Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

I love the sweep of classics, especially related to time. No amount of time is too great. No distance is too great. No number of continents too great. Newer to romance reading, I don’t know if I have a classic fave to be re-released. I will always heart “A Rose in Winter” (Oh, Christopher Seton!), though, as my first.

Captcha: time37- I probably have read it 37 times.

I’m relatively new to the genre, so I don’t have that experience to be nostalgic about. I hope that doesn’t disqualify me from the contest!

I don’t know if it’s out of print but I’d love to see a new version of Anne Stuart’s Prince of Swords. It was the first romance novel I read and really enjoyed. The copy I have is just way too shiny to bring outside, for fear that I’ll blind someone.

I still have some of the Mary Stewart though not all of them translate well to modern times (Moonspinners is much better than the movie), Georgette Heyer (especially Devil’s Cub and These Old Shades), Jane Aiken Hodge (especially The Adventurers), Victoria Holt (Bride of Pendorric was the first romance I ever read). There were some good books back then. I’m sure there are more but it’s late. I’ll remember them later.

Ooh, Patricia Veryan! My library system doesn’t have ANY of her books (such sadness). I’d love to see The Tyrant!

head33…not gonna touch that one!

Oh, I remember reading Devil’s Desire ages ago - there’s a line “And I’ve the devil’s desire for you my lady” that I remember so well!  Also, she had some books with cool titles like Chance the Winds of Fortune which sounded very exotic to my 14 year old mind. 

One book I’d like to see reprinted is the one I’ve heard about on this and other blogs but haven’t had the chance to read - The Windflower.  Apparently it is teh awesome yes?

Also, there are some OOP Anne Stuart novels I’d like to get my hands on.

and @ ReadinginAK - I loved Christopher Seton too - yum!

I’d love to see BLISS and DANCE by Judy Cuevas (Judith Ivory) reprinted. I check Amazon from time to time, and I’ve never seen the price for either drop below $15 for copies that are in pretty bad shape anyway.  I may just cave soon and go ahead and order them.

Chicago Press is already republishing Mary Stewart’s books; or else, I’d suggest her books. What I really like about her books is how sensible her heroines usually are. They don’t really make a point of telling you how modern/feminist/strong they are. They’re just strong, period.

Here’s another one - although it doesn’t really apply because she’s still in print. Judith McNaught’s “Paradise” and her historicals are very much favorites because they have that scope. Not always appropriate, but they actually transported you somewhere, and it was always a reading experience. I’d compare it to a meal rather than a tasty snack.

Mary Balogh, Mary Balogh, Mary Balogh. She has a huge backlist and not everything is in print :)

I’m actually fairly new to the romance genre compared to some people—the first romance novel I read was published in 2002. I would still love to be entered in the contest though! :)

Sourcebooks is already publishing my absolute favorites that fit this line - Georgette Heyer novels - both romance and mysteries.
But they are 13.99 each. (Fair for the lovely copy of otherwise out-of-print novel - just hard to afford.)
And they don’t seem to offer an electronic version.
If they had a less expensive ebook, I would start to convert my collection.

As it is, I will continue to reread my ratty paperbacks.

Patricia Gaffney’s Wyckerley Trilogy, especially To Have and To Hold. I want my own copy so badly~ borrowing is fun and all, but I want to be able to re-read it whenever I want to! The last edition came out in 2003, I think, so hopefully it’d be possible :)

I second the motion for Mary Balogh! I would love to read her old stories! Otherwise I am rather inexperienced in the foremothers of romance writing.

I’d love to see BLISS and DANCE by Judy Cuevas (Judith Ivory) reprinted.

Oh heck yes.  I’ve had those on my PaperBackSwap wishlist for literally years, waiting patiently to see if they’ll ever get to me.

Those, or Lisa Kleypas’ “Give Me Tonight” and “Forever My Love.”

Or “The Windflower.”  Surprised at only one mention so far, that seems like the quintessential out-of-print romance.

I read & loved McBain in her heyday and am delighted she’s getting a new audience. Part of me wants to pitch things with 13 year old heroines (I’m sorry, Aleen Malcolm still makes me laugh).

Ok, I’m not helpful tonight. I lived through the 80’s/90’s romance world, I can say what was good (McBain, Chance, Williamson, Layton)  but I don’t know what people want to buy today.

(Captcha was known88, yes if I had known in 88 that I shouldn’t trash my complete collection of Avon Ribbon books…)

I loved Shirlee Busbee’s sumptuous Louisiana romances in the 80s, like Midnight Masquerade (a constant re-read and definitely the loveliest and most light-hearted of all her work), Tiger Lily and Deceive Not My Heart. No one writes like that anymore, not even Shirlee.

My first romance was Johanna Lindsey’s “Captive Bride,” which, if at all possible, really should stay out of print.

But oh, thank you for the Heyer!  I’ve been rereading them slowly (yes, they are spendy and I’m trying to convince the local purchasing person at the library to get them).

Older Kleypas and Chase, please.

Oooh, definitely Heyer’s books, and The Windflower. Gosh, would love to see a shiny and new cover on those books. :]

I’m new to the Romance genre and all of its fabulosity. I’ve spent the last 10 years reading classics, YA, and literary fiction just hoping they include a good love story and now I’ve discovered an entire genre of exactly what I want! Where have I been?
So as far as what I’d like to see come back, I have no idea. But I’d sure like to educate myself on all things romance through the years…so please enter me!

Tessa said on…
02.14.11 at 10:31 PM
My first romance was Johanna Lindsey’s “Captive Bride,” which, if at all possible, really should stay out of print.

I agree! That book was pretty much horrible. One of her other books (Hearts Aflame) was my first romance, and somehow it managed to avoid the rapey ickiness of some of her other books. There is some cross-dressing, a genuine Fabio cover, a heroine who wants her some sex, and she also knows how to use a sword. Could there be any better recipe for vintage romance?

most of Elsie Lee’s, but most especially The Nabob’s Widow!  which is a wonderfully entertaining Regency; most of her really memorable stuff was ‘modern’ (60s/70s) suspense, but this Regency really stood out

someone above mentioned Patricia Veryan - I’d love a chance to pick up her titles again - my library used to have some, but attrition has made inroads

I know it’s not technically an Old Skool romance, but I wish someone would reprint Sue Wilson’s “Greenwood.”  I heard about it here and have read most of it online but I *ache* to own a print version that I can read & reread at my leisure.  It’s virtually impossible to find a copy anywhere & the one time I did see a used copy on Amazon they wanted $130 for it.  It’s an awesome story that deserves to see the light of day again!

Georgette Heyer is one of my favourites.  I love her for her wit alone.  I love that her heroines are strong women who do go after what they want but don’t necessarily need to buck society to do it.

The attraction of these books is the interaction between the characters.  The dialogue is diverse and entertaining and you’re caught up in the adventure. 

I have three aunts (in-law) and a grandmother (in-law) who all corrupted me with Georgette Heyer and it’s the first thing they all reach for whenever they’re feeling low. 

I think any books that can repeatedly lift you up and make you smile are worthwhile.

Even though I’m new(er) to the genre than a lot of the Bitchery, I would love to see some Georgette Heyer books, such as Black Sheep, back on the shelves in shinynew form!

I’d love to see more of Mary Balough’s.  I actually have most of hers in the old signet regency covers, but they rock and I never see them in the used bookstore anymore.  It would be great to see more of her stuff available to everyone.

Laurie McBain!!!  I have them all in the basement and would recommend any of them.  The trilogy - Moonstruck Madness, Chance the Winds of Fortune, and Dark before the Rising Sun - fabulous!  Wild Bells to the Wild Sky (which I thought was a HABO a while ago) - fabulous!  Pirates! Gypsies! Swashbuckling! Spies!  I would love to get e-versions of all of her titles.

Other titles?  The early Jude Deveraux, Shirlee Busbee, Cynthia Wright (she also had a fabulous series set around the American Revolutions)...  I guess my fondness for series started back in the 70’s!

“Midnight Waltz” by Jennifer Blake. Oh, I loved that one and it’s stuck with me all these years as one of my all-times faves. I could have done without the goose grease lubricant references, but aside from that, Robert and Amalie were hot!The big finale, where they are on an island when a monster hurricane makes landfall and the island goes underwater was epic. They just don’t write them like that anymore.

