Bitchin' Blog Posts
Book Rebound
by SB Sarah | by SB Sarah | October 25, 2011 | Tuesday at 10:27 am | 98 Comments
Krista emailed me about a problem she’s having, and oh, I can so relate:
I have a problem. I recently read Karen Marie-Moning’s Fever series, and
since finishing it, have lost my will to live. The hero (I use this term
loosely) is absolutely my favorite of all time, and I feel like I’ve just
been dumped. I’m not looking for someone to replace him, just something to
numb the pain. A rebound sorta thing, ya know? Someone to show me that there
can be life after Barrons.I have searched the website for a review, thinking surely one has been done
for this series, but I fail to find it if one exists. If you haven’t read
the series, I recommend it highly, despite the after affects it had on me
(for real.) My only advice is to not throw it out the window during the
first few chapters. It gets better.So, if you have read the series, my question is: Do you have any suggestions
on what to pick up next, during this Life After Barrons period of my life?
Oh, book rebound! That feeling you get when you read about a character that so rocked your world, you’re not sure what to read next?
Alas, I haven’t read the Fever series, but I do remember book rebound, that feeling where you’re not sure what to read next, and you’re let down that you’ve finished reading about an amazing character and a story that pretty much embedded your socks in the drywall.
I remember that feeling after finishing The Windflower. I remember clearly thinking to myself, “Well, that’s ruined me for historical romance forever.” And it was awhile before I could pick up another book without measuring it against the complete absorption I experienced with Windflower.
*deep sigh* Sometimes there’s almost a penalty for discovering truly superb romance, you know?
So: got any recommendations for book rebound for Krista? What book or series gave you rebound feelings? And did you find a cure?
Filed: General Bitching, Random Musings
Tagged: windflower, karen marie moning, fever series, book rebound
terri ellenburg said on 10.25.11 at 11:55 AM • [link]
Amen.
That’s all I really have to offer.
I, as so many others, have fallen into Barrons web as well…and I can say that after nearly a year I have yet to feel the void he has left in my life (God bless KMM for making him, but she has damned us all in the process lol) ...there just isn’t anything out there that compares to him. Period.
With that said I will add, that she (KMM) has posted on her website and facebook that after her ‘Dani’ trilogy, she has agreed to write TWO MORE MAC AND BARRONS BOOKS…so alas, he is not gone forever!!!!
In the meantime, I have re-read the series…and day dreamed a lot :( lol if anyone does have suggestions as to what to read after Barrons I wld be interested as well!!
P.s. dreamworks has purchased movie rights to the fever series as well…so if they can find a movie screen able to contain that which is Jericho Barrons well be seeing that mug via Hollywood portrayal pretty soon :)
Miranda said on 10.25.11 at 12:30 PM • [link]
I rebounded after Harry Potter and the Outlander series.
I read something entirely different to get over my yen to be in Hogwarts or Past!Scotland.
But if you’re still looking for Fae, I would recomment Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire. No strong romance in the first book, but it’s really good.
Zodiac Lung said on 10.25.11 at 12:54 PM • [link]
I, too, am suffering with an unnatural attachment to Barrons right now. I reread the series…then I’ve been playing Dreamfever OVER and OVER again on my ipod, just to hear Phil Gigante voice Barrons. Other books of the genre are bland and empty right now.I’m thinking of “Gone With the Wind”, just to leave Barrons behind for a while.
just62….how many times I’ve reread Shadowfever….
Lisa said on 10.25.11 at 01:28 PM • [link]
No one tops Barrons…but to help me get beyond him and try to move on, I read the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews to try to get him off my mind. Curran is a good second and takes the edge off (after I’d say book 3). KMM is a genius with her heroes.
Jennifer said on 10.25.11 at 02:10 PM • [link]
It’s good to know I’m not alone. I haven’t pined for a hero like this since Adam Black. I thought there couldn’t be anyone else after him, and then there was Barrons. But now…I’m lost and directionless, stumbling blindly from book to book hoping to find that kind of fulfillment again.
Annabelle said on 10.25.11 at 02:23 PM • [link]
I love, love, love Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series. The hero, March, cold soldier, gun for hire March. Oh March, he makes me sigh in all the right places. He’s a real man but he’s loyal and he will not be swayed in his love for Jax. I’m sad there’s only one book left in the series and no doubt I will have terrible rebound once the series is done.
I also enjoyed Nalini Singh’s archangel series. Although Raphael is no Barrons. He’s too remote, too perfect. Still, a good read and after March and Barrons he’s one of my favorite alpha males.
nadia said on 10.25.11 at 02:34 PM • [link]
After five supremely intense books and a complex hero like that, hard to think of someone or a series who compares. Maybe go another direction? Since you like paranormal, why not glut on Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark for a while. Intensity, yes, but so much humor as well.
JanLo said on 10.25.11 at 02:38 PM • [link]
Well, there’s the incomparable Roarke in J.D. Robb’s In Death series. Naked in Death is the first of many of these tasty potato chips. And, a hero to drool for. I enjoyed Barrons, but Roarke has a piece of my heart.
Linda B. said on 10.25.11 at 02:42 PM • [link]
I share her pain. It is 10 times worse if you listen to the audiobooks, with Phil Gigante as the voice of Barrons. Le sigh.
Erin said on 10.25.11 at 03:04 PM • [link]
Wow you guys - clearly I have to go read these KMM books!!
Kim said on 10.25.11 at 03:14 PM • [link]
I just recently finished the Fever series myself and the void is still felt. I tried going back and reading her Highlander series and it pales in comparison (but still has its moments).
I recommend Colleen Gleason’s Gardella Vampire series. Max Pesano is a hero that I had trouble shaking from my thoughts. And the development of the romance across five books is very similar to the Moning series.
