Behold, the excitement! I am containing myself to one exclamation point (not including the title) and that was it. Please appreciate my restraint, here.
I have A Pile Of ARCs to give away of my October book, Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels, which so very, very many of you helped create.
From the depths of the box on my dining room table currently being fought over by my cats, I have 10 shiny copies to giveaway.
But that is Not All.
This book is all about the lessons we’ve learned from reading romance novels, and it includes stories from romance readers and authors. My goal with this book was to show that the romance community is filled with incredibly smart and thoughtful readers and writers, and to put to rest the tired idea that romances create unrealistic expectations of love, relationships and sex. Romances, as many of us know, are more often a road map of What To Do and What Not To Do in real life relationships.
So many people contributed, and so very many people went above and beyond to make suggestions and provide stories and lessons learned that this book really isn’t about the genre so much as it is about the women who read and write romance, and how much we have learned from our favorite books. Therefore just giving away the ARC isn’t really enough.
Here’s my plan. Leave a comment and please tell me the one romance novel you want to recommend above all others to someone who hasn’t tried the genre (yes, just one) (yes, I suck) and you are entered to win.
What can you win? Awesome stuff!
Ten winners will be picked at random and each winner will receive an ARC of Everything I Know About Love, I Learned From Romance Novels (Which I refer to as “EIKAL” because there is nothing I love like a REALLY LONG TITLE, BABY, YEAH!).
The winner will also receive one of the following titles from these authors who also appear in the book:
But wait, there is still more. I have 10 copies of a special Jennifer Crusie omnibus edition that contains both Bet Me and Welcome to Temptation in one book – and each winner will receive a copy of that book, too. Each of these authors, plus many many more, appear in the book, providing stories and advice or landing a spot on one of the recommended reading lists in the book.
There will be more chances to win, do not worry. I’m giving away 10 here, and a few on Goodreads and on Twitter. (Any possible giveaways on Facebook will have to be random like a semi-drunk fairy landing on the keyboard and highlighting someone’s comment by chance while I’m half-looking at the screen to stay in line with the Facebook Terms of Service. Then I have to contact the winners by semaphore with hot pink flags while facing the eastern skyline.)
Standard disclaimers apply: I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Do not wear a pelisse in the rain. Stirrups are required, but boots are optional. We’ll sell you the whole seat but you’ll only need the edge. Stripes and plaid are rarely a positive fashion statement.
Comments will be open until noon on Friday, 20 May, and I will announce the winners then. Contest is open to international readers, and since my stats indicate no readers in Greenland, if someone enters from Greenland and wins I’ll send them extra stuff. Come on, Greenland!
Honesty time: I am enormously proud of this book, and humbled by the number of people who shared how much their romances mean to them, and how valuable romances have been in their lives. This book wouldn’t be what it is without the authors and readers who contributed, so I can’t send out the ARC by itself. It has to have company.
Congrats on your book Sarah sounds great! Wow there are a ton of great recommends on here – can picture you in the middle of mountains of awesome reads :).
Sherylon Kenyon’ Night Pleasures is one of my favs – the start of a great series.
Just one, that’s tough.
I’d have to pick a Julie Garwood historical (not sure which one) because they have wonderful heroes and heroines, are funny, and make me want to read them over and over and over again…..
Eek, I can’t wait for this to come out!
Personally, I’m a rather timid romance recommender. There are so many different styles of romance novel that I quibble and quail when it comes to one sweeping introduction to the genre. Lately I introduced a friend to the gateway drug of romance: the historical mystery romance. I slipped her a copy of Rose Melikan’s The Blackstone Key (and sequels), followed immediately by The Secret History of the Pink Carnation.
This particular friend definitely needed something dip her toes in the water and make herself feel better about reading a Trashy Romance (she hasn’t yet learned to revel in shameless displays of mantitty like the rest of us…).
Oh joy!=D
The book I would recommend is The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran. Why? Because it is one of the very, very few books where there was this little summersault-feeling happening in my belly when they reunited. It’s this nervous, fluttery feeling I get when I read a romance that really touches me.
I would recommend Lisa Kleypas’ Dreaming of You. Absolutely love this book. Anything by Roberta Gellis are personal favorites and I just read all of Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey mysteries. Not as much romance but the character development is great.
Oh, I have to pick ONE? Fuck.
