Julie Garwood is a romance author whose books often are mentioned along with my very favorite noise, “Good Book Noise.” There are MANY of them, too! She used to write historicals, and now her focus in on romantic suspense. So if you’re looking at Garwood’s books and trying to pick one to read, it can be daunting.
My favorite Garwood’s are all historicals. I love The Bride like nobody’s business, and could re-read that book any time, even when I have 2 minutes before the world ends. My copy is in two large pieces. I think it might be time for another copy. Or some duct-tape, as I love the gold cover. It was my standard for what bridal gowns should look like, ever since I read that book as a young teenager.
So, let’s build a recommended list, shall we? We’ve done lists for Jude Deveraux and Johanna Lindsey. Let’s do a Garwood list, shall we?
Which Julie Garwood novel would you recommend first? Which would you pass to a curious reader? Feel free to recommend both historical and romantic suspense, as those are two very different genres!
I read her historicals over and over again, but I have problems with the contemporary ones because there is a level of niavete in the heroines that keeps pulling me out of the story to say to myself ” no one can reach adulthood and be that innocent”.
Oh Julie. Ransom was my re-introduction into the world of romance, and is the reason Garwood will forever be my one of my favorite authors — I love that she always makes me laugh. Out loud. Because it was the first, I think Ransom will always be my favorite, and that who inter-connected “series” my favorite set of hers (JenniferP, I too”would do Fear Factor type things if it would get her to write Quinlan and Faith’s story that was so perfectly set-up at the end of The Wedding,” and have been patiently waiting for a decade for her to do so.). Like so many others, I prefer the historicals, and really wish she’d go back to them, but I do like some of her first romantic suspenses as well. Also, now I shall curse you all because instead of tackling my IMMENSE TBR collection, I’m not going to run home and dig out my Garwoods for yet another re-read. Thanks 😉
The Bride was the first historical romance I ever read and to this day I can quote passages verbatim. Sure, the heroine’s super-perfect and the hero’s really condescending and the book takes delight in hopping from one POV to another in the course of single sentence—BUT IT WORKS. It is the peanut butter and banana sandwich of historical romance.
I would have to say Ransom is my favorite. It was the first historical romance I read and have to say I was hooked from then on. I love the idea of a big stong highlander claiming a woman is his and it is so. I always have extra copies of Julie Garwood books on hand to give to girlfriends who haven’t taken the plunge yet. It never fails!!
I tend to disagree with most of you. Maybe it’s that I just don’t really like historicals (glaring exception, Johanna Lindsey) but I love her Buchanan series. I am still waiting for the story about Cordelia. I do not understand how Sophie got a story and she didn’t. I do though agree with the lady who mentioned how AWFUL the movie translation of For The Roses. It was flat out shameful that was allowed to happen. Please don’t hate me for not liking historicals, I fear it may be my moms fault. She raised me on Lindsey and no matter how cheesy the stories get I love them and have a ahrd time finding others that compare to the stories I loved as a teenager.
Whenever I get into a rut of mediocre romance novels, I reread either The Bride or Saving Grace and they always make me smile. I wish she’d write more historicals. I pick up her contemporary titles because it’s an automatic reflex whenever I see her name on the cover. But I just can’t seem to get into them. Maybe if more of the men wore kilts …
Honors Splendor or Saving Grace. I have a soft spot for The Brice, The Wedding, and Ranson, but Honors Splendor is my absolute fave. It’s a great romance, and Madeline’s realization of her “value” was one of the best moments of self-actualization that I’ve ever read in a Romance book. The ending has one of the best endings for a Romance book ever. EVER.
Julie Garwood is my most favourite historical romance author. It was a Goodreads challenge where I discovered her “The Bride” and promptly bought every historical she wrote. I think “Ransom” is still my ultimate fav and I have read it so many times and each time I am wow’d.
The Wedding, The Bride, The Secret, The Gift, Ransom, Honor’s Splendour (OMG the feet warming scene SQUEE), The Prize oh man I love them all. If I continue, I’ll just end up re-writing her book list.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a Julie Garwood book I didn’t enjoy. My favourite historical is Saving Grace – I enjoyed all the contemporaries I’ve read too. 🙂
The Secret, Saving Grace and Honor’s Splendor are my all time favorite Garwood books!!! I like all all of her historical romance books, but those 3 are my favorites!
