January has been a great month for reading romance. I know that many of you have read and enjoyed many of the same books I have.
Coutney Milan’s Proof by Seduction started my year with an A read, really a reread. But it gets better with each reading, and Jenny has entered my list of favorite heroines.
Another debut, Beverley Kendall’s Sinful Surrender, is another great January title. Missy is one determined heroine—twenty proposals and she’s still waiting on her brother’s best friend James. Loved it!
Elizabeth Boyle’s How I Met My Countess starts a new series with connections to her Bachelor Chronicles. Boyle is a writer I love because her books usually move me to both laughter and tears. This one is no exception, and it’s a lovely reunited lovers tale—my favorite.
Sabrina Jeffries hooked me on her new series this month with The Truth about Lord Stoneville, book #1 in her Hellions of Halstead Hall. Fans of Jeffries’s School for Heiresses will recognize Stoneville; he was a favorite candidate for “Cousin Michael.” He’s a truly tortured, intriguing hero with an American heroine, who is definitely his match.
Forbidden Falls is book #8 in Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series (#9 if you include the recent Christmas novella), and she still makes me believe that Virgin River and its people are real. I expect to visit them someday, and I’m adding the preacher (Noah) and the stripper (Hope) to the people I want to chat with. And I’m looking forward to the next two books.
These last two books are books you may not have read. I suggest you rush to a bookstore today. :) I give both of these my highest recommendation.
Barbara O’Neal, whom some of you will know as Barbara Samuel and Ruth Wind, is a writer I reread to study her character building, her sense of place, and her rich, textured prose. The Secret of Everything has a damaged heroine who made my heart ache, a hero who lingers in my mind because he is exceptional in so many ways, a setting that makes me want to set out for New Mexico to see the beauty and taste the food for myself, and a child, Natalie, who is so real and so dear that in odd moments I find myself hoping she will grow into herself and find her own HEA.
Kate Moore wrote three wonderful traditional Regencies (two were Rita finalists), three terrific European historical (one an Affaire de Coeur winner and one an LJ Best Book), and one fun contemporary, Sexy Lexy (also an LJ Best Book). Now after five, too-long years, she has a book on shelves again. To Tempt a Saint, is the first of her Sons of Sin trilogy about three base-born brothers. If the others are just a fraction as appealing as Xander, a courtesan's bastard knighted for saving the regent's life, I'm on board for the duration of the series. TTAS offers a marriage of convenience, a mystery, a rare look at the dark (literally and metaphorically) parts of London, a strong and interesting heroine, and a hero who captures hearts. Don't just take my word for it. Romantic Times gave the book 4.5 stars and Xander a K. I. S. S. Award. This one is a keeper!
What recommendations do you have for me? What were your favorite January reads?
10 comments:
I read How I Met My Countess. It was fabulous! *LOL*
I'm reading The Princess Diaries right now, so I don't think I can help you. *LOL* But I highly recommend them!
I just finished Emma Wildes "Lessons From a Scarlet Lady." This was my first book by Emma and I really enjoyed it and will be checking out her backlist.
I really enjoyed Courtney Milan's debut novel.
It confirmed my long held belief that training in science is a huge advantage for romance writers. I now have to find/read a male scientist romance writer. Trouble is I think they are all too absorbed in their theories and experiments to want to bother!
In general I find it impossible to keep up with the new releases. There are just too many. Instead I concentrate on searching for authors that appeal to me and then pick more or less at random from their publication list. I guess I'm not really much help!
My other books for Jan included the audio version of Balogh's 'Then Comes Love' (Huxtables 3) which was excellent. I will listen to book 4 in Feb and am looking forward to book 5 (Con's story) in March.
I also read Amanda Quick's 'Mistress' which I thought brilliant. I am becoming a big fan of Jane Ann Krentz with all of her pseudonyms. I'm now half way through her fantasy 'Harmony' series and am very impressed with the imaginative treatment of Psi forces. The combination of romance, suspense, and paranormal elements is quite superb IMO!
If you don't fancy vampires or were wolves, then try visiting Harmony world. I'm sure you won't regret it. *smile*
My top read for January was Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale. A surprise for me was a debut western Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner.
Hellion, I've read a lot of Meg Cabot/Patricia Cabot/Jenny Carroll, but I don't think I've read the Princess books. I have seen the movies--several times since they are favorites of Grand #1. Do you know how unusual it is for me to have seen the movie and not read the book? LOL!
Jane, I've heard good things about Emma Wilde's Lessons From a Scarlet Lady from several people now. I need to give it a try.
Q, Con's is the Huxtable story I've been most eager for since Book 1. And I'm a big Krentz fan. She's another of those writers I've been reading since her category days more than twenty years ago. Let's see--Milan, Balogh, Krentz . . . You have great taste. :)
Keira, i haven't read Lessons in French yet because I've been on deadline (articles for a reference work). But I will read it soon, and I expect to fall in love with another Kinsale book.
Nothing new, Janga. I devoured Kate Moore's To Tempt A Saint and Sabrina Jeffries The Truth About Lord Stanville. Awesome reads.
Right now I'm reading Woman's Own by Robyn Carr. I saw it on your Goodreads list and picked it up at the library. I'm really enjoying it.
I did read Angel's Peak by Robyn Carr already. It's getting slammed a lot for the secret baby plot but I thought it was cute.
I picked up Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter. The buzz on this series is very good. She is one of my autobuys and I can't wait to dive into it.
Irish, I found Woman's Own at the library too. It was one I'd never even hear of, and I've been reading Carr a long time. But I though WO was a fascinating book.
I hope to get to Angel's Peak soon. I'm way behind on my reading, and there are so many wonderful books being released in February.
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