Romance Novels

[aiders]

Ooooh, please share, Aiders. I have one or two of her earlier books from .... God, almost 10 years ago, and I really liked it. Is this a new series, what made it so enjoyable for you, what's the name of the first book, and how many books in the series?

The latest one was called Scandal in Spring and there are 4 in the series, so the first one has something to do with Summer- I just can't remember the title. Anyway, I only like Quinn, Kleypas, Hawkins, and Enoch really as romance authors, with a few exceptions- because of their humor, sensibilities, and writing skill. This series in particular I found sharp, funny, amusing, the guys likeable, and the girls enjoyable. I would definitely reccomend it, it totally made the latest Quinn look ridiculous.

On another note, I STILL haven't found the first Heyer book anywhere and I live in a city w/ one the best used bookstores in the world!

[kafka]

aiders said:

The latest one was called Scandal in Spring and there are 4 in the series, so the first one has something to do with Summer- I just can't remember the title. Anyway, I only like Quinn, Kleypas, Hawkins, and Enoch really as romance authors, with a few exceptions- because of their humor, sensibilities, and writing skill. This series in particular I found sharp, funny, amusing, the guys likeable, and the girls enjoyable. I would definitely reccomend it, it totally made the latest Quinn look ridiculous.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Aiders! I put quite a few books on Hold on the library website earlier tonight so I'm going to definitely add this series. Let's just hope the blasted stupid system has the books because, really, it's almost embarassing how behind they are with things. BTW, did I say "Thank you" yet? I've been so desperate for some good escapism fiction lately. I read 3 really bad Chick-Lit books, one ghastly serial killer one, 1 really weak political spy thriller, then another really rotten Chick-Lit book, and now I'm struggling with Stephanie Laurens' latest bore.

On another note, I STILL haven't found the first Heyer book anywhere and I live in a city w/ one the best used bookstores in the world!

Do you rely on libraries at all? For the longest time, I didn't, because I really like to own and keep books. But for this sort of stuff, it's become really practical. Mostly because I wouldn't want to *keep* most of the books I've read.

I don't know what city you live in but I'm surprised that you can't find Georgette Heyer. How frustrating. If you still can't find her, I'd recommend the library. They're bound to have her because she's that much of a classic. In fact, if you read back to the very beginning of this thread, you'll find that I'm not the only one who thinks she's the Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner, all combined into one, of the romance/Regency genre.

On second thought, that's probably why you can't find her books in any used bookstores. People really snap them up and collect them. And they never want to sell them. I certainly wouldn't!! (Truth be told, I'd really love to send you a few copies of my books on loan, but there is NO way I'm letting any of my beloved Heyers out of my sight. )

BTW, have you ever read Patricia Veryan? I'm not keen on her new series over the past 10 years, but she's been around forrrrrrrrrrrrrver and her old stuff is just brilliant. Really really good. In fact, I've seen the most outrageous bidding wars on eBay for her out-of-print stuff. She has one series that's set in Georgian England, after the Battle of Culloden, and another that is Regency-based. After Heyer, she'd probably be my favorite author in terms of characters, humour, and an emphasis on dialogue and wit. There is no sex whatsoever. It's all about character development, language, interaction, plot and humour.

[tiggertoo]

Auroranorth, thank you! I looked it up and Captive Bride is the name of the book. I didn't realize it was her first novel - explains quite alot about how bad it was.

[aiders]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Aiders!

No problem! I don't use libraries for the same reason you didn't in the past, plus mine just isn't convenient for me to pick up and drop off. However, I may venture back sometime soon. I live in Portland, OR (home of Powell's bookstore) so hopefully Heyer will turn up there at some point.

I'm off to look up Patricia Veryant!

[Deleted]

Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite romance authors. Although a few of her books are not that great, I love most of her stuff. Her books tend to be character-driven and sex-filled so - jackpot for me (and those who like romance novels with a good number of sex scenes)!!! That said, her wallflower series, imo, included some of her lesser efforts. I LOVED It Happened One Autumn, the second book in the series, but the other three (Secrets of a Summer Night, Devil in Winter, Scandal in Spring) were just not that good for me. Devil in Winter had some nice erotic tension and a decent story and would have worked (I think...) if it hadn't been part of a series. The way the heroine acts in her own book just doesn't fit in with the way she acted as a secondary character in the other books. That just bugged me and really lessened my enjoyment.