Lynda said on 10.25.11 at 03:26 PM • [link]
It’s hopeless. There is nothing that can replace him. At least once a week I reread my favorite Barron’s scenes. I have an e-copy on my computer at home, at work, my kindle, and my phone. I stalk the facebook page. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that there will be TWO MORE BOOKS in a few years. I think this makes me an official nutcase! :)
Daisy said on 10.25.11 at 03:39 PM • [link]
Wow - um, I guessed I missed something here. -ducking before I say this - but I really didn’t like Barrons and was oh, so disappointed in how the whole Fever series unwound.
However, even if I don’t understand the Barrons love, I do understand the series withdrawal. I will probably never survive if Robb ever completes the In Death series.
As to recommendations - I would suggest going outside the genre. In Death is fabulous, I am enjoying Lee Childs “Jack Reacher” series and J.A. Konrath’s “Jack Daniels” series. If you must stick with romance, I would suggest some of the tried and true ‘originals’ - Garwood, McNaught, Deveraux.
Good luck!
Patricia Eimer said on 10.25.11 at 03:40 PM • [link]
I agree with Nadia. Go in a completely different direction. Pick up something funny like Katie Macalister or MaryJanice Davidson or Nicole Peeler. Get someone who can make you laugh your head off till the angstiness goes away.
Kelvin said on 10.25.11 at 03:51 PM • [link]
I know the feeling! When I need a rebound, I usually try to switch media. If I’ve just beaten a Bioware game, there’s no point in trying to play another RPG for the next three months. It won’t be up to snuff. When I needed to recover from my Firefly obsession, I picked up the Outlander series.
Some things are just so special that there’s no point in forcing something else to compete.
I think I’ll pick up KMM now, thanks for the recommendation :)
narcissa said on 10.25.11 at 04:04 PM • [link]
Yup, that’s how I felt once I finished the Fever series. There is no romance series that will fill the void Barrons left at this point. You have to switch genres completely and hope that time will make you forget. Maybe some mysteries or historical fiction. But avoid reading anything to do with Ireland! Also avoid rereading the Fever series because that will only make it worse!
becca said on 10.25.11 at 04:08 PM • [link]
I’m that way after reading just about anything by Lois McMaster Bujold - her voice is so wonderful (ah, Cazaril! love the man) that nothing (not even my beloved In Death books) can do it for me after a Lois re-read. I have to switch genres entirely, and go to something non-fiction for awhile.
corina said on 10.25.11 at 04:29 PM • [link]
Oh the rebound. I have this problem every time I finish (or catch up with) a really great book or television series. Things that have recently left me pining for more: Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English books; the first two seasons of The Vampire Diaries television show; Anne Stuart’s Ice series; a Julia Quinn binge; Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters, the Lord Peter Wimsey books by Dorothy Sayers . . .
My tastes are eclectic, but once something really great gets its hooks in me, that is ALL I want. I’m apparently an entertainment binger by nature. I try to find more that is JUST like whatever has it’s hooks in me, but of course it doesn’t exist. I agree with the commenter who suggested switching media. If you’ve just finished an an amazing series of books, try replacing some of your reading time by catching up on a television series you’ve heard great things about. If switching media doesn’t work for you, definitely switch genres. It can be disconcerting at first, but stick with it. I find I NEED that palate cleanser or everything I read feels stale. When I’m really stuck with fiction, I turn to non-fiction for awhile. Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August helped soothe my angst when I recently ran out of Georgette Heyer mysteries.
Nicole L said on 10.25.11 at 04:34 PM • [link]
Ughhh! I haven’t read the Fever books yet. They have been sitting on my kindle for awhile now.
But, I completely understand the feeling of being “dumped” after a book. I’m late to a lot of series, so I end up reading 4 or 5 books in a row (Immortals After Dark, Lords of the Underworld) and when I’m finally done, I seriously mourn thier loss.
So, I agree with the others. Because this dude Barons sounds so intense, do something funny to cleanse your palate a bit. I just listend to “Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs” and I laughed my ass off…try something like that.
Donna said on 10.25.11 at 05:10 PM • [link]
Oh, I feel your pain. I’m having twinges now as Meljean Brook’s final Guardian book approaches. What ever shall I do when this is over? Okay yeah, yeah there’s the Guild Hunter books, and the Elder Races, and IAD, and the Dark Forgotten, but Michael… oh Michael….
Jennifer K said on 10.25.11 at 05:15 PM • [link]
Barrons is such a *peculiar* character… so smug… yet…hmmm.
I second Lisa’s recommendation of Ilona Andrew’s Curran.
OR-Maybe go the other direction- Try a beta male! New Blood (Blood Magic, #1) by Gail Dayton. Jax starts out such a sad bastard (he’s a bound blood servant) but I loved his relationship/romance with blood sorceress Amanusa. Horrible cover on the book, but I really love the story.
Cynara said on 10.25.11 at 05:58 PM • [link]
I had the same problem. I tried reading Moning’s books on Christian’s ‘uncles’ and that was fun - Kiss of the Highlander helped a bit. The only other series I’ve been near as addicted to lately is Karen Chance’s Cassie Palmer series; the first few are quite readable, but after that they become nearly as amazing and addictive as the Fever series - while being funnier. I gotta say, Chance develops a hero who I like as much as Barrons, in a totally different way.
Beth M said on 10.25.11 at 06:13 PM • [link]
If you don’t mind dark and violent, you should check out Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels trilogy (and then read everything else set in that world): Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, Queen of the Darkness. These are dark romantic fantasy, with characters that grab you and don’t let you go. I read them over and over again, and can’t get enough. Best characters ever.
Kate Pearce said on 10.25.11 at 06:37 PM • [link]
Oh Barrons… he is the sort of character that makes the writer part of me despair that I could ever create something so wonderful, but the reader in me just adores him.
