The Best Romance Book Ever

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The Best Romance Book Ever

I want to hear 1 book.

The one book that you think is the best romance book you've ever read.

Talk to me.

27 comments:

Kati said...: Hm. This is a good question. Best romance ever as opposed to my favorite romance ever. Because they're two different things.

Best Romance Ever? Probably Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. Mostly because of Chase's mastery of prose, characterization, humor and frankly, sexy times.

Favorite Romance Ever - Different thing. ;); July 20, 2010 at 7:39 AM
Scorpio M. said...: Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath.

Perfect plot. No extraneous words, characters or foils. You watch two people fall in love.; July 20, 2010 at 7:54 AM
Chris said...: *becomes overwhelmed trying to decide and curls up in a little ball on the beach*; July 20, 2010 at 8:11 AM
KT Grant said...: The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. I was an emotional wreck while I read and afterward couldn't read another book for almost a month.

Also has some of the hottest love scenes I've ever read in a romance.; July 20, 2010 at 8:12 AM
Mollie said...: Katiebabs,

Kristie(j) recommended that to me too. I bought it then lent it to a friend. I'm gonna have to get it back and read it ASAP!; July 20, 2010 at 8:15 AM
Kristi Cook said...: It's Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase for me, too. From start to end, it was pitch-perfect. Fabulous characters (both hero *and* heroine--how unusual is that?!), terrific dialogue, and very sexy, too.; July 20, 2010 at 8:17 AM
Lisa Hendrix said...: Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale.

Best opening ever; poetic writing (I sobbed when Jervaulx described Maddy to her blind father); and their struggle to find their way to each other through prejudices, religious differences, and his devastating stroke is epic. Utterly sigh-worthy.; July 20, 2010 at 8:20 AM
Tracy said...: Kati - See, now I would have thought that the best romance you've ever read qualified as your favorite - maybe that's just me.
LoS is wonderful!

Scorpio - I'll have to look that one up, thanks. :)

Chris - Ahem - you noticed I didn't mention my fav? Probably because on I'm on the beach with you. lol

KB - I may have to break down and read TBH for one of my DIK reading challenge books.

Mollie - Well according to KB it's great. :)

Kristi Cook - LoS is a great book, no doubt.

Lisa Hendrix - FFtS huh? Another one I'll have to look into. Thanks for the heads up. :); July 20, 2010 at 9:55 AM
Kati said...: Tracy - Nope, my favorite is The Windflower by Tom and Sharon Curtis, and many, many a reader decidedly does NOT love it. Mostly because of the dickhead hero and welcome mat heroine. But for me, it fulfills all my romance needs.

But it's definitely NOT for everyone. Lord of Scoundrels is one of those books that I can recommend to anyone who wants to try historical romance.

In fact, I did a post not too long ago about one book from each major sub-genre (historical, contemp, para) to recommend as the best the sub-genre had to offer. Got some interesting responses, that's for sure!; July 20, 2010 at 10:20 AM
Sullivan McPig said...: Hmmm.... difficult one. The best romance stories in my opinion are part of books that are more than just romance.
So cheating and naming a book that's not solely a romance book:
Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson; July 20, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Tracy said...: Kati - I can definitely understand that point of view. For me I'd have to say whatever my favorite was would be the one I would think was the best - whatever anyone else thought. lol; July 20, 2010 at 11:09 AM
Sarai said...: I have to LoS is one of the best but I'm going to stick with the Tea Rose mainly b/c its about 2 BFF's that grow up together knowing they are going to be together but RL get's in the way at the end though they manage to find each, forgive, and get their HEA (just ignore the weird Jack the RIpper thingy in there); July 20, 2010 at 2:03 PM
ElaineG said...: The Proud Breed by Celeste DeBlasis...OMG an absolutely riveting love story that swept me away. Best I have ever read. A true romance that lasted through life and beyond. *sniff* I may have to read it again soon.; July 20, 2010 at 2:04 PM
Tracy said...: Sullivan - Since this is just for fun I'll have to say as long as it's got a romance in it, it counts! lol Thanks for the title!

Saria - Wow - I need to read that book! Weird JTR thing? Okay. lol

Elaine - I'm writing down lots of new-to-me books today. Sounds good, thanks.; July 20, 2010 at 3:02 PM
Anonymous said...: Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Philips; July 20, 2010 at 4:31 PM
Mary G said...: I can't even pick one from one fave author. I am making a list from the other replies though.; July 20, 2010 at 9:51 PM
Tracy said...: amcatoir - NBC is a good one. That was my first read by SEP and I will always think of it fondly.

Mary G - I'm doing the same thing! :); July 20, 2010 at 10:13 PM
Renee said...: OK, this is a tough one, all right. But, since I just listened to (again) Natural Born Charmer, I'll have to go with that. It was just as good as I remembered.; July 20, 2010 at 10:24 PM
Martha Lawson said...: Jackson Rule by Dinah McCall (Sharon Sala) is my absolute all time favorite romance!!; July 20, 2010 at 11:03 PM
KC Burn said...: Great question! I might have to cheat, too, and put down a fantasy book... er... trilogy. The Last Herald Mage by Mercedes Lackey - most beautiful romance & love story I think I've ever read. But if you want me to go strictly romance, I'd probably have to say Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.; July 21, 2010 at 4:09 AM
LesleyW said...: Eeek. I suck at just picking one book, I always want more. And I very rarely read books that are mainly focussed on romance.

I loved The Time Traveller's Wife though. Does that count as a romance?; July 21, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Romance Reviewer said...: Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips or Perfect by Judith McNaught!

I've worn out the covers.; July 21, 2010 at 8:30 PM
Bridget Locke said...: Oooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....wow, that's a hard one. I'll go to my tried and true, have read it at least 100 times and still love it book, which is Years by LaVyrle Spencer. That book works for me on every level. *sigh*

However, I've got a gazillion books that rank up there too. So, that's always kind of a hard question to answer. :); July 22, 2010 at 6:58 PM
Bridget Locke said...: Oh and I agree w/ Sullivan Pig. Ride the Wind is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, though I still can't read the end b/c it kills me every time. If you haven't read it, plz try to find a copy, because it is beautiful.

And SP is wrong, it is a romance at its heart. :); July 22, 2010 at 7:01 PM
Juli D. Revezzo said...: I haven't been reading the genre as long as some (a couple years only), but...maybe enough to make a pick. My favorite I've read so far would go to C.L. Wilson's Tairen Soul series, well-crafted, well-plotted, and skirts the line between true fantasy and romance. Love it. :)

Vixen Pearl
Vixen Reviews
Cafe Pearl; July 23, 2010 at 9:45 AM
Lea said...: I missed this one Tracy, and *gulp*.

However, for me?

'Wicked Burn', by Beth Kery. I still get a lump in my throat every time I touch the book for a number of reasons.; July 26, 2010 at 1:35 PM
Anonymous said...: It has to be The Bronze Horseman. I put off reading this book forever, and after I did I had to quickly order Tatiania and Alexander and The Summer Garden. There was no way I could go on without finding out what happened next in this couple's lives. Never have I been so obsessed by a book. I have pushed this book off on everyone I know. It is the best.; July 28, 2010 at 2:49 AM