As a teen, I remember reading my mom’s Danielle
Steel novels while on vacation but that was really the only time I indulged and
there would be a huge gap in time before I picked up a romance again. Once I
went to college, and for some time after, I was too serious to appreciate the
joys of a good Happy Ever After story. I was a Ms. Magazine-toting, Alice Walker-reading, young feminist for
crying out loud.
Over the past few years, however, I’ve grown to love
romance novels. It is a pure indulgence and I absolutely love it. Nora Roberts
is my go to when the mood strikes. I can always count on Nora to bring
incredibly hot men, funny dogs, cool careers, strong women, and great food to
my world for an afternoon. It’s a world where the women don’t have to try too
hard to make their men fall at their feet; where life is ripe with opportunity
and new beginnings; and let’s face it, a world with great sex at every turn.
The contemporary romance scene today is really fun
and the options are vast—from the tried-and-true publishers and their big-name
authors, to new players (like one of my favorites, Entangled), to some great
self-published titles. There is something out there to meet virtually all
tastes and heat levels.
I’ve been on quite a romance-reading kick since the
holidays. Here are a few that may make your day a little brighter:
·
The
Inn Boonsboro Trilogy by Nora Roberts
·
On
Dublin Street by Samantha Young
·
The
Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
·
Losing
It by
Cora Carmack
·
Game
for Marriage by Karen Erickson
·
Operation
Cinderella by Hope Tarr
·
Seducing
Cinderella by Gina Maxwell
And for those who like a higher heat level:
·
Hard
to Love by my friend, Kendall Ryan
·
The
Original Sinners Series by Tiffany Reisz
Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!
