Bitchery Exchange Student Mads is an Aussie in France, and she needs le help! She is looking to build a reading list of bodice-rippingly-good saga romances for her reading pleasure.
Recently I got the opportunity to become and exchange student in France- and voila, here I am. I’ve been in France for six weeks now and despite the freezing, disgusting weather (I’m Australian; this is my idea of hell. Well, this and that Hoff strippy, trippy thing you posted) I’m really enjoying France. But I have an incredibly obvious problem: A lack of books. I tore through the Quinn and Kleypas I brought with me and I’ve been indulging in ebooks since.
Here is my question. My anecdote wasn’t long and rambley without reason- I need Smart Bitch help.
I would really love to read some epic romance. I’m sick of regency, my usual romance fodder, and I’d love to try something with a bit more kick. I’m open to paranormal but my true love is always going to be historical. I’ve been thinking about the long and rather terrible epic sagas of the 80’s like Jane Feather and other authors.
I was just wondering if the very capable bitchery could help me out: I have far too much time on my hands with nothing to do but drink Chocolat Chaud and enjoy the French hotties (Quel Horreur!) and I’m in serious need of very long romance novels, preferably with a good plot line in addition to being a bodice ripper.
Well, I’ll leave this in your capable hands.
First, you might like Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris
But saga romances? I confess I am a complete sucker for one of the first romances I’ve ever read: Blaze Wyndham
Crap…I’ve got to stop reading the comments. Makes me remember stuff. LaVyrle Spencer’s Years is one of my all-time favorite books with Endearment and Vows a close tie for second. 😀
I second the recommendations for Diana Gabaldon, Penelope Williamson, and LaVyrle Spencer.
I know there a lot of people who enjoyed “The Flame And The Flower†but sweet lord, I hated that book. It hit the trifecta by being sexist, racist, and stupid.
I know you’re all going to think I’m an incredibly negative person but . . . I hated “Into The Wilderness.†I read it because apparently Sarah Donati was a friend of Diana Gabaldon’s. When I picked up the book I was shocked to see that two-thirds of the cover was taken up by a favorable review from Gabaldon. I had never seen that before, ever. I always felt like Donati was trying to piggyback on Gabaldon’s success; I would have been more forgiving of that if the book had been better.
I never said “The Flame and the Flower” was fabulous: just memorable. It holds a special place in my heart, being the first romance novel I snitched from my mom and read in secret. I think I was ten, which might explain a few things…
By the way, thanks to everyone who’s contributed, since now I have a few books to investigate for myself!
I totally, 100% second Jean’s suggestion for Roberta Gellis’s Roselynde Chronicles.
Loved them all through the ‘80s and ‘90s. Still do.
I reread Alinor (the second one) at least once a year, with the others not quite as often. Ian di Vipont is one of my favorite heroes evah!
And they’re good and meaty with lots of history and great sex and wonderful romances. Definitely high on my list.
PS Thank you, Kaitlin, for the mention! 🙂
Oh, and I forgot…LaVyrle Spencer. I second her too. Vows is another of my all-time favorite re-reads.
I second the mention of Colleen Gleason’s Gardella Vampire Chronicles.
This is absolutely one of the best series of books I’ve had the privilege to read.
Erotic and suspenseful with incredible characters and lots of surprises … all of it written with a brilliant, sophisticated flair.
Her Sebastian reminds me in some ways of a certain honorable rogue penned by Margaret Mitchell.
This is one of those occasions where I really just have to have my antenna waving – ok, I’m a dyke, but I do like lots of het romances… but I just don’t get the Outlander love. But then again, big moody Scottish blokes don’t really do it for me (I do like kilts, though). I dunno, I find Gabaldon’s writing somewhat over-egged, perhaps.
I definitely second the Carey recommendations though. Also, if Mads is in Paris (or near Lille), it’s only a couple of hours via Eurostar to all those loverly bookshops on Charing Cross Rd. Or London from Lyon, Marseilles or other TGV cities is only a few hours more (Lyon to London can be done in time for lunch).
I’m the opposite of some quoted here. I really like the Lord John books by Diana Gabaldon, but the Outlander bookes…meh. I just don’t get the Jamie love. And further to that I have a spanking new copy of Outlander that I’l love to see go to a good home so if the OP emails me I’ll mail it to her in France. It’s a brick but I’m only in the UK so hopefully it wouldn’t cost too much 😉
I’ve not read previous comments so apologies if already reccd, but I’d reccomend Sergeanne Golon’s Angelique books. I read these as a teenager and they’re v epic but also funny and interesting – and very French! In a nutshell, Angelique is married off as a teenager to a much older, very sophisticated man. She is resentful but eventually grows to love him deeply (he is one of my favourite ever romance heroes). However, he has enemies and is tried as a witch and she believes he has died. Angelique then goes off on a series of adventures – and has lots of partners – all over the place, but is eventually reunited with her True Love. Srsly – it’s good. Trouble is, they might be out of print. But you can probably pick ‘em up on Amazon second hand.
Thank you so much everyone! I’m completely overwhelmed by all your awesome suggestions! Will get on it- STAT.
Honestly, The Bitchery rules.
Thank you all for your help!
Mads, can you handle a couple more recs?
Here’s a classic from the 70’s—The Proud Breed by Celeste de Blasis (I hope I spelled that right). A multigenerational romance saga set in the American West. All time favorite of mine.
Or how about Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander series? Yum. Highland romance with varying bits of time travel and/or sidhe mythology.
Bev(QB)
In a nutshell, Angelique is married off as a teenager to a much older, very sophisticated man.
JOFFREY!!!!! *squee*
With a scar and a limp. And dark hair.
A few of these are out of print because they are older romances but can be found easily used online.
Moonstruck Madness / Chance the Winds of Fortune / Dark Before the Rising Sun trilogy by Laurie McBain
Rose of Rapture by Rebecca Brandewyne
Tiger Lily by Shirlee Busbee
Angel in Scarlet by Jennifer Wilde
A Rebel’s Love by Joyce Verrette
Something Wonderful / Almost Heaven / Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
Mad,
A few more that weren’t mentioned (although I have to agree on the Outlander series for some seriously thick reading that should get you through at least a few weeks.) You might also want to try early Susan Wiggs books when she was writing historicals. Charm School was excellent. Also anything by Arnette Lamb (very yummy Scottish heroes).
Happy reading!
Seconding the Carey recs here. Sadly, most of the epic series I love are fantasy and not romnce, but Tad Williams’s Otherland and Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series are excellent sci-fi and fantasy with romantic subplots and nicely happy endings.
If language is not an issue (ie. if you can read in French), Golon’s Angelique series should not be so hard to find in French (it was in print 2-3 years ago, although not available new from amazon.fr).
And for English language books in Paris I would also recommend Brentano’s, the American library on l’avenue de l’Opera. And they have a much better selection of US published titles than WHSmith (I used to get my Heyers from WHSmith and my SF&F from Brentano’s).
I have to admit that I loved the Angelique series, very 70s/80s bodice ripper with an empowered bitch of a heroine. They were written by Sergeanne Golon, a husband and wife team. I would recommend reading them in order.