Billie Bloebaum, romance book buyer for Powell’s in the Portland Airport, is exercising the power of her handselling abilities online, and fields requests for books to read. Thanks, Billie!
Today’s request is from Cara: I’m looking for some help finding romances with a particular kind of pairing.
I would like books with heroines who are smart, rational, and happy, and generally unconcerned with “proper” social behavior, and heroes who are equally smart and rational as well as kind. Basically your anti -angry boner man. Books where these two pair up because they both problem-solve in adult and unconventional ways, and where the sexy bits are clearly driven by genuine respect and admiration between the protagonists.
Any setting works, and any time period, with the exception that I would prefer no cowboys, no vampires and no werewolves. Additionally, lesbian romances are totally welcome, so long as the two protagonists adhere to the same character requirements
For context, my favorite examples of this have been in Amanda Quick’s post 1993 books and Candace Camp’s “Suddenly”.
It seems like these would be very standard sorts of romances, but every time I walk into a bookstore lately, I’m inundated with dark, scary looking books, with a few rapey-sounding historicals scattered about for variety.
Billie says:
Billie says: “Off the top of my head:
Jill Shalvis
Julie James
Jennifer Crusie
Joanna Bourne
Lauren Willig (Or should that be “Jauren”?)
[Fortunately] I haven’t come across a lot of rape-y historicals recently.Yeah, there are nine bazillion paranormals out there and plenty of historicals with flibbertigibbet heroines and/or super-Alpha heroes, but the rape-y types seem to be thin on the ground. (Not that this is a bad thing.)”
What are your grownups-in-love go-to romance recommendations, where the conflict is character driven, not role driven or paranormal wtfery driven?
I have to put in a plug for Lynne Connolly’s Richard and Rose series (begins with Yorkshire) and follows the couple as they become engaged and get married etc. They are set in Georgian England and I think Richard and Rose are refreshing as a couple. They talk to each other. They fall in love early in the series, they try to work rationally through their obstacles. Five books into the series and they are one of my favorite fictional couples. They kinda remind me of Eve and Roarke a bit.
I got into trouble because of this post. I’ve recently been put onto a three month ban from historical romance due to over exposure (as if there is such a thing) but once I heard about Lauren Willig I couldn’t help myself. And now I’ve been busted.
Oh well. It was worth it.
@Randi, was it interfering with school work? I had that problem with soap operas when i was in 7th grade (or at least that is what my Dad blamed getting an 80 in history on).
@Liz:
Crap! I can’t figure out what you’re referring to. Help! LOL.
I would be careful w/ Eloisa James if you want to avoid angry heroes and extended misunderstandings. You will definitely want to avoid Potent Pleasures anyway.
Btw, I really enjoy some of Candace Camp’s novels also. Have you read Scandalous or An Independent Woman yet?
Also, I second/third/fourth/etc. the Crusie, Ray, and Quinn recs. I’ve been enjoying Christie Ridgway lately, too.