Diane, Viscountess Thrusston, and Kay, Equally Awesome, both sent me big huge ass boxes full of category romance. Seriously, I wanted to find a shrink ray so I could reduce myself by 60% and dive into the box of books and swim around with joy, papercuts be damned. So much reading! In so many various plot options! There’s secret babies, cowboys, sheikhs, private investigators, a late night talkshow host who swears up and down he’s a vampire… I’m so giddy I want to take a week off and do nothing but read old school category romances. There’s even some seriously vintage Betty Neels in there, which I’ve never read before. The women in the cover art have BIG GIANT ANIME-ESQUE EYES and the ends of the pages are red with that dye that totally comes off on my hands. I’m so happy I may plotz. Thank you, Diane! Thank you Kay!
But even better than the vintage way back machine in two boxes of awesome? THE COVERS. It’s not just vintage, it’s veeeentage.
First: a note. I do have a scanner. It’s refusing to speak to my laptop. I imagine they disagreed about where to spend the holidays this year, with his family or hers, but either way, I don’t have the time to sort out their differences so I took really poor digital pictures. Sorry about that. Enjoy my crapass photography.
Ok, this is a really craptastic image – my apologies – but that right there is Janet Evanovich in lime green on an apricot cover that reads, “Naughty Neighbor.” And some manhands and shoulderpads, too, but those aren’t referenced on the cover copy.
Sharon and Tom Curtis?! SWOON! I did a double-take at the image, too – looks like a historical if you only look at her, but then there’s a digital clock radio and a man in some seriously high-waisted jeans on either side of that seriously penis-shaped spotlight.
And speaking of high waisted jeans…. And cute dog!
I know Nora was among the first to write about paranormal shapeshifters, but did she also pioneer the vampire? Because it looks like neither of these two people have a reflection in the mirror behind them.
If you ever wanna get rid of some of these category romance, srsly, I’ll get them off your hands! (well, ‘cept those with sekrit babies)
(Unless you tell me they’re verra good, then I’d happily take those too)
light48—yes, I’ll be happy to lighten your load by 48 or more 😉
Oh wow, classic Curtis! I can’t believe the ladies were willing to part with it!
You have some wonderful reading ahead of you. And maybe some not so wonderful secret-cowboy-billionaire baby reading, but it all balances out.
What’s the title of the one with a vampire late night talk show host? I must read that one!
OMG, I’ve actually read most of the ones you’ve shown here! Also the original Evanovich? Able to fetch large sums of $$ on ebay…
They are rereleasing Naughty Neighbors in a couple of months.
I was wondering the same thing…who’s the late-nite vamp show host?
Wait, money on Ebay, you say? I have several boxes of old Harlequins from my grandmother’s house in my garage and under my bed…
Speaking of categories and Nora—which book was it that Nora was the model for the heroine? One of hers. I keep thinking it’s one of the O’Hurleys, but I’m not positive. C’mon, Nora…fess up?
Evidently, the original Evanovichs are still being bought even with the re-releases (which have been edited). The hardest to find (and the ones worth the most) are the ones she wrote as Steffie Hall for Second Chance at Love.
I’m coveting that Sharon and Tom Curtis book!
I just bought Lightning The Lingers and I loved it. Very old school, but in a fun way. Plus I learned weird things in it…like your eyes emit some sort of a chemical when you’re adjusting to being in the light from being in the dark. Who knew?
Anyway, my copy is a reprint, but has the same high-waisted jeans guy and gal on it. Except it’s blue. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it, Sarah. You lucky girl, you!
Oh! And Reflections (of which, you are correct, there seem to be none) is one of my favorite Nora’s.
I think the guy on the Cruisie cover is a distant relative of the Pull My Finger Viking: the Smell My Armpit Guy.
AmandaG; check ebay and amazon before throwing any book away. I have an old old Dean Koontz double-back scifi book, which I bought for $3 and is selling on amazon for seveal hundred! I have some old, no-longer-in-print, Sherri Tepper stuff that sells anywhere from $25-$75, depending on which book it is. My rule: never throw or donate any book away until fully researched on amazon for current market pricing. ;))
That poor dog. Does anyone think it’s saying, “Please. Kill me now.”
No? Okay. Just me then. 😉
Kim
And speaking of high waisted jeans…. And cute dog!
Of course there’s a cute dog: It’s a Crusie! If the dog were *comical*, it would be an Evanovich. *g*
So glad the BOX arrived. So glad you are happy with the selection.
Kay
Lightning That Lingers. Fantastic book. First beta male dancer evah ;-). If I remember correctly, he danced to save owls! Come on, how can you not love that. Read this book first.
I’m guessing this is why my re-release of Anyone But You just has the dog on the cover.
And now I’m trapped in a dilemma. Should I tell my local library that some of their ancient romances could be worth a fortune? Or do I wait until they sell them off for 50p each?
Yep, some of those are serious collectors items. I do so love those old covers – I remember having the same doo as the woman on the Crusie cover.
Scary!
I absolutely love the covers of old category romances. They make me happy in a way that a naughty apron never could. 😀
Cat, as a librarian I feel compelled to recommend that you definitely wait until they sell them for 50p each! Seriously, none of the libraries I’ve worked for has ever pursued making money via ebay and such on old books. I know there are a few that do but they are few and far between. Because the accounting is a nightmare!
Sarah,
I’m glad you were pleased enough to plotz! LOL I’m looking forward to reading some of the reviews.
I used to do the eBay thang, which is why I have box after box of spares of the ‘coveted’ titles in my garage. It used to be a pretty lucrative hobby back in the day. However, now that everyone sells on eBay, the supply has brought the market prices down. When I could get $10 – $80 a book it was worth it to me. Now that the prices are lower, I have found other things to do with my time, apparently.
I reread Lighning that Lingers just a couple of weeks ago, after the discussions about the dearth of wildlife biologists as heroes. Then factor in biologists who strip for a living… well, those are REALLY rare. LOL
Kim, the dog on the Crusie cover is supposed to look morose. It’s part of the plot. In fact, Crusie describes him as being ‘part basset, part beagle, part manic-depressive.’
And Nifty, the book that Nora posed for the cover was The Last Honest Woman, SSE 451 from May, 1988… back in her blonde days.
Diane
‘Reflections’ is one of my most favorite ever Nora Roberts!! In fact, I believe this is what got me started on my Nora fandom. I LOVED this book. Sweet, strong heroine, YUMMY hero.
Oh, I have that Lightning that Lingers book on my shelf at work. And we’ve gotten in several of the old Evanoviches. So check out your local Half Price Books. You really do never know what they’ll have. Er yeah, guess I’m pimping out my job.
Okay, this is a total non sequitur but I have to say that I never understood the problem with high waisted jeans. That’s where your waist is! There are only a select group of people I actually enjoy seeing below the waist, and not such a select group who feels called upon to wear low riders… Oh well, hopefully they’ll come back in style in a decade or two.
Old Loveswepts!!! Jealous!! I adored Loveswepts and kick myself now that I threw masses of them out in my early twenties.
Sally, rejoice! High waisted jeans ARE coming back in style. It’s getting hard to buy the low waist ones here in Japan.
OMG I envy you the vintage Curtis, so yummy. And Nora also, lucky you!
High waist + peg leg = mondo big butt.
Low waist = every woman looks like she has a 40-inch waistline. They really are hideous, and nobody under 30 seems to see it.