I too reread the books regularly-just the Barrons parts. :)
I’ve had this relationship with the Duke of Avon, Damerel, Roarke and all Dorothy Dunnett’s heroes.
I too suggest something light and fluffy to refresh your palate. :)
JL said on 10.25.11 at 06:38 PM • [link]
Oh man, I feel your pain. I know the Fever series isn’t for everyone but I was so taken in by it, it physically hurt when when my pre-ordered copy of Shadowfever arrived a week late!
I’m with Nadia and Patricia on this one. Go in a complete opposite direction. Personally, I love Nicole Peeler’s Jane True series (funny!) and Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts series (dark and gritty), which are great if you are looking for UF. Both have fantastic heroes that are very un-Barrons (though with Peeler’s, you have to read past book 1 to get to the good stuff and to get used to her humour, IMO). Kane`s books left me with that same desperate feeling as KMM`s books.
Just a suggestion for anyone picking up the Fever series for the first time: get ahold of all the books at once. The cliffhangers are insane.
cbackson said on 10.25.11 at 06:42 PM • [link]
@corina: Are we the same person, possibly? Because you just named perhaps all of my favorite things…
Every time I re-read Gaudy Night, I feel this immense sense of sorrow that I will never again read it for the first time. Or whenever I get through a re-read of The Lymond Chronicles (and no, the Niccolo books have never grabbed me, so there’s no succor there).
MarieC said on 10.25.11 at 06:49 PM • [link]
Ah, Barron…I had the same problem. I read anthologies to ‘heal’. Short stories that satiate yet don’t entail a long term committment.
If short stories don’t work for you, here are some suggestions for long term relationship (reoccuring main characters): Molly Harpers’ Jane Jameson, Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels (as suggested by others), Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson are all good.
Heather Greye said on 10.25.11 at 07:12 PM • [link]
Oh, Barrons…sigh
I didn’t quite have rebound with this series, but I can see why people do.
I highly recommend Nalini Singh’s Psy Changeling. It’s the series I rebound from. And to. :)
No single hero through all the books, but several dreamy ones. Like Judd Lauren of Carressed by Ice.
Reneesance said on 10.25.11 at 07:16 PM • [link]
Hopping on the Gail Dayton bandwagon for a minute. Why not try her Compass Rose series. Not one but 7 heros to lurve, each with their own special something ;) Or if you get the squicks from polyamoury how about the aformentioned something funny? Terry Pratchett’s books about the Watch are some of my favorite and Vimes is a perfect grumpy anti-hero. Start with Guards, Gaurds, then Men at Arms, and Feet of Clay right after that.
Kate Pearce said on 10.25.11 at 07:18 PM • [link]
I love the way we all do that romance readers ‘sigh’ over Barrons. LOL
SassyLibrarian said on 10.25.11 at 07:27 PM • [link]
Oh, Sarah, fellow Windflower admirer, I totally know where you are coming from. Laura London ruins us for all other historical romance novels. I actually have a whole storyline in my head based on Cat 10 years later falling in love with a daughter Rand Morgan didn’t know he had fathered. The only problem? She’s in the control of Michael Granville who survived the accident in the icehouse.
Honestly, with the post’s question, I find that giving myself a little time to mourn the loss is helpful, just like any other breakup! The best part is that I am a huge re-reader (it helps me with my recurring Cynster crush), so after giving myself the space to come to terms with my characters not being flesh and blood, I can go back and reread the books. I find the sense of loss lessens over time when I do this, since I know I can immerse myself back in the lives of my favorite heartthrobs. It’s the only thing that makes it okay to turn that last page!
Emily said on 10.25.11 at 07:29 PM • [link]
I haven’t any KMM series, I know but I am new to romance. I just am posting in to say that I have never felt this way about a hero, and that I definitely don’t feel this way about Roarke. {Ducks} I like the In Death books, but Roarke is definitely my least favorite thing about them. He’ s bossy, manupulative, always trying to buy her, disrespectful of her boundaries, could care less about how she feels, etc. Roarke does come across better later in the series, but in the first two forget it.
Sam said on 10.25.11 at 07:33 PM • [link]
I don’t know the series (though hearing most everyone in the comments go on about it, I think I’ll add it to my library list) but I know the feeling and I agree with those who’ve said to go in a totally different direction. When I’m all broken after a fiction book/series, I tend to read some non-fiction or fiction of a totally different genre.
Mel R said on 10.25.11 at 07:48 PM • [link]
I’ve read the Fever series—waited until I had all 5 books before I started reading so I wouldn’t have to wait between each release—and Barrons got to me, too. The whole story got to me. I was so mad that the last book was so long, I wanted everything resolved NOW! And every time I picked up a book, I couldn’t put it down for hours.
The only other series to grab me like that was the Twilight series. I know, juvenile reading, but it did.
To move on from Barrons, I picked up Lover Unleased by JR Ward. More dark-and-heavy, but a different story that allowed me to gradually move on to other books.
As for Roarke, he doesn’t suck, but the last few books kind of do—haven’t had one capture my attention in awhile.
why96…I hope I’m not left wondering why 96 books of In Death are on my shelves
Scrin said on 10.25.11 at 07:59 PM • [link]
I just finished the Ministry of Peculiar Occura nces by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris, which features one of the most asskicking heroines ever, in steampunky Victorian England.
Put it this way: In the opening scene the hero is being rescued by her and he asks where the rest of the field team is and he’s told, “Well, you know the Ministry is on a tight budget these days, so the Director told me I could either have a full field team or extra dynamite…”
Shame it’s a brand-new series. It’s a little more actiony than the Heartless series by Gail Carriger (ALSO RECOMMENDED, FOLKS), and doesn’t feature a consummated romance but leaves it very, very open for a sequel while giving a good story.
