November’s Monthly Monday Medley

So for the next couple of months on the first Monday of every month  I shall be posting a medley of four books that are either:

a) off my keeper shelf

b) interesting or useful

c) current reads

I’m not writing reviews- these are quite simply recommendations. This is about me wanting to share a read that I enjoyed or found noteworthy for some reason.

The books will be predominantly romance but not entirely. They will be predominantly fiction but not always. I haven’t linked these but they should be easy enough to find on Amazon. Have you read any of them? What did you think of them?

So, in no particular order:

The House of Memories:  Although I don’t really read much that isn’t clearly genre romance I occasionally pick up something different. This is one of those books. I wept all the way through. It’s a beautiful book, with a HEA (happy ever after) and I can thoroughly recommend it.

Ultimate Weapon: Gritty romance with a kick ass heroine who makes jewellery for women that contains secret weapons. A hero who can match her as an equal and scorching sex- need I say more?

What I did for a Duke:This book has quick, bright dialogue, funny parts to it but also a poignancy. It’s a relationship between an older man and a woman quite a few years his junior and although when it starts out you think it’s going to be a typical revenge seduction, that is quickly scotched because the heroine is too clever. Lovely lovely book.

Exotic Affairs: A collection of Michelle Reid’s stories. They are all originally published by Mills and Boon. Anyway you’ll see more of her books in my monthly Monday medleys.  She is my favourite Mills and Boon writer. Ever.

Enjoy!

My top ten favourite romance authors

Even though the days are getting longer and the snowdrops are out, winter keeps reminding us that she’s still here and she hasn’t finished having her say yet. I haven’t posted through January- work has been taking up a lot of time, true, and I’ve been struggling with some personal problems that the universe decided to chuck at me, however the truth is that I haven’t posted mainly because I’ve been reading.

Yes, I’ve succumbed to the log fire and good book syndrome and I have to admit that I’m totally unapologetic. So to make up for it in this post I’m going to post a list of my favourite romance writers. I started looking through my keeper shelf and my last year of Amazon purchases to be sure that I don’t forget anyone and the names just kept coming. What started out as a top ten quickly became a top twenty and may have gone even further if I hadn’t given myself a stern talking to.

Before I go any further I do want to issue a disclaimer. First of all this list is of my favourite romance authors at the moment, and it is always subject to change, of course. I’ve linked to each author so that you can find any you are interested in. I do hope that you get some new reading out of this post.

Top ten that I’m guaranteed to buy as soon as they have a new book out.

• Joanna Bourne: Historical author. I love her writing, her plots, her characters and her subtlety. http://www.joannabourne.com/
• Michelle Reid: Mills and Boon author. I never get tired of these. Deeply emotional stories that often make me cry. Her stories are often second chance stories. http://www.michellereid.com/books.html
• Cherise Sinclair: Only for those with a strong stomach these are very edgy, explicit, erotic stories that venture into the world of BDSM in a major way. Lots of naughty stuff happening but they contain good stories as well. http://cherisesinclair.com/
• Joanna Wylde: Has written in a variety of different sub genres but for me it’s the Reaper’s motorcycle books she writes that have me hooked. They are gritty, violent, edgy and dark but they work for me. Don’t buy if you are squeamish. https://www.facebook.com/joannawyldebooks
• Julie Anne Long: An historical author who she writes with a sense of humour. Her dialogues are very clever and witty and they make me smile. Her plots are cool and her characters ace. http://www.julieannelong.com/
• Nalini Singh: I love all her books but she’s on this list particularly for her Archangels series. Paranormal at a time when it’s lost a bit of its edge she gave it a second wind and hooked me with the terribleness of the angels and the world she’s created. http://www.nalinisingh.com/
• Lyndsay Buroker: Lyndsay writes in a variety of different subgenres including fantasy/ steam punk and I find all of them fascinating. She creates amazing worlds. http://www.lindsayburoker.com/
• Jo Goodman: Historical author who also writes western/ cowboy romances. Deeply emotional her characters do tend to face serious issues but unlike other authors they retain a simplicity and never become whiney. http://www.jogoodman.com/
• Loretta Chase: Write historical with excellent dialogue, witty and emotional and just a bit out of the ordinary. http://www.lorettachase.com/
• Patricia Briggs: Paranormal books and fantasy. I like her characters and the detail and interaction. Her heroines are strong and capable but without being militant. She is a great creator of worlds. http://www.patriciabriggs.com/

These are authors whose work I’m permanently watching for. Each time one of their books is published I want to ration it but instead I gulp it down.

I wish I could write with their emotional depth, sophistication, and polish. They give incredible pleasure to the reader in me and inspire the writer in me.

Do you have a favourite who you think should feature in a list? Leave a link in the comments and I’ll check them out.