Please, please, put me in the drawing. I would love to win this set of books. Today’s historical romances just don’t pack the same punch.

Capcha is came99—the next word should be “times” of course. I wonder if that refers to a single scene, or spread over the entire book.

I’m 48 and I’ve been reading romance since I was 10/11 ( I was in fifth grade). 

I would actually love to see some of the early Dell romances republished.  Please don’t confuse these with the Ecstasy/Ecstasy Supremes.  I remember these as somewhat “gotchic-y”.  The first title that comes to mind is Man at the Manor by Olga Sinclair.  I found a description at the following link.

http://www.fictiondb.com/author/olga-sinclair~the-man-at-the-manor~33229~b.htm

This line is where I found Anne Stuart (The Demon Count) and Janet Louise Roberts who wrote regency, dmon/paranormals and historical.  And speaking of Anne Stuart, I would love a re-print of Barrett’s Hill.  My original is actually autographed by Ms Stuart, but I still would like a new copy :)

has93 I has WAY more than 93 books in my TBR :D

I’m also a Mary Balogh fan.  Loving all the recommendations, even if they are out of print!

I’ve reread some old Sabatini, a free download from Project Guttenberg, he spends most of his time with the men, but, oh, Captain Blood, what a gentleman! And his devotion to Arabella, with whom he had barely exchanged more than a few, ‘hellos.’ Errol Flynn played a lot of Sabatini heros in the movies.

I read a lot of Catherine Coulter’s historical sagas, the Viking era ones had caveman heros, including one who sticks a dog collar on the heroine (I kept hoping she’d shove a sword in his gut) but the Georgian era books were generally okay.

And Kathleen Woodiwiss of the sweeping and improbable plots!

Oooh, shiny covers!! *o*

I don’t have a specific book to suggest, but I’d like to try one of Carla Kelly’s oldies.

Yay!  I really like the idea of this.  May we have lots of reviews though please?  My taste definitely runs towards contemporaries and so I never quite know what’s worth reading and what isn’t when it comes to historicals and classic romances.

I would say Georgette Heyer but they’ve all been reprinted recently so it’s not like they’re hard to get hold of.  Mind you, I’m not giving up my cheese-tastic 60’s & 70’s Pan paperbacks - the covers are hilarious!

I love Laurie McBain’s books and am pleased that Devil’s Desire and Moonstruck Madness have been released as eBooks!

Not sure if Jude Deveraux’s The Black Lyon ever went out of print but I would like to be able to replace my rather tatty looking and much read copy with the eBook version. I think there are only a couple of her early books that haven’t been released as eBooks.

Another old favourite is Shirlee Busbee. Would love to see The Spanish Rose, Lady Vixen etc released in eBook version.

The Angelique series by Sergeanne Golan (not sure if I spelt that correctly) is another series I would love to see reprinted (and in eBook). I haven’t read the series in years.

******No need to enter me into the competition******

A Rose in Winter by Woodiwiss. I cannot quite say why, but I have a soft spot for it - and no English edition in my collection.

Bliss and Dance by Judy Cuevas, definitely.

Also, Mary Balogh’s Longing (not her typical regency, but a really great book).

I am relatively new to the romance genre and would love to read some of the ones people are always raving about but are hard to find.

Examples:
These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer
Forever in Texas by Jodi Thomas
Entwined by Emma Jensen
Early Kinsale/Kleypas etc

Thanks! Looks like a really great prize.

I’ve started to read romance in the late 80s with Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts, but their books are always reissued. But there are a few I’d love to read again because I enjoyed them in the good old days:
A Knight in Shining Armour by Jude Deveraux
Something Wonderful by Judith McNaught

I don’t know if this will count as an entry but I really hope it does even if I can’t give examples on books to reprint.

The thing is that I have read quite a lot of old romance books that I stole from my stepmother when I was younger since she had them in several boxes, a seemingly endless supply. All of them were pretty much the kind where the heroine is small and dainty and the sex was always forced and the consent very dubious and the hero acted like an asshole right to the last ten pages where her love mysteriously saves him and they live happily ever after. These books always made me awkward and in the worst cases even nauseous because of the disguised rape and how the woman was bullied into a physical relationship and the man was actually bullied into an emotional one.

This being my only experience of old romance novels I decided I want to read one that won’t make me feel awkward while reading it. I have been searching for that type of novel but it seems they are very hard to find in Sweden so even if I can find new, although often poorly translated, novels easily I cannot find old ones that aren’t the type where rape seems to mean love and adoration and it bothers me.

One thing I have to say I liked in some of the old novels that aren’t often in the new ones though is that the historical times didn’t necessarily mean pirates or fancy silk dresses. In the ones by Swedish authors a common theme was early 1900’s Sweden and I don’t see that anymore. It was quite nice to read about that setting in all its simplicity.

So all I really want is to have a good experience with old romance novels.

Oh, I adored Laurie McBain way back when I was in my teens and buying up racy bodice-rippers with my allowance (and trying to hide them from Mom!)  I’m so excited to see her books being reissued and such nice editions too.

I would love to see some of Natasha Peters books reissued, especially Savage Surrender and Dangerous Obsession.  It would be interesting to read’em and see if they were still as good as I remembered:)

I started reading romance when my children were in grammar school, which was some years ago but I don’t know that I read that many epic type of romances.  I do remember reading Lavryle Spencer and her romances seemed like they were slower paced than what I read today.

I’d love to see Kathleen Winsor’s Forever Amber as I read my paperback to ragged pieces and I’m sure some of Anya Seton’s books must be due to be reprinted.

I LOVED reading the reprint of Laura Kisale’s Seize the Fire last weekend. The story takes you Around the World. Theres some serious Character Growth going on as well as a Simpering Heroine coming to Her Own. The H/H also spend some Time Apart. Their Love requires them both to grow and Open Their Eyes to see the faults as well as the good in themselves as well as in eachother. Good stuff. And though there were times I was very frustrated with the story and wanted to yell at the heroine to grow up already, she eventually did. It was so much fun reading about their journey. Wallpapery maybe, but in a good way where you don’t really care because the journey is so much fun to read about. Engaging.

Like ReadingAK and others already said: the sweeping scope of the story is what these stories are all about. For some reason it felt very refreshing to read a story like this for a change. Maybe I’ve been reading too many paranormals with the H/H being “mated” where the only source of conflict in the relationship seems to be the time it takes for them to accept it? Books like Seize the Fire were the kinds of stories I used to borrow from the library when I was a teen. I had forgotten how much fun the best of them were.

These stories bring the H/H together very fast and then throw stuff at them to break them apart. It can be very wallpapery and go to wall-banging in a second, but when it’s done well I really enjoy them. They often follow the couple for several years and they may really struggle with the relationship and even spend much of the stroy apart, so when the HEA finally comes it can feel much more substantial (if the Character Growth part of the story is there).

As for more reprints? Kinsale’s backlist definitely, also Balogh’s and Woodiwiss’ Windflower (I’ve never read it).

I definetely agree with everyone who voted for the Windflower. Since I’ve only been reading romance novels for about two years and since I live in the Netherlands, I’ve had no chance to get my hands on a ‘real’ copy of it. My only option was to read from a word document—> not nice for the eyes!

OT but I hope you don’t mind. I just reread my previous post and had to add re: Seize the Fire that I do feel it is somewhat of an exeption in the genre and among Old Skool romances especially. I’m new to Kinsale, but so far I’ve been somewhat blown away with all of the books I’ve read by her. I guess what really makes this book work so well are the very real timeless themes behind the story. Idealisim and naivete vs. cynicism. War and peace. Violent uprising vs. autocratic governance. It is very meaty, and “fun to read” is propably not a very good way to put it, because it is also often quite dark and serious in tone. Emotionally engaging and IMO surpasses the genre limitations in many ways. Ugh. I don’t have the words to give it the credit it deserves. I really do recommend it to everyone! If there were a required reading -list for anyone who wants to call themselves romance readers, this book would propably be at or near the top of it!

I haven’t been reading Romance long enough to have read many classics…
I suppose one I haven’t seen on a book shelf, ever, is Anya Seton’s Dragonwyck, which my memory never quite clarifies whether it is a romance, mystery or Gothic novel.