Oh, his name is Wellington Thornhill Books and her name is Eliza Braun. Books and Braun.
Scrin said on 10.25.11 at 08:00 PM • [link]
Whoops. Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. I dropped my keyboard typing that one.
Bookluvr4life said on 10.25.11 at 08:17 PM • [link]
Omg I understand completely! I read the Highlander books by KMM as well, and they were pretty good, then I re-read the Fever books lol. Finally I moved on and started the Kate Daniels series, which I love. You should give them a try :)
Leslie said on 10.25.11 at 08:45 PM • [link]
I recommend a complete palate cleanse and have to recommend Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim books - so freaking dark! Sam Spade meets Lovecraft meets the Evil Dead. I do not usually read horror, but the first book was recommended and it hooked me b/c it is at once an homage to various types of fiction and something that feels different. The paranormal world-building is amazing and the stories are situated in an LA that is even darker than the real city but still recognizable (as if the Weetzie Bat books were written by Ash instead of Francesca Lia Block).
zinemama said on 10.25.11 at 08:46 PM • [link]
Totally off topic, but I’d like to thank everyone who mentioned Gillian Bradshaw’s The Beacon at Alexandria in the cross-dressing discussion awhile back. I just got it from the library and am only on page 65 but am loving it.
spamword: based96. I’m sure there are another 96 titles I’ll read based on your recommendations!
Bri said on 10.25.11 at 09:13 PM • [link]
I’m going to parrot several others and suggest the Kate Daniels series. While I loved Barrons in a why-do-I-love-this-bad-boy-so-much kind of way, I mourned the loss of another book after I finished the 5th book in the KD series.
Curran = UNF.
But before you go running off and diving into the lusciousness that is Curran, know that it takes till book 3 for the fireworks to really start.
It’s worth it. I promise.
Susan Blexrud said on 10.25.11 at 10:21 PM • [link]
Barrons is a keeper, that’s for sure, but I also love Bones in Jeaniene Frost’s series. Start at the beginning…Halfway to the Grave.
Blue said on 10.25.11 at 10:24 PM • [link]
Sniff, sniff, sniff, (wipes tear from eye) I am so glad to read this…I thought I was the only one here hung up on Barrons…
JamiSings said on 10.25.11 at 10:26 PM • [link]
I never understood the attraction to Barrons - or to Mac either. I like the books. I love Monings’ writing, but Mac is a whiny little baby even after all that heartache and Barrons is an asshole who thinks nothing about putting her life at risk even after he falls in love with her. He tells her nothing. If he would just talk to her she could’ve survived so much better.
Even though he’s an evil rapist, out of the whole series, I prefer the pseudo-V’lane over Barrons.
Nicole said on 10.25.11 at 10:27 PM • [link]
I could have written this about book rebound from the Fever series. just read them all last week and adored them. Made me wonder why I never read them in the first place.
always69 - really?!
Lynda the Guppy said on 10.25.11 at 11:49 PM • [link]
Can’t help with the rebound cure, but I distinctly remember reading the first 5 In Death books right before 6 came out and being depressed for WEEKS. Roarke was SO perfect. SO handsome. SO rich. SO in love with Eve, and really how could ANY man compare to that?
The other series that got me was the Harry Potter series. I spent so many years invested in Harry and Ron And Hermione and all the others and the quest to defeat Lord Voldemort that when it was over I remember scouring the internet like a crack addict looking for my next fix from JKR. But…there HAS to be more! Just a little! A sentence! A note! ANYTHING!!!! The Harry Potter series is the only series of books that ever made me hate the fact I read so quickly. I finished each of the books in one day, and I wished to be one of those people for whom each book lasted WEEKS because then that sense of magic and wonder would last just that little bit longer.
*sigh*
Okay, someone pass the chocolate.
Mims said on 10.25.11 at 11:57 PM • [link]
I agree with JamiSings. I thought the ending was pretty anti-climatic.
I love the chemistry and banter between the heroes and heroines in all of the Ilona Andrews books. Eileen Wilks’ Lupi books with Lily Yu and Rule Turner are also auto buys for me.
Shawnyj said on 10.25.11 at 11:58 PM • [link]
I second the Jeaniene Frost nomination, especially if you can get them on audiobook. Even narrated by a woman, Bones is an awesome hero, while still having some interestingly human flaws. I listened to the first four in two weeks, and have been quietly losing my mind for the last month while I wait for the fifth one at the library.
Marian said on 10.26.11 at 12:17 AM • [link]
I agree so many unanswered questions at end of shadowfever .like dani and the deal with grey woman and velvet hates Mac and (he is Faye and won’t for get) so happy she doing the spin off.and other books hello JR ward the black dagger brother hood
Jo said on 10.26.11 at 12:40 AM • [link]
I have to agree with the other rec’s for Ilona Andrews’ “Kate Daniels” series also if you want something lighter I’ve just discovered Darynda Jones’ “Charley Davidson” series, only 2 books out so far. Sooo funny. I had that whole, unable to stop, snort and all laughter thing goin on in some parts and that does not happen to me very often. (Which is a good thing I guess cos it aint pretty!)
KarenF said on 10.26.11 at 12:45 AM • [link]
Oh this first happened to me when I was about eleven years old. I burned through Margaret Sutton’s Judy Bolton books (which were written in the 1940s - 1967) in about ten months, and was devastated to learn there were no more (Sutton was still alive when I read them, but something like 80 years old at that point). Then I went through the whole thing about a year later, when I read Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising Series (that, by the way, I would recommend for anyone still mourning the graduation of Harry Potter).
