Good morning and Merry Christmas to everyone who is celebrating!
Time for the second night of our annual eight straight days of giveaways to celebrate Hanukkah!
Today, we’re celebrating Carrie’s love of science fiction, kickass heroines, fantasy, history, subversiveness, and comics!
Some of the items in this giveaway are so awesome, I was seriously tempted to switch them out with something else, but NO.
These are for y’all and… yeah, have a look:
The LoungeFly Black Widow Mini Dome Satchel, which I mentioned in a recent gift guide and recommended by Jennifer Estep.
A Hardcover copy of Rejected Princesses: Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath
A selection of three matchbook-style notebooks featuring the original covers of Flowers from the Storm, The Flame and the Flower, and The Kadin, produced to celebrate Avon’s 75th Anniversary.
A spiral bound vintage Harlequin cover notebook, featuring Nine to Five. You can keep all your own not-too-private secrets in there!
Ready to enter! Leave a comment telling us what romance is absolutely on your keeper shelf for ever and ever. Is it an older title you’ve moved several times from home to home? Is it a new book that blew your mind? What’s on your keeper shelf?
Standard disclaimers apply: I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Must be 18 years of age and ready to kick ass and take names. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Fierceness is not only advisable, it’s highly recommended. Please recycle any opened cans of whoop ass at the nearest recycling facility. Interested parties should dance on any table they like at any time. Comments will close at or near 12pm ET on Monday 26 December 2016 and winners will be announced shortly afterward.
Happy Hanukkah, and thank you for being part of Smart Bitches!
ETA: Congratulations! We have a winner, thanks to the power of random integers: comment #11 from Elvish!
Thank you to everyone who entered, and come back until the last day of Hanukkah – we’re having mayhem-levels of fun every night until then!
@Christa-shoutout for Patricia Veryan! I was reading her books out of the library before I even knew there was such a thing as a romance genre, and Some Brief Folly was my favorite.
My top keepers are Devil’s Cub(Heyer), Devil in Winter, Mackenzie’s Pleasure by Linda Howard, and The Chance, which is my favorite of Edith Layton’s “C” books.
Can I pick an author? I can’t imagine ever not wanting to keep any of Grace Burrowes’ books.
In Death by J.D. Robb. Pretty much set the standard for romance couples for me. Happy Holidays all!
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer is a forever keeper for me. I just love that book to death (Freddy!)
The Devil in Winter and Devil’s Bride.
To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt
Gotta be predictable: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. Just so, so good. Thanks for the giveaways!
Gallaghers of Ardmore Bay trilogy by Nora Roberts
Everything by Johanna Lindsey, but especially Gentle Rogue.
Books in my Julia Quinn collection have made as many as five moves with me. King of the Keepers is When He Was Wicked, which is on both my keeper shelf and my Kindle.
Georgette Heyer — she has a book for just about any mood!
Let’s face it, I’m a book hoarder and almost everything is on my keeper shelf, but if I had to pick, I’d say my copy of Cordelia’s Honor (shards of honor + Barrayar) by Lois McMaster Bujold isn’t going anywhere.
Kate Noble’s The Summer of You! (Fingers crossed…super excited about these awesome giveaways…thanks for the opportunities!)
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. I read it again at least once a year. Freddy is my absolute favorite Heyer hero.
Warrior woman by Johanna Lindsey. The first Scifi romance I ever read
The first series of Sarah MacLean: Love by the Numbers, also Pride & Prejudice, and if you give me a little leeway (no HEA) Gone With the Wind.
Paladin of Souls by LM Bujold
I know it’s technically labeled “fantasy” but it’s a great romance. There aren’t a lot of romances for middle-aged women leads, especially cranky ones, and I find it deeply satisfying.
Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer! It’s the first romance I ever read (as a preteen), and I therefore have a soft spot in my heart for it. Great stuff. More recently, I love A Week to be Wicked, Flowers from the Storm, and 9 Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon for aure!
Talisman ring bu Heyer.
I really love Judith McNaught’s “Perfect.” While it is a little cheesy in places, there is so much I enjoy about that book.
Happy holidays to everyone!
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. I reread it regularly and it always makes me happy.
Joanna Bourne’s books.
I don’t have a favorite among them because they are masterpieces, each one.
Tessa Dare’s “A Week to be Wicked” & Julia Quinn’s “When He Was Wicked”. And even though it has some (okay, many) questionable moments, Susan Johnson’s “Wicked”. Hmm…
And I’ve worn “Wicked” nail polish on my toes for years. I think I need to take a closer look at this phenomenon.
Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Cruisie,
Texas Destiny, Lorraine Heath.
This is hard to pick just one.
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer, Freddy and Kitty and female friendships make me happy.
‘Wintercombe’ by Pamela Belle. And ‘Tam Lin’ by Pamela Dean.
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Flowers From The Storm by Laura Kinsale …forever and ever…
The Secret by Julie Garwood
Deborah Smith’s A Place to Call Home
Devil in Winter
Ten Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake–Sarah MacLean. There’s something about a woman coming into to her own by taking risks that appeals to me.
I have far too many keepers in multiple genres, but I will limit myself to only a few. Earlier this year, I listened to my audiobook of Middlemarch by George Eliot for the 4th time. It’s not strictly a romance, but there are a few happy couples at the end of the (huge) book. During that re-listen, I decided that chapter 83 (so close to the end!) is probably the most romantic chapter of a novel ever — especially as narrated by Kate Reading. The e-version is free thru Project Gutenberg, and chapter 83 is here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/145/145-h/145-h.htm#chap83
Yes, I adore Jane Austen’s novels, they are amazing, but Middlemarch is like a real place to me.
The book I read a couple of years ago that reminded me the romance genre is awesome, is a contemporary called This Time Next Door, by Gretchen Galway. The characters are realistic and adorable, and the heroine is plus-sized. After that, I was hooked on romance for good. Finally, after gobbling up contemporaries for maybe four months, I tried a historical by Theresa Romain after seeing her name again and again on SBTB. I started Season for Scandal, and it was delicious — I finished it in one day! Galway and Romain are definite keepers for me.
Thanks for the giveaway, and for all you do to make the Pink Palace such a wonderful and welcoming place!
KJ Charles’ Think of England!
I am slightly ashamed of mine, but it is Seduction by Amanda Quick. It was the first romance to resonate with me in middle school.
Oddly enough, Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas. It’s not everyone’s favorite of hers, but I loooove it.
A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereux.
Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas will always be on my shelf!