<3 to the people who mentioned Judith McNaught.

I read my first Heyer this year. Once I learned Richard Armitage is the 'voice' of 3 of the Audiobooks I rushed out, bought them and listened to them the minute I had got them home.
And, I really want to read '

A Convenient Marriage’. Though, the audiobooks are brilliant they are abridged and there seems to be obvious gaps where plot and character development is missing.

If you could send me Richard Armitage to read me the books unabridged… that would be great. I promise to return him once we’ve gotten through Heyer’s backcatelogue. Maybe.

I second the Windflower.
I beg for Roberta Gellis’ Roselynde series to be reprinted.

When I think old skool - it’s the gothic romance that comes to mind. To love or be loved…or die tragically.
Bride of Pendorric by Victoria Holt is a great example

I want to see the old Lisa Kleypas books!

Since today is my birthday, I’ve always celebrated this day rather than yesterday.
Favorite old school I wish I had in new editions? Mary Burchell’s song cycle. Sweet and old fashioned Harlequins from my innocent childhood; maidens being swept away by sophisticated musicians and probably completely against my current liberated sensibilities.

Master of Desire, Kinley MacGregor.

Bertrice Small’s Skye O’malley. I loved the whole series. She can weave a story with triumph, tragedy and heartache and have you love the heroine and whichever hero was the object of affection at that point in the story. Great romance!! Thanks!!

Laurie McBain!  Squee!

Yes, I would like to get my hands on “The Windflower” at a reasonable price with little effort.  Can’t believe I missed that one the first time around, really.

Those early Busbees would be great for this reissue, I agree.  And my Anne Stuart collection does have a few missing of her earliest works.  I do have a copy of “The Demon Count,” but haven’t yet got my hands on “The Demon Count’s Daughter.”

I agree with you about Roberta Gellis’s books—you could pass a master’s exam about the middle ages after reading her books, but she made it so interesting. My copies of the Roselynde Chronicle are falling apart, so I’d love to see them republished.

I also agree about Elsie Lee, though my favorite of her Regencies is “Second Season.”

I’d love to see Georgette Heyer’s books back on the shelves all shiny and new again.  Same goes for Patricia Veryan…my library is missing a few.

Go ahead, call me cheesy!  But I love the old Johanna Lindsey raptasticals and the Julie Garwood historicals with the totally muted sex scenes!!!  I especially loved The Bride and The Wedding by Garwood.  God help me, I know they are cheesy, but cheese is good people!

Well everyone’s said Heyer, but they are already re-releasing them, with fab new covers!

On the other hand, a yard sale fine that is crumbling with paper rot, is an old Jayne Ann Krentz called Shield’s Lady, written under the name Amanda Glass. I didn’t expect much from the cover (I mean, come on, category romance cover, Loveswept! Two people in in nondescript frontier clothes on a river in some odd cross between a canoe and a gondola)

What a pleasant surprise for me though! Spunky heroine who isn’t afraid to go toe to toe with a strong man, set on a new world with an interesting culture. Only small amounts of suspension of disbelief required - a rather good mildly S.F. romance. When I researched the Glass name, I realized that duh! written by a romance grand mistress! No wonder it worked.

Now if only I could remember the other novel I keep searching on, but can’t remember the title…a HABO one so worth a reprint. Grr.

If there are any hidden novellas or stories by Laura Kinsale that Sourcebooks is holding back for an opportune moment, that moment is now. (Hope Sourcebooks is reading this.)

I, too, would like to see all of Judith Cuevas books in print again, though couple of her books have been reprinted. Almost all of them are available on the Kindle, except for “Dance” and “Starlight Surrender.”

Kindle editions of some of Roberta Gellis’s books are available, but I’d love to see her medievals in print.

I would also love to see “The Windflower” reprinted!

FYI… Trade PBs and mmpbs of most of Georgette Heyer’s books are already available.

Having heard about it for years, I’d love a chance to read The Windflower without shelling out the remains of my retirement fund for it.  Thanks.

It’s such a coincidence to see this post today ‘cause just days ago I myself found a used copy of Jill Barnett’s book Imagine, the first historical romance novel I ever truly luuuuurved. When I first read it almost 8 years back, I was a strictly contemporary girl—mostly since my sister hated historicals and never bought any—but oh my God, that book made me laugh and cry and love historical romance. And when I gave it to my sister to read, wonder of wonders, she loved it too! We ended up reading almost all of her published romances back to back.

*sigh* I hear that the e-versions are coming out now.

My all time favourite ever romance seems to slip under the radar. I’ve only once found it on a best-of list.

The Emerald Necklace by Diana Brown. I read it first as a hardcover from the library.around 1980. It was later printed as a Signet Regency - which I picked up at a used book store.

No you can’t borrow it. Pry it from my cold dead fingers maybe.

It’s a fabulous marriage-of-convenience story between a teenage aristocratic spoiled brat and a self-made man who admits to being an impulsive idiot when he arranged to marry her. They are both full of pride and take a very long road to find true love.

Just because of the squees of happiness it would cause among the Bitchery: The Windflower.  Any book with that many recommendations has my vote:)

heh, “beyond22”: ain’t that the truth!

Carla Kelly’s early works and the Windflower—I haven’t read either, but they are so highly recommended and so hard to find!

captcha: below88 I’d like to find some classic romance below 88 dollars

I just discovered Beatrice Small. OMG, SO purple! I love it. I read it outloud to my hubby and we get a big kick out of it. Just finished The Kadin. The great thing is, under all the purple there are really great stories there.

The Windflower, hands down no question. It would show up on the bestseller lists immediately, I’m sure.

Laurie McBain’s Wild Bells to the Wild Sky is my all time most favoritest romance cover. Just glorious.

Laura London’s backlist would be wonderful to add to my shelves.  My copy of Windflower is falling apart.

Oh wait - y’all, what’s the Laura London book where the heroine ends up accidentally shooting herself? It happens near the end of the book, the climactic fight scene (I think).

That’s also the book where a woman tells the heroine that her mother always said there are no cold women, just stupid men. That line made a big impression on the young, sexually-inexperienced-but-curious me.

Moonstruck Madness is my all-time favorite! I love the older stories for the sage feel, as Leah said, but I also wish more Americana would be released. I like that the old Skool was not restructed to the H&H being British, as so many are today.

Splendor by Catherine Hart. A pirate and his hawk are turned invisible by a lightening strike (or something) and can only remain visible when he touches a specific woman. I remember snickering through the entire read. The main characters snipe at each other for the first half of the book, but it never descends into hate-sex, or hate anything for that matter. It’s ages before they get into a more romantic mood, but the build up was worth it, if I recall.

M only experience to the older romances were the old Harlequins that had been donated to the assisted living facility where I worked.  Can’t honestly say I’d want any of them re-released, but I’d love a chance to read some of the great classics!

I always pounce on the Amanda Quick’s of the early 90’s with their great one-word titles and strange monochromatic pastel covers when I see them at garage sales.

Also: the Avon True Romance teen series, especially Samantha & the Cowboy which was an integral part of my introduction to the genre back in my youth.

I would love to see Playing the Jack by Mary Brown re-released.  This is still one of my favourite books.  My copy is getting so delicate that I’m almost afraid to pull it off of my shelves to reread.  I would also like to see Roberta Gellis’ Roselynde Chronicles re-released in print (they are becoming available at Ellora’s Cave in ebooks, but they are ridiculously expensive if you don’t by them from the EC store).  Patricia Gaffney’s Wickerly Trilogy would also be great.  Mabye if more of the old gems are brought back, publishers will start to believe us when we say that there is defintely a market for this type of story.

The Pirate’s Captive by Dana Ransom gets my vote for a reprinting. My copy is in fairly good shape but, oh boy, that Zebra Heartfire cover makes it a little tricky to re-read with an observant four-year-old in the house. Heroine with a backbone? Check. Hero living a life of crime on high seas that begins to secretly yearn for redemption through the love of a good woman? Check. And pirates - aw yeah!

I would love to see more of Anne Stuart’s backlist out there.  I also agree with the Jayne Ann Krentz suggestion, but I want to see her Amanda Glass/Jayne Castle/Jayne Bentley books from the late 70s/early 80s (before the Jayne Castle name was used for paranormals).

