Behold, the excitement! I am containing myself to one exclamation point (not including the title) and that was it. Please appreciate my restraint, here.
I have A Pile Of ARCs to give away of my October book, Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels, which so very, very many of you helped create.
From the depths of the box on my dining room table currently being fought over by my cats, I have 10 shiny copies to giveaway.
But that is Not All.
This book is all about the lessons we’ve learned from reading romance novels, and it includes stories from romance readers and authors. My goal with this book was to show that the romance community is filled with incredibly smart and thoughtful readers and writers, and to put to rest the tired idea that romances create unrealistic expectations of love, relationships and sex. Romances, as many of us know, are more often a road map of What To Do and What Not To Do in real life relationships.
So many people contributed, and so very many people went above and beyond to make suggestions and provide stories and lessons learned that this book really isn’t about the genre so much as it is about the women who read and write romance, and how much we have learned from our favorite books. Therefore just giving away the ARC isn’t really enough.
Here’s my plan. Leave a comment and please tell me the one romance novel you want to recommend above all others to someone who hasn’t tried the genre (yes, just one) (yes, I suck) and you are entered to win.
What can you win? Awesome stuff!
Ten winners will be picked at random and each winner will receive an ARC of Everything I Know About Love, I Learned From Romance Novels (Which I refer to as “EIKAL” because there is nothing I love like a REALLY LONG TITLE, BABY, YEAH!).
The winner will also receive one of the following titles from these authors who also appear in the book:
But wait, there is still more. I have 10 copies of a special Jennifer Crusie omnibus edition that contains both Bet Me and Welcome to Temptation in one book – and each winner will receive a copy of that book, too. Each of these authors, plus many many more, appear in the book, providing stories and advice or landing a spot on one of the recommended reading lists in the book.
There will be more chances to win, do not worry. I’m giving away 10 here, and a few on Goodreads and on Twitter. (Any possible giveaways on Facebook will have to be random like a semi-drunk fairy landing on the keyboard and highlighting someone’s comment by chance while I’m half-looking at the screen to stay in line with the Facebook Terms of Service. Then I have to contact the winners by semaphore with hot pink flags while facing the eastern skyline.)
Standard disclaimers apply: I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Do not wear a pelisse in the rain. Stirrups are required, but boots are optional. We’ll sell you the whole seat but you’ll only need the edge. Stripes and plaid are rarely a positive fashion statement.
Comments will be open until noon on Friday, 20 May, and I will announce the winners then. Contest is open to international readers, and since my stats indicate no readers in Greenland, if someone enters from Greenland and wins I’ll send them extra stuff. Come on, Greenland!
Honesty time: I am enormously proud of this book, and humbled by the number of people who shared how much their romances mean to them, and how valuable romances have been in their lives. This book wouldn’t be what it is without the authors and readers who contributed, so I can’t send out the ARC by itself. It has to have company.
Since Bet Me‘s so well-represented, I’m going to go with Madeline Hunter’s Ravishing in Red. Until I saw her at a romance panel, I was firmly a contemporary reader. She was so funny at the panel that I picked up her book and was immediately hooked! (It also introduces one of my favorite romance characters of all time—the Duke of Castleford, the rake who almost overshadows our hero.) I now looove historicals.
I would have to recommend Lord Lightning by Jenny Brown. I think it was the first non-paranormal romance I read and it’s fantastic!
I’m going to echo others in their recommendation of a Crusie:
Welcome to Temptation
It was hard to pick a fave. WTT battled it out with other Crusies, Loretta Chase’s Mr. Impossible and Lord Perfect, Sherry Thomas’s Not Quite a Husband, SEP’s Match Me If You Can, Jo Bourne’s The Spymaster’s Lady, Gabaldon’s Outlander, and Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. All worthy and all delicious.
I have to say my all-time favorite is Amand Quick’s Mistress.
I’m gonna go with Carnal Innocence by Nora Roberts. I agree with others that Bet Me is an awesome introduction but The Nora is a terrific gateway author. :> Carnal Innocence has excellent storytelling, vivid characters, dialogue that cannot be beat and the most perfect and unexpected villian. In My Humble Opinion.
