Book help!

[raisintorte]

I need recs! I'm going to Florida for a week, in two weeks, and I need books. A few things:

(1) It needs to be in paperback (I get hardcovers from the library and that usually takes a while)
(2) I like historical romance fluff
(3) Thinky things make my brain hurt
(4) Well done contemporary romance is good too

I have read everything by:
Eloisa James
Julia Quinn
Stephanie Laurens
Mary Balogh
Julie Garwood
Judith McNaught
Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle
Linda Howard
Elizabeth Lowell
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Liz Caryle
Debbie Maccomber
Diana Palmer
Donna Andrews
Julia London
ETA: Georgette Heyer - I've read almost all of them!

I no longer care for:
Nora Roberts
Catherine Coulter
Jude Deveraux
Iris Johansen
Lisa Kleypas

I have tried and didn't really care for:
Sabrina Jeffries
Celeste somebody

Help!

Comments

[cbackson.livejournal.com]

Have we had a Georgette Heyer squee moment? Because if not, The Grand Sophy is one of my favorite romances EVER, even though it's from the 1920s and there's no, erm, getting busy. It is wonderful and hilarious.

Also, what are your thoughts on Jennifer Crusie?

[caroly-214.livejournal.com]

The librarian here recently recommended the Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron. In case the title didn't give it away, Jane is an ameteur detective. :-) They're pretty good, not deep, fluffy, and in the style of Jane Austen. And she has an interesting love interest, though nothing really happens (she did die unmarried, after all). There's 9 books so far, though I think the 10th is coming out this fall. Definitely read them in order, because they build on each other.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Have you read Elizabeth Peters? I recommend the hell out of 'Crocodile on the Sandbank' (and the subsequent series, but you can just read that one as a fun historical romance. Victorian English folk in Egypt!

[alizarin-nyc.livejournal.com]

I don't read much romance, but poisontaster has been doing a lot of romance book reviews lately, of all shapes and sizes, if you want to check her journal out for ideas!!

[catku.livejournal.com]

Teresa Medeiros writes well does some historical/ fantasy romance. I always enjoy those.

If you don't mind her propensity to make all her heroines' virgins with babies on the brain and druids/time travel then Karen Marie Moning has really hot non hero heroes.

If you like paranormal/vampire the Black Dagger Brotherhood can be good... a little violent at times.

Modern romance/ hot guys adventure Suzanne Brockman (navy seals/FBI/ guys and independent heroines...well written humor too much cussing from the guys)


Those three are the extremes of what I've read that aren't on the list - most of which I've read too and agree with your no longer care for.

[unflexible.livejournal.com]

Kristin Hannah wrote some really fun historical/time traveling romances before she went mainstream fiction. "Once in Every Life" is good, as is "When Lightning Strikes" and "A Handful of Heaven." (Hilariously, I always toyed with taking the plot of A Handful of Heaven and rewriting it as a McShep Harlequin!)

[iammightee.livejournal.com]

I can't really help here, but are you familiar with Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. My cousin who I think likes some of the same stuff you do practically lives there.

[omglawdork.livejournal.com]

GIRL GIRL GIRL

THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION SERIES OMGGGGGGGG

(Author: Lauren Willig)

They're those totally awesome books I was devouring like chocolate covered crack when we were at the beach. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Easy, cute, smart, and way too much fun. :) (and, most importantly, HISTORICALLY CORRECT.)

:)

[http://users.livejournal.com/tesserae_/]

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. First two are excellent, no good reason to read beyond that point unless you get into the characters. But the first two are enthralling.

[rigel-7.livejournal.com]

I will second commenters above who suggested the Sookie Stackhouse books (aka Southern Vampire Mysteries) by Charlaine Harris and anything and everything by Jo Beverly (OMFG! Love her)

I read LOADS of romance in this genre (hehehe) so here are a few that I recently really enjoyed:

Madeline Hunter
Ravishing in Red
Provocative in Pearls

New author and I can't emphasise enough how much I loved these - so much so that I've added her to my auto-buy list. The next 2 books are due out later this year.

Candace Camp - Matchmaker series
The Courtship Dance
The Wedding Challenge
The Bridal Quest
The Marriage Wager

Lots of fun series and I liked the characters. This author also has an extensive backlog that I plan on working through as well as a newer series that has 3 books out already.

Loretta Chase - Carsington Brothers
Miss Wonderful
Mr Impossible
Lord Perfect

SQUEE! Book 4 is due out soon. The dialogue in these books is fab! And she is really just a great storyteller as well. She also has some good standalones. Her latest one (Don't Tempt Me) was a bit too cliched for me, but I still finished it.

Jacquie D'Alessandro - Ladies Literary Society series
Sleepless at Midnight
Confessions at Midnight
Seduced at Midnight
Tempted at Midnight

I wasn't sure about this series at first, but later books won me over.

And err loads and loads of really BAD books if you want a good laugh :P