@Verity - I e-mailed Shirlee Busbee a week ago to see if her backlist was ever coming out in e-book.  She responded yesterday saying she has the rights to her older work back and is working on getting them back out there.  I’m another one that can’t wait.  Deceive Not My Heart is a favorite of mine.

I would love to see Joyce Verrette’s books come back.  Dawn of Desire, Desert Fire, and To Love and To Conquer were great and I think they could stand the test of time.  Dawn of Desire and Desert Fire are set in ancient Egypt.  To Love and to Conquer is Mayan.

When Splendor Falls by Laurie McBain has been on my keeper shelf since it came out and I reread it every year or so.

I love Roberta Gellis. Corresponded with her a couple of times. I would love to see the Roselynde Chronicles reprinted. My copies are all yellow (ebook versions would be nice). Her Heiress series and Siren Song series are being republished by Cerridwen Press.

Check out Paperbackswap. I could not find a copy of The Windflower there but they have a wish list function I am not letting mine go :).

Glad someone mentioned Elsie Lee. I have been trying to remember the name to locate some older regencies. Sometime I just buy regencies lots on ebay to get one book (Carla Kelly for example).

I’d like to second the request for Victoria Holt. I remember reading Pride of the Peacock as a Reader’s Digest condensed version. So so great.

Also, I’d love to see anything by Madeleine Brent. The only place I can find these books is as hardcovers in the library. Moonraker’s Bride and The Capricorn Stone in particular are fantastic.

I would be thrilled to see these re-released.

I’ll second (47th?) Windflower, but what about some of the ‘Laura London’ books written under the authors’ real names - Sharon and Tom Curtis? I have fond memories of Sunshine and Shadow, and some of their Loveswept books.

captcha: island68. Thank goodness for ereaders, because I’d need at least 68 books with me, as long as I wasn’t stranded on the island after the battery ran down…

I don’t have a specific author, but I would like stories that provoke a specific reaction:

I want to be tearjerked.  I want to need tissues before the HEA.  I want raw emotion on both sides, generated by a lot more than a stupid assumption on one side (or both).

I want to sob.

Can’t believe I stumbled across your site today while looking for an old romance novel. This is absolutely perfect! I have the perfect book to recommend. It more than qualifies since it was published in 1979. If I win it is a bonus but I am just happy to be able to share this book with everyone. It is my favorite romance of all time and it is a timeless romance. The book is “Love’s Magic Moment” by Patricia Matthews. It has all of the elements of a great romance with a very unexpected ending. I happen to be very intuitive and can usually predict the outcome of a book or movie but with this I wasn’t even close. This is a phenomenal book. I was so upset this morning when I realized my paperback copy, with the missing cover and worn pages, was gone. I would really love to see this book republished. I really hope everyone can enjoy this book.

This is fun. I’d pick something from Catherin Coulter. Earth Song or the Sherbrooke Bride. For some reason I remember enjoying this all these years ago.

I know I"m boring on this, but please, please, please reprint Patricia Veryan! Wonderful, rich historical detail, great plots, wonderful characters… My old copies are so old that I’m afraid to re-read them, and they’re simply not available in eformat. I’d re-purchase the whole Sanguinet saga (not to mention Mistress of Willowvale) just to have readable copies.

turned34: I’m sure that some of my Veryan books have turned 34 years old and older.

I haven’t read enough of the old skool romances to know what I’d like reprinted. In fact, my only experience with more classic romance is this box of randos I got on ebay, which included this totally scary looking book Satan’s Mistress. And just based on the back description, I think that simply calling it rape-y would be an incredible understatement.

But the box also included a Kathleen Woodiwiss, which was awesome, so it mostly balanced out. I think reprinting classics would be an A++ move. It would benefit old fans and new ones alike. And if they came with the Smart Bitch seal of approval, I’d be that much more likely to read them.

The only experience I have with classic romance is the Mills & Boon titles. They were the only thing I was allowed to read when I was younger. Of course, there were the few books I managed to read under the covers at night, but none that really come to mind right now.

I used to love to read Laurie McBain books! They reminded me of Kathleen Woodiwiss books, where there is sweeping cross continent drama, a dark hero, and a naive (yet feisty) heroine caught up in ‘timeless’ love.

Quite often, there is some (mis)understanding between the that is exacerbated by a jealous former lover and cohort.

The first romance novel I read was by kathleen Woodiwiss. So I feel that anything by her is a classic

I know she is still writing, but the first romance I ever read was “The Princess” by Jude Deveraux.  I loved her Montgomery series, and I think it deserves a chance to shine again.

Oh my—
I am actually fortunate enough to own a copy of Windflower—but it is too fragile to read!(having been read too many times already.)  So add me to the Windflower queue.
All of Laurie McBain—yes!  And another vote here for Gellis’ Roselynd Chronicles (again, I have the originals, but am scared to open them for fear of book destruction). Plus she did some other really good historicals like The Rope Dancer, which features non-aristocrats as the main characters(shock!).
Patricia Veryan—Yes!!! I would dearly love to see Mistress of Willowvale in print again.
I’m sure I could come up with more—but that’s it for now.

I would like to see some of Mary Stewart’s novels reprinted, as well as some of the better Victoria Holt gothics. I cut my romance reading teeth on those two and on Phyllis A. Whitney’ suspense romances. It has been ages since I read either, and they were translations, so I couldn’t give you titles even if I wanted to.

I don’t think there is any need to mention Georgette Heyer, since there are at least two publishers re-issuing her novels, but she’s such a favourite that I would love to see her novels re-issued in hard covers.

I am going to suggest Blaze Wyndham by Bertrice Small.  You talked about it recently and I can’t find it anywhere.  I have hit all the used bookstores.  Now I am hitting estate sales.  *fingers crossed*

Balogh! Balogh! Balogh! Kleypas! Kleypas! Kleypas!

I am relatively new to the genre and did not even realize these two has a backlist.  Please!  I need them!

Love Laurie McBain… Moonstruck Madness was my favorite!  The ones that got me started reading romance (when the librarians used to try to herd me to the children’s section) were Victoria Holt and Barbara Michaels.  Loved them all!

Like the many, many people here, I would love to see “The Windflower” reissued. I haven’t read it yet because I’m not willing to fork out the ridiculous amount of money people want for that particular book.

I’ve heard a lot about Jan Cox Speas, so I’d love to win this package & get the chance to read her book (and all the others).

I’d love to see Rachel Summerson’s Hearts Are Trumps reprinted—it’s a Victorian historical novel rather than a straight romance, kind of a riff on Pride & Prejudice which follows three very different sisters. Two of them end up not so happily, but the eldest has a wonderful, satisfying romance.

And add one more vote for The Windflower—I’ve heard so much about it & never been able to find a used copy at a semi-reasonable price.

I re-read a Victoria Holt last year, and I’m sad to say that it didn’t hold up well.  Unfortunately I can’t remember which title, so perhaps it was one of her later ones.

I know it’s been mentioned before, but I desperately want The Windflower to be reprinted. And the rest of Laura London’s books. =)

Stormfire - I’ve read it online (a site with scanned pages of the book) and would love a copy but the second hand ones available are a fortune.
Definitely old skool and difficult to read in parts - he rapes her, she is starved by a mean mistress of his, is almost killed and is catatonic for about a year and a half, he is betrayed by her and his brother, is partially castrated and sees her married and a mistress to Napoleon.  A really hard earned HEA.

I feel like the odd woman out here - but when I see “classic” and “epic” all I can think is long and boring.  I’ve read a few older Balogh and to me they were very ‘meh’ - not sure what the big fuss is.  No interest in reading 500+ books that make me feel like I’m in history class - no interest in purple sagas where there are a lot of swords and sheaths - but also no interest in reading Heyer - sounds boring, and closed door books are not my thing.  Boy, do I sound cranky - but I just don’t get it.  Romance readers seem so fickle to me - they love romance but then complain nonstop about certain tropes or how it’s not as good as it used to be or why do authors do this or why don’t they do that!  I’m happy more often than not with what I read, mostly things published after 1990 - not sure I want to go backwards much before then!

