Finding your favorite contemporary romance novels

Reviews of Romance Novels

Proposal Topic: So You Want to Read a Good Romance...

Proposal Description: Plowing through the thousands of new romance novels published each year to find the best can be daunting. If you’re a fan of contemporary romances, here are some brief reviews of a half-dozen you won’t want to miss—and one or two you’d rather!

Romances these days are not those sleazy, tawdry, hide-em-in-a-plain brown wrapper titillators we hid under our pillows as teen-agers—if they ever were! Romances today claim the highest share of the genre market, and the paperback market, in publishing. They attract the brightest lights in writing today, who can spin a yarn, create unforgettable characters and leave you sighing and satisfied in the midst of your happy (but not unrealistic) ending. Best news for women readers of romance is that most of the heroines of these fabulous novels today are strong women, not the stereotypical weak-willed, weeping and grateful victims of the libido-crazed men of yesteryear’s romances.

Many women today say they read these romances, and don’t mind their daughters reading them, because the heroines are great role models. They may encounter adversity in their lives—such as unloving parents, alcoholism in a spouse, mental illness, economic hardship, crime and more. But they learn to overcome, to find within themselves, and within the promise of a solid, loving relationship, the qualities they need to make their worlds a better place.

And the choices today are myriad. You can read New York Times bestselling authors Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, LaVyrle Spencer, Suzanne Brockman and Linda Howard’s latest and rest assured there are a thousand other authors a lot like them putting a believable and readable romantic spin on contemporary life. Here are some tips for choosing the romance novel you want to read.

Romances come in two types, something called “category” romance, and single-title romance. Category romance simply indicates a publisher has grouped romances with similarities under headings like “Intrigue,” Intimate Moments,” and “Superromance.” Harlequin, which also produces Silhouette Books, is the primary publisher of category romance by a landslide, but there others such as Leisure Books by Dorchester Publishing, and some of the lines of Zebra, from Kensington. Good category and longer romances can also be found online, through epublishers such as Hardshell Word Factory and Starlight Writers.

Categories tend to be shorter books than single-title, and one author will usually continue to produce in that line for a long time, so that you can watch for her upcoming releases and fill up on authors like Suzanne Brockman, author of the Romance Writers of America favorite book for last year, and a rising star in both category and single-title romances.

Brockman’s Intimate Moments (Silhouette) books are snappy, bright, full of sexual tension and highly motivated, well drawn characters. She packs a lot of wallop in a reasonably short framework. The next book in her Tall, Dark and Dangerous series for Intimate Moments comes out in July, 2001, and is called Taylor’s Temptation. It’s bound to be a good read, and a great place to start exploring category books. Harlequin’s Intrigue line features drama and mystery along with the romance, often causing a dynamic woman and an on-the-edge hero to pair up to get through some ordeal or pin down some criminal. If you like more action than description, more dialogue than character motivation spelled out, you might like Intrigues.

While category authors are favorites of die-hard romance fans, helping to make the genre a multi-million dollar industry, it’s difficult to review specific books for readers, since, most categories are only on the shelves of your favorite bookstore for one to three months. Booksellers must rotate them, to make room for the next batch, or cause a logjam. There are ways to order your category romances directly from publishers, or you may hike to a used book store, or use one online to find back titles of authors you particularly enjoyed. Most writers have mixed vibes about used books, however, since they no longer receive royalties on a previously sold book. Only the first sale counts! And paperbacks are cheap enough that most readers don’t mind buying one or two or a dozen new books each month!

If you like steamy romances, Harlequin’s Temptation or Blaze lines might be your cup of tea. If more understated sex appeals, try the traditional Harlequin Romance line or Silhouette’s Romance. Humor is featured in Dorchester’s A Wink and a Kiss line and in Harlequin’s Duets, which feature two short, sassy romances packed with humor and fun. A longer category line, Superromance by Harlequin, is more dedicated to developing a hero and heroine’s character as they work their way through the ups and down of modern life, family situations, and well-layered plots to achieve happiness with the person of their dreams. Some Superromance writers to watch are Peggy Nicholson, who wrote the surprisingly gripping Don’t Mess with Texans, Judith Bowen who wrote The Doctor’s Daughter, a reunion romance that warms the heart, and Janice Kay Johnson, whose The Baby and The Badge and other Supers combine taut drama, multi-generational family involvement, and torrid romance.

Don’t Mess with Texans would not ordinarily appeal to me, based on its provincial title or its cover—a cute cowgirl perched on a fence watching a handsome cowboy settle a magnificent horse. But when I heard that this particular Superromance had been nominated for the top award in romance writing, the Rita, for 1999, I gave the love story with the quirky title a try.

True, I started reading with a bit of reluctance—country, cowgirls and boys, and Texas are not usually my thing—my reluctance evaporated on page three!