I have several books that I keep reading over and over again. This was one of the books I brought down with me when we were in Australia for 1 year plus.
But only one book? How mean. I have to say SEP’s It Had to Be You. Got to love a good throwing arm to get the bad guy.
Recommending just one is impossible. I don’t have a 1000-sided dice handy….Let’s go modern and suggest The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn. It was the first one of hers that I’d read (soon followed by about 6 more) and it was too good to put down.
The book I recommend to almost everyone is Bet Me. I feel almost like it’s too obvious of an answer for this give- away, but it’s the truth. Unless I’m talking to someone who really really loves paranormal stuff – then I have to reevaluate and pick something else. That said, I’ve recommended each of the 4 books in your stash to give away that I’ve read (Dahl, Chase, Kleypas, and Brook) to friends at various times.
I would recommend Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. The main characters are great, as are the secondary ones and the whole book is infused with humour and hilarious dialogue. The plot is brilliant and the secondary romances spice up the story.
It’s hard to only pick one, but I think I’d go with a paranormal romance since it’s so popular nowadays. I love historical but it seems people either love them or hate them, not much middle ground. In the end I’d recommend Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. Action, sex, love and it sucks you in from the start and moves along quickly.
Congratulations on your book! Can’t wait to read it!
I would recommend Thyme Out by Katie Fforde which is a contemporary set in England. It was a toss up with Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer!
Great cover, Sarah! I have EIKAL on preorder at Amazon, so I am not entering to win, but I have to put a plug in for Jane Austen: for the right sort of reader, start with Persuasion.
I would have to say The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne. It is funny and the heroine is awesome.
This sounds like a fun book to read; I’d love to toss my name in the hat.
One romance book I’d recommend is Spellbound by Nora Roberts. It’s an older novella, but it was really good.
rebekah
But.. But… Only ONE??
Ok ok I think if I were recommending a book to someone unfamiliar with romance, I’d have to choose something that had some romance but wasn’t full on romance to rather ease them into the genre..
So, Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith. It’s got romance, action, horror, politics, and vampires.
Though you’re seriously killing me with the one-book limit here, just so you know 🙂
Congratulations on the new book! I look forward to reading already 🙂
And, hmm, only one? I guess I would recommend my gateway romance, “Phantom Waltz” by Catherine Anderson.
I’m going with The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn. This is one of the first romances I remember reading, and is hands-down my favorite of the Bridgerton novels. I love strong, sassy, and independent heroines, so Kate fits the bill. And how can you not love the Bridgerton family? Plus, seeing an autocratic member of the aristocracy being brought to his knees is never a bad thing in my book.
My book recommendation would be A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. There’s just something about that one- I couldn’t put it down, and I’ve read it many times. Great contest- your new book looks like a fun read!
Mr Impossible. I laughed so much the first time I read it my stomach hurt for days. It definitely makes you want to read more romances.
The Lady Julia Grey Bundle by Deanna Raybourn. I would recommend the first book, Silent in the Grave, and expect them to be desperate to read the next books as well!
The Lady Julia Grey Bundle by Deanna Raybourn. I would recommend the first book, Silent in the Grave, and expect them to be desperate to read the next books as well!
Only one book is a toughie…there are so many types of romance books out there! But honestly, I think I would recommend a Crusie. Her books are fun and interesting and have great dialogue and are as far from a “bodice ripper” as you can get. I guess the one book I would pick is Bet Me. Thats one of the first I ever read and its one of the first books that got me reading straight-up romance (instead of urban fantasy or fantasy/sci-fi, which is all I had been reading before.)
Oooh for a beginner I think it would have to be a Crusie, and most likely Bet Me. I love it so much that I bought a second copy to take on my several-months-long European trip so that I could pass it on to a fellow traveller when I finished with it – and I did! I gave it to a girl in my tour group while we were on a felucca on the Nile. Oh the exotic places we take our books!