I haven’t read any Karen Marie-Moning, so I can’t recommend a good rebound book, but if you are looking for decent urban fantasy reads (and it’s not my favorite genre, so I’m really picky about them) I’ve been enjoying Laura Anne Gilman’s Paranormal Scene Investigation series (well, there are only two books so far, but it appears to have plans to be a longer series); C.E. Murphy’s Walker series; and Kat Richardson’s Greywalker series.
KarenF said on 10.26.11 at 12:48 AM • [link]
Oh and also, loved loved the Windflower and am still sad the Curtis’s never wrote a book about Cat.
eggs said on 10.26.11 at 01:07 AM • [link]
I’m not sure that there IS a cure for Barrons love - and I’m not sure I’d be willing to take the cure even if it existed! He was a psychotic, smug, selfish, clever, scheming, sexy bastard with no redeeming qualities at all, except that he loved Mac. If you like Anne Stuart heros, you’ll love Barrons!
I do second (6th? 7th?) the suggestion of the Kate Daniels series to take the edge off. Curran is a very enjoyable hero, but unlike Barrons, he actually possesses honour & integrity, and is a trustworthy friend and leader. Very different to Barrons whom no one except Mac will ever be able to trust.
HOWEVER, if you are a non-USAian reader, check the availability of the Kate Daniels series before you start!! I can only access the first 3 in Australia, and it may be the same in your country. And they don’t consummate their relationship until book 4. I don’t know what the female equivalent of blue balls is, but I was certainly left with it after 3 books of foreplay and then ... nothing!
Rhonda Brand said on 10.26.11 at 01:13 AM • [link]
I will feel the same way after the Night Huntress series comes to an end.
And I did feel a little bummed when I would no longer read more new Barrons. So I did a reread of the first couple of books then took solace in Bones.
Don’t know who will cure my pain when I no longer have any new Bones books to read.
Kaye55 said on 10.26.11 at 01:20 AM • [link]
What a timely topic - I am new to the Fever Series and have been listening to them as audio books. Have just started the 4th book Shadowfever and they switched narrators from Joyce Bean to Phil Gigante (oh, god - what a voice) and Natalie Ross. Normally a switch in narrators bugs me, but I am hooked on Barrons & Mac and am dreading the end of the series. This is my first Phil Gigante audio book so maybe to get over my Barrons rebound (and I don’t know of that is possible) I’ll find another book he reads and live vicariously thru his voice.
Luciana said on 10.26.11 at 01:27 AM • [link]
I was OBSESSED with the Fever series, especially Barrons, and I’m not sure if anyone will be able to live up - possibly Christian if he ever gets a book of his own. I’ve probably re-read those five books as many times as I’ve read other books (this year). Anyhoo, I don’t have any suggestions above and beyond what has been listed above, but JD Robb’s Roarke is at the top of my list.
Leah said on 10.26.11 at 01:50 AM • [link]
Susan Blexrud, I second you for Bones and Cat. Especially in the first book. I LOVE Bones….. that sounds dirty…..
Kaetrin said on 10.26.11 at 02:52 AM • [link]
What Bri said! Curran FTWIN!
Rachel said on 10.26.11 at 03:31 AM • [link]
I have never recovered from Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles. Oh Francis! You have ruined me for all other historical heroes forever, I suspect.
I went straight to something totally the opposite; Terry Pratchett makes a nice palate cleanser.
sula said on 10.26.11 at 04:29 AM • [link]
I echo the Night Huntress recommendation. In fact, I don’t know what I will do when Cat and Bones take their final bow. I have a major crush on Bones and the audiobooks are completely addicting. I may just have to go listen to one of them again, right this minute.
Tessa K. said on 10.26.11 at 04:40 AM • [link]
I know this feeling so well - and now I am going to have to check out Karen Marie-Moning, because I haven’t yet tried her. I have to say that for me, my rebound books are almost always Nora Roberts re-reads… she is also my slump-buster read… I think part of it is she is - for me, anyway - pretty much in a class by herself, and thus avoids the inevitable comparison. She’s like a combination first love and reset button for me. Which sounds a bit weird now that I’ve typed it, but I’m sticking with it.
JBHunt said on 10.26.11 at 05:01 AM • [link]
So many good ones to choose from!
Darynda Jones—First Grave on the Right, Second Grave…
(first person POV, Charley Davidson, the grim reaper)
Kresley Cole—Immortals After Dark series
(kick-ass Valkyries and the immortal hunks who love them)
Diana Gabaldon—Outlander
(to keep it Celtic)
Ilona Andrews—Kate Daniels series
(magic bites and so does Kate)
Joanna Bourne—The Spymaster’s Lady +
(hot spies, some of them French, and the most exquisite prose)
sweetsiouxsie said on 10.26.11 at 05:16 AM • [link]
After reading an awesome series, I pick up any ofJanet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. Those books are a total change of pace and they always make me laugh out loud.
kkw said on 10.26.11 at 05:53 AM • [link]
I haven’t read this series (though now of course I must) but I sure know the rebound problem. I love 19th century fiction, and it’s terrible when you realize you’ve gone through all of a favorite writer’s work and you know there will never ever be any new ones. I try to ration them for this reason, but have a strong tendency to book binge anyway. And then the mourning just takes time. But the best advice I ever got, this improves just about any situation in life including this one, is to lower your expectations and drink more. If I’m coming off a book high I intentionally read something I know will be mediocre but acceptable, so that I won’t judge something quite decent too harshly. And also, you know, drink more.
Katydidinoz said on 10.26.11 at 07:09 AM • [link]
I had severe rebound after Meredith Duran’s Duke of Shadows. I was pretty sure I could never read historical romance again.
So I didn’t - for awhile. I went completely off-genre, and found some really awesome books in the process.
I Love You, Beth Cooper had me howling on the bus (I wish I were kidding - people actually got up and moved away from me). My sides hurt from laughing for weeks after finishing.
