My Guilty Pleasure--Romance Novels

I was eleven when I read my first romance novel. My mom had tons of them, and I was bored, so I picked one up and read it. I've been reading them ever since! I don't admit it in public. I have a minor in English Literature. How could I admit such a terrible thing?

I won't read just any romance novel, though. I'm really picky about which ones I read. There are some authors that only have to write a book for me to read it. I won't even read the back cover first! I will buy it and read it. There are some that I will read only after carefully perusing the back cover to make sure that it's worth reading. There are some that I used to read, but have found that all of their books are just a re-writing of two or three ideas. I don't read them at all anymore. Then there are authors that I might pick up if a cover looks interesting, but I only try them once if they're on sale. If they prove themselves, I'll try another. Sometimes that pays off, and sometimes it doesn't!

My favorite authors are some of the big names in the romance genre.  I like Nora Roberts (both as Nora Roberts and as J.D. Robb), Linda Howard, Julia Quinn, Josie Litton (I wish she'd write more!), Amanda Quick (depending on my mood), Christina Dodd (sometimes...), Stephanie Laurens (most of the time), Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen, Jude Deveraux (Always!  No matter what she writes!), Julie Garwood, LaVyrle Spencer, Judith McNaught, Johanna Lindsey, and Elizabeth Lowell (Most of the time).  These are the authors that I scour the shelves for.  With most of them, I will read absolutely anything they write.  With some, I have to check the back and just make sure it's worth my time. 

I read and re-read these authors.  I read the books until they fall apart in most cases. My loving husband bought me a nook for Christmas, and now I won't worry so much about the books falling apart.  I re-read one of my old books by Linda Howard over the weekend.  It's called Open Season.   If you've never read it, I highly recommend it.  It's about a librarian in a small southern town who decides, on her 34th birthday, that if she ever wants to get married, she needs to change how she looks (frumpy!) and start getting out more to meet men.  The new sheriff in town walks into the library right before her transformation and again right after.  There's a lot of intrigue involved in this one.  It's one of my favorites by her, which is saying a lot, because she's one of my favorite writers. 

I digress.  I re-read the book over the weekend and the cover look like the dog had chewed on it (definitely possible!) and it looks like it is soon going to be in the recycle bin.  It was just as fabulous as the first 43 times I read it, though!  I wish my family didn't feel the need to eat every day.  If I didn't have to cook or clean the kitchen, I'd have a lot more time for books, books, books!