I would suggest an oldie-but-goodie: “Family Man” by Jayne Ann Krentz. It was written in the Olde Skool era, but is not a bodice ripper; rather, it contains creative and respectful tension between the H/H and sparkling, witty dialog. The secondary characters are well-drawn and not cartoonish. And, not least (to the sound of a trumpet flouish), the dog character is delightful.
I would recommend Irresistable Forces by Brenda Jackson. I loved this book because it was multicultural and it had a realistic story line.
I love Lord of Scoundrels and When Beauty Tamed the Beast so much I’ve bought them for friends and sent them to their Kindle!
I cannot wait to read your book! Wishing you the best of success.
I’m going down the comments with “That’s a good one,” “I like that,” “Ooh, good choice.” but I’m going to come back to the old fave “Lord of Scoundrels.” Why…because I had wandered away from romances for a few years—I had sort of forgotten why I liked them—and “Lord of Scoundrels” was the book that reminded me what it was like to plant my butt in a chair, ignore the phone, and not move except for the bathroom and to get more snacks until I was FINISHED.
I’m gonna go oldskool and recommend Pride and Prejudice. Though not an “official” romance, it contains one of the all-time classic romances. Smart, funny, various fictional tropes, bad guys, awesome guys, DARCY…what’s not to love???
even43: it’s only a few years from now, but I’ll even love P & P when I’m 43…and I’ll probably have read it 43 times by then!
Just one? You want me to pick just one? But I don’t know what kind of books this hypothetical person like to read! I feel so much pressure! I think Revealed by Kate Noble would probably be my favorite. I love the action/mystery element of it, and I love the character development. She manages to turn that snotty mean girl that everyone knows into a mature, lovable woman. Marcus is so sigh-worthy. “It’s just me.” almost replaces “As you wish.” as my most romantic phrase. I think I need to go reread it now.
Woops – sorry for double post, I pressed the submit button twice!
Such a hard question! I would recommend The Duke and I. Love, love, love it!
I would recommend any book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips; particularly her Chicago Star’s series!! Those were the first romance novels I got into and I was hooked.
Just one huh? I can’t decide. So I’ll go with the first romance book I read, Sea Swept by Nora Roberts.
That book was an eye opener. I didn’t know anyone wrote books like that. I will forever be grateful to my college library for displaying that book on the “here are some good books for you to try” shelf!
Trying to come up with one that nobody has mentioned….How about “Thief of Hearts” by Teresa Medeiros? Pirates! Secret identities! Tortured hero! Pirates!
Or for contemporary, an early JAK single title, “The Golden Chance.” I just love that book.
Jackson Rule by Dinah McCall aka Sharon Sala. This is Sharon Sala at her best when preachers daughter falls for Jackson Rule, a man who spent half his life behind bars for killing his abusive father. This is oen of my all time favorites and always highly recommend this.
Despite those Facebook mermaids making contests on FB so very complicated you still manage to rock out an awesome giveaway.
What would I recommend? The book that started it all for me, Moondust and Madness by Janelle Taylor. I can’t tell you how many times I go back to it and fall in love every time.
Congrats on the new book!
Well, I was already fond of romances when my mother suggested The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer to me – but I’ve managed to get one of my friends to fall for the same book and ask for further suggestions! Here’s to Heyer!
Honor’s Splendour by Julie Garwood. She warmed his feet – enough said.
Bound By Your Touch, Meredith Duran. It’s such a fresh take on the spinster/rake trope (Bet Me has already gotten plenty of mentions, or I’d be tearing my hair out between them 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway, congrats on the book!
*whispers subliminally* My Lord and Spymaster, The Corinthian, Natural Born Charmer, Montana Sky, Faking It, Northern Lights, War for the Oaks, Hope’s Folly. . .
yeah Sarah! Congratulations on the book. Hmm, I read mostly m/m at this point but that is probably not a good starting place. I’d vote for one of Zoe Archer’s Blades series. Good adventure, good romance, great stories.