It's time! Hide your wallet and your giftcards, because it's the most excellent comment thread wherein I ask what you're reading, and we start giving recommendations and mini reviews and then BAM. The most expensive book order happens. Or the librarian is all, “No, you cannot borrow the hand truck to wheel in your Inter Library Loan request list.”
Right now, I'm reading some contemporary. I read Carolina Home by Virginia Kantra on vacation ( A | BN | K) – I stayed up past midnight to finish it, too. I think, if you're a fan of the Chesapeake quartet by Nora Roberts like I am, you'll probably like this book, too. It's set in the barrier islands of North Carolina, and there's a summer population and a year-round population, with class differences and perspective differences that make for a unique and interesting tension across the communities. The story also gets deeply involved in the lives of several characters, and continues over the next few books, so if you like a good saga with longer story arcs, you'll probably like this a lot.
I'm currently reading Carolina Girl ( A | BN | K), the sequel – which I bought at 1am right after finishing the prior book because I could and, well, at that hour, I have zero impulse control, especially when it comes to books. The day I figured out how to drop the brightness and increase the text on my Galaxy Note so I can read in the dark without my glasses was both a wonderful and terrible day.
Anyway, I'm not as into this one, in part because the heroine, the sister of the hero in Carolina Home, has to stay somewhat stubbornly ignorant about some very obvious things for some of the romantic tension to be maintained. And while I understand her struggle, I also think she's too smart to remain that dumb for so many pages. But I love the rest of the cast and will definitely keep reading to find out what happens to them.
What about you? What are you reading? Looking for a recommendation? Any books you think romance readers would love?
Come share – whatcha reading?
Currently reading Lorraine Heath’s historical romance To Marry An Heiress and LOVING it! Marriage of convenience romances are one of my favorite tropes! Crack-a-licious!
Trancehack by Sonya Clark. So. Much. Fun! Next up is Apples Should Be Red (Penny Watson) because it sounds hilarious.
I am in some kind of slump lately and haven’t felt like reading but I think (hopefully) I’ve broken through. Earlier this week I finished Reaper’s Legacy by Joanna Wylde (which I loved and can’t wait for the rest) and today I am continuing my Kristin Ashley weekends by reading Breathe.
Jess, The Nekkid Truth sounded very familiar to me. With a little research, I realized that I’d read it in a 2005 paperback compilation called Big Guns Out of Uniform. It was a good story, and I hope to read more by the author, Nicole Camden.
I’m about to start Code Name Verity for my book group later this week.
I read the Kindle edition of Patricia Briggs’ NIGHT BROKEN. Now I’m listening to the Audible edition of it. Because whispersync is full of win! (As is the book, whether in print, digital or audio format.)
I just finished an eARC of Beyond Jealously by Kit Rocha (comes out tomorrow!!) which was amazing and prompted me to go back and re-read the 3rd book, Beyond Pain, and the 3.5 novella, Beyond Temptation. Seriously one of my favorite series and I never thought I would say that about dystopian erotica.
(Also, how does my computer not recognize dystopian as a word yet?)
Working on The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter for the Vaginal Fantasy book club. Fun so far, but the heroine is a little too trendy with her slang usage, and the hero is just downright stubborn for no good reason. And they haven’t gotten to the sexy times yet! Don’t think I see myself continuing in this series.
I just found out (from other SBTB comment threads) that both Ilona Andrews and Grace Draven have new free serial fiction up on their websites, so I got caught up with those. Now I might have to go re-read a couple of The Edge books by Andrews, and Draven has a fairly recent release, Entreat Me, that is loosely based on Beauty & the Beast, which is my all-time favorite fairy tale, so I’ve got to check that out.
I started reading Meredith Duran’s That Scandalous Summer, but I thought it was going to be something else. It’s going to be really angsty and I wasn’t in the mood, so I switched over to Sheila Simonson’s A Cousinly Connexion. It’s an old friend, uncomplicated and thoroughly charming.
Recently finished Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer, which was good silly fun, with some explosions and pancakes and a heroine who managed to be a little nuts without ever acting stupid.
I started Shades of Milk and Honey by Robinette Kowal, which has a fascinating premise (Regency in a world where magic is common, accepted, and incorporated into the social fabric). But I’m having trouble getting past the first few chapters. I may just be overly picky, because there’s nothing glaringly wrong. It just feels to me like a lack of subtlety and nuanced characterization. Like the characters read as characters, not people, and they do the things they do because that’s what the story requires, and everything seems a bit too obvious. I’m still deciding whether to forge on with it and see if the plotting and world building can balance it out.
Just finished the first Molly Murphy mystery, Murphy’s Law, by Rhys Bowen for my mystery book club. Having enjoyed Bowen’s Evan Evans series, I read this book when it came out, and the only thing I remembered was that I didn’t like it. Otherwise I retained not one plot detail. I still don’t like it, and and it’s still forgettable.
Before that, I read Elizabeth Lowell’s four Donovan books and enjoyed them. However, I’m not feeling driven to read every possible title by Lowell or even just her romantic suspense. I’d just come off reading Kira Brady’s “Heart’s of …” urban fantasy/dystopian series, which I’d glommed passionately. The two series made an intriguing combination, since both are set in very different Seattles. I loved the Brady series, particularly the middle book, Hearts of Shadow. Fascinating world building, mythology, and characters. Each book centers on a different couple and—hallelujah!—each couple is unique in their characterization and interactions.