Candice Proctor’s early books, in particular “Whispers of Heaven” (probably my favorite romance) and “Night in Eden.” 

And I really want to read “The Windflower.”

oops…that would be… “No interest in reading 500+ PAGE books that make me feel like I’m in history class…” - I hesitate to pick up most books that are longer than 400 pages, although certain PNR books are ok!

Oh, I absolutely need to add my voice to the “Put Patricia Veryan’s Books Back In Print” clamor!  E-book versions of her books would be more than welcome, too.

Her books have it all: angst-ridden and honorable heroes, strong and likable heroines, lots of action/adventure… These were my gold standard for “Regency” type romances long before I ever picked up a Georgette Heyer.

i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: The Emperor’s Lady by F.W. Kenyon.  it’s out of print, but i was lucky enough to have a college friend gift me her old copy for my birthday one year.  one of the 1st real romance novels i’ve read, and one of my favorites! 
~lAUra

When I was younger my friend and I would sneak Jude Deveraux (??) from her moms closet.  Not sure if they should be reprinted but I remember one about twins and they switched places (so old skool) but somehow ended up marrying the right grooms (just the grooms didn’t know it).

I would love to Red Adam’s Lady by Grace Ingram reprinted. Also, I would love to Tara’s Song by Barbara Johnson reprinted.

Is there anyone reprinting Dorothy Dunnett?

Many of Balogh’s books have already been reprinted or are scheduled for the next several years.  Check her website, they are all listed there.

Heyer is already being done by Sourcebook, but unfortunately in trade size which I hate due to price and heavy floppiness which makes reading that format a pain (ITA and literally due to my bum wrists).  I’d love mmpb sized reissues.  Some of my copies of Heyer are closing in on 70 years old. :)

I’d love to see Christine Monson reprinted, especially Rangoon and Stormfire (although they really are not for the faint of heart or those who prefer their romance PC :).

I know Roselynde is with Cerridwen and I cried when I read that on Gellis’ website.  Maybe Leah can negotiate her out of that???  Those books absolutely deserve to be back in print.

I miss Zebra’s Gothic Romance series. I’ve been lucky in finding a handful at second-hand stores, and the ones I’ve purchased on Amazon are in pretty rough conditions. I wouldn’t mind if they were all reprinted, rent would just have to wait a bit.

I’d like to see more people realize that a lot of the classic old swashbucklers (Rafael Sabatini, as mentioned above, Andre Dumas) and pulp scifi/adventure novels were romances written for men! Almost every Edgar Rice Burroughs or Edmond Hamilton story (“Star Kings”, “Return to the Stars”) I have read had guy, girl, romance, many obstacles, HEA.

Science Fiction Book Club regularly re-issues Burroughs classics, and Baen Books has been republishing quite a few classic pulp scifi authors in E-Book format.

I wish modern publishers would realize that guys like actual romance written for them, not just sexual conquest fantasies. (One of the things I like about Eric Flint’s novels, is he does have healthy romances spring up, and he treats less-than-innocent women as real people.)

Gellis! Heyer! Lee! Holt!

I have fallen through a time portal of awesomeness. 

@ J - Different strokes

and all that. I’d rather read 500+ pages of someone getting the historical details reasonably right (Gellis, Gellis, Gellis) and weaving a good romance into the pages.

I only found Kleypas through the Bitchery and would also love to see her backlist.

There’s just something about this old one… Love Play by Rosemary Rogers.  It’s one of the first romance novels I ever snuck off my mom’s bookshelf… and boy did I get a quick education! 
The heroine is feisty, and the hero is an Italian duke and starts out as a total alpha jerk, but it works and it is scorching hot!  There’s a ton of sexual tension, but there’s also some real emotion too.  The characters actually have some depth.  I just have to re-read it every once in a while.
I have an old, battered copy, but I’d love a nice new one!
It’s one of the very few books allowed to stay on my keeper shelf… (and with a TBR pile of almost 1000, that’s saying a lot!)

Heyer and Mary Stewart are regularly reprinted anyway, as, indeed, they should be.  The originators and first masters (mistresses?) of the Regency and of romantic suspense need to be available to every generation.  One of the things that they teach, incidentally, is that strong heroines don’t need to be selfish, arrogant bitches (some modern authors don’t quite get that…) and that all the emotions of love and romance can be vividly conveyed without so much as a word about sex.

I second the suggestion that some of Jayne Ann Krentz’s older novels should be reprinted.  In addition to Shield’s Lady (1989) and Crystal Flame (1986), both of which are science fiction, the linked pair Gift of Gold (1988) and Gift of Fire (1989) are great stories with an intriguing touch of the paranormal; they should be made available again.  Midnight Jewels (1987) is also worth adding to the list.  The two-part novel Dreams (1988), again with that subtle touch of the paranormal that Jayne does so well, came out as Harlequin Temptations in 1988, and were actually reprinted as a single volume (A Shared Dream) in trade paperback in 2001, but with the most atrocious editing I have ever seen — for example, passages quoted from the novel that the hero was writing, which appeared indented and in italics in the original books, simply run on in the same font and spacing in the reprint, so if one were reading the text for the first time, one would be baffled.  So they deserve a good-quality reprint.

Some 1980s category romances from Linda Howard, Elizabeth Lowell and Barbara Delinsky might do well, too, but I think that issues with rights can be problematic with books that came out first in Harlequin.

I’m also going to have to go with Jude Devereaux.  I must have read everything that she had out prior to 1990.

I want classic Christina Dodd historical romances…I have some, but I would love more of her old books. :D Also, Judith McNaught’s old historicals. Those and Johanna Lindsey are the books I got started with. BUT! For young adults? I want to see the Sunfire Romances brought back. That was my first plunge that laid the ground work for my obsession I mean love of romance. LOL!

I agree wholeheartedly with re-releasing Patricia Veryan’s books.  I lurved Roland Otton in The Golden Chronicles.  Such a well-written villain.  I loved watching his metamorphosis.

@Gwynnyd - funny, but personally I don’t care about historical facts being correct or not, since most of the time I have no idea if they are.  As long as the Duke is not driving his Ferrari into Almack’s and knights are not surfing the web, I’m fine - I hate getting bogged down in the minutea of the clothing and politics of the times…bring on the wallpaper historicals!!

Laura London’s backlist PLEASE!!! Those are treasures and I have such a hard time finding them, and when I do they are an astronomical amount of money.
I would like to also add that I really appreciate that Laura Kinsale’s books are re-released. She is above and beyond all others!

Add another to the extensive Windflower list.  I’d love to read that one, but cannot afford it at the current price. 

I’m just starting to read Balogh, so glad to hear they are all being reprinted.

It was Judith McNaught’s old historicals (especially Kingdom of Dreams) that got me hooked on Romance, and I still have them all in their falling apart paperback form.  Sadly, I find many of them don’t withstand re-reading today.  I find I don’t have enough patience with the heroines these days…..guess that’s the difference “life experience” brings to the reading experience…LOL.

I was lucky enough to score a copy of Blaze Wyndham through interlibrary loan and have that to read next!  It is readily available on paperbackswap.com for those that are looking to score a copy!

Judith McNaught’s Paradise is classic!

Another one I would love to see, I can’t remember the name.  My mom got rid of the series, but I remember being utterly swept away by the imagery of this series (which I thought was written by Roberta Gellis, but glancing through her backlist & what’s in print, I guess not) - took place in California and Mexico in the 1820s-1850s (roughly) between the feisty daughter of a rich Mexican and a gringo.

I see they are reissuing My Love, My Enemy and Bride of the MacHugh by Jan Cox Speas.  I hope they will also get around to My Lord Monleigh.  I’ll also second, third, or fourth the Patricia Veryan and Elsie Lee requests.

I’m in the middle of reading Celeste Bradley’s Royal Four series and they have a decided old school vibe, especially One Night with a Spy.  Not the historic sweep part so much as the dubious hero.

@sandy l, Vintage Press has a beautiful set of reissues for Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles and House of Niccolo series.  Now if I can just get around to reading them.