If I had to pick only one, it would have to be Whitney, My Love. It’s the classic regency. I could read it a hundred thousand times and never get bored with it. The writing is fabulous, the characters and the romance are enrapturing, and god-damn it has some good sex. My friend’s mother made me a fanatic about it, and I will never be able to look back…
Your book will also be so awesome it will make Orca whales grow wings and take over the world with laser beams because I said so.
I’d have to go with “The Duke and I” by Julia Quinn, because Quinn is just so FUNNY, as well as a brilliant writer, and that’s the first book in her main series. Personally, I love Romancing Mr. Bridgerton the best, but you can’t start the series there or you won’t understand the absolute importance of Lady Whistledown.
Congrats on your book! I can’t wait to read it.
To introduce my non-reading mother to romance books, I gave her my copy of THE MISSING by Shiloh Walker, which has hooked her. I figured she’d like it, because I know how much she likes suspense movies. BUT I was surprised by how much my mom loved the post-apocalyptic and paranormal books I sent her, also.
What I suggest all depends on who I’m suggesting the books to. If they like Sci/Fi, Historical, Paranormal or Suspense I’m going to suggest completely different books.
Just one? I’d go with Agnes and the Hitman by Cruisie and Mayer, but wow, the runner-ups are multitude!
I would probably pick OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon, even if it’s not really the conventional romance novel. It’ll probably scare the crap out of a reluctant romance reader since it is MASSIVE but if they can get through OUTLANDER, then I’ll be convinced that they can and will read more romance.
YAY new book!!! i’m presenting at a MLA conference on romance communities, so i’m excited to read your take and compare notes.
one recommendation would have to be “flowers from the storm” by Laura Kinsale. i love that its stand alone, and mental issues, and quakers, awesomesauce!!
The ONE BOOK TO RULE THEM ALL (in my world) would be The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott. It’s this book she wrote when she was like 17 and nobody found it or published it for a really long time. It’s a Cinderella type story, and definitely a romance, I love love love it. I re-read it once a year.
It would really be between Linda Howard and Jennifer Crusie for me, and as I was reading suggestions for both I kept dodging back and forth between them, but when it really comes down to it…Son of the Morning by Linda Howard is what got me hooked, despite my families mocking of the romance genre.
Cry No More by Linda Howard. I believe I stumbled upon this book when reading through “Beyond Heaving Bosoms” and it is beyond doubt one of my favorite books and it does great things for the romance novel genre.
I agree with Tiger Eye it embodies everything I love about romance novels followed a close seconded by A Hunger Like No Other.
Since all my other candidates have been mentioned already,(Chase, Crusie, Beverley, Kinsale, Gabaldon, Krantz), I’ll recommend Take a Chance on Me by Susan Donovan. A contemporary, it includes a scrumptious tortured hero, smart likeable heroine, and an adorable dog (a Chinese Crested!) who manages to put in his two cents.
If I had to choose just one without knowing anything about what the person liked I’d go with Welcome to Temptation. If the awesome that is a Jennifer Crusie novel can get my boyfriend to read a romance then her power knows no bounds!
Mega congrats on the book Sarah!
I would recommend The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair. It’s hilarious and heartwarming.
Congrats on the book!! I can’t wait to read it and give it to all the smart bitches I know!
I’d recommend “The Duke and I” by Julia Quinn as a first. It’s got classic romance elements, is highly entertaining, and has minimally graphic sexual scenes. It’s a great book and a fantastic introduction!
At for the book! I can’t wait to pass it along to all my smart bitches.
I’d totally recommend Julia Quinn’s “The Duke and I”. It’s funny, touching, has classic romance elements, not overtly sexual, great story line, and the beginning of a series. It’s the perfect beginner’s romance.
Oooh, I look forward to owning this in multiple formats… like Heaving Bosoms.
Love in the Afternoon- Kleypas
If we’re picking just one, then I’m going with Three Fates, by Nora Roberts. (But ask me again tomorrow.)
Congratulations on the new book – I’m really looking forward to reading it!
(and thanks for yet another massive addition to my TBR pile/file).
I have to pick ONE?!?!? That stinks. Okay. How about “Romancing Mr. Bridgerton,” by Julia Quinn. Such a happy book. I love happy heroes and the strong women with whom they find themselves in love.
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. Hands down.
I would recommend Linda Howard’s MR. PERFECT. It has it all: romance, humor and murder. 😉
Shadowheart, Laura Kinsale.
