As usual, I look back at a reading year and think what a
wonderful year it was. This year I read 336 romances, most of them published in
2013. (I didn’t count rereads.) Were some of them disappointments? Of course,
they were, and frankly, some of them were not books I’d recommend to anyone.
But most of them were books I enjoyed, books that left me feeling as if the
time I invested in reading them was well spent. About 20 percent of them were
keepers, books I know I will read again—or, in some cases, have already read a
second time. And those keepers were scattered throughout the year, so there was
never a period longer than a week or so when I was not happily reading romance.
Before I comment on my top thirteen, I should add that I
broke my own rule this year. When after much thought, I cut my keeper list to
ten, I realized that I cut three from the list not because I thought they were
less worthy of a “best” recognition than the ten that remained but because they
were written by dear friends. I decided that wasn’t a good enough reason to
refrain from saying these were among my favorite reads of the year, and each is
a book I love doubly: once because it is a story that captivated and delighted
me and once because it was written by someone I am privileged to call my friend.
Anyway, it seemed fitting to have a top thirteen for 2013 (presented in order of publication). Maybe next year I’ll
have a top fourteen.
The Autumn Bride, Anne Gracie
(February 5)
Nobody combines humor and poignancy better than Gracie. I loved everything about this book—the “sisters” who create a family out of affection and need, the hero as disillusioned boy and as honorable man, and the gallant, all together wonderful Lady Beatrice, who almost steals the book from the lovers.
The Best Man, Kristan Higgins
(February 26)
Kristan Higgins gives
readers a story that combines scenes worthy of a twenty-first-century Lucille
Ball with scenes that will have readers reaching for a hanky to catch the
tears. And it’s a reunion romance with a twist! I love that. Higgins just
keeps getting better
Sweet Madness, Heather Snow (April
2)
The best book in a strong series! I
especially like Heather Snow's heroines, not a cookie-cutter miss in the group.
Lady Penelope Bridgeman combines pragmatism, empathy, and a rare knowledge of
early psychological theory. An original heroine, a heart-capturing hero,
and a fresh approach—that’s a recipe for a winner.
Meant to Be, Terri Osburn (May 21)
Beth and Joe are both truly
honorable people. They don’t merely give lip service to the idea of honor; they
make difficult choices based on it. The attraction between them is immediate
and powerful, but they refuse to act on it. Integrity is a quality I value in
life and in fiction, and these characters have it, in both its meaning, in rich
measure.
Once Upon a Tower, Eloisa James (May
28)
No matter what else I love about a romance novel, it can never reach my top tier of favorites if the ending fails to leave me believing that the love of the H/H is the kind that can survive all the blows life will deliver. The ending of OUAT leaves me with this feeling with no reservations. The romantic gesture is perfect, the luscious frosting on the very best cake.
It Happened One Midnight, Julie Anne
Long (June 25)
The heroine Tommy makes a
distinction between love and romance. She, like the hero Jonathan, has come to
understand that love ennobles the giver and renders meaningful small, daily
expressions. It Happened One
Midnight is deeply romantic, but even better, it is a heart-shatteringly beautiful love story with a sigh-evoking HEA.
In the Arms of the Heiress, Maggie
Robinson (July 2)
Funny, poignant, and sexy, this
book has all the charm of a classic screwball comedy with more substance.
Charles is a tortured hero, a type that Robinson creates with great skill, but
the specifics of his working-class history, the horrific details of his
experience in South Africa, and his unique combination of angst and humor make
him distinctly individual. Louisa is a darling. I fell for her on the second
page.
Why Dukes Say I Do, Manda Collins
(July 30)
I think the importance of shared
laughter receives too little attention in romance fiction despite a sense of
humor often showing up among the ideal qualities readers look for in heroes and
heroines. Shortly after they laugh together, Isabella and Ormonde also find out
that they can talk to one another. By the end of their first extended
conversation, they have shared bits of their pasts and their opinions on a
variety of topics—the way people tend to do when they are learning to know one
another. How refreshing to spend time with a hero and heroine who laugh
together and engage one another in real conversation.
The Passion of the Purple Plumeria,
Lauren Willig (August 6)
I loved that this is a love story
between two people over the age of forty, multi-dimensional people who have
their share of baggage, who have made their share of mistakes, and who have
developed quite effective personae that allow the world to see only what they
want seen. I love that their romance is sweet and funny and passionate.
Sometimes a Rogue, Mary Jo Putney
(August 27)
I loved these characters, and I
loved watching their growth. I loved the complex mix of emotions in this book.
I loved the flashes of humor and the poignant moments. I thought Rob was a
fascinating character in the other Lost Lords books, and I was not disappointed
in his development as the hero here. And I adored Sarah. I said in a recent
discussion of heroines that my favorite heroines are those who are strong
enough to do what they can do and smart enough to ask for help when they need
it, and Sarah is just such a heroine.
Christmas in Snowflake Canyon, RaeAnne
Thayne (October 29)
This may be the best contemporary heroine
redemption story since Susan Elizabeth Phillips gave the world Sugar Beth. Thayne
shows her readers the family forces that have molded Genevieve into the pampered,
petulant beauty she appears to be; she shows us that there is something
worthwhile in Genevieve. She may be ill-equipped for transformation, but from
the moment she has an epiphany that allows her to see herself as “small,
selfish, and stupid,” she begins a journey that will bring her, the Hope’s
Crossing community, and readers to the understanding that she can be
great-hearted, giving, and smart in all the ways that matter most.
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished, Sarah
MacLean (November 26)
If someone told me that I’d love a
story in which the hero was a suspected murderer and the heroine the woman who
framed him, I’d laugh in her/his face. Yet such is the wonder of MacLean’s
craft in this book that I not only loved the story but rank No Good Duke Goes Unpunished among
the very best romance fiction, not just of this year but of all-time. This is
historical romance with characters who captivate with every word they utter and
every move they make, a story rich in countless shades of emotions, and prose
that makes the reader want to linger over its glorious texture if only she were
not compelled to keep turning pages.
No Place for a Dame, Connie Brockway
(December 1)
I love the relationship between
Giles and Avery. They challenge each other in a way that makes for wonderful
dialogue, and it is clear to the reader that this couple enjoys the time they
spend together. They make each other laugh, they share interests, and they grow
in their understanding of one another. The reader can easily see them growing
old together, still finding one another interesting and exciting after decades
together. From the opening page to the practically perfect epilogue, I knew I
was reading vintage Brockway—smart, emotionally satisfying, and addictive.
How many of these have you read? Are any of them on your best of list?
Next Saturday: The Rest of the Best—Non-Romance Favorites