I can’t think of a reprint at the moment, but I agree that scope is something to miss!  Back when, I remember more (good) books taking their time and taking a bit of a journey.  I also loved reading the old Jude Deveraux (mom’s favorite author) and miss the sweeping family series like the Montgomerys.  I like knowing who the second cousin’s brother-in-law’s granddaughter ends up with! ;-)  Also, so many books right now seem to have some major focus on sexxx (not just erotica)—and while I like me some hawt like the next girl, I like me some plot more!  Not everything needs to be super sexxxed up!

I’m also not really sure about what is out of print or not but I saw the Jennifer Blake book above and I have ALL of her books. Those older ones in Louisianan are amazing. She rocks. I’m like peering at my bookshelf right now trying to think what could be out of print? I’m pretty sure all of Catherine Coulter’s books are still in print… and those old style Johanna Lindsey ones.

The Windflower!  For heaven’s sake The Windflower!!  All of Laura London, actually.  I get so depressed poking around on Alibris and Amazon trying to find a decent copy for less than $20.  Oh, and any old Loretta Chase books, too.

Gosh, I think in order to have a favorite—or even a favorites list!—I would have to sit down and read through Bitchery reviews of out-of-print classics.

Right now, I’m looking at the comments so far, and making mental notes for when I go to the library and have time to read epic, sprawling, sweeping sagas. *grin*

sense74—I sense there are at least 74 reprints that I would love to get my hands on.

1.  I’m going really old-school here, but I’d love to see some of Jeffery Farnol’s romantic adventure stories back in print—and not just as pricey POD editions, thank you very much.  (This, after all, was the guy who inspired Georgette Heyer.)

2.  I miss many of the old Avon Regencies from the 1970’s.  Joan Smith was my favorite—I still have a battered old copy of Aunt Sophie’s Diamonds with the absurdly anachronsitic Alan Cass cover art.

3.  The Windflower.  After reading the many glowing reviews of this book here and elsewhere, I’d love to read it—but not so much that I’m willing to spend $20+ for a paperback in “fair” condition.

4.  Laura Kinsale’s For My Lady’s Heart; the first of her novels I read, and the best, IMO.

I’ve only been in the romance genera for 8 years or so - I started with Julie Garwood, and haven’t read many books older than that.  But when I do stumble across an older book (generally at the library), I really enjoy just comparing the writing styles and story telling styles to the more contemporary books (as in publication date, not time period of the story).  I just really love reading anything in the genera I can get my hands on, so these books would be awesome to introduce me to some new (old) authors!

Another romance newbie here (just about one year), and I’d love to see anything with a strong heroine and an awesomely hot hero!  Long live the romance genre!

example88=looking to read 88 examples of good romance writing

I’d love to see Carla Kelly’s old books come back into print, especially eprint.  But more than that, I want to see Stella Riley’s books in print again.  I think she wrote 4 in total, and I’ve read 2 (The Marigold Chain and Splendid Defiance).  They are magnificent.

Add me to the list of readers who would love to see Laura London/Sharon & Tom Curtis’ books back in print.  I have a very fragile copy of the Windflower and most of her/their other books but they’re so old that I’m afraid to read them! Whatever happened to them anyway? I remember writing to them and asking about a sequel focusing on Cat and getting a very nice reply in response.  I’d also second the Patricia Veryan requests - I loved her books!

I am so excited to see Jan Cox Speas on the list! I’m waiting with almost hysterical fever for Bride of the MacHugh. And add another vote for Roberta Gellis; my copies of the Roselynde books are falling apart from being read so many times.

Can I win if I’m the one who started it all? Yes, it was ME having that nostalgic squee in Borders. And for the next week while I reread the three Dominick books. I’m saving “Tears for Gold” for summer tanning season. Of course after stalking Sarah on email, I had the “OMG, I just gave someone with a public forum permission to totally trash my taste!!” moment. I’m happy to see it had such a delightful result.
I would love to see Roberta Gellis back on the front rack. And Anya Seton.

Judith Ivory, by all means. Some are being reprinted, but I haven’t found Dance anywhere. Also, Carla Kelly’s backlist, especially Reforming Lord Ragsdale. And I’ve never read The Windflower, so bring it on, please.

I like older, sweet romances like those of Carla Kelly.

Don’t enter me in the contest.

I just had to say:

Laurie McBain reissued? *swoon*

On my Kindle? Oh yes. Downloaded and squeeing now.

Thank you!

On the other hand, a yard sale fine that is crumbling with paper rot, is an old Jayne Ann Krentz called Shield’s Lady, written under the name Amanda Glass. I didn’t expect much from the cover

Katherine B. you get your wish!  STG I just saw this in Barnes & Noble a couple weeks ago.

Laura London’s THE WINDFLOWER!  It would never get published today because the language is a little flowery and the plot moves slowly…..but oh, sooooo lovely.

You might also publish earlier titles by Jessica Bird (aka JR Ward)  Those titles are becomming very collectable as people snap them up.

I would love to see the Windflower reissued! I would like to be able to buy a copy AND afford next semester’s tuition. Older Laura Kinsale would be great too, and definitely the True Romance line of teen books. My best friend and I had a great time with those! How about some Betina Krahn? I haven’t read many of the classics, but really anything with a non-British setting would be welcome.

I have to say no to the Catherine Coulter though. I read Rosehaven back in middle school and was slightly traumatized.

No need to enter me in the contest, but I do have a couple of authors I’d like to see reprinted.

Another fan of Elsie Lee’s work—in addition to the excellent Regencies already mentioned, her romantic suspense novels usually took place in wonderful locations, and the heroines were the kind of intelligent women with whom I was not ashamed to identify (which I found almost more important than ROWRness of the hero). These are regular rereads.

There are a couple of authors who wrote about the same time and in the same tradition as Stewart, Whitney and Holt I’d love to reread: Anne Maybury, Theresa Charles, Jane Aiken Hodge.

I’d have to say that my favourite classics are, quite simply… The Classics.
Give me an heroic but tortured Mr Darcy, or the upright and sensible Mr Knightly, or the original tortured hero of Mr Rochester. Even Heathcliff. I know it’s cliched, but without these heroes we’d never have such a good template for the heroes we read today. And if I’m being perfectly honest here, I don’t think we see enough really morally good heroes, like Mr Darcy who ALWAYS does the right thing. Or the quiet intelligent bookish types. That said, I’m speaking entirely as a new reader to romance, and as someone who has a preference for Regency-era Romance.

On behalf of my BFF, I have to mention Constance Gluyas. We LOVED “The King’s Brat” & “My Lady Benbrook”.

I am also happy Laura Kinsale’s books are getting redone and also was glad Kat Martin’s Necklace Trilogy was reissued. I’d love some of first Jude Deveroux and also Barbara Cartland’s books. Oh and what about Kathleen Woodiwiss and Rosemary Rogers?

Carla Kelly. Please!!!!

I hate reading a book that’s art of a huge long series and then realizing I can’t get the rest of the series. Johanna Lindsay, Mary Balogh, etc. have series like that. I will buy the whole thing at once just to avoid the disappointment. Publishers, how about some boxed sets like that?

My favorite romance novelist is Heyer, but her stuff was all just reprinted, so I don’t at this moment feel such a need for it.  Also, my mother-in-law has an amazing collection of romance novels going back to the 30s, so I selfishly have less of a need for a lot of the great authors mentioned, such as JAK or Kleypas, although they obviously need to be out there.
I’m going to be super original and request The Windflower, because I never have read it and I have had it recommended a time or two. Million.

The lady is right - Kinsale is my fav! Love to see some reprints with the nostalgic Fabio covers - (Prince of Midnight, Flowers from the Storm) I admit to really loving those…and I lent out my Fabio-esque copy of Shadow and the Star years ago and never got it back.

Add me to the long line of readers wishing for the Windflower.  I look for it every time I’m in a UBS, but I haven’t had any luck finding it.

Laurie McBain’s Dark Before the Rising Sun was the first romance novel I ever read.  I have fond memories of reading that book.

(back again after having read through all the comments this time)

I’ll second whoever suggested “Red Adam’s Lady” by Grace Ingram for a reprint.  I wore my library’s copy out when I was a teen.

My copy of Moonstruck Madness is somewhere in the packing boxes awaiting my imminent move, but I’m sure it’s that book that has the awesome (Regency?) heroine using her ill-gotten gains as a highwayman to buy a pair of spectacles for her short-sighted sibling.  How awesome is that?