[Auroranorth]

kafka said:

auroranorth said:

Tiggertoo, was it a Joanna Lindsay novel called Captive Bride?

Aurora, I thought that was the one where the chap was a pirate? Or am I mixing up my Regency romances?

That was A Pirate's Love which was really dreadful. The plotline seemed to be, when short on ideas, have the "hero" rape the heroine. Yuck.

Speaking of Joanna Lindsey, I got her new book as it was a Malory novel. It's so bad that I gave up after 4 chapters. It's about Drew Anderson and some chick who lived in the Islands with a father who used to be a pirate. So, so bad.

Series run out of steam, and this one should have been put out of our misery a while back.

[Deleted]

Since a few people here mentioned liking Julia Quinn, I picked up two of her books at Target (a couple dollars cheaper than at a regular bookstore).
You guys were right, she does have a sense of humor (loved the dialogue in "On the way to the Wedding":
"'Oh my,' Lucy gasped, 'you looked exactly like your mother just then.'
Hermione drew back with affront. 'That was unkind.'
'Your mother is lovely!'
'Not when her face is all pinchy.'"

The really sad thing (talking about inadequate libraries), is that I went to the library today ready to check out a stack of her books, because it looks like she's written a least a dozen books, but the library had exactly one copy of one book. (One of the ones I'd bought, naturally.)

I've also enjoyed some of the Regency novels by Joan Wolf and Jane Feather.

[vanillabean]

Thanks for Georgette Heyer recommendation. Are there any in particular that are must-reads? My local public library has quite a few of her titles at the main branch downtown. Although most are listed as "Not Checked Out" there are quite a few listed as "Missing". Hmm. wonder why?

I found this site linked over on Dlisted, It's Not Chick Porn!. Make sure you check out the Cover Snark section.

[Deleted]

vanillabean, I went through a big Heyer stage last year when in need of some good escapism - the new edition has such beautiful covers!

But then I moved house and decided to downsize and give away some books to charity and I gave away all but one of the Heyers. I just couldn't bring myself to throw away Venetia. She's just by far and away the most modern of Heyer's heroines and I thought she was great.

The hero has a past littered with rumours of orgies, and Venetia doesn't bat an eyelid!

www.georgette-heyer.com/rhouse/venetia.html

I also like how she's not some kid, but a financially secure and fairly content woman who has other guys after her also. She doesn't need the hero at all.

I also developed in my teens a strange fascination with the Heyer book A Civil Contract, www.georgette-heyer.com/rhouse/civil.htmlwhich is basically about an arranged marriage. It was just so different to all romance novels I'd come across before as there is no wild passion, no torrid romance - aristo goes broke, incredibly rich but vulgar merchant offers him his daughter because he wants to marry into respectability, daughter is agreeable because she's rather ordinary and hasn't got much confidence but wants to get married and she fancies the pants of aristo. Aristo is hopelessly in love with drama queen aristocrat (whom he's too poor to marry) and is totally torn but goes through with it anyway. That all happens pretty quickly and then the rest of the book is basically them trying to get used to one another and him trying to accept his new marriage when he knows he's basically been bought like a commodity. It's quite "real" if that word can be used. And the ending is pretty realistic too - there's still no torrid passion, but maybe something just as good.

Only thing that pissed me off is that the heroine has so little confidence and is so desparate for her new husband to approve of her and to relax around her that she turns into The Perfect Housewife, and Takes An Interest In His Day and all that. And it kinda works, which is depressing. Although in fairness, she's not a modern character and there's not much else she can do. But faults aside, it's still really interesting for something different. I kinda wish I hadn't given it away now.

[littleblacksheep]

I would concur with bfrog on the Venetia and A Civil Contract recommendations. I also love Cotillion - the characters are so well drawn, its very funny and the pace just seems spot on. Sylvester I love aswell for similar reasons.