The Romance List

[harmony_bites]

I've been reading off this list from The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List--specifically the Fantasy List and the Literary Fiction List. I was finding I enjoyed the recommended books so much, I decided to tackle the Romance List, since I've never had much success with that genre.

My impression honestly is almost all much of the

Comments

[pennswoods]

It's fun reading your perspective on the novels I'm familiar with. A few of these I've got on my shelf as keepers, and there are a several others by some of the same authors that I like so much better and that didn't make the list. However, my reason for liking them tends to be the narrative, the twists, certain sex scenes that hit my kinks and not necessarily the author's writing ability and adeptness at maintaining consistent POV, so I don't know that you'll find them as worthwhile.

I really like the primary and secondary romances in Brockmann's Over the Edge, which is a part of the same sharp-shooter series. She begins to flesh out a secondary gay character who appears across several of her subsequent books and whose romance is explored prominently. There are bits and pieces of other novels in this same series that have resulted in my hanging on to them, but I think this one overall is my favorite.

I also completely agree with you on Whitney, My Love, and almost feel I am reading two separate books with that one. I really don't like the whole, girl needs to suffer to lose weight/become more womanly/beautiful/mature/worthy of the hero. I think my favorite McNaught romance in this same vein is Almost Heaven because of the way it attempts to deal with pain, betrayal and redemption. Also, if I recall, nobody has to get raped to find true love.

I haven't read any Nora Roberts in a while because I always feel let down after reading her stuff. If I read too many of her romances, the predictability of the formula/structures and stock characters overwhelms potentially decent story-telling. That being said, the one keeper I have of hers is Montana Sky which I love for its atmosphere and mystery/graphically horrific elements.

[harmony_bites]

there are a several others by some of the same authors that I like so much better and that didn't make the list.

Do tell--particularly if I didn't like the one I reviewed of theirs.

See, I'm not exactly impressed with the romance genre--but I do adore love stories--so I'm not adverse to trying, and I figure every genre must have good books--I just haven't found many in the romance aisle I ever liked.

However, my reason for liking them tends to be the narrative, the twists, certain sex scenes that hit my kinks and not necessarily the author's writing ability and adeptness at maintaining consistent POV, so I don't know that you'll find them as worthwhile.

It depends just how bad it is--and often I can forgive style issues if certain aspects of a book are really, really strong--like witty dialogue, memorable characters, great world-building, etc.

I really like the primary and secondary romances in Brockmann's Over the Edge, which is a part of the same sharp-shooter series. She begins to flesh out a secondary gay character who appears across several of her subsequent books and whose romance is explored prominently. There are bits and pieces of other novels in this same series that have resulted in my hanging on to them, but I think this one overall is my favorite.

I could see that potential in her just given she had an Asian character in the secondary romance and black secondary characters in Unsung Hero. Not something ordinarily I'd consider a big deal, but reading these romances one after another it seemed everyone was White and heterosexual--and for that matter either American or English (and either contemporary or regency era).

I also completely agree with you on Whitney, My Love, and almost feel I am reading two separate books with that one.

I remember really liking that one a lot when I read it a long, long time ago--I'm shocked how different my reaction is this time. I wondered if I read the same book. LOL.

I think my favorite McNaught romance in this same vein is Almost Heaven because of the way it attempts to deal with pain, betrayal and redemption.

I might try that one. It's not that I'd necessarily shy away from such themes, but if you're going to give me romance and want me to root for a happily ever after, then you're going to at least give me a reason to think things will change--that there's remorse and reformation. Just as with Snape ;-)

I haven't read any Nora Roberts in a while because I always feel let down after reading her stuff. If I read too many of her romances, the predictability of the formula/structures and stock characters overwhelms potentially decent story-telling. That being said, the one keeper I have of hers is Montana Sky which I love for its atmosphere and mystery/graphically horrific elements.

I've read two early romances of hers and one recent one--she's an author that has improved dramatically in style between those years, so it's almost we're talking about two different authors. That said, though I enjoyed Tribute enough to give it four stars, because I read it to the end and found some aspects that stick out in this genre, no I wouldn't call it a keeper.