As for wanting books back in print, my first choice is Random Harvest by James Hilton - possibly the very first amnesia romance of them all, and the book is even better than the film.  Otherwise, something really obscure that I read in the library years ago and then lost track of, but which has stuck in the memory - Sea Spell by Caroline Fox.  She wrote a couple of romances that I know of, but this the only one I can remember,  It’s a historical, and has the hero sailing a yacht round the coast of Brittany, France.  Does anyone else know it?

I’d have to say The Windflower. So many people recommend it so
It’d be great to see it around so I can finally get my hands on it!!!

Pat Wallace’s The House of Scorpio. A world ruled by astrology, where careers, marriages, even clothing, are determined by one’s birth sign. The story follows six sisters whose parents infamously broke the rules. Awesome.

Mary Luke’s The Nonsuch Lure. Not time travel, but reincarnation, from Williamsburg to Henry VIII’s England, a man falls in love with a woman in a portrait and begins to search for her.

These other titles can usually be found in reprints:

The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart
The Master of Blacktower by Barbara Michaels
The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser

Forever Amber.

Because it is AWESOME. And because my mom read it secretively in high school. I read it secretively in high school. And I hope my daughters will read it secretively in high school.

Stella Riley’s Marigold Chain. 
Actually any of her books, but particularly that one.

Dinah Dean would be good too.  Maybe some of the early Sharon Penman books.  But definitely, my first thought was Marigold Chain.

Patricia Veryan wrote wonderful Regency and Georgian romances that deserve to be back in print.  Elsie Lee’s The Wicked Guardian
is a charming Regency with lovely characters.

Ooooh, I second (third, fourth, ...) Patricia Veryan!  She’s so wonderful, and yet so hard to find.

Back when I read books based on covers, I had an impressive collection of Fabio covers. Now, they are in re-print, alas, without Fabio. 

I would really like some good old-style late 80’s early 90’s romance novels, Lindsey, Kleypas, all with their *original* covers.

Fabio.  Sigh.

I think I’d have to go with something by Mary Balogh or Catherine Coulter!

Celeste De Blasis, please! I was reading The Proud Breed when my almost 31 year old son was born so that’s my sentimental choice, but I also remember really loving The Tiger’s Woman.

Add one more vote for “My Lord Monleigh”! As to others, everything by Inglis Fletcher is great, especially “Bennet’s Welcome” and “Lusty Wind for Carolina”. Another romance that I love is “An Episode of Sparrows” by Rumer Godden (though the hero and heroine are kids, the story is spellbinding, and I can just imagine when they reunite as adults!)

Oh my, Laurie McBain and Jan Cox Speas -  I Loved “Bride of the McHugh”.  Seconding Gellis Roselynd series and the older Carla Kelly and Joan Wolf.  And my all time favorite from the library when I was in high school - Anya Seton’s “Katherine”.  A great book that should be discovered again.

Hey.

I know this probably isn’t out of print but I can’t stop thinking about it.  I read “A Rose in Winter” by Woodiwiss when I was 14 and loved it totally.  I’d love to read it again!

I’m relatively new to romance as well.  My first was a battered copy of Almost Forever by Linda Howard from the 80’s and I loved it (despite the alphole hero). 

I’d love to read anything classic.  I read a bunch of authors now and when I go to talk about them or read reviews of books there is always someone bemoaning how much better the backlist is. 

The best books should be in print, not just the newest ones!

Add me to the Stewart/Holt/Jane Aiken Hodge/Barbara Michaels/Madeline Brent camp.  That’s where I started reading romance thanks to my Grandmother.  I left for about 20 years and came back to reading them thanks to this site.  I’d love so see some of my old favs again.

I love (most of) Madeline Brent’s books for their strong, capable heroines. These are my all time favourite comfort reads. In fact, I’ve just finished The Capricorn Stone for the umpteenth time, and the scene where Bridie learns the funny walks she needs to perform in music-halls still cracks me up.

I don’t tend to like old skool romances because of the alphhole rapist trend (ugh! ew! *shudder*!), but I like the idea of reading the “godfathers” of the genre. And seeing what the first books who started the trend away did.

@HRWriter said:

Today’s historical romances just don’t pack the same punch.

OK, I understand about page count requirements and the drive for pacing in modern novels, but here you have a whole page of people squeeing about the “lost” romances of the past—the epic scope, the years-long character developments, the angsty stuff. That tells me there there’s an audience out there that might just be glad to find NEW authors who write that way, given half a chance. Who are the writers of THIS generation that we’ll be squeeing about 30 years from now, longing for reprints?

And @J.C., I’m with you on the love of Zebra gothics. I have an extensive collection, re-read every summer, and I’m always looking for ones I don’t have. Give me a gloomy castle on a remote island any day!

One of my early romance novel faves was Stormaway by Simon Dare—set/written just after WW2. It’s just ... charming. (And I’ve just discovered that more of his books are available secondhand on Amazon—yay!)

Anne Stuart: Rose at Midnight, Prince of Swords
Christine Monson: Rangoon (because it is good) and Stormfire (because it is so utterly horrifying that every romance writer should have access to it to know where not to go)
Patricia Gaffney: To Have and To Hold
Golon’s Angelique

I know it’s upthread aways, but LizW65 said:

1.  I’m going really old-school here, but I’d love to see some of Jeffery Farnol’s romantic adventure stories back in print—and not just as pricey POD editions, thank you very much.  (This, after all, was the guy who inspired Georgette Heyer.)

He’s on Project Gutenberg here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search.html/?default_prefix=author_id&sort_order=downloads&query=789

I just downloaded two to try, thanks for the recommendation!

*fingers crossed*  This is one awesome giveaway.  *sigh*  My quest for reading so much romance would be a little more successful!

As to classic oldies being reprinted…it’s not one I’ve read YET but I’d like to see reprints of all of the old Lovespell - Fairy Tale books.  They look so cool and (to my teenage mind) would embody an awesome combo of smexy romance and fairy tale settings.  I think a few are on ebook but I want hardcore print copies that match the cheese of the original prints, dammit.

I want to see Lisa Kleypas’ “Forever My Love” and “Love, Come to Me” back on the shelves.

So many books I haven’t read!  I grew up reading SF/fantasy, and I don’t know the romance classics hardly at all.  Other than Georgette Heyer, whose books (newly reprinted) are stacked 2 deep on my shelves and my kid complains that I have “too many.”  Impossible!

@Ashley:  Jeffery Farnol’s The Broad Highway (his first) is quite possibly my favorite romance novel ever.  I remember it was a bit of a shocker when I discovered it in the 70’s (although it was published in 1912)—it was the first romance I ever read that was written entirely from the hero’s POV, and definitely the first in which he was a bookish geek, not the kind of asshat alpha man popular for so long.  And Charmian is the most fabulous heroine ever.

I still have all of my original Johanna Lindsey books (with Fabio covers) my favorite of which is still “Tender Rebel” (that sex scene in a chair blew my ever-lovin’ mind as a young romance reader).

Dangerous Obsession by Natasha Peters—one of my very first romance novels.

I was just commenting to friends that I miss the super old Julie Garwood books set in Scotland or medieval England.  I adored those novels!  There’s something about a naive yet fiery-spirited woman that makes me so happy.  :)

Of course I draw a blank on titles, but Catherine Anderson had some western style romances that I LOVED!  Oh, and I’ve never ready any of the posted books, but am loving the covers!

I’m having an utterly senile-moment sort of day, so forget drawing any sort of a romance title or author out of me, but I miss the epic nature of the old romance novels.  They’d take you from the heroine or hero being just a kid to them growing old together - and it wouldn’t be some rush job with a hasty add-on epilogue either.  These would be big, meaty stories full of huge emotional sweeps and by the time I finished, I practically could see the two of them buried side by side, I was so convinced they’d be together forever.

I’m very picky about the old skool romances I’ll read because some of them are an exercise in “how much abuse can we pile on the heroine before she breaks” - not a big fan of that.  But I’d love to see some of Catherine Anderson (Cheyenne Amber) and Rosanne Bittner (Savage Destiny series) older works in reprint.