Other than the Brady series, my most recent enthusiasm was Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett. More paranormal romance than urban fantasy, this book featured a beautifully realized 1920s San Francisco setting and an absolutely delightful couple with smokin’ chemistry from their first encounter. Also knocked off the most recent J.D. Robb (odd, but ok), Seanan Mcguire’s Half Off Ragnarok (fun), and several Sarah Mayberrys including Satisfaction (different and enjoyable) and All They Need (mellow, yet including some uglycry if I recall correctly).
Unfortunately, this brief time period also included some DNFs as well. I’m taking a Meredith Duran (Wicked Becomes You) and an Alan Bradley (The Dead in their Vaulted Arches) back to the library incomplete. I didn’t hate them, but they didn’t engage me either. I may read them somewhere down the line, but I doubt it.
Next up (probably): Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch or a reread of Jessica Topper’s Louder than Love or Kresley Cole’s Dark Needs at Night’s Edge.
Been a little depressed lately which accounts for the heavy duty reading. Just looking at these paragraphs tells me I spend way too much time on this website…
Read my first Janet Evanovich, Visions of Sugar Plums. Loved. Discovered the size of her backlist and felt like I just sat myself down at a banquet.
I’ve also been enjoying Andre Norton’s Witch World series, though I’m glad I started by reading the books out of order. The romance in the later titles (Sorceress of the Witch World, Year of the Unicorn) blew me away, an effect I wouldn’t have expected to feel at at all going from the weaker writing in the earlier books.
Looking forward to Meredith Duran’s Fool Me Twice as well as the book sequel to the Veronica Mars movie, both releasing soon this month.
Thanks to Smart Bitches I have so much on my TBR list! Just finished Carolina Home, which was wonderful. Also going through Laura Florand’s books which for me are masterpieces. With the DABWAHA tournament starting, I’m trying to get a few of those in too. But today I am reading Undeclared by Jen Fredericks (book 1 of the Woodlands series) and I’m really enjoying it . And tonight will be Girl on Tour by Caisey Quinn. Both of those are New adult, by relatively new authors.
Was having a hard time find books to read. Just recently – within the past two months- discovered Kristen Ashley and some good motorcycle club books but then hit a wall. Looked up Laura Florand after reading a recommendation on Dear Author and read all six of her Chocolate series this weekend. I really liked them! I’m trying Snow Kissed next and hoping some good books come out tomorrow.
I started reading Kristen Ashley this year and have blown through most of her catalog. I think I have one series left and a couple one-off books to go. I love her heroes even though they are kind of all the same guy with different names. Anyway, I needed a break from the romance so I just started The Innocent by David Baldacci.
Wow Jane that’s impressive! I’ve read 3 of the chocolate series and enjoyed them so much. I think I’m going to end up buying them all in paper copy. And possibly the audiobooks as well. She has a few more coming out in the next 2 years set in Provence with the Rosiers a perfume making family which started with her novella A Rose in Winter (part of a Christmas anthology) that I bought just for her story which was amazing. You should read that too if you haven’t already. Snow kissed is on my TBR.
And if you are looking for new books you should try Kate Meader and Penny Reid, both great romantic comedy authors.
At the moment I’m trying to finish up Black Chalk by Christopher Yates, 1066 What Fates Impose by GK Holloway, and the Towers of Tuscany by Carol M Cram. Have to be honest that I’m not really liking Black Chalk, although I’m enjoying 1066 and The Towers of Tuscany.
@Christine
Thanks for the recommendation. I’m always looking for new series. I got on Laura Florand’s website but didn’t see the new books coming out. Will be looking forward to them!
I’m about to finish Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which is both a love story (don’t think there will be a HEA though) and an incisive look at race and immigration in America. I’m enjoying it quite a bit, the writing is very compelling, but it’s longer than my normal fare so I’m excited to move on to my next book. I’m thinking I’ll pick up Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid, which I’ve heard is funny.
March has been a pretty good month for me so far. One DNF, but some good reads to more than counterbalance it.
An old Victoria Holt ebook, The Shivering Sands, was on sale so I picked that up. I would have sworn I’d read it as a teenager, but I had absolutely no recollection of the story. I liked it much more than I was expecting.
Also read Kim Harrison’s The Undead Pool. After some less-than-stellar books, I’ve liked the pace and direction of the last couple.
Not my favorite in the series, but also liked CS Harris’s Why Kings Confess. Now I wish I didn’t need to wait a whole year for the next book.
I waited patiently for Anne Bishop’s Written in Red to go on sale and then, as soon as I was finished, downloaded Murder of Crows at the high price. Having the humans be the low group on the totem pole reminded me of DD Barant’s Bloodhound files where humans were referred to as ORs (Original Recipe).
After I read Briggs’s Night Broken, I decided I needed to do a reread of the series from the start to refresh my memory. I’m about halfway thru Book 5 and am shocked at how much I’d forgotten. I mean, I remember the bare bones of the stories, but the details were just pfftt gone.
Looking forward to Lynn Flewelling’s last Nightrunners book on April 1. Sad face that the series is ending.
Sorry this was so long. Now I’ve got to read everyone else’s books to see if my wallet can get in (more) trouble.
I recently read Astronauts Wives Club by Lily Koppel, really great book, so interesting and of the time. Also recently read, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, awesome – I cried and I never do that. Recently read a bio of C.S. Lewis, sounds like he was a bit of a douche. Also, a bio on Barbara Stanwyck, she sounds like an interesting if scary woman, very strong though considering the tough life she led and it only went until 1940! Also recently read a fun book Blame it on the Fame by Tracie Banister. Went on safari in Tanzania and Kenya and read a lot of my backlog of eBooks!