S*** My Dad Says was a great auto/biography and it worked as a re-gift for my dad too.
Song of Scarabaeus is a great new science fiction story from Aussie author Sara Cready (and it has a frisson of sexual tension that’s just delicious).
Hope this helps!
originalsettler said on 10.26.11 at 09:07 AM • [link]
Smart bitches don’t misspell “effects” (the after affects (???) it had on me). Just saying. Maybe you are just trashy women reading trashy books.
I’m so disappointed in the hairpin for guiding me here.
BookwormBabe said on 10.26.11 at 11:25 AM • [link]
The JZB song Phil G does on the soundtrack - my own mother wanted a copy of that (she didn’t know about the books and they weren’t something she’d read anyway) it’s just that sexy.
You have to go cold turkey (or try to). I fortunately found a lot a substitutes in the interminable wait between books four and five. So I’d second Ilona Andrews and the Kate Daniels Series (Curran is great and the Curran POV mini books they’ve release on some scenes are fun.) Bones and Cat from Jeaniene Frost is also great reading. I also tried JR Wards Black Dagger Brotherhood. For lighter fun titles I’d recommend GA Aiken / Shelley Laurenston and Darynda Jones.
There is life after Barrons and you can always curl up in your “I am your dirty dreams” top and read another author and still be close to him
Nanc said on 10.26.11 at 12:21 PM • [link]
Read the Fever series and loved it. Another of my favorites is The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward, there are many in this series to keep you going for a while, anything from her is a good cure. Her novella The Story of Son really stuck with me. Her male characters are all amazing and I’m in love with all of them :D but I"m sure these books have crossed your path before.
Happy lusting
Alex said on 10.26.11 at 01:28 PM • [link]
Echoing what everyone else has said: switch genres for a little while. Read some single titles - less chance of getting hooked on the characters that way!
I know it’s tv rather than books but when I finished The West Wing I actually spent the weekend in bed because I was so miserable it had ended. I avoided tv drama for a while after that and just watched a lot of comedy instead.
With books I tend to get more upset when my favourite authors die than when a series ends. Diana Wynne Jones and Eva Ibbotson have both passed away this year and it’s so hard to imagine that there will be no more of their books.
MeghanM said on 10.26.11 at 02:22 PM • [link]
Going in a different direction to distract yourself (leave Barrons for dream time), try the Linda Winfree Series Hearts of the South series. Each story is about a different couple so you aren’t’ too invested in one person, but more invested in the ‘world’. It is a great series that makes you run to get the next one. Heart wrenching and warming all at once with realistic H/h.
Anita Clenney said on 10.26.11 at 02:33 PM • [link]
I felt this way when I finished the Outlander series. It’s great when a series has such a strong pull, but it’s frustrating as well. As someone here suggested, try something entirely different, Janet Evanavich always works, or for another paranormal you might try Nora Roberts’ The Circle Trilogy. OR…
Stephanie said on 10.26.11 at 03:22 PM • [link]
But, Barons is so damn ryde. I remember thinkging recently there was another guy who felt like Barons. But, I can’t recall what I read yesterday. Cat and Bones Series by Jeaniene Frost is good, KMM;‘s HIghlanders are good. I am heavy into Anita Blake right now and LKH’s Merry Gentry series - between the two there are enough guys to go around.
Good Luck Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Twitter: @fangswandsfairy
cate said on 10.26.11 at 05:23 PM • [link]
The prescription for book rebound is .... Turnip Fitzhugh ! I strongly recommend The Mischief of the Mistletoe ( or indeed any other of Laren Willigs series).... You need a Chap to get over the overwhelming sense of “what next ?” that rebound leaves in its wake -& Turnip’s just the character for the job !! Failing that, as with others here, I recommend Nalini Singh’s Psi series
< happy sigh >
Fatete Dentare said on 10.26.11 at 05:37 PM • [link]
Good reviews about Karen Marie—Moning’s Fever series.
I read Kresley Cole—Immortals After Dark series and I was impressed. I recommend it.
Kristina said on 10.26.11 at 05:39 PM • [link]
Wow, just wow. I guess I have to read them. I’m a huge Moning fan but I never read these because they were such a departure from her Highlander books. I was afraid she wouldn’t jump genres well and avoided them. BUT I did buy at least one of them. lol
To the book shelf!
Capcha word = normal35. I am 35, but far from normal on my best days.
Heather Greye said on 10.26.11 at 05:49 PM • [link]
@eggs: I think you summed it up perfectly, especially the part about Anne Stuart. You know you shouldn’t like them…heck, you’d run from these guys in real life.
But on the page they’re so deliciously f*ed up and they’ll do anything for that one woman they love. I mean, damn, the IYD number…sigh
becca said on 10.26.11 at 07:04 PM • [link]
I started reading one KMM book (a long time ago) about a highlander who leaped bareback on his horse, flashing his jewels to the watching heroine - and I cringed in sympathy about how much that must have hurt. The book hit the wall at that point, and I never read another by her.
And I’m not that into urban fantasy, but I have to admit all the glowing praise of the Fever series has me intrigued. But I remember also fury at the way the last book ended…
is it worth while for a non-KMM fan to get into these books?
rubylew said on 10.26.11 at 07:09 PM • [link]
Thanks to SBTB I found the Windflower, a book I had been looking for since college (20 years ago). I second that feeling of being sad when I finished. And the excitement after finding the title for the book 20 years later.
Aurora said on 10.26.11 at 07:15 PM • [link]
Although I’m not a big reader of romance, (most would be just a blaze here and there,) but if there’s books that I enjoy and then I realize I have to wait a very long time for the heroes to appear again, I usually move on to different book series or try to find something similar in nature. I never experienced withdrawals like that before. I guess I don’t attach to heroes or heroines that often. Closest I can think of is Harry Potter series, (I got into the series around the time the fourth book was released,) and in-between releases I started to read other fantasy books such as Dragonlance series and at one point Forgotten Realms. Unfortunately I couldn’t stand books 5-7 of Harry Potter, but by then I was cured of the mania.
