast
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
Paranormal Romance (Other than vampires)
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Sci-fi/Futuristic Romance
Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
Romantic Suspense
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich this is a bit of a strange one to add because I didn't finish it but I seem to be in the minority for disliking this book, so you may really enjoy it.
The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner I couldn't put this one down.
French Twist by Roxanne St. Claire - you seem to like her books so added this one in.
Erotic Romance
Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt
To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt
Buddy Read
Matched by Ally CondieClockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Hope something here appeals to you :)
Photojim wrote: "8.Erotic Romance - Ok, so now I feel like a dirty old man as you are the same age as my son. I wouldn't necessarily recommend these to him (well, at least not in front of his mother)"LMAO!!
I was having lunch when I read this and shared some of it with my monitor, I was laughing so hard.
Pollyanna wrote: "Hey Rachel here are your picksHistorical
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - A must-read.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - another must-re..."
Thanks for your picks Pollyanna! I look forward to getting started. I had to laugh about the Breaking Dawn suggestion because I read that the day it came out.. and here I thought I was soooo great at keeping track of my books! :)
Elke wrote: "Hi Fran... here are your picks! Hope you find one you like! Happy Reading!Historical: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah Maclean. I liked this book a lot and i..."
Elke, thanks so much for the great recs. I will definitely read Backstage Pass - looks really good. I would like to read A Lot Like Love with you, but may not be able to get to it for a few weeks- are you ok with waiting a little bit?
Hi ya, Carolyn FHere are my picks for you! I really hope you find something that you like. Some of the sub genres I haven't read much of, so am a little out of my comfort zone in recommending some books to you as I haven't read them:-( Although a couple are on my TBR list! Here goes!!
Historical
The Other Boleyn Girl
By Phillippa Gregory
I haven't actually read this! The books I'd considered you had already read!! Have heard great things about this and this is on my TBR list too!
Comtemporary
The Last Letter from Your Lover
Jojo Moyes
Ooooh this one was easy! And I was spoilt for choice! But I decided to go with this one:-) This book is wonderful and I really couldn't put it down. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!
Urban Fantasy
Twilight
By Stephanie Meyer
Again a easy one! This book is Amazing! I actually read it to see what all the fuss was about and have been hooked ever since! I actually loved the 2nd book in the series New Moon the most! But the series starts with Twilight! Enjoy
Paranormal Vampires
50 Ways to Hex Your Lover
By Linda Wisdom
I've just finished reading this book and loved it! Paranormal is not normally my bag, but doing some reserach for this challenge I came across this book read and quite liked it!
Paranormal Non Vampire
The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf
by Molly Harper
So rather out of my comfort zone now! Haven't read this myself, but sounds quite good, and one I managed to find without Vampires!!
Sci/Fi / Futurstic
The Time Traveler's Wife
By Audrey Niffenegger
Okay so I've been toying with the idea of where actually to put this book!! Is it competporary or Sci/Fi? A few people on here who have read it have marked it as Sci/Fi so here we are! A brillantly written bizare book at times, but one that will have you in tears by the end! I loved it!
Romantic Suspense
Her Last Letter
By Nancy.C.Johnson
I love Supsense stories and this has a really good storyline! One of those is it, isn't it? Is he, isn't he? And a little romance added into the mix:-)
Eroctic Romance
Catching Caroline
By Sylvia Day
I am so now out of my comfort zone it's not funny! This really isn't my thing at all, but just for you I found and downloaded onto my Kindle this book, and read it!! It appealed to me because of the title!!!!!
Buddy Read
Mistress of the Art of Death
By Arianna Franklin
I was recommended this in Aprils PIFM challenge & I noticed that its on your TBR list, so if you would like to read this with me as a buddy read just let me know:-)
Hope Carolyn that you find something that you like. x x x
LOL!! Caroline, that's hysterical that you went and read an Erotica story just for Carolyn! Oh, the sacrifices we make for our buddies ;)
D.G. I'm sitting here making my erotica picks and pulled out three. All three have some element of bondage, anal, oral, partner swapping, play with toys, and other aspects of serious erotica. And before I hit enter I was looking at Polina's profile and saw that she's the same age as my eldest son (my boys are 16 and 18). So yeah, it made me pause a moment. But then I confirmed that there were other things that were rated highly by Paulina that were along the same category. And then I thought back to when I was 18. There isn't anything in these books that I hadn't been exposed to outside of the books (well except for serious bondage). So I doubt that I'm responsible for corrupting anybody. Laugh if you must, but yes it was a concern.
Fran wrote: "Elke wrote: "Hi Fran... here are your picks! Hope you find one you like! Happy Reading!Historical: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah Maclean. I liked this boo..."
Fran
Oh I am glad you like them!!
Enjoy Backstage Pass!!
Yes I would like to read A Lot Like Love with you! I think it will take me a few weeks to get it also....my library doesn't carry it! So I am going to have to request it!
Cacophony wrote: "Hi Caroline! I enjoyed looking through your bookshelves. I found some interesting things I have never heard of before. It looks like we don’t have much overlap. We only had 23 books in common and..."
Hi there Cacophony!!
Hope your well? Thanks so much for my recs! They sound brilliant, and I have decided to read, Thunder and Roses, Soulless & To die for! I would also love to buddy read The Hunger Games with you!! Which I can pick up from the library on sat, I'm spending tomorrow glued to the telly watching the Wedding!!! So let me know when you fancy and have time to read it:-) Thanks again x x
Hi Brenda,I'm rather new to most of the romance subgenres, so i'm afraid that I don't have many recommendations in some of the genres.
Historical: I haven't read much historical romance but i enjoyed these two books.