I’d love for Conor’s way by Laura Lee Guhrke be re-released. I’ve been looking for it for years because of a recommendation at AAR. It’s like $20 on Amazon.

Also Adele Ashworth’s Winter Garden. It’s the same story. Can’t find it anywhere and it’s expensive on Amazon.

Also some of the older Mary Balogh Christmas regency romances. She sure can write a Christmas romance. Love them, but finding them at the used book store is hard.

Oooh! Victoria Holt springs to mind! Plot, mystery, a twist at the end…and of course the romance she wrote was beautiful. “Secret Woman” was the first of hers I read—-my first real romance novel. I still have it :)

I would love to see a great reissue sweep of titles by the late, great Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. My favorite is “Ashes in the Wind”. I became a grown-up romance reader thanks to the wonderful Ms. Woodiwiss! “Ashes” is a soaring Civil War love story which shows the humanity and the tragedy of both sides of the conflict. Cole Latimer is a Yankee surgeon whose compassionate nature and strong physician’s ethics benefit both “the blue and the gray”. Alaina MacGaren is a beautiful young Southern woman forced to pose as a young boy in order to survive. In her disguise as “Al”, the young cleaning boy at the military hospital, she comes to know Dr. Latimer. The beginning of their relationship is that of sparring partners who form a tentative friendship. Once they finally face each other as man and woman, a deep, abiding love begins to grow. Their passion overcomes many doubts and obstacles and finally reaches full bloom. Both of these characters went through a personal growth process as the horror of the War Between the States and its lasting aftermath unfolded. Cole’s disgust and frustration when he was unable to save a life due to military interference was deeply felt. Alaina’s desire to be seen as a lovely young woman instead of a ragged boy was palpable. An unforgettable love story!

One of the things that I loved about great, older, hefty “doorstopper” romance reads is that they were “big”. Not big due to a large font size and wide margins, but big because of the size of the story. They took you places. Took up a chunk of your time while they took a chunk of your heart. You don’‘t forget them. You don’t inhale them like jellybeans from a candy dish. You have to spend time with them, and they’re just as good now as when they were first printed. They were built to last, and they have stood the test of time.

@Magz OMG I totally agree with you! I loved Avon True Romance for Teens. Some of them have been reissued by the authors the ones by Meg Cabot and Beverly Jenkins. That’s 4 out of 12. I wish the other authors would reissue theirs particularly Kathryn Smith, Lorraine Heath, Karen Hawkins, etc.
I looked for May McGoldrick (who wrote one Avon True Romance for Teens, connected to their other characters)when they came out but they are no longer issued and I wish May McGoldrick would be reissued.
Most of Heyer is being re-issued but I have yet to see a copy of her short story collection Pistols for Two. If its comes out it is an autobuy, especially since I have not seen it in three libraries I have checked.
For the people who want Balogh and Kleypas, the bookstores by me seem to carry a lot of their books. Hopefully they will resissue the ones you want.

Laura Kinsale is one of the greatest living writers, period.  The fact that she is a “Romance” writer means she doesn’t get the respect or accolades she deserves, and that is a horrible shame.

I’m ecstatic Sourcebooks shares my Laura love!

Anything by Dorothy Dunnet, especially Pawn in Frankencense.

Wow, I don’t think I can pick just one!

What I love about some of the older romances is that the characters don’t jump into bed right away.  They actually get to know each other and let the attraction build between them before taking the sexual leap.  I’ve always liked reading about the sexual tension between the two main characters.

Another thing I adore about older romances is that some of them are so well-researched.  It’s amazingly easy to be drawn into the world created by the author.

I love the slow….very, very slow….build up :-)

My Lord Monleigh is possibly my favorite romance of all time (though SEIZE THE FIRE by Kinsale and THE WINDFLOWER come close.
I think I have Sharon and Tom Curtis’s entire backlist, including ALL of the Candlelight Regencies.  Same with the old Loretta Chase books.
Plus all the Judy Cuevas.  I have a treasure trove in my house.
This is what I want for Kindle.  Access to these great things, and old treasures like The Lost Queen of Egypt.

Word is before39.  I’d written at least twenty five books before i was 39.

Where to begin!  Anya Seton has been rereleased, thank goodness.  I miss the old Shirley Busbee’s, everything I know about the War of 1812 I learned from ‘Lady Vixen’.  I read one of her latest recently and apparently England has 5 people in it, all of them involved in murder.  One of my first reads was “My Enemy the Queen” by Victoria Holt, not very accurate, but very titillating for a 10 year old.  I second the call for Cynthia Wright, her novels were fantastic!
Please don’t enter me for the contest.

I have old, old copies of Jan Cox Speas ‘The Bride of the McHugh’ and ‘My Lord Monleigh’ and can’t wait for reprints.  Mine are close to falling apart and the font is tiny.

Also, anything in the Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnet.  I have the first three, but they are all hard to come by.  Have been on my Paperbackswap wish list for years

The Windflower - because I have never found a copy at the library to read!

@Vita

Anything by Dorothy Dunnet, especially Pawn in Frankencense.

The Penguin editions of Lymond from the late 90s are still in print. Ditto King Hereafter and the Niccolo books. What you can’t get are her mysteries, although used copies abound.

It’s amazing how many major romance authors were influenced by the Lymond Chronicles, despite the fact that only the final book in the series meets the RWA definition of a romance, because it is the only one that contains an HEA.

Shirlee Busbee - but only from the late 80’s/early 90’s!  That way you can avoid the overly alpha males of her earliest work and her more recent work.  I want to read “The Tiger Lily” and “The Spanish Rose” again!  Also, I was a sucker for Joan Wolf historical romances and I don’t even like horses!

Add my vote for Patricia Veryan, Carla Kelly, early Loretta Chase.

Some that I haven’t seen—Karen Harbaugh, who was one of the earlier pioneers of what became paranormal romance;  a couple of old Patricia Gaffneys (Wild at Heart and Crooked Hearts—this one is distinctive for being incredibly funny); Clare Darcy’s Regencies; and (this is REALLY obscure), Jane Donnelly, a Mills & Boon author who wrote some lovely beta heroes back in the day.

I haven’t read any of the books in the giveaway, or many of the classics, but I would love to!  Please enter me in the contest!

And I love the hilarious euphemisms, they really dance around the subject without being explicit!

I would love to re read M.M. Kays romance/mysteries. Most of them were set in Europe right after WW2 the settings were different and most of the stories pretty good.

I loved Victoria Holt books as a teenager - my local library had so many of them and I read them all.  I’d loved to see them re-issued!

Just wanted to comment that Laurie McBain is one of the reasons I got sucked into the romance world.  Her trilogy of Moonstruck Madness (1977) , Chance the Winds of Fortune (1980) and Dark Before the Rising Sun (1982) are some of the best stories written. 

And her stand alone When the Splendor Falls ((1985) has long been at the top of my favorites list.  These are some of the few books that I re-read on a regular basis. 

As for who I would like to see reprinted - not exactly classic romance, but I have long been searching for Kay Hoopers Loveswept series.  I have found all but one of the titles and would still love to find an original, but would take it in a reprint, just to complete the series.

Patricia Veryan!  She really knew how to tell a story.

If we’re voting, Laura London all the way!

another newbie here so again no recomendation because i got none but i love these posts because it brings up so many things to go check out :)

i also really like SB Sarah’s competition disclaimers. just thought I would add that

Chiming in with the Patricia Veryan love. I don’t own any of her books - I read them all from the library back in the 1980’s and 90’s. I’ve moved away from that library, but I’ve never forgotten Gideon and Peregrine and all of their adventures.

Elswyth Thane’s “Williamsburg Series” !

They were my introduction to romance novels at about age 10. (Only about 15 years ago, because my mom has all the originals!) She wrote from the late 20’s to early 50’s, I think. Fantastically written, well-researched, historicals. The Williamsburg Series follows a family from the Revolutionary War to WWII. I also think the BBC should make a miniseries of them, but that’s another discussion.

I also agree that Patricia Veryan should be re-released.

Marsha Canham’s books…specifically her Arrow trilogy.

I would love to see Georgette Heyer’s books back in print. I found some at a used bookstore a few years ago, but they’re in horrible condition and I’m dying for some that don’t fall apart when I open them!