The Bride, Prince Charming, Honour’s Splendour (OY how I loved that book!), Guardian Angel, Gentle Warrior, The Secret – that whole late 80s into early 90s ear was prime Garwood time. I remember finishing my exams in my sophomore year of college, sitting down in my rickety fourth-hand, high back chair and not moving for 6 hours as I read – consumed would be more accurate – The Secret front to back. Incidentally, all those listed titles are in my keeper box deep in the closet – original editions too… 😉
I also LOVE the historical books, and I do like the RS. Recently I had a patron at the library where I work asking for read-allikes for Garwood’s historicals, it is hard to find alternatives with as much charm!
captcha word tried 23, cause I tried 23 times to think of good titles.
Julie Garwood was one of the first authors I discovered when I started reading romance, and “Honor’s Splendour” was the first of her books that I read. I liked it a lot and swiftly moved on to her medievals, Regencies, and her first romantic suspense when it was published. Then, I stopped. The RS didn’t grab me, although I still get chills when I think of the scene where the hero realizes the identity of the villain from the way he keeps his kitchen so spotless (or at least that’s how I remember it, which may not be totally accurate). Never did care for the Regencies, because I didn’t like heroines who were OTT perfect and so, in an odd way, boring. Liked the medievals because, as a-historical as they were, they were fun.
But other than HS, they haven’t held up for me. I can reread Amanda Quick’s books and consider them comfort reads, but I got tired of Garwood’s heroines and they no longer fit in that category. They were too determinedly spunky or quirky or something. But I still like HS. I like that we meet the hero early on, but it’s 50 pages or so until he actually speaks. Also like that Honor actually takes a hand in defending herself. Did not like the “he’s gay so he’s the villain” trope, which Garwood used more than once. OTOH, I can understand why others like her books, even if I’m not so fond of them myself any more.
Why back up at the top: @Copa—As a sister in endless audiobook listening, I totally agree with you on the voice talent thang. My audio copy of “The Bride” was downloaded from iTunes, and I found it an enjoyable listen. I can’t remember who the reader is, alas, but I was happy with it overall.
Of course, having said that, you may hate it, LOL.
Er … sigh. That would be “way” back up at the top.
As far as other recs, I echo pretty much everyone else about the historicals. Love one, you’ll probably love them all.
Her contemporaries, at least for me, are hit and miss, especially since I’ve listened to most of them rather than read them. The voice talent on a couple of them has been awful, which really reduces the enjoyment of the book.
(And I **still** don’t know why I have a cat—or whatever that is—as my avatar. It just appeared one day. Which, now that I think about it, is pretty much how I acquired every cat I’ve ever had.)
My first romance books were For the Roses and the Clayborne Brides. I love these books like I love my friends. Come the Spring was also good but not as good as the first parts of the story.
Well, there goes another perfectly good day; lost to onlline, library and used book stor searches for Julie Garwood books. I’m such an easy Bitch…
Gosh, it’s been so long since I’ve read any JG…thanks for bringing back so many great memories, everyone!
My favorites are The Prize and The Bride. This is a very timely post – I just reread The Prize this morning!
I like most Garwood books. I think you’re good starting with any of them. The only disappointing one to me was Prince Charming…
THE SECRET. Love. this. book.
FOR THE ROSES. I, however, did not like the sequels as much. But, this book was so perfect.
I have to thank you very much for posting this! Honor’s Splendor was the very first historical I ever read. I loved that book, and started gobbling up everything of Julie Garwood’s that I could. I would recommend that book, as well as Ransom, The Secret, Prince Charming, Saving Grace, Castles, and The Gift. I actually didn’t like The Bride or The Wedding very much. I own them, and I’ve re-read them, but they’re not my favorites. I think I would also put For the Roses on a Julie Garwood recommendations list.
Reading this post and everyone’s responses to it made me run for my Julie Garwood collection, lol. I’ve already re-read The Gift and am currently re-reading Castles.
Oh, and on a funny note…I’m not a big fan of contemporary suspense romances, so I read Heartbreaker, and stopped. But my mom, who doesn’t read romances but does like contemporary suspense and mysteries, is now reading all of Julie Garwood’s new novels. ^_^ We switched!
Garwood has always been a favorite of mine. For the Roses was my favorite – and while I didn’t catch the TV movie, I heard it was bad. I looked forward to the trilogy that followed, yet was so disappointed. I can’t believe she wrote those. I suspect the publisher had another writer throw them together.