Enslaved by Virginia Henley. This is both a historical and time travel romance. I realy liked it.
Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss.
Contemprary
Riders by Jilly Cooper. Really fun read. Don't know if it is really romance as most of the characters get their HEA in later books.
Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair. This may also be Erotic Romance, I sometimes can't tell the difference.
Urban Fantasy: One of my favourite subgenres.
Storm Front. First book in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. This is a series that keeps getting better and better.
Nightlife by Rob Thurman. Awesome and original UF. Cal Leandros
The Devil You Know by Mike Carey. Another favourite. First in the Felix Castor series.
Tempting Danger by Eileen Wilks. The World of the Lupi has a bit more romance than the other three series.
PNR Vampire:
Undead and Unwed By MaryJanice Davidson. Undead series is PNR chicklit, and great if you're in the mood for a fast & fun read.
If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl. One of my favourite PNR vampire series. Darkyn.
PNR other:
Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Gods, immortal warriors, demons and cursed soul suckers, the Dark-Hunter series has it all. One of the best PNR series.
Angels' Blood Really good PNR by Nalini Singh. First in the Guild Hunter series.
Scifi futuristic romance: Would be a lot easier to recommend non-romantic scifi. But I have read some Erotic Scifi romance.
Fallen Star by Morgan Hawke. Absolutly amazing book. Don't let the description scare you off, this book is absolutely awesome. Not many books are good on both the scifi and the romance, but this one is.
Romantic Suspense:
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb. The In Death series is incredibly addictive. I read most of this series in one month. Eve & Roarke are two of the best characters in fiction.
Erotica: Most of the erotica i've read is somewhat kinky. Here are two of my favourites.
Taken by Jet Mykles.
Surrender by Lora Leigh
Buddy read: Some suggestions for buddy read.
High Stakes by Erin McCarthy
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
Fran wrote: "LOL!! Caroline, that's hysterical that you went and read an Erotica story just for Carolyn! Oh, the sacrifices we make for our buddies ;)"Lol!! I'm affraid to admit Fran that yes I did just that!! Erotic romance isn't really my thing! And I didn't really want to let my buddy down!! Or look I didn't know what I was talking about or well read;-)!! x x
Photojim wrote: "Laugh if you must, but yes it was a concern. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to make light of your concern. I thought you were joking with the dirty old man thing.
Elke wrote: "Diane ~Firefly~Thanks so much for the great picks! I choose to read a couple of books! But I am going to add to my TBR!!
One is
...been meaning to start..."I'm glad you found something good. I'm willing to read It's In His Kiss if you are. I haven't read any of the series, so I don't know if reading in order is needed or not. Let me know as I'm happy either way.
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Dead Until Dark (other topics)The Darkest Hour (other topics)
The Time Traveler's Wife (other topics)
Perfect Chemistry (other topics)
The Iron Duke (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Maya Banks (other topics)Rachel Caine (other topics)
Karen Marie Moning (other topics)
Ilona Andrews (other topics)
MaryJanice Davidson (other topics)
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This was hard!
We seem to have very similar tastes so we read a lot of the same thing but you are way stronger than me in the PNR/UF categories. I apologize for the novel below (LOL!) and the more than 9 recommendations (oops!) Sometimes I wasn't sure if you have read a particular series because you had rated some earlier book but not others. That's why I gave you like a gazillion choices in some categories so I'm sure there must be something in there for you to like. :)
Historical
This is my stronger category so I'm giving you a smattering of all my favorites. They run the gamut from working young ladies in Victorian England, pirates, from childhood friends to lovers, Cyrano-style letter writing, Pygmalion type transformations, and more. Some of them made me cry and some made me laugh. They are, in my opinion, some of the best HR out there. :)
As You Desire by Connie Brockway
And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Gurhke
The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh
Till Next We Meet by Karen Ranney
Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham
The Proposition by Judith Ivory
Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas
Contemporary
I've only rated 4 books with 5-stars this year (I'm notoriously stingy with them) and these are 2 of them. The first one made me laugh like crazy, the second one, was romantic and touching and just perfect - amazing how they both have that word in the title!
Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Urban Fantasy
I've started getting serious in this category in the last year. Sometimes I couldn't tell from your shelves if you have read some of these books or not because you had rated the later books but not the earlier ones so I assumed that you haven't read anything you haven't rated or marked 'read.' Of these choices, I'm up to date in the first two series (you can tell I'm really crazy about them!) and haven't started the third but I've heard good things about it.
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Paranormal Romance (Vampire)
I cannot believe you haven't read the BDB! I started later last year and just loved it. In case you HAVE read it, I'm recommending a series that was recommended to me and I've been meaning to try.
Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian
Paranormal Romance (Other than Vampires)
You've read all the PNR non vampires series that I've read so I'm going here with all new recommendations. I've heard tons of good things from all these books and I'm hoping to give them a try one of these days.
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Sci-Fi
This is the first book in my life I've ever read that I wanted to re-read the moment I finished reading it. It starts a bit slow but once it gets moving, I didn't wanted it to stop!
The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Romantic Suspense
IMO, the best romantic suspense series out there. Interesting plots, amazing twists, smart heroines and to-die for heroes.
Extreme Exposure by Pamela Clare
Erotic Romance
Sci-Fi erotica is my favorite and I see you have also read some. Here are some more really great options (the first one would have made a great fiction book without the erotica part, LOL!) I also added a M/M romance I'm reading now. It's just incredible!
Abiogenesis by Kaitlyn O'Connor
Planet X by Evangeline Anderson
Faith & Fidelity by Tere Michaels
Buddy Read
I'm hoping to read both of these month. Please let me know if you'd like to join me!
The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook