Saturday, November 14, 2009

A Regency Romance in 2 Minutes

Even the most devout fans of historical romance (and I do count myself as one) must admit that certain clichés run amok through many novels of the genre. So when I friend passed this on to me, I laughed so much that I had to post a link to it:
A Regency Romance in 2 Minutes

Friday, October 16, 2009

My Top 16 Romance List: In Memory of Kathleen Windsor

I saw this on another blog and thought it was a wonderful idea. To quote: "On October 16, in honor of the birth date of Kathleen Winsor, author of Forever Amber, please consider posting your top 16 romance novels. Thanks to Maili for idea. If the thought of 'all time' faves daunts you, just post what strikes you as 16 of your faves on that day — no commitment to keep the list in perpetuity."

This list was hard to come up with, as I have read so many wonderful romances that have stuck with me over the years. But in honor of Kathleen Windsor, here is a list of 16 of my absolute favorites (with the reasons why), alphabetized by the author's last name:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Austen’s novels are a treasure trove, but I forced myself to limit myself to picking just one gem. To perhaps my own surprise, I picked Pride and Prejudice. Though I love this book, I tend to list Persuasion or Northanger Abbey as my favorites. So why did I pick this particular classic? Because the love story never fails to grab me. Darcy and Lizzie’s road to love is filled with obstacles, mostly of their own making, but how can you not fall in love with two bickering souls who are so imperfectly perfect for one another?

2. Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell: Though all of Campbell’s books are fantastic, her debut novel, Claiming the Courtesan, remains my favorite. Need proof? I own four copies of the book. Claiming the Courtesan is dark, no doubt about it. Justin is borderline villain for the first portion of the book, but not only does his behavior fit with the time period and his station, I was drawn to him even in his worst hour. His redemption and love for Verity comes through in the end, through no small amount of struggle on both their parts. This book is simply stunning and I loved it.

3. The Sherbrooke Bride by Catherine Coulter: The hero’s an ass, the heroine is stubborn, and the battle between them is nearly worthy of Kate and Petruchio. So why do I love this book? I haven’t the foggiest, but there’s something about it that always makes me grab it for another read. The insatiable need to re-read this book, despite the flaws of all characters involved, earns The Sherbrooke Bride a place on this list.

4. Aidan & Ethan by Cameron Dane: There is nothing better than a well-written reunion romance and Aidan & Ethan tops my list as the best. Its heroes are devastatingly sexy and their road to happily ever after not an easy one. Past wounds must be dealt with and overcome and I could not put this book down until I saw that happen. In the increasingly popular subgenre of male/male romance, this book is unquestioningly my favorite so far.

5. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell: It’s a fantastic romance with 19th century social commentary in the backdrop. Though there are elements of Darcy and Elizabeth in John Thornton and Margaret Hale, North and South is no Pride and Prejudice (although if you like one, you will likely like the other). I fell for Thornton and Margaret’s arguing their way into love in this timeless classic.

6. Saving Grace by Julie Garwood: Garwood has a way of making me laugh, sigh, and fall in love with her characters, so it’s hard to pick just one of her books for this list. This book did all of the above, and has whisked me away for countless hours of entertainment with every read.

7. Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon: For me, there is no picking one favorite with Kenyon; quite frankly it was hard enough to limit the number to two. Dance with the Devil is unforgettable to me, with its angry, distant hero who reluctantly falls in love with the one woman (or rather nymph) who is utterly perfect for him. I dare anyone to forget the bread scene (and most likely only those who have read the book will know what I am referring to).

8. Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon: She’s a sweet, average, voluptuous heroine who’s been dumped by her jerkoff ex. He’s a drop-dead gorgeous Were-Hunter who thinks she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. Vane and Bride’s romance is one of the most tender, wonderful romances I’ve ever read and I never fail to think of it without smiling.

9. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas: And when he was bad, he was very, very bad. And when he was wicked he was better. Sebastian St. Vincent is one of the sexiest rakes in romance history. So who better for him to fall in love with than a quietly lovely, shy, intelligent heroine who stutters and that men don’t look twice at? This book, along with Quinn’s Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, is my go-to for comfort reads. It’s wonderfully written and has everything you could ask for in a perfect romance novel.

10. Born in Sin by Kinley MacGregor: Technically I’m picking three Kenyon books, as MacGregor and Kenyon are one in the same, but Born in Sin is one of my favorite historical romances and has to be on this list. Sin is a hero whose heart has been bruised and battered to the point he considers it dead. Good thing Caledonia convinces him otherwise. This book broke my heart and put it back together again, and there’s a scene in here every bit as unforgettable as the bread scene in Dance with the Devil.

11. The Flavor of Summer by Lyra Marlowe: This book grabbed my attention from the first and didn’t let go. Ariel and David are two of the sweetest characters I’ve ever come across and their story was a gorgeously written story of love and acceptance. I don’t know one person I’ve recommended this story to that hasn’t loved it.

12. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn: The handsome, kind hero and the intelligent, ordinary-looking wallflower *sigh* It’s so hard for me to name the reasons why I love this story, other than the talent of Quinn and the innate likeability of Penelope and Colin. The best way I can put it is that Romancing Mr. Bridgerton simply sparkles.

13. Sea Swept by Nora Roberts: I picked up my first Nora Roberts novel when I was 12 and I’ve been a fan ever since. Like Austen and Garwood, it’s darn near impossible to pick just one favorite, but I had to go with Sea Swept. It’s sexy, heartbreaking, and utterly unforgettable, simple as that.

14. Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh: I love, love, LOVE Singh’s Psy-Changeling series and Branded by Fire is one of my favorites. Mercy and Riley are both strong, dominant protagonists and they are perfectly matched with one another. They burn up the page, both in bed and out, and the book itself was fascinating from the first page to the last.

15. Cold as Ice by Anne Stuart: In the beginning of the story, Peter wouldn’t think twice about killing Genevieve; he’s that cold and, as an agent, it’s his duty to protect mankind, even if that means sacrificing one innocent. And yet they fall in love anyway. I love that Stuart’s heroes aren’t nice and her heroines are humanly strong (in other words, untrained civilians do not suddenly act like superheroes). Cold as Ice is fascinating, compelling, and, in my case, in need of a replacement after so many re-reads.

16. Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward: If ever a hero needed to find happiness, it’d be Zsadist. I fell in love with the scarred former blood slave in Ward’s first Black Dagger Brotherhood book, Dark Lover, and with his heroine in the second, Lover Eternal. Lover Awakened is a punch-you-in-the-gut kind of tale with the hardships both Zsadist and Bella face, but that makes the payoff with their love story is all the more worth it. I remember practically scaring a bookstore clerk with my enthusiasm when I bought the book and in the intervening 3+ years since I first read it, that enthusiasm has yet to wane.






Monday, October 5, 2009

Melinda Barron Book Order

Click here to jump to a particular series:


Ghost Seekers
The Pentegram Stones
Tygers Series
Graceful Series
Cat Shifter Series
Desires of the Lamp Series
Tales of the Magician Series
Doms of the Round Table
Stand Alones



Ghost Seekers


Resplendence Publishing

1. Nuit Aux Trois
Devlin, Fletcher, and Quinn (M/M/F)

2. The Resurrection of Josephine
Martin, Noah, and Rumer (M/M/F)

3. Come As You Are
Franco and Tempest

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The Pentegram Stones


Loose Id

1. Amethyst Eyes
Kellen, Tobias, and Ansling (M/M/F)

2. Garnet Strength
Jalon, Cian, and Gelsey (M/M/F)

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Tygers Series


Loose Id

1. Sweet Vibrations
Lake and Lucy

2. Sweet Perfection
Eric and Angelica

3. Sweet Silence
Diego and Sorcha

4. Sweet Awakening
Walker, Harper, and Oliver (M/F/M)

5. Sweet Redemption
TK and Helena

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Graceful Series


Loose Id

1. Graceful Submission
Toffer and Grace

1.5. Graceful Mischief
Toffer and Grace

2. Undercover Submission
Cedric and Kennedy

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Cat Shifter Series


Changeling Press

1. Cat Got Your Tongue?
Gaius, Parr, and Kalyn (M/M/F)

2. Nine Lives
Conner, Fox, and Ophelia (M/M/F)

3. Cat and Mouse
Simon, Jaci, and Josh (M/F/M)

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Desires of the Lamp Series


Resplendence Publishing

1. Wish Me Up, Rub Me Down

2. Ailya Baban and the Cave of Pleasure

3. To Rub, Honor and Obey

4. Smoke, Fire and Desire

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Tales of the Magician Series