Great post, and great timing … I’ve been re-reading (or re-reading favorit parts of) my Garwood books in the last few weeks. I’m not sure I could pick a favorite. I tried, but then I’d think of a different book and say to myself, “Oh, now wait, that one’s good too.” As others have mentioned, though, I only count the historicals on my list of favorites. The present-day books are fine, but not “re-read until the book falls apart.” 🙂
Be still my heart! I was once in a bookstore and two women, roughly my age, came up to me and said, “can you help us? We’ve never read a romance novel before and don’t know where to start, but you look like you know what you’re doing”
After laughing, ‘cause, um yeah, I’ve read more romance in my life that is probably good for any one person (read: unrealistic expectations!) but I immediately warmed to the idea. I thought about it for about 2.2 seconds and then went to the opposite shelf, scanned the titles, and triumphantly pulled out a copy of For the Roses It’s funny, because that book is a long way from a traditional romance novel, but there is just something about it. I’ve read my copy over and over. I was disappointed at the sequels of the brothers, they were so richly drawn in the original novel, they almost seemed larger than life. Then in the novellas, they seemed like caricatures of themselves. Don’t get me started on Come the Spring.
After that book, I’d jump to The Bride and The Wedding which I enjoy so much, I once bought a second copy of each because I wanted to read them and my copies were at home. Home was approximately 30 minutes away. I needed to read them (both?) RIGHT THEN.
After that, Ransom is probably my favorite, followed closely by The Gift. That is, without question, the order I’d recommend them. Even though The Secret is related, it is not my favorite. I’ve read all the contemporaries as well. Some are better than others. If you compare them to other contemporaries, they’re not half bad, it is only when you compare them to her historicals that they really seem awful.
Fun, fun, fun post!
I read Julie Garwood novels years ago but forgot about her when my life got so busy with raising my children and work commitments. Because of SBTB posts recently, I’ve got Honor’s Splendour on my nightstand and am ready for the weekend holiday!!
These are all excellent choices. Could be re-reading time for me.
The Secret and Ransom are two of my all time favorite romances. The friendships between the ladies in The Secret and between the gentlemen in Ransom create the stories and the author never neglects the friendships even after romance blossoms.
I bought The Secret about 3 times in paper because my copy kept wearing out. I haven’t picked up the digital versions yet but I’ll have to do that.
Reading these two books in sequence will prompt most readers to pick up and devour Garwood’s entire list.
I’ve never read a Garwood novel. Looking at this list tells me I need to rectify that immediately!
I have every single one of Julie Garwood’s books, historical and contemporary. Sometimes I’ll be thinking of a particular scene or dialogue and then I’d have to go back and read the entire book. I don’t remember which was the first one that I read. I suspect it was either The Bride or The Gift. My three absolute favorites are Prince Charming, The Bride and The Secret. Ransom is very close fourth and followed by Mercy from the contemporary set.
I simply can’t understand how people can love Garwood’s historicals. I first read her contemporaries, which I thought were ok, though nothing special. Then I read a few of her historicals, and I can’t bear them. I kept reading them because they got such good reviews, so I thought I ought to give them a try. Then I started _Honor’s Splendour_, and I was so bored that I didn’t manage to finish it. I didn’t hate it, but that’s not a good thing. I just couldn’t muster up enough passion to hate it. Am I alone here?
Ransom Ransom Ransom!!! That book is one of my all time favorites. The hero is fantastic and I just love him and the relationship and everything about it. You really must read it!
Saving Grace was my first Garwood book, or, as some may more correctly dub it, my first taste of the Garwood Crack. It still remains my favorite of hers to this day, and every so often I pick it up, read a few chapters, smile, and put it away for another day. So though it isn’t listed up there, I’d still like to put a word in for it.
Though onto the topic at hand, I am incredulous that I do not recall ever reading The Gift. What is this? How could I have missed it? 🙁 You bet your heaving bosoms I’m going to go get my hands on it.
I wanted to start with The Bride, but the Kindle edition is not available in Canada. What is up with that?? Amazon needs to get it together and make titles available to all Kindle users at the same time. GRR!
Ok – based on your recommendation – I have purchased Ransom. I’ll let you know what I think when I finish. Medieval is really the only historical I enjoy so this one seemed like a good choice.
Heh. The Bride is the only one (of these listed) available as an ebook from the library, and there are 34 people ahead of me in line! Must see if I can buy the Kindle version from the US site, here in Canada.
I’ve been looking for The Bride on Kindle for ages now… No go for us Canadians. Very much sucks. 🙁
Saving Grace was my first Garwood and I stumbled upon her completely by accident (fate:) As a young high schooler I decided that I shouldn’t pick books solely on their covers so I grabbed one off the shelf that had no book jacket, just a plain green cover. It was Saving Grace and I’ve devoured every Garwood since. It was my first taste of romance where I enjoyed the conversations between the characters and read for more than the hokey language of heaving bosoms and euphemistic sex.
As an aside, I tried the grab a cover-less book at random thing only one more time. It was a Beatrice Small and that also opened up a few romance novel doors.