No, really. I have quite a few friends who dig bdsm, but who would sneer at romance. Besides which, this was the book that convinced me that there might be more to romance than I thought.
respect42- perfect. This is the book that taught me to respect the genre. (42+ books later….)
As its almost the last day… My favorite has to be Fever by Catharine Sutcliffe. I have read that book so many times the cover has actually fallen off. It is dog-eared and the pages have even yellowed (Its about 11 years old I think). This book was my favorite because it is about history first of all, during the 1840s when slavery was very much in demand in Baton Rouge,Louisiana. The love story was a little bit of a Romeo and Juliet story with a strong heroine and a stubborn hero. Every time I read that book I bawl my eyes out in the same section every time.
I haven’t read the other comments…i’m a little late to the game, and over 600 comments is a little much for me to process while trying to watch the Criminal Minds season finale.
i would have to say that the one book that i would recommend to someone just trying out the genre would be Three Fates, which is my favorite Nora Roberts book. It has everything I love about the romance genre in it—good family, friends, hot sex, and tons of action. I think the 3 men in this book are my favorite male protagonists in any book I have ever read.
Congratulations on the new book!!
For someone who hasn’t tried romance novels before, I always recommend Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me. Of course, this would be why I’ve bought three copies of that book and don’t own one because my friends have stolen them.
This could be because it was my first romance novel, but I would recommend Laura Kinsale’s Flowers From the Storm.
When I picked up this book with the cringe-worthy Fabio bestowing a bouquet on the cover, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was being taught for a college course I was taking, so surely it had to be well-written, right?
I was blown out of the water.
Kinsale’s writing is both educated and humorous, and the sex scenes were phenomenal. Not just because of how “steamy” they were, but because they served a much great purpose for the novel. I wrote my longest (and possibly greatest) paper on the sex scenes in this novel, describing in great detail how these moments communicated one of the powerful messages of the book (hint: pay close attention to descriptions of light/darkness in these moments and other moments in the text).
This book is the reason I began reading romance, and I’m sure many readers will have a similar experience.
Congrats on the book!
I always find myself recommending Lisa Kleypas’s Again the Magic—love the story and love the characters.
Congrats on the new book!
Can’t possibly pick one, got a headache trying to so here’s my top three: Outlander vs Kate Daniels vs Mercy Thompson series.
I would recommend “Devils Cub” by Georgette Heyer – my absolute favourite!
Congrats on your new book! I loved The Bosoms!
The best book would be Nine Rules by Sarah Maclean. I know I’m going to kick myself in a minute why I mentioned this book as best book and not another one because there are so many freaking good romance novels out there!
Thank you for the giveaway!
The one I love to recommend to romance readers and non romance readers alike: LM Montgomery’s “The Blue Castle.” it’s relatively obscure, and undeservedly so. It’s also a sweet—off camera sex only—so it’s a great one to give to someone who believes that romance novels are just about the beefcake. (Not that anything’s wrong with that. 🙂
I can’t wait to read this!
For my one book, I would have to go with Emily Carmichael’s “The Cat’s Meow”.
This recommendation is really for any other husbands that are checking out this site for clues on how their spouses’ minds actually work (as opposed to how we’ve been told they should work). A fair number of women seem to enjoy a fantasy (emphasis on ‘fantasy’) involving the heroine “being ravished” by the smitten hero. I’ve only listened to a few romances so far while commuting, but Sandra Brown has written some hot scenes along those lines. I can recommend “Words of Silk”, written back in the 80’s. It’s perhaps also notable for the heroine being 6 months plus pregnant for most of the book.
Definitely Captives of the Night by Loretta Chase. For some reason, although i’ve by now read quite a few romance novels (in a very short period of time thanks to this blog), I just like this one the most. I love both the main characters and how they interact with each other and how real they seem. And i’m damn picky about what I read, so if I like it, chances are at least one other person will.
I have an urge to read it again now.
Awesome to hear about the new book.
If I was giving a too read list to someone, I would try to focus on their interests. For me, I tend to go more toward the urban fantasy when I read romance. Twilight Hunger is really good.
vampireprincess2468 @ yahoo.com
Congrats on the book! It’s certainly hard to pick just one to recommend, but if i HAVE to narrow it down, what I’ve been recommending most lately is Gena Showalter’s The Stone Prince. By far my favorite recent read.