Loose Id

1. The Captive One

2. The Lost One

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Doms of the Round Table


Changeling Press

1. Serving the Sword
Élan and Gwen

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Stand Alones


Desert Surrender
Maddox and Clarissa
Loose Id

A Trick of the Moon
Dario, Maura, and Declan (M/F/M)
Loose Id
Note: This book is loosely connected to the Tygers Series

Bound by Tinsel
Burke and Fallon
Resplendence Publishing

The Pirate Wench
Royce and Melani
Resplendence Publishing

A Dusting of Syn
Keran and Syndra
Resplendence Publishing

Search Me Baby, One More Time
Bryan and Wren
Resplendence Publishing

Waking Sebastian
Sebastian and Michelle
Resplendence Publishing

Binding Gillian
Brad and Gillian
Resplendence Publishing

Siren's Song Anthology
Shedd and Iaha
Resplendence Publishing

Compromising Liasons
Resplendence Publishing

Black Diamonds
Ferris, Tiny, and Savannah (M/M/F)
Changeling Press

Garden of Stone
Remington and Ursel
Changeling Press

The Pajama Party
Dane and Maureen
Aspen Mountain Press

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Please note: This page was written by me, so as always, please visit the author’s website for up-to-date, author-verified information as well as for information books that have not yet been included to this list.

http://www.melindabarron.com/

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Update

With real life being fairly crazy, I got a bit behind on updating around here.

Series and reading order for books by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kinley MacGregor, J.R. Ward, Eloisa James, Sabrina Jeffries, J.D. Robb, Nalini Singh, Julia Quinn, and Angela Knight have been updated. The rest will be updated shortly and more coming soon :)

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

J.D. Robb Book Order

In Death Series

1. Naked In Death
2. Glory In Death
3. Immortal In Death
4. Rapture In Death
5. Ceremony In Death
6. Vengeance In Death
7. Holiday In Death
8. "Midnight in Death" (in the Silent Night anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
9. Conspiracy In Death
10. Loyalty in Death
11. Witness In Death
12. Judgment in Death
13. Betrayal in Death
14. "Interlude in Death" (in the Out of this World anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
15. Seduction in Death
16. Reunion in Death
17. Purity in Death
18. Portrait in Death
19. Imitation in Death
20. Remember When
21. Divided in Death
22. Visions in Death
23. Survivor in Death
24. Origin in Death
25. Memory In Death
26. "Haunted in Death" (in the Bump in the Night anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
27. Born In Death
28. Innocent in Death
29. "Eternity in Death" (in the Dead of Night anthology)
30. Creation in Death
31. Strangers In Death.
32. Salvation In Death
33. "Ritual in Death" (in the Suite 606 anthology
34. Promises in Death
35. Kindred in Death (available 11/3/09)
36. "Missing in Death" (in The Lost anthology, available 11/24/09)
37. Fantasy in Death (available 2/23/10

**Big Jack (available 2/23/10)

Please note: This page was written by me, so as always, please visit the author’s website for up-to-date, author-verified information as well as for information books that have not yet been included to this list.

http://www.jdrobb.com/

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Maximum Exposure by Alison Kent

**Note: this review is spoiler-free, so read on without fear**

Private Investigator Finn McLain has handled his share of odd assignments, so when lovesick gallery owner Dustin Parks hires him to go to Miami and dig up information on Roland Green, the manager of a small boutique, Finn thinks nothing of it. But this assignment turns out to be more complicated than Finn could have imagined when he meets the boutique’s sexy owner, Olivia Hammond.

From the moment they meet, Olivia knocks Finn’s socks off with an unusual business proposal. She needs a photographer to take pictures of her for an erotic art exhibit, and she thinks Finn’s just the man for the job. Finn can’t help but be intrigued by the proposal, nor by the stunning woman who claims she likes to “let people look.”

Finn knows there’s far more to Olivia than she’s letting on and he takes her up on the offer, eager to discover what mysteries lie beneath Olivia’s exhibitionist façade. With each photograph, each erotic encounter, Olivia and Finn get closer and closer, the pull between them undeniable. But even as desire burns hot between the lovers, Finn’s simple investigation assignment uncovers dangerous information people are willing to kill to keep hidden.