Word: kind75 I would guess there’s 75 kinds of books that I like.
Angela said on 10.26.11 at 08:29 PM • [link]
I just finished this series as well and am having the same problem moving on to another book. Barrons has to be my favorite hero..just love him!
Di said on 10.26.11 at 09:28 PM • [link]
I went through withdrawal after reading the Hathaway series by Lisa Kleypas. Serious withdrawal. I looked through my own library and the public library and NOTHING appealed to me. It was sad because that series helped me rebound after reading the Pink Carnation series. I think both series would be good rebound books… and thanks to this entry and all the great comments, I now have more new books to get obsessed about.
Angela said on 10.26.11 at 11:14 PM • [link]
I had this same issue when I finished each book in the Fever series as I was reading it. The year long wait between them felt decades long. When I finished Shadowfever, I immediately read it again.
Then, when I still couldn’t stop thinking about it, I switched to catching up on a TV show I’d been meaning to watch. When I went back to reading I completely switched genres. Stayed away from paranormal and urban fantasy. Nothing could have compared and I didn’t want the awesomeness of the Fever series reflecting badly on anything else. I think I did re-reads of favorite contemporaries and tried out some new historicals that were recd’ to me.
Two months later I jumped back into the paranormal genre with J.R. Ward.
stop47 - I’m supposed to stop after 47 re-reads??
ashley said on 10.26.11 at 11:48 PM • [link]
oh God I felt like that after Harry potter. I haven’t read the fever series but the highlander series is fantastic. also, kresley cole rocks my paranormal socks
velocireader said on 10.27.11 at 12:38 AM • [link]
I thought Barrons was the most interesting character in the Fever series, even aside from his hot badness. Thought the way KMM ended the series was totally lame - Barrons bbquing for the family? Seriously? I read Kate Daniels series at about the same time so between Curran and Barrons, I got totally maxed out on alpha males, so it was easy to move on to just about anything else.
rajdreamer said on 10.27.11 at 12:47 AM • [link]
I read the Fever series too, and i had- have- the same problem. But reading some other books has helped take the edge off a little. . .
Diana Gabaldon—Outlander
Ilona Andrews—Kate Daniels series
Night huntress novels
Paradise - Judith McnNught ( I love all her novels, and they are more fluffly romance. But this is a contemporary novel and my all time favorite of hers. Some how Mat reminds me of Barrons. He’s intensly focused, brilliant, is in love with the heroine, AND he’s amazingly wise and teaches Meredith a lot. Some how that teacher-protege relationship reminded me of Barrons and Mac.)
Also, Karen Marie Moning posted on her blog site a few recommendations of books that she loves. The two i read were:
Connie Brockway - As you Desire (set in Egypt (some how i think Moning really has a love for the desert!) ) The confession of love here is epic. One of the best i’ve ever read.
Dreaming of you -Lisa Kleypas
Joani S said on 10.27.11 at 03:49 AM • [link]
I can totally relate. I miss the series so much, I played around with the idea of re-reading the highlander series over again but decided to back off for a while. I second trying out the Anne Bishop books, her world is so amazing and her male lead will also carve a place in your heart. Ahh Daemon Sadi I miss you and I just listened to all her books in the past 2 weeks. The narrator is amazing!!
Also I burried myself in Bones!! Gotta love Jeaniene Frost!!
naked spinster said on 10.27.11 at 04:14 AM • [link]
Downside Ghosts! Downside Ghosts! Stacia Kane’s series is amazing and completely unique. Her villains actually scare l’il old me and I’m a pretty tough cookie. Plus, I am way more in love with Terrible than Barrons (although I do quite like him AND I still think he’s too good for Mac).
Jocelyn said on 10.27.11 at 07:03 AM • [link]
@eggs: Do you mean you can only find the first three Kate Daniels books in brick-and-mortar stores like Dymocks? I’m in Australia too and I’ve bought all five of the books published so far from the Book Depository. My library also has all five books.
@becca: I’ve read two of KMM’s Highlander books though I can’t remember their titles. The first one I read was the one where a fairy gets turned into a human man. It was a while ago, and I remember it being okay but forgettable. The second one I read was the first in the Highlander series and I found it incredibly irritating all the way through. I did enjoy the Fever series, but mostly because it has Barrons in it. They are pretty consistent, so if you read Darkfever and can’t stand it, you won’t like the others either.
Kelly said on 10.27.11 at 07:58 AM • [link]
Delurking because i too, feel the rebound problem. I’m a serial novel reader, so I am always looking for the next great thing. As it is, i still haven’t stopped listening to the soundtracks, so perhaps I won’t get over the books fully.
My current rebound is from the Alexander and Tatiana series by Paullina Simon. MY GOD. There is not a heart string left and I have one book to go. I had to order myself a break before i lost it after the suspense of book two. Hubby would come home and see me reading in tears and I could not properly explain the complete heart-wrenching, soul-crushing anguish and joy of love I was feeling. In fact, I may have to go on beta blockers to finish the last book,
I agree with the above posters on the outlander series (so long! So technical!) or, why not the new Maya banks highlander trio? Sexy scots in sexy scenes in sexy medieval times. Jr ward is another good bet, or maybe even the Acheron series (20 book or something close to it). Each one is a different character, but builds on the world a bit more. Short books for easy reading.
FairyKat said on 10.27.11 at 09:46 AM • [link]
I am likely to be rooooned from all the fabulous recommendations here.
