Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Okay, it is definitely time to go shopping! The only one absent from the list that immediately comes to mind is Eloisa James’ A kiss at midnight. I loved this book tremendously and have expressed this love several times already (perhaps too many timse :p) but haven’t heard a lot about it from other people, so maybe this was a very personal favorite. You’re also so true about the Noise :-)! My boyfriend says he can always tell when I’m reading a truly wonderful romance because I ‘pause every now and then, look at the book with a big goofy smile on my face and sigh my happiest sigh’ :-). Happy holidays to you too!

Well, I could suggest a greater allowance of m/m romance (there’s my list at Dear Author), but I’m thrilled to see Marie Sexton’s fabulous story on there! :)

Color me flabbergasted. I’ve actually read 6 of these! I NEVER seem to read what other people read.
I’ll only add that Meljean Brook deserves a second nod for “Demon Blood”.
And while it’s outside the genre norm “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson. Made me laugh, made me sigh.

I grin while reading a good book too! The more I try to stop the bigger it gets.

The only books that IMHO are missing are:
One Dance with the Duke
Lessons in French
and the Golden Season

Otherwise it’s a pretty sweet list.
Wow it looks like this was a good year for the romance novel.

I have only read half the books on the list. Where have I been all year? Thanks for the shopping list

What about Ilona Andrews’ latest Kate Daniels book: Magic Bleeds?

That… is a really good list, actually.  But a few books that sprang to mind, and aren’t on it, would have to be Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan, Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn, and The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig.

I’ve read 7 of the 21 on the list.  Not bad for me.  One is on my Kindle, waiting to be read, and one more is on my Christmas list. 

I read some good stuff this year, but much of it was either not romance, a couple years old, or already on the list.

I agree with Lovecow2000 re: Ilona Andrews’ Magic Bleeds. It was everything I look for in paranormal romance, especially when two powerful characters bend just enough to make things work.

Wait, what about Deidre Knight’s Butterfly Tattoo? I thought that was on everyone’s best list when it came out in February.

Oh, seconding Julia Quinn and Tessa Dare’s One dance with a duke!

Wow, I’ve read five of these, although I don’t consider Maybe This Time to be a romance- it’s a ghost story that has some romantic elements (By the way, you can still win a copy at MonsterLibrarian.com- not too many Crusie fans visit there!)

Julia Quinn’s historical, Ten Things I Love About You, is amazing- hot, sweet, and funny. I am surprised it didn’t make your list.

I agree with the Ilona Andrews Magic Bleeds it was just awesome.  I also loved the Courntey Milan and Tessa Dare books.  I got an advance for the new Milan Unveiled coming at the end of Jan and it is so great.  It is just so very well written and I love the characters.  It is one of those romances where you can see the characters fall in love.  There’s a reason behind it and not just because they happen to be in the same story.  It’s touching and sexy and realistic.  I cannot recommned it enough!

I’m not familiar with most of these…but there don’t seem to be any paranormal romance titles. (at least not judging from the titles and author names)

The Stud Club series
Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Revealed (I thought it was better than Summer of You, but both were wonderful)

Julia Quinn’s 10 Things I Love About You. Definitely.

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
Play of Passion by Nalini Singh

I did love What the Librarian Did, but I think I loved Karina Bliss’s Here Comes The Groom even more.  Though I don’t know if it’s out in the US yet or not, so maybe it doesn’t count as a 2010 book.

Wow. I’ve read a big chunk of that list…

I think perhaps Wicked Becomes You and I Kissed an Earl deserved a mention. They were some of my romance novel highlights this year.

Jennifer Ashley, _Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage_ (the sequel to the awesome _The Madness Of Lord Ian Mackenzie_).

My personal highlights of the year were Loretta Chase (working my way through her backlist), Denise Rossetti’s Four-Sided Pentacle series, Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter (can’t wait for the new one!), and Lynn Kurland’s continuing Nine Kingdom series.

Wow. Thinking about it I just realized except for the m/m romances, most of the other romances I read this year weren’t published in 2010. First one not on your list to come to mind was Jayne Ann Krentz.

Well, I’ll help round out the m/m list then:

No Souvenirs by K.A. Mitchell
Talker by Amy Lane
Keeping Promise Rock and the sequel Making Promises by Amy Lane
Maritime Men and the sequel Anchors Aweigh by Janey Chapel

I think there’s more but can’t remember now…

I agree that Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan should also be included! I am turning into such a Courtney Milan fangirl . . .

I agree with The Duchess that Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran deserves a mention.

I loved Olivia Cunnings Backstage Pass, but I am a contemporary girl through and through.  I also don’t see KMM’s fever series release on here either.

Seconding:
-Lessons in French
-Magic Bleeds
-A Kiss at Midnight

Adding:
- Stacia Kane’s ‘Ghosts’ series
- Janet Mullany’s ‘Improper Relations’
- Eve Silver’s ‘Otherkin’ series

The ones that came to my mind immediately were Dare, Quinn and Ashely, so my votes go to them.

My favorites of 2010 were Emma Wildes “Lessons From a Scarlet Lady” as well as Sarah MacLean’s “Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake”.  Both were new authors to me who are now on my autobuy list.

I have to disagree with Julia Quinn’s “Ten Things I Love About You”.  For me, it was a disappointment and dropped her from my favorite author’s list.