The clock is ticking, and both Finn and Olivia have to decide if it’s worth taking a chance and revealing all their secrets for a love more wild and passionate then either could ever have dreamed.

Better have those oven mitts ready because Maximum Exposure is hot enough to burn! Alison Kent has penned an explosively hot romance filled with, action, intrigue, and sizzling sensuality.

Finn is a hero who just comes alive on the page. He has that slightly rumpled sexiness that hits strong and hard because you don’t expect if from such a seemingly laid-back male. Olivia, for her part, was an interesting heroine. She’s completely open and comfortable with her sexuality, which I admire, but she also uses exhibitionism as armor. As Finn starts to get under her skin, there are chinks in that armor, and the vulnerability hidden beneath and the reasons for it are heartbreaking, serving only to make her a more endearing character. Ms. Kent made me care about Finn and Olivia’s romance, not just for the story’s sake, but because I cared about the two of them and wanted nothing more than for them to find happiness with one another.

In addition to Olivia and Finn’s story, there’s a strong subplot involving Roland Green, who is actually undercover DEA agent Roman Greyle. Without giving away plot spoilers, I will say that Roman has an equally steamy romance with Jodi Fontaine whose boss, Dustin, is in love with the supposedly gay “Roland.” Roman and Jodi’s storyline was every bit as engaging as Finn and Olivia’s and I enjoyed seeing how the two plots converged.

Maximum Exposure releases November 25, 2008. It is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Kent and it definitely won’t be my last. A captivating blend of sex and danger, Maximum Exposure is not to be missed!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Breed Series Sibling Information

As requested, I’m including a list I compiled of siblings (or in two cases cousins) of the heroes and heroines of Lora Leigh’s Breed series. As I don’t want to add even more information to the current book order, I’m making this its own reference page. The series order with hero, heroine, and Breed type can be found here.

At the moment I am only including sibling information on heroes and heroines. If new information appears in future books, I will hold off on posting it for a few months so as to avoid spoilers.

Please note that I have compiled this information myself. While I believe it to be correct, any mistakes are purely my own and should be checked against the books themselves.

Breed Series Sibling Information:

Callan (Tempting the Beast)
Brothers: Dane (full sibling) and Jonas (half-sibling, same father)
Pride Siblings (not blood related, but like family): Taber (The Man Within), Sherra (Kiss of Heat), Dawn (Dawn's Awakening), Tanner (Tanner's Scheme), Dayan

Merinus (Tempting the Beast)
Brothers: Kane (Kiss of Heat), Caleb, Gray, James, and 3 more (unnamed)

Taber (The Man Within)
Pride Siblings: Callan, Sherra, Dawn, Tanner, and Dyan

Roni (The Man Within)
Half-brother: Seth (Dawn’s Awakening, same father)

Kane (Kiss of Heat)
Sister: Merinus (Tempting the Beast)
Brothers: Caleb, Gray, James, and 3 more (unnamed)

Sherra (Kiss of Heat)
Pride Siblings: Callan, Taber, Dawn, Tanner, and Dyan

Lyra ("The Breed Next Door")
Brothers: 3 (unnamed)

Megan (Megan’s Mark)
Cousin: Lance (Harmony’s Way)

Harmony (Harmony’s Way)
Half-brother: Jonas (same mother)

Lance (Harmony’s Way)
Cousin: Megan (Megan’s Mark)

Tanner (Tanner’s Scheme)
Twin: Cabal
Pride Siblings: Callan, Taber, Dawn, Sherra, and Dyan

Faith (Jacob’s Faith)
Brother: Aiden (Aiden’s Charity)

Aiden (Aiden’s Charity)
Sister: Faith (Jacob’s Faith)

Matthais ("In a Wolf’s Embrace")
Siblings: 3 (gender and names unknown, same mother)

Grace ("In a Wolf’s Embrace")
Brothers: 3 (unnamed)

Dawn (Dawn’s Awakening)
Pride Siblings: Callan, Taber, Tanner, Sherra, and Dyan

Saban ("A Jaguar’s Kiss")
Sister: Chimera

Natalie ("A Jaguar’s Kiss")
Brother: (unnamed)

Jonas (Lion Heat, release date unknown)
Half-brothers: Dane and Callan (Tempting the Beast) (same father)
Half-sister: Harmony (Harmony's Way) (same mother)