The book’s hook—a spunky, drawling, bourbon-laced little lady demanding “gelding” surgery for her fine breeding stallion of the vulnerable country vet taken in by her unlikely story hooked me just fine. Not only was the research about horse raising, veterinary medicine and human nature precise and convincing. These lines from R. D. Taggart, in the first meeting between hero and heroine indicate the snappy, vivid writing that captivates and pulls in the reader:

“High-heeled boots rap-tapping on the linoleum, she came at him. For a moment Tag thought she'd march right into the puppy's owner, but at the last instant the women do-si-doed and she was toe-to-toe with him, looking up. Despite three-inch heels, she stood no higher than his heart. Pointy chin, lush lips. "You're Dr. Taggart?" She caught his sleeve. An emergency, that was clear. Half his mind was already listing the instruments and meds he might need…the other half was taking her in the way a punch-drunk boxer takes it on the chin, one hit after another, with no time between blows to recover. Drawl like hot honey despite her urgency. Her hair wasn’t standing on end; it just seemed that way. Eyes blue as a summer thunderstorm…”

This kind of intense, staccato writing leaves no room for daydreaming of one’s own. You either get drawn into the scenario, or you drop out when you can’t keep up. I liked Peggy Nicholson’s style, and was more than glad to keep up. When it turns out that the stallion the smitten vet gelds is the premier breeder for the lady’s alienated husband, a vicious millionaire horse-breeder in Tennessee, R. D. Taggart realizes he and the disappearing vixen are in big trouble. The vet loses his business, and during the suspenseful and romance-filled drama of the ensuing pages tracks down Susannah and almost loses his life, and hers in the process of “getting even” with the vengeful ex-husband.

Try Superromance for books that deal with serious issues like abuse in a way that’s palatable yet honest, or that cover complex and textured problems in living, and that move toward satisfying resolutions in either case.

Another line of romances caters now to the religious, or inspirational, market. Featuring heroes and heroines who find their way through life by seeking out the fulfillment of their relationships with God or their spiritual communities, these lines meet a large need among readers who want less sexual description, and a more -fundamentalist Christian outlook throughout. Steeple Hill by Harlequin produces many of the good ones. Heartsong Presents and Multnomah, mostly featuring Francine Rivers, also are popular.

Single-title authors often write for more than one publisher, although not necessarily. You can find their books produced by Avon-Harper, Dell, Bantam, Berkeley, MIRA, Pocket and others. They range from books called romantic suspense, like Elizabeth Adler’s work for Dell, and international settings featuring glitter and glamor like MIRA’s re-release of Linda Howard’s sensual All That Glitters, and Meryl Sawyer’s glamourous page turners, such as Promise Me Anything, also published by Dell.

Sandra Brown writes steamy contemporary romances with a political twist, often set in New Orleans, as is French Silk, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips tames bigger-than-life heroes such as professional football giants in her romances, among which It Had to Be You is a favorite. In her elegant, but matter-of-fact style, Phillips crafts in It Had to Be You a heroine who inherits a football team and matches her up against the team’s quarterback, to create a torrid romance built with much effort by two people deeply attracted but miles apart in temperament and interest. Phoebe and Dan make a classic romance couple, struggling for the relationship they finally achieve.

In this case the couple must work their way through mutual childhoods of abandonment, and the presence of the child Phoebe also inherited, a half-sister she barely knows. This type of persistent conflict, both internal because of their past histories and character qualities, and external, because of what they want to achieve as their goals, is the key to good romance, and Phillips does it with style. Her Heaven, Texas is another winner to watch for.

Two writers who recently broke away from their standby historical novels include Susan Wiggs and Mary Jo Putney. Wiggs’ delightful The You I Never Knew came out in January of 2001 to great praise. Her tale involves a reunited couple, returning to their hometowns carrying the baggage of their separate pasts and the crises of the present. Michelle has an angry teenage son and an estranged father who needs a kidney transplant, while she is only possible donor. Sam wants to claim her son as his, and from there the conflict sparks and grows. Facing the truth about their weaknesses, insecurities and doubts make for a minefield of problems for Michelle and Sam, and Wiggs won’t let them off the hook. The complex and well-drawn characters grow through their struggles, making for a powerful journey. The stunning northwest setting glows in the background, and Wiggs never lets us doubt for a moment that love, and honesty can bring these two through.

The Burning Point, Mary Jo Putney’s first contemporary novel after a string of highly successful historical romances, is, to make an obvious pun, an explosive success. Set against the world of the high stakes demolition business, the reunion love story between Kate Corsi and her ex-husband Donovan rings with passion, restraint, conflict and soul-tearing emotion. Putney never steers away from tough issues, and in this one she deals with domestic violence with a careful and acute vision. Her craftsmanship is solid, and her dialogue and descriptions as smooth and richly textured as velvet.

Thrust into close proximity to the man she left years ago because of his abusive temper, Kate accepts the challenge to take over her father’s demolition business because she so desperately wants to work at last in the field. As an architect she knows structures, and she has nearly mastered the craft of using high explosives to implode huge buildings. But Kate discovers within herself a smoldering love for the man she left behind, and a conflicting sense of self-preservation that keeps her at a distance.

Donovan, too, more in love with Kate than ever, and his father-in-law’s heir to the throne of Corsi Demolition, is thrilled to have her nearby, but scared, scared of his own volatility and deep-seated anger, to be working with his ex again. How Kate and Donovan work through their history of deep problems, abuse and anger, and their current fight over the Corsi family business, makes for gripping reading. This kind of complex plot, layered with brilliant character development, is a far cry from the brown paper packaged romances of long ago.

In the world of romance, just as in the world of fiction, there’s a book, maybe even an author, possibly even a whole line of books, just right for every reader yearning for happy, realistic endings. Most bookstores have a section dedicated to romance. If they don’t ask them to consider it. Some store owners will make recommendations for your interests.

You’ll also find fulfilling reviews of all new romance novels in Romantic Times, the premier review magazine for romance. Some online review magazines also provide tips on current releases. You’ll hear of Nora Roberts, Jane Ann Krentz and some of the other stars of the genre and their latest offerings everywhere you look. They’re good and worth reading. But look beyond the spotlights and discover gold. Finding out your own brand of romance can be an engrossing journey.