Romance Novels/Chick-Lit

[ambergold]

The Proposal, Jane Feather
Duchess in Love, Eloisa James(duke flees after marriage and returns to discover wife is toast of town), Your Wicked Ways
The Amateur Marriage: A Novel, Anne Tyler
The Romantic, Barbara Gowdy
Prep
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About, Mil Millington-hilarious Brit writer
Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven, Fannie Flagg

Comments

[little_liesel]

Hi! I'm not on your friends list, but happened to reply to one of your posts in Little Women about the Jeremy Northam film.

I am very very picky about Romance books anymore. It seems like they are so formulaic and the sex scenes are much too descriptive. I am actually more drawn to other genres - mostly historical and historical mystery with a bit of romance thrown in. I guess I like the intrigue and action, which is presented differently than in purely romance books. There are a few that I can recommend to you that you can find on Amazon.

Here's my list copied from one of my LJ entries:

Some of my favorite authors, in case you are interested. Almost all of them are British.

1. M.M. Kaye - Shadow of the Moon, The Far Pavilions, Death in Kashmir, Death in Cyprus Great novels of India and others!
2. Agatha Christie - we all know who she is!
3. Anne Perry - William Monk Victorian mystery series, Thomas and Charlotte Pitt Victorian mystery series
4. Sharon Kay Penman - Medieval Historical novels Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow, and her Medieval Mystery series featuring Justin de Quincy as Queen Eleanor's spy - The Queen's Man
5. Elizabeth Chadwick - Medieval Romance - Shields of Pride
6. Lucia St. Clair Robson - The Tokaido Road. Excellent book of feudal Japan.
7. Louisa May Alcott - Little Women
8. Frances Hodgson Burnett - The Secret Garden, The Little Princess
9. Wilkie Collins - The Woman in White, The Moonstone Great Victorian mystery writer!
10. E.M. Forster - A Room With A View, Howards End
11. Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma
12. Charles Dickens - Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, Hard Times

I would also like to add that Anne Perry is my favorite author and I can't recommend her enough! She has 2 British Victorian mystery series going and quite a few books already written so you don't have to wait around for the next one if you're just starting out reading them. There is romance in her books, but that of course isn't the main element as they are mysteries. You can buy her paperback books uses at Amazon and get some really great bargains! She has also just started a series on WWI, which are also pretty good. I just have a soft spot for the Victorian era, so that will always be a preference for me.

Another author that I really enjoy is M.M. Kaye, who has written both romance and mystery, and all of her books are also very good.

Sharon Kay Penman - mostly historical but always with romantic elements in all of her books. The mystery series is highly recommended. Her books are very intelligent and the kind that you can't put down!

Purely romance - Elizabeth Chadwick (the British author, not the American author as there are two that go by that name). She is really good, but sometimes it's difficult to find her books here in the US. You can find some on Amazon, and if you like her enough you can shop at UK Amazon.

Another series of books that I didn't mention in the list above is called The Stonewhycke Legacy, Christian romace books by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella. I have these, but haven't read them yet, so can't completely recommend them. However, they look good.

[ambergold]

Thanks so much! That's really helpful:D

[little_liesel]

Glad to help!:) Do you mind if I add you to my friends list?

Elizabeth Chadwick

[little_liesel]

I had a look on Amazon and many of her books have been released as paperbacks recently, which is great! She has also two new books, The Scarlet Lion (will be released in Dec. 2006) and The Greatest Knight, both of which I have added to my wish list. I think I have about 100 things on there now, hehe.

[ambergold]

Not at all! In fact I was already thinking about adding you, he he.

[little_liesel]

Great! Thanks!