Capcha: cent72 if only, if only….
sharrynight said on 10.28.11 at 06:02 AM • [link]
Hmm.. having Dain with drawl at the moment. Coping with it by reading bits and pieces from Lord of Scoundrels.. just sooo hard to let go :0(
KellyC said on 10.30.11 at 02:48 AM • [link]
I have not read the Fever series. It has been on my TBR pile for a long time now, but things keep jumping ahead of it…perhaps I should adjust the list!
Anyway, for something within the Paranormal Romance genre, I have really enjoyed the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs so far. I have never been interested in reading her Mercy Thompson books, but I definitely like the characters in Alpha and Omega—which starts out as a short story in an anthology - On the Prowl (I did not find this out until I tried reading the first book and thought they had left out pages or something, because it started in the middle of a story-in-progress). The hero, Charles, is wonderful in this book, as he is very in control and take charge, and is the “enforcer” for the North American packs—he inspires fear in the other wolves…but he is very sensitive and patient with Anna, who was horribly mistreated by her previous pack. I think I have a bit of a crush on Charles, actually.
Cynara said on 10.31.11 at 02:03 AM • [link]
Agreed on the lameness of the BBQ scene, but I can forgive her that because the rest of the ending is just so damn cool.
Rachael said on 10.31.11 at 07:34 PM • [link]
After reading thousands of posts trying to find GOOD recommendations for an alpha similar to Barrons… I have yet to find anything close. I too had some serious withdraws after Fever, never having experienced that emotion before after finishing series. This is the first ‘comment’ I have ever made, and I was hoping to find out if there are more ladies like me out there!
To start, my leading men are as follows:
BARRONS (by far)
Curran - Ilona Andrews
Ethan - Chicagoland Vampires
Pritkan - Cassie Palmer series
There are similarities in all these men… strong, secretive, aggressive, smart, humorous, oh-so-very Alpha… and most importantly… they share a love-hate relationship with the leading lady (WHO IS INDEPENDENT, SMART, AND STRONG IN HER OWN RIGHT - very important).
I have read so many of UF/PRN and have found these 4 to be my top picks… I would love additional recommendations, but let me say this as a disclaimer:
*I did not enjoy Bones - too ‘lovey-dovey’ and too committed… I need them to have the tension throughout the series
*I enjoyed Terrible, but had a really hard time getting past the language and excessive drug use
*I do not enjoy the BDB (the women are weak, the writing is poor, and the Brothers all have some weakness they need to overcome)
*I enjoyed Adam and Samuel in the Mercy Thompson series (and she’s pretty kick-ass), however Adam didn’t live up to my expectations…
I can never understand how so many women love Barrons, Bones, and BDB… I have tried numerous times for both series and have always had to put the books down. I might be completely alone in this, but I was hoping to see if anyone out there feels the same way. Sorry this is so long!
Thanks!!!
Sarah said on 11.02.11 at 01:29 AM • [link]
1) Nalini Singh (esp Archangel series), as mentioned above
2) Sabriel by Garth Nix (not romance but oh so good; YA; has romantic interest)
3) Jeaniene Frost
4) Meljean Brook ***
5) Sharon Shinn-Samaria series
6) Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith (YA-no steamy sex)
7) Pride & Prejudice (b/c it’s Mr. Darcy, dammit!)
8) Lori Handeland
*If you aren’t familiar w the Gnooks Map of Literature (http://www.gnooks.com/), I recommend it for finding authors like the ones you love.
Note: My husband & his brother (fantasy lovers) LOVED the Fever series. Recommend it to men too. Make EVERYONE read it! Well, not kids.
Sasha said on 11.03.11 at 03:20 AM • [link]
These posts got me extremely excited! I went straight to Amazon to order the entire Fever series. I too, can relate to this. I’m currently obsessed with Kresley Cole’s IAD. Reread the book thousands times and hounding the website and facebook page just to fill the void while waiting for the next book. The last time a series made me this obsessed was Harry Potter. I actually got sick and had to take a couple days off from school. I re-read book 1-4 back to back in the weekend with minimal sleep and breaks. I guess it was a bit too much for a 12 year old me. The next day I got a raging fever and a mega headache I couldn’t even open my eyes without the room swaying. My mom banned me from reading for a month.
Back to IAD, I try to avoid paranormal to help me cope. I keep expecting big things and get frustrated when that doesn’t happen. So I read In Death series instead. I’m quite lucky that I’ve only discovered it recently. A huge backlist to keep me entertained. That being said, while I enjoy the series very much, Roarke is just ‘meh’ for me. I need my hero a bit more tortured. He’s like the perfect female fantasy: sinfully handsome, richer than God, love and understand the heroine completely with the right balance of protective and posessive. It’s like the female equivalent of the male fantasy of having a woman that can bake and give head at the same time, and somehow managed to look movie-star perfect the moment she wakes up. But then again, I’m still on the 6th book. I have high hopes for him.
Diana said on 11.04.11 at 04:09 PM • [link]
Wonderful recommendations here, except some of the ‘cures’ are proving to be just as bad as the original illness! I’m looking at you Stacia Kane.
can49? Can I have 49 more in the series?
Tanya said on 11.09.11 at 01:19 AM • [link]
Having recently finished Archangels Blade I’m going to have to mention Dmitri.
I kinda hated him in the previous books, but I am a true sucker for the alpha male who hides a tortured past.
S-U-C-K-E-R
passed53 (times I’ve read just the Barron’s excerpts)
Fiona Shin said on 12.02.11 at 09:46 AM • [link]
Oh wow…O__O All these comments made me want to check out the Fever series. I had seen various books in that series, but never got to see the comment about them. Was under the impression this was paranormal fantasy instead of 1st person UF. Om nom nom nom.
And only $1.99? That’s a pretty darn sexy price on Amazon. Thank you so much for the advice!
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