What happened to the Caroline Linden book, What A Rogue Desires? It got an A+ review here too!
Liz Carlyle “One Touch of Scandal” is in my top 10.

I am seconding:
What a Rogue Desires by Caroline Linden
“One Dance with a Duke” by Tessa Dare

Adding:
The Dangerous Viscount by Miranda Neville
A Lady’s Guide to improper Behavior by Suzanne Enoch
Irresistible by Karen Robards
Something Scandalous by Christie Kelley
Scoundrel’s Kiss by Carrie Lofty
The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries
Nicola Cornick’s Lady of the Ton series

and since we’re disagreeing with some as well I’ll mess it up in here.
Didn’t like (or thought was average):
Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James
Ten Things… by Julia Quinn
Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran

I have to agree with disliking the Julia Quinn. I wasn’t very impressed with Ten Things. Has she lost it? I also enjoyed A Kiss before Midnight.

Errr….oops-I mean A Kiss AT Midnight…...

I forgot, I also really loved Resistance by L.M. Turner. It’s an m/m romance with a cad, and things I usually dislike in books works in this one.

Marry Me by Jo Goodman was a top pick for me this year. I also really loved Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan, One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare, A Season for Seduction by Jennifer Haymore, and A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl, in addition to the Sherry Thomas and Loretta Chase you listed. I liked Julia Quinn’s and Eloisa James’ books as well. And those are just the historicals. 2010 was a good year!

Have read nine of the list; started and DNF an additional 4 of them and the balance hold no interest. And I REALLY like Butterfly Tattoo. Quinn is such an uneven writer for me that I rarely give consideration to her books any more; I already buy so many books that end up being give aways (including the two Zoe Archer ones on the list. Started Scoundrel and couldn’t finish it but had bought the other and just gave them both away to the local library. Who didn’t put them on their shelves.) But romance books are like love or hotness;  variety and differences.

Crush on You by Christie Ridgway. Love her.

I agree with the Carrie Lofty motion, I second it.  Scoundrel’s Kiss was a keeper.

Madeline Hunter - Ravishing in Red and Provocative in Pearls

DId someone already mention these and I missed them? Anyway, I think they definitely belong on the list.

I second I Kissed an Earl by Julie Ann Long.  I love her writing!  Julia Quinn used to be my all time favorite and it makes me sad that I have not enjoyed her most recent books. I could not get thru Ten Things…. go figure. Have read many on the list.  Time to go shopping :-)

Don’t know if anyone else mentioned it, but Gail Carriger’s Blameless.

I’ve only read one of those (Archangel’s Kiss), so my list would be very different . . . but it would certainly include AK, as well as Julie James’s Something About You, Larissa Ione’s Sin Undone, Jo Beverley’s The Secret Duke, and Gail Carriger’s Blameless.

The book I read for 2010 but was out earlier is Robin Schone’s “Scandalous Lovers”.  It is an erotica romance that dealt with women’s rights as well, especiall middle aged women.  I have found that her books deal with women’s rights and their sensuality.  Here is a kicker that flitered through my brain from working in a library.  Romance novels have a “warning” on them stating what may be in them like this book is hot and steamy, explicity sex scence, and so forth but on war novels, westerns, and some mystery novels there is no warning about blood, guts, violence and so forth.  Go figure!.  I asked my husband about this.  His comment was that there are prudes that read romance and need to be forewarned about what will be in the book but no one needs to be forewarned about what will be in the westerns, mysterys, and war books they know what to expect.

I just finished reading Rules of an Engagement by Suzanne Enoch and can’t tell you how much I adored it.  Definitely should be on the list!

Holy Cow!  So many good books.  And, so many I need to read.  I am thinking about hitting Borders this week and buying them all to mail to my niece.  She’s always looking to new reading.

Good list, and I have read eight, with two more in the TBR closet.

I just finished Long’s “I Kissed an Earl,” and would probably add that one on.  I haven’t finished Dare’s Stud Club trilogy, but the first two were thumbs up. 

Lots of other recommendations above are in the TBR closet.  Looks like I’ve got some quality reading to get to when I can carve the time.

Magic Bleeds. But after the first 3 Kate books, which are not exactly a struggle.

I’m surprised Nine Rules to Break made the list.  I thought it was trite and uninspired.  Loretta Chase was by far the best of 2010.

I usually lurk, but can’t resist commenting here.  I’d add Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas.

Loved Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James, Christie Ridgeway’s A Crush on You, and KMM’s Fever book from this year. Also loved Jennifer Rardin’s book out this year.

OH!!! Just read Meg Benjamin’s BRAND NEW ME from Samhain Publishing and loved it :) She is really great, and her Konigsburg books are awesome.

I’ll second LK’s Love in the Afternoon

What about The Native Star by M.K Hobson—I highly recommend this quirky steampunk-ish romance set in the alternate 1870’s america.

Also In for a Penny by Rose Lerner was a very refreshing regency.

Both are first time authors and I totally adored these books!

I also enjoyed In For A Penny very much. I don’t know if she’s in Top 10 territory yet, but Lerner has an original style and it was an excellent first book. I don’t usually read paranormals, but you guys have given me some great suggestions to try out, especially the historical/steampunk stuff.