The Romance List

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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

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Definitely read more Brockmann. She has some amazing characters, and she doesn't let such issues as race and sexuality get in her way. Also, she has become a mistress of POV; there is a scene in one of her later novels in which the POV character is one who is facing away from someone else, but empathizing with him, and it is just amazing.

I'll definitely do that then. She's one of the few on this list I was considering reading more of--especially considering that Unsung Hero was her first in the series so I thought that maybe she might improve. And I noted that about a presence of characters not just White--one thing that was striking to me reading through was that it was rare to see characters not White and not heterosexual--or that were set anywhere but America or Britain. David being Asian stuck out to me given that.

And she was even in Unsung Heroes a bit more adventuresome in style than most--that book involved 3 different narrative strands, one dating from the World War II era (all of which was put in italics, one stylistic tic I found annoying).

Jennie Crusie is another favorite. And I agree with you about the Chicken Marsala; I'm allergic to mushrooms, but I was craving it. Oh, and best wedding scene ever. Read her. She's a LOT of fun. And she is a master of her craft. (Also check out some of her essays on writing from her website. Good stuff.)

I'd read another by her and enjoyed her. But Bet Me just wowed me. Wonderful book. So yeah, she's one of those I'm definitely going to read more by. Bet Me was one of only 6 books I gave five stars--and 4 of those authors are no longer among the living and I'm not so sure I want to read more of Gabaldon. But Crusie from now on I can look forward to more from.

Linda Howard and Iris Johanson can be very uneven. When they're good, they're very, very good.

I didn't like Dream Man--which I'd tried before last time I decided to try romance. And I did have some issues with Mr. Perfect--but on the hole it was so much fun. With Johanson some things even in Ugly Duckling didn't hit me as plausible--and I dunno--she struck me as a bit bland somehow--problem I have with Roberts too.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips improves. I really enjoy her stuff.

I didn't like the characters of It Had to Be You--but some parts were laugh out loud funny, so maybe I'll give her another shot.

Mary Stewart's another wonderful writer. I can't imagine NOT having read her.

I'd read her Arthurian novels and loved them--just not her romances. I didn't know what I was missing.

J.R. Ward... I read her. I frequently enjoy her. But she's a little gimmicky. I really do like her, though. I just am not sure that she belongs on this list, you know?

Kenyon and Feehan just struck me as so awful--I'd read those two together and then Ward and she struck me as so much better it's not funny. I think I know what you mean about gimmicky, but she was good enough I just might try more of her. I liked how she depicted the world of the cops--so many, including in this list don't seem to have done their homework about law enforcement--she seems to have.

Oh, and try Barbara Samuel and Pat Gaffney, even though they're mostly in the General Lit shelves these days; two more really good writers who have come out of the romance genre.

Ah, but those often are the best ones--so I'll take a look. Haven't ever read them.